Page 40 of Starfall

“It’s lovely. Don’t take this the wrong way, but it suits you.”

She sighed. “I know.”

He laughed. “Would you like to dance?”

“Yes. Can we make out when we stop?”

His eyes gleamed. “Definitely.”

Emery felt the warmth of his body against hers as they walked back to the dance floor. He smiled. “Take two.”

They danced, and the music suddenly swelled to match them. Orla and Hunter joined them, and the rest of the party resumed.

* * * *

Avaknell turned tothe looming figure next to her and said, “Pleased to meet you formally, Kel. And your host, Nen. And your mate, Krys.”

“Wife. We call them wives here. Who are you?”

She turned to him and smiled. “Avaknell Blue of Blue Station. When I assumed my wings for the first time, I blew a hole in space. I fell through it and took two stars with me.”

“How long did you fall?”

“A few hundred years, I think. The idiot warlocks here were summoning stars, so we came here. I recovered my body, and they went into their mothers. When they were grown, I helped where I could while we waited for signs of the sky opening.”

Kel murmured, “You are going to take them?”

“I will come back for them when they call me. For now, they have hundreds of years ahead of them before they surrender their bodies again. I will open the sky for them when they want to resume their journey.”

He looked at her. “You are a female dragon.”

“Yes. You are a fused one. How is Nen doing?”

The eyes shifted. “I am fine, mistress. Thank you for inquiring.”

She smiled as Kel returned.

Krys asked, “So, you are a female dragon?”

“Yes.”

“You look so... pretty.”

“Kel just looks like that because he used to open asteroids with his face.” She grinned.

“But you could have been his mate.” Krys looked a little nervous.

“Fuck no. I do not produce the amount or type of energy that he needs. As the big bastards get older, their bodies become fussy about what they can and can’t consume. I and the handful of other female dragons are not on the menu.”

“Handful?”

“Oh, we are not common. We are rare. Powerful, strong, naïve, adorable, and rare.” Avaknell grinned.

Kel asked, “Where were you?”

“My sisters and I are at Blue Station. It is where we have been running the station, taking on customer service, and tending to those who just need somewhere to rest. Our ancestor is using the station as a dating platform to draw in male dragons so he can observe and make sure we are solid matches. You know, as a good patriarch should.” She grinned.

“You seem jovial. You did not have a match?”

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