Page 42 of Starfall

Kel crossed his arms. “She’s not wrong. I have never seen a dragon female before. Fuck, they are annoying.”

Avaknell beamed. “And you are cranky. Comes with age, I guess.”

He grinned and shook his head. “You are going to be in so much trouble when your mate gets here.”

“Tell me something I don’t know. But he isn’t here yet, and I feel like skating.” She sent a wave of dissipating heat over the snowy field, and it formed sheets of ice. Her height grew by two inches as she made some skates, and she started a slow pass over the ice to the music.

She was bigger with the wings out, but it was easier to balance. They compensated for every little wobble, as did her tail.

Ava felt like herself again, with no reason to hide or modify her body. She had understood Emery the moment that she met her. All that power and no way to show it; all that loneliness and no one to hold. Avaknell had tried to adopt Emery, but her grandparents refused it. She missed the window when Emery was available for adoption, but the foster parents had a more urgent claim to her. So, she had waited, and the moment her little dark star was free, she had taken her under her wing and helped her to become a valuable member of the community.

Emery was a glowing soul, but her glow was dark, and that was overlooked. She worked her magic deep in the hearts of those around her when she was able. She smiled at the glow that had flared when Rowen had hugged her little friend. Emery was in good hands. Great once Avaknell left the earth.

She looked around, and other individuals or couples or triads were skating along the ice, and she smiled. She always had been a trendsetter.

Two hours later, she was sitting and having some desserts and a kebab when there was a rumble of shock out on the ice. Avaknell ate her meat stick and then munched on the tarts and other fruity pastry as she walked out of the pavilion and onto the snow.

Kel walked up next to her. “Looks like your ride is here.”

A dark swirl in the stars got wider, a spinning spiral of darkness that blocked out the stars in its vicinity.

Avaknell frowned. “That looks wrong.”

Kel paused in his silent amusement. “What?”

“He isn’t so absolutely dark.” Avaknell stared up and tried to think of what it could be. She didn’t like the answer.

She frowned and looked around.

“Looking for a place to run?” Kel was amused.

“Nope. Trying to figure out how large a snowball I can muster.”

“Why? Isn’t that your null?”

She hissed, “Yes, but it isn’t alone. Someone else is with him, and I said that I wasn’t going to accept a set.”

“Oh. There are two of them in there?”

“Correct.”

The dragons formed out of the swirl and descended rapidly.

One was blue-black, and one was absolute black. She had seen them both before.

Avaknell watched them head toward the icy gathering, and they back-winged to settle neatly on their clawed feet.

The party was full of amazed voices.

Kel muttered, “They are big.”

Avaknell mumbled around the food she was eating. “Shut up.”

He laughed. “Oh, I believe I am understanding. Krys doesn’t mind.”

“She’s not facing two of you. She deals with you and Nen. It’s different. A lot less tails involved, for one.”

He was laughing as Hunter came up next to them, and they walked up with Olmin to greet the dragons, who were swaying their long necks as they looked for her. She went back to the buffet.

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