Page 48 of Cam's Treasure

They asked questions every now and then, and DD seemed especially interested in Ember's restaurant. By the time I finished recounting, Gus's eyes were sparkling as he glanced between us.

"You like him, don't you?" he asked softly, and I opened my mouth to answer before realizing he was asking Micah.

A blush colored Micah's cheeks as he ducked his head, and I smiled. I hadn't seen this shy, sweet side of him since we started dating, because once Micah got comfortable in a relationship, he was a firecracker. Ember wouldn't know what hit him when thathappened, but right now, Micah was in his cautious and unsure phase.

"Is he blushing?" Cass asked, which made Micah scowl, and I chuckled as Gus answered in the affirmative.

"I'm glad you boys found him. Or rather, he found you. I know how long you've been searching for him."

If I didn't know DD so well, I'd think he was being sarcastic, because our seven-or-so-year wait was nothing compared to how long he'd waited for Dad. But since DD was the sweetest dragon in existence, he was completely sincere.

"Yeah. We should've realized staying in Mistvale was the key," I said sheepishly. Honestly, I wasn't sure why I'd ever thought we should go looking for our mates. Every mated person I knew had found theirs in this town, and I should've realized the importance of that.

Mistvale was blessed by Fate. There was no other way to look at it. Fate was fond of the residents of Mistvale, and as long as we stayed here, I was sure we'd find our last remaining mate soon too.

But before that, I hoped to solidify our bond with Ember. Something told me our final mate would need all three of us, though I couldn't say why.

Ember

The day after the morning they went home, the three of us spent hours talking on the phone. I'd offered to fly over, but Micah and Cam had wanted to get to know me better this way. Micah had also pointed out that since I wouldn't be able to fly Jodi, she'd be all alone here. It was sweet of them to be concerned about Jodi, so I didn't push too much.

By the time our conversation ended, I realized that I'd enjoyed talking to them this way. It was different than sitting across from each other, less distracting in some ways, and I'd learned a lot about my mates, and told them things about myself that I'd never shared before.

I learned that Cam was trans, which came as a surprise but changed nothing. He'd used his dragon magic to "make his outside match his inside," as he'd phrased it, and I could hear the emotions in his voice, the gratitude for being able to do something like that. I knew many people didn't have that luxury, and judging from his voice, so did he. I worried that he felt guilty about it, but I hoped that if he did, Micah would know and talk him through it, because he had no reason to.

I also learned more about Micah's early life in Ravenshire, the small island claimed by mages that he'd been born on. His life before he came to Mistvale hadn't been an easy or happy one, and I could tell that it still affected him.

Many times in our conversation, I'd wished I was with them so I could pull them into a tight hug. I'd wanted to wrap them up in my arms and keep them safe from every possible danger, but I'd had to settle for comforting them with my voice.

It'd been three days since our date now, and I was itching to see them again. The need to see them, to talk to them, to touch them burned inside me like my phoenix fire, and sometime before noon, I gave in to the urge, sending them a text.

Me: May I visit you two today?

Putting my phone on the couch beside me so I wouldn't obsess over it, I turned to Jodi, grabbing her face in my hands and ruffling her fur. Her tongue lolled out as she let me play with her, and I smiled down at her. Then I noticed something that I hadn't before, even though Jodi had been lounging beside me on the couch for a while now. There was an extra black spot on her fur, and it took me a moment to realize what it was.

Picking up my phone, I sent another text.

Me: Micah, if you're looking for your familiar...

I clicked a picture of Jodi and the small black cat curled up on her back, then sent it in the chat.

My phone pinged a few minutes later, and I picked it up quickly while Jodi watched me with warm brown eyes.

Micah: Oh my God. When did she get there? I haven't seen her all day, but that's not unusual, so I wasn't worried.

Micah: And yes, you're welcome to visit anytime, Ember!

I smiled at the messages, feeling assured since it was Micah who'd said it.

Over the course of our date, and our phone conversation, I'd realized Micah had started lowering his walls around me. I could tell because he'd become snarkier, sassing back at Cam when he teased him, and even making a few jokes. I'd been elated to see him relaxing, and I hoped he would continue doing so.

Quickly changing into presentable clothes, I ran my fingers through my hair, eyeing myself in the mirror. I'd let my hair get pretty long, and I wondered if maybe I should cut some of it off. It had a tendency to get into a tangled mess when I flew, even though the hair didn't supposedly exist then.

Running my palms over my smooth cheeks, I gave myself a nod before heading over to the kitchen and refilling Jodi's bowl.

When I walked into the living room, the two were still curled up on the couch. Leaning down, I pressed a kiss on Jodi's forehead and almost got a faceful of scratches from Saaya for it, jumping back just in time.

"I'll be home soon, Jodi. Don't destroy anything, okay?" I used to tell her that when I first got her, when I didn't know just how gentle she was, and then it'd just become something I said.

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