Page 20 of Zachary

“Let’s add a future flying trip to the list, then,” Fabian declares. “I agree that it might need to wait until you’re actually friends, but in the meantime, I bet you can open a lot of minds by taking someone else up for a flight. Maybe Zoe?”

I think about Zoe’s ready-for-adventure personality and love of the cold. “She’d definitely like that. But I don’t have a harness.” I’ve never taken anyone up on my back before, but I’ve seen others do it. While it istechnicallypossible for a rider tohold on without any kind of harness, it’s difficult and stupidly irresponsible. Wil, who was in charge of my flying lessons, told me that young dragons are drilled repeatedly about never taking a passenger without a harness.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s never done. I’ve heard stories about people pulling stunts—apparently, shortly after our arrival on Earth, several dragons and hellhounds invented a new sport called firediving. But if I want to make friends and keep them, it seems to me that a harness is the way to go.

“We can get one to you,” Dustin assures me. “Right? Hagen, can you ask Caolan to portal it over?”

“Yep. He might ask why, though.”

“Wait.” Sophie’s voice is incredulous. “He might ask you why you want him to take a dragon-riding harness to a dragon?”

There’s a momentary pause, then a sheepish Hagen says, “Okay, yeah, I hear it now.”

“Hear what?” Fabian asks. “Is there interference on the line?”

I grin. I’d forgotten how much fun Fabian can be just by being himself. Dustin explains, and Fabian makes a pfft sound. “Hagen, if you can’t keep up, I’m going to need to reconsider your invitation to join this team. This is serious business. Life or death stuff.”

I open my mouth to protest that it’s notthatserious, but Hagen is already solemnly apologizing and vowing to focus more.

“Okay,” Fabian continues, “on the primary list, I’ve got continue friendship with Zoe, including offer to take her flying. Then also go to this movie night and see how you go with… the other people. Who were they, again?”

“Cam and Garrett,” I supply automatically. “Wait, there’s an actual list? You’re writing a list?”

“More than one.” The heavy patience in his tone makes me feel like a chastised child. “You’ve been eating at the pub a fewnights a week, too, haven’t you? Keep doing that. Let people see you being normal.”

I’m not completely sure Fabian, who frequently forgets to put on clothes when he’s in research mode and can be found wandering around naked, is the authority on normal. But I let that slide.

“Now, on the Zachary list… I think you need to ease into him.”

“That’s what he said,” Hagen says, and snickers.

Huh? “I don’t understand.”

“I’ll explain it to you later,” Dustin says. “It’s a joke.”

“Start with any kind of conversation at all,” Fabian says, and it takes me a second to realize that he’s either ignoring the interruption or didn’t even notice it. With Fabian, either is possible. “You don’t normally talk, right? That’s what you said? So ask him what he did on the weekend. It doesn’t need to be specific to his interests—just get the dialogue started.”

I turn that over in my mind. He did say he was on babysitting duty today—I could ask how that went. “Okay. I can handle that.”

“Don’t try too hard,” Sophie says gently. “Remember, at this point, any conversation is a good start. If he doesn’t seem to want to chat, let it go. Slow and steady will get you there.”

“Also what he said,” Hagen murmurs. I really need to find out what that means.

“I think we can leave it there for today,” Fabian declares. “Ronan, are you feeling more positive than you did before?”

I take a deep breath and consider it. “Yes. I know it won’t always be as easy as today, but I think I have a chance now.”

“Great! So I’ll set up the chat, and whenever you need help, just reach out!”

“Thank you,” I tell them all, and with a flurry of goodbyes, the call ends. Smiling, I think about maybe watching something on TV. Normally I’d work, but maybe I should try to relax.

My phone chimes, and I glance at the notification.

Fabian Draco has invited you to join the chat Name Needed.

Did he… did he actually name the chat “Name Needed”? I click into it just as the first message pops up.

Fabian:

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