Page 6 of Artemis

“Hestia will be taking the lead though, right?” Finley asked anxiously. “I won’t have to remember everything on my own?”

“Of course she will.” Augustine patted Finley’s shoulder. “You will be fine, little brother.”

“Jaden owes me big for this,” Finley muttered, heading back up the stairs to get dressed to deal with small children.

When he arrived at the daycare, he could hear the children shouting in the big backyard.

How many did Jaden say Maddie looked after? This sounds like twenty!

Feeling nervous, Finley rang the doorbell, hoping that it could be heard over the ruckus.

Fortunately, it seemed like it could, as Maddie greeted him not long after. “Come in and meet the kids!” she said, beaming. “We’re out back for another five or so minutes. I’m teaching the boys how to do a cartwheel.”

Finley raised an eyebrow and looked down at her belly. “At eight months pregnant?”

“I’m not doing the cartwheels, they are.” Maddie rubbed one hand protectively over her stomach. “This would throw off my balance for sure!”

“Exactly what I was thinking.” Finley scratched at his stubble. “I could teach them how to do a headstand.”

“They would love that.”

The backyard was half grass, a quarter sand, and a quarter playground. The boys were tumbling on the grass while the girls were playing in the sand.

“Don’t eat that, Lyta,” Maddie said, and the little girl pouted as she took the shovel out of her mouth. “We’ll be eating lunch soon. Are your teeth bothering you?”

“Ah!” Lyta said, pushing herself up onto her feet and walking unsteadily toward Maddie.

“Are your hands clean?” Maddie asked Finley.

“I touched my doorknob and your doorbell after washing my face this morning,” Finley replied.

“Excellent. Just rub your finger along her gums. Her molars are bothering her, poor thing.”

Next thing Finley knew, he had an armful of toddler. “Umm, hi,” he said to the girl.

“Hi,” she repeated, staring at him with large brown eyes.

“I hear your teeth are coming in?” He felt silly talking to the toddler like she knew what he was saying, but he didn’t know how else to talk to her.

Lyta stuck a sandy finger in her mouth.

“Oh, ew,” Finley said, making a face. “Sand isn’t good for your tummy.” He sucked in a deep breath.

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

“Here, let me feel those gums.”

Lyta grabbed his hand with both of hers and bit down, hard.

Finley swallowed a yelp and shifted the skin on his finger into dragon scales.

Lyta chirped and pulled his hand out, examining it intently.

“It’s blue because I’m a blue dragon shifter,” Finley explained. “Your bite hurt me, and this protects me.”

Blinking her big brown eyes, Lyta seemed to consider his explanation seriously before sticking his finger back in her mouth.

“You’re really good with her,” Maddie said, returning to his side and rubbing one hand over the little girl’s head.

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