Page 65 of Her Dragon Daddy Disaster
As always, nothing was black or white.
Except for a four-year-old being unwilling to go to bed at his proper bedtime. That was set in stone.
“Did you have fun showing them your fire?”
“Yeah!” Jakub shouted. That was followed by springs squeaking as he jumped on the bed. “So fun! All the dragons were there, Dad. They were blue and red and purple, too!”
“I know. I was there.”
A sticky, ooey-gooey warmth burned in my chest and across my face at hearing the two of them. Jakub had taken to the revelation that Levi was his father with ease, simply accepting it as the way it was.
Once the “coolness” of learning his father was a dragon wore off—or when puberty hit—there would be definite backlash, I was sure, but for now, the two were bonding hard and becoming thick as thieves.
Seeing Jakub begin to exhibit some traits of his dragon heritage was less easily quantifiable.
On the one hand, I was proud of him for his slowly developing ability to control bits and spurts of fire. Making it appear in his palm and go out and such. Any parent would be.
On the other hand, it was afour-year-old playing with fire. That was terrifying—as it should be to the parent of any four-year-old, past or present.
Then, finally, there was the knowledge that it was something I simply couldn’t share with him. For now, the gap was small andlimited, but in time, as he grew into his full powers, I would be left further and further behind.
I feared losing him.
That time was a long way off, however, and I intended to do everything I could to ensure it didn’t happen. There could be a place for a balance between human and dragon.
Couldn’t there?
I realized then that the noises from the bedroom had quieted. Levi was talking in quieter tones, forcing me to focus if I wanted to hear.
“A fair dragon princess was trapped up the mountain by the evil dragon. He wanted her all for himself and banished anyone who he thought might take her away. For a long, long time, she was alone. Until one day, a brave dragon came up the mountain …”
It didn’t take long for Jakub to drift off into sleep. He loved tales like that, where he could be the hero, coming to save the day. Soon enough, Levi tiptoed out of the room, turning the light off and easing the door closed behind him.
He saw me there and smiled. “You were right. He loved the story. Started dreaming almost immediately.”
I nodded amusedly. “I’m terrified for the day he grows too old for that to work. I’ve got nothing ready.”
Levi reached a hand up unexpectedly, running it across my cheek. “You’re an amazing mother, Sarah. You’ll think of something. I know it.”
My face burned with heat at his words. “Thank you.” I hesitated, then pushed on. “Can we talk?”
Concern flickered across his broad face, digging deep into the corners of his eyes. Even in the darkness, they glittered with that curious orange tint.
“Of course,” he said.
“Thanks.” We went down the hall and into his office, closing the door behind us, just in case Jakub was still up.
“Everything okay?”
I took a deep breath, trying to fortify myself, to prepare for every outcome.
“I guess not,” he said, looking behind him to make sure his desk was clear. He picked up a thick envelope and set it off to the side.
“What’s in there?” I asked, stalling.
“This?” he asked, hefting the envelope. “Nothing. Just some notes from Malakai.”
“Oh.”
