There was a mumbling of agreement. She smiled when Alice threaded her arm through hers. “It’s going to be fun.”
Phoenix nodded and looked around. “Is everyone ready?”
“Do you need any help?” Adaline asked.
Phoenix shook her head, hoping her nerves didn’t show. “I’ve got this.” I hope.
The boys were already talking over each other.
“I want to fight a pirate captain,” Bálint declared.
“I want to find buried treasure,” Jabir added.
“Forget treasure, I want a ship,” Zohar grinned, making a sword-fighting motion. “We’ll be real pirates.”
Alice and Adaline, laughing, shook their heads.
“We just want to swim with the mermaids,” Alice said dreamily.
“And maybe learn a spell or two,” Adaline added.
Phoenix noticed Amber and Jade in the background—silent but vibrating with contained excitement. They weren’t giggling like usual. They were waiting.
“Are you two ready?” she asked.
“Yep,” Amber said.
“Oh, yeah,” Jade replied, patting the huge duffle bag.
Phoenix frowned. “What’s in the bag?”
“Just clothes,” Amber responded.
“Yeah, just clothes,” Jade replied with a bright grin.
Phoenix cast the twins a suspicious look before she shook her head and turned to the rest of the group.
“I need more space to open the portal. Let’s go down into the garden.”
Instantly, Roam shifted into his tiger form and leaped gracefully out the window, his sleek form disappearing below. The boys followed suit, shifting into their dragons and diving after him.
Alice and Adaline disappeared, teleporting out of the treehouse while Amber and Jade, grinning, hauled their oversized duffle bag toward the treehouse lift. The rhythmic creak of the lift’s gears groaned under the weight of whatever the twins had packed. Phoenix seriously doubted it was just clothes.
As her sister headed for the trapdoor, Phoenix reached out, her fingers brushing against Spring’s hand. A troubled expression clouded her sister's face as she turned to look at her. The sadness in Spring's eyes was palpable, a visible ache that tugged at her heart. Roam's silence, a stark contrast to the others’ cheerful greetings, made her heart ache for her sister.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
Spring nodded. “Yeah. I’m so over boys. I think I agree with Alice. I’d like to see some mermaids.”
Phoenix watched as her sister disappeared through the trapdoor and down the rope ladder. She followed a second later, her mind swirling as she tried to think how she could make Spring’s wish come true.
She turned away from the group when she reached the ground. The garden gleamed in the morning light, the air thick with the scent of blooming flowers and rich earth. The low hum of the pollinators filled the air. Some of the bee-like creatures that helped make the flowers grow were the size of her fists.
She took a deep breath, then let the power within her flare. Her body shimmered, stretching, transforming—until she stood tall in her dragon form, her wings massive and feathered with living flame. Her black scales absorbed the light while the edges of her feathers crackled with fire, pulsing with untamed energy.
The boys muttered with envy. Phoenix shook, sending tiny bursts of red, yellow, and orange flames out. She made sure she sent an extra dose toward Roam. He hissed and jumped back, glaring at her.
“Hilarious,” he growled.
