Phoenix sobered instantly, her gaze flicking to Drago. He gave her a solemn nod and a gentle, reassuring smile. She breathed out and nodded to Valyndra.
“Can we go?” DJ asked.
Drago placed his hand on his son’s shoulder and shook his head. “Not this time. But… you three can get your things together. We’ll be heading to see Orion and Jenny when they get back.”
“Yay!” the chorus of voices brought more laughter.
Phoenix watched as DJ, Stone, and Roo slipped out of their chairs. DJ and Stone took off, pushing and bumping each other as they exiting the kitchen. Roo paused and came back to her. Phoenix looked down at the little girl when she placed her hand on her arm and leaned up to whisper in her ear.
“Be brave. You’re my firebird.”
Phoenix hugged Roo tightly before Roo skipped out of the room, calling behind the boys to remind them that they owed her the replication spell. She shook her head in bemusement, suddenly understanding how her parents and the other parents must feel when all the kids are together.
She turned when Valyndra and Draegor rose. She gave Carly and Drago a smile of thanks.
“We’ll be here when you return,” Drago promised.
Phoenix nodded, her heart hammering in her chest as she realized that she was about to understand who, what, and hopefully why she was different.
I wish Mom, Dad, or Spring was here, she thought, silently wishing for their comforting support.
She rubbed her palms on her jeans, then followed Valyndra and Draegor outside.
We good. They know. We good.
Phoenix felt her dragon’s reassurance even as her own confidence wavered. She pressed her hand to her stomach when it suddenly felt like it was full of butterflies and breathed deeply.
I can do this. I can do this, she silently chanted as she looked at the couple who were waiting for her.
“You’ll be fine. I felt the same way the first time I came here,” Valyndra said before she smiled at Draegor.
“What do you mean? Aren’t you from the Isle of Dragons?” Phoenix asked.
Valyndra chuckled and shook her head. “No. I came from a distant world. One you already know.”
Phoenix’s eyes widened when Valyndra shifted. Her lips parted on a soft gasp when the gold dragon with feathery wings and a feathered tail of red and black shimmered before her. The sunlight caught in the feathers, setting them aglow like molten gold and crimson flame.
Her gaze darted to Draegor when he shifted. His dragon was very similar to Drago and her father’s, his wings and tail that of a normal dragon. A hesitant smile curved Phoenix’s lips as she shifted.
I’m not alone! There are others like me!
Chapter Ten
The early morning rays of the sunshine brightened the world below. Phoenix’s dragon shook her head, loving the feel of the sun and wind against her scales. She flew between Valyndra and Draegor.
The wind swept past her, whipping through her feathered wings, lifting her higher until the castle and city below became little more than specks.
The kingdom was waking—farmers guiding lumbering beasts of burden through dew-laden fields, traders setting up their colorful stalls, the scent of fresh bread drifting upward as the sunlight gilded the rooftops.
Below, the sea shimmered like molten glass, reflecting the rising sun in brilliant flashes of silver and gold. The mountains loomed ahead, jagged and vast, their peaks dusted in snow, their valleys cradling thick, emerald forests. The air smelled of earth, salt, and something older—ancient magic lingering like mist.
Phoenix’s heart beat wildly in her chest. Her excitement built until she felt like she would explode. She wondered if the other kids were having as an exciting adventure as she was.
I hope so. It would really help me not feel guilty about having fun myself, she thought.
They have fun. They make trouble.
Phoenix silently groaned and hoped her dragon was wrong. She tilted her wings, catching the wind, soaring higher until the clouds brushed against her scales when Valyndra and Draegor rose. The sky stretched endlessly around her—alive, boundless.
