Adalard crossed his arms. “Call her back. I’d like to have a word or two with her about her definition of ‘safe’!”
Zoran’s lips twitched. Before he could respond, his dragon chuckled in his mind.
She’s still here, you know. Watching. Listening. Probably laughing. She tell them.
Zoran’s eyes glinted when he saw both men stiffen, their expressions a mixture of highs and lows, before they shuddered and cursed.
“My definition of ‘safe’ is still different from hers,” Adalard muttered, shooting a wary glance around the room.
Trelon dropped into a chair with a long sigh, tossing one leg over the other. “Thank the Goddess. Maybe she can get Amber, Jade, and eventually James to stop making things they shouldn’t.”
Vox shot him an incredulous look. “How are you so calm right now? Your girls are out there—somewhere in the universe! With no idea where they are or what could be waiting!”
Trelon smiled serenely, closed his eyes, and folded his arms behind his head. “Because I’m smart enough to know the universe would be on fire if anything had happened to them.”
He cracked one eye open.
“And because my symbiot is still linked to theirs and keeps showing me little flashes of what they’re doing. They’re fine. I learned a long time ago how to track those two. It just took longer this time. I figured Cara would invent a way to get to them if they aren’t home by the time she gets back.”
There was a pause.
“Can I kill him?” Ha’ven asked.
Creon shook his head. “Only if you want to explain why to Cara.”
“Dragon’s ballocks!” Ha’ven muttered, falling into the chair beside Trelon.
Trelon sighed. “Let’s just say, I’m reasonably sure they haven’t started a war with a group of pirates yet.”
Ha’ven paled. “Reasonably?!”
Trelon shrugged. “I said yet.”
Despite themselves, laughter broke through the tension—reluctant, ragged, but real. The kind that came when fear finally released its grip, even if only for a breath.
And for the first time in days, they felt just a little more like fathers…
…and a little less like warriors preparing for battle.
Zoran tilted his head back and smiled when he heard the very faint, very feminine laugh of an amused Goddess—having a little fun at their expense.
Coming Next:
Playing with Magic…
When Alice awakens on the mysterious Isle of Magic, she quickly discovers that strength alone isn't enough to unlock its secrets. Drawn to an ancient elder tree glowing with quiet wisdom, she begins to sense the heartbeat of the island—an energy unlike anything she’s ever known. With guidance from the tree’s gentle caregivers, Alice learns that true magic isn’t just about power… it’s about harmony, intention, and connection.
In a place where every root, breeze, and whisper holds a spell, Alice must open her heart as well as her hands—and discover the magic that has always lived within her.
Part IV
Playing with Magic
Chapter Seventeen
The portal threads shimmered around Alice in a dazzling blur of color—fiery golds, brilliant purples, and waves of liquid blue and green with threads of silver—that wrapped and twisted like the edges of a living tapestry that had been plucked and were slowly unweaving.
Alice stretched her fingers wide, trying to hold her balance on the glowing current of light. It was like balancing on a whip of lightning. Energy surged and crackled beneath her: capricious, wild, and pulsing with a life of its own. She had never encountered such unusual energy patterns.
