Celia smiled at the sight and shook her head before settling next to Sod and Flame, who were snuffling around in the grass looking for insects.
“I don't suppose you two want to play?”she asked.They chittered at her and showed no signs of wanting to join him.
She should have brought her cloak—it was still a bit nippy out, especially as the light began to fade.But then Flame settled on her chest, warming her through and through.She rested her hands on top of Flame and began petting her.“Thank you for warming me up,” she said, and the dragon chirped quietly, pushing her face closer to Celia’s until Celia gave her a kiss.
A few moments later, Sod snuffled his way next to her and collapsed onto his side, with his back pressed up against her leg.
Celia smiled and scratched him under the chin.Things might be a little stranger than usual—but this was pretty close to perfect.
And then Darian came running up and flung himself down, breathing heavily, ruining the serenity of the moment.
“They're so much fun,” he said.
“I still don’t know how you can understand them when I can’t,” Celia said.It was frustrating that she couldn’t do that when she had been taking care of them for so long, and he was brand-new and could suddenly communicate with them far better than she could.
“We can ask my uncles tomorrow if they know why I can speak dragon,” Darian said.“They might know.They raised me,” he explained to her questioning look.“When my mother was sick, she brought me to her brothers, and the two of them have looked after me ever since.”
“No aunts?”Celia asked.
Darian laughed.“No.They always said that their first love was their store and their second love was me.Apparently, I didn’t leave them much time for romance.”
“That’s a pity,” Celia said, even though the topic made her uncomfortable.“Have the dragons said anything else to you?”
“No.”Darian shook his head.“They haven’t said anything else.”
Celia nodded, looking back up and closing her eyes to enjoy resting in the last ray of sunshine, despite the cool breeze.
Having a home full of fire hatchlings kept her warm most of the time, but even a dragon fire couldn’t compare to the warmth of the sun after a long winter—and not even Darian’s overly joyful presence could change that.
Chapter six
Darian
Bacon.
Which one of his uncles was cooking bacon?
Darian rolled over, his eyes still heavy with sleep.His blankets were warm and cozy, and opening his eyes felt an impossible task.
But if he didn’t get out there, they would ruin the bacon.He threw himself out of bed and grabbed a shirt before stumbling out of his bedroom into the kitchen, where Celia stood, her dark brown hair in a knot on her head and her brown eyes sparkling with suppressed laughter as she took in his bedraggled state.
“In a rush this morning, are we?”she asked.
Darian flushed as he pulled his shirt over his head.“I was not expecting company,” he said, looking at her with a grimace.“I apologize.”
Celia waved her hand at him.“I’m a healer.It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”
Darian’s ears burned.Apparently, he was nothing special.He’d always thought that he had a good physique, but apparently it wasn’t anything worth mentioning.
He turned to see his uncles sitting at the table, openly laughing at him.
“Good morning,” Uncle Amos said with a grin.“Glad you finally decided to join us.”
“I wasn’t aware she was coming,” Darian said, glancing at Celia.
“You did say I could come and speak to your uncles,” she reminded him as she began dishing bacon onto a plate and scooping eggs next to them.
Darian’s mouth watered as he took in the spread.There were also biscuits with a crock of butter and a jar of jam already sitting on the table.
