Chapter Twenty-Two

Samara was too excited to finish her breakfast. She kept bouncing in her seat and looking at our plates, silently urging us to eat faster. We had told the children that morning of our plans for the outing.

The boys were eager too, but theyd been on many flights with us and so were more interested in filling their bellies first. Still, they understood enough to smile at their sister and tease her by sliding more food on her plate when she wasnt looking.

“Samara, we cant go until you finish your food,” Rian said. “Have you even taken a bite of your morning cakes?”

Samara frowned and looked down at her plate which suddenly had another morning cake on it. Morning cakes were an invention of our cooks—sort of a cross between a pancake and a muffin. They were about an inch thick with the texture of a cupcake and a flaky outside like a Danish. The best part was the custard filling, but the drizzle of chocolate didnt hurt either. They werent offered every day, but the cooks knew how much Sam adored them and had made them in honor of her first kingdom flight. Usually, Samara would have scoffed down a platter of the cakes. Today however, she stared at the fresh cake with such baffled horror and frustration that I burst out laughing.

“Stop teasing your sister,” I said to Rian and scooped the cake onto my plate. I could eat even more of them than Samara. I set into the cake with gusto, groaned, then nudged my daughter. “But I want you to finish your sausage. You need the protein.”

“Mommy, Ive had two already!” Samara cried.

“One more,” I said. “Youre going to be halfway across the Fire Kingdom and your belly will start growling. I cant have your dragon taking over and hunting some poor animal.”

“Hunting?” Sam whispered.

“Were dragons, sweetheart. Its in our nature to hunt. But you can dampen the urges if you eat enough meat before you shift.”

Samara looked from me to her plate, then speared her sausage and took a determined bite.

“Good girl.” I kissed the top of her head.

But even the prospect of turning into a vicious hunter didnt dampen my daughters excitement. When she was done with the sausage, she went back to her bouncing and kept it up until we were all finished and finally got up from the table.

On our way past the kitchen doorway, we were stopped by one of the cooks. “My King and Queen?”

“Ugh!” Samara wailed.

“Samara!” Arach snapped.

Just one word, but Arachs clipped tone was accompanied by a death glare. Our daughter went still and hung her head.

“Yes?” Arach asked the cook.

The Fire-Sidhe woman grinned at Sam before handing a wooden box to Arach. “For your picnic, King Arach. We baked something special for the Princess.”

“Thank you. That was so thoughtful,” Arach said, then lifted a brow at Samara. “Sam, did you hear that? They made you a special treat and you couldnt even be bothered to spare a minute to speak to them.”

Samara looked up, tears in her eyes, and Arach flinched. I gave him a steadying look. Parenting often meant knowing when to not shower your child in love.

Arach bucked up under my encouragement and prompted, “Well? What do you say?”

“Im sorry,” Samara whispered.

“And?”

“Thank you for my treat.” Samara blinked, and a tear slid down her cheek.

The cook wasnt restricted by parental rules and broke. “Oh, you sweet girl! Dont you worry about that. I know youre eager to fly. You have a wonderful day, Princess. Were all so happy that youve shifted at last.”

So, Arach hadnt been the only one who was worried.

“Thank you!” Sam said brightly, her tears vanishing.

“All right, lets go,” I said.

Arach tucked the box under his arm, took my hand, and led the way out of Aithinne through the back entrance. Off to our left was the Pixie Village, boarded up for winter, and the swimming pool, steam rising from it. On our right was the playground, the archery range, and the kitchen gardens. But I headed to a bolder with Samara to change while Arach tucked her treat in the big wooden trunk waiting for us.

“Are you ready?” I asked Sam.

She nodded eagerly.

“All right. Do you want me to go first?”

“Mommy!”

“Okay.” I laughed and helped her out of her dress before handing it to a Fire-Sidhe maid waiting to one side.

As soon as she was naked, Sam leapt off the ground and shifted in mid-leap. I gaped at my daughter as her cry of delight turned into a dragons shriek and she flapped her wings wildly to gain height. The maid applauded as Sam took off.

“Dont go too far!” I called after her as I hurried out of my clothes. “Damn it,” I muttered and handed my clothes to the maid. “Thank you, Elasa.”

“Youre welcome, my Queen.” She took our clothes to pack into the trunk with all the things we needed for our picnic.

And then I shifted. Instantly, I sympathized with Sam. My dragon was just as eager to get free and start flying. Age hadnt dampened the thrill of flying for us. As my body grew and lengthened, the power and freedom of a beast filled me, and I lifted my head to roar.

My mates roar answered.

Then I was flying, circling the castle with my young while I waited for Arach to collect the trunk and join us. Pride burst in my heart at the sight of my daughter, her dragon a miniature version of mine. The joy of that was so great, its nearly indescribable. An elation that defies words. My body trembled with it. As I had told Sam, we didnt need her to continue the race, but there was something so satisfying to know that I had done my part. I brought that beautiful dragon girl into the world. And the world was so much better for it.

Samara dove and rose. She spun and shrieked. Her wings spread and caught the warm currents rising from the cracks in the Fire Kingdom to defy winter. She glided like a princess. And below us, Fire Fey streamed out of their homes and ran out of the woods to wave and cheer. We usually got a warm reception from our people, they were Fire Fey after all, but they instantly noted the new addition to our dread and cheered louder. I heard Samaras name among the cheering.

Samara shrieked back and spun for them. She was already so adept at flying. Was it because she had waited so long to shift? Or was this a hint of the Wild Magic showing itself? Was there more to come? No, I wouldnt worry about that. We would deal with it if it ever happened. Sam was alive and healthy. Thats all that mattered.

Then it occurred to me that maybe Arach hadnt forgotten about the apple thing. Maybe that was why hed been so worried. A little Wild Magic could have shifted Samaras Dragon-Sidhe essence. It could have tipped the scales, if youll forgive the pun. But it hadnt. Not in that way. I looked over at Arach and found his stare locked on our daughter. Pride oozed from him as expected, but with it was a great amount of relief. And I dont think it was only to do with the continuation of the species. If Sam had been altered, she might not have been the same child we were meant to have.

But this wasnt a day to dwell on might have beens. I focused on my family and the joy of flying beside them. We still had a lot of ground to cross, and the Tine would be frigid when we got there. But dragons arent bothered by the cold. We would make our own heat.