Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

H awk Fitzhugh settled on the heights between Wolf Creek Pass and Pagosa Springs. He'd done several flyovers at night, but he needed to view the house during the day.

Thankfully, he had excellent long-range vision. Not so helpful was the fact that his dragon magic eyes made it impossible to pass as human. Good thing some kindly soul had invented dark sunglasses.

He'd missed the opening of the veil by several months. He wasn't sure how long. But it was nearly the summer solstice now, and he'd been…traveling.

Before the veil had opened and closed, he'd been hibernating. He'd been asleep for nearly two decades, the human world moving too fast for him. But he'd awakened in a cave, his house just…gone.

He wasn't certain what magic that had been, but it had happened. And then Hawk had felt the tug. The call to go East, of all things, leaving his Northern California aerie for Colorado.

The house sat in splendid isolation, the magic signature throbbing from it. It was unique—part cabin, part A-frame, part his house.

No question.

That stained-glass tower window was handmade by him.

How had it come to be here? He would never believe someone had stolen it. Not in any real way. Magic could be amazing, but that kind of malfeasance would have awakened him. An angry mob always had, for instance. Long before the mob had reached him.

This felt…natural.

As if his house belonged there.

People were living in the house. He saw smoke, doors opening and closing, and movement in a garden that was utterly breathtaking.

He couldn't make out a lot of details, which was odd. Because whoever it was down there made his heart pound. Made his whole body buzz. That was—It was a hell of a sensation. And not a familiar one. He peered closer, trying to sharpen his vision. He couldn't just fly down there; not at this time of day. Even if he cloaked himself in shadows, he would cast a shadow.

He saw a figure appear at the top of the cupola, and for a moment, he swore eyes were resting on him.

Impossible. He was hidden in the trees, and he was camouflaged as well. There was no way someone that far down could see him no matter who they were.

But maybe he called to them as they did him.

That wasn't the strangest idea ever. His home wasn't going to allow just anyone in his house. Maybe he knew them somehow, though his gut told him no.

And his gut was rarely wrong.

So he stared, trying to make out anything that he could while he fought the urge to take to the sky.

For a half a heartbeat, he smelled roses.

His nose worked, and he looked around, but there was nary a rose up here. No, this was from that house down there. So it was time to work his way down there. In a stealthy way.

He didn't love stealth.

He was gigantic.

Black-scaled.

With eyes that looked like faceted stones.

Not inconspicuous.

But he wanted to be down there before nightfall. So he would bundle up and head down on foot. He could chug along pretty quickly, and there weren't too many people if he stayed off the road.

If he was lucky, he could stay close to the land, moving good and fast toward the house that glowed in his sight.

He wasn't one to suffer from curiosity too long. No, he liked to know what was what. And why he'd had to steal clothes on his way out of California because everything else in his home was gone.

He raced down the mountain, avoiding the cars and the tourists who had stopped to take pictures. Great heights scared humans, and they felt good about making it over the pass…

The person who was in the cupola—were those wings?

Were there dragons in his house?

His heart started to pound again. He wasn't sure if he was excited, furious, or terrified. It had been…an eon since he'd seen another dragon.

He kept moving, the house backlit by the settling sun, causing it to glow, almost to shine. It called to him, and he slid into the yard area just as the sun was going down, careful to blend with the shadows of the trees.

There were masses of roses and berry bushes and columbines, and he could see vegetable sprouts out back. The gate was purple, the front door turquoise blue. It was lovely.

He felt like an intruder. Like he should leave.

The door opened, and he blinked as a purple young man who was wearing a most life-like bear stood there. "Rawr."

"Hello, brother bear," Hawk said, honoring the illusion. "I am sorry to bother you. Can you tell me why my house is here?"

The big head tilted, and then a slender young man stood before him. "Corbin! Cosmo! You better come."

He blinked. There was more than one, which explained why he knew this wasn't the one he'd seen up in the tower.

"Get back in the house, brother." This man was larger, green, hands over his chest. "Can I help you?"

"I hope so." He kept it polite rather than roaring. He jerked his chin to the tower. "That's my house."

"This is the old Halloran place. The last surviving brother asked us to guard it."

"Yes, but how much of it?" He waved a hand. "That turret, cupola, and stained-glass window is mine."

"How could it be yours? It was in Myk's family for over one hundred years." The soft voice made him blink, want to roar.

Hawk smelled roses.

"Well, I built it over two hundred years ago." He shook his head. "I'm afraid I have no pictures. I woke up in a cave."

"Let him in, Corbin. It's dark, and we need to make supper."

"But—"

"Corbin."

"Fine!" The green one sighed loudly and stepped back to allow him inside.

"Thank you?" This didn't look like his home at all. The foyer was all cabin, and it went through to an A-frame on one side that was all glass. It went back into a hall that maybe went into the mountain.

"So you're from here? Did you know the Hallorans?" That was the purple one. How…colorful.

"No. I have been in Northern California for a long time." He looked around, taking in the scents and sights.

"Um…this is Colorado?"

Like he didn't know that. "I understand where I am, Rosie."

"Rosie?" The young one scowled at him.

"That is your color." And his scent.

"My name is Cosmo. Do you eat steak?"

He blinked some more. "Of course I do. I'm a dragon." They were carnivores. Well. Omnivores, but meat was essential at their size.

"We're eating in the courtyard. Come on in." That was green and grumpy, the man all scowls.

"Thank you." He was suddenly starving, not sure when he had eaten last. One got accustomed to not having to hunt…

"No problem. Do you have a name?" Rosie asked. "It's weird to just call you ‘new guy'."

"Hawk Fitzhugh."

"Mr. Fitzhugh." Rosie winked at him.

"Don't you mean bird brain?"

He growled softly. "What, Grizzly?"

That had the dragon giggling hard.

The green sprout rolled his eyes. "I'm getting a headache."

"Everything gives you a headache," the purple one said.

"And I assume you also have names?" Hawk asked politely.

"I'm Cullen," Violets dropped from Cullen's hand onto the floor. "This is my big brother Corbin, and the one you called Rosie is Cosmo."

He arrowed his gaze in on Cosmo. "You are very…pink."

"And you look like you were baked in lava."

"Thank you." He was forged in fire, as it were. He inclined his head. "Are you an illusion dragon as well?"

"No. Cullen takes after our father, and Corbin after our mother."

He tilted his head. "And you? Who do you resemble?"

Cosmo scoffed. "I think I'm a changeling."

Cullen rolled his eyes. "We're triplets."

"That means nothing and you know it."

"He's just grumpy because he's a seer. That's hard. Sometimes there's foam."

"Oh. A seer." He bowed deeply. "This is important. Are you also a scribe?"

"Can I write? Absolutely. I keep a journal even."

"Ah." He nodded. Yes. It was important to illuminate prophecies and portents. This one must be protected. That was no doubt why he was meant to be here. The brothers would find mates and the seer would be alone.

"Steaks, right? That's it? Steaks?" Cosmo offered him a smile, and Corbin groaned.

"Steaks. Come on."

"I will love that." And he followed, like Alice down the rabbit hole. He had no idea what to expect, but he would be delighted to see where this went.