Chapter Twelve

"This is ridiculous," Pippa snapped. "How is it possible?"

Samuel stared at her. "I thought you said that you knew Sol was a dragon shifter."

"I did! But magic? It's just not possible."

Penley looked from one to the other. They were sitting on opposite sides of the table in the kitchen, glaring at each other as if they were about to duel. From Samuel's expression, he was thinking about it. Pippa had just declared that she didn't believe in mages and magic, and Samuel was taking it as a personal insult. It was hard not to see it as such. Penley was slightly offended, too, but he tried to put himself in her shoes.

Knowing your best friend was a dragon shifter was one thing, but finding out about the mage world and everything it entailed was too much, especially in her position. She didn't know what had happened to Sol, and he'd been taken right in front of her. If she had any imagination, it was probably working overtime and giving her the worst scenarios.

Penley's imagination was.

Every time he closed his eyes, images of Sol flashed in his mind. He didn't know what Sol looked like now, but he remembered him. That was enough for his brain to come up with all sorts of tortures that Carlyle might be inflicting on Sol, and it wasn't a good way to get rest.

"No fighting at my table," Jillian snapped as she placed a plate of cupcakes in the middle of the table. "Eat something instead."

Pippa frowned. "I'm not hungry."

"Do I look like I care? Stop behaving like children."

Penley had to hide his smile. Jillian didn't take any shit from anyone, be they dragons, mages, or human women.

Pippa's shoulders slumped, and she took a cupcake. "Thank you."

Jillian nodded. "You're welcome. Now, I understand it's hard for you to believe that magic exists and all of that. I've been in your place. I had no idea any of this was real until I came to work for the mages, but let me tell you one thing. You won't find a better group of people. The mages care about their family and friends, which now includes you. They'll take care of you and protect you and do the same when they find Sol. It'll take time to wrap your mind around all of it, but you can do it. All of us humans who live here have."

Having said what she needed to say, Jillian returned to the stove. Penley got to his feet and grabbed two cupcakes, then thought better of it and took a third one. He'd give one to Bennett, keep one for himself, and eat one while he tried to find his shield.

The tension in the castle was high. Penley felt it like an almost physical thing as he walked down hallways and stairs. Everyone wanted to do something, but no one knew what. Ansley had disappeared into his office and barely came out. He was trying to modify the seeking spell he'd used to locate the dragons to work around whatever spell Carlyle had on Sol, but so far, he hadn't been successful.

Penley was pretty sure that Ansley wasn't the only one using seeking spells. Dallin had barely emerged from his office, but every time Penley saw him, he looked paler and more distraught. He kept saying they'd be all right and didn't need Sol to win the war against Carlyle. He might be right, but no one wanted to consider that option. They were getting Sol back, no matter what.

They just didn't know how they would do it yet.

Penley made his way to the gym, which was where most of the dragons could usually be found. They were taking their training seriously, especially because they didn't remember being warriors. Their job was to protect their mage, both in their dragon form and in their human one. They could shift easily enough, but fighting in their human form was a bit more complicated. Luckily, Tyne had a lot of experience, and between that and what the dragons could already do, they were getting their shit together.

Penley wasn't surprised to find Bennett on the treadmill. He glanced at the others, his eyebrows shooting high on his forehead when he saw Tyne and Meyer facing off on the mats in the corner. "Are they going to fight each other?" he asked as he sat on the bench next to the treadmill.

Bennett smiled at him, then glanced toward the mats. "Pretty sure they will," he confirmed. "They've been dancing around it since this morning, and I think Meyer finally wore Tyne down."

"He thinks that's a good idea?"

"Looks like it. Tyne promised not to use magic, and while I don't know if Meyer believes he can take him if he doesn't, I don't think winning is his main goal."

Penley understood that, but as he watched Tyne move toward Meyer, he winced.

Tyne had tried teaching Penley self-defense, and Penley had really tried to learn. He'd known that eventually Carlyle would come back and he'd have to face him. They'd believed they'd lost their dragons, which meant they'd have to protect themselves and each other.

Penley had been shit at it, so much so that Tyne had eventually given up. Penley remembered the impact of Tyne's blows, though, and Tyne had tried not to make them too hard when he'd been fighting Penley.

He wasn't pulling his punches when it came to Meyer.

The two men were a flurry of movement. Penley caught sight of an arm, a leg, but that was pretty much all he could discern as Meyer and Tyne grappled.

"Is that for me?" Bennett asked as he turned off the treadmill and hopped off.

He grabbed a towel and dried his face. His cheeks were flushed, and his arms and shoulders glistened with sweat.

Penley couldn't look away.

Bennett caught him looking and gave him a cheeky smile, then snatched one of the remaining cupcakes.

Penley let it go without arguing since it had been for Bennett. "I thought you could take a break," he offered. "I know I should keep working, but I'm frustrated, and pacing my office wasn't helping. I went to the kitchen to grab a snack but couldn't stay because Samuel and Pippa were bickering."

Bennett's expression instantly turned to worry. "What's going on? Why are you frustrated?"

"Because I promised Emory that I'll attempt to give him his magic back tomorrow, but I don't know if I can. Where am I supposed to take the magic from?" Penley had already decided that if he didn't find another way, he'd sacrifice some of his, but he'd rather not do so.

"I thought you'd already decided to ask the earth."

"What if I anger it?"

"Is it worth a try?"

Penley sighed. "Probably." Because if the earth said yes, it would work.

Penley's magic was his own. He could try pushing some of it into Emory, and it might even give Emory enough strength to shift again, but there was no way to tell if his body would make it work. The earth's magic, on the other hand, worked for everyone. Everyone came from the earth and returned to it when they died, so earth magic was part of them. It was like an organ transplant, except with magic, and Penley prayed he wouldn't make a mess.

Bennett grabbed Penley's empty hand and pulled him toward the door. "Come on. You need time away from your problem, and I know the best way to do that."

Penley glanced at Tyne and Meyer. Tyne had Meyer flat on his back and was straddling him as he pushed Meyer's hands into the mat. Meyer didn't look like he was fighting. In fact, it didn't look like either of them was. They were staring at each other as if the room was empty except for them.

Penley was glad he and Bennett were leaving. He didn't know what was about to happen, but it looked like Meyer and Tyne might be about to have some hate sex, and Penley didn't want to see that.

He quickly ate his cupcake as Bennett dragged him through the castle. He wasn't sure what Bennett had in mind until they started climbing the stairs to the highest tower. "Are we going to fly?" he asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Bennett grinned at him. "It's always the best way to clear my mind. What do you think?"

"I'm all for it." He and Bennett had flown together before, but Bennett hadn't been Bennett then, and they hadn't been together. This would be different, and it definitely would distract Penley from his problems, at least for a little while.

A little while was all Penley needed.

* * * *

Bennett hoped that flying would make Penley feel better. It worked for him, but he was a dragon shifter. He belonged in the air. Penley didn't.

He paused in the middle of the tower roof. The wind whipped their clothes around them as he turned to look at Penley. He'd finished eating his cupcake, but there was a bit of frosting at the corner of his lips. He was adorable, and while Bennett was pretty sure Penley would glare at him if he said it out loud, it was hard to resist.

He wanted Penley to know how much he cared about him. He wanted him to know that he'd do pretty much anything for him.

Bennett leaned forward and licked the frosting.

Penley's eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed, but he leaned into the touch, and it quickly became a kiss. It was almost impossible to step away, but Bennett had plans.

He took Penley's hand and squeezed it. "Once I shift, I want you to climb onto my back. I can't remember us flying together before, but I'm sure we did." It would have been the easiest way for them to travel back then.

Penley nodded. "I might be a bit rusty, but I think I can stay seated without falling off."

"If you do, I'll catch you."

Penley leaned forward to kiss Bennett's cheek. "I know. I trust you."

Bennett would never have enough of those words. It still stunned him that Penley trusted him like this and that he was ready to put his life into his hands—or, as it would be, into his paws.

Bennett wouldn't allow anything to happen to Penley. He was Penley's protector and took his role seriously, as did his dragon.

He grinned at Penley, who quickly stepped back. Bennett allowed the shift to wash over him as he opened his arms. His wings caught the wind, and Bennett resisted the urge to fly off. He wouldn't go alone this time.

He shook out his wings, then lowered his big dragon head to Penley's level. Luckily, Penley seemed as excited as Bennett. He quickly kissed Bennett's snout, then walked around him. Bennett felt him climb onto his back and waited until he was sure Penley was settled. There were ridges down Bennett's back between which Penley could sit. They'd also give him something to hold onto as they flew, but he needed to be seated carefully.

When Penley squeezed his knees around Bennett, Bennett knew he was ready. He extended his wings again, then roared as he threw himself off the tower. Penley screamed, but the sound quickly turned into laughter when Bennett's wings caught the wind, and they rose high in the sky.

Penley whooped, which brought a smile to Bennett's lips. Bennett flew around the tower a few times, happy when he noticed that more dragons had climbed it. Marlow and Parker were there, as was Jason, who was quickly stripping down. Marlow told him something, and he stopped before removing his underwear. Bennett couldn't see his expression from the sky, but he thought he knew what Marlow had said. He watched as Jason shifted, grinning when Jason's underwear shifted with him.

Jason was still young, and he was getting the hang of it. It was good that he had more than his father to teach him how to do these things now. Bennett had never really thought about children before, but he liked being an uncle. Maybe once Carlyle was dealt with, he and Penley could talk about having kids.

Bennett could already see it. Penley would be a great father. He was a caretaker at heart, and he worried so much about the people he loved. He'd cherish any children they had, and part of Bennett couldn't wait.

But before they could take that step, they needed to ensure that any future children would be safe. That meant getting rid of Carlyle.

It couldn't happen fast enough.

Jason ran off the roof and threw himself into the air as Winter and Meyer stepped out the door. Bennett lowered to check on Meyer, but beyond the left side of his face, which was swollen and would no doubt turn black, he seemed all right. Tyne could have done much worse, and he'd probably thought about it. Bennett wished he knew what was in Tyne's past that made him so angry, but he suspected that Meyer was the only person who could get through to him.

If Tyne ever allowed him to.

Marlow, Parker, Meyer, and Winter followed Jason's example. They shifted and took to the air, and Penley whooped again.

They were surrounded by family. Bennett wasn't used to it, but he loved it. He loved the feeling of flying with other dragons. He loved not having to hide what he was and not having to be careful about shifting and flying. He hadn't known what to think of the mages when they'd first appeared at his front door, but he was glad he and Meyer had listened to them and accepted their offer to move to the castle. It wasn't only because Carlyle would have eventually found them, but also because of this.

The mages had given him so much more than they realized. It didn't matter that they couldn't recover his memories and that he'd never know what kind of person he'd been before. He wasn't that man anymore, and that was fine with him. The only thing that mattered was his future, and for the first time, he believed it would be a great one.

He just had to look at the people around him.

The fight with Carlyle would take a lot out of them, and they might even lose some of their family members, but it wouldn't stop them from trying. None of them would ever find true peace until Carlyle was dealt with, and Bennett knew that the other dragons felt the way he did.

They would stand up to Carlyle and fight. They would defend their mages, and hopefully, they would help them defeat Carlyle. Then, they could all live happily ever after.

Well, probably. Bennett wasn't sure Meyer and Tyne would ever live happily ever after, but at least they'd have the opportunity if they tried it in the end. That was all that mattered.

They needed a chance to live, and they'd have it as soon as Carlyle was gone.

* * * *

It had been a long time since Penley had flown. He'd always loved it, and even when he and Bennett had just met, he'd always trusted Bennett not to drop him. That was what being mage and shield meant, and Penley almost couldn't believe he finally had this back.

He had Bennett back.

It didn't matter that Bennett wasn't Devon. That man was the past, and Penley would much rather focus on the future.

The future was all around him. These dragons were his family, and even though they'd probably go their separate ways one day, that would never change. They'd always be there for each other.

They stayed in the air, and Penley let all his worries melt away. They'd be back when they landed, but it felt good not to have to think about it for now.

Unfortunately, it didn't last nearly long enough. Something caught Penley's eye, and he realized it was Emory. He was in the courtyard talking to Jarvis, carrying a backpack.

Penley sucked in a breath. Was Emory leaving? Penley had promised that he'd try to help him tomorrow, so why would Emory go now?

Penley didn't know, but he wanted to find out.

He squeezed his knees around Bennett to get his attention. Bennett twisted his big head to look at him, and Penley gestured at the courtyard. "I think Emory's leaving."

It was odd to see a dragon frown, but that was what Bennett did. He turned back, looked down at Emory and Jarvis, and flew their way. While the courtyard wasn't the best place for the dragons to land and take off from, it was big enough to do so if they needed to.

Luckily, Jarvis and Emery looked up and quickly stepped aside when Bennett reached them. Bennett's paws hit the ground, and Penley scrambled off his back to rush toward Emory. "What's going on?"

Emory looked everywhere but at Penley. "I'm leaving."

"But you said you'd wait until tomorrow. You said you'd give me a chance."

"It's ridiculous. I know you think you can do it, but I have to face the truth that I'll never get my dragon back. Thank you for trying, Penley, but it's fine."

"Penley?" Jarvis asked. "What's Emory talking about?"

Penley didn't answer. Emory didn't believe he could do it, but why should he? Penley himself wasn't sure that he could. He wanted to prove Emory wrong, though. He wanted to show him that he kept his promises.

He crouched. The courtyard was paved, but tufts of grass grew between the stones. The stones were big, but there was a little earth between all of them with enough space for Penley to touch it.

He sent his magic down to greet the earth. He felt it wake up and welcome him, and he sucked in a breath, wondering if he was ready for this.

He wouldn't know until he tried.

It was hard to communicate with the earth. It didn't have a voice, even though Penley could hear words in his mind. A lot of the time, the earth just sent him images, so that was what he tried to do. He thought of Emory becoming a dragon, then of him trying and being unable to do so. He thought of Carlyle taking Emory's magic and of his dragon being trapped inside of him. He thought of Emory being able to shift again.

Penley pushed all these images into the earth. He could feel it was confused, so he imagined the earth pushing some of its magic into Emory, then him shifting again. Please, he begged. Give him a bit of your magic. Make him whole again. He's one of your children, as is his dragon. Allow them both to be free.

Penley had no idea what he was doing. He'd found a few books that mentioned communing with the earth and communicating with it, but none of them had gone into detail. He only had his own experience to work with, and this was how he always communicated with the earth. Hopefully, it would work, but if it didn't, he wouldn't stop attempting to find a way to make this happen.

Emory sucked in a breath.

Penley desperately wanted to look at him, but he didn't. He focused on the earth, sending images of Emory being happy. He just needed a little magic, and when the earth sent back an image of Emory shifting, Penley almost couldn't believe it.

Did that mean it had worked? He was afraid to open his eyes, but he forced himself to. First, he thanked the earth, then said goodbye. He could feel it was tired and a bit achy, possibly because it had shared its magic with Emory.

Penley hadn't realized the others had landed, too, and he was now surrounded by the dragons who'd been in the air with him and Bennett. Jarvis was still there, and they were all staring at the spot in front of Penley.

A spot in which stood a dragon.

That was where Emory had been before. In his place now stood a beautiful red dragon stretching his wings and staring at his paws as he stomped them.

Penley's eyes prickled with tears. Had he succeeded? "Emory?"

Emory's gaze snapped to him. Penley was unable to look away. The emotion in Emory's eyes made him want to cry, but for once, it was with joy.

To his surprise, Emory shifted back. He heard a few of the others gasp, but he kept his attention on Emory, who rushed toward him. Penley wasn't afraid and didn't resist when Emory pulled him into a bear hug and squeezed him so tightly that it was hard to breathe.

"I can't believe you did this," Emory breathed out.

"I told you I'd been working on it."

"I didn't want to hope in case it didn't work. I didn't think it would."

Penley leaned back and gently punched Emory's arm. "You should have had more faith in me. It worked."

Emory laughed. "It really did."

"I asked the earth to give you some of its magic. I reminded it that you and your dragon are its children. I don't know how much magic it gave you, and I can't promise it'll be enough to ever bond with a mage again, but you can shift now."

"I don't think I'll ever want to bond with a mage again, so it doesn't matter. You gave me my dragon back."

Penley had always thought of himself as weak and his specialty being useless, but he didn't anymore. Even if this was the only useful thing he ever did with his magic, it was enough.

Hewas enough.