23. Chapter Twenty-Four

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little freaked out. Not knowing what species my mate stemmed from was a little alarming. The way she seemed so oblivious to the fact she was floating floored me.

None of it mattered but she deserved to know her heritage.

Zerk's house was on the edge of the kingdom land, past all of the shops and city life, tucked away in a wooded area.

"I've only been out here once," Amara said, looking around at the giant oaks. "Sasha and I were looking for leaves for our class project." She chuckled.

"Why is that funny, Little Mouse?"

She shrugged. "Because Sasha refused to step in any mud, and it had just rained. It took us an hour longer than it should have to get the leaves because we had to avoid any mud."

"Do you miss Sasha?"

"Yeah," she said, her gaze lifting to mine. I"d never know how her baby blues didn't make every man kneel, but I'd pummel any man who even thought about kneeling in front of her. "Maybe we can invite her over for dinner."

"That would work," I said. "Pick a date, and we'll get Toby to fly her up."

"Oh, she'll love that. She's wanted a dragon since we were little. She's obsessed with them. She'll probably die of excitement on the flight up."

"I'll tell Toby to take her for a ride around the mountain first. We'll make it worth her while."

Zerk's cottage came into view over a small hill. The wooden cabin was covered in vines and plants. A stone walkway led from his steps to the dirt road he used to make trips to town. Zerk liked to walk, unlike most dragons that flew everywhere.

He said it kept him in touch with his human side.

"It looks cute."

It looked disheveled and abandoned on a good day, but Zerk loved the isolation.

Lacing my fingers with hers, I tugged her up the hill and down the valley toward his house. The older I got the more I understood Zerk. He lived away from everyone because most people sucked.

Stepping onto his porch, I lifted my hand to knock when the door opened with a whoosh. Zerk looked the same, not that I expected him to change being a dragon.

His greying hair was long to his shoulders, and his daunting black eyes were lined with eyeliner that I pictured on a pirate. The odds he'd brushed his hair in the past week were slim to none.

His being however old didn't stop him from looking any older than his late 30s, but the useless cane and grandpa sweats told it all.

"Dorran, The Dragon Prince, it's so good to see you."

He leaned in for a hug and pulled me tight. I had many memories with Zerk, and every one of them was good.

"As good as it is to see you, however, a bath wouldn't hurt, Zerk."

"You're such a pussy. Real men stink."

Zerk's gaze lowered to Amara, who stared at the jagged scars across his partially hidden wings. "Another dragon did that to me. The bastard," he mumbled. "But he's sleeping for eternity now."

"Good to know. Wouldn't want a dragon to burn me up."

Zerk smirked, his gaze moving to mine. "Unless it's this one, right? I'm assuming your mates by the mark on your neck, and Dorran's inability to keep his eyes off you."

"You guessed right," Amara said.

"About damn time, Son. Where are my manners? Come inside."

Zerk pushed the wooden door open with a creak, allowing us both inside his home. It was as I remembered it as a child when our mother would bring us here every time we coughed.

The old wooden furniture still smelled the same, and the rocker he used the most looked on its last leg. I made a mental note to have a new one made for him, but knowing him, he probably wouldn't use it.

A hissing pot of tea on his stove called him over. "Have a seat. Do either of you want some tea?"

Amara shook her head.

"Just one cup, please," I hollered.

He came back with two cups and handed me one. "Now, I assume you aren't here for trivial chitchat. How can I help the two newlyweds?"

Amara shifted uncomfortably and fiddled with a piece of string from her jeans.

"Don't all speak at once," he said, tasting his tea.

"We want to test Amara's blood."

Zerk's thick brows lifted up his forehead. "Yeah? Do we think she's pregnant?"

"No!" she shouted, shaking her head. "Absolutely not."

"Well," I said, turning to face her. "Tell us how you really feel, Little Mouse."

Her face turned red, and she chuckled. "I just mean ... no, not yet."

Zerk sat his tea on the small table beside him. "Then why do we need a blood test?"

"Amara had something happen last night that we can't explain. She ... floated—,"

"—flew," she corrected.

I tossed her a sideway eye. "Floated in the shower."

"Floating? Aren't you human?"

"As far as I know," Amara said. "My parents died when I was young, so I don't know much about them other than they were human. My stepmother raised me."

Zerk's face contorted into concentration, and he nibbled on the side of his lip. "Interesting, Amara. Have you asked your stepmother?"

"We're not on speaking terms."

"Noted," Zerk abruptly stood up without the use of his cane and began pacing the room. "It could be elven blood. Elves have unique powers to them, but I doubt you would have gone this long without knowing about it. Fairy maybe, but no wings, I presume?"

Amara shook her head, almost dishearteningly. "No wings."

"Okay then. Let's see what we can find out. Come with me."

He turned on his heel and left us in the dust to storm down his hallway. I wasn"t allowed to go in the room at the end of the long hall without an adult growing up. The remedies he uses to perform his healing, and dare I say magic, didn't need to fall into the wrong hands.

The small twin-size bed reminded me of a nurse's station. The rest of the room looked like something plucked out of a doctor's office. When you hear witch doctor, you think of a cauldron, not a sterile room with needles and cleaning wipes.

"Have a seat over there," he said, pointing at the bed.

He rummaged around in his cabinets, pulling out a mortar and pestle. Amara watched with wide eyes while he took down a clear container full of some kind of leaf, and a needle from a drawer.

Amara's spine stiffened at the sight of the needle.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Are you afraid of needles, Amara?"

She shifted on the bed, her fingers tightened around her knees. "They aren't my favorite."

Stepping over, I grabbed her hand. "Let it out, Girl."

Zerk grabbed Amara's right hand and pricked her finger while grabbing the mortar and dipping several drops of blood into the bowl of herbs.

Amara watched as he placed a cotton ball and bandage onto her finger, and took the bowl over toward his counter. He stirred something into it and finally turned around to look at us.

"Okay. It should take about 24 hours, and I'll have the results."

"What?" Amara asked. "I have to go home and wait 24 hours to know why I'm flying. What happened to instant results?"

Zerk rolled his eyes. "This generation has no patience. Insta-love. Instant this. Instant that."

Amara pursed her lips. "Touché," she said, getting off the bed. "Please call me as soon as you find out."

"You've gone this long without knowing. 24 hours won't kill you."

"I don't know," I said, guiding Amara down the hallway. "If she starts floating or shooting laser beams out of her eyes there may be some casualties."

"There is a padded room down at the jail—,"

"You guys are hilarious," Amara said. "You both know what you are. Dragons. I'm flying—,"

"—floating."

"—and I don't know who I am. Excuse me for wanting instant results."

Reaching forward, I pulled her back against my chest and lifted her chin in the air. "Don't sass me, Little Mouse. We're gonna find out what you are. If it's a troll, I'll still claim you."

Amara chuckled.

"This is precious," Zerk said. "I never thought I would see you so affectionate, Dorran. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you. We have to head downtown for a meeting. Call us when you have the results and we'll come by. We're staying on the mountain since The East Kingdom has moved over. I don't have the patience to deal with my mother's eagerness to help them repopulate."

Zerk's gaze widened. "Your mother is one strange dragon, Dorran."

"Who are you telling?"

"Let me know if you need anything before tomorrow, or if any more symptoms pop up. I'm going to do some reading about this because I'm very curious as to what makes Amara so special."

She looked up at me. "Amara's special without her floating—,"

"—flying," she interjected.

"—abilities," I laughed. "Thank you for your help. We'll see you soon."

We left Zerk's house and walked back toward where we'd landed. "Do you think the liquor made me fly?"

"You drank at dinner with me, and you didn't. I'm not sure. That's probably not it," she mumbled, nibbling on her bottom lip. "I want to try it again."

"Try to float?"

"Yeah," she said, unlacing our fingers. Bracing her arms outward, she closed her eyes and went quiet.

I tried to hide the smile on my face but I couldn't.

When she opened her eyes again, she frowned. "Dammit."

"Did you just curse, Amara?"

"I curse," she said sheepishly. "Every once in a while. My dad always said it wasn't ladylike, but sometimes I just feel like it."

"I won't hold it against you."

Amara's gaze shifted toward the nearest cliff. "How fast can you fly, Dorran?"

I followed her line of sight. "What does that mean? Why?"

"I want to see if putting myself in a dangerous position would force me to fly. I don't know what else to try. Me just trying to fly isn't working."

"What—?"

Before my brain could process exactly what she was thinking she raced toward the ledge of the cliff and jumped off. My heart sank to my stomach. This mild-mannered girl did not just jump off the cliff in hopes of flying.

I lunged forward after her, nose-diving into the valley between the forest and the mountain, Amara's scream deafened my ears.

Catching her, I swung us upward and onto the mountain. "Amara," I hissed, shaking her shoulders. "What was that? What if I didn't get to you in time?"

With a flushed and excited face, she chuckled. "Come on, Dorran. I knew you'd catch me."

"You've gone insane," I said. "Do not ever do that again."

Amara's face turned serious. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm not usually so careless."

The way her mouth turned down into a frown made my heart knot in my chest. Leaning forward, I kissed her softly. "Come on, Daredevil."

Amara climbed into my arms. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"You did," I said. "I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life. I can't lose you when I just got you, Little Mouse."

"Ditto."

Bending down, I launched us into the air, feeling Amara's heartbeat, I realized she hadn't been scared to jump. It excited her.

Who had kidnapped my mate?