Chapter 20

Chapter

Twenty

J ake had found Samuel a car, and he and Grant went into the library three days a week while Jake worked.

It was a lovely drive into the wing, and Grant was a darling go-baby, happy to play in a little playpen while he cataloged books, making sure there were plenty of things for people to read.

"Ammu?"

"Yes, son?"

"Bye-bye?"

"Soon. Play with your dragon. We're waiting for your daddy." He was so happy he could hardly bear it.

"Hi, Samuel!" Little Emilia, whose scales showed up as a shimmer of peacock blue and green, smiled at him as she came to the desk with a stack of books. "I made it before closing!"

"You did. I'm so glad." Emilia loved to read about elves and magic and men fighting for honor and bravery. It was adorable. She was also getting to the age where she wanted to read about horses. "What would you like to read today?"

He'd chosen a few books for her already—a couple of dragon books, a couple of horse stories.

"Would you like any of these too?" he asked.

Her face lit up, and she put her chosen books on the desk, then reached for the three he handed her. "Oh, look! Dragons."

"Yes! It's a lovely read. You should really like it. I re-read it myself."

"Thank you." She hugged the book to her chest. "I love these stories. They're like us."

"They are. These stories are important, aren't they?"

"Yes!" She bounced. "And I get to read them all now that you're here, Mr. Samuel. Thank you so much."

"You're so welcome, Emilia. I'm so happy to be here."

"Ammu! Me!"

He chuckled. "Yes, baby boy. You too."

"He's so cute." She slid the books into her little backpack. "I'll see you next week."

"I'll be here. Have a great weekend!" He waved at her and checked her books in.

The next time the door opened, it was Jake, smiling and smelling like late spring air. "Hello, love."

"Da! Da, go bye-bye!" Grant beamed at Jake, holding his arms up. "Uppies!"

"Hello, my love. How are you?"

"Dadadadaaaaa. Luff!"

"Yes. I love you too."

Grant beamed at him, the pure joy pouring off him in waves. Jake lifted him into the air and spun him around, making him squeal, and Samuel chuckled.

"He's been waiting for you."

"Has he? Have you?" Jake came to plant a kiss on his mouth.

I have. So much. It's been a lovely day. Are you hungry? He was.

Starving. What do you feel like? Jake wrapped an arm around him, shifting Grant to the other. Can I help close up?

Oh, I think I want a calzone. I want sausage and cheese and garlic, and then I want a peach pie. He blew a kiss to Grant. "I'm just checking in a couple more books, that's all."

"Okay, love. I'll check the hidey-holes and make sure no one is lurking. Then we can go, hmm?" Jake gave Grant a big smooch before putting him down in his carrier. "Be right back."

"Be back. Be back. Be back, be back!"

Goddess, Grant made him laugh with his little songs.

Samuel finished up at the desk, stacking all of the books and making sure everything was just perfect for the next time they were open. Then he checked Grant's diaper and got them ready to go.

"Look who I found."

Samuel blinked, glancing over at Jake. "You found someone? I've been watching the door. I don't understand."

Everyone who had come had left.

"Yes." Jake came out from the shelves, holding this little white and silver ball of fur. "She was in the back, curled up underneath the stacks. I just barely caught a glimpse of her tail. Lucky, or I might have missed her."

"Puppy." Grant's eyes went wide. "Puppy!"

"Goddess, it is a puppy. It's just little." Samuel traded the puppy for Grant and kind of snuggled it to his chest. Her eyes opened—the color as clear as the best bright morning, blue like the best summer's day.

Samuel's heart just melted. "Oh my gosh, look at you, you're something else."

That earned him a little wiggle and a tiny whimper. "I think we need to give him some food and some water. You ready to go home? I can wait on the calzone."

"I'll get someone to deliver calzone and peach pie to the house. Fair enough?"

"That would be great." He stroked the little one's head. "Were there anymore? Did you see a mom? I don't even understand how he got in here. Is there a hole? Like in the floor and the ceiling or a wall?"

Jake shrugged, jostling Grant, who was fighting to get down and see the puppy. "I didn't see anything. I'll have someone come and just do a good solid once-over while you're closed. But I sure didn't notice anything. You didn't see anyone come? They could have dropped it off."

Samuel shook his head, and they headed out the door together. "No, no, I was at the front all day. And while we had clients for sure, no one had anything that would have made me think there was a puppy in it. I mean, I have literally a list of every single dragon who came in. I could call them all but…"

"Dragons get their familiars when they need them. That's a biological thing." A lovely young woman with skin the color of a moonlit sky wandered up to the desk, her eyes like little stars in the darkness.

"I'm so sorry the library is closed. We reopen day after tomorrow." Samuel couldn't help but smile though. There was something about her that was just a comfort.

"I'm not here for the library. I'm here for you. Simon sent me."

"Simon," Jake asked. "Like Logan's Simon?"

She nodded, pulling her long robes around her. There wasn't a bit of hair on her head, but it seemed perfect, as if that was exactly how she ought to look. "Celeste. I give myself to the guardian's family and to the children until the end of time."

She held out one hand as if to offer them something. And before either Samuel or Jake could reach for her, little Grant plopped his fat hand out and set it in the center of her palm.

"Hewwo."

"Hello, Grant."

"Cesty." Grant grabbed a hold of her, his little hand curling around her index finger. "Home. Hungy. Ammu hungy."

"I imagine he is." Celeste smiled. "I'll order the calzone and peach pie if you tell me what you would like, Jake."

"Uh." Jake gave Samuel a panicky look. "I would like a sausage and onion pizza and maybe a cinnamon roll? If they still have one."

"Absolutely. If they don't, I can make cinnamon rolls." She gave them a serene smile and grabbed Grant out from Jake's arms. "I'll put him in the car seat. Would you like to ride with Jake, Samuel? I can take your car. The puppy will need formula and puppy pads. That sort of thing."

"You're sure he doesn't belong to somebody else?" Jake asked.

"Relatively. We can certainly ask Bumper when we get home."

Samuel nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Bumper should know." This was insane. He had no idea how a wolf was supposed to know that a puppy didn't have family. He had no idea how Simon had sent this woman to be…what? Their nanny? Their live-in housekeeper? Their protector?

All the things that Simon was to Logan. It was crazy. He looked at Jake. "Are you freaking out like I am?"

Jake nodded. "I am. This is the most bizarre thing that's ever happened to me, and that's saying a lot lately."

"Right?"

Celeste just sailed calmly on, getting Grant in his car seat, picking him up, and heading to the truck. So Samuel and Jake followed, Samuel cradling the puppy, Jake locking up the library for him.

He had no idea what they were going to do when they got home. Samuel assumed that they would have to make Celeste up a room. Did they have rooms for someone like her at his and Jake's house? Would rooms for her just appear like some sort of strange, magical required space?

Jake was going to have to call Logan. Have to. This was…out of his range of knowledge. At his former wing? They all lived in a single, huge compound. There were servants to take care of meals and such, but…

Don't worry, love. I'll find out what we need to know.

He gave Jake a relieved smile . Thank you.

"I'll meet you at the house!" Celeste strapped Grant into Jake's truck, then went to Samuel's little car. How had she even gotten the key? She was magic.

"I think I'm going to pass out." He blinked at Jake. "You should call Logan."

"I will. As soon as—" Jake jerked his chin toward where Celeste was driving off. "Okay. Come on." He got in the truck. "Now I think she can't hear us."

Jake immediately called Logan and put him on speaker. "Pick up. Pick up. Pick up."

"What's wrong?" Logan was so sensitive. "I'm in Dallas, but I can be there in two hours."

"No, I just need you to tell me what to do."

"Well, when two dragons really love each other…"

"Ha-ha. So not funny. There's a Celeste."

"Oh, go Simon. He said he put feelers out for a Keeper for your family. That happened fast."

"She—Logan, she had keys to my car! She knew what we wanted to eat!" And it was weird. Samuel knew it.

"That's their magic. It only works for your family. Her goal is to give you what you need. That's her purpose, her happiness. Your job is to give her a home, a place to create, and to appreciate her work."

"Oh. Okay." Samuel chewed his lip. "I wouldn't want to make her sad."

"Only certain dragons are called to be Keepers. No one is more honored. You know that." Logan stopped. "Surely your wing had Keepers, Samuel."

"I was…kept in my space. If so, I never met one."

"Ah." Logan's voice went sympathetic. "Well, congratulations. Take my word for it. It won't take long for you to get used to her being with you."

"You swear?" Jake chuckled softly.

"Cesty!" Grant crowed.

"Yes, sweetie. Celeste."

The puppy moaned as if to agree, and Samuel patted his little butt. Her? Poor thing.

"It's all right. We'll get you some food and water soon." He kept petting, stroking the little pup. "He'll be all right, won't he?"

"Of course." Jake gave him a sideways grin. "We saved it. Can you look? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I think a girl." He lifted the puppy up to peek at her underside. "Yep."

"Okay, cool. Wow."

"Wait, there's a puppy?" Logan asked.

"Yes. I found her in the stacks at the library."

"Holy shit. Well, congratulations on the new familiar."

"Thanks. We'll see how Bumper likes her."

"Bumper will open one eye, stare at her, and go back to sleep," Logan accused.

"Hey, are you implying my wolf is lazy?"

Samuel giggled at the byplay. "He's a little chill."

"He's saving all of his energy to try to keep up with Grant once he's got more will of his own."

Samuel didn't think it had anything to do with Grant's will, no matter what Logan said. He thought it had to do with the fact that right now, the baby gate was high enough that Grant couldn't get over it. Goddess help him when that little boy learned how to fly.

"Are your people early flyers?" he asked, the idea suddenly more than vaguely horrifying.

"No…" Jake looked concerned. "Were yours?"

"We both could fly before we could walk, so obviously he took after your side of the family."

"Oh wow." Jake chuckled. "But then I've not taught him, either. Maybe you guys had a better example."

"Maybe, but we can wait a little…" He wasn't ready for flying.

"I think that's a good idea."

Oh, he'd forgotten that Logan was on the line.

Jake chuckled. "Bye, Logan."

"Byeeee." Logan hung up, the beep sounding until Jake hit the end button.

"Wow." Jake glanced over at him as they pulled up to the house. "Okay, so are we ready for all this?"

"Do we have a choice?" This was life—dealing with things you weren't ready for.

"No." Jake took his hand and kissed it. "But I'm here with you no matter what, huh?"

"Ditto. Let's get the puppy in before Celeste comes back with the food."

"Yeah. I have an x-pen in the garage." Jake smiled for him, and Samuel felt a warm ball of light start in his chest and spread to his whole body. "You're glowing, mate."

"Ammu!"

"Hmm?" He looked at his hands. "Oh! Goodness. I've never done that before."

Jake chuckled. "Dakota did it when he was pregnant."

"Yeah? That's a good thing, right?" It had felt like an incredibly good thing.

"Yes. I think so." Jake leaned across the console to kiss him, and they piled out of the truck to go inside.

He had a lot of things to do before Celeste and the pizza arrived, but he had a feeling it would be all right.