“I missed you guys,” I finally said.
“We missed you too,” Gary said, giving me a wet, sucking kiss on my ear as Tiggy’s big hand rubbed up and down my back. “Adventuring isn’t the same when you’re not there. Did you know that Justin is a whiny little bitch? In case you didn’t know that, he is.”
“Ryan doesn’t seem to think so,” I mumbled. “They’re all buddy-buddy now.”
“Ew,” Gary said. “Your jealousy is stinking up the room. That’s gross. Also, Ryan doesn’t love Justin like that. He loves you.”
“He’s mad at me right now.”
“Well yeah. Of course he is. I’m mad at you right now.”
“You’re also nibbling on my hair.”
“I can multitask. The point is, Sam, you had to have seen this coming.”
I shrugged, burying my face in Tiggy’s chest.
“Well, no matter. Ryan will get over it, then you’ll go back to being really all in love, and the rest of us will be disgusted with the both of you, and it will be normal again.”
“We’re not normal.”
“I like us,” Tiggy said, squeezing us tightly.
“I like us too,” Gary said. “But before we forgive Sam completely, I need to ask if there is anything else you’re keeping from us.”
“No. That was pretty much it.”
“Hmm,” Gary said. “Okay, I believe you. We’re all best friends again! Tiggy! Hug us harder!”
My bones creaked at the strength of him. I’d never felt anything so good.
THEY OFFERED to come with me to see the feathered dragons, but I waved them off, telling them it was best if they got some rest. I didn’t know what the next day would bring, and they’d been on the road for weeks. Tiggy was already snoring by the time I closed the door behind me and made my way out of the castle.
I didn’t see Ryan, but then I didn’t think I would. He was probably holed up in Justin’s room. I tried not to think about that part.
The light was beginning to fail as I exited the castle. It had been the longest day in recent memory. My body was sore, and I felt grimy and dirty. I wanted nothing more than to curl up in my bed and hide from the world, but I had a job to do.
Randall and Kevin were with Pat and Leslie, and all eyes were on me as I approached. I tried not to falter in my steps, but I didn’t know how successful I was. Kevin in particular eyed me strangely, and I had the feeling that Randall had filled him in while the rest of us were inside.
“Sam,” he rumbled. “I hear you’ve been busy.”
I sighed, tossing a glare at Randall. “Go ahead.”
He blinked at me. “What?”
“Let me have it.”
“Oh really—”
“Not like that. You can yell at me now, if you want. Get it off your chest.”
“I’d rather get off on your chest—”
“Kevin.”
“Fine,” he said, leaning down until his chin was on the snow, his head near me. I felt the heat from his nostrils as he narrowed his eyes. “Don’t do it again.”
“I know.”
“Good.” He breathed a puff of warm air on me.
“That’s it?”
He shrugged. “That’s it.”
“Oh. Ryan got mad at me, and then I had to act out this whole scene with Tiggy and Gary. I just thought there would be more.”
“Eh,” Kevin said. “I’m a lover, not a fighter. If you’d prefer, we could resolve this in a manner more befitting a dragon of my disposition.”
“I’m not going to climb on your junk.”
“So you say now.” He sighed. “Your mother talk to you?”
I frowned. “My mom? When did you talk to—”
“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t confused, champ, when you saw us together again. You know I love Gary very much, but you’ll always be my special little guy. I’m going to make us a family again.”
“Oh my fucking gods,” I muttered. “That will never not be weird.”
“Maybe you’ll get to have a little brother or two,” he continued. “Once Gary gets over this trial reconciliation bullshit. I respect his boundaries, but I can only go so long before I need to stick my tongue inside—you know what? You don’t need to hear this right now, sport. The only thing you need to know is that we both love you very much, and nothing is going to change. Except for all the sex I will be having. With your mother. Who is Gary.”
“Can we please talk about anything else?”
“Have you been doing your homework?”
“I take it back,” I said. “I don’t want to talk about anything at all with you.”
He chuckled deep in his throat.
I patted his nose as I walked past him, the heat of him warming my chilled skin.
But before I could move away completely, he whispered, “I won’t let him hurt you.”
I paused before I turned back toward him.
His eyes were glittering darkly. “The Dark wizard. The man in shadows. He will not eat your magic, Sam of Wilds. Not while I still draw breath.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I said nothing at all. I nodded slowly at him, and he gave me a wicked smile that contained a great many teeth.
Randall had been talking. Though I supposed that made everything easier. At the very least, I wouldn’t have to recount everything all over again.
Randall stood before Pat and Leslie, who were lying in the snow, curled around each other. Their eyes flashed blue as I approached, and a surge of dragon magic rolled through me.
“Randall of Dragons,” I said, bowing low and slightly mocking.
“Little shit,” he said, sounding mildly amused. “You’re alive, which is good, I suppose. I thought I heard the faint sounds of destruction from inside the castle. I was truly worried about your safety.”
“But not enough to intervene?”
He shrugged. “I’m old. I move slow. By the time I got inside, it would have all been over.”
“You seemed to move just fine when we were running for our lives.”
He gave me a deeply wrinkled smile.
“Tiggy smashed my paintings in their room,” I admitted. “We worked it out. I just wish it hadn’t been at the expense of my art.”
“Yes,” Randall said. “Your art. The world is a much darker place now that it’s gone.”
“That’s what I was saying—”
“I lied. The art was offensive, and I’m glad it’s been destroyed.”
“Goodbye, any good feelings I might have had left,” I sighed.
“And the Knight Commander? How did he fare?”
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “He’s mad at me. He’s with the Prince right now.”
“Ah. I expect it was quite a shock to hear that a god has predicted his death.”
“No,” I said. “That was Vadoma.”
The smile widened. “Indeed. I’m glad you’ve seen the difference. No matter the strength of one, a human is not a god. You would do well to remember that.”
I sighed. “The Great White, Randall? Really?”
He shrugged. “He and I have… a history.”
“I would think it’s more than a history if you were named because of him.”
“I was not named because of him,” Randall said stiffly. “The title came from what was perceived as attributes associated with a dragon: cunning, ferocity, power. My relationship with the Great White was contentious, to say the least.”
“They said you served him,” I said, nodding toward Pat and Leslie, who remained silent but ever watchful.