“I’m glad to see you doing well,” he confessed. “When I found you last night—or this morning, rather—you were…well, less fine.”
A wan smile crossed Stacy’s lips. “You saw my dragon form, then.”
Not a question, but he nodded.
She blew out a long breath. “I want to thank you for coming to help me. I’m sure my father appeared out of nowhere and spoke in a series of riddles and cryptic clues.”
Ethan’s lips twitched into a grin. “He did do that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” His voice was lower, softer. “I’m glad he did.”
“He could have done it more normally. Though how can one tell someone their friend is a dragon who’s battling a greedy billionaire and needs their help?”
They both laughed, then Stacy grew solemn. “Thank you for coming and for bringing me back home. I know I have a lot to explain.” She paused, her voice thickening. “I’m sorry for hiding the truth from you before.”
“I understand why you did it,” Ethan replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “You didn’t want to scare me off.”
“The dragon stuff is new to me. Last night was my first time…transforming. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to protect you. I also didn’t want to scare you off, yes. My third reason was I didn’t want to explain anything I didn’t fully understand. But now, I think I can tell you.” She laughed. “Not that I have a choice.”
“Did you plan on ever telling me?” Ethan asked tentatively.
“I think so. I thought about telling you every time we hung out, especially if you were teaching me spells. I was afraid, though. I’m not afraid anymore.”
Ethan took her hand and brushed her knuckles with his thumb. “I have all day to hear your story. Take your time.”
Stacy felt her long conversation with Ethan had gone well despite him having a lot to wrap his mind around. It was late afternoon when she fell asleep again. Ethan said he needed to go home, but he promised to return tomorrow. Stacy had thanked him again before slipping into a deep slumber.
Fortunately, she dreamed of sprites flitting around a fountain and Kiera making more of that delicious soup instead of Victor and werewolves.
She awoke deep in the night to find her room dark except for a single candle on her bedside. The flame illuminated the woman dozing in the armchair by her bed. It was not Kiera sitting there but golden-haired Amy.
Stacy gave a start of surprise and covered her mouth as a sob of relief pushed through her throat. This brought Amy to full consciousness.
She lifted her head with a tired smile. “Stacy, you’re all right.”
“So are you!”
Amy scooted onto the bed and flung her arms around Stacy. The latter couldn’t help the tears that burst forth. She didn’t know what to say. She was caught between the desire to tell Amy everything that happened, express how sorry she was about Spencer, and share how relieved she was to see her friend well and alive.
Amy pulled away, tears glistening in her eyes. “Rowan told me what happened, so no need to repeat it. I can see how tired you are.”
“And what about you?” Stacy asked. “You were in the hospital.”
Amy couldn’t contain a sob of her own. It broke forth, and she bent her head. They cried softly for several minutes, neither able to express what the tears were for. They both knew, though. Spencer. “I’m so sorry,” Stacy managed, her voice broken and rasping.
Amy shook her head. “Don’t be sorry. It was my fault. I should have been more careful. I—”
Stacy grabbed her friend’s shoulders. “It was not your fault. None of it was.”
“Spencer, he… We were going to go out on a date. He kissed me at the gala. We were happy, then it was all taken away from me.” Amy’s voice broke, and she cried again.
Grief overtook Stacy like a storm. Several more minutes passed before she could ask how Amy had recovered and come home.
“Rowan came and picked me up after whoever or whatever healed me. I know it was magic, but Rowan said it was best I didn’t hear the full story.”
“Even I don’t know that,” Stacy admitted.
Amy told her about the chaos at the hospital resulting from Rowan showing up to take her away. He had ignored all requests from the hospital for more information, giving them a card to call him. The estate’s legal team, he’d told them. “Which is me,” Stacy remarked, shaking her head. “I don’t plan on answering any calls from the hospital.”
“I think giving people his ‘card’ is Rowan’s way of getting out of conversations he doesn’t want to or shouldn’t be having,” Amy replied.
Whatever else they might have said was interrupted by a knock on the door. Miles entered, smiling. “I thought I heard voices. Glad to see you doing well, Stacy.”
“Same to you, Miles. You certainly don’t look like you were battling werewolves all last night.”
“I’ve come to tell you the magical defenses here are well and secured, and Rowan and I will soon work on the land we were at last night to heal it and ensure its recovery. All to lead to a greener future.” He winked, chuckling at his joke.
“Good,” Stacy replied. “The land and the magic in it don’t need to suffer because of what happened.”
Amy raised a brow at this, and when Miles departed, she shook her head. “Some of the shit you guys talk about goes right over my head.”
Stacy squeezed her friend’s hand. “Trust me, some of it still goes over my head, too.”
