“Mom. Stop.” Julie face-palmed.

“Why don’t you tell her about Stella?” Taylor intervened. It was evident which half of the royal couple was famous for her prowess in battle and which was the diplomat.

Rosa clapped her hands. “Val, have you been to Stella’s new house?”

“I have. It’s incredible.” Val grinned. “What a great place for the kids to grow up.”

“I’ve never seen her so relaxed and happy.” The queen smiled. “I loved having her in Lillie’s house, but this is the future she’s worked so hard for.”

“I’m so glad you have mom friends, honey.” Rosa beamed.

“I’d invite you inside, Your Majesty, but you are inside.” Val rubbed the back of her neck.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Lillirelda was pitching a fit, and we had to get her off the street. Don’t worry, though. Your living room is fine,” Julie added brightly.

Taylor stepped aside. Val hurried into the living room, which was mostly fine. She thought the scorch marks on the walls would scrub off.

“Oh, crap. I didn’t see those.” The queen waved a hand, and after a hiss of steam, the scorch marks vanished. “My bad.”

“Sorry,” Taylor offered.

“It’s really okay. You’re the king and queen,” Val pointed out, “and this used to be your house.”

“Yeah, but it’s yours now.” The queen crossed the living room to the framed black and white photograph on the shelves opposite. It showed two identical young girls laughing on Brooklyn Bridge. She touched the glass gently. “Oh, Lillie. She would have loved you, Val. You’re a hellion after her own heart.”

“Would you like, uh, coffee or something?” Val asked.

Taylor smiled. “Coffee would be amazing. Thank you.”

“My dog’s in the kitchen, but he’s not super mobile. I don’t think he’ll mind. He seems friendly,” Val told them, opening the door.

“You have a dog?” Julie cried, delighted.

“I kind of ran him over and then adopted him,” Val admitted.

Julie raised her eyebrows. “Hmmmm.”

The dog lay in the obscenely expensive fluffy bed Val had ordered online, positioned by the stove within easy reach of his food and water bowls. She was gratified to see that the food bowl was almost empty. He raised his head from his paws as Val entered, and his tail spun in merry circles.

“Hey, buddy.” Val crouched to rub his ears. “These are friends. They’re cool.”

“He is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen,” Julie declared. “I would die for him.”

“Oggie!” Lillirelda squealed.

“Aw, he’s beautiful!” Taylor beamed. “We need a dog, Julie. Can we get a dog?”

“We already have a shapeshifting dragon, a magical child, an eight-legged stallion, and a unicorn,” Julie pointed out. “That’s not counting everything in the menagerie.”

“But we don’t have a dog.” Taylor’s puppy eyes game was strong.

“Fine, babe. Once we get our toddler under control.” The queen tickled Lillirelda’s chubby cheek.

“What’s the matter with his leg?” Rosa pushed the king and queen aside. “Have you tried comfrey? It used to be called knitbone, you know.”

“It’s broken. His pelvis, too,” Val explained. “From the accident.”

The queen knelt and held out the back of her hand. Ethereal moonlight made the dog’s coat seem as dark as blood. The dog’s tail wagged, and he nuzzled her. They locked gazes for a second, and a strange understanding passed between them.

“Mind if I try something?” Julie asked.

Val shook her head mutely.

The queen extended her hands toward the dog’s pelvis. Moonlight trickled from her fingertips, coiling gently in the air like wisps of pale smoke. It seeped into the dog’s coat. His tail stopped, stiff and upright, but his eyes stayed on the queen’s face, soft and trusting.

The queen closed her hands, and the moonlight stopped.

“Okay, boy,” she told the dog. “Try that.”

The queen rose, and Val followed suit. Slowly, the dog got to his feet. He still dotted his cast on the ground, but his hind paws straddled the tiles, strong and proud.

“Merlin’s beard,” Val whispered. “What did you do?”

“His pelvis is fixed now.” Julie grinned.

The dog barked and reared on his hind legs to plant his front paws on Val’s chest. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his broad chest. “Look at you, boy! Is that better?”

The dog licked her face.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Val beamed. “I hated seeing him in so much pain.”

“You’re totally welcome. I’ll leave his leg, though. That might be a little hard to explain to your human friends.” Julie laughed.

The dog dropped to four paws and returned to his bed.

“I didn’t know you were animal people.” Val turned on the coffee machine. “Have a seat.”

Rosa was rummaging in her fridge. “Valerie! Where are your vegetables?”

“Mom!” Julie cried.

“We’re creature people,” King Taylor told her. “That counts.”

“Lillie had pets too.” Julie smiled. “Did you know that?”

Val shook her head.

“They were adorable.” Rosa abandoned her snooping and took a seat. “A little dog called Pookie and the fattest cat I’ve ever seen. Fluffy.”