by Honor James
“Well, I’m saying that in this case it is, because the two of you were being mean to each other. That’s enough for me to tell you no.” She looked down at the baby and smiled, her heart melting. “Okay, Rain. Let’s get you burped, changed, and then we will travel to our home.”
“Burp her for sure, but if we can hold off on changing her, do. The portal we’ll use is close to the house, so we can change her on the other side as soon as we’re through the Veil. I don’t like staying out in the open like this, not with her,” Drake said softly.
“Good point. Okay, let’s get you burped, sweet Rain, and then your daddies will take us home. We will use Granddaddy Drakos’s big bathing pool to swim around in, since I don’t really want to take you to a huge pool.” She looked at Drake and added, “And Daddy Drake needs to let him in on the preciousness that is you, little one.”
“I will, as soon as I can pin him down. Unfortunately, if he’s off on Council business, that’s going to be a lot harder than it sounds. I will find him,” he said with confidence. “I have a feeling he’ll want to see her, though. Not that he won’t, believe me, but even a man of his knowledge needs to see visible proof.”
“This is true.” Azure looked down at Rain and smiled. “Because you, dearest little Rain, are a treasure. You have no idea how loved you are going to be by your family. Not just your daddies and me, but your grandfather as well as all of the Draygon people. You are truly a blessing, little darling.”
“That she is,” he agreed. Reaching out a hand, he stroked the soft hair on the baby’s head. “Burp her and get her into a diaper. We really shouldn’t remain here any longer. We’re not exactly inconspicuous in the midst of a half-empty parking lot at this time of night.”
“Good point,” Azure said and quickly changed Rain into a diaper, and then began to burp her. She had to ensure that there were no air bubbles in the baby’s belly so that she didn’t get sick. Once she got a very, very healthy burp from the baby, Azure laughed. “Oh, that’s right, darling, you let it all out.” She looked at Drake and grinned. “She’s definitely just like her new daddies, isn’t she?”
“I have no idea to what you are referring,” he said with a sniff. Then he grinned. Leaning in, he kissed her on the lips, brushed a kiss to Rain’s cheek, and waved her into the vehicle. “In you go. Buckle her in so we can get going. We need to get to the Veil opening before dawn. If anyone sees us going through, it will be compromised.”
“Sounds good.” She got them settled into the back of the car and looked up at Drake. “I’m riding back here with her, sorry,” she told him with a grin. “That means that you are in front with Volos, because I get to spend time with her now that she’s no longer burning hot.” The poor baby. She had been through too much. She wondered if they would be able to ask a Spiryte to erase the baby’s memories since there were so few of them. She wanted to ensure that the child had every possible chance at a normal and good life.
“Since I’m the one driving, yeah, I am,” he said. Chuckling at her, he shut the door before getting into the driver’s seat. Once she had Rain buckled in, Drake started the SUV and they got rolling. She didn’t know where they were going, but she trusted them.
Chapter Twelve
It was roughly three days later before a large, booming voice, echoing through the house, dragged her attention away from Rain. Volos was off doing something for the AEDA, and Drake was… somewhere.
The voice called out again, this time answered by a familiar one, Drake. Heavy boot-falls in the outer corridor announced an arrival. A quick knock, and then Drake stuck his head around the door. “Hey, love. You decent enough for a visit?”
“I am. Rain is as well.” Azure pulled Rain from the blanket where they were both playing. She held the baby close to her, soothing her gently, and then walked away from the door to stand before the window. “Come on in,” Azure said finally.
Drake vanished for a moment before reappearing with a tall imposing figure in a hooded cape. His stride was a mirror image of Drake’s as they came across the room. Only once they were close did the man throw the hood back. She found herself staring at an older version of Drake. Instantly, she knew who he was. “Dad, you remember Azure. Azy, you’ve met my father on occasion, I’m sure.”
“I do.” Azy smiled up at Drakos. “It’s good to see you again, sire.” She bowed her head to him but kept her hold on Rain. “I’m assuming that you are here to meet your granddaughter? You will do your best not to frighten her, right?” It wasn’t a question she had to ask, but one she wanted to ask.
“Princess,” he acknowledged her. “I shall do my best,” he said, his deep voice booming even with it so soft. Stepping forward, he peered down at the bundle she held. “May I?” he asked, holding out his hands.
Drake gave her a small nod and smiled at her.
Azure gave Rain a kiss on the cheek and smiled. “Time to meet your grandfather, little one,” she whispered to the baby before passing her over. Azy moved to Drake’s side, wrapped her arm around his middle and looked up at him. “I am surprised to see you here so soon, your highness.” She was actually surprised he hadn’t come sooner. A baby, a Draygon girl at that, was exceptionally rare.
“It took time for Drake’s message to reach me. We were otherwise occupied and in session, so it was additionally delayed. I came as quickly as I could.” He moved closer to the window, standing in a shaft of light, Rain cradled in his arms. Lifting his free hand, he held it above her head as he stared down at the baby.
“Shh,” Drake whispered softly. “Watch,” he told her quietly.
At first, there was nothing to see. Then, slowly, the light that shone on the little girl began to bend and twist until it was shaped into a dragon that let out a little burst of fire. When Drakos lowered his hand, the image vanished, as if it had never been.
“What was that?” Azure had never seen anything like that before in her life. She had never seen Drakos with a child, actually. “That was far too cool.” She watched Rain with Drakos and grinned. “I do believe that you have an admirer,” she teased the Draygon King.
“Of course you have never seen it before. Only the Draygon King can call on the inner Draygon of a child to reveal itself. It’s a gift passed down through the lines, but only the King can wield it. She will be a very powerful fire Draygon when she grows,” Drakos said. He gave Rain his finger to hold on to, which she promptly tugged into her mouth to gnaw on.
“She will be a Draygon, just as you are.” Which she liked, a great deal. “So you will be able to teach her just what she needs to do in order to survive in this life?” She wanted to know. “She’s got you under her spell,” Azure said with a smirk. “Which is perfectly acceptable, because she’s got me totally under her spell, and we won’t even go into just how over the moon Volos is with her.” It was crazy, but her Vhampire was utterly enamored with the baby. Already, they all treated her as if she were theirs, truly.
Drakos shot her a look before looking back down at Rain. “She is a sweetheart. You will need to watch her for her moods, though. As a female—and I mean no offence, as it’s an issue with Draygons—but she will get really worked up, especially before she has a way to communicate.”
“We already covered it all, Dad,” Drake said. “Rain was pretty much hot enough to boil a pot of water when we found her. Given the situation, I’d have been just as pissed off. She’s been pretty good and Azy knows the signs to look for before picking her up.”
“Good, that’s good. It will subside in time. The first year is always the hardest. Drake was a little scamp who could do it at will. Even at only a few days old, he could turn the heat up if he wanted my attention over anyone else’s.”
That had Azure grinning. “Oh lordy, I think that’s far too funny. I could see it, though. I could see him doing just that.” She reached out and stroked her finger over Rain’s cheek. “She likes you. That’s very good. I’m happy she likes you as much as she does, because she is your grandda
ughter. Drake did tell you we have adopted her as ours, right?”
“He did. I’m quite pleased by that.” Drakos shot his son a look of fatherly pride and gave her a wink. “She will be a handful, don’t ever doubt that. I should warn you, Azy, if she picks up any of Drake’s tendencies, her first few flights will likely be enough to give you heart failure. He used to throw himself off the roof to catch air. His mother nearly deafened me each and every time.”
Azure laughed. “Well, I will try to ensure that I don’t have a heart attack because it truly is my sincere hope to one day give you more grandchildren. That’s my hope, at least,” she told him as she watched the baby in his arms. “Although, I would be perfectly happy for us to wait for a time before having one of our own. I want Rain to know nothing but love and know how much she’s wanted in our lives.”
“They come around in their own time, when it’s right,” Drakos said. “While we were only blessed with Drake, we couldn’t have asked for a better son. Then we had the misfortune of adopting Volos.” Drakos rolled his eyes and shook his head.
Drake snickered as he buried his face in her hair, his arm tightening around her.
“Anyway, that is a story for another day.” Lifting Rain, the Draygon King pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I need a bath, so I will leave you ladies for the moment. We shall meet for dinner, though, if you don’t mind me sticking around to cramp your style for a little longer.”
“Oh, if you find Rain’s rubber ducky, please bring it back? We sort of commandeered your bathing pool for a few visits,” she told the Draygon King. “She loves the water. For her to be a fire Draygon just is too funny because she loves the water like crazy.”
“All Draygons love the water,” he told her. He passed Rain back over, though he had a heck of a time prying his finger loose from her grip. “We’re great swimmers. Comes with the territory. We’re actually faster in the water than we are in the air, and we’re pretty damn lethal by air. If I spot the missing ducky, I shall let you know. Until dinner, princess.” He tipped his head to her, slapped Drake on the shoulder, and left their room.
Azure looked up at Drake and smiled. “How about we go ahead and go down and get Rain something to eat? It’s been almost two hours.” They had agreed not to let the baby go for any longer without feeding her. “So let’s go and feed our baby girl?”
Nodding, Drake rubbed his finger over Rain’s cheek. The baby closed her eyes and leaned into the caress, a little smile curling her lips. “I need to warn the kitchen staff that Dad is staying for dinner. If I don’t there will be hell to pay for not having his favorite dessert available for him, just in case.” At her look, he rolled his eyes. “The cook has a very set idea about things. Best not to mess with her, as you well know.”
“Oh yes, so I’ve learned.” Cook had attached to Rain like a magnet, and she doted on the child. Then again, everyone did. It did Azure’s heart good to know just how loved the baby was and to know that she would always be protected. “She ensured that all of the formula we had purchased to feed little Rain with was tossed out. I just hate that we had given her that the one time, but I couldn’t see her starving for another moment in time.” The cook had all but chastised them for feeding her fake milk and had promptly ensured that the baby had more than plenty to drink from that moment on. Thankfully she hadn’t tossed away the bottles, but harrumphed and said at least they had something right.
“Okay, come on, let’s go. Let’s feed our daughter and ensure that they know your father is here, and then maybe you will take Rain and me out for a walk? She loves the outdoors as much as you do, I think.”
“The woman is a harridan,” he muttered. “The walk sounds good. We should take her bottle out so we can feed her on the grass. She likes to look at the bugs as they flit past. I see her chasing them down, in time.” He was smiling again, looking like he was a little lost in a memory.
“She really is, but we love her.” Azure loved the look on Drake’s face and smiled at him. “So, that look on your face, I take it that you did that in the past?” she asked him as they walked to the kitchen. “And yes, feeding her on the grass is a good thing. I love watching her as she watches them.”
“More than a few times,” he said with a laugh. “When I first shifted into my Draygon form, I’d spend hours out there chasing them around, trying to catch them. It was a great exercise in learning, and enhancing my speed and agility. The flying came later, though, like Dad said. Had to figure that out with a bit of heart-stoppers first.”
“Wonderful.” She bit her lips and stifled a laugh. “So, when should she shift the first time? Hopefully, not too soon. I want to have her as a baby for a good long time, if that’s possible.” She was terrified for when the babe shifted the first time. “When she shifts for the first time, you will be there, right?”
“It will likely be a good year or so. It varies, depending on each individual Draygon. It took me about eighteen months to shift the first time. Apparently, it was at the dinner table, no less. Oh well.” He sighed. “I’m dramatic, if nothing else. As to your other question, yes, I’ll be here when she shifts. If I’m not then I’ll get back as quickly as I can.”
“Okay, well, whatever it is that we have to do, we will make sure we are all together. If not, we will get you home as soon as possible.” She looked down at Rain and grinned. “But she won’t shift without her daddy Drake here. And that’s a worry for a long time later.”
“It’ll be a while yet, yes,” he said with a laugh. At the kitchens, he paused, stuck his head around the corner, and then waved her in. He slipped across the space, right behind Cook, and plucked the bottle from the assistant’s hands when she held it out to him. He mouthed a thank-you and came scurrying back her way.
“Don’t think I don’t see you, Drake,” Cook said, not turning around.
With a cringe, he started mouthing curses.
“Do you really want me to wash that mouth out with soap?”
He spun around and then looked to Azy. “How the hell does she do that?” he muttered to her as he got close enough.
Azure grinned and shook her head. “And you didn’t tell her about your dad, either. You need to walk back in there, give her a hug and apologize for the cursing and then tell her about your dad so that you can spend time with Rain and me without worrying about having hurt her feelings.”
“Son of a biscuit,” he grumbled. Spinning on a heel, he took a deep breath. “If I’m not back in five, send in the Marines. They may even not be enough. I love you,” he said. Shooting her a pitiful look, he headed over to Cook. Scooping her up, he gave her big, smacking kisses on her cheek as she screeched at the top of her lungs. She stopped as he spoke to her, but started up as soon as he started smothering her with more kisses.
When Drake walked back out, Azure was feeding Rain while they were standing there. “Sorry, but she began to get very cranky and kept shooting looks at her bottle. I couldn’t deny her.” No one seemed to be able to deny the little Draygon babe, and that was as it should be.
“Wouldn’t expect you to, sweetheart. If she gets overly cranky, she’s only got one—well, technically two—defenses at her disposal. Her lung capacity, and the Draygon. We all know just how effective her lungs are.” The entire house knew just how big Rain’s lungs were.
“Yes, that’s for sure. Plus those eyes. All she has to do is look at me and I melt. I will never be able to discipline this child, I know it, and so do you and Volos.” Which was why the men had some kind of running system going to try to figure out who the heavy would be with their child.
“You are rather a sucker for her,” he said. With a hand on her back, he guided her outside into the yard. “Cook says she’s got a plan for dinner. Apparently, she already knew Dad was coming. At least the old man lets someone in the house know when he’s got a visit planned.”
“Yeah, I am rather a sucker for her, but really, who could blame me?” she asked with a grin. “She already holds my heart in he
r little hands and has me wrapped fully around her little fingers and I couldn’t deny her anything.”
“We know.” He chuckled. Drake found them a spot where there was enough shade to protect Rain’s young skin, yet a bit of light to keep her entertained as it came through the leaves of the tree nearby. Sitting down, he helped her down onto his lap and wrapped his arms around them both, his chin on Azy’s shoulder.
Settled against Drake’s front, Azy smiled and fed Rain. When the baby finished eating and had been burped, Azy turned her slightly so that she could watch the insects as they whizzed past them. She watched the amazement on the baby’s face and smiled. Nice. She liked it.
A long while later, the baby started to get sleepy and Azy looked up at Drake. “How about we take our baby and tuck her into bed?”
“Good plan, she’ll need a nap before dinner,” he said. “Hopefully there’s word from Volos about whatever he’s been up to. Have you heard from Maurice and Graven of late?” he asked. Hands to her hips, he lifted her onto her feet, getting to his own and dusting off his ass.
“The last I heard of them, they were raiding another facility,” Azure said softly. “Which makes me worry, but they are connected to me, so if anything were to happen, I would know.” She would feel their deaths, if that were to happen.
“They have survived this long, I’m sure they will be just fine. Besides, they seem to have gotten the hang of things. They do really good work, for the most part,” he said with a grin. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed and led her toward the house once more.
“I know that they have, but I can’t help but worry about them all the same. It’s who I am,” she told him with a smile. “Now then, let’s get ourselves in and get her to bed, and then I will let you help me pass the time.”
“Oh really? Any particular method you favor for time-passing?” he asked with a grin. “’Cause I have a few ideas about what we can do.” Hugging her close to him, he rubbed his hand up and down her back.
