“Work of art, huh?” Boreas puffed his chest out. “I had no idea it was that impressive.”
“Impressive isn’t the word exactly.” She paused. “It’s more unconventional.”
Boreas looked at Rainey, not sure he understood what she meant. Weren’t works of art supposed to be unconventional? “I don’t think I—”
“Boreas, the cabin is a heap of junk. It’s not really a building. It’s more of a collection of building materials stitched together randomly. It’s very unstable and fragile, and it doesn’t follow any construction principles.”
“Oh.” Boreas moved his head up and down slowly, letting Rainey’s words sink in. “But we had many similar designs in Ethereum. Everyone loved them.”
“Homes here, on earth, are about security and comfort. They provide shelter for people, which can withstand different weather conditions.”
“So, are you saying that the wind took the roof off the sleeping cabin because we haven’t adhered to the right design principles for Earth?”
“I’d imagine so. And the wind today hasn’t been that strong at all.”
“I see that. The winds in Ethereum were under our control. But here it is very different.”
“Seems like we’re in more trouble than we realized,” added Notus, who’d been toasting some marshmallows. His wavy blond hair looked orange in the glow of the fire flames, and his friendly face even softer.
Boreas stood up and walked toward the barbecue. “We’ll be fine. I’ll think of something.” He looked at Notus. “How are you getting on with those marshmallows?”
“I think they’re ready.” Notus handed a bundle of sticks to Boreas.
“Do you like marshmallows, Rainey?” Boreas asked.
“I love them. But I shouldn’t really. I have a terrible sweet tooth.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Boreas said, handing her a couple of marshmallow sticks. “And you need the energy.”
“Hmmm,” Rainey said, but she took the marshmallows. Her eyes were full of gratitude, and he had the feeling she was grateful for more than just the marshmallows.
“So, Rainey, do you like the island?” Notus asked, wiping some drops of perspiration from his big forehead. His indigo eyes were full of kindness and curiosity and Boreas felt touched by his friend’s attempts to make Rainey feel welcome.
“Yes, I think so. I haven’t seen much of it, but I really like how dramatic it is with all the red, jagged rocks. Seven Rivers, where I live, is mostly flat. It’s nice to see a different landscape. Do you like living here?”
“We do now,” Eurus interrupted, giving Rainey a small wink. His lips stretched in a smile under his high, angular cheekbones and Boreas was glad to see his friend relaxing.
“It’s been a journey,” Notus added, chewing on a marshmallow. “We came here by accident, and we spent a lot of time and energy looking for a way back home at first. But then we accepted our fate and started settling here.”
“Do you have a job, Rainey?” Eurus asked.
Boreas could see that he was trying to make Rainey relax and enjoy herself, and he was thankful to him for that.
“I’m a landscape architect,” Rainey said.
“That’s a cool job,” Notus cut in. “That’s why you knew so much about house building.”
“I actually studied architecture for a while before changing to landscape architecture,” Rainey explained.
Quinton shuffled in his seat, scratched his military burr hair and cleared his voice. There was an innocent look on his olive, diamond-shaped face and a burning curiosity in his pale aqua eyes. Boreas rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming.
“So, Rainey, what is your biggest piece of advice for living on earth?” Quinton asked loudly.
“Not this crap again, Quinton!” Eurus slapped his thigh and laughed. “He’s been asking every human we’ve met that same question. It’s his way of adapting,” he explained to Rainey.
“Adapting, yes. And making sure we have the arsenal of skills we need to survive here,” Quinton added, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest. His full lips were pursed.
“Arsenal of skills,” Eurus repeated. “Now you sound like a deranged survivalist.”
“Well, as a matter of fact I spoke to a veteran yesterday, and he gave me some great tips,” Quinton said, looking very serious.
“Quinton is not big on sarcasm,” Boreas whispered in Rainey’s ear. Rainey giggled.
“Back to my question, now. What’s your advice, Rainey?” Quinton looked at her expectantly.
“Oh, dear. What’s my advice?” Rainey asked herself thoughtfully. “Maybe that you should be patient and give this world some time. It’ll grow on you.”
“What good advice!” Notus said, smiling. “Here’s to that.”
They all laughed and clinked their glasses together. Boreas could tell the dragons were enjoying Rainey’s company. They were all impatient to ask her questions and get her opinion on various things. And she seemed to enjoy their company, too. The tension he’d sensed in her earlier had disappeared. She had smiled forty-seven times in the last twenty-one minutes. Yes, he had counted. She had such a beautiful and genuine smile. And he loved seeing it light up her face. He wondered how often she smiled normally. Not often enough, that was for sure. And that was a heart-breaking thought.
They spent the next hours sitting around the fire, talking, laughing and telling stories to each other. Quinton and Notus had asked Rainey many questions about her childhood and human customs. She had seemed happy to answer them. Boreas was quiet most of the time. He felt he should sit back and give Rainey the opportunity to enjoy her evening.
“We’d better get going,” Quinton said to Eurus at last, looking at his watch.
“We have the night patrol shift,” Eurus explained.
“Good night, Rainey.” Eurus waved at her.
“Good night,” Quinton said, too, and after a moment of hesitation stumbled toward her and gave her a clumsy hug. “I like humans more after meeting you!”
“I like dragons more after meeting you,” Rainey said chippily.
“Quinton really enjoyed your company,” Boreas said to Rainey once they were alone. “They all did. He’s been having a difficult time since we got here.”
“How come?”
“He was very close with his parents and siblings back home, and I think he’s missing them a lot. His brother was due to get mated, and he was going to be the chief dragon, and perform a very special flight during the wedding and lead different processions. It’s a very responsible position, and he was really looking forward to it, and he’d spent a very long time training for the flight, which is very complicated. I’ve even seen him performing some parts of his special flight when we’ve been flying, as if he still thinks he’s going back one day.” Boreas stared at the ground.
“Oh, that’s so sad,” Rainey said. “I feel so sorry for him.”
“Me, too. I try to give him interesting projects and keep him occupied. He will adjust eventually, but it’ll take time,” Boreas said. “Do you have a big family?”
“Not really. It’s just my parents and my sister.” Rainey took a strand of her hair between her fingers and started playing with it.
“Do you get along well?”
“I suppose we do, yes. My parents had a difficult life. They both grew up in poor families, and they didn’t have the happiest of childhoods. They were deprived of a lot of things most children take for granted. So they worked their asses off to make sure my sister and I had a comfortable upbringing. They’ve made big sacrifices to make sure we had everything. I feel very thankful to them,” Rainey explained.
“They sound like devoted parents.”
“They are. I’m lucky to have them.”
“They’re lucky to have you, too. And I’m sure they’re very proud of you.” Boreas looked at her and smiled.
Rainey laughed. “I’m not sure they’re very proud of me. I’d like them to be. They’ve giv
en up a lot of their happiness for ours, and I’d like to think it was worth it. But it’s difficult—” She broke off. “Ophelia, my sister, was in love with someone my parents didn’t approve of.” She shifted in her chair, pulled her feet up, and rested her elbows on her knees. “They argued a lot. Yelling, crying, slamming doors. One night, Ophelia snuck out and never came back. She didn’t say goodbye. Didn’t leave a note. My parents were devastated. After that, my mother alternated between deep depression and fits of anger.”
“I’m sorry,” Boreas said. “It must have been very difficult for everyone.”
“It’s a long time ago now. Almost ten years. They’re better now, even though their scars run deep. And they really like Dwayne. I think that makes up a little for what my sister did.”
Boreas bristled, his scales threatening beneath his skin. But he forced himself to tamp his emotions down. “It’s not your job to make up for what your sister did,” he said as gently as he was able. “That’s a huge responsibility to bear.”
Rainey sighed. “I know you’re right. But I guess it’s just how I feel.”
“If they are truly the parents you feel they are, the best way to make them happy is by being happy yourself,” Boreas said.
Rainey gazed at him in silence and her blue eyes seemed to wander somewhere far away. “Boreas, I had a really wonderful time tonight. Your friends are really nice and funny,” she said at last. “Thank you for everything.”
“I’m very glad you did. They all liked you a lot. And I hope they didn’t bore you with all the questions.”
“Not at all.” She laughed. “They made me feel very welcome.”
“You’re always welcome here.”
“Well, maybe I can pop in now and then and say hello.”
“Actually, I was thinking…” Boreas paused and took a breath. He wasn’t sure how to ask, but he needed to get her to agree. “Can you give some classes to the clan and teach them how to build cabins fit for the conditions here?”
“But, Boreas, I’m not qualified for that!” Rainey exclaimed.
“Yes, you are. You said you studied architecture.”
“Yes, but I didn’t graduate.”
“How long did you study?”
“Four years.”
“Four years!? And that wasn’t enough to graduate?”
Rainey laughed. “No. You need to study for five years. I had one year left.”
“That’s a long time. But there you go, you are eighty-percent architect. And I don’t have any other eighty-percent architects who can help,” he said.
“It’s more like fifty-percent architect. Not even that. Getting the degree is only the first step. There are many other aspects involved after that before you get licensed.”
“Do you know the basics of building?”
She hesitated. “I suppose I do,” she said in a small voice, biting her lower lip.
He hated it how she doubted herself. He sensed she had talent, but she obviously didn’t believe in herself because that idiot Dwayne had spent years belittling her and intimidating her. He wouldn’t be surprised if Dwayne had something to do with her not finishing her studies.
“Then you can do it,” he said. He was convinced she could, and he so wanted her to believe that, too. “You have much more knowledge than any of the dragons. And you’ll be great at teaching. I can feel it.”
“But you can get a professional company to work for you instead. They’ll be much better than me. They’ll be qualified and experienced.”
He shook his head. I want you to work for us. First of all, the clan loved you. And secondly I can see that you are devoted to whatever you do, and I’d much rather work with someone who has one-hundred-percent dedication and eighty-percent knowledge than the other way around.”
“But...”
“Rainey, you will be great. I know it. Let’s give it a try. Just for three days. If you don’t like it and it doesn’t work for you, then that’s fine and you can leave. But let’s give it a try first. Please.”
Rainey took a long breath in and out. “Okay. We can give it a try,” she said slowly.
The words made Boreas’s heart jump. “That’s great! Thank you, Rainey.” He leapt up from his seat, snatched her hand and pumped it up and down. “I’m sure you won’t regret it.” Then he frowned. “But I can see you’re tired now. I’ll let you rest, and we’ll meet first thing tomorrow, partner.”
Chapter 5
Rainey
“I have to go now,” Boreas said the following morning. He drained his cup of coffee and got to his feet. Rainey’s gaze ran over him. He was wearing dark jeans, white t-shirt and a blue denim shirt, which was unbuttoned, and she couldn’t help noticing how attractive he looked.
“We’ve got two new clients in the Dragn Protection agency this morning, and they need my help there.” He headed for the steps, taking them two at a time. “I’ve told everyone you’re going to teach us to build cabins the human way. They can’t wait to get started,” he finished.
“Thank you for the coffee!” Rainey shouted after him.
Boreas stopped dead and turned back. “I completely forgot…there’s breakfast in my cabin. Please help yourself. It’s the second on your right when you come from where we were last night.” He took a few more steps, then stopped again. “You’ll be great today. I just know it.” He flashed her a dashing grin, and he was gone before Rainey had a chance to say anything.
“Wooh!” she murmured and chuckled to herself. He was such a thoughtful person—uh, dragon. He’d brought her coffee that morning and they’d sipped it on her veranda, chatting, while Rainey looked for a good moment to tell him she couldn’t do the teaching.
Last night, she’d slept deeply until about four a.m., which was the best sleep she’d had in years, but for the rest of the night, her sleep was broken and restless, and she tossed and turned, full of anxiety and insecurities about her decision to help the dragons build cabins. What had she been thinking when she agreed to it? She didn’t have the skills.
But the alternative was to go back home, which didn’t appeal to her one bit. She liked the island. And she needed a break from her life, from the preparation for the wedding, the stress at work. The truth was that ever since Boreas had asked for her help on the island, she had been really excited, really looking forward to spending two weeks away from Seven Rivers, Dwayne, and all of her problems. And she’d let that influence her so much she’d agreed to something she was incapable of doing.
Yes, she’d studied architecture for four years, and yes, she’d been passionate about it, one of the top students of her class, but she wasn’t licensed to practice. She might know how to build, but that didn’t mean she was allowed to. Dwayne always said that experience was everything and you need lots and lots of practice before you could do something right. And she was never perfect. She always made mistakes. She always screwed things up. She was the type of person who was a step away from a disaster. That’s what Dwayne always told her anyway.
By seven a.m., she’d resolved to tell Boreas she couldn’t help him after all. But then, the coffee smelled so good, and his smile was so bright and positive, and before she knew it, they were chatting like old friends. She’d asked him about the clan and how they knew each other, and he’d told her about their arrival on the island. How the ether between their world and this world had been breached, and twelve of them fell to earth. How difficult their life had been at first with them struggling to find a way back home, having a lot of arguments, not knowing the rules of this world. And that reminded her of what he’d told her last night. The first step is the most difficult he’d said. And he was right. How could you know that you’d fail if you didn’t try? How could you gain experience if you didn’t practice? There was something about Boreas that made her see things from a different perspective. He was calm, wise, and easy-going, and somehow, some of that seemed to rub off on her when she was around him.
And so she changed her mind once more.
She’d also love to spend more time with the dragons. The ones she met by the fire last night were such a friendly bunch. Caden, the angry and argumentative one, had unsettled her with his snarly attitude, but everyone else had been so nice and made her feel so welcome yesterday. Yes, she owed it to Boreas and them to try.
By the time they’d finished their coffees, some of her confidence had come back and a part of her was looking forward to the day ahead. She just needed to keep her nerves under control.
She jumped in the shower and then dressed quickly. She chose her favorite black skinny jeans, a light blue shirt, which she buttoned all the way up, and a grey boat-neck sweater. She put on light brown boots and hopped over to Boreas’s cabin to investigate what he’d left her for breakfast. His place was tidy and clean and smelled of him—masculine, fresh, piney. The thought of him living there, sleeping there every night gave her a funny tingle in her stomach. Dismissing it, she directed her attention to the stack of pancakes on the kitchen counter. They looked so good. There was some butter and maple syrup on the side.
She poured the maple syrup over the generous stack and brought the plate back to her cabin. She grabbed a set of silverware, sat on the rocker on her front porch, and devoured them. She was starving, and they were delicious, all fluffy and melting in her mouth.
The sugar zipped through her veins, fueling her enthusiasm for the day ahead. She walked toward the communal area, planning the lesson as she went. They could cover some basic theory today. Ideally, she’d mix theory and practice. That was the best way to learn in her opinion, but they didn’t have the lumber yet.
The first step was to organize a kind of a classroom. The large communal area where they’d been yesterday could be good for that, but she thought the dragons would prefer to be outside.
She needed six chairs, including one for herself. Boreas had told her it’d be just five of the men today. He needed the other five in the protection agency, and their leader, Xephyr, was on a holiday with his mate. She looked around and found a bunch of things she could use as seats—sections of tree trunk, upturned crates, and a couple of actual chairs—and arranged them in a circular shape.
Boreas Reborn_Dragon Shifter Romance Page 5
