Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Later that evening, the scent of roasted vegetables, grilled fish, and fresh-baked bread filled the apartment, mingling with the faint floral aroma of the night air drifting through the open balcony doors.
The apartment was warm and lived-in, a home that carried the essence of their family in every space.
Phoenix and Spring kicked off their shoes when they came into the living room. Their school backpacks were piled in the corner near the front door, adding to the clutter in the front foyer. They left them there for the time being rather than in their bedroom, which looked like a cyclone had hit it.
They were supposed to put their shoes in the shoe box their mom had placed by the front door, but it was already overflowing. If she remembered, she’d remind Spring they needed to put them up when they went back to their bedroom.
A stack of half-read books lay scattered across the coffee table, along with a few loose data pads filled with unfinished schoolwork. Their symbiots sprawled lazily across the couch and chairs, one of them purring in its sleep while the other emitted soft, contented snores.
Phoenix reached for another roll as she sat next to her sister at the long, polished dining table. They were almost finished with the delicious meal their dad had made. She was stuffed, but she couldn’t resist the last roll.
“Well,” Creon chuckled, watching her. “I think I’ve outdone myself this time if you are going back for thirds.”
Spring snorted. “Dad, that nothing is burnt is already a win. We’re starving from the last couple of meals you made.”
Phoenix grinned. “Yeah, you didn’t set off the fire suppression system this time. That’s pretty impressive.”
Creon wiggled his nose and grunted, trying not to grin at their teasing. “If you two don’t want me to cook, I can always let you do it,” he suggested.
“Are you kidding? Forget the fire suppression system, we’d probably burn down the house,” Spring mumbled around a mouthful of veggies.
Phoenix nodded. “Not to mention, can you imagine what the kitchen would look like?”
Their dad straightened and looked over their heads at the living room. He shook his head.
“If it looks anything like the rest of the house and your bedroom—no, I don’t want to imagine that,” he dryly replied.
Spring giggled and scooped another bite into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
“Besides… would you rather suffer through our cooking—and the disaster that follows where you have to explain to mom why she needs a new kitchen—or take our backhanded compliment and enjoy this rare moment where dinner is actually edible?”
Phoenix caught the tug on her dad’s lips, and she finally figured out why he was so relaxed tonight.
He had been frazzled when it came to dinner time since their mom left on her trip.
The first night, they ended up eating sandwiches.
Last night had been soup. She looked at the dinner roll that was almost gone.
“You had the palace chef make dinner,” she murmured, her eyes flashing from the roll to her dad’s face.
“I knew this tasted familiar!” Spring exclaimed, laughing when their dad groaned and bowed his head.
“Okay, I may have given in and asked Cook to help—a little. I still had to put everything in the oven. Your mom makes cooking look easy. Give me a weapons system and some tools and I’m in heaven. Put me in a kitchen and I can’t figure out how she does it,” he grumbled.
Phoenix reached out and placed her hand over her dad’s. “That’s okay. We loved the soup and sandwiches.”
“We just didn’t enjoy smelling the burnt stuff before it,” Spring muttered, glancing at the reason the balcony doors and windows were still open.
“What did you girls do today?”
Phoenix glanced at her sister. Guilt swept through her. It wasn’t what they did today that made her feel guilty. It was what they were planning to do tomorrow that tugged at her conscience. Spring shrugged her shoulders.
“Hung out in the garden with the others. Roam was being a jerk, but other than that, not much,” Spring said.
“I’m reading a really cool story,” Phoenix replied.
Creon frowned. “What was Roam doing?”
“Nothing. Just being Roam,” Spring mumbled.
“What about you? How are the renovations going in the amusement park?” Phoenix asked, sensing her sister’s withdrawal.
“Pretty good. Your Aunt Cara has some great ideas, but putting them together can be challenging. Kelan and Mandra are just glad she’s not on their warships.”
Phoenix giggled as her dad talked about the ongoing amusement park renovations, sharing a hilarious story about Vox getting stuck in the Spider Blaster 5000’s webbing.
“Vox wasn’t thrilled when the web refused to come off, even after he shifted,” Creon said with a smirk. “He now has a bald spot on his—”
Spring choked on her drink.
Phoenix burst out laughing. “Oh, no! Poor Uncle Vox. Did anyone take a picture?”
Creon’s grin turned downright smug. “Several. And I’ve already backed them up in multiple places in case he tries to delete them.”
Spring giggled, shaking her head. “Dad, that’s evil. Can I use that spider blaster stuff on Roam?”
“That’s blackmail and if Roam gives you a hard time, you bet your as—” Creon stopped and cleared his throat before he winked at his oldest daughter. “Just don’t tell your mom I gave you the idea.”
Phoenix grinned when Spring burst out laughing. It was wonderful hearing her sister laugh. They were still giggling when the vidcom next to their dad’s plate chimed. A second later, their mom appeared; her warm brown eyes crinkled with love as she smiled at them.
“Hey, Mom!” Spring and Phoenix chimed together.
Behind her, they could see the cozy, softly lit interior of their grandparents’ summer home. Their younger cousins were running around in the background, their giggles filling the air.
“Hey, girls! You sure you don’t want to come visit?” Carmen asked.
“Naw, it’s kinda cool just hanging out here with dad,” Phoenix assured her. “We want to hang out with Roam and Adaline while they’re still here.”
“Besides,” Spring added, grinning, “Dad needs supervision when he’s left to cook for himself.”
Carmen snorted. “Really? How many times has he set off the fire alarm?”
“Twice,” they answered in unison.
Creon placed a hand over his heart, feigning offense. “I am offended by this lack of faith in my culinary abilities.”
“You should be,” Carmen teased.
Phoenix and Spring laughed as their parents fell into their usual playful banter, their love for each other evident in every teasing remark.
Phoenix pushed her chair back. “Spring and I’ll clean the kitchen so you guys have your gooey time,” she teased.
“Yeah, we’re already damaged enough,” Spring laughed.
“Goodnight,” their mom called behind them.
“Hang on,” their dad muttered, rising from his seat.
Spring giggled and shook her head when her dad gave them a sheepish but appreciative glance before he disappeared through the balcony doors. They cringed when they heard a bit of their parents’ conversation.
“I don’t think they realize that we understand what they aren’t saying when they are saying the gross stuff,” Spring muttered with a shudder of distaste, pulling another round of giggles from them both.
From where they stood, they could hear the quiet, affectionate way their father murmured to their mother. The deep timbre of his voice softened, filled with warmth, his love for their mom so strong it was almost tangible.
Phoenix sighed, resting her chin in her palm. “Do you think we’ll ever find someone who loves us like that?”
Spring hummed and shrugged. “I hope so. That’s the kind of love that lasts.”
For a moment, they simply stood there, listening to their father whispering words of love to their mother under the silver glow of the twin moons.
Once the kitchen was clean, they retreated to their shared bedroom.
The room was spacious yet cozy, with large windows that overlooked the gardens. Soft silken drapes fluttered from the balcony doors, and warm golden light glowed from the embedded energy stones along the walls.
Phoenix dropped an old backpack she had retrieved from the closet onto her bed. Excitement buzzed in her veins, but underneath it… a ripple of unease. The last time she had opened a portal to the Seven Kingdoms, she’d had help. This time, it was all her.
She swallowed hard, shoving her doubts aside.
Pulling open her backpack, she began stuffing in essentials to take: a change of clothes, a few toiletries, and some snacks.
They only planned to be gone for a day or two at the most. It would be too dangerous to stay too long.
Their dads would start to get suspicious if things were too quiet.
Across from her, Spring packed neatly and methodically, a sharp contrast to the rest of their bedroom, which was littered with discarded clothes, more shoes, games, and a few cups and plates they had forgotten to take back to the kitchen.
Phoenix noticed her sister’s movements were slower than usual.
Frowning, she sat on the edge of the bed. “You okay?”
Spring gave a small smile. “Yeah. Just thinking.”
Phoenix knew better.
She tugged Spring down beside her. “Spill.”
Spring hesitated before finally muttering under her breath, “It’s stupid.”
Phoenix arched an eyebrow. “You never say things are stupid unless it’s about Roam doing something he shouldn’t—which is all the time.”
Spring laughed softly, but it faded as she looked away.
After a long pause, she whispered, “I don’t think I’m as pretty or as smart as Adaline.”
Phoenix blinked, caught off guard. “What?”
Spring sighed. “She can do all these amazing things—she can harness energy like it’s second nature. I—I can’t do that. I can’t do what you do either.” Her voice dropped lower. “I can’t even shift into something as incredible as you. I’m just a plain dragon who loves to dig in the dirt.”
Phoenix’s chest ached when her sister lifted her hands and stared at her nails. They were clean, thanks to their dish-washing, but her nails were short and uneven.
Phoenix tightened her grip around Spring’s shoulders. “Spring, you are amazing.”
Spring let out a skeptical laugh.
Phoenix pulled back to meet her golden gaze. “You talk to plants like no one else can. They listen to you. You make the gardens thrive. And don’t even get me talking about the amazing tunnels and hideouts you make under the ground. That is magic!”
Spring bit her lip, doubt still lingering.
Phoenix cupped her face gently. “And you’re beautiful, inside and out. Roam’s an idiot, and Adaline’s just figuring out where she fits. Don’t let their teasing make you forget who you are.”
Spring gave a weak smile. “You sound like Mom.”
Phoenix grinned. “Well, she is pretty smart.”
They sat together in companionable silence.
Then, in a hushed voice, Phoenix admitted, “There’s something else I haven’t told the others about the Isle of the Monsters.”
Spring pulled back slightly. “What is it?”
Phoenix hesitated. Then, whispering, “I saw something. Someone. If we go there, I’m hoping I can find out more about who and what I am.”
Phoenix felt a wave of calm settle over her, and she looked up, feeling as if they weren’t alone. A smile played at the corner of her lips when Spring cupped her hand and said, “Then we have to go.”
Nodding in agreement, she couldn’t help but think that as long as they had a Goddess or two watching over them, they would be alright.
Above them, unseen and silent, Aminta hovered. A soft, thoughtful smile played on her lips before she vanished into the night. It looked like tomorrow would be a very interesting day for the young dragons and their friends.