Chapter 50 Ginger
Ginger
My brain couldn’t sort out what I was looking at.
I knelt beside Bram, ready to thump on his back to help his choking, but his short fit was seemingly resolved.
The dragon pranced happily away, seemingly satisfied with himself, and more energetic than his usual self by leaps—he was nearly as perky as Ember.
I reached out with hesitant fingers, prepared for the illusion to dissipate like mist.
My fingers were met with solid, crisp foliage. Green and bright, and only about as long as my littlest finger, the blade of grass was delicate.
But it was real.
I glanced up and looked around to see if anyone else was seeing this.
Shade stood nearby, his jaw hanging open. Tommins clapped his palm over his mouth. All around, folk were shocked.
“Is that what I think it is?” Tandor asked, crouching to get a closer look.
I cleared my throat. “I think so.”
“Grass,” Kizzi whispered. “In the Barren Lands.”
“Plants haven’t grown here in thousands of years,” Fiella explained unnecessarily, for we already knew that.
“Is this his manifestation of magic?” I asked aloud.
“Plant magic,” Shade mused. “Life magic. It’s incredibly rare.”
I looked at Bram. He was sniffing one of the boots that the knights had left behind. He scrunched his face in distaste and then attempted to bury it with the dusty sand.
I was so unbelievably proud of him.
Tears pricked at the back of my eyes. “Life magic,” I repeated. “Wow.”
Kizzi whooped dramatically. “Go Bram! We knew you had it in you! We never doubted you for a second, I swear!”
“Go little green guy!” Tandor joined in.
Bram glanced up for a moment, looking bashful, before he returned to attempting to bury the offensive boot.
I sniffled, wiping a tear away.
My little magical prodigy. He just needed a moment to bloom. I glanced at the bright light of the suns, warmer now than it had been since his little egg hatched. “I wonder if he just needed a little seasonal encouragement,” I mused.
“That is likely,” Shade agreed. “My shadows are stronger at night—he is probably stronger in the milder seasons. Magic is strange that way.”
Strange, indeed.
I glanced up, meeting his shimmering gaze. “Let’s go home.”
Epilogue: Ginger
There was nothing more irritating than sunburn.
“Careful! That hurts,” I whined as Shade rubbed soothing ointment into my crispy pink skin. Days spent traversing the Barren Lands without any protection on my arms and shoulders had left them irritated and angry.
I should have known better, but alas, I had bigger things to worry about at the time.
All things considered; it had been worth it.
Absolutely worth it.
But even days later, I was still suffering the consequences.
“I’m sorry, wife. I’m almost done. It will feel better soon.” Shade’s voice was calm and patient.
With the soothing ointment applied, my skin felt so much better. His fingers kneaded the muscles of my shoulders to release any tension. My head rolled forward. I sighed contentedly. Prickles of warmth began to collect in my stomach, settling lower.
After endless hours discussing Shade’s memories, his history, his behavior when he had arrived at Moonvale, the courting gifts he attempted to bestow upon me, as well as my thoughts, the reasoning behind my resistance, and my feelings—we came to an understanding.
He would try to make his stalking tendencies a little more… subtle.
And I would accept him for who he was.
I couldn’t fault him for his base instincts.
I liked that he watched me so closely, and I was no longer ashamed of that.
If gods had the power of foresight, and the fates had determined that I was destined to become Shade’s mate no matter what, what was the point in resisting?
I didn’t want to resist anymore.
I wanted to be cherished.
And cherish me, Shade did. Every minute of every day.
Earlier in the day, a letter had arrived from Shade’s sister. That’s right—his sister. A goddess. Thia, her name was. His memories were still a mess, but he remembered her.
He was pretty sure she was sane. Kind enough, as far as gods went.
Thia didn’t reveal where she was, for fear of being discovered, but warned of an impending threat.
The King’s men would not give up.
The King knew Shade was here, in Moonvale, and he wouldn’t forget that fact. He would return. And when he did, we would be ready.
And now, even worse… the King knew about the baby dragons.
Rumors had spread far and wide, reaching the far corners of the realm.
Even Thia had heard.
She warned us to keep a watchful eye on the dragons, for they were a priceless treasure, and the King was a greedy, greedy man…
We tried not to let the worries build, but to instead live in the moment, and appreciate stolen seconds of peace.
Shade leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the back of my neck. A shadowy tendril twined between my fingers teasingly—he was getting more powerful, more in control of the shadows every day.
I shivered.
“What do you say we slip away for an early night, wife? I’ve got a list of things I’ve been dying to do that delectable body of yours—”
We were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.
Shades stepped back with a sigh. “Later, then.”
I groaned, shaking off the haze. “Promise?”
He grinned wickedly.
When I opened the door, Kizzi stood on my porch, a grumpy-looking Tandor behind her. They both held strange, inflated leather tubes.
She reached a hand out, beckoning. “Come on, Ginny. You too, Shade.”
“What’s this?” I asked, afraid to hear the answer.
She grabbed my hand, tugging me out the front door. Shade followed.
She led us through the forest, to a stretch of the river with an adjoining stream, shallow enough to clearly swim the bottom.
Tandor grumbled under his breath the entire way.
Fiella and Redd were already waiting there when we arrived.
“What’s going on, Kizzi? Why did you bring us here?” I asked, confused.
She dropped the leather tube to the ground and grinned widely.
“Swimming lessons.”
“Pardon?” I asked.
“No way,” Shade insisted.
“Yep! Swimming lessons for the adults who should have learned years ago, and for the baby dragons, too,” Fiella chirped.
I groaned.
“No complaints!” Kizzi insisted. “Drowning would be such a bad way to go. Embarrassing, really. So, let’s not do that again. Okay? Now—let’s get started.”
I looked at Shade and shook my head in commiseration.
And then I stepped into the shallow water.