Page 32 of Wedding the Werepanther

“Exactly. They’re like one of your Earth dogs or house cats. They’re intelligent, they feel emotions, and they form attachments.” He grins down at me as his hand cups my elbow. “They also like people.”

At his tug, I walk forward into the middle of the clearing until the flock of dragonets swirls all around us. Shadow sinks to the ground and pats the moss-covered spot beside him. I sit, and we soak up the magical atmosphere for another hour, the playing dragonets dancing above our heads in hypnotic patterns. I can’t remember the last time I relaxed without escaping into a book or a game. Then again, this is Faerie, which is more fantastical than any fiction.

“I think they’re comfortable with us now.” Shadow gestures, and we stand.

Several dragonets come close, hanging in the air in front of us like super-sized hummingbirds, bodies still except for the blur of their wings. Their blue eyes watch me carefully as little heads cock from side to side.

One of the smaller ones lands on Shadow’s head, bobbing up and down and spreading its tiny wings wide. Soon, a couple more join it.

I chuckle. “You’ve got a fan club.”

“You do, too.” He smiles, and it’s a slightly softer expression, lacking any of the hard edges that lurk behind his smirks.

A cloud of dragonets surrounds me, and every so often, one darts in to pluck up a lock of my hair or pat my cheek. One of them chirrups a trilling note, hovering in front of me, head cocked as if asking a question. I hold out my hands, wondering if they’ll light.

“No! She’s mine!” a tiny voice cries out as a dragonet flies up and shoulders the other out of the way. This one’s an adult with huge blue eyes and a lavender tummy. “I’m Dewdrop.”

“Hi, I’m Kayla.”

Dewdrop settles onto my open palms, and as soon as their wings stop moving, their weight feels like about ten pounds.

“Umm, Shadow, I thought you said these guys can’t talk,” I whisper from the side of my mouth without taking my eyes off the dragonet.

“They can’t.”

“Then how do you explain this one?” I tip my head toward Dewdrop.

“I’m not a one! I’m a he,” Dewdrop interjects. “I got to pick, so I picked ‘he.’”

“It’s certainly chirping at you quite a bit,” Shadow says. “But I’d hardly call it talking.”

“Oh. My. God.” I pull Dewdrop closer until he can prop his front legs on my chest. “Do you know what this means? If I’m the only one who can understand you, you must be my familiar!”

This day just keeps getting better and better! I not only finally have my witches’ familiar, but he’s a magical creature from Faerieandthe most adorable little flying dragon ever!

“You’re my witch!” He bumps my cheek with his head, rubbing like a cat, the sides of his backward-pointing horns gliding over my skin. He clasps a lock of my hair in his frontclaws. “So pretty and purple like me!” Then he nuzzles close and starts to purr.

I laugh, bubbles of delight filling my chest until it feels like I’ll float up and fly with the dragonets. I never knew I could be this happy!

Shadow watches me, a tiny smile curling his lips, his green eyes bright and warm and full of joy. He’s happy for me, glad I feel good.

My heart leaps, and I’m smiling so hard my cheeks hurt, but I never want to stop. No guy’s ever done anything so special for me before.

“How did you know?” I ask. “How did you know I’d find my familiar here?”

“I didn’t. I’m as amazed as you are.” He gives a quick shrug. “After everything you said the other day about being stuck writing your game, I thought seeing something magical might help. My people tell stories of the dragonet glens, but I’d never seen one. So I asked Jace to get us permission to visit, and here we are.”

He says it as if it’s nothing, but the amount of thought and effort he put into this trip absolutely blows my mind.

Cuddling Dewdrop close in one arm, I reach out with my free hand and grip Shadow’s hand. “Thank you.” I should say more, should try to let him know how much this all means to me, but the words tangle in my throat. Sometimes it feels like my social anxiety is a Befuddlement Spell I cast on myself the second I feel emotional and vulnerable, making me unable to speak coherently. So I can only repeat, “Thank you.”

He smiles wide and bright and radiating joy as if I’m the one who just gave him a present.

My heart leaps against my ribs like a dragonet taking flight.

Dewdrop snuggles closer for a second, then bounces from my arms. “Hungry!” He flies to one of the purple-leafed trees and picks a small cluster of dark-purple fruit, then returns to me. With solemn eyes, he holds out a piece of fruit to me. “Have one.”

“What are they?”