Page 120 of Claim the Light
That’s when we’ll discover if she’s a dragon or an angel.
If I were a full dragon, there would be no doubt, but when dragons are born to non-dragon mothers, it’s not until they’re exposed to moonlight that their dragon nature is revealed.
Or not.
Our daughter was born without wings, feathered or otherwise, and with no other signs to indicate her species.
Sophia is sure she’ll be a dragon, and I don’t doubt Sophia’s instincts, so I really shouldn’t deprive my daughter of her power for a moment longer.
Well, maybe just another small moment, as I indulge in snuggling her to my chest.
Tonight is a full moon and, judging by the growing insistence in Callan’s stance, the cloud cover is finally clearing.
I remind myself I don’t want to miss the light.
Slipping out of the rocking chair, I keep Scarlett close. No need to wake her. The trip to the rooftop garden will only take a few minutes.
We chose to stay in Callan’s home that has the flowers in the walls—the home where Sophia’s dragon was revealed. The level below this one has remained Sophia’s, but other than that, we’ve made a lot of changes. Turning one of the bedrooms into a nursery was the first.
There have been many changes among the dragon clans too. Our alliance with the Scorn and Grudge has only grown stronger, to the point where there is finally trust between dragons. If any dragon needs help, it’s given, no matter what clan they’re from.
Gisela and Dane have thrived leading the Scorn. To that end, Felix and Niah have been instrumental in maintaining the peace and helping to ease the Scorn’s transition away from their more nefarious occupations. There’s a connection between them that I hope will continue to grow.
As for the angels, our truce has held. The then-Serene Commander, who became the Celestial Ascendant, has seen the benefits of dragons who are willing to keep other supernaturals in line. Her angels can get on with their intended purpose—bringing peace and hope to others.
Now that the last of the witches has been dealt with, the city feels calmer, at least for supernaturals. Not unbreakably so—it will continue to take work—but for the first time in my life, I feel like I can step out into the night and breathe easily.
Now, Callan opens each of the doors for me on the way to reach the elevator, which we ride to the top level. On the way up, he reaches across to check the golden pin that rests in my hair. I would have checked it myself, but my hands are currently full.
The rooftop garden was another change we made. I finally met Delaney, the witch who helps Callan with structural changes to his homes, and she seemed to enjoy the challenge of making plants grow here.
I’m looking forward to catching up with Sophia more thoroughly over the coming days. Despite promising myself I would find out everything that’s happened in her life since she left, she and I have only managed to snatch a few conversations between me feeding Scarlett, changing diapers, trying to get some sleep, and maybe taking a shower…
I pause on the cusp of exiting the elevator.
Wait,haveI showered?
I can’t quite recall…
Too late now.
We step into the atrium immediately outside the elevator. It has a solid ceiling and is lit with soft, artificial lights, but its walls are made of glass. We pause there for a moment.
Outside, in the garden, our closest family is waiting, all of them appearing to be chatting amongst each other.
Callan gave his human bodyguards the night off. The trust between them is strong, but it’s best they aren’t present for this event.
Beatrix and Isaac are snuggled together on the outdoor couch in the corner of the garden. Isaac’s white wings are extended, one curled around Beatrix’s side. It took Isaac and Beatrix months to act on what everyone else could clearly see, but the trust between them warms my heart. Now that the veil is healing, and the entrance to the oblivion has closed, Beatrix spends much of her time there.
My mother is sitting on the nearby lounge, talking with Zahra. Mom is in her customary white T-shirt and jeans, always casually dressed despite her warrior nature, while Zahra is gorgeous in a skirt and blouse in a soft amber color that makes her cinnamon-brown eyes pop with color.
Emika kneels on the patch of lawn in front of them, sitting with Sophia, who is running her fingertips through the grass and changing the color of her fingernails as she does so.
It looks like Emika’s laughing, which makes me smile, but the tension in Micah’s posture is a worry to me.
He’s the only one standing, watching over Sophia and Emika, and it’s as if he’s on guard, his focus rising to the space around them and even to the sky above. He’s a formidable presence and I’m intrigued to see the edge of a tattoo peeking from the neckline of his shirt. I didn’t notice it on the night he and Sophia returned, but in my defense, I was a little distracted at the time.
“What’s going on with Micah?” I quietly ask Callan.
