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The question had also come at the perfect time, distracting me from the sorrow-filled thoughts I began to obsess over, shifting to brighter, happier memories.

“You mean when you almost crashed into a hot air balloon and managed to land on a nude beach instead?” I asked.

Maddox burst out into a series of strong belly laughs. “Bro, you were traumatized for years after that.”

“Well, obviously,” Xavier said, “Not only was it a nude beach but it was naked mole rat season apparently. Those shifters had more wrinkles than the world’s largest nursing homes combined.”

That made the entire room crack up, even Warrick laughed until he wiped away a couple of stray tears.

“Hold on, hold on,” Robby said when the laughter died down. “So you guys have to learn how to fly? It’s not like, instinct?”

His curiosity was a spark of light in a dark room. Robby was always interested in the world around him, wanting and willing to learn. He had asked me plenty of questions about dragons over these past weeks but it appeared that flying had never made the list.

“We do have to learn,” I answered, trying hard not to get lost in those sunshine bright eyes of his. “It usually happens when we’re around sixteen or seventeen and our wings are strong enough to support our weight. Mom took us all to the hills in Malibu and looked for the gentlest slope she could find, starting us off small. Soon we were launching ourselves from the top of the Hollywood sign, though.”

“Huh, I didn’t know that. What about your powers?” Robby asked.

“Same thing,” Dawn answered. Her eyes were squinty and red and her lips curled into a permanent, giggly grin. “Dad taught us how to use them. Even though we’re each different elements, the general gist of it is the same. We pull on the magic inside of us, which is a little different to Marvels who work with the threads of mana around them.” She glanced to Claire, who scrolled on her phone and laughed to herself at whatever videos popped up. My sister’s gaze lingered for a moment. It wasn’t clear to me whether it was because of her delayed reactions from the brownie or because there was something else there.

Robby, sitting cross-legged on the floor in gray sweats and leaning against one of the racing games, was looking so much more relaxed than when we’d first met. I could see he felt the same spark of hope I did.

His smile—damn, was it infectious.

We continued to discuss different dynamics of dragon life, Robby unleashing a torrent of questions that were all answered by the family. As I looked around the room, I realized something else about Robby: just how easily he fit in. We were a group of powerful beings that could raze a city if we were so inclined to. Maddox could summon a blade of deadly ice, Xavier could manipulate the time stream, Dawn could lob out bolts of lightning like they were candy in a parade.

Yet Robby seemed like he’d been around the family since the start. He never showed fear or apprehension, and he never othered us either. He did the complete opposite. Investing time and energy into fully understanding us, all while seamlessly blending in. It was nice to watch and, for some reason, it made my heart swell.

The sun had long disappeared but the conversation still flowed. I could tell the day was catching up to Robby, who gave a deep stretch and loud yawn. Bambi, who’d found her way onto her favorite human’s lap, also yawned wide, her saber teeth catching the blue light from behind them.

“We should probably head to bed,” I said, giving Robby an out. He nodded and gently moved Bambi.

“Thanks for the impromptu dragon class,” Robby said to the room. We were all still gathered there except for Warrick, who excused himself to his room when his energy started to wane.

The gang waved and said their goodnights as we left them in the arcade, Claire and Dawn leading a spirited discussion about some new supernatural dating show, where the contestants vying for the super are naked and revealed slowly. It was wild… but I admit Robby and I binged some episodes the other day.

“So, anything else you want to know about dragons?” I asked as we walked down the hallway that passed the kitchen. Someone must have recently baked bread, the fresh dough scent making my mouth instantly water.

“Nothing that wasn’t answered tonight.”

“You sure?”

He chewed his bottom lip. “Well, I guess I’m curious about your mating habits?”

That got a chuckle out of me. “Our mating habits aren’t any different than yours. I think I proved that to you on the beach.”

Robby’s face flushed a bright pink. Fuck, I loved it when that happened.

“I mean like, do dragons take mates that aren’t other dragons?”