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“Robby did it,” Warrick said from the love seat, feet tucked underneath him and a fizzing flute of champagne in his hands. Bambi purred on his lap, her thick tail thumping on the deep green armrest and leaving behind a dusting of white and brown fur. “How’s he holding up?”

“As good as he can be holding up,” I answered.

Benjamin, sitting on the couch next to Dawn, looked pensive. “He’s going to need a lot of help with all of the changes he’s going through.”

I grunted at the understatement of the century. “I’m assuming you don’t have any vamp manuals I can pass on to him?”

“Unfortunately no, no manuals.” He cocked his head, smirked. “I do have a few PowerPoint’s though.”

I moved to sit on the couch between Ben and Dawn. She lifted her drink and clinked it against mine. Music drifted from somewhere down the hall followed by the sounds of laughter.

“And how are you feeling about everything?” Dawn asked. My sister always had a way of reading me, even when I forced myself to wear as neutral an expression as I could.

“Good,” I answered, finding myself smiling. “Really good. I feel like we all got a second chance… I just wish mom were here to see it.”

Dawn’s lips curled downward, her eyes shutting. “Me too.”

“She’s watching down from the eternal sky,” Xavier said, glancing up at the ceiling. “And she’s proud.”

A splinter of sadness lodged itself in my side. We were too late to save her, but her death was what triggered the chain of events that lead to the end of the dragon fall. I could see that now, even though I hated it. I hated that she wasn’t here to see me happy, to meet Robby, to celebrate with her family. And it was all because of a fucked up power-play by a rogue vampire Matriarch.

But we had done it.

Robby had done it.

“Where’s Madds?” Ben asked, looking around the living room. Sunlight washed in through the arching windows, bouncing off the white walls and making the vaulted ceiling seem even more cavernous, the smooth and exposed wooden beams shining.

“He had to answer a phone call,” Claire answered, walking in from the hall with a bowl of fresh fruit in her hands. She no longer wore her robes, changing into a much more casual halter top and shorts. She went over and perched on the armrest closest to Dawn, who reached into the bowl and grabbed a handful of grapes. “It seemed pretty important.”

“Maybe he’s looking for a hook-up or two to celebrate with tonight,” Ben said, a dash of bitterness slipping into his tone. He’d been with my brother longer than most of his other relationships, which was surprising since they had met holding blades to each other’s throats. We didn’t expect the two would actually make it as a serious couple, but they had both proven us wrong.

“No, it sounded more heated than that. Something about a painting.” Claire replied. “And Robby? He’s alright, right?”

“Yes,” I answered, standing up and deciding it was time I check up on him. “Probably just tired.”

Warrick let out a huff as he scratched under Bambi’s neck. “Poor guy’s been through it.”

“I can’t even imagine what he’s going through right now,” Claire said.

“I can,” Ben said in a dry tone. “Want me to go talk to him?” He looked at me, his dark and poreless skin appearing to be airbrushed.

“You know I can hear you all talking about me from across the castle, right?”

Robby’s voice made us all whip toward the hallway. He stood there in a pair of gray shorts and a tie-dye tank top, his golden brown hair looking darker with the moisture from the shower. His skin was just as flawless as Ben’s, his lips slightly protruding from where his fangs now sat underneath. I noticed him running his tongue along the sharp point, almost like a child testing out the gummy gap left after a lost tooth.

“Robby.” I went to him, just happy to see him standing, breathing, speaking. I reached for his hand. His honey brown eyes looked down at my bandaged wrist, filling with worry. Dragons were fast healers, but vampire bites slowed down our healing abilities, so a bandage was needed for this one.

“It’s fine, I already feel it getting better.”

He shook his head, looked out the window. Somewhere nearby a wolf shifter howled and encouraged someone else to take body shots.

“Come, let’s go somewhere quieter,” I said, guiding him down the hall, away from my family and up the stairs.

“It’s not like I won’t be able to hear them if we go to your room,” Robby said a little dryly.

“Good, because we aren’t going to my room.” I lead him past the double-doors that marked my bedroom, into another curling stairwell and out onto the breezy and star-blanketed turret. I shut and bolted the door.