Page 42

Story: Cullen

“I’ve never seen anybody with silver eyes like that before. They’re amazeballs.”

Seth’s eyes crinkled. “Thanks. We all have them. The five of us and the babies, I mean. Oh, congratulations for getting through the doorway, by the way.”

He hadn’t been worried. “Going through doorways is sort of a specialty of mine.”

“Yeah? I’ve never met a unicorn before. I mean, at this point, I thought I’d met a lot of things. People. Um, creatures?” Seth’s cheeks were bright pink.

“Oh, I like creatures.” He grinned at Seth. “Let’s go with beings.”

“Beings. All right, I can do that.” Seth rolled those glorious eyes. “Goddess, I’m such a dork. I’m just a little off-kilter. And, and I don’t know where Gareth is. He’s probably got the other children. He tends to watch them, the older ones especially. Before they head off to school.” Seth took a deep breath, before letting it out, obviously soothing himself. “Sorry, this is very unnerving. I don’t love when things are unnerving.”

Orion could imagine that they had had quite a bit of unrest. Honestly, he had heard from Cosmo about how they’d all been trapped in a house that kept changing and then kept getting smaller and smaller around them. And then Cullen had explained to him about the veil and how different the dragonland, Lunastra, had been. How many of their friends had made their way over.

And Corbin had been very clear about their boss who lived on the other side of the veil and couldn’t get out now, and how they’ve all been worried about Hawk, especially Cosmo, who was pregnant with Hawk’s baby.

Well, had been pregnant with Elliot and was currently pregnant. Christ, he was getting a headache “Veg?”

Seth started pulling out tubers and greens and what appeared to be some kind of onion. “Here, this is what we’ve got. I can find more if you want.”

“Oh, this is great. Perfectly fine. I just thought I’d make a broth.”

“That’s very thoughtful. I’ll—I’ll make brownies.”

An owl, or what appeared to be an owl, and a flying…something feathered, but kind of large…went through the kitchen.

He ducked, and Seth sighed. “Stella, you and Luna, be good, please. Uncle Cosmo is sick and…is somebody keeping an eye on Penny?”

That was a switch in direction.

Seth was answered with a screech.

“Oh, good. Well, she can stay in there with Gareth. Why don’t you guys go find some… Let’s see… Can you go see if we have any dried garlic? If not, you’ll have to go to Uncle Myk and ask him if he has any we can use.”

She fluttered out with another screech that tried to split him in half.

Orion blinked. “Seth, what was that?”

“Hmm? That’s Stella. She’s Abe’s daughter. Him and Brandon.” Seth smiled, the expression fond and warm. “She was an unexpected gift.”

There was no way that was a dragon. But Orion smiled and nodded. He knew a lot about orphans and gifts from unusual places. That was, in a weird sort of way, one of his stocks in trade.

Changelings, the humans called them. He would bet she was a special gift, kind of like he had been.

He studied the tubers. “Do I need to peel these?” Orion asked.

Cosmo is awake!

Oh, good. I’m making broth with, um, Seth.

He’s a sweetie. I’ll be in here a while.

No problem.

And it wasn’t. He was pretty self-amusing, and there seemed to be an endless stream of kids and animals and?—

“Who are you?” A strapping young dragon came to stare at him, standing in the entry to the kitchen.

“Orion.” He smiled, going for charming but not smarmy. “I came with Cullen.”