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Out in the clearing, Dylan was still glued to his dad’s side as he took in all the shifters around him. But he was smiling.

“I think he is,” I said. “This is more than either of us ever imagined.”

Magic crackled in the clearing as the dragons began to shift. Suddenly, where there were people, there were three dragons, then ten, then a dozen. The dragons all looked a little different.Some were smaller, some had larger wings, one had no tail. They all varied in color, too—shades of green, bronze, and pale dusty beige.

“That’s part of the routine, too,” Mia said. “A late-night group flight. Hawk’s not attending this one, though, since we need to go put the little one to bed.”

I’d never seen this many dragons in one place. I glanced between them as they shifted and started to take to the sky. I was looking for one in particular, a brighter green, a hint of gold…

“Mom!”

I turned around, and a smile broke across my face.

There he was. Stephan had already shifted back into his dragon. The firelight reflected off the gold details in his rich green scales. Dylan was already on his back again, with a Cole’s Garage sweatshirt on over his shirt instead of the ceremonial robe. I stood up from my chair and turned to face them. “You’re going on the ride?” I asked.

“Uh-huh,” Dylan said. “Dad says it’s a special one.”

Stephan stepped closer. He lowered his big head and nudged me gently, his golden eyes half-lidded.

It wasn’t a nudge. It was a nuzzle, like he was a big cat.

I ran both hands over his snout and savored the warm, smooth feel of his scales. “It’s fine with me. I know you’ll take care of him.”

Stephan shook his huge head slightly and nuzzled me again.

“Come on, Mom,” Dylan said. “Come with us.”

My eyes widened. “For the ride?”

“Yeah!”

I glanced at Mia. She nodded encouragingly.

“Really?” I asked quietly. “You want me to come?”

Stephan lowered his head, and Dylan nodded. He already looked more comfortable on Stephan’s back, like he’d done this hundreds of times.

I looked over at the dragons. A few of them had taken to the sky to make more space and were circling slowly, or doing playful loops and chasing each other around.

“You’re sure?” I asked.

Stephan huffed, and it sounded so much like his human laugh that I chuckled. “Okay, okay. But no going upside-down, okay?”

He nodded, then lowered his head so it was nearly level with the ground. I climbed onto his back and sat right behind Dylan. Stephan’s body was strong and warm beneath me, nearly vibrating with power. I wrapped my arms around Dylan and hugged him close to my chest. Stephan looked back over his shoulder with a curious tilt to his head.

I nodded. “Ready.”

Stephan stood up. The dragons, both shifted and not, cleared out of his way. He took a few steps forward, then beat his immense wings.

“Bye!” Mia called. “Have fun!”

Then, I heard nothing but the rush of the wind in my ears.

“Whoo!” Dylan shouted. “Faster!”

A sound rumbled from Stephan, almost like a laugh. We soared into the sky. The motion was smooth and effortless. I barely heard the strong pull of his wings through the air. We soared higher and higher, until we were coasting through the fluffy clouds surrounding us. The moon looked close enough to touch. Other dragons looped and soared, darting around us like playful birds. Stephan, on the other hand, flew with such elegant control. Even though we were high enough to feel the water droplets of the clouds around us, I felt safe. Protected. I hugged Dylan closer to my body. He’d gone silent with awe as he looked around the night sky.

Flying was just as exhilarating as it’d been when I was a silly teenager, clinging to his back and shrieking with delight andterror. I’d dreamed about it so often over the years, and I’d never thought I’d experience it again.