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Her shoulders straightened, and she placed her hands on both sides of her gun. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

He knew it was a lot to ask for, but his dragon needed it above everything else. “If I win, we disappear for a month to allow the mark a chance to really settle.”

She tried to read him, but her brush of magic was too familiar to go unnoticed by him. He tutted, “No magic, Rowan.”

She frowned, but moved on. “And if I win?”

“What do you want?”

“We live in my cabin.”

He found it entertaining that either way this went, he’d benefit. He hadn’t really been too sure on how to broach the residence situation. Of course he’d expected they would live together, but as accomplished spellcasters they could both phase anywhere they needed to go in case the Traveling Cabin decided it wanted to keep bouncing from place to place.

“Agreed.” He turned to the operator of the stand, a slack jawed centaur. He apparently recognized them both and with the media coverage over the attack, it didn’t surprise Alessandro.

A quick scan around showed that the operator hadn’t been the only one to make the connection. Even after he’d gone through the trouble of casting a stealth spell to mute their magic, he hadn’t thought to change their appearance.

“Come on, sir, I need this to go my way, so sabotage him if you can.” Rowan broke the tension.

The centaur shook out of his shock, then held up a filthy handkerchief to set them up. “On your marks…” He began, “Get set…” Rowan was all attention on the target.

“GO!”

The bells and lights exploded to life as Rowan’s horse reached the finish line first.

She hooted with celebration, pumping her fists in the air.

He grinned as the spectacle that was his mate made the crowd second guess their assumption that the two were the esteemed king and queen of the dragons.

It was with fewer eyes overlooking that they worked their way down the carnival stands with new wagers at every stop.

A basketball throwing contest won her a shiny knife she’d noticed in his bedroom in Dragon City. He secured a breakfast in bed through a high striker round handicapped by limited use of his thumb and forefinger only. A ring toss won her a quickie in a secluded alleyway.

By the time they made it to their first roller coaster, Alessandro’s arms were full of the oversized stuffed animals they’d also collected. Before strapping himself in, he turned to the ride operator, a teenage gorgon who was staring with open desire at the Dragon King.

“Protect those with your life.”

The teenager’s eyes widened, but she gave a firm nod.

Rowan grinned at him as the ride started pulling them along. It always stunned him, the joy he could make her feel by the simplest things.

Tilting her chin up, he sealed her lips with his just as they began their first descent. Butterflies flared to life in his stomach as he realized he was falling without control on his part. And wasn’t that just how this journey with her had begun?

Chapter 37

The press coverage was more appropriate for well-known award shows rather than the trial of a man whose actions had cost the lives of so many.

It was how life worked when so many mystics came together as they had to for Judgement. It was an open secret that the goal was to show everyone else up.

Rowan, as the unfamiliar face for the Draconian Thunder, wore silken traditional dragon garbs, drapes of blue and silver fabrics pinned around her body with tungsten jewelry on her throat, ears and wrists.

Her hair was pin straight, sweeping just past her shoulders, tinsel shining when light hit it at just the right angle.

Her mating mark was out on full display, matching Alessandro’s as they led the collection of all the shifters who Barros’ action had affected.

Her wings, tail and horns set her apart from the crowd of humanoid mystics. Years of living without the appendages hadn’t prepared her to stand out so starkly.

Rowan was just grateful Alessandro commanded a lot of attention, regardless of his lack of extra limbs.