Page 3 of Ava’s Legacy of the Dragons (Of Dragons, Love, and Destiny #1)

Ava cursed when she saw the crowd that had packed into the small restaurant. Glancing at the church tower clock, she confirmed that she wasn't later than usual. Had Giovanni been handing out flyers again, promising a ten percent discount on lunch?

She hurried towards the shop and was about to open the door when Agnes came out, her gray curls freshly dyed and her cheeks suspiciously flushed. "Well, Ava, have you come for an Italian treat?"

Ava rolled her eyes. That could only mean one thing: Giovanni's nephew was visiting again and helping behind the counter. "I just wanted to get lunch for Helen and me. Are there any gnocchi left?"

"Who needs gnocchi when you can look at Francesco?"

She did! So she pushed past Agnes, who was looking back at the counter where Francesco was giving change to a customer and winking at her.

"What a man."

Smiling, she waved goodbye to Agnes and pushed her way to the counter. Giovanni came out of the kitchen, drying his hands on a dish towel. "Ciao, Ava." He called out louder to Francesco: "Two portions of gnocchi for Ava and Helen."

Ava stood on her tiptoes to peek over his shoulder into the kitchen. "Are there any left?"

Francesco winked at her. No doubt about it—with his short black hair, dark eyes, and thick eyelashes, he was the very epitome of handsome. "I kept two portions in reserve. I know you're on sandwich duty today."

She didn't need to ask how he knew that. The town was tiny, the residents talkative, and she and Helen had established routines. Even someone who only visited every few weeks would pick up on that.

"Great, thanks."

Grinning, he leaned on the counter with his forearms. "I've been back since yesterday."

"I hadn't noticed." Any more than the rest of the town.

He leaned towards her. "If you want, I'll stay longer this time. How about it? Shall we go out together tonight?"

"Do I get my lunch for free then?"

He tilted his head, an amused twinkle in his dark eyes. "Why do I get the impression you're not taking my flirting attempts seriously?"

She smiled. "I'm not available, you know that."

"Why not? You're single, I'm the only man your age within a hundred kilometers, and we get along well."

"My heart belongs solely to my aunt and her shop." She held out the money for lunch, which he took, shaking his head. Before he could reply, Giovanni came back from the kitchen and placed the two portions of gnocchi with sage butter on the counter.

"To win a woman like Ava, you have to get to her through her passions." He patted his nephew on the shoulder and turned to Ava with a slight bow. "Two portions of gnocchi for you. With an extra helping of olive oil, of course."

Ava's heart leaped. "Do you have the good olive oil from Italy again?"

"As if I'd offer you any other."

She hungrily eyed the food containers. Just the thought of it made her stomach growl. "Great, thanks. See you later." She grabbed the change, waved to the two of them, and left the shop before Francesco could continue his flirting attempts.

The day in the decoration shop went like any other.

After she and Aunt Helen had devoured the delicious gnocchi, they reopened and served one customer after another.

Whenever she had a free minute, Ava would focus on the bookkeeping.

She wanted to finish the work today. Just because she did the paperwork for Helen didn't mean she enjoyed it.

Absorbed as she was in her work, she forgot what she had felt and heard on the bridge, which didn't matter anyway.

When she could finally put aside the account books, she helped Helen with the arrangements, as most had already been sold.

She tied a wreath of autumn flowers and colorful leaves.

It wasn't nearly as beautiful as Helen's, but she wanted to do her part.

The shop bell rang and she looked up to see Hanna coming in. She walked much more ponderously than her aunt, although she had only recently passed sixty. Perhaps it was because, unlike Helen, she didn't go for walks in the forest three times a week and wasn't one for climbing stairs.

"Hello, you two, are you keeping busy?"

"Hey." Ava waved briefly before getting back to work, while Helen greeted her friend with a hug.

"What are you doing here at this time?"

Hanna waved it off. "My husband can manage the tavern on his own for thirty minutes, especially since almost everyone is going to Giovanni's today anyway."

Helen perked up. "Is Francesco visiting?"

Hanna nodded. "I wanted to ask if you two are coming to the annual bachelor auction this weekend." She looked at Ava. "I'll also be baking your favorite cake."

While Ava rolled her eyes, Helen chuckled. "Bachelors... They can still call themselves that?"

"It's the only way they can get the only pretty young woman into the tavern." Hanna grinned at Ava, who just shook her head. She didn't have the energy to amuse the old gentlemen. Not even for what was, admittedly, a very tempting piece of pear cake.

"I saw through that trick when I was twelve. I'll pass. But say hello to your husband for me."

Hanna's shoulders sagged in disappointment. "That will make the bachelors a lot less willing to participate."

Ava braced herself for the guilt trip that Hanna was so good at, but her aunt showed mercy.

She engaged the neighbor in a conversation about now neglectful the forester had been, letting the hiking trails become overgrown, and about the empty houses on the outskirts of town, where many had hoped that young families would finally move in.

No wonder! If Ava really were to leave for the wider world, the average age in the small town would increase by decades.

Between countless customers attracted by the colorful shop window and new deliveries that needed to be restocked in the warehouse, the day just flew by. When it was time to close up and head home, Ava walked her aunt to her car. Helen placed her handbag on the back seat.

"Are you coming home now?"

Ava shook her head. "I'm going to stretch my legs a bit..." she started, then added silently, ...and enjoy the feeling of having the sky above my head.

Helen smiled. "Go ahead, Ava, and don't just collect stones again. If you don't come home tonight, I'll know you've finally set off on your own adventure. Follow your nose. Who knows where it might lead you?"

Eyebrows raised, Ava gestured to the clothes she had on.

She had tied her chestnut-brown hair into a loose bun at the nape of her neck, wasn't wearing any makeup except mascara, and had on dark jeans, comfortable boots, and a thin sweater.

Over this was a scarf with a burgundy color that complemented the subtle red of her hair, along with a short, dark brown leather jacket.

"Apart from the fact that I'll be freezing my butt off in two hours at the latest, do I look ready for an adventure?"

"Not on the outside, but I can see it in those brown eyes of yours, which are sparkling especially conspicuously today. Is that perhaps because of the handsome Italian?" With the last word, Helen poked her in the chest with her finger.

Ava wouldn't answer that. "See you later."

"Hopefully not." Helen winked. "Follow your heart." She waved, got into the car, and drove away.

Shaking her head, Ava watched her leave. She knew Helen was serious, but she also knew that her aunt would have problems if she really were to leave. Who would fetch the goods from the top shelf? Who would do the accounting? Who would keep her company on long, lonely winter evenings?

But she didn't want to think about that right now. She needed fresh air and the feeling of being free.

Lost in thought, she started walking. A cool wind tickled her nose, bringing with it a scent she couldn't place. No matter how long she pondered, she couldn't figure out what it was. Meanwhile, she strolled along the street for a few meters until she reached the bridge.

As she reached the overpass, she caught a glimmer in the corner of her eye.

She had noticed it at noon, too. Looking for the source, she gazed at the sky.

A few clouds had moved in front of the sun, which was already low over the treetops, so it couldn't have just been a reflection of light. Strange.

With one hand on the railing, she looked down at the riverbank. Once again, a gentle warmth gathered in her stomach, mixed with the feeling of being watched.

She glanced briefly over her shoulder. Surely the chimney sweep or another town resident was coming along the way, because even though the older bachelors were well aware that Ava wasn't interested, they liked to chat with her.

But there was no one to be seen, which was normal at that hour.

Not many people lived in the small town, and most were over sixty. As soon as the sun approached the horizon, they returned to their houses, and hardly anyone but Ava stayed outside. Maybe that was why she enjoyed the evenings all the more. She simply liked being alone.

Still, the feeling that she was being watched didn't go away.

When she focused her attention back on the river, she was gripped by an intense, overwhelming feeling of longing that was completely foreign to her. As if it wasn't her own.

She let out an unexpectedly deep sigh.

Spontaneously, she decided to go down to the water. She enjoyed standing by the riverside in the evening, so she walked to the narrow stairs. The heels of her shoes drummed on the old wood as if the boards wanted to announce her arrival.

But that was nonsense, of course.

She reached the riverbank, which was reinforced by stones of various sizes. The air was fresh, the wind cool but soothing. The narrow trail she took led along the watercourse towards the forest. The ground was firm, and her heels barely sank in, yet she left slight footprints.

The path to her new life, Helen would say.

Ava laughed inwardly, though her aunt wasn't wrong with her reprimands. If she was really honest with herself, she too longed for... something.

She didn't need to look over her shoulder to know that she didn't belong in this small world, in this small town. In the past, she had felt that something more had been waiting for her somewhere. Maybe that was because Helen, and especially the chimney sweep, had always fed her such thoughts.

But the older she got, the more she had attributed this feeling to the desire to truly belong to someone. To find her real family. That was why she had suppressed it years ago.

She strolled along the riverbank and felt a lightness rising within her that was both alien and soothing at the same time.

This feeling didn't fit at all with her gloomy thoughts, nor did the warmth spreading in her stomach.

Perhaps it was the illusion of freedom that was rising in her just because she was walking along this river that was supposedly the portal to a magical world.

She reached a section where the river widened. It looked like a small lake lined with numerous stones, and on the opposite side grew tall grasses.

Again and again, she bent down and grabbed a few pebbles. They were normal stones, white and cold, so she casually threw the first one into the water, listening to the plop that mixed with the rushing of the water, and watched the circular waves that spread across the river.

Slowly, she continued on her way. In the distance stretched the forest, which grew so densely that it was hardly even possible to walk through it. Aunt Helen had good reason to consistently point out that the few existing paths needed to be maintained better.

Although she normally felt a numbing coldness in the face of the forest, she suddenly felt warm.

Apparently, she was dressed too warmly. Without giving it much thought, she took off her jacket, pulled the scarf from her neck, and casually threw both over her shoulder.

It would get better soon. She wanted to pick up another stone and bent down as a particularly large specimen came into view. Frowning, she picked it up.

It was about the size of a honeydew melon and lighter than expected. It was covered with mud and dirt. As Ava ran her finger over the surface, a subdued purple shimmer became visible.

"What is this?"

Curious, she removed the layer of dirt as best she could and marveled at it from all sides. The entire stone gave off this extraordinary glow. It was covered with lines that rippled across the entire surface in waves.

Could this be an amethyst? Of this size? Where could it have come from?

She ran to the river, bent down, and dipped the stone into the water to remove the last splashes of mud. When she pulled it out, her eyes widened.

"This can't be real!"

It glowed so intensely that it was as if its outer layer was made of thin purple paper and a candle was burning inside, like a handmade lantern.

This was definitely not a normal stone!

Suddenly, the warmth she felt in her stomach increased. It spread out, traveled to her heart, and seemed to whisper: "Press me to your chest."

Overwhelmed, Ava did what she thought she had heard and pressed the shimmering stone against her body.

The warmth intensified, as did the glow.

If it were dark, she could light her way with this stone.

She was flooded with emotions that threatened to sweep her away.

They made her understand that she should never give up the stone, not even put it aside.

Carefully, she stroked the surface and followed the lines. It felt rough and hard, with small elevations or points here and there, as if the stone was covered with scales.

What was she holding?

Slowly, she moved the specimen away from her chest, but she didn't let it go, keeping it close to her body.

Her instinct advised her to carry the object close to her at all times.

The feeling was so overwhelming that she didn't question it for a moment.

She probably wouldn't have been able to resist even if she had wanted to, as if they belonged together.

Panting, Ava looked at her find. What kind of weird thoughts were these? Her and feelings? Her and a close relationship with a... stone? Shaking her head at herself, she lifted her gaze, and her eyes widened.

Directly in front of her stretched the river, but it no longer led into the dense forest. No—it led into a vast landscape that spread out right at her feet. A landscape just like the chimney sweep had drawn in her thoughts earlier that day.

There were high mountains spreading out on the horizon, and the sun was disappearing behind them. A path began right at her feet, as if she were really standing in front of a portal to another world, and the air was filled with a crackling. A crackling that smelled of magic and fire.