ACinderella dress waited for me on the bed with a pair of brown trousers and a flannel shirt for Dad. We were sharing a room, not that we were going to sleep here tonight.
I laughed at Dad wearing an actual farmer’s outfit, and the hat fitted him well.
“You look like a real Cindersoot, Bear.”
“Cinderella, Dad.”
He waved the wrong name away.
“You look fit for today.”
“Yes, a hard day’s work always feels great.”
My face fell. “Everything looks so real. You can’t even see the creepers in the sky.”
“It’s masked, Elena. Goran’s ability is doing all of this.”
“He is really that strong?”
Dad nodded. “I want you to stay close today. Make sure one of us is near you, you hear?”
“Why are you so worried? They said last night that it wasn’t time for them to come.”
“I know, but anything can happen. If he is that strong, he can easily feel a shift, like Fox used to. Stay close.”
“Dad, so what if they come? What then?”
“You and Blake run for the creepers. They are not far. Blake will protect you. We will be fine.”
“I promise his dragon will be alive.”
“Elena, stop worrying about all of us. We are your protectors. All of us. Why do you think Helmut sent Emanual and not come himself? He knows what his dragon is capable of, just like what I’m capable of, and Sir Robert.”
“Dad, you haven’t been a dragon for such a long time.”
“I’ve been a royal dragon all my life, Bear. Longer than I’ve been your father. I practically raised all the kings, Goran included. I’ll do whatever it takes to get your father out of this place and his dragon.” He kissed me on top of the head.
“Where are the other kings’ dragons? Why is it only you that are still alive?”
“Your grandfather was the only one that had a dragon in that era. The rest were too afraid to have dragons. They had alliances but never teamed up the way me and your pops did. It was only during your father’s reign when everything changed.”
I flung my arms around him and gave him a hug.
“Just in case, okay? I’m not saying they will come today. But if they do, you will know what to do. Blake is very advanced for his age. Nobody would stand a chance against him, and the creepers are your friends. They will tear anyone far from you apart.”
“Do all of them know this?”
“We spoke about it last night when Charles mentioned the monthly visitations.”
“The farmers are the ones keeping everyone alive, aren’t they?”
He nodded. “It’s the last place I want you to be when they come, as there will be blood and limbs everywhere. Blake proved it once he would kill the darkest sorcerer for you. Stay close.”
I nodded.
He kissed me on my head. “Let’s get to work.”
We exited the room, and I laughed at Blake wearing something similar to Dad. His trousers were big for him and he had suspenders holding it up.
“What? I think I rock this.”
“You look like a doofus,” Annie said as she rushed past him and down the stairs wearing a similar dress to me.
“You look like Cinderella!” Blake chirped back as we walked down the steps. The sun wasn’t even up yet.
A huge breakfast waited for us. Gertrude was one of the first people that woke up this morning and found us all in the lounge. Emanual and Sir Robert had scouted the area. It had put Blake on edge for like three hours and relaxed only after they’d returned.
We all ate and the conversation that happened around the table this morning was how much Marcus looked like Dad.
When we finished, it was time to work. All the men picked up their hats, and I tried to suppress my smile at Blake. He stood out like a sore thumb.
“Stop laughing at me. I think I rock this outfit.”
“Yeah, that is the problem, Blake. Maybe you should sit this one out,” Daisy said.
“Over my dead body. I’m the meanest dragon there is, woman.”
Her laughter bubbled out of her, and the little one kept staring at us with enormous orbs. Blake tried to get her to warm up to him, but she was still shy.
“Give her some time. She will come around.”
The little girl took Dad’s hand out of nowhere, and Daisy laughed.
“No, Chelsey. It’s not your pops.”
“It’s okay.” Dad smiled and went on his haunches. The girl immediately looked at her mother.
“You want to see a trick?”
She nodded, and the back of Dad’s hand turned to scales. Everyone gasped, even little Chelsey.
“Momma, what is that?”
Daisy bent down behind Chelsey. “It’s scales, sweetheart. Dragon scales.”
“Put it away!” The girl sounded frightened and Dad smiled as the scales disappeared.
“I’m not afraid, little cub, but you are bringing back so many memories of when my daughter was your age.”
“You have a daughter?”
“I do. She is right here.” Dad pointed at me.
“Elena,” Blake yelled.
“In a minute,” I yelled back, and I bent down. “Hey.”
“You are pretty. They take pretty girls. Right, Mamma?” She looked back at her mother.
“They won’t take her, sweetheart. She has four dragons protecting her.”
Chelsey gasped. “She does?”
“We will show them to you later, okay?” I winked, and we got up and went outside.
A horse pulled some sort of wagon and Dad helped me up as I sat down next to Blake.
“What took you so long?”
“The little girl warmed up to my father.”
“Seriously?”
Dad shrugged as Sir Robert chuckled.
“I’d raised kings and queens, pup.”
Emanual and Sir Robert roared as Blake just looked at me.
“It’s the truth.”
“Yeah, I know.” More laughter erupted at Blake’s comment and the look on his face as the horses galloped down the path to the fields.
Land full of lush crops spread out as far as I could see. We passed another house, and a woman who was busy hanging her washing on the line waved at Marcus. He waved back as we passed, and she kept staring at the five of us. Dad waved.
We drove straight on until we reached some workers in the field. From what I observed, they were picking cabbages. It smelled like rotten teeth, and I slightly closed my nose, which made Dad and Blake chuckle.
“They don’t smell so wonderful, do they?” Marcus said.
I shook my head as we passed the cabbages. The horse ran all the way down the road, past gigantic trees, and turned to the right. More workers on the farm stopped and waved. They were all extremely friendly. I smiled back as the wagon passed. Then trees came, plenty of trees, oranges, apples, pears, and peaches. All of them were growing fruit at the same time.
The wagon stopped and Dad was first off. Emanual, Blake and Sir Robert jumped off the sides as Dad helped me down.
“Thank you.”
We all grabbed a plucking tool, and Charles spread us in groups of two. Blake and I were in a group and Dad stared at him.
“From what I remember, you get more done if you put a dent together,” Charles said.
“A bit of distance won’t kill them.”
“You need to make peace with that, Jaco. There are plenty of prophecies about these two in the book of shadows.”
“Yes,” Blake pumped the air. “That first one, right?”
Charles laughed.
Dad was on the other side of me, plucking the opposite side of the same vines. He showed me a hack maneuver, and it took a few minutes to get the hang of it.
I looked over my shoulder at Blake. He already made it a game as he competed who was the fastest between him and Emanual. Everyone started looking at the two of them and Dad shook his head.
I worked at Dad’s pace. The two laughed at each other, followed by a couple of others when they were done. A whistle of a tune filled the air. I always wanted to whistle like that. It was so clear.
Dad smiled, and then the words slipped out of his mouth to the tune of the foreign song. My eyebrows raised as I stared at Dad. I didn’t know he could sing like that. A female voice, sounding like a nightingale, sung with dad and it was a wonder my nightingale didn’t start singing. It was a joyful song and made you experience some sort of hope.
My fingers felt raw, and I had filled what felt like a gazillion baskets. I’d stopped counting at five. Dad taught me everything about the vines, the ins and out and how they operated this side. Once a month, the Council came and they would take all the harvest and distribute it to those who needed it. Then, if they saw any women who resembled anything close to providing a good time for one of their members, they took them too. They also killed those who got out of hand, even those they feared. Like August, with his mark. It was the total opposite of what we were used to.
The time flew by, and I had to admit that today hadn’t been so bad. Blake and I reached one of the many wagons and I found August sitting with a dark-haired girl, more or less our age.
“Blake,” August called. “I want to introduce you to my girl, Max.”
The dark-haired girl stared at him. “Max, this is Blake and Elena.” He spoke to her.
“He looks like Billy.”
“The guy can’t help that it’s family. It’s not him. Look at his eyes.”
“Yeah.” She took a huge breath and nodded.
“We can hitch a ride with another wagon,” Blake said.
“No, she is okay. Get up.”
Blake got up first and reached out for my hand. He pulled me up, and I plopped down next to Max as Blake took a seat next to August.
Sweat dripped from his temples. The sun was blazing hot on this side as more people got into this wagon.
“So I take it they’ve already pushed you into the deep end?” August said.
“Plucking grapes is hardly the deep end.” Blake chuckled.
We made small talk until the wagon stopped at Max’s house and she jumped off, gave August a kiss and ran down the path that led to a farmhouse.
The carriage moved forward, back to Charles’s place. When it stopped, we climbed out and walked toward the house.
“What goes on in that mind of yours?” Blake wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to his side.
“My dad told me what these people go through. So many women got taken. Some of them are younger than me.”
“Yeah, I can only imagine what they had done to my cousin. If it wasn’t for Charles taking her in, she would’ve died.”
“It’s so sad.”
“Just don’t speak about it in front of her, please. She’s very proud.”
I nodded.
We entered the house, and the most amazing smell filled my nostrils. I was starving.
“Go wash up. Nobody sits around my table smelling like wet dogs.”
“Is the water warm?” I asked.
“We have to make a fire for hot water, Elena. Give us an hour.”
“Give me five minutes.”
“Blake?”
“Relax, my hand will heat it up. Where is your geyser?”
“Is he for real?” August asked.
“Probably. From what I remember about the Rubicon, he can do anything.”
Everyone followed Blake.
“Show off,” Dad mumbled.
“You need to make peace with this, Dad. Charles is right.”
“I know. It’s just way too soon.”
“Hey you said—”
“Yes, I just didn’t think that I would actually have to witness it day in and day out.”
My smile disappeared. “You didn’t think you would be here?”
“Bear, the way Fox hunted us. I thought that somehow he would’ve caught up with us and our paths would’ve split. I’m glad that I am here, though.”
I couldn’t imagine him not being here.
“You want to shower first?”
“No, go, you worked harder than me today.”
I sat down on the stairs, and Blake climbed up the stairs, frowning. “Why do you sit on the stairs waiting for better days?” He haunched in front of me and gave me a kiss on my lips.
“I’m waiting for a shower. You smell bad.”
“News for you, you smell just as bad.”
“I know.”
He chuckled. Dad rushed down the steps and into the kitchen. “Go, shower, Elena.”
“Yes, sir.” I saluted, and Blake suppressed his laughter as Dad looked over his shoulder and smiled.
I got up and rushed to my room, closed the door, and went to the shower.
The water was warm and amazing, and I knew I had Blake to thank for that. I got dressed in regular clothes that were in my bag as tonight we would go back.
When I was done, I went back downstairs. Dad was sitting with Cassy on his lap and Blake sat opposite, making faces at her.
She kept hiding her face against Dad’s shoulder, her cheeks bright red.
“Yes, your mom feels that way too when he makes faces at her.” Everyone laughed at Daisy’s remark.
“Daisy?”
“What, mom. I have no filter, you know me.”
“William is not handsome.”
“Excuse me. He is drop dead gorgeous, but I agree, the inside makes him ugly. Blake, on the other hand, is not Billy.”
“Elena claimed him. In all ways there are.”
Blake laughed the loudest.
“Sorry, Elena. I didn’t see you there,” Daisy said.
“Uh-huh.” I sat down next to Blake, who stared at me.
“Are You jealous?”
“No, I’m not. I was just teasing her.”
“Whatever. You are just as jealous as me.”
“Oh, please, everyone is too scared of you to make you jealous.”
“Lucian?”
I laughed. “You have no reason to be jealous of Lucian.”
Cassy stared at us with her brown curly hair and blue eyes. Dad kept whispering things to her.
“I’m not a stupid dragon,” Blake said to Dad.
“Oh, I forgot, the stupid dragon can hear very far too,” Dad said louder so that everyone could hear.
“You want to know something awesome, Cass?” Blake asked.
She nodded.
“I’m the boss of all these dragons.”
Dad roared with laughter, and Cassy giggled. “It’s not nice to lie?”
“Oh, he is not lying, baby?” Daisy said.
“It’s true. He is your boss.” She looked at Dad.
“Yes, the stupid dragon is our boss,” Dad said.
All the chairs got filled when Tom and August entered last and took their seats. Gertrude put a plate filled with goodness in front of everyone. Bowls of salad and bread went to the middle of the table.
We all dug in and ate. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been this hungry. Everyone spoke at the same time. They all wanted to know what the other side of the snatchers looked like and Emanual and Sir Robert told them stories that made me hung on their lips.
After dinner, the women helped Gertrude with cleaning up the kitchen, while the men all sat on the patio. This was more my style, and I really didn’t look forward to leaving tonight. A part of me wished I could stay.
