Not All Who Wander are Lost (18 page)

C
rimson was sitting contentedly in a rocking chair in the nursery of her parents’ country estate. While she longed to be able to go back to the Human world and start her new life with Finn and raise her babies, she was glad of the help and advice she was getting from Celeste, and also from her adopted mother, Flora Thorn. Being a mother had been so sudden, she really hadn’t had time to prepare. There was so much to know about babies in general, but especially about her little Dragons.

Celeste had gathered so many books and scrolls, but so much of the information was little more than legend. Most things, it seemed, she was going to have to learn as she went along. She learned in the first few days that the little darlings could change at will. According to Celeste and Kate, Draakki babies only changed every month or so, and only to shed their skins as they grew. Jared and Mariah changed whenever the whim took them, usually when they were hungry or wanted to be played with.

They were a sight to behold when they changed. They went from sweet little pink cheeked babes, to tiny black Dragons complete with wings and claws. Jared had emerald green eyes, and Mariah’s were burgundy. They couldn’t breathe fire or fly yet, thank goodness, but if the legends were true, they would be able to as soon as they reached puberty, in about 12 years. For now, they were content to toddle around and wrestle with each other, and demand attention from everyone around them. Crimson figured that’s why they liked to change so much. In their Human forms, they were just like regular babies. Their Dragon forms afforded them so much more freedom.

When word had come that Finn, Tabor, and the other Elves were coming back, after successfully setting up new leadership for the Finn Folk, Kate had taken her leave. She made Crimson promise to give Finn all her love, and told her that they were welcome to her house if they wanted it. She had found something she didn’t even know she was missing, Ian. They’d known each other forever, but had never really seen each other until that day in the dungeon. Now, they were making up for lost time. They were going to wander the worlds together for awhile and enjoy their golden years together. She promised they’d visit, and Crimson was happy for them. They had both been alone for too long.

Celeste had finally gone as well. She wouldn’t be far away, however. She was going back to her home in the Human would which was only a few hundred miles from Seaside. She would stay in touch and help in any way she could. Crimson was glad of her help. She was going to need it.

Now, all she was waiting for was for Finn to get back so they could go home as a family. He had been gone for weeks. They had talked almost every night by crystal, but it wasn’t enough. She needed him in her arms. She missed him so much.

When she felt his warm arms encircle her waist from behind, she almost cried out with joy, but didn’t want to wake the babies. Instead, she turned around and kissed him passionately. All of their fears and troubles vanished as they held each other close. The future would come, and who knew what it would bring, but in that moment, they didn’t care.

“Let’s go home,” Finn whispered in her ear breathlessly. And after a while, they did.

The End

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shannon Cahill lives in Spokane, Washington with the love of her life and her three rotten children. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. She is especially fond of trashy celebrity biographies and passionate love stories, but never passes up a good vampire or zombie story.