Theo jumped at the chance to do some cooking—in a real kitchen, not just over open fire—when Glyssa asked for help with dinner.

  “Do you have yeast and flour?” he asked. “I’ll set a dough for the night and we’ll have freshly baked bread tomorrow. If you like bread.”

  “You are very welcome to bake whatever you want, dear boy,” Glyssa said. “I have all you require for bread.”

  “You don’t happen to have a bit of sugar? Chocolate chips? Or some nuts?”

  “No chocolate,” Glyssa said. “But nuts, of course. Though that doesn’t sound like ingredients for bread, unless I’m very behind.” She smiled, and the twist of her lips reminded Theo so suddenly of his mom that he froze, staring at her. It wasn’t that the two of them really looked similar—his mom had been much younger—but there was kindness in her eyes, a shared enthusiasm for baked goodies.

  His mom had never been a baker, but she had loved seeing him doing what he loved.

  “Theo?” Glyssa asked, concern making a wrinkle appear between her brows. “Are you all right, dear?”

  Theo realized he was gripping the counter so hard his fingers were turning white. He made a conscious effort to let go. “Yes. Fine. Sorry.”

  She peered curiously at him. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “No, no, it’s just…” He trailed off, the thickness in his throat making it difficult to continue. “You just reminded me of someone.”

  Her smile was kind. “Your mom?”

  Theo stared at him. “How did you—”

  “I have a secret or two of my own,” she said. “And while there are other things close to the surface in your mind, your mom is never far away.”

  She had looked so deeply at him when they first met, and it had been impossible to look away. Was this what she had been doing? Peeking at his memories with his beloved mom? Invading his privacy? Theo swallowed hard around the lump. “You can read my mind?”

  “The first time I meet someone, I see… glimpses,” Glyssa said softly. “Bits and pieces of what makes you, you.”

  “Oh.”

  “Your mom was beautiful,” she said.

  Theo nodded, but couldn’t find the words, his throat tight.

  “Did you often bake together?”

  He shook his head, and when he spoke, his voice sounded strangled and weird to his own ears. “No. But she always tried what I made.”

  She nodded. “I look forward to trying what you make, too. Help yourself to whatever you need here in the kitchen.”

  With a few deep breaths, trying to release the sudden heaviness inside, Theo re-focused on the kitchen. It had always calmed him, the motions of working in the kitchen—the measuring, mixing, kneading… it was like a meditation.

  Glyssa glanced at him every now and then, and he pretended not to notice. It felt a bit like having his mom there, watching with a small smile painted on her lips. On occasion, she had joined him in the kitchen, sitting on a chair in the corner, watching him work.

  As he measured and mixed, his spirits rose once more. He started with cookies—not chocolate chip, but adding bits of nuts to them would be delicious enough—to give to Emberion. Emberion had liked the chocolate chip one, and in his human form, a cookie would last a bit longer at least.

  Glyssa’s small kitchen was well-organized and nicely stocked as far as things he needed for baking went.

  “I fly down to a nearby town’s market sometimes,” Glyssa said when he commented on it, and Theo was glad for the return to the lighter subject. “Just transform a bit outside the village, and they’re none the wiser. They have never found my cottage.” She chuckled to herself as if it was very funny, and Theo found himself smiling.

  “But do you mostly stay in human form?” Theo asked. He frowned, hoping he the question hadn’t been rude. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “Not at all, dear,” Glyssa said. “I stay mostly in human form. It’s easier that way.”

  “Easier?” Theo echoed. Wouldn’t it be much easier to live life as a terrifying beast with wings?

  Glyssa chuckled, glancing at him. “Oh, dear boy, have you ever tried using a spoon with claws? Or knitting? Or even just turning the pages of a book? Opposable thumbs, dear. They make all the difference. And, well, I need far less food this way.”

  Her chuckle was infectious, and he laughed with her. “I suppose the pages of a book would rip with those claws.”

  “Yes, dear, they most certainly do,” Glyssa said. “And I enjoy the finer points of cooking, which this form is better for, too.”

  “But Emberion likes his dragon form?” Theo asked.

  “Unless he has a reason to be something else,” Glyssa said. “All younger dragons, and most older ones, prefer their dragon forms. I like to be different.” She winked at him.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Theo smiled and motioned toward the kitchen. “So, what are we making for dinner?”

  “How about some herb-roasted chicken?” Glyssa asked. “With root vegetables. You can get to chopping over there.”

  “That sounds delicious,” Theo said, tying an apron and grabbing a knife.

  Glyssa gave him a heap of carrots and an onion. They worked in silence next to each other; she took care of the chicken while he continued by dicing the potatoes once all the carrots and onions were done.

  “Let us go out and grab some rosemary,” Glyssa said.

  Theo followed her outside, behind the cottage. He hadn’t noticed it when they came flying to the cottage, busy as he had been trying to figure out how a dragon fit into the house, but there was a blooming, beautiful garden just beyond the cottage. Delicious scents wafted from the roses climbing along a frame, and there were different sorts of cabbage, tomato plants, cucumber plants, and many other vegetables and berries.

  “Ooh, blueberries,” he said, seeing three bushes standing near each other, filled with ripe, dark berries. “I love blueberries.”

  “Then you should get some of those too,” Glyssa said.

  “May I?” Theo asked, a grin spreading over his lips.

  “Of course,” Glyssa said. “Do what you’d like with them.”

  She bent and began picking rosemary, thyme and sage from a small herb garden.

  Theo pondered the question. “How about blueberry cobbler? It’s simple, it’s hearty, and I think the others would enjoy it.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” Glyssa said, straightening. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  Theo grinned. He grabbed a bowl from inside and went to work, allowing the simple motion of picking the blueberries soothe him. They were facing fresh dangers tomorrow, but for now, he would stay in the present, enjoying the texture of the berries against his fingers, and letting one or two slip into his mouth and popping them with his tongue against the roof of his mouth. They were perfectly ripe, just the right combination of sweet and sour.

  “You look like you are in your element.”

  Theo looked up to find Emberion leaning against an apple tree further away. He looked ridiculously handsome, his full lips twisted into a gentle smile. There was still a dangerous edge to him, as if the dragon was always close to the surface. His eyes darted around the garden, cataloging everything in sight.

  “I suppose,” Theo said. “I’m going to make blueberry cobbler. And I’ve already made cookies.” He didn’t add ‘for you’, but it was possible Emberion heard anyway, because he grinned.

  “Chocolate chip ones?”

  “Your mom didn’t have chocolate, but they’ll have nuts,” Theo said. “And you’ll get them warm, so that will make up for some of it.”

  “I am already looking forward to it.”

  He sauntered over, and something stirred deep in Theo’s gut. He gave a minute shake of his head to clear it—he was not supposed to find Emberion attractive. Though, admittedly, anyone with eyes should find the man attractive. It was sort of ridiculous with the muscles and the hair and the sharp cheekbones and all.

  “Want some help?” Emberion asked. He reached out and picked up a pebble from the ground, pocketing it without seeming to realize what he was doing. Theo thought about asking why he kept picking little things up—it was at least the third time he’d seen Emberion do it, in either human or dragon form—but he didn’t dare.

  “Sure,” Theo said instead, a brief flutter in his stomach. Emberion wanted to hang out with him? It made him feel stronger when someone like him wanted to spend time together.

  Emberion crouched beside Theo and reached for a handful of blueberries. He popped a berry into his mouth and Theo stared at his hypnotizing lips—then he hastily looked away.

  “You know, in dragon form, I do not get to enjoy things like this,” Emberion said, his voice low. “Taste, touch—it is different, more… intense in human form. And you need so much less of everything.”

  “I can only imagine,” Theo replied, giving a small smile. Massive dragon to human? Must be insanely different.

  “It is the little things,” Emberion continued. “Like the burst of flavor from a fresh berry filling your mouth, or the warmth of the sun on your skin. Being human is not all bad, despite the… complications.”

  Theo chuckled. “Complications like having to wear clothes and cook your own food?”

  “Well, that, and the fragility,” Emberion said. “This body is so very easily hurt.”

  Yeah, Theo’s arm still ached from his fall before.

  He glanced at Emberion, taking in the details of him—the way his nose tipped up at the end, and a lock of hair curled around his ear—all so very human. “So you don’t have, you know, dragon strength when you change?”

  Emberion ducked his head and chuckled. “No. Well, perhaps a little faster and stronger, a little quicker at healing, but still mostly just human.”

  Nothing just about you, Theo managed not to say. Good grief, what was going on? He shouldn’t even think such things about someone like Emberion—he was a dragon, for goodness’ sakes.

  Emberion dropped a handful of berries into Theo’s bowl, though his hand lingered over the bowl a moment too long, as if reluctant to let go of the berries.

  “I went running in the forest once and sprained one of these thin, tiny ankles,” Emberion said, motioning toward his leg. “Good thing I could transform and fly home.”

  Theo smiled—he wasn’t sure he could have stopped himself from doing so even if he tried—and said, “That would be useful. I’m always tripping over my own feet.”

  “And falling down holes and facing snakes?” Emberion said with a twitch of his lips, his gaze darting quickly over Theo, before looking away abruptly.

  “Luckily, that has only been the once,” Theo said. “I’m usually in the castle, and there aren’t so many dangerous things.”

  “So, how do you like it out here in the wild?”

  Theo glanced around at the garden—right in this now, it was hardly ‘the wild’, any more than the castle’s vegetable garden was the wild. Then again, beyond the apple tree, the bushes grew into a mess of darkness, and who knew what hid there?

  “I suppose it’s been… interesting,” Theo said. “I’ll never be the camping sort, but… It hasn’t been as bad as I feared. Everything does seem to be out to kill me, or at least hurt me, but since you came along, I’ve felt safer…”

  “Safer, huh?” Emberion asked, one fine, dark eyebrow raised.

  Theo shrugged. “It’s easier with a massive dragon by your side. You know, the fragility and all.”

  “True,” Emberion said.

  “And I’ve learned I love flying,” Theo said.

  Emberion smiled. “Flying is nice.”

  Theo snorted. “‘Nice’. That was the understatement of the day. Possibly year.”

  “Dragons are understated,” Emberion said with a wink.

  Theo laughed, feeling light and happy. “That is the last word I’d use for any dragon, least of all you.”

  A smirk played across Emberion’s lips. “Is that so?”

  Theo’s cheeks heated, a blush rising from his collarbones and up. He looked down at his bowl. “Oh, would you look at that,” he said meekly. “It’s full and I should get back inside. I promised to help your mom with dinner.”

  He came to his feet, finding himself out of breath even though he had just been sitting still. Emberion stood too, and Theo had to tilt his head up because Emberion was nearly a whole head taller than him. Damned dragon shifters. Or perhaps just damned Emberion, because Glyssa was nowhere near as tall.

  As Theo turned to leave, Emberion’s hand twitched, and for a moment Theo thought he would reach out to touch him—but instead, he bent down and plucked a small, colorful stone from the garden path, slipping it into his pocket with the other he had collected. When he noted Theo watching, a spot of color appeared on his cheeks. He quickly motioned toward the cottage.

  “After you, chef.”