The hall acoustics echoed my footsteps and made it sound like I was small in this enormous place. My heartbeat was all I heard except for the rustle of wind against the windowpanes as a blistery storm blew past. The lights flickered as cries echoed from outside and I couldn't imagine Robert being out there.

I checked the room next to the kids’ playroom, detecting a hint of Mrs. Adams’ gardenia perfume, as if she’d been there recently.

Back in the hall, each picture seemed to illuminate a white-faced knight attacking a dragon. I clutched my stomach as I peered closer. The dragons had always caught my attention, but werewolves were everywhere too.

My memory was right there in my brain but I couldn't see it.

I charged into an empty room, which had a piano. No gardenia tickled my nose so I knew Mrs. Adams wasn’t inside. I flicked the light on and tried anyhow and hope she heard me. My breathing deepened. "Mrs. Adams. I need your help."

No answer.

I'd have to go out alone to find Robert. I searched the next room for possible weapons. Anything really. I had no idea what I could use against vampires, if all of this was real. I glanced at the wall and saw a mounted sword that seemed medieval, but it would be too heavy.

Robert must have something. I marched up the stairs, cries echoing outside the house. Razor-like nails screeched down the windowpane of our bedroom.

I refused to look. What could I use to defend myself? I went through his desk. Pens. No good. The closet! A roar outside stopped me from moving. The noise was like thunder and lightning converged into one entity. Every cell in my body begged to run out and see what had happened.

In Italy, I had felt drawn to Robert and that feeling was fueled with the desire to find my husband. I could feel the sudden intensity charged in the air and I needed to act.

He needed me.

With a burst of adrenaline, I continued to the closet. I reached up to get his suitcase on the top shelf. Nothing was there. I then stretched to get the boxes. Once I had the first one down, I ripped it open and found a gun. Guns need bullets so I checked. Nothing.

I continued my frantic search, and in a separate box were bullets that I loaded into the weapon, recalling a self-defense course I’d taken with Grandma and the old ladies at the church. With luck the small black handgun would work. Brace myself, shoot straight.

I had a plan. I closed the bedroom door behind me.

"Mrs. Adams? I'd like to talk to you!" I raced down the stairs and glanced at the door. I had one more place to look for Mrs. Adams before going out the front door. I headed toward the kitchen. My call went unanswered and I continued down the hall, gun in hand.

Then I turned to go back toward the door when a light turned on from one of the rooms to my right. The chamber seemed to flicker green for a moment. "Who’s there?"

The first thing I noticed in the room was the plastic orange juice bottle and a few glasses on a table. One was used. Then I heard a cough. I swung around and saw Grayson leaning against the wall.

I was in no danger from Robert's brother and he would know how I could help. I checked the safety and then placed the gun next to the bottle of juice. "What are you doing here?"

He winked at the gun and then took a seat like he had every right to be in the house while I was the guest. "It seems the new Mrs. De Marco is finding her way around quite nicely."

"Robert's outside isn’t he? Fighting those things..." The word vampire refused to come out of my mouth. If Robert told the truth that he was a dragon, then was his brother one too?

“Drink this.” Grayson held up a glass of orange juice.

Better to follow this simple request and get more information. I slumped into the empty seat across from Grayson with a shrug of my shoulders. "Why are you here and not helping your brother?"

"Vitamin C gives us an extra kick for transforming." Grayson pushed the glass my way. "If you want to join Robert, then you'll need it."

I sipped the juice and my senses were so finely tuned it tasted like sweet nectar as it went down my throat. "He told me to stay here in case you came down."

I hadn’t considered Grayson’s assistance. "Do you know where Mrs. Adams is?"

Another flash of flash of bright red light followed by a burst of heat from outside the house rushed through me. I glanced at the door, afraid someone, others, might come in at any second. "I haven’t seen her and I'm worried."

His finger tapped his glass. "If you're determined to go outside, I'll lead you to Robert, but I cannot protect you. You will have to do that yourself."

“I’ll be fine.”

Grayson poured more orange juice for himself as he said, “Robert told me that you have never transformed before but that you’ve had dreams of being a dragon your whole life.”

Was this training? I jumped out of my seat. “What do I do? How do I do it?”

“Transformation for the first time can’t be explained.”

I pointed toward the table. “What can I do out there? I found a gun.”

Grayson shook his head, clearly dismissing the idea. “No. If you see a vampire, you breathe fire on him. Easy.”

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath in and then blew it out with all my might. Nothing happened.

He then came beside me. “Imagine yourself in dragon form. When I want to change, I start with my talons and work up to my wings. I can’t believe your grandma didn’t tell you about this.”

I turned toward him. Answers were good. “Robert said I can ask her when I see her. That she’s not actually dead. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

The simple answer echoed in my mind as the house shook. I kept envisioning Robert as a dragon and the call to join him hit me hard. I took a step toward the door. “We better go.”

Grayson handed me another glass instead. “Robert recognized your dragon’s heart right away, so be careful out there. If you are afraid, come back inside.” He gulped his juice. "Finish yours as well."

I drank the whole thing and placed it, empty, on the table. Robert’s call inside my heart was louder than the fear.

I picked up the gun.

Grayson laughed. "You won't use that out there."

"Hopefully not." I clutched the weapon harder as he passed by me and out of the small room to the large foyer and the front door. “I don’t trust that I’ll transform so this is my backup plan.”

“Quick.” He ushered me out, the wind whisking by us. "Open doors are open invitations to vampires."

Windows too. It’s why Harper and Helen were afraid, all the time. It must have been what caused their mother’s death. He closed the door behind him. "The little ones need to be protected."

“Agreed. The house was sealed.” A screech in the darkness caught my attention. A tingling awareness grew inside me that everything was true and I had power.

Grayson then said, "This way."

We turned and my feet slogged through snowbanks. Huge drifts seemed to fall from the storm, but I wasn’t cold. I wasn’t even afraid really. I had to know, like a moth has to go toward flames.

It sounded like predatory birds were in the pine trees as we approached. Grayson never looked into the trees—he just pushed forward toward the water and the cliffs. A bolt of fire flashed in the distance. I followed the traces in the midnight sky.

I stopped when the traces connected to a red, fire-breathing dragon.

My knees buckled and I put my hand on a tree to hold myself up. Dragons were real.

The reality of this hit me hard. This wasn’t just talk. Robert was a dragon. I’d married a dragon. I held the gun closer to my chest. I might be one too. Grayson took off at a run then jumped into the air, transforming into a green dragon.

He was a dragon too and there was more than one color.

The red dragon in the distance made another telepathic call to me. I knew it was Robert. I heard it reverberate through my skull as I closed my eyes.

Then I heard footsteps speeding on the snow behind me. I turned around and saw a silhouette fast approaching. My skin prickled as my heart raced. Clawed white fingers raised with deadly intent sent a shockwave through me. Clearly whatever it was wanted to kill me.

Whoever was coming ran faster than anything I'd ever seen. I dared a look over my shoulder, my legs fighting the snow, saw an oval face, black eyes and sharp white fangs. Had this killed Serena? "Robert!" I cried. The whoosh of dragon’s wings thundered in the air, but too far away. The vampire reached for me.

I turned and fumbled the gun in my hand but the vampire’s cold finger pressed on me. I dropped it in the snow and heard the gun go off. Then I saw the hair on my arms became scales.

My vision changed from human’s narrowed view and I could see clearly in the dark night sky. I turned my wings and aimed my face at the monster below, kill or be killed. I breathed out. Smoke billowed and nothing happened.

I tried again, taking a deeper breath, focusing on the terrifying white face. Flame spewed from me, vanquishing my enemy.

Victorious, I spread the breadth of my wings and followed Robert.

Good. Then in flight, I followed the call.

Robert flew toward a huge rocky cliff. He settled on the edge that overlooked the Atlantic. I think my addition to the party ended the fight though Grayson seemed to go in a different direction. I followed my husband and landed beside him. We looked out onto the Atlantic Ocean as the waves beat against the rocky coast.

I wanted to speak, but I heard a rumbling in my mind. No words formed.

The deep-green Grayson flew toward Robert’s fiery red. As he perched beside his brother, I peeked at my golden tail. Did the different colors signify different powers?

I moved my tail so I could see my yellow-gold scales. Something triggered in my mind that red meant leader and fire. Green was an earth dragon. Blue dragons were water dragons. Gold dragons like me were air. Black dragons, which were rare, were elemental.

I blinked at Robert who then gestured with his long neck toward home. I closed my eyes for a second and listened to whale songs as I smelled the salty ocean. Then I opened my sight and saw down, my wings spread. I wanted to dive into the air and fly, just as I had in my dreams.

In my mind, Robert said, “Go for it.”

I jumped and the rush of air was like freedom. Grandma’s night time stories about being on guard when I felt the most free stopped me from enjoying myself.

So many questions surrounded me. Robert directed me to join him and we dove toward the house. I heard Robert say in my mind, “We’re safe. Grayson will make one more round to be sure, but you being here shocked the vamps into retreat.”

At the house, we hovered near the front and I realized why he needed so much privacy. Grayson made transforming back seem effortless as he continued his flight and then became himself and ran in normal clothes inside.

Was his outfit made of a special material?

Robert motioned with his dragon’s nose for me to go next. I took a deep breath and told myself I could do this. I had no idea how. My wings flapped and made the nearby trees rustle.

Calm down. Robert’s voice echoed in my mind.

I counted to ten to slow my racing heart. Robert was here. I closed my eyes. Robert will protect me. As I descended, chilled air rushed over me and I quickly opened my eyes. White skin instead of golden scales covered my arm and my hand was human. For a split second, I felt disconnected, but I took a step forward and then fell into the snow.

Robert knelt behind me and picked me up. I curled myself into his broad arms and let him hold me. His strength must be connected to his soul. Then he carried me into the house and closed the door behind him. Once the door clicked, I hugged Robert closer. My life would never be the same.

I am a dragon too.