Grace walked through the house with her sister. It was huge. And she thought museums would have been jealous of the things inside it. When Ginger turned to her, she thought she was going to tell her that it was perfect.

“I hate this place.” They both laughed. “I mean, besides the fact that Walton and his parents lived here. Look at all this stuff. What the heck were they going to do with it? Watch it grow older? And it’s so crowded too. No room to move.”

“This is only the first floor; maybe it’ll get better.” Like her, she no more believed that than the tooth faerie. Although, she’d have to check on that one. Who knew there were unicorns? Not her, that’s for sure.

The rest was as bad if not worse. The master suite had so many dressers in it that she wondered if they were ever used. But a quick peek into a couple told her that each held a specific color for the man. One was filled with blue socks, shirts, and handkerchiefs. Another with gray. Not to be confused with a shade or two of darker gray in a separate dresser. And she noticed, there was nothing of Molly’s.

It was obvious which room was hers as soon as they walked in. There was a single dresser, a closet full of dresses of beautiful colors, as well as hats. She must have loved to wear them, because Grace thought there could have easily been over a hundred. Some in boxes, others in plastic. And they matched the dresses too. Her heart broke once again for the sad woman.

“I can’t live here. Could you?” Grace told Ginger that it wasn’t for her to decide. “I’m not asking that. Would you?”

“Oh, hell no.” They laughed again, but her sister did sit on the bed. “I’m guessing you’re going to sell it all.”

“Yes, but not like it is. I want to have an auction. This stuff must be worth something to someone. I wouldn’t know how to go about it, but I’m sure one of the Mannings do.” She said she was sure they’d been around long enough to invent it. “I still can’t believe that this is all real. I’ve never had money. Now we have more than we could ever hope to spend. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to be stupid with it. I don’t want to end up in a ditch after all this.”

“You? Never. You’re the most frugal person I know. Not to mention, I think you are the smartest as well. You’ll be keeping books of your books before you know it.” She sat on the bed with her. “You don’t mind living with us until we get Walton out of the picture, do you?”

“I love it there. And Lincoln is so good with the kids.” She looked at her. “Are you going to have any?”

“No. I mean, we can’t since I’m human and he’s a dragon. Because of how they became, they’d need to be born in an egg. We’ll adopt, but I can’t have his child. Carson was able to get pregnant because of some magic given to her. I’m not even sure how that would work.”

“You two will make great parents. I know it. And any child that comes into your life will be so lucky to have you.” She hugged her. “Okay, this house is toast, and we need to get rid of this crap. I cannot believe that man had that many suits. Did he wear one every day for a year? Whatever. What do you think I could do with them?”

“I was just thinking that you could donate them to the local shelter. There might be someone that could use one for an interview or something. The shirts too. I don’t know about the socks—I guess the same thing. I don’t know, maybe someone could cut them down and make rag runs out of them for every house in the county.” Ginger laughed again. “It’s been so long since you seemed this happy. I’m so pleased for you and the children. You’re finally getting all that you deserve.”

“Thanks. It’s because of you.” She asked how that was even possible. “You gave me the strength to go on after all that with Walton. And you looked for me so hard, I know you did. How were you to know that I was right under your nose with that monster?”

“The police were so sick of seeing me. I think I was there nearly every day to ask about you. Getting away like you did, that might have saved both you and the children’s lives. I’m so grateful to Winnie, too, for getting you to safety after Wendall was shot.” Grace hugged her sister tightly again. “I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t around for me to hug when I want.”

“Okay, enough of this. Let’s get this place emptied, then sold. I’m perfectly happy with the house that I have, and I’ll use the money from this to pay back Lincoln for the one that I’m in. And if he doesn’t allow me to do that, then I’m going to move and take his niece and nephew with me.” Grace told her that she’d make him take it then. “I knew you would. Okay, how about lunch? You can buy, because I’m just too wealthy to carry around cash.”

They were still laughing when they got to the bottom of the stairs. Just as they were headed to the front door, it started to rattle. While she didn’t have a definite idea who it might be, she had a feeling that it was Walton. He would have seen her car out front.

“Go back upstairs and hide.” Ginger said she wasn’t leaving her. “Yes, you will. You have those babies to care for and...and I’m an immortal.”

“Well, that does trump me. All right, but if you get hurt, I’ll never forgive you.” She told her she wouldn’t either. “Call out to the men. I’m pretty sure you can do that too.”

“Winnie. I need Winnie.” And almost as if she was standing there all along, she was with them. “We’re in deep shit here. Can you help us?”

“Sure, but I really think she should do this herself.” They both looked at Ginger, then back at the door when the windows at the side of it rattled. “You can do this. I’ll be right here with you should it turn out badly. And, so you know, you’re as much an immortal as the rest of the Mannings. You just have to not get shot in the heart.”

“Well, I don’t know about you two, but I’d really like not to.” Ginger looked at her then started down the stairs, still talking. “I’m a fool. An idiot. I’m actually going down there and talk to a bigger idiot. What the hell is wrong with me?”

Grace looked at Winnie. “Don’t let my sister be hurt. Please?” Winnie promised her that she wouldn’t and went to the door too. Grace didn’t have any idea why she was doing this and thought she should get her head examined. This was insane.

Ginger opened the door just as she stood beside her. Walton glanced at her, then drew back his fist to hit her. One of them anyway, but all he did was stand there when Ginger spoke.

“I’m not afraid of you any more, Walton. You hurt me once; you hit me this time, and I will stop at nothing to kill you.” He looked like he might have believed her and put his fist down. “What do you want?”

“Besides into my home? I want my son. Where is he? And don’t think you’ll go unpunished for lying to me about him.” She lifted her chin, and in that moment, Grace knew her sister had this. “What are you doing here anyway? This is my family home.”

“It’s mine. All of it. And my son’s. We’ve decided to sell it all, however.” Walton started forward. Grace wasn’t sure what his intentions were, but almost as soon as he took a step, he took one back. Then another. Winnie had stepped behind Ginger, and he was afraid of the other woman. “What’s the matter, Walton? You afraid of women? Have you decided that we might not be as helpless as you thought?”

“Yeah, you’re really brave when you have someone to help you, aren’t you, Ginger? Well, I want you to mark my words—I don’t know how you got my home, but I’ll get it back. And my son too.” She stared him down, and when he moved to leave, Grace decided that she didn’t care for being brave, she wanted her mate with her. And his big assed dragon. But when he turned back, Walton looked mean. “I’m coming for you, Ginger. And we’ll have a grand old time.”

The sirens could be heard then, and he looked toward the road before smacking his fist to his hand and then taking off. She was going to keep an eye on the asshole just to make sure that he didn’t come in the back door or something. As soon as the cruiser came into the yard, Winnie took over. She was directing them to where he went and what he’d said. Ginger just collapsed on the floor.

“You did really well.” Ginger shook her head. “No, you really did. When he was about to hit you, you could have knocked me over when you told him off. I’m very proud of you, Ginger. You stood up to your bully.”

“If he could have seen my knees, he’d have seen just how afraid of him I was. Oh, Grace, he wants Wendall. What if he gets past us and hurts him?” Grace told her that he didn’t want to, just her. “Well, that’s comforting. But you’re right. I need to keep the kids out of harm’s way. I don’t know how yet, but they’re the ones he’s going to target from now on. Don’t you think?”

“Yes. He’ll go for the weakest. But if he gets to Wendall, he’ll leave the rest alone, I believe.” Winnie joined them on the floor. She looked...well, she strangely happy. “What have you done?”

“Why is that the first thing out of everyone’s mouth? Okay, I did do something, but it was for the good of the family. They’re not going to find him because I don’t want them to.” Ginger asked why not. “Because he is going to be dealt with by the family of dragons. And that will get him out of our lives permanently.”

“You mean they’ll kill him.” Ginger looked at her, then back at Winnie. “You know what? I don’t care how so long as he is gone. I don’t want to live the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. And even in jail, I don’t trust that he’d leave us alone.”

“I want you to have someone with you at all times. This is Sky. She is a faerie of considerable age and power. She will be with you for the rest of your days, but especially during this time with Walton.” Ginger nodded to the little faerie. Grace’s own were there as well, sitting on her shoulders. “Trust her enough to do what she tells you at all times. If she says run, do it like your life depends on it. If you’re told to climb a tree, I want you to be assured that it’s the best course of action for you. All right?”

“Yes. But will she be hurt with this? I don’t want anyone else hurt because of Walton.” Winnie told her that Sky was an earth faerie and could call upon it to help them both. “That didn’t answer my question, but I’m assuming she can protect all of us because of that.”

“Yes, and your children will each have a faerie as well. And know that they’ll kill whatever comes after them with ill will. And that includes taking them from you.” Ginger nodded. “Trust me, Ginger, you’re going to be just fine. We’re a family that takes care of its own.”

As they drove home, Ginger was very quiet. Grace wasn’t sure if she was thinking or in shock. Sky sat on her sister’s lap and watched her. It was kind of creepy at first, but she had a feeling that she was getting to know her through a mind thingy. There was too much going on for her to be figuring out the mind of a faerie too.

~~~

Sadie watched the young man sneak around the property. She wasn’t worried about him but enjoyed his attempts at being quiet. He was making more noise than it would take to wake the dead. He was a distraction for her though, so she put him to sleep. It would only last a few hours, but that was enough time for her to think about her dragons.

She so missed Coop. He’d been a good king, and a better leader than she’d ever worked with. His son was becoming the same. They were all good men and Coop would be proud of them.

Coop had come to her in desperation one night. He had told her of the things that he’d felt were going to happen. She had known he was right, but didn’t want him making rash decisions. His lady wife had only just been murdered.

“I’m not being rash, my lady.” He was the only one that had ever called her that. “I wish to make it so that my sons will be able to live among the humans. They will need this, or they’ll be killed and butchered as their mother was.”

“But to walk with the humans every day, Coop, will take some powerful magic. More than I have.” He nodded and sat down on the floor. He was much too large for the only chair that she had. “I can work on something to keep them hidden, but that’s the best I can do.”

“I give you all that I am.” She backed away from such power and told him to be serious. “I have never been more than I am right now. You may take my body and do with it as you please. The magic alone will do for you what no one else can. You and I both know that even should I give some other witch my magic, then it would be for naught. You are the strongest and kindest I know. I give this to you.”

“Let me work on something.” He told her this was all that he wanted. Coop said that he wanted his sons safe. “It will take me a few days to get what I will need, Coop. Just give me until the next full moon.”

The month hadn’t been nearly enough for her to work out something else to save the children of the dragon king. And no matter what she tried, it wasn’t strong enough for them to be safe. It had to be his way, or it would never save them.

The morning of the full moon brought him to her door again. It was getting worse than it ever had. A dragon was being murdered every day. Even his brother’s wife had been killed, along with their three children. Coop had been right—it was getting too much for a dragon not to walk with the humans.

“I have tried all that I could to make it work.” He said that he knew she would. “There is a meeting with the dragons tonight. We’ll practice the words here, then when the it’s over and they’re still lingering around, we’ll borrow some of each of their magic, so that you’ll be able to do this. I shall give you mine too, then hide away for some time to recuperate.”

“I cannot thank you enough for this, my lady. My children will know what a kind and wonderful—”

“Nay, no one can know what has happened here today. You may tell them that I helped, but not what you have given me. I will, I promise, bring it back to them once they are at a stage in their lives they can handle it.” He agreed with her and handed her a thick leather-bound book. “What is this? Is this the book of dragons?”

“No, a family history if you may. Words that would be to them and them alone. I wish for you to give it to Cooper when he’s king. He’ll not thank you, I think, for I tell him all, but he’ll understand what we did here this night.” She told him she’d do it. “Thank you, Sadie. You have saved my family, and for that, I give you all that I am.”

They practiced through the day. And when he had it, she made him do it more. There could be no mistakes on this. He would kill his sons if this didn’t go as planned. But she had confidence in him to do the right thing. Coop’s children would be the very first shifters of their kind. Perhaps the only.

“They’ll not be able to breed should they find their mate is a human.” He said that he understood that, but they’d still find love. “Yes, I believe they will. They’ll be handsome humans, as their dragons are. Are you sure about this, Coop?”

“Yes, as sure as I am about anything in the world. I want them to have a life without fear. Without someone hunting them down like animals. I want them to find a love like I had with their mother. A life full of wonder and fun.” He was such a good man, and Sadie had wondered if the children would be as well.

They were that and better, she thought as she rocked in her chair. Soon she’d have to see Cooper and his brothers. After this mess with the man was finished. A wave of her hand and he was up again but headed home.

Sadie watched her soup on the fire as she thought of what to say to the young dragon. She knew that he had no liking for her. But she was all right with that. In their head, she was sure that it was her fault their father was gone from this world. Her only hope was that the book would be helpful to them, and they’d be able to forgive her.

It was in her own heart that she had murdered their father. The magic that he’d given her had been put aside for Cooper, and someday she wanted to give it to him. Sadie, however, wasn’t sure, but she thought Cooper much stronger than his father had been, and a good deal more handsome too. Smiling, she had the spoon near the pot stir it some more.

In a few days she knew that the man out there would try and kill the woman and her daughter. She wasn’t clear on how that would happen, but she knew that he’d die a horrific death; not that he didn’t deserve it. His father hadn’t been much of a man, so it only stood to reason that the son wouldn’t be either. Not raised the way he’d been. Too much and too little, she thought. Too much freedom and not enough discipline. That’s what made a man into what Walton Conrad was.

When her pot was finished, she got up to serve herself. Soup was the best thing she could make, using the herbs and wild items that grew in the mountain. As she sat at her table, having put out her crackers that she hoarded like they were gold, she gave a little to the goddess of the earth before taking her first bite.

The earth called to her, much like the wind would a bird to come join them. She was ready to quit this earth and join her sisters in death. Life, the way that she’d always dreamed of it, was harder than she had expected. Fulfilling, yes, but difficult to do. She wasn’t complaining, not much anyway, but she was tired and wanted to just lie down and let the earth take her into it. It was the way they did things, the witches of her time. The earth at her bare feet let her know that she was to have a visitor soon, and she wasn’t surprised to find Winnie there.

“I’ve come to ask a favor of you.” She looked at the faerie and then back at her soup. “You’re as stubborn as you’ve always been, aren’t you?”

“I am. But isn’t that sort of you calling me yourself? I’ve never met a more stubborn woman than you. Faerie or not.” She looked at her and smiled. “It is good to see you, Winnie. Or should I be calling you something more?”

“Winnie is fine. This favor I ask of you, it’s not going to be something that you want, my trade for it.” She asked her what she had in trade. “Me.”

“Nay, I do not want you. You’re too old and stubborn, as I have said. Teaching you to heed to my demand would be too taxing to a witch as old as me.” She looked at her soup again. “I’ll do the favor if you help me to talk to the young king.”

“Now there is a stubborn person. He is not so set in his ways as he used to be. I think we have Carson to thank for that. But Cooper is his father’s son, that’s for sure.” She told her that she’d been thinking the same. “I’ll help you with him. I think that for as much as he blusters, he is curious as to what you have for him. But I’d wait on this other thing first.”

“The young man who seeks his child?” Winnie said that was it. “He will come to his own on this. The child will be safe.”

“Thank you.” She told her that it wasn’t her, but the others. “I figured that it would be something that the family would be a part of. But he will hurt her, given the chance. I’d like you to give the children a little extra, just to keep them safe. I can see that he tries to take them, but I don’t know if they come to any harm.”

“They do not.” Again, Winnie thanked her. “I should ask you a few things too, while you are here. When you came to be the mate of the Manning dragon, did you get anything extra? The reason I ask is that I thought you powerful beyond what you had when I first met you. And even then, you were very strong in your magic.”

“My parents are dead, you know that, correct?” She did and didn’t waste her breath telling the woman that she was sorry. “When they were taken care of by the Manning family, I got some then. But as for mating to the big dragon, I got nothing more. Hudson did. A lot that he is still dealing with.”

“You have more. Perhaps you just haven’t figured it out yet.” Winnie said that could be it, but she didn’t know. “I’ll put a spell around the children, but as I have said, they are protected very well now. I am intrigued as to how you would be giving yourself to me. I am a witch of considerable power. What would I want with a faerie and her powers?”

“You plan to join the rest of your kind in the earth.” The girl was much too smart for her own good, and she told her so. “Thank you, but that is the truth. And I wish you all the happiness you can find from such a thing. But I can help you.”

“How? There is no point in me denying what I want. I’m older than even you, though not by much.” Winnie only smiled at her, also showing her all that she was. “Every time I see you thusly, I am amazed at the beauty of one like you. You are the most gorgeous creature ever created, I think. Now, tell me what you can do for an old woman such as me.”

“I can ensure that you have a beautiful faerie garden in the glen not far from here. You will never be disturbed while resting, nor will your plot of land ever be bothered by the humans.” It was a grand gift she was giving her. And one that Winnie could do too. “I will also tell of how you saved the dragons, which you have, and that even your great magic couldn’t save Coop, the first of the Manning dragons.”

“Such a gift for a bit of magic. Why would you do such a thing for me?” Winnie smiled at her again with a little flutter of her wings. And with that, a dusting arose, and she stared in wonderment.

“Long ago, before there were too many humans and while the skies were filled with dragons, a witch, just out on her own, came upon a child and gave a little of herself to save her life. The life that would later be able to give her a dying wish.” She told her that she didn’t know what she was speaking of.

The dust changed then, to the said little girl with her guts hanging out, her face full of fear and pain. And there beside her was a great dragon, one that she had, all alone, brought to justice. Sadie reached out to touch the child, thinking to give her comfort in her dying hour, only to feel the magic that would someday be used to bring the dragons to their fullest. Sadie was the witch, Winnie the small child.

“Had you not come upon me that day, I would surely have died. I know now what you saw when you touched me, and you could have taken all that I ever would have been with that help. But you saved me and gave me the strength to go on. For that, I would lay down my life for you, however short it would be.” Sadie nodded, too touched to form words. “I promise you, on my oath as a faerie, I will protect you well after you die. For this, I owe you forever.”