Total pages in book: 362
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
Reaver gave a quick, jerky nod while Jadis planted her hands on my shoulders and pushed. She squawked—
My head whipped toward hers in surprise. She had made a sound that was nothing like any language I’d ever heard, but I swore I understood her clearly. She’d said, “down” in that sweet, high-pitched voice of hers.
I stared at her. There was no way I’d heard that. Ash had said it took him days to understand the draken.
“Sera and I are okay,” Ash said to Reaver. “You feel that, right?” He pressed his palm against Reaver, the width of his hand nearly that of the draken’s chest. “You can feel her right there.”
Reaver nodded.
I straightened, still holding on to Jadis. The draken wasn’t a fan of me holding her the way I was. Straining, she pushed harder against my shoulders.
“She’s not going to leave you,” Ash told him, keeping his voice low. “Neither will I.”
Reaver’s head jerked up and down, but that red flush now stained his throat, and his entire body trembled. He folded his arms tightly across his chest and hunched his shoulders.
Clasping the back of Reaver’s neck, Ash tilted his head. “I hate that either of you had to go through that. You shouldn’t have had to, but it’s okay to be upset. Understand? You can be angry, and you can be sad. You can even be afraid. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Sorrow filled me as Reaver’s face crumpled. He could be angry, sad, and scared, but damn it, he shouldn’t have to be any of those things.
Without saying a word, Ash gathered the young draken into his arms, lifting Reaver as he rose. A muffled, hoarse sob came from the child as Ash turned so Reaver remained hidden by his frame. Cradling the back of Reaver’s head, Ash spoke quietly as the youngling clung to his shoulders, the knuckles of his small hands bleached white from how tightly he held on.
Gods. Ash was…he was so damn good with Reaver.
Sensing that Reaver likely wanted some time to himself, I turned the wiggling Jadis to the table. I swallowed the knot in my throat and decided to go with the only thing I felt would distract her. “Jadis, baby? Would you like a strawberry?”
Jadis’s attention was still on Reaver, but her fully extended arms ceased their relentless pressure.
Tears filled my eyes as I smiled. “They’re very sweet and tasty.” I went around the table and sat on the couch. “I think you’ll like them.”
Jadis pulled her diamond-shaped head back, her incredibly big, blue eyes moving from me to the bowl and then to Reaver.
“They’re one of my favorite fruits.” I picked up a fork and sliced the strawberry in two. “Do you remember when I had you eat from a fork before?”
Jadis hesitated, then nodded as her hands returned to my hair, grabbing fistfuls.
Figuring that was a good sign, I picked up one of the halves. “Just in case you’ve forgotten, watch me.”
She didn’t take her eyes off me or the fork as I took an incredibly slow bite. She chirped twice.
“Me, me.”
“Me.” I whispered what I’d heard in my mind, utterly dumbfounded. Was I really hearing her? Getting the other strawberry half onto the fork, I glanced over at Ash and Reaver. The space where they had been was empty, and I wondered if they’d gone through the door in the bathing chamber that led to the adjoining meeting space.
Like before, Jadis stared at the utensil for several moments, her eyes narrowed. Her claws snagged in my hair as one hand let go and dropped to my arm. She tugged.
I smiled at her. “Ready?”
She snapped forward, closing her mouth around the fork. Her teeth clanged off the silver, but she did get the strawberry off without me losing the utensil or her losing a tooth.
“Good job. Want more?” I asked, not worried about feeding her strawberries since Ash gave her all the food under the roof when he thought Nektas wasn’t paying attention.
Jadis nodded. She watched avidly as I cut several more strawberries in half, holding on to my arm and humming. It still took a couple of seconds for her to remember what to do and trust the utensil, but by the time we got to the last strawberry, she was no longer hesitant, and I felt Ash’s and Reaver’s presence again.
“Jadis,” Ash called as he strode toward the table and couch. “You haven’t even acknowledged me yet.”
Jadis squawked excitedly, then threw herself against the arm I was using to brace her and keep her upright.
Feeling like second best, I grinned as I let her go. She scampered across the couch and then stood on her hind legs, stretching her arms up.
“I’m still your favorite.” Ash gave me a wink as he picked Jadis up, holding her to his chest. “Knew it.”