Duke led them out into the backyard, Teddy and Mallie hot on his heels. Nat carried Wanda in his arms.
A shriek cut through the air. Telos’ leathery wings flapped in the distance.
“All right. Be good for Mr. Nat, okay? Don’t give him too much trouble.” Duke pulled Teddy and Mallie into a hug, one child in each arm. He dropped loud kisses on their foreheads. Then he released them and turned to Nat. “If they give you trouble, I’m sorry. I apologize in advance.”
Nat shrugged. “I guess we were all kids, at some point in our lives. Unless you happened to pop out of your dad all big-muscled and big d—”
He clapped his hand over his mouth, but the kids were waiting for him to go on.
“Big what?” Mallie asked curiously.
Nat could’ve cried. Duke looked like he was trying not to laugh.
“Big, uh. Big-brained,” Nat mumbled. “You know, a muscle you use frequently.”
Duke was biting hard on his lip, his eyes gleaming. “Whatever I used to be, I’m definitely big-brained now,” he murmured.
Nat groaned and tried to bash his forehead into Duke’s arm.
Duke grinned and yanked him into a hug, too. “Don’t eat your toys, kiddo,” he said to Wanda.
And he pressed his soft lips to Nat’s forehead, a brief touch that left Nat’s pulse skyrocketing.
He kissed me.
There wasn’t time to process it. Telos swooped into Duke’s grassy backyard as a large pterodactyl, his wings stirring up clouds of dust.
He didn’t land, though. Instead, he hovered low enough for Duke to grab his leg. Then he took off, hauling Duke into the air.
“Bye, kids,” Telos yelled. “Remember, dinosaurs are amazing!”
Duke waved. Then they grew smaller, becoming a speck in the sky.
Far away, in the hills that bordered Cartfalls on one side, orange flames licked through the forest.
“Are we gonna be okay?” Teddy asked Nat, watching the fire too.
“There are lots of people in town who are helping,” Nat said firmly. “The mages cast spells to protect the people and buildings. What Duke is saving, are the firefighters, the trees, and the animals in the forest.”
“Okay,” Teddy said, huddling closer to his sister.
Wanda grabbed Nat’s nose and yanked, her mouth open in a proud grin.
“Hon!” Nat blew a raspberry. “Are you trying to start some trouble?”
Mallie and Teddy looked over, their gazes clouded.
“What’s wrong?” Nat asked.
Mallie hesitated. Teddy didn’t, though. “My friends say Duke is gonna pick you and Wanda over us.”
Nat scrunched up his face. “What for? Why would Duke even pick us?”
“He likes Wanda,” Mallie said reluctantly, her shoulders drooping. “Everyone always wants to adopt the babies.”
Nat frowned. “Well, first of all, no one is adopting Wanda. She’smine.Duke will have to get through me first.”
“His scent is all over you,” Teddy pointed out.
