Page 22 of The Dragon's Distraction

“Tiring, she’s a kicker.”

“You can’t blame Falkon for that. You kicked me whenever you didn’t get your way as a toddler.”

“And you could always just fly away and taunt me from the air,” I teased.

As a child I’d always found my mothman brother’s ability to fly fascinating. But it also made me jealous at times. Now I could fly whenever I wanted. Falkon never missed a chance to take me up into the skies. I wondered if our girl would be able to fly too.

“Yeah,” he laughed, but I could tell he had something on his mind.

“What’s up, bro? Is it time?”

“Yeah, Heather said Vedrac was over there. Can you ask him to give me a call? I think I’ve nearly got him.”

Daylen. Finally.

“Of course, I’ll tell him straight away.”

There was a pause.

“What else?”

“Well, I dunno. There’s this woman. I don’t really know what to say….”

There was something in his tone of voice I hadn’t heard before. A softness.

“Of course, whenever you want. I’m always here for you.”

“I know. Even when I was young and a dick, you never gave up on me. Despite everything.”

This was unusually soppy for him.

“And I never will.”

“Thanks sis.”

As we hung up, my mind was whirring. A woman? I’d be hard pressed to keep my curiosity in check until he was ready to talk. He never got emotionally attached to women. I wandered outside.

“Vedrac, my brother wants you to give him a call. Sounds like he has a lead on Delaney.”

Vedrac leapt up like a bee had stung him.

“I’ll do it now.”

He took off, wrapping his robe around him. He was keen to see this through. I sat down on the grass next to Falkon and he wrapped around me.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go too?”

“No, Sunbeam. Not this close to your due date. Vedrac and Sable will get it done.”

“I hope they will both be ok.”

I chewed my lip nervously.

“They will be.”

“Maybe I should go for a run to keep my anxiety in check?”

“Maybe I could think of a way to keep you distracted?”

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