Genevieve nodded. “I will. I’m looking forward to seeing her.” She reached out a hand and pushed back Charlotte’s hair to study the mark on her neck. “You’re certain of what you’re doing, Charlie? He doesn’t have you under some spell, like in the movies? This is all unknown territory for us, and I have to confess, I’m really uneasy about it.”

“I’ve always had some kind of shield, Vi, you know that. I don’t react to mind control. That was what saved us both in Paris when Fridrick tried to make us open the door and allow him in. I want to be with Tariq of my own free will,” she assured.

Genevieve nodded. “I like him. I do. It’s just that, these men are very scary. They look so gorgeous that any woman might just fall hard, but underneath that beauty, seriously, Charlie, they’re very dangerous, scary men. I’m not like you. I’ve always wanted to be, but I’m not the warrior woman.” She lowered her eyes, twisting her fingers together in her lap. “I don’t belong here.”

Charlotte leaned into her. “Yes, you do. You’re strong, Vi. Not everyone has to be a fighter. You fight when you have to. You would defend any of these children, you know you would. You would defend me, and Tariq as well. You just aren’t the best at defending yourself and that’s okay. We were working on that, remember?”

“It’s weird, but I have this strong desire to go back to Paris, as if I’ve forgotten something there. Something important.”

“Don’t you dare. I need you here with me. I’m so out of my depth.” Charlotte watched her niece and Bella play with the ducks. They splashed water and laughed together and her heart stuttered in her chest. She wanted that for Lourdes, for all the children. She wanted it for herself and Genevieve. Their lives had been turned upside down, and Tariq was trying to right them. Give them something to hold on to. A family of sorts. She planned to hang on with both hands. “Don’t leave, Vi. Stay and help me with these children.”

Genevieve nodded. “I’d like to say I’m staying because I know you need me, which you do. Or because these children need me, which they do. But I know I’m terrified to go off on my own. I’m not nearly as nice as I should be.”

Charlotte shook her head, her smile breaking through. “You’re so silly. Of course you’re staying because the children and I need you. I’m terrified as well. We’d be idiots if we weren’t. So we’ll stick together like we’ve always done from the first time we wrote as pen pals in the third grade. Go look at the houses and choose one.”

Genevieve flashed a wan smile. “Nothing like house hunting on someone else’s property. He must have acres. Who knew?” She stood up, hugged Charlotte and went to the tub. “Auntie Vi is heading out to walk around and stretch her legs. You’ve had your dinner, and Auntie Charlie’s here to play with you. Be good.” She bent to brush a kiss on each wet head and then left the large bathroom, taking her coffee mug with her.

Charlotte watched the two girls play for some time, heating the water twice before she finally declared them both prunes and got them out to dry off and dress. She held both girls’ hands as she took them out to the play yard. For the first time in a long while she felt ordinary, a regular person going about her routine. Bella on one side, Lourdes on the other, both girls chattering and laughing. She felt happy.

The outdoor carousel was the center of the play yard, the horses and chariots a riot of color beneath the overhead roof. Each steed was jeweled and ornate, carved from wood. Charlotte recognized the work as being the same as the older pieces in the house. It was beautiful, everything about it, including the platform. She knew it was a working carousel and she couldn’t wait to ride one of the horses and feel what was happening to Tariq when he was carving it.

Floodlights lit the yard, casting shadows around the swings and slides. It was a child’s dream, and there were new additions to it. Lourdes let out a squeal of excitement, dropped Charlotte’s hand and rushed to the lead dragon sitting in the yard. There were five of them. The leader was larger and made of blue stone. Lourdes petted it and slipped her arm around one leg to hug the animal before using the tail to climb onto its back.

Bella went right past the green and orange dragons, straight to the red one. She wrapped her arms around the red stone neck and hugged the dragon tight. Like Lourdes, she climbed up the tail to the neck so she could pretend to ride it.

Charlotte watched as both girls leaned down to whisper secrets to the rock creatures, delighted with them.

“Where’d they come from?” Amelia asked, coming up behind Charlotte. She walked silently, completely at ease in the dark and blinking a little when she came into the powerful light of the floods.

“Lojos, Tomas and Mataias created them out of some stones. Aren’t they beautiful?”

Amelia nodded. She moved to the orange dragon and stroked its head. “This one whispers.” She smiled, a smile of pure delight. “To me. It’s whispering to me.”

Charlotte frowned. “I can’t hear it. What’s it saying?”

Amelia circled the orange dragon’s neck with her arm and pressed her mouth against the ear. “It’s telling me I’m safe with it. I can’t hear any of the other dragons, but Bella and Lourdes are both talking to their dragons. I think they have chosen us. Or Lojos, Tomas and Mataias created them for us.”

That had to be. Lojos, Tomas and Mataias were ancient hunters. They hadn’t found their lifemates, yet they thought to give each of the children living on the property their own special dragon – dragons created under duress, when a battle was imminent. It was more than thoughtful, yet none of them could feel emotion for the children. What was the explanation? They were good men. It came down to that.

“Can the dragons fly?” Charlotte eyed Lourdes and Bella warily. The dragons had flown, but could they still? Certainly not with two three-year-olds on their backs.

Amelia frowned at her. “They’re made of stone.”

“That’s true, but still, they flew before.” She whispered so the two little ones couldn’t hear. “The dragons defended us when we were ambushed by Fridrick and some of his vampire friends.”

Amelia touched a long gash in the side of her dragon. She was silent for a moment and then she nodded. “That’s what happened here. It hurt. Yes, they can fly when needed. We have only to say…”