Page 123 of The Arcane God

Mel looked down at the baby in her arms in awe once more. “Gaia,” they said. “It’s not every day you meet a monster, you know. It’s quite special.”

“A—a what?” Ty asked, his brow instantly furrowed.

“A monster,” Mel said, their focus still on the baby.

“Mel,” Turner said, placing his hand gently on their shoulder and speaking to them like a parent would to a child. “We don’t call a mixed-race baby a monster. That’s not polite.”

“Oh, no,” Mel said, smacking their hand to their forehead. “I’m not… I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry, you know how it goes. I thought I already told you.”

“Yeah, well, you didn’t,” Ty said patiently. “Care to explain?”

“Well, I told you that I figured it out,” Mel said to Ena. “Who the Mother of Monsters was.”

That phrase…a vague memory came back to Ena of the time she’d passed out after communicating with Greya at the Sacred Pool, and the strange conversation she’d had with Mel afterwards. They had said they’d figured out who the Mother of Monsters was, and then they’d looked at her…

“I’m the Mother of Monsters?” Ena asked.

“Yes,” Mel said, as if that was painfully obvious.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Steig asked gruffly.

“Well, what else would you call him?” Mel responded. “With the giant wings and talons and the horns and all that.”

“Mel—what in the fuck are you talking about?” Ty asked, clearly, like the rest of them, at the end of his rope.

“The being he will Change into when he grows up. It’s quite monstrous, really. I hope I live to see it. Giant wings, horns, scales like a serpent, and talons the size of a human being,” they explained, a huge smile on their face.

“Wait, are you saying that our son will be able to Change into a Draco?” Ty asked.

Shock rippled through Ena.

“Oh, you’re right!” Mel exclaimed. “I never thought about the resemblance to the Draco before. Gaia…yes! He will be a Draco. The first Draco, it seems.” Mel continued to smile widely, as if this was the greatest news they’d ever heard.

“Just like the stryx said…” Ty said, looking over at Ena in disbelief. “The world will begin to right itself with the birth of the Draco.”

No way. Ena couldn’t believe it. Mel had to be mistaken…

She looked down at the small babe in her arms—the special surprise who was part witch, daemon, and stryx. A truly unique magical being…and she Knew.

Ena looked up to meet Ty’s eyes, and began laughing.

Because…really?! Their son—their baby—was going to be a Draco?! She didn’t know if she was proud, terrified, or both.

Definitely both.

“What have you seen of him?” Turner asked, while she and Ty were busy descending into shocked madness.

“Well, I’ve seen you,” they said to Ena, “and Ty with him, and I’ve seen him Change. Not until he is twenty-seven, of course, and goes through his Summoning—or his Awakening, I guess. Kaya was explaining that to me recently.”

“Wow,” Lara said, looking over at Ena, her eyebrows at her hairline. “I thought my kids were a handful. Yours is going to be…something else.”

Mel chuckled lightly to themself. “He will do great and terrible things,” they said. “He will bring one world together, and tear another apart. So yes, I’d say so.”

“What does that mean?” Ena asked, feeling thoroughly overwhelmed by this all.

“You know, I’m not really sure yet,” Mel said cryptically as they shrugged.

Ena shook her head. She shouldn’t be surprised, because somehow, every conversation with Mel left her with infinitely more questions than answers. She would definitely be doing some research in the Archives about it tomorrow, though.