Page 45 of Hero of Havoc

“Don’t you go near there!”

I lean out of my brother’s embrace with a frown, glancing from him to the door and back again.

“Is that⁠—”

“Lucky, yes. I forget you can hear her too,” he states, running a hand down his face as he stands.

“Is she okay?” I ask, following after him.

“There’s only one way to find out,” he mutters, opening the door to reveal Lucky’s orange scales, but she’s not the only dragon.

The tip of Alaric’s nose is almost pressed against hers, but the way smoke billows from both their nostrils makes it clear they’re not happy to see each other.

“Ivy, tell this wayward fool of a scaly reptile to go away!” Lucky insists, glancing at me out of the corner of her eyes, and I hold my hands up in surrender.

“What’s going on?”

“Lucky thinks you’re hers,” Alaric states, and my eyes widen.

“Let’s separate them before they cause Ivy unnecessary stress,” Baron grumbles, stepping out from behind Alaric. His presence catches me off guard, but as his eyes find mine, a softness nestles in my chest. “Hey, Firefly. I’m here to take you back.”

11

BARON

The sun sits just right in the sky, casting a stunning glow over Ivy in the most ethereal way as she smiles at me.

I think this is what perfection looks like.

Hugo clears his throat as he drapes an arm around Ivy’s shoulder, pulling her in for a short hug. “Luckily for all of us, I need to leave. Which means we can separate these two,” he grumbles, pointing at our dragons as if they can’t hear us.

“He needs to take her far, far away,” Alaric mutters, and Ivy rolls her eyes, giving both Alaric and Lucky a pointed look.

“You’re both as bad as each other,” Ivy insists, “Maybe, instead of fighting over me, you could make my life easier by not adding another issue to the mix.

Alaric dips his head. “I’m sorry, Ivy.”

Lucky does the same and Ivy smiles. “You’re both forgiven,“ she declares, hurrying toward both dragons to run her hands over their scales.

“With the way they both dote on her, I keep forgetting they’re actually our dragons,” Hugo muses, and I scoff.

“I think if they had it their way, they would be hers,” I reply, and he pats me on the shoulder, agreement in the air.

“Take care, Vee. I’ll see you soon, okay?” he hollers as Ivy runs her hand down Lucky’s nose one last time before Hugo climbs up and they take off.

“Good riddance,” Alaric grumbles, earning a withering look from Ivy as she plants her hands on her hips. “Sorry,” he quickly mutters, as I smother my mouth with my hand, attempting to hide my amusement.

“Did you get the short straw?” Ivy asks, turning her attention to me, and I tilt my head as I assess her.

“Short straw?” I repeat, and she nods.

“Having to escort me,” she clarifies, and I shake my head, bewildered.

“This was the prize, Firefly,” I admit, obsessed with the way her cheeks gain a pink hue. “Besides, Alaric was ready to burn me alive if I didn’t make an appearance soon,” I add, and she rolls her eyes.

“Causing trouble, Alaric?” she asks, stopping at my side as she directs her attention toward him, just in time to catch the slight puff of smoke seeping from his nostrils.

“I would never. He’s just being dramatic,” he insists, and Ivy giggles, leaving me obsessed with the sound as her amusement lightens the air.