Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 42796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42796 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
“We’ll go talk to the Guardians in the square.” Ardon spoke for Oldrik and Skye.
“I’m going to walk the perimeter of that building,” Keres announced. When the others turned to stare at him in concern, he promised, “I’ll be careful.”
“The two of us will touch base with the school administration and religious leaders. One of them may have information about the missing children,” Khadar pointed to himself and Argenis.
“Let your mates ask questions as well. Sometimes, humans will talk to other fragile humans instead of dragons,” Keres suggested.
The horde members nodded. Each shifter with a mate knew their loved ones jumped at an opportunity to help the kids in this situation. The dragon shifters would take all the help they could get. Their unknown attackers were becoming more desperate.
“Hi, Grandmother,” Brooks greeted Elenore warmly before giving her a hug.
“Brooks. You look well. I’m glad you’re adjusting to your new life so well. And Rogan! I was so worried about you. The other dragons seemed hesitant to say when you’d feel better,” Elenore shared.
“My recovery is thanks to your grandson. I would have lost my way without him. How’s May?” Rogan asked.
“Rogan? Did you find my brother?”
“May! You’re awake. I bet you’re hungry. Everyone’s in the kitchen.” Elenore tried to shoo the group to the table, but May didn’t move. She stared at Rogan, waiting for him to answer.
“That powder got me as well, May. I just woke up and came over here to check if you could give me some details. The other dragons and their mates are checking everywhere to get information about you and your brother. Let’s go sit down and you can answer some questions for me. Any information you can provide might help.”
She seemed reluctant, but May nodded and followed Elenore. The kindly grandmother set apples in front of the humans and then started putting together more to eat. May immediately took a huge bite from the apple. She ate like she was starving as Elenore put things in front of her—not turning her nose up at anything.
Brooks? Does your grandmother keep paper and pen around? I’d like to write things down.
Still munching on his apple, Brooks nodded as he stood. He walked a short distance away and opened a drawer in the desk at the edge of the kitchen to pull out a pad and ballpoint. He waved them at his grandmother to signal her they were borrowing them. Rogan spotted a picture sitting on the desk and was struck again by how much Brooks resembled his father.
Rogan glanced back at Elenore and spotted a bit of his handsome mate in her as well. Maybe it was the determined set of her jaw. That trend of stubbornness seemed to run in the family much to the detriment of Brooks’s butt.
“Thank you, Elenore. It will be easier for us all to disperse information with it written down,” Rogan said. He appreciated Elenore more each time they met.
“Good idea,” Elenore said with a nod.
“May, what’s your brother’s name?” Rogan asked, refocusing on the teenager at the table.
“Edwin Cesar. He’s three. His fourth birthday will be on Sept 16th,” May answered.
“Describe him for me,” Rogan requested.
“He’s goofy. Cute with dark hair and dark eyes. Medium skin tone,” she told them.
“How tall? Thin? Chubby?” Rogan searched for details to help them. “Do you have a picture of him?”
“Mom did on her phone, but that doesn’t work anymore. He comes up to my hip. Over three feet. He’s thin. We haven’t had a lot to eat since Mom died.”
“Did something happen to her during the change?” Brooks asked.
“No. She passed away about a month earlier. From cancer. She made me promise to take Edwin to his father. We were on our way through Wyvern when everything happened.”
“You said his father. You two have the same mother, but different fathers?” Brooks clarified, trying to put the pieces together correctly.
“Mom couldn’t tell me who my father was. She knew Edwin’s because he moved her in for a while and she stopped working. He was killed stealing a car when Edwin was two. Mom went back to the streets. We lived in that house for a while, but his father’s family booted us out and sold that place.”
“Where were you from, May?” Rogan asked.
“I’m not really from anywhere. When we were homeless, we searched for a place with a roof where we might find some food and stay there until it’s too dangerous. Then we move on,” May reported.
“May, I’ve been saving this package of cookies for the right time. Let’s open them up,” Elenore suggested, sitting down at the now laden table. She removed the wrapper and pulled out a plastic tray of soft chocolate chip cookies. “Everyone, help yourself.”
Brooks took the first one to break the ice as May hesitated. “Oh, these are good. I’m going to miss treats like this when there are no more around.”