CHAPTER 225

With that, she summoned her heartfire and burned down the hut. It didn't take very long, and she was careful to spread the ashes with her tail, grinding them into the shattered rocks beneath her feet. Satisfied that the evidence was removed, she stretched her wings wide, stopping briefly to admire the glittering silver veins that ran throughout her left wing. Emery had done a phenomenal job patching her up.

With a powerful burst, she launched herself into the air, circling higher and higher until the cliffs were far below her. In the distance, she could make out the valley where the centaurs roamed, and the vast ocean that surrounded the island. Up on one of the highest mountain peaks, a single tower glistened in the sun, watching over the land. She could sense him already, her Caretaker, like a shining beacon guiding her home.

Knowing that Mike was waiting for her, she soared through the clouds, leaving the darkness of the Jersey Devil behind.

Mike stood on the bluffs overlooking the greenhouse's jungle. Down below, the centaurs had finally cleared enough land to establish the beginnings of full blown agriculture. In the distance, he could see the thunderbird as it soared toward the horizon, creating a fresh storm behind it.

Across his chest, he wore a special bag that Tink had designed for him. Inside, the egg thrummed against his chest. It had been nearly a month since Leeds had been entombed, and his world had finally reached a state of calm.

Most of his time recently had been spent clearing out the Vault. After Beth had sealed it away, the entities inside had made a mess of the place in their attempts to escape. Ratu had helped them with identifying, relocating, and sometimes destroying dangerous objects that might have caused trouble in the future. Now that the naga was feeling better, she had taken custody of both the Grimoire and Osiris' magic cock for further study.

"There you are." Quetzalli came through the greenhouse door, her skirt catching briefly on the latch. Grumbling, she fixed her outfit and closed the door. "Naia said you would be here."

"I sensed him." He waved his hand at the thunderbird. "I was out in the garden with Amymone when I felt the thunderbird's presence."

"Your senses are getting stronger." Without warning, she flicked a stone at him, boosting it with a powerful shock from her fingertips.

His precognition activated, and Mike willed the stone away from him. His magic reacted, swatting the stone away with a burst of static when it was inches away.

With so many powerful magic users, it had been a difficult choice picking someone to train him. His magic relied heavily on instinct, which made early lessons with Ratu and Yuki difficult to follow. Naia and Amymone had been able to show him some basics, but it was nowhere near the level of control that Beth already showed. It didn't surprise him how quickly she took to her new abilities.

In fact, during her tutelage, she had discovered that the cabin was actually a better place for her to learn elemental magic. The hot springs in particular gave her insight into earth, fire, and water, but that was above Mike's head. Oregon was still a difficult place for him to visit, so when Beth asked if he would mind if she stayed there for a while to develop her magic, he agreed on the condition that she try to help Bigfoot organize the forest children. While the forest children respected him, the sasquatch lacked leadership skills and planning that Beth could provide.

That, and if the gossip he heard from the fairies was true, Beth was indeed discovering just how good of a kisser Bigfoot really was. It made him smile to know that she was living her own dreams, though he did miss having her in the room next door. The two of them had been bonding over their newfound magical abilities, but Beth had soon eclipsed him.

After weeks of frustration, a chance encounter with the Fairy Queen had given him the solution to his magic problem. Titania had explained that his magic was simply too wild. Whereas Beth was learning how to manipulate the elements using spoken words and gestures, his magic acted on will alone, both conscious and subconscious. He was a force of nature, and needed someone with experience handling vast amounts of destructive power.

Quetzalli the storm dragon had been an unexpected, perfect fit. Mike's magic was very much like a stormcloud, building in power before releasing all at once.

"Reactions are getting better." She walked up by his side and leaned her head onto his arm. "I checked in with Bigfoot this morning. He's been teaching English to the Nirumbi. It's mostly the children for now, they're the easiest. He's been reading them books that the girls grew up with."

"That's wonderful." He debated asking if Bigfoot would save those books for him, but decided not to. Eulalie had warned him that his daughter might be a danger to him in the first couple of years. She had bitten her father a couple of times by accident, and Velvet had broken Darren's wrist. It wouldn't be simple being a father to a child with eight legs and fangs, and things would never remotely resemble normal ever again. By the time it was safe to cuddle up with his daughter and read her tales about the Poky Little Puppy, she would probably be past those storybooks.

Besides, Ratu was already working on an artifact that would allow his daughter to age naturally in the Library. He would have every book at his disposal if he wanted to try reading to her. If he broke a few limbs along the way, it wouldn't be the end of the world...right?

He put his hand on the egg and let out a sigh. While he couldn't wait to meet her, he knew things were going to change. He was a target, and there would be times when the best thing to do would be to keep his child at arm's length. While the others understood, how would he tell his daughter that he was too busy not being murdered to play with her?