The Arena novel Chapter 32

After I returned home from the last arena, Kenna was very needy. She never wanted to let me out of her sight; she cried when I’d leave for work in the mornings, and as soon as I got home, she wouldn’t let go of me.

I started taking her out to the mountains to continue to work with her on her dragon abilities. A year after getting harpooned, my daughter finally had her first shift. I was such a proud momma. She’s a beautiful dragon. She’s a miniature version of me, a red dragon, but she has two black streaks, one on each side running from her face to her tail. Those come from her father. She’s taken part of his black hair into her coloring. It’s beautiful.

According to Jena, Palila, and Ish, she also got her father’s Alpha aura. Apparently, when she was having a temper tantrum, she told them to leave her alone. They didn’t tell her, but they told me that they couldn’t go to her. They had to wait until she came to them.

Kenna’s at a difficult age. Now that she’s two years old and has shifted, she wants to ‘spread her wings’ as the saying goes. In this case, it’s true, and she doesn’t understand why she can’t just fly whenever she wants to. She’s testing me, Jena, Palila, and Ishir nearly all the time. Ish and I are strong enough to keep her in line, but I’ve become more and more concerned about leaving her with Jena and Palila.

“Kenna! I’m not going to tell you again. When I leave for work, Jena and Palila are in charge.”

“Why? Why can’t I just go out when I want to?” she shouts back at me.

“Kenna, we’ve been over this. You know why.”

“But …”

“I SAID NO! They are in charge, and you will not disobey them when I’m gone, or I’ll ground you. And when I say that I will ground you, it means you won’t be flying at all! Am I clear?” I yell back at her.

“I HATE YOU!” she screams and turns to run into her room. The drama of her exit is complicated by her small human toddler legs, and it takes her longer than she would like to get to her room and slam her door.

As soon as her door closes, I rub my hands over my face. I had just walked in the door from work and found her sneaking back in from flying.

“Do all fire dragons have this much of a temper?” Jena asks me.

I walk to the couch and throw myself onto it. “Probably, but I didn’t have these issues when I was a kid. I was allowed to fly whenever I wanted.”

“You should explain it to her,” Palila says from the kitchen. “Sometimes, it’s easier when you understand why you have to do something, even if you don’t like it.”

“I don’t want to scare her. I don’t want her living in fear.” I say, leaning my head on the back of the couch and closing my eyes.

“According to you, she’s halfway to adulthood by dragon standards. And even by human standards, she’s a big child. You’ll have to tell her eventually, and her knowing may make the difference we need. She’s a smart girl, strong, and strong-willed, like both her parents,” Jena says.

I sigh, lifting my head and looking over at Jena and Palila. “Thank you, both of you. I’m sure this isn’t the life you had planned for yourself, but I really appreciate everything you do for me and Kenna.”

“You gave us a place to live when we had nowhere to go and jobs when we had nothing. So, the feeling’s mutual,” Palila says, coming over with a plate of food. “Now, take this to your daughter and tell her. She’ll understand.”

I take the food and go knock on my daughter’s door. “Go away.” I can hear her sniffling behind the door.

“Kenna, can I come in, please? I have your dinner, and I want to talk.”