The Arena novel Chapter 38

On Friday night, Avani came to the penthouse. I was working late, trying to track the money for Sovereign Unlimited. I had tracked it offshore but was still trying to find where it has ended up. I’d seen where it was laundered, but that’s as far as I have gotten.

When I get home, everyone is sitting around the table eating dinner. Kenna comes running up to greet me. I pick her up and hug my daughter tight as I walk into the dining room.

“Avani, I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Hey, beautiful.” He winks at me. “I got a call requesting my presence.”

I frown at him for a moment before looking at Kenna. “You asked Avani to come tonight.”

She slides out of my arms and walks back over to Avani. “Avani said he would make sure you were safe.” she says, looking at him before turning back to me. “I don’t want you to die or be injured like last time.”

“Sweet girl.” I squat down, putting myself at her eye level and holding out my arms. She comes running back. “Nothing, and no one can take me away from you,” I say as I bury my face in her hair, smelling her cinnamon scent.

“I’m afraid, Momma,” she whispers against my chest. I pick her up and carry her back to the table.

“Well, did Avani tell you that there will be another dragon there tomorrow?” Her eyes widen and she looks at Avani, who gives her a wide-eyed ‘surprise’ look.

“Who?”

“Her name is Kaylani. She’s the water dragon.”

I pull her plate over so she can eat while sitting on my lap. “Does she look like you or Avani?”

Palila puts my plate in front of me, and I mouth ‘thank you’ to her. “Neither. While you and I are fire dragons, and our dragons are red, Avani is the Earth dragon, and his dragon is green. Kaylani is the water dragon, and her dragon is blue."

"You look like rubies Momma, and Avani looks like emeralds. Does Kaylani look like a gemstone, too?”

“She does,” Avani says, leaning in as if this is an exciting game. When my daughter wiggles on my lap, I can tell that it’s a game she’s excited to play. Seriously, this man is so arrogant with everyone except my daughter.

“Which one?” Kenna asks him.

“I’ll give you three guesses.”

Kenna looks at her food, and you can tell she’s thinking hard. “Aquamarine?”

“A very intelligent guess, given that she’s the water dragon, but no. That’s one.”

She scrunches up her face again. “Blue topaz?”

“Nope. That’s two. If you were a water dragon, what gemstone would you want to be colored after?”

Kenna thinks for a minute before her face lights up. “Sapphire!”

“You, my little fire dragon, are very smart,” Avani says and goes back to eating.

Kenna pushes her food around on her plate. Avani notices and looks at me before turning his attention to Kenna. “What’s on your mind, beautiful girl?”

“I was wondering … well, Momma is solid red, and you are solid green. I’m assuming Kaylani is solid blue?” she asks Avani. I see his frown. He doesn’t know what she’s going to ask, but I do. He hasn’t seen her dragon form.

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Sweet girl, you’re not a full dragon; you’re a hybrid. That’s why you have onyx in your coloring.”

I see Avani’s surprise. Kenna is the first dragon hybrid I’ve ever heard of. Even I was shocked to see the mix of colors on her scales.

“What does that mean? I’m a hybrid?”

“It means that your father isn’t a dragon.”

She turns and looks at Ishir. She’s seen his tiger form. “I would be lucky to be your father, but I’m not Kenna,” he tells her gently.

“Then who is?”

I really didn’t want to have this conversation tonight. Okay, if I’m being honest, I didn’t want to have this conversation ever. I just thought maybe I had more time.