Soon the house staff arrived and set up the breakfast buffet in the dining room. While they worked, Pia appeared dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and carrying Niall on her chest in a baby carrier. Niall was still in his human form and sleeping. Pia’s tired expression brightened as she took in the expansive spread of food.

“I prefer your cooking,” Dragos told her. “But Aryal ate the entire casserole last night.”

“Thank you for arranging this.” She kissed him, and then turned to greet Tiago.

They elected not to wait for Niniane since, as Tiago said, she had worn herself out the night before. While they ate, Eva arrived and helped herself to food. Now that the time had come, Dragos asked Pia, “When do you want to leave?”

She studied Tiago, who shrugged. “You shouldn’t wait for us. I want the faerie to sleep until she wakes up on her own. We can always follow when we are ready.”

Pia nodded. “Then I think we should leave right away. There’s nothing else keeping us here. We’re packed, we’re ready. We just have to figure out how we’re going to transport the dog.”

“There’s nothing to figure out,” Dragos replied. “He flipped out when he met Stinkpot in his Wyr form. God knows how he would handle the dragon. I’m going to make him go to sleep.”

Tiago remarked laconically, “I can’t believe you got a dog.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Dragos muttered underneath his breath. Pia’s eyes danced.

After that, it was a simple matter of carrying their personal luggage outside. Most of their things had been sent ahead. They had five backpacks, one for each of them, and one for the dog’s food they had taken from Miss Creedy’s house. Pia would carry Niall in his baby carrier on her chest and wear her backpack. Eva would carry the sleeping dog strapped to her chest and wear her backpack. Both women would keep their hands free just in case. Dragos would carry the rest.

They went outside, Dragos shapeshifted into the dragon, and they arranged themselves accordingly, the two women riding astride high on his back, where his neck met his shoulders. Dragos launched, feeling a lightness he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

The first stop was at the guard station that had been built at the entry to the crossover passageway. Dragos had spared no expense on creating the borders to Rhyacia, and he shapeshifted back into his human form so he could conduct a quick inspection. Eva watched the baby and the dog, while Pia accompanied him.