Pia Does Hollywood (Elder Races, #8.6)(3)

“Can you sense it now?” Liam asked.

“I can, but your dad had to show me how at first. And he only knew because Dr. Medina told us I was pregnant,” she replied. “Want me to show you?”

He nodded, and when he sank his bright, familiar Power into her body—gods, Liam was every bit as strong as Dragos—she brushed her awareness against his and told him telepathically, Ease up a little there. You’re feeling pretty intense.

Sorry! he said. I’m just excited.

I know. I am too. When his presence lightened, she guided him to the subtle, tiny shadow, and together they hovered to observe it.

After a few moments, it occurred to her that Liam had unique capabilities that were quite different from anything she, Dragos or Dr. Medina had.

She asked him curiously, This little shadow is all any of us can pick up. Can you sense anything?

Once again, he took his time in responding, and she held her breath as she waited for his reply.

Finally, he said, I’m not sure. As I watch it, I keep getting impressions of fire.

Fire? she repeated. I guess that would make sense. Both you and your dad are pretty fiery.

She felt rather than saw, Liam shake his head. No, I’m not quite the same as Dad. I don’t think I’m as hot as this one is. This one feels as hot as Dad does, to me.

Oh wow, was she going to have another dragon baby? The suspense was going to kill her!

Hugging herself tighter, she told herself she wasn’t going to ask it, but then immediately she caved and asked it anyway. Can you sense if it’s a boy or a girl?

This time, he answered her quickly. No, I’m not picking anything else up. Just heat and fire.

Well, that’s more than your dad and I have been able to sense so far. How exciting! As Liam’s presence pulled away, she surfaced with him. They grinned at each other.

“You both look like a pair of Cheshire cats,” Dragos told them. He was smiling as well.

“Tell him what you saw.” She poked Liam in the stomach. “Tell him!”

He was very ticklish, and his lanky body folded around her prodding finger as he laughed. “I’m not sure I saw anything!”

“You did too,” she insisted. Twisting to look at Dragos, she told him, “He did too.”

“You’ve got good instincts,” Dragos told Liam. “Trust them. What was it?”

“I just kept getting impressions of fire,” Liam said to his father. “That’s all. It felt hotter than I do, more like you.”

“Ah,” said Dragos, with intense male satisfaction. “That sounds like it could be another dragon.”

“You don’t know that.” Pia waved a cautioning finger in the air. “It could mean a fiery nature.”

“True.” He captured her finger, pulled her hand to him and kissed the finger. “But I doubt Liam would just sense a hothead. My guess is, whether the baby is a dragon or not, Liam is somehow reading the new one’s Power.”

Laughing, Liam held up both hands. “I don’t know anything for sure! Maybe I imagined it. I just think it’s so cool I’m going to have a baby brother or sister. Maybe it’ll be like me in some ways!”

Did that statement carry a hint of loneliness in it? Always hypersensitive to the possibility, Pia’s heart clutched at the thought.

So many things served to isolate him. He had so little in common with other children. He was growing up so fast, he couldn’t make lasting friends, and he was the prince of his people, with both unusual dangers and unusual privilege. And as he said, his nature was not like his father’s; Dragos was, at heart, a solitary creature. Liam loved people.

In the next instant, the feeling melted into another warm glow of happiness. If Liam had felt any kind of loneliness at being an only child with such a unique nature, this new little one had already eased it.

Dragos said quietly, “I think you need to leave. Right now, the temps haven’t dropped below freezing, but I want you safely in the air and well away from here before ice develops on the runway. There’s more than an hour left to the movie—you’ll have to watch the rest of it after the trip after all.”

Even though Liam had responded to the news so much better than she had feared that he might, she still felt reluctant to let go of the moment.

Turning back to Liam to search his dark blue gaze, she said, “You can always change your mind and come too, you know. You sure you want to stay here? It’ll be sunny and warm in L.A. And while I can’t promise, we might be able to sneak away for an afternoon at Disneyland, if you want.”

“No,” he said. “I’d like to go to Disneyland someday, but I’d like to go some time when you know you can make the trip. This week, I really want to stay in school. We have a football game on Friday night. I want to play in it, and besides, you said this is the last trip you’re gonna be making for a while. And you’ll be back by next Monday, right?”

“That’s right,” she replied. “I’ll be home on Monday by the time school lets out.”

He shrugged. “Okay. Do you want to watch the rest of the movie with me when you get back?”

“Of course I do.” She leaned over to poke him in the ribs again. “Unless you want to go ahead and finish it tonight, which is okay too. If you watch the rest of it, we can start a new movie when I get back.”