The Crowns of the Gods.

Finding a New Path

Jinx awoke the next morning feeling energized and optimistic. She quickly got dressed, her excitement palpable as she looked forward to shadowing the dragons. Her eagerness stemmed from her desire to absorb as much knowledge as possible from them, aiming to make informed decisions. In that moment, Jinx felt a connection to Blair's thirst for understanding her own identity and origins.

Baez, sensing Jinx's upbeat mood, emitted a soft mew and nuzzled against her hand as she gently petted his head.

Jinx strolled into the kitchen to find Blair bustling about, preparing breakfast from scratch. Blair greeted her with a warm smile before returning her attention to the pancake batter.

Deciding to explore the castle while waiting for Abi to wake up, Jinx roamed the corridors, taking in the grandeur of her surroundings. She knew Abi tended to sleep in, possibly due to her pregnancy, a fact Jinx suspected Abi wasn't aware of yet.

Jinx chuckled as Braxy bounded into the room, closely followed by a drenched and disgruntled Baez. It seemed that Braxy had taken it upon himself to give the cat an impromptu bath. Braxy retreated behind Jinx, whimpering for forgiveness. Jinx comforted him with a pat on the head before picking up Baez.

Using her breath, Jinx dried Baez until he was no longer soaked, but the cat remained visibly irritated. Jinx continued to pet him soothingly until he calmed down. As she placed Baez back on the floor, Braxy approached and affectionately nuzzled him, planting a wet kiss on his fur. Baez responded with a resigned mew and an eye roll before climbing onto Braxy's back.

As Braxy and Baez trotted off together, Jinx couldn't help but sigh. Despite their occasional squabbles, the animals mirrored their parents' unwavering love for each other. Lost in her thoughts, Jinx wandered the corridors of the castle, her mind drifting to the ancient ways of the Myzanc.

As she gazed at the walls steeped in history, Jinx envisioned the lives of the Myzanc people, recalling the tales of their existence in the caves below the Valley of the Wind and Abi's valiant acts as her demon. Jinx held immense admiration for Abi, recognizing the lengths she had gone to protect the one she cherished above all else.

"Aunt Jinx?" Gabby's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes, love?" Jinx responded, turning to face Gabby.

"Momma Abi is awake, and they're waiting for you to join them for breakfast," Gabby informed her.

"Alright, love. Lead the way," Jinx said with a smile, following Gabby toward the breakfast gathering.

Jinx followed Gabby into the dining room, where Abi greeted her with a warm smile and gestured to the chair beside her. Taking her seat, Jinx joined the others as they eagerly began to dig into the meal.

"So, Aunt Jinx, you and Aunt Lisa are going to follow Katarina around today?" Abi inquired.

"Yes, I thought she would be a good starting point, especially since I don't want her help. However, it's clear she could benefit from mine," Jinx explained.

"She just needs help. She's a very troubled person. One might expect that from someone who lived alone in a cave for forty years," Bree remarked.

"She was alone for forty years?" Lisa asked, surprised by the revelation.

"Yes, her mother discovered that her father had the dragon gene and left Katarina in a cave with an elderly woman. Unfortunately, the woman passed away when Katarina was only ten years old. We didn't find her until she was fifty. She's been with us for ten years now, but she still struggles to get along with others. We even sent her to a psychologist, but it didn't seem to help much," Abi explained, shedding light on Katarina's troubled past.