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can get an early start tomorrow. I’d like to visit with Aspen first. Where is she?” Hazel wanted to find out what Aspen knew. She was smarter than all of them put together. If anyone knew about Rowan’s disappearance, Aspen did.
    “She spends most nights at Sid’s. She and Rowan had been staying there before he disappeared because the park was shut down. I think it’s easier for her to stay there than to come home.”
    Hazel’s chest tightened. “Did she know I was coming?”
    “Yeah. She said she would see you in the morning.”
    Hazel felt absurdly annoyed. It should be fine that she waited until morning to see Aspen, but maybe she was just feeling off because she wanted her whole family together.
    Hazel half expected Rowan to be waiting on her bed when she opened the door. When he used to cover her ass when she snuck out, he never threatened to tell their mom and dad, but he did have a price. He wanted her to tell him stories of her adventures. So he was always waiting for her when she got home, and she’d regale him with her exploits. He was a fantastic listener, and they’d often lay awake for hours laughing at the trouble she could get in. She’d offered to take him with a few times, but he always turned her down. He said it was safer to live through her.
    Now he was out on his own adventure. Hazel hoped he was having the time of his life. She imagined him off with his own friends, road tripping to Washington or something. She wanted him to be doing something stupid because that meant he wasn’t dead.
    She dumped her bag in her room and dug out a pair of thick sweats from her dresser. Then she opened another drawer and pulled out her long underwear. She’d hoped she would never have to wear those again. But she was glad her parents left her room intact even though she didn’t come that often.
    In the bathroom she stripped down quickly and stepped into the shower, hoping the hot water would warm her up. After she shampooed her hair, she grabbed her razor out of habit. When she leaned down to run the razor over her left calf, she saw a flash of black on her ankle.
    What the hell?
    She stretched out her foot. An intricate black tattoo encircled her ankle. She had a dolphin tattoo on her shoulder, but that was on purpose. This was new.
    She turned off the water, her razor forgotten. She dressed quickly, her sweatshirt sticking to her wet skin, sat on the edge of the tub, rested her leg on her knee, and studied the beautiful tattoo. The pattern was a mixture of crisscrosses and loops, a couple of inches wide. In the middle of the loops were several words in a strange language. There was only one word she could read, and it made her blood run cold.
    Valentine.

V AL LOOKED UP at the enormous house and hesitated. Most of the humans in his area had small homes. This looked like it could house a hundred humans. It made him feel incredibly insignificant, which only added to his nerves.
    He was about to meet Obsidian. The dragon king. Though Val knew he was a king as well, that reality hadn’t quite hit him yet. He wondered if he’d ever feel like a real king, since he would always be the second king. He’d defer to Obsidian.
    He wiped his palms on his jeans and knocked on the door. He couldn’t stay out there much longer without his eyelids freezing together. He missed Hawaii already. Though he did like watching the snow fall. At home he would sometimes fly up to the tall peaks and play in the snow.
    Obsidian opened the door. Even as a human, he looked kingly. He was tall with dark hair and piercing blue eyes.
    Obsidian smiled wide and waved him inside. “Come on in.”
    Val dragged his suitcase into the house and gave Obsidian a small bow.
    “Hello, Your Majesty.”
    Obsidian clapped him on the back and let out a laugh. “I should say the same thing to you. No need for formalities here or anywhere else for that matter. You’re a king. You bow to no one. Also, call me Sid. Everyone else does.”
    Val took