So this is what a Dragon party was like? This did not impress Willa. She snorted quietly and tried not to show it as she looked around. 

All the Dragons present were in human form tonight, so there was plenty of handsome eye candy to enjoy. But as far as Willa could tell, the eligible ones were there with their mates. Cursing her luck, she kissed goodbye any chance one of them might help her break in her new younger body. At least the food had been good. 

At dinner, Elenora explained to them all that Damien’s family hired a couple of families from among local villagers to cook for parties like this one. She also said they’d been doing so for centuries. Hearing “centuries” also had explained Damien’s strangely historical attire that he wore proudly, or at least it had to Willa. All the Dragons dressed like the time period they favored. She gave kudos to Elenora for adding a wide and equally historic bustier to her iconic red Jezibaba dress for the evening so that she and her Dragon mate would match.

Unfortunately, dinner had been the highlight for Willa—the only highlight. Of all the things Willa expected to feel this evening while mingling with more Dragons than she’d ever been exposed to before, honestly being bored out of her Witch mind hadn’t been one of them. It was like being in attendance with a bunch of billionaires, who were all talking about the various challenges of the properties they owned and the projects they had in the works.

Boring times twenty in her eyes, but she’d committed to attending. That’s why she’d claimed a human-sized seat by the massive fireplace where she could sit and watch, instead of pretending to pay attention. She clutched what remained of her wine from dinner while struggling to appear content to sit by herself.

When her mind drifted away from Dragon watching to the new spell she was creating, Willa officially gave up what remained of her romantic hopes for the evening.

Moona glanced across the room at her, so Willa lifted her drink and smiled.

Her powerful Wolf-Witch sister’s healing spell had gone wild and gave her a second chance to be the Magical she’d always wanted to be. 

But despite the spell changing nearly everything else about her, it hadn’t made her a less serious individual or turned her into a sparkling female surrounded by males vying for her favor. Not one other female present was being ignored—only her—which proved her conclusion. 

Was it self-pity she felt? Ugh… perhaps. Did that make her weak or anti-social? To those who were easily outgoing, there was no actual difference.

All Willa gleaned from her evening with Dragons was that she preferred being a 100-year-old woman who was less prone to having hormonal needs. Unfortunately, there was no getting around reality.

A second chance was a second chance.

Besides, she’d never been the life of any party. Why should anything change simply because she was ten times more magically powerful now and looked like some thirty-year-old conglomeration of all her ancestors? Everyone did indeed leave some of their energy behind when they passed on to their next Great Adventure. Willa was living proof that some myths weren’t myths at all, but rather reality waiting for an opportunity to manifest.

Philosophizing aside, Willa wished she could arrange a ride home for her very pregnant sister and her mate, but she wouldn’t do that to them. She wouldn’t do it no matter how much she now wished she’d refused this invitation and stayed in her little cottage in the woods to work on her spell. It would certainly have been a more productive use of her time.

Her gaze sought and landed on Moona again with her protruding belly carrying a set of triplet Werewolves. Her sister and Jared were huddled into what appeared to be a rather intense conversation with the new Fairy Queen and King. 

If her sister had been talking to the former Queen Arraign, Willa might use her stronger powers to weave a spell to punish the former Fairy Queen for abusing her sister’s kindness all those years. But there was no revenge to be had now. The old Fairy Queen was gone and the new King and Queen were adorable… at least, for royals. 

And King Nathaniel once was—perhaps still was—a Warlock, according to Zenos. If true, the handsome Warlock seemed a rare male among his Magical kind. Willa had known her share of Warlocks, which meant she now avoided them. Her father had allegedly been one, but with her mother gone, there seemed no way to prove that particular story.

The bottom line was that Warlocks did nothing for her libido, which is why she’d hoped to attract a Dragon tonight. She would have liked a dragon like Zenos of Those of the One. He was an accomplished Mage, which some might argue was only another name for a long-lived Warlock or Witch who progressed in power. The legendary Merlin had been a Mage, and the only one Willa had known before meeting Zenos. 

Zenos wasn’t like any other male she’d known. Now there was a Dragon to fuel her fantasies. 

She’d foolishly dressed up tonight hoping to find another like him—since Zenos definitely was not available. Zenos, with his smooth voice and charming manners, seemed happily mated to a female Dragon named Celeste whose gleaming silver-white hair hung to her waist.

Her gaze dared Willa to try anything with her mate. If the rather large-breasted Dragon female had bothered to talk to her, Willa would have assured Celeste that Zenos seemed truly immune to all womanly wiles but hers.

And seriously…. why would any female bother trying to lure Zenos when the Dragon-Mage kept one hand on his Dragon mate at all times? Goddess, Willa wasn’t that desperate yet.

Sure, she might be a tad envious of the female Dragon, but most single females would be in their presence. Celeste better toughen up about her man because Zenos had that special something all women innately searched for and tried to latch onto when they found it. She couldn’t explain why it worked that way. She only knew it did. Her hormones fully understood it without her intellect being involved.

Fighting back a sigh over her romantic woes, Willa saw Jacob wink at her from across the room. Jacob was a mere boy by Dragon standards… and he absolutely came across as one to Willa. She still chuckled at his masculine bravado and wondered from what ancestor he’d gotten his oh-so-pleasant male demeanor that would one day attract all the females whose gazes landed on him. 

Jacob loved a good adventure and so did she. They were kindred spirits—she and Jacob. So technically she had a Dragon in her life, if not in the way she’d hoped might one day come about.

When Jacob went back to talking with Elenora and her mate Damien, Willa moved her gaze back to the fireplace so no one would see how badly she wanted to leave. 

Her peaceful moment of staring into the fire got disrupted when a large, purple and orange cloud appeared near the ceiling of the cavernous room they were in. The cloud enlarged until it burst with a pop to rain glitter down on everyone’s head.

The Dragons chuckled nervously and looked to the former Jezibaba, who shrugged and looked across the room at her. Shaking her head, Willa chuckled nervously before groaning and covering her eyes. Then Elenora suddenly knew what was going on—that much was clear when the Dragon-Witch looked toward the entrance. 

Embarrassment hit Willa hard and her face heated from it. Okay. Fine. A hundred-year-old Witch ought to be mature enough to own her mistake. 

She probably should have returned the scrying call immediately, instead of pushing it off, but she’d been dressing to come here when it came. For once in her long duty-filled life, Willa put pleasure above doing the right thing. She’d fully intended to get back to the Baba Yaga tomorrow. 

Goddess only knew the new Witch Protectress seemed even less patient than the Jezibaba had been. Was impatience a requirement for the role? Willa couldn’t imagine that being the case, but what did she know? She’d once applied to become a member of the Council of Witches and failed to be chosen. In the end, that had been a blessing because she’d been there to save her and Moona’s mother when she still had power enough to do it.

Rolling her eyes, Willa rose and shook her head a second time when Moona looked her way in concern.

It was regrettable that their Dragon hosts had to deal with a party crasher. She’d owe them an apology later because it was her fault. She’d never have to worry about making a mistake like this again, though, because she imagined this would be the last Dragon party invitation she ever received.

​