illyris, p. parker ¹

iii. with great power...

"Abuelita, voy a agarrar comida," said Bex fluidly. She went straight to the small electric stove where a covered pot of something amazing caught both their noses. She left to her bedroom, presumably to change into something more comfortable.

Thea wandered over to the kitchen, the instant warmth enveloping her in a familiar hug. Perhaps it was from the stove that was still hot, cooling down from the pot of food it cooked... or maybe it was the house itself. Her hands slowly reached out to the coils, the waves of heat curling around her hands. She felt a calming tingling rush through her fingers.

Bex returned and with Abuela's help, assembled some ceramic plates. "Rebeca, the rice and the frijoles are in the mantequilla thing. And take these tostones." She handed Thea a small Tupperware container stuffed with the fried slices of plantain. She was tempted to eat them right then and there.

Bex sighed and took the container from her. "Abuelita, we're not that hungry."

"Yes, we are," Thea hissed through grit teeth and yanked it back.

"Ay, it's una cosita," Imelda reasoned, waving her hands in the air. "Por el amor de dios, eat something! You two study all day and night. You deserve a break."

"Right. Studying," Thea muttered under her breath, sticking one of the savory slices of plantain in her mouth. Abuela didn't need to know about Bex's nighttime hours dedicated to reading Doctor Who fanfiction.

Bex opened the lid of the pot and her shoulders relaxed at the steaming aroma of Imelda's ropa vieja. Thea almost shoved her away to get a whiff herself and what a scent it was. Seasoned shredded beef, caramelized onions, colorful slices of red and yellow bell peppers, all cooked in a thick gravy of broth and spices. If Thea had to choose one thing to eat before she died, it would be this masterpiece.

"So did dragons really exist or was How to Train Your Dragon messing with my feelings?"

Thea sighed, the idea paining her that she couldn't feel the sky rushing through her hair atop a soaring dragon. She stuck a pair of tongs inside the steaming pot as she scooped out a portion of ropa vieja. "Sera told me they did a really long time ago but she doesn't know beyond that, Bex. They were tamed with Sovrani sorcery and used in battle until they became pets in Ivorstone."

"Pets?" Bex asked, her nose scrunching in confusion.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure the last one was like the size of a beagle," Thea chuckled. "It died in Dragonfort around..." she sucked on her cheek, facts coming to her mind like running water, "I wanna say 1785. That was hundreds of years ago so no one believes they exist, not that they saw them in the first place. My family tried to genetically code new dragons from bones but science wasn't the answer."

"Awesome," Bex gasped, grinning. "Like Frankenstein's dragon."

"The only things we've got to go off of are dragon skulls and stone eggs, but they were destroyed or locked away after the Purge," Thea added, her jaw set. "There are no more dragons."

Bex's lips were parted, her eyes glued on Thea. "That is the coolest thing anyone has ever said— Abuelita, guess what?!" she suddenly hollered like a child who just met Santa Claus. "Dragons existed!"

"Ah, yes, yes..." Imelda's voice was distant, if not shattered. She sat in front of the small television screen, her small hands clutched together.

"Delmar's Sandwiches destroyed after an ATM robbery was thwarted..."

Confused, Bex and Thea made their way to the living room with their warm plates of Cuban food. Usually, they ate at the table but the NY1 broadcast Abuela was watching took them by surprise.