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What does the “scarred lands" look like exactly? Casey asked. Jerawk studied the message on his phone, then looked up at the swirling vortex surrounding them. He had traveled with Kyle to visit the outpost set up at the edges of the vortex. It was a sand and smoke storm, that rumbled and roared thunder, bolts of lightning arced across it, and occasionally explosions flashed deeper within the storm. They stood in land only recently recovered, but it was far from inhabitable. The ground was charred black and cracked with large fissures criss-crossing it.

Most of Archayon still looked like this, and recovery of the planet would take several lifetimes.

Jerawk texted back: Wish I could send you a video. Words don't do it justice. Gonna be afk.

The air tasted noxious and oxidized. Jerawk followed Kyle to the small dome building built between two fissures. They hopped over one chasm to get there, beating their wings a few flaps before landing on the other side.

The door slid open and a blue dragon with a large, blunt horn at the end of his snout greeted them. “No Prince this time, Kyle?"

“Don't worry, I brought you a visitor," Kyle said before gesturing to his mate. “This is—"

“Jerawk. You're the ambassador to Earth."

Jerawk offered the dragon a smile and asked, “And you are?"

“Berask," the dragon said, stepping forward and giving Jerawk a two-handed handshake. “Kyle's told me much about you."

“He loves to gossip," Jerawk said.

“Hard not to talk about you when I lug this around," Kyle prodded his stomach, which had swollen some with the pregnancy.

“Let's go inside, I'll have Kaemen brew some tea."

They entered the dome and Jerawk found the blast of A/C and someone's perfume a little disorienting. A long, blond-haired, icy-blue dragoness reclined on a couch in the middle of the single-roomed outpost. On a screen she watched some kind of fight between two dragons while an announcer prattled on about them both.

Both Kyle and Jerawk froze at the door.

“Kaemen, turn that crap off, we have guests."

“Aww, but the Silver Saint is fighting today."

“You can watch it later."

Grumbling, the dragoness grabbed a remote and pressed a button to switch the screen to a monitor that reported readings on the scarred lands.

Jerawk barely noticed. Just getting reminded of that silver dragon always opened a trapdoor in his gut. His breathing got thin as he remembered that night. Helpless, gunshots, Lunelei beating him until—

Kyle squeezed his arm and a soothing warmth passed through the smaller yellow dragon. Magic—his mate spun a small spell to calm Jerawk down. It was a regular thing Kyle had done for him since that night.

While he had been dissociating, Kaemen and Berask nattered each other about their work. The dragoness put tea on while Kyle and Jerawk sat at a small card table. Aside from the couch, card table, a small kitchenette, a bathroom, and a few bunks fit into the wall, the entire place was stuffed with research equipment: scanners, computers, seismographs, etc. Berask and Kaemen were dressed in loungewear; they did not receive guests often.

“So, what do we owe this little trip?" Kaemen asked. She was bigger than Berask—butch in the way she planted her elbows on the table, arms crossed, and leaning forward.

“We wanted to ask you both to be interviewed," Kyle said.

“Oh, an interview? Sounds fun, what tower is it being broadcasted for? We trying to recruit other mages out here or—"

“It's for Earth," Jerawk answered for Kaemen. Both Berask and Kaemen deflated a little.

“Earth?" Berask said. “We don't speak human, and sorry, Kyle, I don't really want to learn how. I've got my hands full trying to finish my diss while keeping Kaemen from going insane out here."

Kaemen snorted. “You know humans have more than one language, right?"

Jerawk said, “We will translate what you say."

Berask cocked his head. “Then why do you need us—"

“Because Kyle doesn't have a degree from KalXay University," Jerawk answered. He sipped his tea and added, “Also, if we show Kyle all the humans will want to talk about is how we changed one of theirs into a dragon."

Kyle reached across the table to touch the two researchers' wrists. “You both have been working on recovering the scarred lands almost as long as Chisur has. We want you to be the face of recovery efforts, Chisur and I just have too much else we must do."

Kaemen shrugged. “Fame sounds good to me. I can write a tell-all book about you boys later."

“Not that we aren't grateful," Berask said, “But why the publicity now?"

Jerawk and Kyle glanced at each other, and the latter nodded. Jerawk said, “The primary objective of establishing diplomatic communications with Earth is to intervene on the extinction event they are currently in the middle of."

Both Kaemen and Berask gawked.

“It's simple, really," Kyle said. “Earth and Archayon help stabilize each other. It's why, despite past extinction events in both planets' histories, life always recovered. The Scarring nearly killed Archayon, would have if not for Earth. But Archayon is too weak to save Earth if things reach a tipping point there."

Kaemen and Berask still stared a moment.

Then the dragoness scowled. “So you're telling me, despite what we're doing here, we might die anyways cause of what those humans are doing with their world?"

“Fuck," Berask cursed. “We're all screwed."

“We have a few decades before anything becomes conclusive," Kyle said. “But we want Earth to be aware of the stakes of wanton war and pollution."

“Why not just fix it for them?" Kaemen growled.

“An invasion is certain to just make things worse—"

“No, I don't mean that. We synthesize the atmosphere in Archay to make it more habitable and stable. We can't just share our tech with them?"

“We're making sure they don't turn it on each other, first," Jerawk said grimly.

Berask grumbled. “Well, this sucks. And this is really our only option?"

Kyle shrugged. “It's the only safe one."

“Fine, we'll dress up for your camera crews. When do you want them sent over—"

An alarm cut Kaemen off. The monitor that once displayed the pit fight now flashed red. The dragoness got up so quick her knees knocked the card table and spilt tea from its glasses. Cursing, she went to check the monitor. “Something is moving in the vortex."

Berask's brow furrowed. “Moving?"

“A mass."

Motion was natural in the scarred lands, but the vortex was supposed to be made up entirely of energy, gas, and fine particulate from the charred soil ripped from the ground.

“How big?" Kyle asked.

“Big." Kaemen said, and pulled up the view of an exterior camera. A massive shadow lumbered through the storm, at least three times the size of the outpost.

Kyle went for the door. “Grab what you need and be ready to evacuate."

Jerawk rushed after and grabbed Kyle by the wrist. “What are you doing?"

The black dragon pulled Jerawk into a tight embrace. “Trust me," he whispered before tugging his arm free and rushing out the door. Kyle started glowing, and Jerawk knew he summoned his connection to Archayon. He had spent months now working on that connection to the planet. It took mere seconds for him to become brilliantly bright, equal to the vortex he now took to the air and flew towards. Jerawk could only watch, helpless as ever in the face of danger.

A bolt of lightning shot from that mass and slammed into Kyle. The black dragon deflected it, but was thrown back through the air, almost crashing before he got himself stable again. A few wingbeats later and he faced the storm again as the mass got closer. Jerawk saw it was a creature of some kind, with a single, large foreleg dragging the rest of the body forward. A head broke through the vortex wall. It was some kind of tree, bark a burgundy, knotted and scarred in places with no discernible mouth or face. Eight bright, blue eyes went down its face, all honed on Kyle. The storm obscured the rest of the beast's body.

“Shit!" Berask shouted from behind Jerawk. “I think he's trying to commune with it."

Right, both Berask and Kaemen were mages. They could more readily sense what Kyle did.

Several tentacles, fleshy and pink, shot from the body of the creature and wrapped around Kyle. They yanked him into the storm. Jerawk called out, but before he could even try to go after his mate, Berask grabbed his tail and yelled, “Do you have a death wish?"

Jerawk snarled at the bigger, blue dragon, ready to strike him. Before he could, a roar poured across them. The ground, Jerawk's bones, the outpost, everything rattled at the awful sound. When it stopped, he fell to a knee, gasping. The vortex had retreated several hundred feet, and Kyle was held against the body of this creature. The head and leg resembled a tree, but a mountain of ragged flesh covered the rest of it, like someone had turned a regular body inside out. It looked like raw muscle flexing and throbbing, swirled together in the appearance of a snail shell. Those tentacles came off its back like loose chords of muscle tissue. They released Kyle, and the black dragon flew back up to the monster's face. He touched a palm to its face, and the glow once surrounding Kyle coursed into the beast. It bowed its head in acknowledgement, turned its massive body around, and began to head back into the storm.

“How in the fuck—Kaemen!" Berask shouted into the door at his partner. “Did we get all that?"

“Yes!" she called back. “Though, I don't know what the fuck we just got."

Kyle flew down to them. Jerawk ran to embrace his mate, being careful not to collide too hard into his stomach.

“You idiot!" Jerawk said, punching his mate's shoulder. “What would I tell Chisur if that thing killed you?"

Kyle hugged Jerawk tight. He kissed the smaller dragon's brow. “It's okay, dear."

“Dammit, no it's not!" Jerawk snapped. “Why does it always have to be you and Chisur jumping into danger?" Tears beaded his eyes when he glared up at Kyle. The black dragon frowned, unsure what to say. They both knew the answer to that question, but it did not resolve that Jerawk hated this. Hated waiting for them to save the day and come back to him.

“Kyle! That was amazing—" Berask stopped a few paces from them. “Oh, do you two need a minute?"

Jerawk took a deep breath and stepped back. “It's fine, I'm sure we'd all like to know what just happened."

***

Lunelei followed Kisk through the ground floor of the KalXay Tower. Here, the floors of cold steel kept a thin layer of grime; maintenance crews made sure tower infrastructure was maintained, but no one cared about washing or cleaning anything. They walked along a residential block with trash piling up outside of doors, groups of idle dragons watching them suspiciously, and the walls washed in graffiti.

They had been walking in silence since they met, which Lunelei broke with, “What do you think, Kisk, about the slums?"

“Inevitable," the dragon said while they passed around a pile of thrown-out furniture.

“So you don't think there is anything to do for them?" Lunelei asked.

“No, but given the state of our world, we cannot hope these towers will save us. That they can be some kind of paradise when we are packed tighter than a morgue." Kisk stopped at the end of a hall. At the dead-end rested a maintenance hatch, the lock on it long since smashed off. He swung it open and said, “After you."

A ladder descended into the dark.

Lunelei wove a small spell to sharpen his night-vision before he climbed down. The maintenance tunnel extended in three different directions through the tower's underside. Kisk shut the hatch behind them then flicked a switch by the wall. Lunelei cut off the spell he channeled just in time as lights cycled on through the tunnels. The dead, white light and steel floors reminded him of the Lower Warrens.

Lunelei asked as they began walking again, “If your goal isn't bettering things in Archay, then what is it?"

“It is escaping Archay," Kisk said. “It is taking back the planet for ourselves and rising from the ashes of the Scarring."

“I get it," Lunelei said. “Given everything we've been through, I would think you'd spare me the recruitment pitch."

Kisk chuckled. The sound deep and carrying down the hall. In some ways, Lunelei respected Kisk. Whatever twisted logic he used to justify his campaign against Archay, the silver dragon knew his handler was unflinching in his principles and excellent at his job.

It had been a month since Lunelei's last contact with Chisur, two weeks since his last with Kisk. Today, Kisk finally planned to show Lunelei's Archayon Phoenix's headquarters: a place called The Nest.

“I like you, Lune, and I trust you, but you know how it is—sometimes you just can't switch it off."

“Yeah, I get it. I've done my time as a patriot." A few dozen paces followed in silence, the flow of water pipes over their heads the only sound between them. Then, Lunelei spoke up, “I've gotta ask, though. The prince found a way to heal the planet, is busy with it right now. How are your goals not one and the same?"

“Because Archay will have fallen into the sea by the time Chisur heals the planet. We have found a faster way—admittedly with the helpful research of that wretch in the palace, but our way can recover the scarred lands in a year, not centuries."

Lunelei considered this in silence. He eventually asked, “Why bomb the palace, then?"

Kisk stopped. He turned to a wall and said, “We're here." He walked into the wall and disappeared. An illusion. Lunelei barely sensed the spell in place—a finely woven piece of magic that was hard to spot. He followed, passing through a wall into a tunnel that was cut from the rock with laser precision. They traveled deeper underground, Lunelei speaking up again, “Was that the wrong question to ask right now?

“Yes," Kisk said, but added, “Don't worry, you've not crossed a line. Such details are not things to share outside The Nest."

They reached the end of the tunnel and entered a larger chamber. This one contained a single, sleek tramcar on a rail that went deeper into the caverns ahead. Kisk keyed in a code on the tramcar's door and the lights inside flashed on. Lunelei followed the other dragon inside. It was as unremarkable as any of the thousands of tramcars that sped between towers in the sprawl.

A part of Lunelei enjoyed the strangeness of this lonely journey into the unknown. He had no doubt that Mauren could no longer track him this far. For the foreseeable future, Lunelei worked on his own. He thought of Chisur, their last heartbreaking exchange. The silver dragon swore to himself to see the prince again. He had made a promise. And then after Lunelei kept it…

“Going to have a seat?" Kisk asked from a row of cushioned chairs. The tramcar was remarkably sterile compared to the filth they came from. Lunelei sat on the opposite side of the car, facing the other dragon.

The tramcar began to move.

“How long is the ride?"

Kisk shrugged. “Twenty minutes?"

Lunelei glanced out the window. With the speed they moved at…

“Trying to guess how far The Nest is from here?"

“Old habits, keeps me sharp."

“It's outside the sprawl, that's all you need to know."

Lunelei nodded. No wonder no one found this place. He considered what that meant about “The Nest": likely an autonomous headquarters with its own network, power, and food source. But the money needed to make something like that… It would have taken the wealth of some of the richest families of the court to even invest in such a venture. But which ones? Lunelei's tail-tip swung back and forth while he mulled over these questions. He still did not know enough, and he would not be able to make a move until he learned who was behind Archayon's Phoenix.

Over the hum of the tramcar's engines and the whir of them passing through the dark, Lunelei decided to test another question, “Do all of your recruits need to go through this much trouble to get invited to The Nest?"

“Why? Worried you're not special?"

“One dragon for… by my count, five lost in other operations. Seems bad for attrition."

“Fair," Kisk rested his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, leaning forward. “Would you really believe you're just that special?"

“No," Lunelei said flatly.

“Heh, don't undersell yourself. Our leader took an interest in you, saw your pit fights, and sent me to collect you."

“Do they run the pit?" Lunelei asked. Perhaps it really was one of Archay's crime families that—

“No," Kisk dashed that potential lead quickly. “It's just a guilty pleasure of theirs. They liked you, and imagine their surprise when they looked you up and learned you were supposed to be dead. That's when you had their interest."

Phelise had been the one to direct Lunelei to the pit fights. Which meant she knew of this “guilty pleasure."

Kisk leaned back against the wall. “Now I have a question for you. A spy turned gladiator, why that? You could have been an information broker, thief, mercenary, any number of things."

Lunelei had a lie long since constructed, but it constricted in his throat. He took a deep breath and looked out into the dark cave again. “Honestly, Kisk? I wanted something that would make me feel alive, and at the same time I wanted to die."

“Is that what you're still seeking?"

In some ways it was, but Lunelei lied, “You've been giving me a purpose, so no."

“Good, you'd be wasted anywhere else."

The rest of the passage passed with little exchanged between them. At the end of the tunnel they entered into some kind of structure, sliding to a stop. Kisk rose and said, “This way, we've got a job for you before you get settled."

“No rest for the wicked?"

“Righteous," Kisk corrected as they walked out the door. They moved through a facility of polished steel, its hallways cylindrical, with its walls covered in lines of plants. The flora planted in self-contained glass tubes with artificial sunlight pumped in. They clearly provided fresh air to the facility. They passed other dragons on their way through the place. Some acknowledged Kisk, but otherwise they moved unhindered, passing through several chambers and doors before reaching their destination: a large lab in the shape of a trapezoid. More flora took up a single wall, some plants bearing ripened fruit. The rest of the lab held equipment, dragons at monitors analyzing data, and on the opposite end of the room a focusing chamber. And in a transparent, plastic chamber in a corner—

Lunelei stopped in his tracks. “Humans?"

“Kisk! You're late," Mosk said as he crossed the room to them both.

“Right on time, actually," Kisk said. He hugged the shorter cobalt dragon, kissing his brow before they both exchanged an actual kiss. It gave Lunelei a moment of pause—all his interactions between Mosk and Kisk had not given their relationship away until now. While they exchanged some banter, Lunelei studied the two humans in the room: two women, both looking well fed but naked. They must have never been clothed when brought through the Tether. They seemed scared, but also unaware of the room beyond their prison.

“Why are there humans here?" Lunelei asked without hiding his apprehension.

“Classified," Mosk said with a huff. As if Lunelei should not have had the audacity to interrupt them.

“Then what can I know?"

“Your mission," Kisk said. “You're going to go with Mosk to round up some more subjects."

***

Casey stared at the screen of the ansible a moment longer. He knew his answer, of course, but butterflies, anxieties, etc.

Jerawk's last message: Do you want to?

Casey nibbled on his bottom lip while typing, Hell yes, but would that work? Would you get in trouble?

Casey my boyfriend is a prince. I can do whatever I want B)

Casey giggled. He typed back, Archayon here I come <3

Yes yes yes! When would be a good time to get you?

Casey glanced up to the calendar hanging on his fridge. The only dates marked were paydays and when bills were due. He glanced back down at the ansible. Tomorrow was the start of the weekend, just a couple days wouldn't be too bad, right?

Tomorrow evening? Or is that too soon?

I'll ask, Jerawk typed. Casey sighed and went to the fridge. He opened the freezer and considered what he might eat tonight, settled on a frozen pot pie. Jerawk had responded by the time he got it cooking in the microwave: We can make that work!

asd;fkj;sdlkjfas

Excited???

And incredibly nervous, Casey admitted. What if Kyle and Chisur don't like me?

Lol, I'm more worried about them liking you TOO much.

What's that supposed to mean???

;-)

Jerawk I dunno if I'm ready for a dragon orgy.

Is four an orgy?

It's a crowd.

Lmao

JErAWK

Okay, okay, we'll be on our best behavior~

Across the room, Casey's phone buzzed. Normally, Casey would have left it in favor of talking to his dragon boyfriend—a thing he actually got to say!—but it had been about an hour since he checked it. He got up from his table and grabbed the phone on the couch. A friend of his had sent a video with, “Hey man, you seen this shit? It's fucked."

Casey opened the video, and, soon as he saw the shaky camera and heard frantic breathing, he closed it. “I don't want to watch another video of a cop shooting someone, dude."

“No one gets killed." A second later. “I think, just watch it."

Nervous, Casey clamped down his feelings and pressed play on the video. Someone recorded a video from their closet, the door cracked. Heavy footfalls on hardwood, the person holding their breath as the footfalls drew nearer. The door wrenched open and towering over the camera was a silver dragon. He was naked except for a sleek metal collar around his neck and had this cold look in his dull, blue eyes. Like what he saw before him wasn't another living being. He snarled and snatched the phone from the person. The feed cut shortly after with the start of a scream.

Casey stared at his phone, his heart racing. Eventually it occurred to him: Jerawk must not have had a clue about this, and that had to be the same dragon who attacked him. He rushed to his ansible, stuttering at the keyboard before he sent, Jerawk we might have a problem.

***

Casey warned Jerawk about twenty minutes before the first official query came from Earth. In the next hour, the ambassador had his claws full with his diplomatic team.

Chisur did not bother to try and help Jerawk.

What if Lune isn't at his apartment? Kyle asked through their tether. Chisur had donned an illusion and left the palace without a second thought. Kyle had not stopped him, but the prince sensed his mate's apprehension.

Then I will wait for him, Chisur answered. I have let this go on long enough. I'm going to subdue Lune and return him to the palace for interrogation.

But what will that accomplish—

I don't know, Kyle! Chisur snapped. He'd been in a stewing rage since Jerawk told them what happened. The details, as far as Casey knew, were this: a home in the United States had been attacked. That video was recorded by a teenage boy in the home, the video being uploaded to some social media site in real time. When it went out, the police were already on their way. responding to a break-in of some suburban home: A family of five—all disappeared.

Chisur wished he did not need to be so clandestine. He took a commuter train across the sprawl to the BetaSar Tower. His frustration stirred each time the train slowed down for one stop and the next. Yet he knew if he was not careful Lunelei's A.I. would warn the silver dragon that the prince was coming to blow his operation.

He sighed and said through the tether, I am sorry for snapping at you.

It's okay, love.

He swore to me he would not kill anyone else, dammit.

We do not know if those humans are dead.

Fuck, how are we supposed to establish relations with Earth if—

Leave that to Jerawk.

I shouldn't have stopped seeing him—I should have­—

Chisur…

Chisur squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. Kyle told him softly, spinning soothing words to the dragon, He hurt you, but you mustn't lead with that pain.

I hate admitting that is what this is about. The ache left in the prince since he broke off contact with Lunelei. It did not go away, just became another slab of grief he lugged around. I wish Setara were here, she would know what to do.

Just don't kill Lunelei, alright?

They did not speak any more on the topic.

Today should have been a celebration. Yesterday, Kyle and Jerawk returned from the outpost at the sprawl's edge with more breakthroughs than either could hope for: first, there was life within the scarred lands, second, Kyle managed to reform the connection between that life and the planet, and finally, Kyle felt very close to cracking whatever vision Archayon gave them about binding. A connection between bodymindspirit not defined by a tether's all-consuming presence, but more like the doorway Kyle and Chisur could open between the planet and themselves. Kyle had forged that connection with the creature he met in the scarred lands. Its name was Graw, and it did not understand why dragons were so small. Now a doorway between them and the behemoth existed. And if it could be formed with that then…

We will still need to run more tests before I feel comfortable binding Jerawk to us.

Should we open our minds to plants? Animals at the zoo?

Something low-stakes would be preferable, Kyle said. Perhaps a bowl of soup.

This made Chisur consider what the sensation of being swallowed would feel like.

Certainly possible.

Chisur shuddered. An experiment I think I will pass on, dear.

He reached the BetaSar Tower. Chisur got off the train and went straight for Lunelei's apartment. He banged on the door disguised as the same dragon who visited the spy's apartment a month ago. “Lunelei, open up!"

The door slid open. Just looking inside, Chisur could tell his quarry was not there. Mauren confirmed this a second later: “Master Lune is not here, but if you wish, we may speak in private."

Chisur hesitated. The room was warded to keep magical means of surveillance from penetrating it. Kyle told him, We will be fine, just be sure to check on us.

The prince grit his teeth when the door closed behind him and his connection was suppressed. He scanned the room, searching for any sign of the silver dragon.

“Mauren?" Chisur tested.

“I am here, my prince."

Chisur dispelled the illusion and appeared in the room as himself. The close-quartered apartment still smelled like the silver dragon: a warm, sweet musky scent that felt familiar. It distracted him a moment, long enough for Mauren to press a follow-up: “What can I do for you?"

“Where is Lune?"

“I cannot say."

Chisur growled and went to the desk. “Why not?"

“He has been away on a mission. I lost track of him in KalXay Tower when another A.I. disrupted my tracking of him."

“Another A.I.?"

“Indeed, we should not be surprised. Master Lune left to meet with Kisk. Supposedly to swear Lune in as a member of Archayon's Phoenix."

Chisur said, “So this A.I. didn't want you to see where they went, which likely means a headquarters of some kind."

“Yes, that seems highly probable."

“Do you know when Lune is to return?" Chisur asked.

“No, but if a month passes without any contact I am to send you all the data we have collected on the Phoenix."

“A month?" Chisur snarled. “I need to see him now!"

The room became quiet. For a moment, Chisur thought his temper made Mauren decide to retreat entirely. Then the A.I. said, “Prince Chisur, may I be candid with you?"

Chisur folded his arms across his chest. “Go ahead."

“You should trust Master Lune."

“Trust?" Chisur bared his teeth. “We've received reports that he likely kidnapped humans from Earth and brought them here. He is destroying our plans—seems willing to destroy anything to achieve his goal."

“Ah, that explains the attack on the Lower Warrens."

“What?" Chisur asked, thrown for a moment.

“It is not data I am allowed to share yet."

“Mauren!—"

“You should trust Master Lune," the A.I. reasserted, “Because he is in love with you, and will not do anything to endanger you or those you care about."

“And Jerawk?" Chisur snapped. “I'd say attacking him was—"

“Master Lune saved his life."

Chisur growled, considered going out the door for fresh air, but did not want to don a disguise just so he could make a scene outside. “Fine, I get it. Had Lune not been there, Jerawk would have died. But even if he does love me—"

“He does."

“How do you know?"

A screen projected over the desk. It was a recording of the silver dragon curled up on a bed, quaking. He was sobbing. Mauren's gentle voice said in the recording, “Master Lune, you must eat." The silver dragon went tense, then relaxed and remained inert.

A ragged voice rasped from the bed, “I thought I told you to shut down until further notice."

“Your self-preservation takes priority over your orders. You have not eaten since Prince Chisur—"

“I know," Lune practically wailed. “What's the point of any of this? I can't have him, he'll hate me once he knows what I've done, who I am." The dragon groaned and rolled over, face down in his bed.

“You want to protect him, yes?" Lune remained still. “If you wish to do so, you must take care of yourself so you are able to."

Chisur watched Lunelei's whole body lift then drop with a deep breath. The dragon rolled over, blue eyes puffy with tears. “Dammit. I hate when you're right, but after the Phoenix is dealt with… after this is over I'm going to…" His mouth hung open, as if he wasn't sure he could say it to Mauren or not.

“Master Lune?"

“It's nothing," Lunelei got up and walked to his closet. “Forget I said anything."

The image froze there. Chisur glanced at the sliding door to the closet. The grief he felt for Lunelei had returned, deepened while watching the video. It drowned out his anger and frustration.

“That exchange," Chisur breathed, “When was it?"

“Two days after your last meeting with him," Mauren answered.

Chisur thought as much. The prince asked next, “Lunelei said I would hate him once I know who he is. Mauren, who is he?"

“He is Lunelei," Mauren answered.

The dragon snarled. “Don't give me that crap. The real Lunelei is dead, we both know it is a cover identity."

“I am not allowed to say."

But a sinking certainty seeped through Chisur like a stone plunging to the bottom of the ocean. Once it began its descent, there was no way it would not hit bottom. And when it did, everything clicked. He knew… of course he knew… the scent in the room suddenly became recognizable. Comforting. And horrid at the same time.

Setara, his sister, was the one who attacked Jerawk. Who killed all those people just to get close to Archayon's Phoenix. What other dragon in the sprawl could have the skillset? Would see Chisur as the one to trust when there was no one else to trust? He almost wanted to laugh. Not knowing it was her, he had still fallen for her. And what it must have done to her to reject him—fuck.

He balled his fist and said, “Mauren, when Lunelei returns, tell him I know who he is. Tell him he must see me, and until we do he's not kept his promise yet."

And he left.

***

Lunelei snapped onto a hill overlooking a farm. The jungle around them bent and quaked from the rush of hot air at their entry. They were on an island, overlooking the sea with a lone, inactive volcano rising up behind them.

Mosk whistled beside him. “So much green and blue, dragon could get used to this."

“Thinking you'll honeymoon here with Kisk?" Lunelei asked before he began weaving an invisibility spell for them both. Earth was so overrun with energy that it took a fraction of the time to complete the spell and hide them from sight.

Mosk snorted, “We'll pick a place to go on Archayon once it's restored."

They began walking to the farm, Mosk carrying several collars in both hands. Lunelei asked as they found a trail through the brush, “What do humans have to do with restoring Archayon?"

“Didn't I say that was classified?"

“This is our twentieth trip," Lunelei said. “We've been at this for hours—how long has this been going on?"

“Long enough," Mosk said. “A few hundred humans won't be missed from this world."

They reached a hut at the end of the farm. Mosk sat in the grass and began communing. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and said, “There are four in the hut, I've put them asleep."

“And you're certain you got them all?" Lunelei asked.

They had botched their third attempt when the cocky cobalt dragon failed to incapacitate everyone in the house. They still collected the humans, but not before one of them recorded them in the act.

“You going to ask that every time? You check if you're not certain."

Lunelei rolled his eyes and began following Mosk to the hut.

***

Kyle held Chisur's head to his chest. His prince remained inert, almost sleeping if not for the way his thoughts raced and raced. Kyle let them. There was nothing more to say about Lunelei or Setara. One and the same. They both felt foolish for not realizing it sooner, but they were fooled. There was nothing more to say.

Chisur's weight in the bed always comforted Kyle. It was familiar and warm. His fingers traced around the prince's shoulder, following it to Chisur's wings. He massaged the muscle there, giving idle affection while his prince breathed against him. Chisur listened to Kyle's gentle heartbeat, tried to focus on it. They were one and the same, holding each other in a gauze of warmth. Their scents mixed together: a dry, masculine musk touched with salt. Still, they both ached. They had reached the aftermath of tears. Jerawk remained away dealing with diplomacy, Eska in the care of their attendant. It was just the two of them.

Kyle kissed Chisur's head, whispered, “I love you."

“I love you, too," Chisur answered, voice scratchy from crying.

“She will keep her promise."

“And then what?" Chisur asked. “We arrest her for murder? We just pretend nothing she's done in the last year has been—"

“Chisur."

His deep breath ran down the smaller dragon's grey front. “I know, Kyle… I know."

They had already run in circles about what to do with Setara. Ultimately, they settled on, as Kyle insisted, that Setara should have a voice in what sort of consequences she must face. They deferred. They needed to focus on surviving whatever it was they were caught up in.

Kyle touched Chisur's cheek, and his prince looked up. The black dragon kissed his mate, and, at first, his searching lips met a reluctant partner. Chisur was apprehensive—he did not feel he deserved pleasure when Setara remained lost. But Kyle was persistent, and eventually the prince yielded, returned the kiss. Chisur stroked his mate's chin as a dark tongue slipped inside his mouth. Kyle titled his head ever so slightly then locked their maws together again. Teeth grazed lip. Tongue licked along tongue. Reluctance still held the prince back, but his mate just pushed more, black-scaled hands roving down red sides and up the golden front. A palm massaged into Chisur's pec; then claws sank into scales, forcing the dragon to snarl.

Kyle answered with a low growl before he broke the kiss. He nipped Chisur's jaw, then kissed lower along that immaculate, golden chest. Each kiss was wet and hard, threatening to turn into a bite against rib, sternum, firm abdomen and navel, down until the prince lay on his back with his mate between his legs. Kyle grabbed a thick, muscular thigh and bit it. He took a deep scent of his mate, the musk stronger this close to the dragon's slit. That sex had swelled up a little, fine golden scales around it blushing red. Kyle nuzzled into it, nostrils flaring at the smell. Chisur huffed as two fingers spread him open. The muscular dragon was a little embarrassed at how on display he felt. Still, he'd not yet reached arousal given his mood, but he had submitted to this, to what Kyle wanted to do for him.

With his slit stretched open, a meatier musk began to fill the room. The ebon cock within those slick, pale walls remained a flaccid nub, its urethra leaking a little precum to keep the slit moist. Kyle licked his lips before he buried his snout inside the slit. Chisur gasped, eyes shut tight and head craning back. Bitter, salty, and male. His slit was such a concentrated dose of Chisur's arousal, stewed in his juices constantly, that it made Kyle's eyes water. The prince's abdomen flexed, muscles drawing tight on his front to clench down on the tongue worshipping his walls. His slit, stuffed with stimulation, began coaxing Chisur into arousal. Kyle's oral muscle slipped as deep into the slit as it could go, lapping and swirling all around that black tube of flesh. Salty precum began to soak into his palette, and he could barely breathe with how much his muzzle was thrust into his mate's musky sex.

Finally, Chisur allowed himself to give in to his love's worship. His cock swelled as tongue wrapped around it, coaxing it from one warm orifice to another. Kyle's maw sucked on the spade tip, that wide urethra at the ebon cock's end leaking salty beads of arousal. Chisur grabbed the black dragon by a horn to hold him in place. He bucked his hips, as a few inches of meat became many, became dick drooling into the back of Kyle's throat. Soon, the black dragon's breath became labored around the spire of flesh. A foot of cock. Kyle sucked on the length and swallowed, a bulge in his neck as muscles there bobbed and constricted with every swallow. Chisur ground his slit into his mate's snout, sighing in appreciation for the tight warmth of that maw. Kyle's cunt also became slick, his body quivering with pleasure. The pleasure of being used, and the pleasure he felt through their tether. His cunny dripped onto the bed while he panted through his nose.

Chisur, not to leave his mate out, lifted his tail between Kyle's legs. The black dragon jolted upwards a little, gagging on the cock inside of him and eyes tearing up. When the red, scaly tail rubbed against his puss, he had not expected his lips to be so sensitive. But even a light touch smeared Chisur's tail in sticky arousal. The tail pressed back to his inflamed cunt-lips, and Kyle moaned, gyrating his hips to get that it to eke out as much pleasure as possible.

As Kyle began to lose himself, Chisur took control. His grip on his mate's horn tightened before he led the black dragon's muzzle off his cock. The ebon spire touched cold air for the first time, glistening with spit and precum. The spade tip remained in Kyle's mouth as the dick twitched. A fresh gout of pre filled that hungry maw. The black dragon barely swallowed it before he was forced back down that length. Cock rammed into his throat, the intrusion a little raw and painful, but at the same time Kyle shuddered and came a little across Chisur's tail. The prince growled in approval, and began to use his mate's face in earnest.

Though he started this for Chisur, Kyle quickly got lost in the haze of being used. There was something so nice in just submitting to his mate's whims. With Chisur, he took an added satisfaction in feeling his mate's desires to control, to dominate. They worked in tandem. Kyle's throat and maw became soaked in Chisur's productive arousal, while the prince's tail had snaked inside Kyle's needy pussy. The plump, pregnant sex squeezed tight against the appendage as it pulled in and out. His hands clutched the tail to hold it flush to his drooling cunny. Red scales glistened, wet as they slid in and out, rubbed against the black and grey-fronted dragon's inflamed clitoral hood. The tail worked in tandem with the cock barreling down his throat, and Kyle could not be happier.

Chisur's internal testes began to tighten. It was hard not to when Kyle kept trembling through one orgasm and another. He had left a growing puddle on the bed between his legs, and the room now smelled more of the bitter warmth of his pregnant cunt than Chisur's heady musk. That wet maw plunging up and down his cock did not help, either. Kyle suckled happily while his snout smacked Chisur's knot. The black dragon had become completely lost to pleasure at this point. Whole body just rubbing, squirming, moaning, begging for more while Chisur's humps became more frantic. He tried to hold it off, slowing his thrusts into the muzzle. Each plunge paused a moment in the back of Kyle's throat—a gasp, a breath before pulling back again. He felt the pressure building at the base of his knot. It grew until it became too much. With a choked snarl, he grabbed Kyle by both horns and held his mate down against the swollen bulb at his base.

When those internal testes blew their load, the pleasure of orgasm reverberated through Kyle's body as well. He came hard, cunt squirting once, twice, three times around Chisur's tail while seed was dumped into his throat. He felt each pulse of cum travel the thick length of that endowment. The virility of his mate thick enough that Kyle felt its weight as he swallowed pulse after pulse. Chisur, knowing his slut mate was desperate for a taste, lifted the black dragon's head up. Kyle released a pleased moan when spunk filled his maw. That bitter, salty flavor something he felt addicted to at times. Chisur's had just a hint of sweetness, and it only took his fertile prince two pumps to fill the slut's maw. Kyle swallowed, savored the way cum slid down his throat while more filled his mouth. His cunt continued to clench the tail inside him, as if to milk it for seed as well.

Chisur finished with a long sigh. Kyle crawled back up to him, and their muzzles met in a messy kiss. The black dragon pushed cum into the red's mouth, both mates reveling in the taste of the prince's seed. Thick, pearly globules slid from one tongue to another. Both held their hot, spent bodies pressed together. They did not exchange words right away when they broke the kiss. Kyle rested against Chisur's side, hand cupping his mate's to keep the prince's gaze locked with him.

“Thank you for that," Chisur whispered.

Kyle smiled softly, no words needed to express the affection they shared with one another.

***

Jerawk sighed, taking a beat to check his phone in the office he shared with the other ambassadors to Earth. They had been moved to one of the upper floors of the palace. The tall, glass and steel ziggurat was illuminated in the glow of the magical storm over the ocean. It was past midnight; they had been trying to put out fires all evening. There was only the one abduction, as far as they knew, but practically every nation demanded answers.

Their current response: Archay had no affiliation with the dragon involved in the video. They were investigating who might have the ability to do this and planned to bring the culprit to justice.

It did not really answer for what happened, but what more could they do?

Jerawk texted Casey, Still up?

Yeah, against my better judgement. You hanging in there?

Yeah. Worried we'll have to postpone your trip until we get this sorted out.

It's okay, I figured. Then, Probably for the best, I don't want you to get in trouble.

Jerawk's brow furrowed at his phone.

“Alright there, Jerawk?" Silben asked. The tall, lean brass dragon stood over Jerawk with two mugs of tea in hand.

Jerawk set his phone on the table and took a mug while Silben sat beside him. “Been better, thanks."

“I think we're all feeling that right now," Silben commiserated. He took a sip from his tea and asked, “Your Earth contact have any more to add about the video?"

Silben referred to Casey. Since Chisur found out it had quickly become an open secret among the ambassadorial team. Only one ansible had ended up in the hands of a common citizen, and no one could question the logic that Casey offered an unfettered view of world events for them.

“No, we weren't discussing that," Jerawk said. He leaned back in his chair, locking his hands and stretching them overhead, wings spreading out to do the same. He yawned and glanced around the room. Everyone else seemed absorbed in their work. Jerawk trusted Silben. Though they were strangers before working together, the brass dragon stood up for the yellow dragon on more than one occasion when his leadership had been questioned. So Jerawk felt comfortable telling Silben, “Truth be told, I had planned to bring Casey here for a few days so he could see Archayon."

The other dragon frowned. “That sounds exciting, but your plans have changed?"

Jerawk waved across the room. “Does now really seem like the time to bring a human here?"

“Why not?" Silben asked.

Jerawk studied the other dragon, who looked utterly serious. “What about all this? This mess will take a lot of time to clean up—"

Silben shrugged. “We can handle it. You have a team for a reason, Jerawk, and if we need you we can always call you in. Besides, showing humans our world is also our job."

Jerawk stared, disbelieving. “You're serious, aren't you?"

“By all means!" Silben said. “Bring him here so he can see what we're like, see that we are not a bunch of monsters. It will also be a good test case for what to expect if we bring human diplomats to this world."

Jerawk broke into a grin. Not that he should need permission, but with Silben backing this decision no one would question it. Jerawk picked up his phone and texted, I just talked with my second-in-command and he said fuck waiting. Which is what I want. It's time you see my home, Casey. Tomorrow I'm coming to get you.

Jerawk turned to Silben and hugged him. “Thank you, Silben, thank you."

“Hehehe, of course, Jerawk. Given all we've put you through, you've earned this." When Jerawk released him, Silben added, “You know, I know the owner of a restaurant at the top of TorVah. She cooks with naturally grown foods and has a beautiful ocean view. I bet I could reserve you a table, if you like."

Jerawk was floored by Silben's generosity. He shook his head. “I… what do I owe you?"

Silben smiled. “Nothing, without you none of us would be here."

Jerawk wings curled a little around his shoulders in a moment of bashfulness. “I'm only here because of how close I am to Prince Chisur."

“And I'm only here because of how close I am to Queen Airok," Silben said with a wink. “We needed you to run this, though. Don't doubt your contributions for a second."

Jerawk went back to his phone and Casey had texted, Fuck really??? You're sure???

Jerawk texted back, feeling ecstatic at the thought of Casey coming, Yes! You're going to have the time of your life, the best Archayon has to offer.

I'll hold you to that~

Silben patted his shoulder and rose from his seat. The brass dragon said, “I'll go make that reservation, and I'll make it a table for four, in case you want to bring Chisur and Kyle along."

***

Lunelei was exhausted when they finally finished. By his count, they brought back a hundred and twenty-four humans in all. Abducted in a single day. Each time they returned, the ones trapped in a cell in the lab had been removed, taken somewhere else while Mosk and Lunelei had been on Earth. The silver dragon was certain that, whatever happened to them, it was killing the humans involved. Still, he had no guesses as to what they were used for.

When they returned to the lab, the silver dragon was greeted by a lavender dragoness he recognized immediately. It was Mephis' assistant, the one who helped the albino dragon pull the data on Lunelei. The silver dragon managed to remain impassive as she said, “You're wanted."

“By?"

“The Phoenix," Velina said with an impatient dryness. “You are to be introduced then shown to your rooms."

Mosk said from across the lab, “Quit your complaining and just go."

Lunelei followed the dragoness out into the corridor. He asked as they made their way through the facility, “Is Kisk no longer my handler?"

“Agent Kisk is out keeping up his cover." Then the dragoness added, “But no, from now on Phoenix will be your handler here at The Nest."

“Does Phoenix have a name?" Lunelei asked.

“No one uses their real name, including you," Velina shot back.

They reached a lift. It climbed upward for about a story before they exited out onto another corridor. Unlike the others, a hard shell of plexiglass covered one wall. It looked out into an underground chamber roughly the size of a tower arcology. Inside it, magic glowed and radiated from the ground. All manner of strange plant and animal life contorted around one another. Crystals formed to humanoids, trees in the shape of dragons, beastly shapes with toothy maws hung open as they wailed. And confused humans around the edges were wandering around, being drawn to some dark, organic mass at the chamber's center.

Lunelei gawked.

“Yes, yes, it is very impressive, now come on," Velina grabbed Lunelei's arm and dragged him along. “If you keep Phoenix waiting she'll punish us both."

Lunelei touched the plexiglass wall and sensed a powerful stack of wards imbued in the material to shut the chamber off from magic. He asked, “What is it?"

“The Seed," Velina said as they reached another door. They walked into a command center of some sort. It overlooked the chamber before them, most of the dragons in the room worked at consoles along the walls.

Lunelei came to a stop at the sight of the dragoness sitting in a chair in the room's center. She was smiling while Lunelei's mind raced, trying to make sense of it, trying to understand. She stood and held out her arms as if waiting for an embrace. “Setara, it's so good to see you."

Getting his cover blown mattered little. They had known. Of course—of course they had known.

“It's you," Lunelei breathed.

Queen Airok's smile was the kind made when you were about to make the winning move of a game you long since knew you won. “I'm so glad you've come back to me, daughter."