He shook his head. “He’ll let us know as soon as he finds more housing.”
That had been their first quest upon leaving the bedroom. Find new homes for their friends here, as they both knew Falcyn wouldn’t be keen on sharing whenever he returned.
Speaking of …
They heard a sudden loud bellow as her brother and Medea returned.
“Fun times!” Xyn said with an overly exaggerated smile. “Let’s go torment the big guy, shall we?”
Laughing, he followed her.
True to her words, she met Falcyn with a charming grin and grace that only she could pull off. “Like the new decorations? Wall-to-wall dragon?”
The grimace on her brother’s face said that he didn’t appreciate her attempt at humor. At all. “Ha. Hate you so much.”
Xyn took his irritability in stride. “Ah, you’re not fooling anyone. I know you missed me.”
Falcyn made a disgruntled face at her. “Like a bleeding hemorrhoid.”
Urian crossed his arms over his chest. While he didn’t appreciate the tone, he’d stand down only out of respect for the fact that he understood sibling banter. There was no malice backing those words. Had anyone else said something like that to Xyn, he’d have handed them their throat.
And if Falcyn had hurt her feelings, they’d be having blows. Yet as long as she continued to laugh, he’d behave.
Falcyn grimaced. “So what do you plan to do with all of these beasts, Xyn? I’m not planning to let them move in, you know? Definitely not comfortable with them here.”
Xyn smiled adoringly. “Why not? It’s rather cozy, don’t you think? That pink one really goes well with the decor. And it’d keep you from being lonely.” She batted her eyelashes playfully.
It was all Urian could do not to double over with laughter.
Falcyn let out a sound of supreme disgust. “You know why. And don’t start on me. As the old saying goes, door’s on the wall.”
She snorted like a horse. “Oh, relax, you old mangy beast. They’re not planning to stay, anyway. We’re just messing with you.”
His relief was tangible.
Xyn met Medea’s gaze and shook her head. “How do you put up with him?”
“I think he’s hilarious.”
She popped Falcyn on the stomach. “This one’s a keeper, brother. You better not let her go.”
Urian had just gone over to help one of the dragons who was having problems with his wings when a light dimmed near them.
The dragon tensed.
“Easy. It’s just Shadow returning.” He’d know that power surge anywhere.
Sure enough, Shadow popped in across the room, near Xyn.
Inclining his head to Falcyn, he approached Xyn and Shadow.
“Any luck?”
Shadow nodded. “Yeah. I have a few more willing to shelter dragons.”
Falcyn let out an audible sigh. “Shadow … you’re my man.”
Shadow let out a nervous laugh. “Since when?”
“Since I saved your ass. How are you feeling?”
“Like I had the hell beat out of me.… And you’re welcome.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Falcyn’s expression said those words chafed him. Yet the gleam in his eyes betrayed his amusement. “How has Varian failed to gut you all these centuries?”
“Not from lack of effort on his part, I assure you. I’m just quicker than he is.”
Falcyn shook his head. “Anyway, I’m glad to see you back on your feet.”
“Glad to be back on my feet. Especially without Varian hovering over me like some great hairy mother. And I heard you made friends with little brother Lombrey.”
“Yeah, you can keep him.”
“Hmmm, so everyone keeps telling me. He’s actually not so bad. Get him liquored up and laid, you can get about five or ten minutes of peace before he’s in your face again.”
Falcyn made a face of distaste. “So that’s your secret.”
“Basically. I find it works on most people.”
Falcyn laughed. “And why is it that I think there’s a little more to it than you’re letting on?”
“Again, he’s not so bad. You just have to understand where he’s coming from. We’re all creatures of the hell that birthed us. Are we not?”
“True.” Falcyn stepped back as one of the dragons approached them.
“Are the sanctuaries ready?” he asked Shadow.
Shadow nodded. “They’re being prepared.”
“Thank you.”
“Our pleasure.”
He placed a kiss on Xyn’s cheek, and Falcyn then turned toward Shadow. “Can I beg a favor?”
“Shoot you in the head? Sure.”
Falcyn rolled his eyes and ignored that comment. “Can you get me back in, near my son?”
Shadow made a truly spectacular sound of scoffing disbelief. “And what level of special stupidity have you achieved, dragon? I know you took a significant hit to the head, but didn’t realize it’d given you brain damage. Should we get you a CAT scan? Dog scan?”
“Ha ha. And I’m serious.”
“Yeah … so am I. I actually like having my bollocks attached to my body. While I don’t get to use them as much as I’d like, I still prefer the comfy feeling of having them there over the alternative of seeing them in a jar on my desk.”
“Then you’ll help me or I know what to attack.”
A tic started in Shadow’s jaw. “Really hate you, dragon.… Fine. But if you’re caught, I don’t know you. Never saw you and I have no idea how you got there. And I’m sending Lombrey to rescue or kill you, whichever. His choice.”
“How have you managed to live so long without anyone killing you, again?”
“Told you, I’m fast on my feet.” Shadow sighed. “So when do you want to partake of your suicide?”
Falcyn glanced around his crowded home. “Now would be a good time. It’ll keep me from freaking out over my OCD.”
Xyn scowled “OCD?”
“Overpopulated Communal Den.” He pointed to the group. “Get rid of that while I’m gone.”
She rolled her eyes at her brother. “Ugh, you big baby. You never did learn to share!”
“Oh, that’s not true. I learned to share pain and misery early on.”
“No, no. You learned to deliver pain and misery. Big difference. Being a carrier and deliverer isn’t the same as sharing, m’gios. Do not confuse those terms.”
“You’re determined to annoy me, aren’t you?”
Xyn smiled. “Always. Aren’t you glad now that you woke me?”
“Thinking I should have overlooked your statue.” Falcyn growled in the back of his throat. “Blaise! Why did we wake Xyn again?”
“You missed her!” he called out across the room.
“I lied!”
Xyn pushed him toward Shadow. “Go on and take him before he has a nervous breakdown. Or I kill him.”
Medea laughed. “C’mon, dragonfly.”
Urian went over to Xyn as they headed off. “Should I have gone?”
“Nah. They’ll be fine. Besides, I like having you here.”
He liked being here with her. For too long he’d been alone.
Xyn watched as Urian went to help the younger ones, and her heart broke for him. She had so much guilt over what she’d done. By helping her brothers, she’d abandoned him.
She hated the years that had been stolen from them. Damn Apollo for this.
Somehow she was going to make it up to Urian.
And pay Apollo with interest.
*
Apollo froze as he saw Morgen approaching his throne. Her hair was singed, her dress torn and filthy. “You look a little worse for the wear, love.”
She actually shot a blast at him. “You bastard!”
He arched a brow at her. “Temper, temper. Be careful with that, lest I take offense.”
“Take all you want! What happened to the dragonstone you promised me?”
“Patience. The game isn’t over. Just a slight reset on the board.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
He let out a long, weary sigh. “I forget that you’re not a god. Playing with people’s lives isn’t something you’ve much experience with. Sometimes you have to let things run their course.”
“Meaning?” she repeated.
“Meaning the good guys had all the dragons … now they don’t. And Urian holds the blood of Apollymi, Bet, Set, and Acheron…”
Morgen sucked her breath in as she finally understood. “He’s the key to bringing them all down.”
“Isn’t he, though. And you know what we’ve just discovered?”