Cinder heard someone speaking, vaguely, like a dream.

“Wake up. Gessil is dead. Jade is safe. Zagreus is in danger. You must save him. Now.”

Cinder bolted to her feet and sent, *Zagreus?!*

*You’re alive?! Come catch me. Now.* He sent.

*Where are you?*

*Up high. Falling. I don’t know.*

*What? How?*

*Less talking, more catching! My mecromail is toast and I got seconds to live. Come now, that’s an order!*

His voice was commanding. Her chest pounded. With the surge of a victory, with the satisfaction of having fought a worthy foe, with the memory of what he did to her, she sent, *Yes Master.*

She felt him strengthen the link and knew what direction to go. It was hard to judge the distance but he was many kilometers away. She ejected the shattered pieces of armor then unfurled her leathery wings. She flew and used Impact to get more force from each beat of her wings.

She crossed a mountaintop, setting off an avalanche with the shockwave of air following her. She could see him. She raced through the sky, only slowing enough to not seriously harm him. She grabbed him and was almost completely drained.

“I don’t want to ruin the rescue. But we are still falling.” He said.

She adjusted their position to have him under her facing up. She held him tightly in her arms. “Help me. Hold my wings out. I will guide us down.”

***

He wrapped his legs around her waist and grabbed the front edges of her wings. Together, they were able to glide down to a shallow lake. He dragged her to shore. Pulling dead weight, with large wings, through cold, chest deep water, was hard for him, but he could tell she barely had the strength left to move. Any morphing was impossible.

He got her to the gravely shore and sat beside her with his head on his knees. “Was it good for you?”

“You, motherfucking, asshole.” She gasped.

He shrugged. “It got your attention.”

She smiled. “I suggest lying down. You don’t want to be sitting when that stim shot wears off. It gets reeeally uncomfortable. And no one is here that can help you.”

He lay down and laughed. “I almost thought you were going to kill me.”

“I wanted to, but Gessil had to die first. I can always kill you later.”

“So the monster is really dead?”

“Completely.”

“Good. She killed my friend.”

“Your first lover, Sarya Shadowbane.”

“How did you know?”

“You suddenly stopped playing games with me. I asked Lilithana if you were ok. I had to order her to tell me what was bothering you.”

He nodded. Lilithana had ordered him to start back playing games with Cinder. It was one of the few things that had helped him feel normal again.

Cinder said. “How did you get into the sky? Don’t tell me you teleported without a target. That’s insane.”

“Well, I had two goddesses doing their damnedest to destroy the continent I was standing on. I chose probable death over certain death.”

“I should have gotten you out of there.”

“I lived, you lived, she died. It worked out far better than expected.” He groaned. “I can’t reach anyone mentally. I was barely able to reach you. The teleporter was destroyed. How do we get help and get home?”

“This is a tree folk forest. We can’t walk into it without permission. It is better to wait for the others to find us.” She turned up her palm. A ball of coin sized eye-drones appeared. “Guard duty. Watch the tree line. No entry without authorization. Go.” They blinked in confirmation and shot off in every direction, disappearing into the landscape.

Now that she mentioned it, Zagreus could sense some presences in the trees. They were faint and strange.

Cinder’s voice echoed through the area. “I am the Goddess of Skulls. Gessil the Undying is no more. Under the Treaty of the Falls, I ask for refuge, for two, at this lake.”

There was a long, deep, groaning sound from the woods.

Cinder smiled. “Get some rest. We are safe.”

“Where is Jade?” Zagreus said.

“Safe.” She said. “Where is Rezu?”

“With Gwenyr. They are either in the lab or dead.” He managed to get the words out but he knew she could hear something in his voice.

“What happened?”

“She got hurt, we were taking her to the Altar then Gessil ambushed us. They were standing on the telepad when it was destroyed. I don’t know what happened. I mean…”

He stopped talking as she put her hand on his. He couldn’t tell her about Gwenyr until after Cinder was in the lab with safety protocols active. He had to talk about something else. Anything else. Then he had an idea. “I want to do the betrothal ritual with you, properly.”

“Wha…Are you serious?”

“Completely.” He chuckled. “Your negative responses are limited to hateful stares, so I think this is the safest time to ask. We can do a whole diner, date and everything. Do you want to?”

“Yes Master.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

She smiled, closed her eyes and was out in less than a minute.

Lying on the gravely beach he though he faintly sensed Jade, weary and hurt but not scared. Did she fight too? He thought he sensed someone else but exhaustion took him.