The tavern in the border settlement of Mirstone is nothing like Trinity.
Where Trinity Tavern exudes ancient elegance and protective enchantments, this place is functional—a waystation for travelers moving between Aerox's major cities. The walls are plain stone, the furniture sturdy but unremarkable, and the clientele consists mostly of merchants, guides, and the occasional vampire overseer managing slave caravans.
I sit in a corner booth with Ghatak, our hoods drawn low. We've been here for three hours, waiting.
"She's late," Ghatak murmurs.
"She's cautious," I counter. "Chelsea said Victoria doesn't meet with strangers unless she's certain of their intentions."
"And how does she determine that?"
"By watching them first."
As if summoned by my words, a woman slides into the booth across from us with the fluid grace of someone who's spent centuries perfecting the art of not being noticed.
Victoria.
She's striking in an understated way—dark auburn hair pulled back in a practical braid, amber eyes that miss nothing, and the kind of lean, efficient build that speaks of constant travel. Her clothes are well-made but worn, designed for durability rather than fashion. A traveler's pack rests at her feet.
"Astraea Shinazugawa," she says, her voice low and melodic. "And Ghatak Advik. The dragon princess and her void mate who've been turning Aerox upside down."
I don't bother denying it. "You're well-informed."
"I'm *always* well-informed." Victoria leans back, studying us with the kind of assessment that comes from decades of reading people. "Chelsea vouched for you. Said you're building something on Draconis. Something that doesn't involve slavery."
"That's correct."
"And you're looking for someone. A woman with silver hair and platinum eyes who's been wandering Aerox for two thousand years."
My heart skips. "You know her."
"I know *of* her." Victoria signals the bartender, who brings over three glasses of dark wine. She takes a sip before continuing. "The Egg Mother. The Blessing Bringer. The Silver Wanderer. She has a dozen names depending on which region you're in."
"Tell me everything," I say.
Victoria's lips curve into a slight smile. "That's going to cost you."
"Name your price."
"Passage to Draconis when you're ready to leave Aerox. And a place in whatever you're building."
I exchange a glance with Ghatak. He nods almost imperceptibly.
"Done," I say.
Victoria's smile widens. "Then let's talk about Vesper."
---
**Vesper.**
The name alone sends a shiver through me.
"Vesper is the third-largest city on Aerox," Victoria begins, tracing patterns on the table with her finger. "Located on the western coast where the Crimson Sea meets the Obsidian Cliffs. It's a port city—trade hub, cultural center, and one of the few places where humans have limited autonomy."
"Limited how?" Ghatak asks.
"They're not slaves in the traditional sense. They're *indentured*. Work contracts, debt bondage, that sort of thing. Technically free, but practically trapped." Victoria takes another sip of wine. "The vampire council tolerates it because Vesper generates enormous wealth through maritime trade. Ships come from across the sea bringing goods, slaves, and information."
"And Bia?" I prompt.
"The Egg Mother visits Vesper regularly," Victoria says. "Every year like clockwork. She arrives at the Healer's Quarter—a district where the sick and dying gather hoping for miracles. And she *gives* them miracles."
My breath catches. "What kind of miracles?"
"Healing. Blessing. Fertility." Victoria's expression turns thoughtful. "I've spoken to people she's touched. A woman who was barren for twenty years suddenly conceived triplets. A man dying of blood rot walked away completely cured. Children born with deformities healed overnight."
*Dragon magic,* I think. *She's using dragon magic without even knowing what it is.*
"She never stays long," Victoria continues. "Three days, maybe four. She heals whoever comes to her, blesses the crops in the surrounding villages, and then vanishes. No one knows where she goes between visits."
"When was she last there?" I ask.
"9months ago." Victoria meets my eyes. "Which means she won't return for another five and a half months."
My heart sinks. *Five and a half months.*
"But," Victoria adds, "there's a pattern to her movements. After Vesper, she always travels north to the Whispering Forests. There's a grove there—ancient trees, sacred ground. She spends weeks in that grove before moving on."
"Spiral Grove," I say.
Victoria nods. "You've been there."
"We found fifty of her eggs," Ghatak says. "Thirteen were starting to hatch."
Victoria's eyes widen. "Fifty? I knew she laid eggs, but I didn't realize the scale..."
"One hundred and twenty-five total," I say. "Scattered across Aerox in hidden locations. We've found most of them."
"And you're trying to bring her home."
"She's my sister," I say simply. "She doesn't remember, but she's my sister. And she deserves to know who she is."
Victoria is quiet for a long moment. Then she reaches into her pack and pulls out a rolled parchment. She spreads it on the table—a detailed map of Aerox with dozens of locations marked in red ink.
"These are every place the Egg Mother has been sighted in the last five hundred years," she says. "I've been tracking her movements for decades. There's a pattern—a circuit she follows. Vesper, the Whispering Forests, the eastern plateaus, the southern deserts, back to Vesper."
I study the map, my mind racing. "She's checking on her eggs."
"And helping people along the way," Victoria adds. "It's like she can't *not* help. Even without memories, even without understanding why, she's compelled to heal and bless and create."
*That's so like her,* I think. *Even broken, even lost, she's still herself.*
"If you want to intercept her," Victoria says, "your best chance is the Whispering Forests. She should arrive there within the next two weeks. Maybe sooner if her biological clock is accelerating."
"It is," I confirm. "The eggs in Spiral Grove are hatching ahead of schedule."
Victoria nods slowly. "Then you don't have much time."
---
After Victoria leaves—promising to meet us in Vesper next month—Ghatak and I remain in the booth, studying the map she left behind.
"The Whispering Forests," Ghatak says. "That's our target."
"It's a months journey from here," I say, tracing the route with my finger. "Through vampire-controlled territory and past at least three major settlements."
"We could portal directly."
"No." I shake my head. "If we portal in, we might spook her. She's been running for two thousand years. We need to approach carefully."
"Then we travel overland," Ghatak says. "Hire guides if necessary. Move fast but not recklessly."
"I hope we find her."
I squeeze his hand, drawing strength from his steady presence.
"We leave at dawn," I say. "Let's head north after gathering supplies."
"Agreed."
We stand, leaving payment on the table, and make our way back to the modest inn where we've been staying.
The room is small but clean—a far cry from the luxury of Draconis, but functional. Ghatak locks the door behind us and immediately pulls me into his arms.
"We're close," he murmurs against my hair. "So close."
"I know." I tilt my head back, meeting his dark eyes. "And I'm terrified."
"Of what?"
"That she won't want to come home. That she'll look at me and see a stranger. That everything we've built won't be enough to make her stay."
Ghatak cups my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheekbones. "Then we make it enough. We show her what's waiting. We give her every reason to choose us."
"And if that's not enough?"
"Then we love her anyway," he says. "From a distance if we have to. But we don't give up on her."
The words break something open inside me.
I surge up, capturing his mouth in a kiss that's equal parts desperation and devotion. He responds immediately, his hands fisting in my hair, holding me close as our tongues tangle.
This is what I need. What I *crave*. Not strategy or planning or careful diplomacy.
Just *him*. Just *this*.
I pull back long enough to strip off my tunic, and Ghatak's eyes darken with hunger as he takes in my bare skin. His hands map every inch of me—reverent, possessive, *worshipful*.
"Beautiful," he breathes. "So fucking beautiful."
I help him out of his own clothes, and then we're skin to skin, heat to heat, dragon to dragon. His cock is already hard, pressing against my thigh, and I reach down to wrap my hand around him.
He groans, his hips bucking into my grip. "Astraea..."
"I need you," I whisper. "Inside me. *Now*."
He doesn't make me wait.
In one smooth motion, he lifts me and positions me over him, then lowers me slowly onto his length. The stretch is exquisite, the fullness perfect, and I moan as he fills me completely.
"Fuck," Ghatak grits out. "You feel incredible."
I start to move, rolling my hips in a rhythm that has both of us gasping. His hands grip my waist, guiding me, helping me take him deeper with every thrust.
This is more than sex. More than physical pleasure.
This is *connection*. The fated mate bond singing between us, amplifying every sensation, every emotion. I feel his pleasure as my own, and he feels mine. We're caught in a feedback loop of ecstasy that builds and builds until I'm not sure where I end and he begins.
"That's it," Ghatak murmurs, his voice rough. "Take what you need, love. Take everything."
I ride him harder, chasing the release that's building at the base of my spine. His thumb finds my clit, circling with perfect pressure, and I cry out as the orgasm crashes over me.
Ghatak follows seconds later, his cock pulsing inside me as he spills his release. We cling to each other, trembling, gasping, *complete*.
When the aftershocks finally fade, I collapse against his chest. He wraps his arms around me, holding me close, and I feel the steady beat of his heart beneath my cheek.
"I love you," I whisper.
"I love you too," he says. "Always."
We stay like that for a long time, wrapped in each other, surrounded by the quiet of the inn.
Finally, I speak. "One month until we reach the Whispering Forests."
"One month until you see her again."
"I'm terrified," I admit. "What if she doesn't want to come home? What if she's happy the way she is?"
Ghatak's hand strokes through my hair. "Then we respect that. But we also give her the choice. The *informed* choice. She deserves to know who she is. What she's created. The family that's been searching for her."
"And if she still chooses to leave?"
"Then we let her go," he says gently. "And we keep building what we've started. For her. For the children she's created. For the future we're making together."
I close my eyes, letting his words sink in.
*For the future we're making together.*
"Thank you," I whisper.
"For what?"
"For being my anchor. My partner. My *mate*." I lift my head to look at him. "I couldn't do this without you."
He cups my face, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone. "You could. But you don't have to. That's what mates are for."
I kiss him again—soft, tender, full of promise.
Tomorrow, we'll prepare for the journey north. We'll gather supplies and hire guides and plan our approach.
But tonight?
Tonight, we're just two dragons in love, celebrating the progress we've made and the hope that lies ahead.
*One step at a time.*
*One moment at a time.*
*Together.*