They flew. Higher and higher they flew. Higher and higher until the clouds lay in a sheet of grey and white below, and nothing but a sea of dark blue stretched beyond as the earth once again turned from the sun. The air grew cold and thin, and one by one the stars came out to greet the ten dragons for the first time in three decades.

Nekros couldn't remember a time when the stars were so bright and clear. Never did he know of a time when he had felt so free. So at peace. Just above him flew Phoenix. Her eyes were closed in the purest expression of bliss and freedom.

There were no words to describe everything he was feeling. Relief. Joy. Elation. Nothing was good enough. Nothing was strong enough. The only time he'd come close to feeling like this was when he held Rhia for the first time. He was so happy he could cry. Had cried. Would cry again when they finally descended to an altitude that would allow it.

She was back. His Phoenix... his mate... she was back.

Flipping to coast upside down, he pressed his body flush against hers midair. Instantly, she tucked herself into him, her front and back legs came around his body, and she fold her wings so he could wrap his around them both. She rubbed her head along his neck, her unique song coming to life in her throat. "I missed you," she whispered through the link. "So much."

"I missed you, too," he purred, nuzzling into her and matching her music with his own. "I love you. I love you more than anything. I'm never going to let anything happen to you again."

"We're together. You and me. That's all that matters."

Still entwined with one another, they started to fall. They hadn't flown like this since before they learned of her pregnancy. They tumbled towards the earth, faster and faster, bodies laced together as one. The air roared past their ears, but their duet rang above it all. The oldest love song in the known universe. The same song they sang when they met. After they took each other as mates. After they bonded.

They were the first soulmates. Bonded by more than magic. Bonded for life. They had been together for five billion years. Yet the mere twenty-seven years of separation had felt like an eternity.

Rhia watched them reappear in the sky over the Mediterranean from Keoni's beach-side patio. It was a sight to behold. They literally 'broke' through the thin cloud cover, their magic instantly evaporating them and causing a reaction of lightning and thunder to explode over the sea. She felt the influx of power and electricity from the shore as they rejoined the other seven in a synchronized flight and victorious song.

They had been 'dancing' like this for two days straight, since they'd returned from Angola. Longer, in the case of Nekros and Phoenix. The two of them were incredible fliers, faster than even Valkyr. They rushed ahead while the rest of the dragons took nearly two days to get back to Egypt. Rhia, of course, had flown on Lysander's back.

What else could she do? She couldn't hope to keep up with even Ares, who was by far the slowest of the original nine.

The unfortunate part of that was that she had four whole days with nothing to distract her but her own thoughts and the overwhelming storm of conflicting feelings swirling inside her.

Those were her parents. Her real, flesh and blood family.

Nekros was the kind of father that Richard never was. Patient, kind, and encouraging. He was a natural teacher, and never got frustrated when she couldn't get the hang of something, or when she resisted learning something new. Like flying. God, he'd looked so proud when she flew for the first time. He was easy to talk to and respected her boundaries while indirectly reminding her that he would always be there to support her.

He was the kind of father that perfectly matched Madeline's own parenting.

Madeline.

Not for the first time, Rhia felt a heavy rock forming in her stomach. Madeline was her mom. Phoenix was her mother. Two words that meant the exact same thing yet were completely different. Now that Phoenix was back... where did that leave them?

It had been hard enough on Madeline with the realization of her daughter's breed, Nekros's return, and Richard's betrayal. In the last year, her life had changed as dramatically as Rhia's. At the same time Rhia had, Madeline had been kidnapped by the Organization and taken to a cabin in the middle of nowhere to wait for further orders. Then, she was saved by Atticus and his shifters, divorced her traitor of a husband, and had to watch her only son submit himself to working for them as well as her adopted daughter move away to be with her biological family.

Their relationship had been somewhat strained since then. Everything felt so different in ways that neither of them could explain. For once, neither of them knew how to help each other. They didn't know how to fit into each other's lives. Everything was... just different.

And now... What happened now?

Blinking rapidly to clear her eyes, Rhia looked back down at the notebooks in her lap. One was her own, filled with notes she'd written since learning that Nolan was alive. The other was the one she found at the facility. She didn't really know what to expect to learn from it, though.

Last time, there had been a short list that turned out to be the locations of five facilities, including the ones she and Nekros had been held in. This one didn't have that, as far as she could tell. Mostly there were personal notes on security procedures. A few scribbles reminding the owner of certain times and what suspiciously looked like a password or two. But without the computer servers, there was no way to test them. There were also a couple of phone numbers, all of which connected to dead lines. Of course, they did.

Rhia needed help. She knew she did. From Atticus, or Nova, or someone else who was experienced in this kind of thing. They were a simple phone call away, and she could text them pictures of the notebook. But the news had spread like wildfire. Everyone knew that Phoenix was back. And if she called them, they would ask about it.

The notebook was the only distraction she had.

"You're brooding," Keoni hummed beside her.

"Pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?" she scowled.

"I'm not brooding. Brooding is when you are thinking hard on something that makes you unhappy. Sulking on the other hand is insisting on being unhappy because you cannot do something you very much want to."

This time she looked up and beside her. Keoni's hands were clenched tight in his lap. His mouth was drawn in a thin line, and there was a terrible bitterness in violet eyes. His gaze was fixed on Ares, who was flying with Lysander near the surface of the water. "You want to be out there with them, don't you?" she asked quietly.

"More than anything." Keoni let out a heavy sigh and tore his eyes from his mate. "You don't need to stay here and keep the cripple company. Go join the others."

"I'm too busy brooding," she made an attempt at a joke and flicked him in the arm. "Besides, I can't fly for shit. I'll just get in the way."

"You'll never get better if you don't practice."

"I prefer to keep all limbs in every form in firm contact with solid ground."

He started laughing, which was good to see. "I will never understand this fear of yours," he chortled. "Never mind that it is in our very nature to embrace the sky, but you are a dragon. You could fall from any height, and you will not break no matter how you doubt your own abilities."

"Fear isn't always rational. Spiders aren't malicious, yet no one bats an eye when Maddox squeals like a five-year-old when he finds one in his garage."

"Spiders can't hurt us either."

"Wrong. Arachne demons are spiders. And demons very much can hurt us."

"I thought you were over your fear of demons."

"Nope, I just learned and accepted that not all of them are mindless flesh eaters. I will never be a fan of them, but I think Kate feels the same about me, so we're square."

"You are a strange one, Rhiannon."

Rhia shifted in her chair and tried not to show just how uncomfortable she suddenly felt. Rhiannon. She'd never felt that way about her name before. Nervous to mention it around the fae? Sure. The Seeley Court faeries in particular were a bit prickly when it came to the last queen. The few she'd met before her awakening had been frustrated and offended, and they all encouraged her to continue going by Rhia. Those same fae were the first ones to backtrack when they learned that she had been named in honor of that queen due to her life-long friendship with none other than Phoenix herself.

Since she had always and was still going by Rhia, the revelation that her name had been chosen to appease the woman who never wanted her, hadn't bothered her at the time. Even when the dragons or kin slipped up, she could shake it off. It was just a name.

But now that Phoenix was back and alive... something about her own name didn't feel right anymore.

"I'm going to get a drink," she announced suddenly and got up before she could start contemplating her emotions again. "Need anything?"

Keoni waved her off and turned his gaze back to the flying dragons and continued sulking that he couldn't even walk, let alone shift and fly.

In the kitchen, she popped the top off a brown bottle, leaned back against the counter and stared at it. She'd been sober since talking to Kate. Four, almost five weeks. Had it really only been that long? The last five weeks had flown by, yet it almost felt like years since she'd been stuck in that depressive cycle. She needed to keep it together for Nolan, but... fuck, she didn't expect it to be so hard.

"You plan on drinking that, or just stare at it until it evaporates?" came Lysander's soft, hoarse voice from the kitchen door.

Rhia shrugged without drinking or discarding the bottle. "Haven't decided yet."

Looking up, she almost didn't know who she was looking at. The entire short time she'd known him, Lysander had always dressed in baggy jeans, baggy T-shirts, and oversized coats or sweaters that made him look like a seventeen-year-old who didn't know how to shop for himself.

Now he stood across the room from her wearing only a pair of shorts and breathing heavily from the exertion of flying so hard for so long. She had no idea there was this jaw-droppingly gorgeous man underneath. Lean, yet muscular and powerful. The sheen of sweat across his chest made his skin glitter as it reflected the pink and blue of his crystalline hair and eyes, giving him an almost angelic appearance.

"My eyes are up here," he chuckled.

"Sorry," she shook her head, feeling the heat creep up her face. "I'm an idiot."

"Nah. Everyone's always shocked to see the baby brother of the dragons to actually have some meat on his bones."

Lysander took a bottle from the fridge and leaned against the counter next to her. His presence was comforting, despite the lack of clothes on his end. Almost as if she had Maddox at her side again. He made her feel grounded and valid. "Sorry for snapping at you back in L.A," she said quietly. "I was upset, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"Yeah, you were kind of a bitch," he shrugged. "I know you don't like it when you're compared to Luna, but that was a total Luna thing to do."

He was right, and she hated that, but she didn't argue. She just stared at the bottle in her hands, fighting over whether she wanted to drown her feelings in alcohol or fight to stay sober. Nolan needed her to stay sober. But she also wasn't sure if she could go any further without another drink.

"How are you doing?" Lysander suddenly asked.

"Still contemplating," she responded.

"No, that's not what I meant. How are you doing?"

A lump formed in her throat. She hated that question almost as much as she hated being compared to Luna. There was never a good answer and answering it would force her to acknowledge those feelings by putting them into words. Maybe more importantly, she didn't want to see or feel the hurt in their eyes if she said it out loud. She raised the bottle to her lips, stopped, and silently begged for the strength to just let go. Get drunk. Turn it all off for one night and just black out like she had countless times. It would be so easy. So peaceful.

"It's okay to be disappointed, you know," he told her gently. "It's okay to be upset that we didn't find him."

"Is it?" Tears welled in her eyes no matter how hard she tried to suppress them. "Every time I let myself think all I feel is guilt. Nekros has his family back. The dragons are whole. At the very least, I should be happy for him, and you, and Ares and the others. Instead..."

She stopped midsentence, shaking her head, but Lysander urged her gently. "It's okay. What is it?"

Before she could answer, voices sounded from outside, talking and laughing, and then the back door opened. Rhia turned to the sink, swiping at the tears in her eyes so neither Nekros nor Phoenix would see when they walked in. "What are you two doing in here alone?" Phoenix's voice was beautiful and bright, and it ripped at the edges of Rhia's fraying heart. "It's beautiful outside. We should be in the skies where we belong!"

"Just as energetic as always, I see," Lysander laughed. "It's good to have you back."

Nekros appeared at Rhia's side, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" he whispered, intense green eyes flicking between the bottle and her tears.

"I'm fine," she cleared her throat. "Just... got a lot on my mind."

Dropping the bottle, she tried to turn away from Nekros just for Phoenix to just as suddenly be right in front of her. "My gods," she breathed. Her fiery red eyes darted back and forth and up and down, taking in every inch of Rhia's appearance "Look at you. So beautiful. I can't believe how much you look like me."

Rhia bristled, but she didn't know why. How many times had Nekros and Luna said the same thing? Why was it any different coming from her? "Yeah," she said awkwardly. "That's... kind of how genetics works. Uh... excuse me, I-"

"Except your eyes. So much like your father's. How about your shift and your magic?"

"Phoenix, take it easy..."

"It's fine, Nekros," she waved him off and took Rhia's hand. "Come, show me."

"I-I don't..."

Phoenix ignored her too, and half-dragged her back outside until they stood on the beach together. The rest of the dragons had landed, and some of them had shifted back into their humanoid forms, and all their heads turned to the women as they reappeared. "Show me," Phoenix said again, releasing Rhia's hand and taking several steps back. "I bet you're as powerful as us both."

Quin, still in his dragon skin, snorted and turned his head away from the scene. A rock came flying from the house and smacked him in the side of the head. Whipping his head around, he growled at a silent Ares. Ares didn't say anything out loud or through the link, but his message was clear. 'Don't be an ass'.

"There's nothing worth showing," Rhia said coolly, and turned back to the house.

"Awe, come on, kid!" Valkyr's voice erupted through her head, making her flinch. "Now that Phoenix is back, maybe you'll stop lighting shit on fire. I bet you'll finally hit that growth spurt everyone's waiting on. Can't be a chihuahua forever!"

Valkyr roared a hissing laugh, Ozin and Tiamat chirped good naturedly, and even Luna giggled from her spot on the porch next to Nekros. "Leave her alone, Valkyr," Lysander snapped while Rhia's face burned. "She said no."

"What are you going to do about it, runt?" Valkyr challenged, her feathers bristling and causing little jolts of static to dance across her body. "I thought you'd be happy. You're not the weakest anymore!"

"Rhiannon, wait..."

Phoenix's fingers wrapped tight around Rhia's wrist and pulled her to a complete stop. She was strong, and her hands were hot. So hot Rhia could feel her skin begin to burn, like she'd been out in the sun for too long. When was the last time she felt any heat?

"I just want to get to know you," Phoenix insisted. "I'm your mother."

Rhia shook her head, trying and failing to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes. "You're not," she whispered back. "I... I can't do this."

She tried to pull away. Phoenix resisted, and the heat rapidly intensified. A second later, Nekros and Lysander appeared next to them. Nekros took Phoenix's hands, forcing her to loosen her grip and to take a step back. "Stop," he said, forcing her back another step. "You are asking too much."

"Her?" Phoenix hissed. "What about me? I have been locked in a box for thirty years!"

"Rhia," Nekros was calm as he looked over his shoulder to give Rhia an apologetic look. "Go with Lysander. I'll call you tomorrow."

She nodded, and let Lysander turn her back towards the house.

"You are too soft on her," Quin snorted. "The time for her to learn her place has long since passed."

"Once again, Quin, when you have hatchlings of your own, I will entertain your advice," Nekros snarled back before turning back to Phoenix's glare and opening the link privately between them "I know you want to know her, Nyx. But she is hurting. Trust me. It took her a month before she was willing to even see me. Give her time. Give her space. She'll come around on her own."

Her eyes narrowed, and he winced. She didn't like to be refused, even now. But it was for the best. If he let her push Rhia too hard, they would both lose her.

After a long moment Phoenix nodded and relaxed. "Very well," she said softly. "We'll do this your way."

"She has only just begun to open her heart to us," Nekros told her, though his words were aimed at all the dragons. "She does not know our ways, and she is more than capable and comfortable with walking away. If we give her space and time, then maybe one day-" He turned a glare up at Quin, his lip curling in a silent snarl. "She will choose to find a place among us. And I, for one, will be honored and proud by the choice she makes."

~