Muse Silver-Green

Three supervisors stood in the hall with Apollo. He leaned against a motivational poster that hung on the door.

"Spies are messing with our program," I said.

A supervisor glared at Paisley. "Zander's and Holbrook's new Muses complained you were a cultist, but now you are lying about them."

"We came to you, and you're accusing me! Green and Apollo never said I was the spy. Holbrook's and Zander's Muses are. Why did you believe their word over mine?"

"Because they were recommended by the old Apollo," a supervisor said.

"I thought I messed up with Holbrook, but it wasn't me." Muse Paisley's wings flapped.

"Of course not. When Muse Paisley insults Mason or is rude to him, Paisley writes it down."

"I go by the rules, and... well... they didn't," Paisley said.

"Zander admitted he was a cult member since he was a teen, so his Muses must have known," Apollo said.

I shoved the notes into the supervisor's face.

"Is our tech vulnerable?" Paisley asked.

Apollo stood straight. "The tech is hidden on another planet and projected into the booths. Kay controls it just like her mother did before her."

Apollo flew through the hall, opened the door, and yanked two of Holbrook's Muses by the wings.

The largest Muse tried to inject him with some sort of poison, but Apollo knocked it to the ground.

The third Muse ran down the hall.

But being old, I didn't chase the cultist, but I tripped the traitor with my cane. The cultist's entire body went limp.

"I failed her. Deb is the light," the cultist said. "We'll make money if we reach the top level."

"I'll be Holbrook's Muse," a supervisor said.

Apollo's wings fluttered. "You're going to apologize and leave her alone. She has proven she wasn't corrupted. We were!" He spoke again. "Zander's and Holbrook's Muses were assigned to five different creatives and rarely got two hours of sleep."

I plodded down the hall. "Paisley and I need to get back to work." I reached for the door, and Paisley followed me in. An hour had passed, and Mason and Holbrook entered the shop.

Rose Madness Gift Shop didn't have metal racks. Items were stacked inside flower pots, wooden barrels, or locked inside glass cases.

Holbrook and Mason ignored the cheap flower-themed souvenirs, seed packets, toys, and books. She touched a glass case of rings. "Pick one, and I'll buy it for you. Hopefully, it'll stop Rob from bothering me."

"He chose a band with a comedy and tragedy mask engraved on one side and a daisy on the other."

Holbrook purchased the ring and talked to the clerk.

"Oh, hi, Holbrook. Why are you buying an engagement ring?" He stepped back. He stared at Mason. The man was of the forest fairy wolf race, the same as Mason. "Does your mom know?"

"She knows." Mason breathed deeply. "I'm sorry I destroyed your marriage by my existence."

"But you haven't. Lace and I are agents, and Rock-Heart gave us different assignments. This shop is an information hub." Mason's stepfather winked at him.

"Was the king's family here?" Holbrook asked.

"Yes, they closed the shop for them, but the royal twin's mother was here. Her hair was dyed brown, and her face painted. She hugged her teens."

"Did their eyes look like dragons?" Mason asked.

His stepfather nodded, 'yes.' "Saw the teens up close, and they aren't contacts."

"If you see her again, tell us," Holbrook said.

Mason whispered to his stepfather. "May I talk to you about Mom's first husband? I heard about the drugs."

"I shouldn't. Her first marriage was depressing, but she adored August and tried to save him from his vices. He was honestly worse than your father, but your mom never says an unkind word about him."

"How could anyone be worse than my father?"

"Your father is a deadbeat, but he loved your mom and never cheated or stole from her. Her first husband was trash and spent all their money on other women and drugs. Your saint of a mother didn't even find out until a year after he died. His debt was why the company went after Lace's children. Lace gave you and Birdie to her mother to save you both."

"But my dad gave my sister away."

"He didn't agree with what the corporate orphanage did, and he attempted to give Lexi to your grandparents before they took her."

"You don't have to tell Mom. She feels terrible." Mason picked a handful of postcards marked not for sale. "These cards are unusual." The distinctive red, black, and gold flowers mimicked Mason's collection.

"They are only for agents so that they don't require a postmark," Holbrook said. "We sell them here, with an ID."

"I was told the cards couldn't be tracked down to the seller. Could you buy me one?" Mason asked her. His voice was like a child wanting candy. "Our warrant doesn't cover it, and I need you to purchase it for me. I promise I won't mail it, but I have a tiny postcard collection."

"Absolutely." She flashed her ID and bought one. "A crate was stolen years ago, and only a handful showed up, but those cards were used to steal funds from the corporate orphanages and schools from fourteen planets."

He pointed to a man in the back. "He is armed to guard these cards. Use them wisely."

They walked out of the store. "I'm I able to show you part of my collection without your Muses?"

"Yes, I got an apology and a new Muse who is rarely there. But I want to keep my thoughts to myself."

He showed her some of his postcards.

She examined them. "Is this from your sister?" She traced a rose print. "I recognize that it's from the stolen batch, and I have an idea of who wrote it."

"Holbrook, they probably stole it over time. But my sister stole this one."

"We've both been lied to, and everything is connected." She tucked the cards back in his pocket. "We only talk to each other and Dad. Do you understand that? I know who had access to the cards." She spelled a message in his hand.

"Here is who I think stole them." Mason wrapped her arms around her, and he located a map of the resort. He spelled messages in her hand.

"I'd still date you because you could have kept this from me, but you didn't."

"Then how about I take you on a bookstore date? I might not look like a hunky guy on a romance cover, but I'll buy you a book, and we'll eat fast food while reading to each other."

"You look like the guy who'd be on the cover of my books."

I wrote notes about how adorable they appeared together.

Mason bounced as he walked, and he appeared as if he'd break into a dance at any moment.

Holbrook slid her card in a kiosk. "I'm paying extra to request a sky taxi."

Five minutes later, a dragon flew down into an empty parking space. The dragon wasn't humanoid and was as large as a school bus. Her scales and violet-colored eyes sparkled in the sunlight. She didn't look up and went over the rules.

"Your card will be charged on delivery. Please strap yourself into the harness, and wear the parachute provided for emergencies. I won't be held accountable if you shatter your spine."

"Has that happened?" Mason asked.

"I caught my friend's falling passenger. If a customer is drunk, I guide them to the trolley. I'm paid either way. Safety above all else."

"Gloria is the best," Holbrook said. "I'm friends with a lot of the staff here, but Gloria is my —."

Gloria interrupted and looked up. "Holbrook, is that you? Zander told me you were coming, but I didn't want to keep my hopes up." She stared at her friend. "Oh, your ear...." She stopped speaking.

"Gloria can't be a dragon," I said.

"Yes, she is. Her last name is Gray-Bolt, but I guess your notes are incomplete. I kept information from you on purpose because I thought you were dishonest," Paisley said.

Holbrook covered her ear with her hand. "I'm okay, and I'm not getting plastic surgery because my doctor said it'll damage my hearing."

Gloria hugged her for ten minutes, then glanced at Mason. "Who is the cute guy?"

"This is Mason. He's Agent Lace's son." Holbrook clutched his arm. "Gloria and I grew up together on her grandfather's massive solar ship before he retired from it and opened his shop. Her grandfather was Dad's commander before my dad became a general four years ago."

"Zander, Holbrook, and I are the best of friends." Gloria's wings fluttered. "He has been a mess since Jake was taken by the cult, and the agency should've pulled him off the assignment."

"How long ago did it happen?" Mason asked.

Holbrook spoke. "Only a week before the agency dragged you on board. Zander's swollen eyes aren't from drinking. His ex-wife didn't have custody, but she found a cultist judge willing to give custody to a corporation. Businesses can't replace parents or even a good foster home."

Gloria dug out a photo from her ten-pound wallet.

Mason stared at the picture of Holbrook, Gloria, and another dragon.

"This is Zander when he could shift. He doesn't turn into a part human dragon like the others. Zander's ability is rare. Even his DNA changes. He didn't even know he was a humanoid until he went through puberty." Gloria's wings trembled.

"I feel terrible for him. His shifting is erratic, and he hasn't turned into a dragon since the incident," Holbrook said.

"He joined the cult, and because he didn't battle Deb, he lost his powers. After Zander confessed, Deb punished him," Holbrook said with a cracking voice.

Gloria wiped tears from her eyes. "Zander is going through intense suffering because his son was adopted by Deb's semi-legal orphanage and will probably be someone's servant. Jake is such a sweet little boy."

"Zander only dated me because the cult asked him to, and his son needed a mom. Who knows what Jake will be like when he is returned?"

Gloria tucked her wallet back. She set her head down on the pavement. Puffs of smoke billowed from her nostrils on her snout. "I noticed your new guy's ring. Is this a fake engagement because of pushy Rob? If you were seeing a new cutie, your dad would've called."

"Agency-14 blocked our calls, but you're half-correct. In truth, Mason is a potential boyfriend, and this is our first date." Holbrook rubbed Mason's ear, and he leaned into her.

He winked at Holbrook. "Casual dating is not my style."

"I believe you." Holbrook stopped rubbing his ears.

Mason and Holbrook helped each other with their parachutes and locked themselves into the leather seats, which they could unlatch. A bell rang when they were fully strapped in.

"Where are you going?" Gloria's wings flapped.

"To the bookstore and to eat cheese nuggets, but take us the long way," Mason said.

"They're even better than turkey, and I munch on three roasted turkeys at a sitting. Not a humanoid turkey or a shifter that is gross, but animal turkeys."

"I haven't had good cheese in ages," Holbrook said.

Gloria flew them over the park, and the view was breathtaking. She landed in the lot next to the bookstore.

The building was shaped like a stone castle covered in ivy, with a sign that proclaimed Happy Endings Inside.

Before they entered, Mason sang to her a song he had written.

Resort guests clapped.

Holbrook slid the ring on his finger. Guests cheered and photographed them. She dragged him inside the bookstore.

"The cultists usually won't attack in a public setting. The twins' attack feels off," Holbrook said.

Carved wooden-painted dolls and handmade knitted toys were near the books that inspired them. A list of eBooks that they could download directly from the store's app hung behind the register.

They walked toward a massive 3D book printer. Metallic limbs and hinged fingers were attached to an industrialized-sized copy machine.

A customer paid in credits with a red card.

The robotic arms used a blunt needle from a hidden compartment and bound the printed book. I've never seen anything as beautiful.

Holbrook and Mason's waited to purchase.

"They have scented books. You'll love The Magic Pirate's Salad. A former pirate finds a magic garden where he befriends a chef, and they open a restaurant."

"Don't spoil it." Mason didn't hide his wrist.

"Your phone call worked, but I found more information, and it's important you leave now," a woman said from behind.

They turned around. A siren dressed as an Agency-14 police officer stood with a humanoid bear. They pretended to look at a stack of comic books.

Agent Rock-Heart's yellow uniform wasn't a disguise like other agents. Her name and rank were stitched in black. She was rarer than the fake Deb-Dagger, and her beauty was magical.

Holbrook spoke. "Oh, hi, Agent Rock-Heart. Mason gave them your name as planned, so the story is believable, but not the real mole's name."

Rock-Heart showed her ID, and Holbrook authenticated it by using a light in her pocket. Even though they obviously knew each other. "Gloria and the other security officers told us you were here. Not that you are keeping a low profile, but congratulations on the engagement."

"Why do you want to talk to us?" Mason asked nervously.

The bear man whispered, "I didn't join Deb's Light to steal Christmas gifts from orphans."

Agent Rock-Heart leaned in. "Deb-Dagger is heading out to hit the shipping planet early."

"We'll leave now," Holbrook said.

Agent Rock-Heart frowned. "People like Deb-Dagger who use the myth of our beauty and hormones disgust me. Most sirens with the gift never abuse it. I'll meet you at the shipping dock." Agent Rock-Heart left with her informant.

Gloria was waiting by the vendor outside. With her claws, she shoved two containers of nuggets into their hands. "I bought snacks for you. Do you know that Deb-Dagger's followers cut off dragon's wings who've defied her? Red Claw Villagers are fleeing."

"No, I didn't." Mason strapped himself in. "There is only one way that they won't reach you, which is through the space

minefields." Mason peered through the sky as airships gained speed.

"Charlotte will make it through," Holbrook said.