Wooden beams, patchworked with glass, crisscrossed in a slight blur. Soft yellow light shone through. Cypur blinked, trying to focus. His chest hurt, he noticed, and it was like someone had torn out half his heart leaving a gaping hole.

What happened? He wondered, searching his memory. The policewoman and her troops after them. Wescherlie flying and trying to stay above ground using some kind of wind spell, keeping them out of harm's way. His Faud breathing golden flames. The deaths of many.

"Cromlight? Are you awake?"

He recognized that voice, but it couldn't be! Cypur sighed knowing it was just a dream answering to his deep-down-inside feelings—he never let Arius go. How could he? His heart still called out to the male.

"Daero, he's waking up."

Stop hearing his voice, he told himself.

Other voices came from all around as if gathering over him. Cypur blinked again. There were strange blue shapes—they looked feline. One was a light blue and the other a deep indigo.

The darker one neared. "Your vision might be a little blurry for a while, but don't worry," The male's deep voice was velvety and smooth, "you'll get it back soon. It's just the potion to heal your disconnection."

"D-Disconnection?" Cypur slurred like he was forcing himself out of sleep.

"Here, drink this, it'll help with the recovery." The dark blue male came closer, and a brown blur neared Cypur's face. Something fuzzy reached under his neck and helped him up so he could drink. The drink was warm, creamy, and tasted like almonds and honey. It pulled him into a comforting embrace, soothing the pain and emptiness in his chest.

Cypur lay back down. His eyelids drooped.

"Sleep," came the deep voice again, "and when you wake, you will be much better."

"I'll stay with him," the Arius-sounding male said.

"Call me if something happens. Just give a holler."

"Of course."

There was a chuckle. "She's right. Sorcerers don't say 'thank you'."

She? Wescherlie? Cypur wanted to wake up more, but the drink had been a potion, working magick into his system, forcing his eyes shut.

"It's not natural to most of us." There was a long pause. "Tell Kirlan he has the nose of a good tracker and to stop doubting himself."

A feline trill came from the corner of the room. "I will."

Another purposeful silence hung around him. The unease tickled the hairs on his arms.

"You never helped him before," the deep voice said, "Why now?"

"I realized."

A light chuckle sounded to the left. "I see. Well, you found us just in time, Arius."

Arius? It really is Arius? Cypur struggled to open his eyes but now the tug of sleep was unbearable. Consciousness slipped from his grasp into a void of peaceful darkness.

* * *

When Cypur woke next, an orange glow leaked through the glass windows above. His vision was clear this time. It was a healing room of sorts with three or four beds on either side of him. There were cabinets filled with empty potion jars, towels, syringes, bottles of pale blue liquid, a stethoscope, and bandage wraps, and baskets filled with pill medications in transparent mesh bags.

Next to the cabinet, a door had been wedged into the corner in the shape of a triangle. Most impossible looking structure. He stared at the door, wondering how it opened. One knob, no midsection to indicate it folded inwards or outwards. Trying to sense any magick on it proved a waste of energy. Cypur's magick energy was the lowest it had ever been.

Movement caught his attention. In the other corner was a window concealed in beige curtains, and underneath, on a long wooden bench sat a male in a long forest green cloak. His head leaned against the corner and his mouth was gently opened. The short black hair was tousled unlike the usual put-togetherness, and the green-tinted skin seemed pale. Shadows hung under the eyes—a tattletale for lack of sleep.

At that moment, Arius woke and their eyes locked. Cypur looked away, pretending to be busy propping himself against his pillows. What was Arius doing here and where was here?

What do I even say to him? His heart thumped against his chest.

With a thud, Arius fell from the bench. Cypur lifted his head to find him on the floor. Then Arius was unlike the version Cypur knew.

He scrambled up, tripped on his long cloak, and slip-slided to the triangle door. It opened inward, to the side, like any other door. He rushed out, bumped into a blue figure with pointed ears atop the head, and received a might slap against his cheek, causing him to reel back, falling into the room again.

"He's a-awake!" Arius stammered, getting up. "Daero!" His voice pitched and faded as he scampered down the hall.

Cypur stared after in shock. Equally shocked was the blue feline, as tall as a Human, standing on two feet, staring into the healing room with a snarl on its face. Kathula race. Beyond the Kathula was another window and another. Through layers of glass, he could see all the way to the front room. There were many of them. Adults, children, from the darkest blue to the lightest blue, with near-black or white stripes on their arms, legs, tail, and face—all shades of Kathula gathered in the front room. In the quiet, if he listened carefully, he could hear their unique language.

As if cats are trying to speak Universal, he thought with a smirk.

A few moments later, Arius returned with a dark blue Kathula who was so tall, he had to duck in the doorway to avoid bumping his ears. A bright azure one, much shorter, followed.

Arius pulled up a chair to sit next to the bed. Cypur wanted to ask so many questions, but he couldn't form a single one. He must be dreaming. He had to. Arius was now taking holding his hands, smiling and with tears glistening in his eyes.

"Cromlight, thank starlights you're okay! Daero here, a Kathula Sorcerer, he helped you. You'll be okay."

Cypur was caught between thoughts. What was a Kathula Sorcerer? And how Arius' hands were warm and smooth. He dreamt of this day, but not like this. It brought back the memory of those times their hands brushed against each other, walking side by side.

Oh no, he thought as a blush crept to his cheeks. Someone save me from embarrassment.

Thundering footsteps sounded outside the door. It banged open to a disheveled Wescherlie with her right arm in a sling.

"Cypur!" She burst into tears and rushed to his bedside. Yanking his hand away from Arius, she pulled him into a hug with her only working arm and wing. "You're alive," she sobbed into his shoulder as he hugged her back.

"Well, obviously, Sorcerers don't die easily," he said, and his heart swelled. How could he ask for a better friend? Her left shoulder was swollen, and she winced when she pulled away. Gently, he touched her cast. She had become this way for him.

"Thank you, Wescherlie." Tears touched his eyes and he pulled her for another hug. He vowed to himself then, whatever it might take, he would see to it she found her family.

Even if I never see mine.

It was such a sudden thought. He didn't care if he ever found out as long as he knew she would be safe. It was okay. He would figure something out without her.

When at last they pulled away, Wescherlie dried her tears and shook herself. "Thank your knight in shining armor," She winked, "Human expression, quite cool, anyway, for tracking you down. And you wouldn't believe it," She grinned with her usual crinkled nose, "but you were asleep for—"

Daero cleared his throat. "Wescherlie, I hate to tear you away, but you need to stay in bed for the potion to work through your body. Kirlan, take her back, will you?"

"Aw, come on, hardhead," she groaned, "it's a reunion. Don't you ever cry?" She pouted as Kirlan, the azure Kathula ushered Wescherlie out of the room. Daero gave a small smile, shaking his head.

"Well, where shall we start?" Daero pulled a chair over. A bushy indigo tail draped across his legs. "Perhaps Arius?"

Cypur turned to him as he cleared his throat, adjusting his forest green cape so it fell symmetrically over each shoulder. "I saw you," He began in a quiet voice, "saving Wescherlie."

He had been there? Conflicted emotions surged through his chest. Happy that Arius was there, ashamed of what he had to see, confused as to why he was there, and afraid of what he thought. The answers came soon enough.

"I wanted to, you—" Arius paused and fell silent. Cypur sucked in his breath.

"Cromlight, I wanted to apologize to you," Arius began in a rush locking eyes with Cypur, "because I knew this whole time about your, well, I knew from the beginning, but I never said anything and, well, at Carnival, I said those things to test the waters, but then," He paused to take a deep breath and slowed down, "you went with your friends, and I saw you leave and then they followed so I followed, and then I knew you needed help."

Apologize for what he said at Carnival? Cypur wanted to ask, but he didn't want Daero to hear. It was between him and Arius. Did he dare hope it was about his attitude toward the male-male couple the two of them saw at Carnival? He caught himself doing wishful thinking, but since being with Wescherlie and learning a little to cut some slack pie, he decided it was okay to be a little optimistic sometimes. Or was this a reach?

Daero turned his chair around, sitting on it backwards. "He knew of a Sorcerer that can't seem to keep his paws out of citizens' business." He smiled and studied his paws, brushing messed fur into neat rows. "An old friend, really. Got in touch that way. We've been looking for you, tracking your movements, trying to find the best moment to intervene, but I had to be sure you needed my help. I'm sorry," He dipped his head to Cypur, "but I can't reveal myself to just any Sorcerer. I'm not naturally born. I was a side-effect of illegal magick that a criminal Sorcerer used."

Of course, because Kathula Sorcerers are not possible. Cypur knew a tad as much as was available about Kathula magick. Allegedly, it was a gift from the moon, their goddess. A totally different magick from Sorcerer magick. They didn't have spells. Just will-power and potions.

"But for whatever reason, I'm here to stay. Daero Cortavaan," he held out his paw and Cypur shook it, "and you have me as your ally, Cypur Cromlight."

Arius' shoulders shook in a breathy laugh. "He's the best resource you can have. I know it's a lot to take in," He nodded with a smile, "but you're not alone. You have Daero, you have Wescherlie, and you have me. I wanted you to know that."

Cypur nose went hot, and his eyes blurred. He thought he had no one out there and now he had force to be reckoned with. He didn't hide himself. Wescherlie taught him he was fine the way he was. So, he cried into his hands, relief washing over him at the thought of not being alone. Arius rubbed his back until he calmed.

As Cypur wiped his eyes and gulped offered water, Daero explained they were in Ulk Pyne, the place Wescherlie had been trying to get to before they met Precense. He was told it was a place between Rings, able to get into the Fourth, Third, and Second Rings without having to go to a Portal Station in the big cities.

The bright azure Kathula returned and introduced himself as Kirlan, a talented hunter who used his tracking skills to find Cypur when magick tracks were lost. The azure Kathula had angular white stripes cutting across his arms, legs, and along his bushy tail distinguishing him as one clan, and Daero would be another. But clan division was something of the past. Since each clan were so few in number today, they were all one family.

"Like one big clan," Daero beamed, "quite cozy." He arched a brow at Kirlan who said something in the Kathulan language to which Daero chuckled.

Daero turned to Cypur. "He's just telling me to not consider calling it Cozy Clan." He gave a trill. "You know I was not serious, right?"

"I never can tell." Kirlan rolled his eyes.

After a few minutes of Kathulan talk between Daero and Kirlan, Daero announced he had to go, but would return in ten minutes or so to help Arius leave Ulk Pyne. The doors into the hidden realm were locked with Daero's advanced magick that only he could crack. It was to keep intruders out and Kathula in and safe.

"At least until the Third Ring is livable again. I have some living there as a kind of experiment," Daero rubbed his chin, "we still don't know how it will be. After nearly six years of nature taking over the Ring, barely livable, you see. And all that death. The Massacre was just that, a massacre. Hundreds died that day, Cypur. They don't teach Kathula history in Academy, but they should. Sorcerers played a part as well."

Cypur raised a brow. He knew a little about the Massacre of the Third Ring, but nowhere in the books he read did it say Sorcerers were involved.

"Bystander," Arius said and Daero gave a grunt, "We had the power to do something, but chose to watch. Like I have said, I apologize on behalf of my race."

"And as I said, it is not your apology I wish to hear. But thank you." Daero patted Cypur on the head. "I'm on call," he said and pointed to Arius, "Be ready to leave in ten."

"You're leaving?" Cypur turned to Arius who nodded with his mouth set in the tight line. But he didn't want Arius to leave yet! They had just found each other again. And he had questions. Too many to be answered in only ten minutes.

Arius turned back to him. "Cromlight."

"Baron." Cypur gave a slight bow like he did with Arius countless times.

Arius took Cypur's hands, sending a jolt of electricity up his body and bringing a blush to his cheeks that he could do nothing to hide. "I wanted to apologize about what I said."

Time seemed to stop. Cypur's beating heart was trying to gallop right out of his chest. Arius lowered his gaze a moment and looked back up into Cypur's eyes.

"I never thought male couples were a sin or illegal or disgusting. And I always knew about your, well, preferences."

Cypur wanted to pinch his cheek. He wanted to pinch Arius' cheek. This couldn't be happening to him! It couldn't be true. The Universe hated him, and he hated the Universe. Then Arius squeezed his hands, sending all his negative thoughts away and filling his chest with a level of emotion he had never felt before.

It's happening, starlights, it's happening. Cypur's thoughts whizzed in a circle. Starlights.

"I, well," Arius gave a slight smile, "you are brave and—" He released one hand to touch Cypur's cheek. Another electrical jolt zipped through Cypur, making him go rigid. He stared into Arius' brown eyes and couldn't look away. He knew he was visibly red and warm to the touch.

Captured in the gaze, the moment, the caressing hand, he barely registered Arius' next words.

"You are beautiful, unlike any male I have ever met. Kind, brave, and stronger than you think. I don't know what to think right now about this," He chewed his bottom lip and Cypur licked his, imagining a kiss and blushing deeper about it, "about this, I suppose, situation," Arius continued, "Still trying to understand. I cannot seem to not think about you, and that is clear."

He can't stop thinking about me? Can we be? Together? Do I dare hope? Cypur wondered as he thought about what to say. He knew he should thank Arius for helping.

"And you'll be okay now. I'll go talk to your parents. They were worried. Your brother, too. You should know, they do love you."

The words 'love you' out of Arius' mouth was sweet as nectar even though it wasn't the real thing. Cypur couldn't think straight. He knew he would slip up something, say something stupid, and ruin this moment forever.

Cut slack pie. He breathed through his nose and out his mouth. He was ready. He could speak without making a fool out of himself.

"Baron?" his voice squeaked. Appalled, he wanted to hide. But Arius' slight smile didn't even twitch. Taking that as he did notice but was nice enough not to point it out, Cypur cleared his throat.

"Thank you for everything," he said and put every ounce of courage into willing his hands to squeeze Arius'. It was overkill to Cypur's poor heart. Sorcerers didn't die easily, but he sure would have right now out of sheer embarrassment. His heart was beating loud in his ears, pumping blood and adrenaline too fast for his brain to keep up.

A long pause passed between them, neither moving except Cypur's hard grip on Arius' hands loosening a little. Arius was staring at their locked hands as if it was the most curious thing. Then suddenly he blinked his eyes rapidly and gave a smile.

"Of course, any time. If there's anything I can do to help clear your name, by starlights, I will do it for you Cromlight. Take care."

"Thank you, Baron."

"Arius," Daero called, "door's opened. Not for long though."

"I guess I should go." His hands slipped away.

Without thinking, Cypur grabbed the edge of his cloak. "Baron, will I see you again?"

Arius' brows lifted in surprise and then a smile settled on his lips. "Of course, because I want to. And who better to dance steppenchellia with?" He clapped his hands in the rhythm and left.

At last, Daero came over wearing a sly smile. "Don't you think he's too old for you?"

Cypur groaned. How much had he been listening to?

Daero dragged the chairs to the wall as he spoke. "Now, before the warmth of the day fades, I want to take you out to see your Faud and I'll explain to you what I had to do, and, I'll tell you what needs to be done for your rare situation. Your shoes and cape are on that chair over there. Just come out when you're ready. I'll be waiting outside."

Once Daero left the room, Cypur swung his legs over the bed and fanned himself, feeling the touch of cool air. He found a mirror near the cabinet and scowled, catching sight of his ridiculously tomato-red face, messy hair, and wrinkled clothes.

Damn, I'm a mess in so many different ways. I need to Narsy up a bit. He stuck his tongue out at himself. Then he pursed his lips and lifted his chin, imagining getting ready for some good aesthetic debate at school. His best and most favorite subject. As he pictured an opponent before him, the blush began to fade.

And seriously, I love Arius, he thought without a hint of a blush. No fooling around whatsoever. Cypur was confident in his feelings in this moment. He wanted to shout from the rooftops if permitted.

A realization struck him like a bolt of lightning did a tree. His hand flung to his mouth and eyes widened in shock.

"He knew I liked males all this time," Cypur whispered out loud, feeling the weight of each word heavy on his mind. He recalled Arius' words and was certain that was what he meant. Yet, Arius had stood by him and never called him out.

"But testing the waters at Carnival? Why?" He paused and rubbed his chin. "Unless he also..."

Oh, please! Cypur shoved that thought away. Arius might like females but supported Cypur in his preference for partners. That was all it was. He was getting ahead of himself.