Xilon struggled against two Renjerians as they carried him to the mountains. Below them, the forest burned in bright orange and red against the night.

Ash!

“No, let me go!” Xilon roared into the minds of his rescuers. “The human—”

“Was not found,” one sighed. “You've been hit with Tryn poison and are delusional.”

“I'm not seeing things. She was real. Is real.” And from the section he could see past the trees before these two showed up and set fire to everything, she was a damn good fighter.

“How did a human get here, then?” the other Renjerian, Vox, asked.

“She and I hadn't figured that part out yet.” Though if what she said was true, she could have the nanites that his people did which allowed them to travel lightning to other worlds. And he had smelled a faint scent of Renjerian on her, which either meant she had told the truth about her dragon heritage or had taken Renjerian blood recently.

“No, we have to go back and save her.”

Vox shook his head, shifting his wings to catch the breeze. “We need to get you to Desmonda for healing. The poison not only has paralyzed you, but—”

“Don’t finish that sentence with anything about the human not being real or I will rip your scales off,” Xilon interrupted.

“How about you speak to your sister about all of your fantasies when she’s healing you.” Vox smirked and the other Renjerian chuckled.

Sadness filled him as he cranked his neck to watch the woods burning in the distance, bringing the smell of charred flesh and decay lingering behind. Perhaps Vox was right after a fashion. Ash was real, but no human could survive dragonfire and these two slugs had burned everything within a mile radius of where he'd seen Ash disappear. He'd screamed and rallied to the two Renjerians to stop, but all they saw was one of their princes injured and the forest crawling with Tryns.

After several minutes, they finally listened to him, but by then it was too late.

He'd finally met a human woman who didn't scream or faint when she saw him. And he doubted he'd ever find her equal.

“Take him to the healing chamber,” Taurian ordered. “I'll get Desmonda.”

Vox and the other Renjerian took Xilon deeper into the labyrinth of caves. Their spiked tails dragging behind them in the dirt.

In the healing cave, water trickled down the mountain stones. Illuminating rocks of every color lined the outer walls. The stones were put out each morning and brought inside each evening.

His sister entered, rubbing her swollen belly. “What happened?”

“A Tryn spear. Get the poison out and I'll be fine.”

Her scaled brow furrowed. “But you can't move, correct?”

“No. Once I was struck, I was immediately paralyzed.” Leaving Ash to defend herself and she got fried for her troubles. And she had saved him since she lured the Tryns to pursue her into the woods. No human had ever risked their life for him.

“And you can breathe okay?” She peered closer at his wound on his leg. “No trouble breathing or hearts racing?”

“No, both my hearts are fine. Though I did have to concentrate on breathing at first.” When he should've been protecting Ash. As soon as she started to bicker with him, he should have scooped her up and carried her off. Then they'd both be well.

His sister shook her head, her brow furrowed.

“What? What is it?”

“Let me consult with Dena.”

“Is that Taurian's human?” Xilon snorted. “Why?”

“She's an animal doctor and helping us to find a cure for our growing fertility problem.”

“I'm a warrior,” Xilon puffed out his chest, “I don't need to make younglings right now. Why would you seek her out for my fert—”

“No,” Desmonda waved a hand in dismissal, “No, I worry that Tryns are adapting their poison to kill us faster.”

He paused. Usually, if a Renjerian was hit with a shot of Tryn venom, it took a while to be effective. He could still fight for hours. This time, however, Xilon was immobile immediately. And if Ash hadn’t made herself a decoy, the Tryns would’ve killed him. He owed her a life-debit. His heart twisted in his chest. Perhaps he could visit Earth and find her family. This Grams and give her the gold rocks the humans loved when he was there last. Did they still value gold?

Desmonda cleaned his would and asked Taurian to suck out the toxin so as not to absorb any into herself or harm the younglings she carried.

After Taurian finished, he wrapped Xilon’s leg with Krem leaves to speed the healing. “Desmonda will check on you in a bit. Get some rest.”

“Wait,” Xilon lifted his head, staring at his brother’s human form. Would it be possible, really, to shift back and forth as Taurian and Kohl had? What would Ash think about that ability? Or what would she have? His heart twisted again, making him wonder if the venom had indeed spread to his organs.

“Your woman…Dena. H-How did you know she’d mate with you?” His entire life around human females had been after the Tryns had been nearly wiped off their planet and the Earthlings were beginning to call the Renjerians as evil and hunt them down. He’d never even hugged one much less touched one on purpose before.

“I mean, it’s not as if it’s with Renjerian females, is it?” Xilon asked. Their kind’s tail spikes flattened when they were interested in a male including releasing a pheromone that enticed both to love-making.

“No.” Taurian rubbed the back of his neck. “Why do you want to know?”

Xilon shrugged. “No real reason. Just thought it might come in handy if I’m able to transform when I land on Earth and others would need this information too if we are to intermingle with them.”

His brother narrowed his human eyes at him a moment, then shrugged. “I’m not an expert as humans are different to us. They don’t follow a set of rules for mating. With Dena, I felt it here.” He tapped his chest. “Couldn’t stand the thought of being without her. And that emotion, along with many more, grew and grew. I thought it would suffocate me with its power, but I’ve never been happier or felt more alive than I do when I’m with her.”

Human feelings increased? Xilon barely knew Ash and already he felt a hole in his heart like he was missing a part of himself. Would that wound heal or would it expand like Taurian’s love for Dena?

His brother left him alone and Xilon sulked on the flat boulder waiting for the healing leaves to dry so he could go to his cave.

He had wanted to know more about Ash. About what she thought of his world. He’d promised to take her back to her home and he’d broken that vow. Come first light, damn the consequences, he’d find her remains. He’d find a lightning storm and return her body back to Earth.

Then he’d ask for forgiveness of her Grams for not protecting the most unique human female he’d ever met.