A Dash of Luck [Asuna feat. Pumi]

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    • Dane's gaze followed the Drakin, watching but barely comprehending what happened. It just... didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Not the water falling around them, not the fact that these tiles were really uncomfortable.
      His eyes drifted to the water floating around them. Water wasn't supposed to do that, was it? No. Had Ro done something like this before? Dane couldn't remember. It seemed logical enough, however. Ro was a water-based creature. Why wouldn't he be able to control his element?
      With a soft sigh, Dane closed his eyes as Ro began to wash him. It felt good. Better than the tiles. He tried concentrating on the gentle touches, the soft sparks of his magic against Ro's. It worked. Slowly but surely he found his way back to himself. Eventually, he opened his eyes again and met Ro's gaze, now much more awake than before. The fog in his mind had cleared, leaving behind gentle order to all things.
      "Is this what you imagined? When you... just follow?"
      "I don't know," Dane answered. "I just... Usually, I go into a club and wrestle control over everything back. Force my thoughts into submission by doing so to others. But this time... It felt different having you around. I felt... compelled to give in to you instead of making you give in to me. And I have to say: I do not regret doing so."
      He reached out, put his hand to Ro's cheek. Again he found himself entranced by those eyes. He smiled.
      "Thank you for helping me find myself again," he whispered. "I needed that."
      With gentle pressure, he guided Ro down to kiss him.

      They took their time with the shower - the actual showering part - bringing each other back down to earth by just being gentle with each other. After, Dane put on a simple pair of joggers, not being in the mood for a more elaborate choice. He simply didn't have the brainpower for such nothing decisions anymore.
      They settled on the couch in the living room, this time in their usual constellation: Dane leaned against the corner of arm- and backrest, Ro sat between his legs, leaning against his back. He pressed a kiss into the crook of Ro's neck.
      "Have you seen your eyes?" he asked.
      He hadn't been able to not think about them. Or the clearly visible scales on Ro's skin. They had never been this pronounced before. Dane traced their general shape over Ro's now very human-looking arm.
      "Your Dragon seemed to enjoy the shower. The details are a bit fuzzy, but I don't think I can ever erase the sight of those eyes from my mind."
      He kissed Ro's cheek.
      "You have beautiful eyes," he whispered.


    • Ro calmly reflected on what Dane had just told him. As they washed each other, he continued to let the countless water droplets float in the air, like their own personal little light show. He couldn’t understand how anyone gained something from imposing their desires on others. Sure, there were always sadists like that, but to him, no healthy relationship could grow out of that. However, he could easily imagine Dane showing up in such clubs to get what he needed to maintain his balance.
      And when Ro had simply fallen earlier, he had held this vague sense of power in his hands, and to his surprise, he had liked it a lot. His initial nervousness and uncertainty had gradually shrunk until, in the end, he felt balanced in his role. The fact that he was now able to meet Dane halfway in this regard meant more to Ro than he could put into words.
      Some time later, Ro had borrowed a pair of jogging pants and a shirt from Dane. Feeling a bit too wired, he wandered through the halls until Dane had ordered him into the living room so they could settle on the couch together. After the lethargy had faded, Ro felt oddly energized. Still, he climbed between Dane’s legs and snuggled up against his back at the first opportunity.
      “Have you seen your eyes?” Dane asked, and Ro thought for a moment.
      “No… wait, yeah? I think? In the mirror or something, but I’m familiar with how they look when they take that form.” He had been far more interested in the scales, which had no longer been mere suggestions but had almost become tangible. By now, though, they had disappeared, and his eyes were back to normal.
      “Your Dragon seemed to enjoy the shower. The details are a bit fuzzy, but I don't think I can ever erase the sight of those eyes from my mind.” As he said this, Dane traced the scales on Ro’s arm before giving him another kiss. “You have beautiful eyes.”
      “I always have beautiful eyes,” the young Drakin protested, feigning offense. He had certainly noticed that he had been more in tune with his other side than usual. The more he connected with his dragon, the more he got the sense that it was only a matter of time before he could bridge the gaps between himself and the dragon.
      Ro wriggled out of Dane’s grasp and turned around. He had touched the pool of magic within him and gotten as close to the dragon as he could without deliberately provoking it. As Ro now looked at Dane, his eyes were once again glowing blue, with no human pupils. But this time, the commanding look was gone, and his gaze only showed Ro how he looked at Dane with a not-so-subtle challenge in his eyes. “You should be careful not to give me too many compliments. I might start to like it.”
      Ro grinned mischievously and prepared to tap into even more magic, but then his phone vibrated. Clearly annoyed, Ro rolled his eyes and then slid off the couch to grab the phone he had left on the side table. The notification of a message from his mother lit up the screen. Immediately, an uneasy feeling washed over him, and concern took hold. Had the wolves already brought Cecilia home? How had Aimeric been? Was it really her writing this message?
      With nervous fingers, he opened the message and read the few words. Then his expression relaxed, and he glanced at Dane. “Jona is agreeing to a meeting, but he’s asking if he can meet us here. Tomorrow.” He furrowed his brow. That was way too short notice and far too rushed, even for Jona. “That’s really fast… Do you think he’s trying to catch us off guard?”
      He looked at his phone again. “It’s a weekday. You’ll still be at work unless he wants to do it in the evening. Should we go along with it?”

    • Just that it wasn't a joke. Not fully at least. He took a mental note of Ro enjoying receiving compliments. That worked perfectly with Dane's preference of making his partners happy until it became too much. Ro just handed him more ammunition. Although, Dane had to confess, he did not have another round in him today. Even he had his limits.
      Their peace was interrupted by modern technology. Dane watched as Ro got up and pulled up the message on his phone, a plethora of emotions dancing across his soft features. Dane immediately felt a pang of worry.
      "What is it?" he asked, turning around to get a better look at Ro, who stared down at his phone.
      "Jona is agreeing to a meeting, but he’s asking if he can meet us here. Tomorrow."
      Dane didn't like the thought of inviting a Dragon into his home. Other than Ro, that is. But two-way-communication via a third party was hard to pull off, so there would be no negotiating the location. His options were limited to Yes, No, or another suitable location.
      "That’s really fast… Do you think he’s trying to catch us off guard? It’s a weekday. You’ll still be at work unless he wants to do it in the evening. Should we go along with it?"
      "Time isn't the problem," Dane replied. "I can and will make time, if it comes down to it. My issue is with location."
      He got up and paced back and forth a couple of times, trying to think of a way to keep the message short but find a place for them to safely meet. It was hard to think of anything. There were so many variables Dane couldn't name. Why did Jona want to meet here? Surveillance, maybe. Did they follow him? Did they have trace magic on him? Did they have the means to listen in? Was it just a matter of being seen or not? Or was there something bigger at work? Some politics Dane didn't know about? It drove him mad in minutes to think about it. So he made a call based on what little information he had.
      "The house is off-limits. I'm not inviting a Dragon I know nothing about into our home. I give him two options. He can choose which one and when."
      He gave Ro an address to relay to his mother and his uncle. It was a small cottage here on the grounds, but it was mostly unused by everyone sharing this plot of land. Mace sometimes crashed there, when he was too dumb and got hurt on one of his missions, but right now it was unoccupied. The other place Jona could meet them was Dane's office. There were enough protections in place in both locations to render any kind of spying magic completely useless. The office, of course, was the more visible option of the two. Dane couldn't be sure what reason Jona had to insist on having this meeting here, but he was sure he had all the options covered now.
      "I have to be honest, Ro: I don't trust this council," he said and let himself drop onto one of the stools at his kitchen island. "Jona seems trustworthy enough, but he's just a talking piece by the looks of it. Melidae is the one who's calling the shots and she... She claims to know the answers yet won't give them to us. The question is why. I can understand that she wants to keep the secrets of your kind, but why not tell you? Why keep all these secrets from you? I don't get it. And it's bugging me. Ancient wisdom my ass, I have enough of that myself."
      Dane went through everything he knew about this woman, which, admittedly, wasn't much at all. He tried to make sense of her, of how she fit into everything. The puzzle didn't make sense. He had so many pieces he couldn't place, and no picture to go by. He felt like he was still missing half if not more of the pieces. So many variables with not even an idea where their limits were.
      Dane shook himself out of his thoughts.
      "I don't trust her," he declared.


    • Ro shot Dane a thoughtful sideways glance. Dane was right. Time was the resource he could negotiate with best. But the location was the problem. The fact that Jona wanted to come here, to the estate, could be interpreted in all sorts of ways, and that was exactly what Dane was already doing. While the demon began pacing the room, Ro stared at his phone. Maybe he should’ve contacted Jona directly after all. Cecilia had talked him into it, and maybe...
      He weakly shook his head. If he reached out directly and the wrong people found out, all his mother’s efforts would have been in vain. That Melidae only needed to catch a whisper of Ro reaching out, and the council would probably be knocking at their door again. He wanted to avoid that at all costs.
      “The house is off-limits. I'm not inviting a Dragon I know nothing about into our home. I give him two options. He can choose which one and when,” Dane said, suggesting exactly what Ro had expected.
      “Figured as much,” Ro muttered in agreement, typing the addresses into a message and sending it to his mother. “I bet he’ll turn down the Tower right away. Just a gut feeling.”
      He locked his phone but kept it in his hand. Dane had stopped pacing, so Ro didn’t have to keep watching him move back and forth. “It’s really weird.”
      “I have to be honest, Ro: I don’t trust this council,” Dane stated bluntly, and Ro nodded.
      “Me neither.”
      “Jona seems trustworthy enough, but he’s just a mouthpiece by the looks of it. Melidae is the one calling the shots and…” Dane hesitated.
      “She seems to be over him, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Jona has no rights there. At least, that’s what I think,” Ro replied cautiously.
      “She claims to know the answers but won’t give them to us. The question is why. I understand wanting to keep your kind’s secrets, but why not tell you? Why keep all these secrets from you? I don’t get it. And it’s bothering me. Ancient wisdom my ass, I’ve got enough of that myself,” Dane added.
      Restlessly, Ro shifted his phone from one hand to the other. That was the exact question. If they were so eager to extract more information from him, why were they withholding things? Wouldn’t it make more sense to simply explain it to him and rely on his cooperation rather than anything else? It couldn’t be just because of who he was with…
      Could it?
      “And what if Jona wants to come here because he knows that Melidae definitely wouldn’t be able to enter here?” Ro finally suggested, offering a plausible explanation. “Maybe he really is getting hammered by her, and this is his only way to avoid her or something?”
      Dane seemed to think about it but then came to a much more fundamental conclusion: “I don’t trust her.”
      Ro made a face. Of course, he didn’t either. Not after experiencing how she treated him. He’d seen similar signs in his father’s business partners; they usually wanted something from Aimeric and tried to conceal their true intentions. Which rarely worked. Or maybe it was all still connected to that Regra business.
      His phone buzzed, and Ro quickly pulled it out. He read aloud: “Jona’s asking if it’s a rented cottage or who owns it. There has to be a clause that states one can only enter the property by invitation. Is that possible?...” Ro read the rest of the message quietly, intending to brush it off, but Dane stared at him with raised eyebrows. Ro sighed and added, “... He says he would also be fine doing it at our house, but I think sneaking your cute boyfriend in here would be more than difficult.”

    • Dane crossed his arms and bit down on the tip of his thumb. Usually, he did all his thinking inside, behind a mask - and about a million mental walls - so none of his potential enemies could see him doing it. There was a lot to read in a thinking face. But with Ro it was different. He learned, although slowly, to leave these walls behind, put away the mask. He allowed himself to just think and not worry about how many of his thoughts reached his face.
      The thought he was mulling over at the moment was whether he could survive long enough to jump off his seat, grab Melidae by the throat and slam against a wall before she had the opportunity to kill him. There was no asking if he saw her again, the question was simply when. He'd make sure to get some answers next time. Courtesy be damned.
      Ro's phone buzzed again, ripping Dane from his thoughts about attracting the wrath of yet another Drakin.
      "Jona’s asking if it’s a rented cottage or who owns it. There has to be a clause that states one can only enter the property by invitation. Is that possible?"
      There was more to the message, which Ro didn't read aloud. Dane raised an eyebrow with a questioning look.
      "He says he would also be fine doing it at our house, but I think sneaking your cute boyfriend in here would be more than difficult."
      He laughed.
      "You are the only Drakin allowed to call me cute, first and foremost," Dane responded. "Tell him the whole property is registered under my name. The cottage, therefore, as well. It's just out of the way of the houses and difficult to find if you don't know what to look for. Hidden from prying eyes, both magical and physical. It's safe. I just don't want him in my house or around my family until I can say for certain none of this is coming back with a vengeance. I won't endanger anyone who doesn't need to be. Drakins are not the only ones protective of what they consider belonging to them."
      Dane would literally unleash Hell should any of this backfire on more than just himself. He worked to preserve magical creatures of all kinds, but he would eradicate any last Drakin to keep his family safe. He had the feeling all these lizards thought they could toy with him as if he was nothing but a child. They forgot that he was a Demon, hundreds of years old, with powers from a different dimension. They had no idea what he was capable of, but he would show them, all of them, if he had to.


    • Ro had never seen Dane in deep thought before. Up until now, he knew him as a cool, calculating man who never showed his hand in such matters. The fact that this very man was now frowning thoughtfully, and as a cherry on top, even gnawing on his thumb, surprised Ro a little. Did he do this whenever no one was around to see?
      Ro didn’t have much time to dwell on that thought, though, as the rest of the message made him roll his eyes theatrically. "Naah, wait a second. I’m not texting Jona, but Cecilia. That was her wording, not mine..."
      As he thought about it more, he opened a new message and first asked where she even was at the moment. If she was already home, she would have to guard her phone like a hawk to prevent Aimeric or one of the staff from snooping. After that, he added the requested information and sent the message off. Of course, without mentioning Dane’s protective instincts toward his family.
      “If he agrees, then he’ll just find the next boundary he can discover. I have no idea if that’ll be enough for him, but I sure hope that Melidae can’t just waltz onto the property,” Ro considered, knowing that there were no magical rules preventing Drakin from entering properties. It was more like an unwritten code they followed and honored to some extent. But would the council abide by that when it came to something they wanted? Did they want Ro or something else? How high were the risks for Jona?
      The phone buzzed again, and Ro glanced at the screen. His mother was still with Greg, so she could text him freely. Without realizing it, a warm smile crept across Ro’s lips as he read this section, happy for his mother. Maybe she could visit the Shifters more often. It would do her good.
      “Jona agrees. He also sent the geolocation of exactly where he’ll be waiting. Looks like he did his homework on where the property boundaries are… He’s suggesting 9 PM,” Ro relayed to Dane, though he didn’t feel entirely comfortable. The nervousness was already taking root inside him. Although Ro had known Jona practically his entire life, all this business with the Drakin Society was new to him. With Dane by his side, he didn’t have to worry about making a misstep, but following this council’s rules was something entirely different. No one could say what kind of information Jona would bring.
      Ro locked his phone and placed it back on the table. Now it was his turn to pace the room, trying to burn off his excess energy. “Alright, then tomorrow night. We’ll get through the day somehow, and then I just hope Jona comes alone, and everything will be fine. Or will be. Or will get better?... Damn, I’m already nervous,” he said as he passed by Dane. “Do you think we should inform Asa or Mace? As a backup, in case something goes really wrong?... I don’t think it’s necessary, because Jona’s honestly okay, but… you’re making me paranoid, Dane.”

    • "She won't," Dane replied without hesitation. There were no fancy wards in place to keep his property safe - there was simply too much traffic in and out by too many different species to make them work - but this place belonged to a strong and renowned pack of shifters, a Harpy matron, and two (sometimes three) demons. One of these was usually enough to keep magical trespassers out, let alone all three. If this Melidae was so hot on the topic of hospitality, she wouldn't just show up. And if she did... well, there was a pack of shifters, a Harpy matron with young children, and two demons to duke it out with. Dane had made a deal with Cecilia to not hurt her husband - every other Drakin was fair game.
      Dane took a quick look at the geotag Jona sent via Cecilia, memorizing it quickly.
      "Nine then," he agreed.
      He didn't even need to shift his workday around again for this meeting. How thoughtful of Jona.
      Dane watched as his partner started pacing through the room. The thoughts rolling through Ro's pretty little head were clearly written all across his face, the way he scrunched up. At least he shared his concerns with Dane.
      He grabbed Ro's wrist and pulled him in, lightly wrapping his hands around Ro's hips.
      "Do you see me being nervous?" he asked, his voice as calm as it could be. "I don't fear your uncle. I don't fear his council. We will hear what he has to say and react accordingly. They won't play us; we won't let them."
      Dane smiled deviously, and it wasn't quite obvious if his smile meant the funny kind of mischief or if he was ready to live up to his reputation as a cut-throat demon ready to walk over charred bodies to get what he wanted. In truth, both of these things hit home. He would get what he wanted, one way or another. And what he wanted right now was answers to all of Ro's questions.
      "If it makes you feel better, I can ask Asa or Mace to be on standby," he continued. "But when it comes to territory, you might want to have Greg or Zephy on the line."
      His smile softened, then he leaned in to place a gentle kiss on Ro's forehead. He didn't just pretend to be this calm, he was that calm. The Drakin didn't faze him as much as the whole secrecy they were preaching. That was the part that was bugging him. He just wanted to know.
      Seems like Ro isn't the only one hoarding information around here, Dane thought.


    • Ro couldn’t wander much further. Dane easily caught his partner by the wrist as he walked and pulled the young man toward him. Of course, Dane wasn’t nervous at all — Ro believed the demon couldn’t even be. But Ro himself felt differently. To him, Drakin were unpredictable, even when it came to his own family. The fact that his own father might be involved, and that his true name was missing, proved that.
      “You’re never nervous,” Ro said, frowning slightly as he tried to gauge Dane’s expression. “Maybe it’s just your age… But now that I think about it, Greg and his people are probably the better bet. As long as it’s only Jona, we won’t need backup anyway… I’m just saying, okay?”
      Ro tried to relax and take the kiss on his forehead as a form of support. He still felt off-balance and uneasy, but knowing that he wasn’t alone significantly calmed the waves of anxiety within him.
      “It’ll all be fine,” Ro muttered, mostly to himself.
      Whether that would turn out to be true or not, they would find out a few days later.


      On the day of the meeting, Ro didn’t go to the office with Dane. He was so keyed up that he couldn’t sit still for a second, and he didn’t want to disrupt Dane’s calm by constantly being on the move or needing to give updates. So instead, he made himself busy around the house, did laundry, explored every nook of Dane’s closet, and rummaged through the kitchen cabinets. He passed the time until the demon returned that evening, made Ro eat something, and then the two of them got ready to head out.
      At Ro’s request, Dane had at least informed Greg of what was going on, which made Ro feel a bit more secure. Still, the Drakin’s eyes glowed a soft blue as soon as they left the estate and got into the car, which Dane drove to the location Jona had provided. Ro kept his magic steady and extended his aura, so he would know in advance if anyone else intended to crash their meeting. From a distance, he already felt Jona’s presence, responding to the pulse of his aura with his own. A brief introduction — nothing more. And to Ro’s great relief, it was really only Jona, and no one else.
      The large, burly man stood alone in the darkness, his dark coat blending almost completely into it. If it hadn’t been for his bright eyes, which glowed faintly like Ro’s, though in a different color, he would have been nearly invisible. He, too, seemed to be constantly scanning the area, clearly concerned about any unwanted visitors.
      When he saw the car, Jona waved toward the headlights. Ro got out before Dane and walked over to Jona, whose posture visibly relaxed. “I’ve never seen you so stiff. Is something wrong, Jona?” Ro asked lightly, trying to mask his own tension.
      Jona snorted but didn’t shake Ro’s hand. Instead, he simply slung his massive arm over the smaller Drakin’s shoulders and pulled him in. “It just feels forbidden to talk to you without Aimeric around,” he laughed quietly, squeezing Ro against him, who patted his uncle’s sides to get him to let go. “I’m not used to this kind of thrill anymore.”
      Ro doubted that the moment Jona released him, and he was able to put a good meter and a half between them again. “Well, I actually thought Melidae would be glued to your heels.”
      “She wanted to be. But I’m a grown man who can handle things on my own.”
      “So, you’re here on her behalf as well?” Ro crossed his arms as Dane joined them.
      “No,” the other Drakin waved the notion off immediately. “Let’s just say these are family matters, and she needs to keep her nose out of it.” His gaze shifted to Dane, and he nodded to him. “Mr. Blackwell. I haven’t had much interaction with your kind, but I hope your interest in Ro is based on who he is, not what he is.”
      Ro tensed up, even though Jona hadn’t phrased it as a threat. There was a respectful tone in his voice and no hint of suspicion, but maybe Ro was just easily swayed because of his relationship with Jona. Then, Jona extended his hand after all, and the corners of his mouth softened into a smile. “As a guest, I should have probably brought something, but I had no idea what would suit your taste. I can’t exactly rely on Ro’s preferences for that.”

    • Leaving Ro behind while he was this nervous wasn't the most comfortable thing Dane had ever done, but th Drakin insisted he go to work, so he did. Much to the detriment of two clients he met that day who had to haggle with the grumpy Mr. Blackwell instead of the well-mannered one. In the end, they paid much more than they had wanted to, just because Dane wasn't in the mood for making nice offers. It didn't matter to him; he was the one getting two more deals done. It did ease his mind a little. They were just business deals, so they didn't come with the euphoric high of a demonic loop closing, but a deal was a deal - and they always felt good.
      Knowing Ro, Dane picked up some food on the way home and made his partner sit down long enough to actually eat it. He refrained from taking his time with everything - slowing down only seemed to make Ro even more nervous. Instead, he cleaned the kitchen as little as his quirks would allow him before he left with Ro for the meeting.
      Dane didn't know why Ro was doing it, but he felt the way his aura extended, molded around him like a gentle hug. He couldn't stop himself from leaning into it just a little bit. It felt too good not to.
      He stopped the car right next to the form of Ro's uncle, who gave his best stalker impression by how well he tried to fade into his surroundings. Ro opened the door the very moment the car came to a standstill.
      "It just feels forbidden to talk to you without Aimeric around."
      Dane stood a respectable distance away from the two Drakin, not wanting to interrupt the friendly family reunion going on there. He didn't like the phrasing of Jona's words though. He didn't know if it came from Drakin custom being to keep their children this sheltered or if it was another testament to Aimeric's oversized ego - so Dane didn't know if his anger was justified, which is why he kept quiet.
      Jona finally acknowledged Dane's presence with the respect he came to expect from the Drakin - most of them anyway. He returned the friendly nod.
      "I can assure you, it very much is. I'm not in need of mystical luck, and I'm not in the business of trafficking people."
      A moment of suspenseful silence passed between them, then Jona extended a hand and Dane grabbed it firmly. They shook on their mutual interest in Ro's safety.
      "As a guest, I should probably have brought something, but I had no idea what would suit your taste. I can’t exactly rely on Ro’s preferences for that."
      "I deal in information, and I believe you are well armed with that. Please, this way."
      Dane gestured into the dark opposite where he'd parked. The cottage wasn't far off, but the surrounding vegetation hid it well from prying eyes. It had a wild charm, Greg said. Dane wanted to call a skilled landscaper.
      The inside was cozy, quaint even. The furniture was all handcrafted by the pack and made from local wood. There was a small fireplace, which Dane ignited with a simple snap of his fingers for light and warmth. The pillows and the throwblanket on the couch were also handmade and added to the overall decorum. The place was small, yes, but it fit its purpose: a small getaway within the safety of the property. It was more than enough for their small get-together that evening.
      "Before we start," Dane said once the door was closed. "I would like this conversation to be clear-cut and straight forward. I understand if you need me to step out because you have to share secrets of your own kind, but I am fed up with all the non-answers we're getting from your side. At this point, we know enough to understand that whatever is going on is because Ro is somehow in some way special. But keeping every bit of information away from him is only going to make things worse. For everyone. He has a right to know about his own kind, about himself. And I would very much like all of this confusion to end. I will not make you take a deal over this. But I would like you to take into account Ro's perspective. I'll stop talking for him now. I just wanted to set some ground rules. As you said: this is a family matter."


    • When Dane turned his back to the two Drakin and headed in the direction where the cottage should be, Ro caught Jona’s normally relaxed expression showing a slight crack. Jona only looked after Dane for a brief moment, then that doubtful look disappeared, and he looked down at his younger relative. “Then go on ahead. I’d rather not walk behind a demon.”
      Ro concealed his mistrust of Jona. “Pfft, I think you’d have more problems if he was the one walking behind you.” With a shrug, Ro started moving, and together they followed Dane to the designated place.
      The house was best described as overgrown. Ro was genuinely surprised by how Dane pushed his way through the undergrowth on his own, without even complaining out loud. In reality, he was probably more annoyed than he seemed, but, as usual, he simply didn’t show it. At one point, Jona had taken it upon himself to push Ro aside and break through the thicket with his large, paw-like hands.

      Inside the cabin, Ro looked around with curiosity, while Jona eyed each piece of furniture. He wrinkled his nose just a bit, as if he smelled something unpleasant. Despite that, the burly man placed a hand on the nearest dresser and ran his fingers over the surface in inspection.
      Ro had almost immediately sat by the fireplace, his hands feeling ice-cold. He was actually warm, but the nervousness was taking its toll. When Dane practically barged in, Ro didn’t turn to his partner. Instead, he just smiled knowingly to himself and rubbed his hands near the flames.
      Jona, on the other hand, pulled his hand back from the furniture and crossed his arms. He stood in profile to Dane, watching the demon from the side. He neither interrupted the other man nor showed any particular reaction to his words. It almost looked like they weren’t even reaching the Drakin.
      Ro shivered even before the fire, and that made him take notice. Slowly, he turned and stared at Jona, who stood as still as a pillar, unmoving. The chill wasn’t from the room—it was the subtle magic that the older Drakin seemed to be breathing out. Heavy, it pooled on the ground, and because his element was ice, Ro felt the effects first. He knew this sometimes happened with old or highly trained Drakin, even without any malicious intent. But Jona’s behavior didn’t match his usual self. Ro looked back and forth silently between Dane and Jona. Something was happening that he couldn’t quite describe.
      “Family matter, huh?” Jona finally said after a very long pause. “I understand that you value discretion, yet hate having information withheld from you. Ro can’t reveal much to you, even if he wanted to. But that’s not what you’re after — I sensed that earlier.”
      Ro started to stand. He didn’t like that the topic had come up again and was starting to tire of it. But Jona waved him off with a casual gesture, so Ro stayed on his feet without speaking.
      Jona’s gaze returned to Dane. Then, without warning, the Drakin extended his hand to the demon. “I said that, as a good guest, I’d have brought something. I can’t simply hand it over, so here’s my offer.” He waved briefly with his outstretched hand. “You may stay and listen to everything I have to say. After all, there are things that aren’t meant for Ro’s ears, or even mine. But everything else, you can listen to, much as it pains me. In return, I demand that these details never be disclosed by you. Any information shared here may not be transmitted to any third party by writing or by voice. The content may not be spread through abstract means that leave room for interpretation. If you break this agreement, either accidentally or willingly, you submit yourself to the council under Melidae, Therneo, and Rastes, and will face the consequences there.”
      Ro had mentally checked out halfway through Jona’s words. He struggled to keep track of what exactly Jona was demanding and painfully realized how carelessly his own deals with Dane had been formulated back then. He recognized the vast difference in experience that Jona brought with him, which Ro simply hadn’t had. He would never have managed to articulate something that comprehensive. Also, he had just picked up another piece of information: the council, or rather the head of the snake, didn’t just consist of Melidae but also two other prominent Drakin, alongside those from the main families. So, there were actually three of them.

    • Dane did notice the drop in temperature in the room, but once again he did not have enough information about Drakin to know if this was an attack waiting to happen, an involuntary reaction, or an attempt to mark his territory. All he knew was that he did not like it. So he put his foot down, so to speak, and let his heat stream out just a tiny bit, claiming about as much room in the small cottage as Jona claimed, leaving them on an even battlefield - should it come to this. Dane was sure the Drakin had sensed the presence of the Shifters in every fiber of this place, too. The man was outmatched, no matter what stunt he would try to pull, and Dane was sure he knew that.
      "You know an awful lot about my preferences for someone claiming to not know them," he commented simply, after Jona finally started speaking.
      But then the man turned. He offered his hand. A shiver went down Dane's spine - this he knew. This he could handle, control. Twist in his own image until he got what he wanted. Just that the Drakin was clever. He presented him with a rather tightly worded offer. And what he offered was rather tasty. Information in return for secrecy. Clear-cut, easy to fulfill. But a deal was never just a deal.
      "I will not subject myself to a council I don't know and that is not present when the deal is made," he retorted. "Especially since we are talking about the governing body of your kin, without witnesses of mine present. Such a trial would leave just as much room for interpretation by your side."
      Dane chose his words just as carefully as the Drakin did - just that he had a couple more years of experience. The fact that his deals bound him in a way that made it impossible for him to break them was one he did not disclose at that moment for strategic purposes. It was one thing to open up about this to Ro's mother. It was a whole different can of worms to give this information to a worthy opponent. Especially because Dane had to take into account that Jona would carry all of what he learned tonight straight to this council of his.
      "I will honor your presented terms of secrecy in all regards in exchange for the information you may provide. Should I break my end of the deal, either accidentally or willingly, I shall submit myself to the fitting punishment of Drakin society for such a misstep - nothing more, nothing less. Such a punishment may be adjusted to accommodate for the fact that I am not your kin, but will neither increase nor decrease in severity. Additionally, any punishment I may receive for my missteps will be delivered by you and you alone, for you are the person striking the deal."
      Now it was Dane's turn to extend his hand, the black and white flames of his place of creation dancing in his pupils as his inherent powers bubbled just beneath his skin. He held it back to not expose himself further, but it was right there.
      "Do we have a deal?" he asked, calm as ever, his face fully neutral.


    • At that moment, Ro realized with growing concern that he didn’t know how much was generally known about demons, even among the upper circles of the Drakin. Judging by the way Jona was acting and speaking, they must have some knowledge — at least when it came to contract-making. But what the full impact meant for Dane might not have been so clear. Did Jona know it was like a high? Or understand the restrictions involved? Ro couldn’t answer these questions.
      “Let’s just say you’re not an unknown entity. We too were prompted to conduct some research, for reasons I can’t disclose without making a deal,” the older Drakin deflected once again, and Ro was fairly certain he could learn a great deal from Jona.
      Ro’s expression tightened as Dane began rephrasing the earlier pleasantries, setting them up for a potential deal. Ro would be careful not to interrupt now, yet he didn’t like that it immediately started with a deal. He still wanted the knowledge Jona seemed willing to share, but at the same time, he understood the precaution Jona was taking. It was a balancing act that would have been impossible if Melidae had been present.
      Unfazed, Jona shrugged. “You can always try. True, it was a bit one-sided. I assume you’re considering a counteroffer?”
      And that was exactly what Dane did. To Ro’s surprise, the demon only adjusted parts of the proposed deal, giving him at least a way to avoid having to answer to three ancient Drakin at once. However, Ro didn’t know the punishment for a transgression of this kind. He felt useless, unable to contribute any information. It was as if the big players were having their own game and had locked out the annoying little sibling.
      Jona looked at the hand Dane extended toward him. Then he raised his gaze and, for the first time, met the fire that always sparked in Dane’s eyes whenever he was about to make a deal. The Drakin’s expression remained calm, if thoughtful, but his body reacted to Dane’s magic, just as Ro had experienced back then. The ice Drakin shivered, and Ro was sure Jona had goosebumps. It was only a fraction of the aura Dane typically displayed, but Jona was much more attuned to sensing such things. For him, even the smallest trace of an aura was enough to read a lot from it. This might have been the first time he’d struck a deal with a demon, and firsts like these always resonated with Drakin of all kinds.
      Jona shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “I had suspected I wouldn’t be able to involve the council… Fair enough if I’m the one to carry out the punishment. That’s fine. But I can’t fully guarantee that the severity will be evenly felt. What counts as punishment for us might feel significantly more intense to other races.”
      “Ohhh…” Ro murmured quietly in the background as he understood what Jona was getting at. He was taking that part of the deal he couldn’t predetermine and smoothing out this unknown. He also left another loophole in case the deal were to be broken. This way, Drakin wouldn’t impose a punishment that, though just inconvenient for a Drakin, could be far more problematic for other races.
      The Drakin let out a heavy sigh, then scratched his head. “If we keep the previously mentioned conditions, with me as the executor in case of contract breach, and I’m not obligated to maintain equal treatment, allowing some flexibility with the potential punishment, then we have a deal.”
      “Have you ever witnessed a punishment?” Ro couldn’t hold back any longer. He needed to know so he could better understand Jona’s answers.
      His relative only gave him a sidelong glance, clearly not thrilled to shift focus entirely away from the demon. Cautious, the man was. “If I say no, does that make me less credible?”
      “Yes.”
      “Then yes. Which is why I’d strongly recommend adjusting the part about the severity of the punishment a bit.”
      “Was it for a Drakin?” Ro pressed on, but Jona remained silent and redirected his focus back to the demon. “So yes, then?”
      “Back to the matter at hand, Mr. Blackwell. I hope the kid hasn’t bombarded you with his thousands of questions as well, though knowing him, he’s already done it. Does this work, or are there any further adjustments you’d like?”

    • Seeing the Drakin's reaction to the small pulse of his magic almost made Dane smile - almost. He remained neutral, professional, as always, but he sure as all Hells would giggle a bit once he'd returned to the safety of his own house about this. It felt way too good to show the Drakin the limits of their own power and knowledge.
      Ro's small remark didn't go unnoticed by Dane. He also very much noticed Jona dancing around a particular point of tension in their spoken contract. His instincts told Dane to back off and to dig deeper. So he did.
      "Ro," he emphasized the name as a silent slight against Jona's choice of words, and let his hand sink back to his side, "raises a good point. I demand a clarification on the punishment part of our potential agreement. What would the punishment for revealing species secrets be for a Drakin? If you are unable to answer this question in front of me, I am willing to declare Ro as my proxy. As your kin, he should be allowed to know such a thing, I presume."
      Dane gave the other man a small, cold smile.
      "You claim to have done your research on me," he continued. "So you should know that I do not agree to deals I do not know the full extent of."
      Dane put both his hands into the pockets of his pants, shoving the potential deal further away from him for the moment. Just because agreeing on a deal felt like a high didn't mean he was addicted to it. Hundreds of years of this had taught him many a thing; first and foremost patience, shortly followed by excessive diligence.
      He relaxed, and leaned against a hand-carved table, seemingly unbothered by this little stand-off.
      "So? Do I have to step outside or are you giving the answer to my question freely?" he challenged.


    • A slight twitch in Jona’s thick eyebrows revealed that he wasn’t entirely pleased with a potential termination of a deal. His gaze fell briefly on Dane’s hand, which was no longer extended toward him.
      “He’ll find out sooner or later. It’s not like I’m intentionally withholding every bit of information, but what I can say, and how and where I can say it, is simply limited,” the ice Drakin tried to excuse himself once more. “The scope depends on... the nature of the information.”
      “Am I mistaken, or does it sound like this doesn’t happen all that often?” Ro chimed in from the side, while Dane in the meantime slipped his hands into his pockets, purely to demonstrate his stance against proceeding with the deal for now.
      Jona didn’t miss that gesture either. Instead of mirroring the demon, he let out a deep sigh but then straightened up. “True. It hasn’t happened that often, so my knowledge in that regard is somewhat limited.”
      Ro had already decided he wanted Dane there with him if he was to talk to Jona. The fact that the first few minutes were already proving to be rocky didn’t make him any happier. He trusted his relative, yes, but being alone with him and receiving information he might not fully be able to relay to Dane didn’t sit well with him. Besides, the question remained if he was even allowed to tell Dane. That had to be why Jona was making such a big deal out of this in the first place.
      “Jona, this is a deal that has to work on both sides. Come on, it’s not like you can’t talk about how Drakin call each other out for offenses.” The young Drakin crossed his arms, fully aware he was coming off more sullen than anything else.
      Once again, Ro caught a sidelong glance from Jona. The icy aura occupying part of the cottage stirred subtly. “To my knowledge, sharing information has never led to death. But consequences range from exclusion from the network to restrictions on one’s aura.”
      Ro’s eyes widened. That was almost on par with having his name stolen! “How does that work? The thing with the aura?!”
      But Jona slowly shook his head. Clearly, he had reached a boundary he would not cross. “Mr. Blackwell, I’m trying with this deal to protect my relative. If I tell him everything in private, he’ll eventually pass it on to you. There’s nothing that can effectively stop him from doing so. If that gets out, then they’ll go after Ro for that as well, and he’ll face the consequences. That’s precisely what I’m trying to prevent.”
      Ro realized: Jona understood the binding nature of the deals he was making. But he’d never expected it was meant as protection. Somehow, he had always assumed that even if he told Dane, his partner would keep him safe. And he probably would, but what if the Drakin were so hardened they would go after those close to Dane instead? How far would an ominous council go to get their claws into a single rogue Drakin?

    • Dane followed the exchange in front of him closely, watching Jona like a hawk. Most communication was done without words. That much was true, not just for humans. Still, the distinct lack of context made it hard for him to gauge just what this man wanted to achieve with his deal. Until, finally, there was enough to fill in some missing pieces.
      "You could've just started with that," Dane said, shaking his head. "Please don't take this as an insult, but do Drakin know about the concept of context and how it can reframe things?"
      With a sigh, he pushed his hand through his hair.
      "The deal you want to make is far from what the deal you presented, making it that much more complicated," he explained. "Let me try and clear things up then. Correct me, should I miss the mark: You want to share information with Ro but anticipate him sharing the information with me, which is why you're unbothered by my being here or not. That could be considered as an offense within the power structure of your kind. So, in order to prevent said power structure finding out about a Drakin sharing information with a non-Drakin, you want to bind me to secrecy via a deal. Given these parameters, the deal should not focus on the nature of a potential punishment but on the payment. Breaking the whole thing down, you want me to keep quiet about what I may or may not hear from Ro or in this room. That's already your deal."
      He really didn't want to disclose just how binding these deals were for him. It was a weakness one could easily exploit under the right circumstances. Not only that, but it was a shared weakness between any and all Demons, so he would not only expose himself but also others like his brother and Mace. That was, of course, if he let Jona talk to someone else.
      "I propose a mirrored deal," Dane said. "I will receive information about the Drakin I should not have in exchange for my ongoing silence about what I will hear tonight. To assure my silence, you will receive information about Demons you should not have in exchange for your ongoing silence about what you will hear tonight. Neither of us can disclose the nature of said information, nor can we disclose the full extent of the punishment for breaking the deal until said deal is struck. I do not like the nature of such a deal, it is simply too vague for my preference, but I am willing to go forward with it, given that we both have to extend a similar amount of trust to strike it."
      Dane met Ro's gaze and gave him a subtle, reassuring nod. He was willing to give this piece of him if it meant Ro could have a vital piece of himself back. Ro didn't owe him anything for this.
      Once more Dane extended his hand. Once more the flames of his power danced in his pupils.
      "I, for one, put my trust in you wanting to help your nephew without meaning ill," he said. "Do we have a deal?"


    • Jona pulled an unexpectedly troubled grimace. He stood motionless in the room, arms crossed, looking anything but pleased. It was clear that the ice Drakin had prepared himself as well as possible, yet in the end, it seemed as though he was struggling with his own words.
      “Well summarized, and you’ve pinpointed the core of it,” Jona said, his expression relaxing again, though his attention remained fixed on Dane.
      Ro, observing the situation from the sidelines, was puzzled by his relative’s behavior. He had always known Jona to be quite eloquent and easygoing. This was stiffer than usual, but he chalked it up to the fact that Jona was currently speaking to a demon.
      And then Ro raised his eyebrows in surprise as realization struck him like a lightning bolt. This was a test. Jona had just been testing how meticulously demons examined and altered deals offered to them. How… clever Dane truly was.
      When Dane finally proposed a revised version, it sounded to Ro like a more balanced agreement. He watched Jona closely as he listened intently and caught the slight nod Dane gave Ro. The broad shoulders Jona had been holding tensely the entire time dropped, and his defensive posture relaxed.
      “While I’m on the council, that doesn’t mean I approve of all its methods,” Jona grumbled before clasping Dane’s hand without further hesitation.
      Cecilia hadn’t been able to feel it when she had made a deal with Dane. Jona and Ro, however, both tensed as the flow of aura shifted, and the scent of foreign magic filled the room. For Ro, this wasn’t his first time experiencing it, but Jona reacted visibly to the change. His icy aura thickened around his feet, coiling like a barrier, and for a fleeting moment, it even seemed as if his pupils had narrowed. However, the sensation lasted only an instant, and as he withdrew his hand, Jona shook it out with evident discomfort.
      “Man… I figured it’d feel weird, but that’s something else entirely,” the Drakin grumbled as he sought out the nearest chair and sat down. “What happens with the deal’s maintenance if one of the parties dies? I assume your lifespan is longer than mine.”
      For the first time that evening, Ro could breathe easily. The tension in the room had noticeably eased, and he dared to walk over to Dane and give him a brief hug. He knew how much Dane struggled with giving away more information than necessary. Wrapping it into a deal like this was a big concession. Ro resolved to make sure Jona didn’t ask too many questions.
      So Ro cut straight to the point and turned to Jona. “Alright, so what can you tell us? I have no clue what exactly the problem is, so it’d be really great if someone finally spilled the damn beans.”
      “Has anyone ever explained to you how the council is structured?” Jona asked.
      Ro frowned. “I read about it. Each clan appoints a representative to hold their seat on the council, right?”
      His uncle nodded. “Except for the council leader, yes. There’s a change whenever a member dies. But it’s not up to us to elect who gets the seat and the right to decide within our society. That’s determined by birthright.” He grimaced again. “Yes, Mr. Blackwell, I know how unimpressive that sounds.”
      “Okay, so where’s the problem?”
      “A seat must never be left vacant. That’s the rule. But for a very long time, one seat has remained unfilled,” Jona continued, fixing Ro with an intense gaze that gave him a bad feeling. “The water dragon’s seat. Yours.”
      “Well, then Aimeric should just take it,” Ro blurted out, a sinking suspicion creeping in.
      Jona shook his head subtly. “He can’t. He doesn’t have the right. To take the seat, one must be the Regra — a Drakin with extraordinary traits — and no one has displayed such traits since your great-grandmother.”
      Ro’s hands went cold. That word again. And now, some of the loose threads were connecting on their own. Unconsciously, he grabbed Dane’s sleeve and held onto it like it could anchor him. “Melidae suspects that I might be the Regra and wants me to take the seat, doesn’t she?”
      A moment passed before Jona nodded. “That’s her assumption, yes. We just don’t know why Aimeric hasn’t presented you. Normally, it’s an honor if one’s own offspring is a Regra.”
      That was indeed a point Ro couldn’t understand either. Was it jealousy? Jealousy of his own son that had driven Aimeric to strip him of his name? Why had he even had children in the first place? Just to continue the bloodline?
      “He didn’t do it because I barely have any connection to my dragon. And that’s because I don’t have my name,” Ro finally admitted, openly. Jona’s expression froze in shock.
      “You don’t have your name? What do you mean, you don’t have your name?”
      “I had it once, but it was taken from me. Somehow. That’s why I seem… incomplete.”
      Jona brought a thoughtful hand to his mouth, his gaze drifting to the side as if he were processing something deeply. Clearly, this was a revelation he hadn’t anticipated. “You’re suggesting Aimeric has it,” Jona concluded finally, looking between Dane and Ro.

    • Finally - finally! - the Drakin agreed to his proposed deal. The very moment Jona's hand touched his, Dane's magic flared to life, engulfing both their hands and sealing the deal into permanence. Unending deals carried their own flavor as if they felt the need to make up for the missing height from fulfilling one. The flames wrapping around their hands were nothing compared to the power surging through his veins that moment. Dane almost forgot himself but managed to keep a strong enough handle on things to not let his tattoos glow.
      The moment was brief, but the power lingered within him. This had been a rather sweet deal.
      "What we struck is known among my people as an unending deal. My kind usually prefers a different kind of deal, for a multitude of reasons, but a deal is a deal. This particular one remains binding until all involved parties have perished. Should only one of us die, the other is still bound by it. The punishment is installed in the magic of the deal itself - think remote control. I recommend focusing your aura-shielding efforts on your hand for a while if you don't want your people to know about this. My magic needs a moment to fully integrate itself into yours. I also strongly advise against any attempts to remove my magic from yours - by whatever means. Not even I can do so without killing you in the process. Such is the nature of an unending deal."
      He shrugged and moved over into the small kitchen to get them all something to drink by preparing some tea. Now, with the deal closed, and the parameters set, Dane felt a lot more at ease. He understood Jona's caution, could even admire it. He'd probably do the same if the roles were reversed. Hells, he'd do it in this constellation.
      Ro embraced him briefly when he came back. Dane, instinctively, put his arm around the younger man. He didn't allow himself to do anything more for fear of truly losing control over himself. Strinking a deal could have this effect on him. Thankfully, Ro was interested in something else as well.
      "Alright, so what can you tell us? I have no clue what exactly the problem is, so it’d be really great if someone finally spilled the damn beans." Dane couldn't have said it any better.
      "Has anyone ever explained to you how the council is structured?"
      "I read about it."
      Dane sat down at the table and pulled Ro to his side, one arm still wrapped around his waist. It was refreshing to finally have a Drakin sit down and just talk instead of spewing riddles everywhere.
      "A lot of societies work with birth rights," Dane simply added when Jona made a remark in his direction. It wasn't like he didn't understand the concept - not all species followed invented birth rights like humans; some simply had a physical need for them. Drakin apparently were one such species, as it turned out now.
      So that's what a Regra is, Dane thought to himself. He'd suspected as much given the word and the apparent significance it carried. Having it put into precise words was still better. Especially because they came from a credible source.
      Next to him, Ro tensed, prompting Dane to pull him just a little closer to him. He'd just been told he was royalty, that was a message one needed to digest thoroughly.
      "We just don’t know why Aimeric hasn’t presented you. Normally, it’s an honor if one’s own offspring is a Regra."
      Ah. The age-old problem they were facing. They already knew that whatever Aimeric had done had happened without the council's knowledge, let alone their approval. Yet they refused to do anything about it.
      "He didn’t do it because I barely have any connection to my dragon. And that’s because I don’t have my name."
      "You don’t have your name? What do you mean, you don’t have your name?"
      "I had it once, but it was taken from me. Somehow. That’s why I seem… incomplete."
      Dane watched closely as Jona now became the one needing to digest some hard-hitting news.
      "Do you now understand why I was so adamant about Aimeric being punished for his misbehavings?" Dane asked. "Why I wanted your precious council to do something more than just stand at that man's property line and wiggling a finger at him?"
      "You’re suggesting Aimeric has it."
      "We're not just suggesting," Dane said. "We are almost certain he has it or at least bears some of the responsibility for what happened to Ro. We are telling you. I've had my own sources look at the issue - a powerful warlock - who gave us the information that Ro's name is not just missing but that it had been forcefully removed from him when he was rather young. We also know that Aimeric's behavior has grown more hostile - the timeline aligns with Ro's name being missing. We know that Aimeric forcefully altered Ro's aura, magic, whatever you want to call it, to make him lose control over what little power he currently holds, causing him to turn blue and scalely whenever he comes into contact with water. Which, I might add, could've exposed him to a multitude of dangers, from humans to hostile species. I was able to curb the effects and keep Ro safe, but we don't know what kind of damage specifically has been done to him and his powers. His dragon is powerful. I have felt it before. What I want to know now is: will he be a danger to Ro, if Ro doesn't know his name?"


    • Ro followed Dane to the table as he sat down but preferred to remain standing. He felt restless, almost driven, as more and more information came to light. Once again, he realized how many decisions had been made over his head — even back when he was just an infant. They could have simply explained it to him instead of keeping him in the dark. What was so difficult about that?
      “As long as the council cannot irrefutably prove that there have been serious offenses, they usually take little action. We were, of course, aware that Aimeric was hiding Ro, but we gave him a time frame until his son’s coming of age. That’s why we’re only intervening now,” Jona said, as he began thoughtfully stroking his chin with his thumb. He listened carefully to Dane’s concise summary of the situation.
      “That’s also why I didn’t go back home and more or less moved in here,” Ro added. He kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other, his cool hand resting on Dane’s at his waist. “Do you have any idea how shitty it is to have to piece everything together on your own?”
      “You had a warlock examine you?” Jona’s gaze shifted to Dane, with a subtle hint of accusation. “We generally don’t let them near us. They can cause far too much damage, if you ask me.”
      Ro scoffed. “Okay, you have no idea how shitty that was.”
      “Sorry,” the ice Drakin waved it off. “I was just saying. But fine, hearing what Aimeric put you through… He actively made sure you couldn’t lead a life outside anymore.”
      Ro threw his hands up in an I told you so gesture.
      “Even for that alone, he could’ve been held accountable. Such interference is unjustified. Did Laurent know about this? He should have reported it if he did.”
      Ro furrowed his brow but then shook his head. He wouldn’t drag his uncle into this. Instead, Dane chimed in again, bringing up something that made the young Drakin’s stomach churn uneasily as it was said aloud.
      “His dragon is powerful. I have felt it before. What I want to know now is: will it be a danger to Ro if Ro doesn’t know his name?”
      Jona’s expression became unreadable again, as if he were calculating how to evaluate and answer the question. Meanwhile, he repeatedly clenched and relaxed his hand, as though the strange sensation from earlier hadn’t left him. “I don’t want to sound presumptuous, but how can you assess the strength of his dragon without a point of comparison?”
      “I kind of overloaded him with my magic… uh…” Ro admitted, and Jona stared at him. “Uh… we were experimenting a bit to see how I could connect with the dragon, and then things got a bit… um… out of hand.”
      “You overloaded a demon with magic?” Jona repeated incredulously.
      “Yes?”
      Jona let out a whistle and slapped his hand on his knee. “Okay. That definitely supports Melidae’s assumption and makes the situation a bit more dire than hoped. To return to Mr. Blackwell’s question: in this case, yes, he would pose a danger to Ro. It’s wild potential that has no outlet. It will build up, and eventually, Ro’s body or mind won’t be able to handle it anymore. If the dragon’s power were weaker, it wouldn’t be as much of an issue, but as it stands…”
      Ro abruptly patted Dane’s leg, prompting him to extend it so the Drakin could sit down on it. His energy and desire to stand had finally run out. “So, does this mean there’s basically an… expiration date?”
      Jona shrugged. “Probably. I’ve never heard of someone having their true name taken from them, and I’ll admit I’m very curious to hear Aimeric’s explanation for it. The question is whether we can hold him accountable for it. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I would actually like to speak with your warlock.”
      Meanwhile, Ro had slumped into a miserable heap. At last, he had a reason why his name might have been stripped from him. But the explanation behind the motive was still missing. Or a clear decision on whether he’d ever get his name back. Because if he did, he’d inevitably be elevated to a position he didn’t want. He didn’t even know how he would be if he had his name.
      Ro’s face must have noticeably lost its color because Jona’s expression turned concerned. The older Drakin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he studied his younger relative. “Ro, are you alright?”
      “I have a damn expiration date,” Ro said monotonously, staring at the floorboards.
      “Hey, wait. You said you’ve overloaded Mr. Blackwell before. That means you can release a lot of your pressure, can’t you?” His gray eyes darted briefly to Dane and back. “If he can absorb and convert your magic, you should at least be able to buy yourself a bit more time. A demon should be able to handle that, right?”
      Ro pressed his lips together. He didn’t want to have to use Dane like that — or be an even bigger burden than he already felt he was. “I’ll just do nothing and let it build up until it’s too much. Maybe that’ll be enough to overwhelm the dragon—”
      “Forget that thought entirely, Ro,” Jona interrupted sharply, the kindness vanishing from his eyes. “That won’t work for you. For us, when the pressure becomes too great, we spontaneously transform. You, lacking your name and connection to your dragon, won’t be able to transform.”
      He left unspoken what the consequences of that would be. But Ro could already imagine it, and it felt as though an icy barrier had formed around him, leaving him paralyzed. It froze his thoughts, his body, his tongue.

    • Dane met Jona's gaze without flinching. He wouldn't let his decisions be called into question. At least he had done something, at least he'd tried to help. Who else could say that about themselves?
      "Could've been held accountable? Surely the Drakin don't forget slights against their own, and he will be held accountable for his actions. All of them."
      Dane wanted to see this man punished. He couldn't do it himself, which probably was a good thing. But Aimeric had brought it upon himself that his own law came after him.
      "I don’t want to sound presumptuous, but how can you assess the strength of his dragon without a point of comparison?"
      Dane smiled.
      "Trust me: I know power when I see it," he said.
      And then Ro went and hammered the point home with a bit more detail. Dane was a little proud of him: he didn't flush as much as usual when he sanitized the events that had led to the eventual discovery of just how powerful he could be. Jona let out a whistle, imagining such a display.
      "In this case, yes, he would pose a danger to Ro. It’s wild potential that has no outlet. It will build up, and eventually, Ro’s body or mind won’t be able to handle it anymore."
      Dane's grip on Ro's hip grew stronger. This was not something he liked to hear. Ro felt similar about the news and silently asked for a place to sit. Without thinking about it, Dane manspread a little and Ro sank onto his lap.
      "Curious?" Dane scoffed. "You are curious about his explanations? Who cares what his reasoning was?! That's a problem for later, don't you think? The first priority should be to find Ro's name and fix this situation we're finding ourselves in."
      Should Ro die because of this... Dane didn't know what he would do. Nothing nice, certainly.
      "I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I would actually like to speak with your warlock."
      "That can be arranged."
      In fact, Dane didn't waste any time: he pulled his smartphone out of his pocket and sent Mace a quick message to set up a meeting with Baxter. Of course, there was now the risk that Mace would pick up Baxter right away, and they would just show up here, but quite honestly? Dane didn't care. He wanted to fix this, bring order into this chaos.
      Ro leaned back against him, needing the support both mentally and physically, as it seemed. Dane was all too happy to provide it. He wrapped his arm around his partner, held him firm. In a more private setting, he might've nuzzled his face into the crook of Ro's neck, kissed him, reassured him that they'd figure it out.
      "You said you've overloaded Mr. Blackwell before. That means you can release a lot of your pressure, can’t you? If he can absorb and convert your magic, you should at least be able to buy yourself a bit more time. A demon should be able to handle that, right?"
      "I can. It's exhausting and needs thorough preparation, but it is doable. It's not a way of living though, you should know that," Dane retorted.
      He felt Ro, tense, defeated, scared, next to him. That was unacceptable.
      "You have access we don't," he continued. "I need you to find some answers to this whole mess for us. We need to find Ro's name. The sooner, the better. I am bound not to harm Aimeric for what he did, but I still want to see him punished. You asked me earlier if my interest in Ro is genuine. Let me answer that question again for you: I don't care what it is that I have to do to save Ro. I'll do it. And I expect the same sentiment from you, maybe even from your council. You said it yourself: no place should be left vacant for long, and you have been waiting for two generations for another to fill the last spot. I think it is in your best interest to keep this one alive and help him gain his powers, is it not?"
      Dane's priorities were easy: find the name and get it back, punish Aimeric, deal with the council and their plans for Ro.
      His phone buzzed in his pants. It was Mace.
      "The warlock is ready to meet right now, if you have the time," Dane informed Jona. "We can do it right here."


    • Genuine surprise was evident on Jona’s face as Dane immediately set about contacting Baxter. Ro had no idea that Dane was taking the indirect route through Mace. He also didn’t look at the phone when Dane pulled it out; instead, he continued staring at the floorboards. No one could tell him how long this window of time might last or when he would reach the point where he could no longer withstand his magical half. For every answer, it felt like three new questions arose, and it made him sick.
      “Of course, that’s no way to live, even with a release valve,” Jona agreed without hesitation, studying his younger relative, who seemed to be fully realizing the weight of the situation only now. “I won’t ask why you can’t do anything to Aimeric, but that’s good to know. I’ll do my best to get answers, but there’s a high chance Melidae and the other two will intervene as well.”
      Ro merely gave a faint shake of his head. So be it, then. Let the council intervene and get on his case. If it meant he could get his name back and savor his time with Dane, he’d welcome it.
      Discreetly, Jona waited until Dane read the message on his smartphone. Then he stood and stretched. “Excellent. I’d suggest doing it here; hopefully, no one will notice. I assume there’s no chance of getting the guy to agree to any kind of secrecy pact?”
      He didn’t even wait for an answer but immediately stood and gestured to his nephew. “Come on, Ro. I bet no one’s tried knocking yet.”
      “Knocking?” Ro responded, irritated and visibly uneasy.
      Jona nodded. “I’d like to see for myself how much magic you’re really holding.”
      “I don’t think I can just… let it out like that,” Ro replied hesitantly, but he relented under his uncle’s insistent gaze and stood up from Dane’s leg. The absence of warmth immediately made him uncomfortable, but he hid it.
      “The warlock won’t arrive right away. We’ve got time to gauge things,” Jona decided, gesturing for Ro to stand between the crackling fire and himself. This way, Ro could still keep Dane in his line of sight, though Jona stood directly in front of him. “What’s he like, personality-wise?”
      “Who?”
      “Your dragon, of course.”
      “Oh. Uh…” Ro scratched his head sheepishly, thinking. “I think… hmm… maybe a bit arrogant? And he always seems to be in a bad mood… Honestly, Jona, I have no idea. I’ve mostly only felt him asleep.”
      Jona merely grunted at that and crossed his arms over his chest. Almost instantly, more magic began to seep from him, and Ro felt an urge to step back as his feet grew cold.
      “Let’s see if he’s still asleep, then. That might be enough,” Jona said.
      Ro wanted to object but didn’t get the chance. The ice magic around his feet held him in place as Jona’s aura suddenly expanded. The moment it collided with Ro’s own aura, he stiffened. Within seconds, it felt as though every alarm in his head had gone off at once. Instead of seeing Jona, he saw a silhouette looming behind him — a figure that must have been Jona’s dragon. The steely gray, slitted eyes fixated on Ro, sending a shiver down his spine.
      That reaction was enough to set everything within the young Drakin into chaos. A moment ago, he had wanted to back away; the next, he lost control of his body. In the blink of an eye, his pupils turned to slits, his skin took on a bluish hue, and his aura surged in defiance. His magic clashed with Jona’s, forming deep blue ice stalagmites scattered throughout the room. Ro shifted into a crouched, predatory stance, leaving it up to Jona to respond appropriately.
      Jona’s eyes also changed, mirroring the increased output of his aura. He reacted to the pressure produced by his younger relative, meeting it head-on. He saw Ro’s hands clench tightly before the younger Drakin suddenly lunged at him.
      The ice Drakin acted with absolute composure. He sidestepped the clawed fingers — now unnervingly long — and caught Ro’s wrist. In one fluid motion, he twisted Ro’s arm behind his back. Ro struggled violently against the grip, loudly protesting, but Jona had had enough. He brought Ro to the ground in a controlled manner, pinning him face-down. Ro tried kicking at him, but Jona simply sat on his hips to hold him down.
      “Arrogant is such an understatement,” Jona muttered, the strain evident on his face. The entire time, the two Drakin overwhelmed each other with their auras, flinging magic back and forth, until icy stalactites were now hanging from the ceiling. Jona kept Ro’s face turned away from him as if he would be staring directly into the sun otherwise.
      “I’m just going to blame Aimeric for the fact that he’s not exactly fond of other dragons. But damn, this kid doesn’t make it easy, even for me,” Jona said tersely to Dane, who, thankfully, hadn’t intervened. “I’ll de-escalate this, and then we’ll talk to the warlock. Sound good?”
      Beneath him, Ro was still thrashing and growling, utterly foreign to his usual demeanor. His face was pressed against the floor, and all he could see was the fire. His dragon had overreacted in a knee-jerk response, shoving the unprepared Ro entirely into the background. Thanks to Jona, Ro would burn through his energy in the next few minutes and eventually return to his usual self.