Page 28 of Office of the Lost

“Leo!”he managed, just as the human—his human—was unceremoniously dumped into the nest.“Leo, are you all right?”Crispin rushed to his side as the darkness settled over them.

Morris rushed to his mate’s side as she perched on the edge of the nest, strangely delicate for her huge size.“Welcome home, my love.”He extended a long blue tongue, and Crispin got a wildly unfortunate look at her frumbles before he forced his gaze away.

“Leo, wake up!”

Crispin’s human lay there, peaceful as an angel, somehow suddenly beautiful to him.It was like a fairy tale.Unsure what he was doing, he leaned over to kiss… well, maybe not his prince.His human.Their lips met and?—

“Hey, what are you doing?”Leo pushed him away, sputtering.“Take advantage of a guy while he’s down….”His gaze went to Crispin’s shoulder.“What happened to your wing?”

“Molly here broke it.”He pointed to the big blue moth thing—feryken—who was apparently enjoying being cleaned, based on her low throaty rumbles and quivering mandibles.“Sorry, Leo.I got caught up in the moment.”

Leo blinked.“S’alright.It wasn’t half bad.”He looked around the nest.“So what’s the sitch here?It took a lot of work to get your friend over there to come down and pick me up too.”

“Thesitch…uationis that we’re about to become comestibles for the progeny of our fine fuzzy friends here.”

Leo stared at him.“What?”

Crispin sighed.“The moth babies are going to eat us.”

“Ah.”Leo’s eyes widened.“Oh.Well, that’s not great.”

“No.Certainly not great at all.”Had he really, just moments before, found this clod attractive?

“So let’s get out of here then.”Leo pulled Thea from his pants pocket.“Will this help?”

“Oh thank the Red Dukes of Vespertine.”And he would, the next time he saw them.He took Thea, cradling her in his hands.“Can you get us out of here?”He waited breathlessly for a response.

A song rolled out of her, catchy and danceable, but not the assistance Crispin was seeking.He sighed.

“Wait, no, I know that one.It’s ‘Jump’ by the Pointer Sisters.One of my foster moms was sweet on them.”

“Seriously?We must be a few hundred feet above ground, if not more.And I can’t fly, remember?”

“You’ll be able to soon.”

Crispin stared at him.

“Your wing is growing back.”

He reached over his shoulder to touch the growing nub.And so it is.He’d forgotten about that part of awaannisa anatomy.Not that it would be wingish enough in time for an escape.

With a small puff of fuzz, the first egg burst open, revealing a white squirming creature with alarmingly sharp teeth.

Molly and Morris had stopped their mildly pornographic activity to avidly watch their progeny.

“Trust me?”Leo met his gaze and took his hand.

Better than being moth food.“Yes.”At worst, they’d be instantly killed when they smashed into the rocks below.At best….

He didn’t know whatbestlooked like in a moth-food vs.smashed-to-pieces situation.

“Come on then, dude.”Leo led him to the edge of the nest, climbing onto the rim.“Let’s jump!”

Crispin, against his better judgment, tucked Thea away and took Leo’s hand.

Was it his imagination or did a spark pass between them?

They jumped, soaring into the green sky and then quickly falling away from the edge.

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