The rumble of thunder far off in the distance made Haven’s heart beat just a little faster. Swallowing hard, he wiped beads of nervous sweat from his forehead. The sky had been clear when he left work ten minutes ago. The bright beauty of the setting sun on the first really warm spring day of the season had convinced him to forego the five-minute bus ride in favor of a fifteen-minute walk in the warm air. Apparently, he should have paid closer attention to the weather instead.

A second roll of booming thunder sounded, this time closer. Haven jumped slightly and started walking faster. A glance over his shoulder showed towering, black storm clouds building ominously a few miles away. The wind was picking up, which meant the clouds would be moving swiftly overhead.

Haven absentmindedly fingered the white stripe of hair amid the rest of the black strands growing over his right eye as he tried to keep his breathing even so he didn’t pass out. He wasn’t afraid of thunder; rather he feared what the thunder gave voice to: the vibration of molecules caused by an electrical discharge. A lightning strike.

He’d been struck on a day almost exactly like this one. The thunderclouds had gathered in the distance, the wind quickly blowing them overhead. Haven had foolishly decided to make the dash across the quad from the building his classroom was in to his dorm. He had another final to study for and didn’t have the time to wait around for the storm to pass. He hadn’t made it.

When he woke up in the hospital, the doctors told him what had happened. Lightning had struck the classroom building just as he reached the foot of the stairs. Students said a metal flagpole sticking out of the building attracted the lightning. Haven had been hit with a side flash, a bit of electrical current that branched off from the main bolt. The doctor said he only suffered minor burns and showed him a photograph of his skull where a light feather pattern of broken capillaries was visible through slightly crispy hair. He probably wouldn’t have even passed out from the strike, the doctor marveled, if he wasn’t already overstressed and exhausted from finals.

It was a very minor strike—lightning could kill or cause permanent brain and organ damage, so Haven knew just how lucky he was—but that didn’t stop Haven from flinching every time thunder rumbled overhead.

The storm was coming faster now. Haven could taste rain in the air even though he couldn’t yet feel the drops on his skin. He probably only had mere minutes before the storm let loose over his head, and he would much prefer to be inside before that happened.

There were two options for getting home. The first was to stay on the sidewalk. He had two more blocks to go before he crossed the street and turned right. Then he had another two long blocks to walk to his house. The second option was to take the path just ahead. It led through the reservoir: a bit of undeveloped, low-lying land set aside by the town solely for the purpose of collecting excess rain in order to prevent floods and water damage to the nearby neighborhoods. The trees in the reservoir were still bare, their buds only beginning to show baby green leaves poking through, but the path was clear. Taking shelter underneath a tree during a storm was idiotic, but it would shave off minutes to his travel time, and the path ended across the street from his house.

When he reached the path, Haven took it. He was hustling as quickly as he could in slacks and shoes. Running was out of the question, but he could and did power walk. The path itself was winding, created to show off the most scenic parts of the forest and to stay on higher ground. Haven had to stay on the path to avoid the small rivers and lakes that filled the reservoir every spring. He clattered across an old wooden bridge, five feet long and the only way across the winter snowmelt that wouldn’t also soak his shoes.

The sky overhead was getting darker, and the first droplets of rain were penetrating the branches. It was getting harder to see the path clearly as the sunlight faded and the wind picked up even more. The old leaves still composting from last fall made slithering sounds as the wind blew them around. Haven thought he heard rain hissing against the leaves, too, like the loose pipe letting steam out of his hot water heater had done a few weeks back.

Haven’s foot caught on something suddenly, and he lurched, falling to the ground hard. He scrambled to his hands and knees, brushing leaves off his front as he stumbled back to his feet.

Haven had tripped right over a big rock in the middle of the path. Lightning flashed overhead, quickly followed by a boom of thunder. Haven let out an involuntary squeal of fright as he instinctively huddled low to the ground. He had to get home. Now.

He used the rock for leverage to get back to his feet a second time. It was warm under his hand and slightly textured. It didn’t feel like any rock Haven had ever held. He bent closer, and in the fading light, he could make out what looked like raised veins of gold crisscrossing the entire surface. It almost looked like a gigantic, minimalist Faberge egg.

Haven carefully picked it up, grunting slightly at the weight. It was about the size of a large melon and shaped like an egg, oval with one pointed end and one more rounded. It fit snugly into the curve of his elbow as he curled one arm around it. Maybe it was just an oddly colored rock, but it also looked like someone’s heirloom. Personally, Haven didn’t understand why someone would prize what amounted to a gigantic, albeit very fancy, egg. Still, there was probably a child getting a scolding right this moment for taking the Faberge egg out of the house and losing it. He could get a better look at it once he had stronger light and would call the police to find the owner.

Another boom of thunder made Haven jump. He fumbled the egg for a second before he got his fingers locked around it and took off at a jog. His toes cried out from the abuse his shoes were causing, but he didn’t care anymore. He probably only had seconds before the storm exploded over his head.

He reached the end of the path without tripping over anything else just as a light drizzle began to soak the ground. He dashed across the street and up the steps of his porch as another gigantic boom of thunder shook the ground and a downpour started. Haven got his keys out of his pocket and fought with the lock one-handed. He dashed inside, panting for breath and shaking, and slammed the door behind him.

He made sure the door was locked and hurried downstairs into the basement where there weren’t any windows and he could play loud music to drown out the sounds of the storm. He switched on the lights and music first, then grabbed a couple of the blankets he kept on a nearby cot. He made a quick nest for the egg, so it wouldn’t roll anywhere and get damaged, before taking off his shoes and tie and wrapping himself up into another blanket. He huddled in on himself and waited for the storm to pass.

*

The egg was a warm, albeit uncomfortable pillow. Haven didn’t know when he had fallen asleep or why he was curled around the egg, but it made for a stiff back and a bruised cheek.

He found the remote and lowered the volume on the music, then listened intently, hoping the storm was over but ready to flinch should he hear something. The blinking clock across the room told him that sometime while he was sleeping the house had lost and regained power. It was resolutely showing midnight on the screen, but a quick glance at the clock on his phone told Haven it was actually almost three in the morning.

After a few too-tense moments waiting and failing to hear an ominous rumble, Haven sighed in relief and turned the music off. He rolled his head side to side as he stood up, trying to work out the tension making his muscles ache. Haven walked two steps away from the cot, planning to head to his own bed, before he turned around to look at the egg still tucked into its nest of blankets.

It was gorgeous, black with jagged lines of gold shot throughout. It almost glowed in the low basement lights, although after Haven blinked a few times he thought the glow faded away. Haven felt ridiculous for feeling bad about leaving the egg behind. He couldn’t help laughing at himself for being silly, but he walked back to the bed and gathered the egg into his arms anyway.

Haven lived in a split-level ranch-style house that he could afford thanks to the bank and a recent raise. The basement door was in the lower level where his living room and guest bedroom were located. He walked up the three short steps into the small entryway by the front door. To the left was his small dining room and kitchen; to the right was the hallway that led to an office and the master bedroom. He walked down the hall to his bedroom in the dark. The sky outside the windows didn’t show any stars, so it must still be cloudy. He really hoped there wouldn’t be any more thunder that night.

The bedroom was mostly neat. He was a bachelor living on his own, so some mess was inevitable, but it was much cleaner than some of his single coworkers’ houses. Haven was able to navigate around the small piles of discarded clothes and find his unmade bed without mishap. He fell into the soft covers with a tired groan. It was too much work to get up again to change into pajamas or build a new nest for the egg. Besides, even though the egg was hard it was also warm and somewhat comforting. It was a very strange sort of security blanket to cling to, but Haven didn’t want to give it up.

He wriggled out of his dress pants and swiftly unbuttoned his shirt. Once he was left in only his boxers, he pulled a blanket over his head, curled around the egg, and fell quickly back to sleep.

*

It was Saturday. Haven’s alarm should be off. Gloriously, he had no plans, which meant he could sleep in and enjoy the day. Thunderstorms might be awful, but the day afterward was always gorgeous. Haven was looking forward to a leisurely breakfast on the back porch, maybe a nap under the warm spring sun, and a chance to walk around his small garden and see how things were budding. Unfortunately, he would have to enjoy all of that on his own. He had a beautiful house and a nice weekend morning, but no one to share it with.

Haven mentally snarled at himself to stop thinking like that. He was going to have a good morning, and sad thoughts like the fact that he hadn’t had a boyfriend in years weren’t allowed to interfere. Haven pulled his blanket up to his nose, intent on going back to sleep, but the damned alarm sounded again.

The alarm wasn’t set to go off on the weekends, but Haven still heard the buzzing and rustling, as if his phone was on vibrate and had gotten stuck underneath a heavy blanket when the alarm went off.

Haven peeled his eyes open with a groan, needing a few more hours of sleep after the late night but also needing to shut off that damned alarm so he could sleep in peace. Light was filtering in through his closed window shades. It made the gold in the egg he was still curled around sparkle slightly. There might be precious stones carefully hidden among the gold, which only made him feel odder about the fact that he was cuddling with a giant shiny rock.

The rustling sound continued, and Haven forced his body to roll over. He blinked in surprise for a few long moments when he saw his phone resting quietly on his nightstand. He rolled over again, toward the noise, and let out a shriek. There was a snake crawling through his blankets!

It looked like a garter snake, small and green with a red stripe down its back, except it also had horns jutting out from the top of its head. In response to Haven’s shriek, it lifted itself as high into the air as its small body would allow. Then it hissed, and what looked like a cobra’s hood flared behind it. Two fangs jutted out from the snake’s mouth, glistening and dripping.

Haven let out another screech and tumbled from his bed. The egg was knocked free in his scramble, and it landed in his lap as he hit the floor and crab walked backward to the door. The snake gently soared off the bed, landing on the carpet with a muffled thump. That wasn’t a hood on the back of the snake; it was a pair of wings! Did snakes have wings? Haven couldn’t think of any snakes that had them as he kept desperately shuffling away.

The snake appeared to be taking its time, weaving back and forth threateningly as it moved slowly closer, and hissing as if it were laughing at him. Haven left the bedroom and entered the hallway, his back impacting painfully with the wall. He didn’t dare turn his body to go down the hallway; if he took his eyes off the snake for even a second, Haven thought that might be his last second alive.

“Give me the egg!” a voice yelled. Haven’s eyes were still fixated on the snake; he didn’t have time to look at who was shouting. “The egg! Give me the egg!”

Haven fumbled for the egg resting in his lap, lifting it clumsily into the air and toward the insistent voice. The snake’s eyes glinted, and the hissing turned from stuttering laughter to a low and ominous threatening hiss. It lunged at Haven, mouth wide and teeth glistening.

The flash of lightning and the window-shaking boom of thunder echoed through the house. While the leaping snake had made him freeze in fear, the thunder had him screaming and curling into a ball around the egg still inexorably clutched in his arms.

It took a few long minutes of shaking and gasping for breath after the thunder before Haven felt safe enough to slowly uncurl. The egg was warm and buzzing faintly, almost as if it were sentient and trying to comfort Haven. He reflexively patted it in thanks, trying not to feel silly for thinking such odd things when the day so far had been beyond odd.

“The child likes you,” the voice said sharply, sounding surprised. “But then, you are lightning-kissed.”

Haven looked up. There was a burnt spot in his carpet just a few inches from his feet in a slightly serpentine shape. No other sign of the bizarre snake remained. A man was standing next to Haven, frowning at the burnt mark. He was wearing what looked like a cloak of feathers, tied around the neck with a heavy hood hanging down his back. His hair was long, the ends lost in the hood, and black. It looked like it had been streaked blond with bleach by a very inexperienced hair stylist; the streaks were jagged and uneven, some starting midway or ending nowhere near the end of his hair. His cheekbones were very prominent and his skin lightly tanned. He was absolutely gorgeous, Haven’s libido supplied eagerly. His smirk, as he quirked his lips upward when Haven continued to stare at him, was even and slightly haughty.

“The child?” Haven asked, scrambling to gather his fear-scattered wits. He was still sitting on the floor, and the stranger had broken into his house and somehow a flying snake had been zapped with lightning. Haven pushed to his feet, the egg still in his arms.

The stranger’s nod indicated the egg. “Zephyr and I were bringing the child to the hatching grounds when we were attacked. We lost the child briefly in the melee. Zephyr remained behind to battle while I started searching to the east. Zephyr was going to look in this direction, the west, but when I sensed the child here, I came to join him. Has Zephyr told you where to meet him?”

Haven gaped for a moment. “Who?” he asked, trying to get his thoughts in order in the face of such an odd story. “Who are you and who is Zephyr? What child?”

“You are holding the child, the egg that Zephyr gave to you to protect!” the stranger exclaimed, his scowl deepening as he spoke. “I am Dae, Zephyr’s partner!”

“I found the egg in the woods last night when I was trying to beat the thunderstorm home. No one else was around.”

“Zephyr wouldn’t abandon his most important charge!” Dae sounded incensed at the very thought. “What have you done to him?”

The cloak on Dae’s back fluttered as if a stiff wind were blowing through the hall. A rumble of thunder sounded, low, still far off in the distance, yet it was very clearly emanating from nearby. Haven automatically flinched as if lightning had flashed to cause the thunder. It hadn’t, but he couldn’t help the shiver of fear.

“Where is Zephyr?” Dae hissed. There was thunder in his voice and lightning in his eyes. Haven stared, transfixed, as flash after flash of lightning eerily lit his corneas and outlined his pupils. Dae’s eyes were gray, like a cloudy sky, yet they darkened like clouds filling with rain. Every bolt of lightning that flashed made them grow even darker.

When Haven couldn’t answer, Dae apparently took it as he wouldn’t. He reached out with one hand as more thunder rumbled down the hallway, and gripped Haven around the neck. The hand tingled, and then shot what felt like lightning into Haven’s body. Haven gurgled for breath. It felt like he had stuck his finger into an electrical socket and had gotten the cord of whatever he had been trying to plug in wrapped around his neck. He would have screamed if he had breath to do so.

“Where is Zephyr?” Dae repeated with a snarl. He loosened his hand enough that Haven could gulp down small breaths of air, but when Haven didn’t have an answer, he tightened his grip again.

It was too much for Haven: the fear making him shake, the electricity running through him, and the lack of air all combined. His head felt woozy and stars exploded behind his eyes. Darkness came slowly, and even Dae’s curse as his grip loosened couldn’t stop Haven from fainting.

*

Haven was flying. He could see trees soaring past far below him as well as the occasional fluffy cloud. The wind whistled in his ears as he rushed past. It was a decidedly odd sensation, and he wondered why he was having such a weird dream.

There was something clamped around his chest and stomach. If this were a dream, he’d wake up and find his blankets wrapped around his body. Haven looked and didn’t find blankets. Instead, he found claws. They were gigantic and scaled, like what he imagined a dragon’s would be like. There were talons on the end. He could feel their points poking against his side. Haven was still mostly naked, so it hurt a lot.

In the other claw, which was hanging to Haven’s right, was the egg. He twisted around to look up, but only saw a lot of huge black feathers rustling in the wind attached to the claw. A gigantic bird was carrying him!

Haven let his weight drop back into the claws, which made one of them prick harder into his side. It hurt like he was being pinched, which was supposed to wake someone up from a dream. The scene didn’t change though. Nothing changed. He was still being held in the air by a giant bird flying over a forest. He wasn’t dreaming!

Terrified, Haven let out a scream and thrashed in the talons holding him tight. He didn’t want the creature to let him go, because he would fall to a horrible death, but at the same time he couldn’t stand being held like this for much longer.

“Put me down!” Haven yelled helplessly. “Please, put me down!”

“We’re almost there,” Dae’s voice growled. “Stop squirming.” Dae wasn’t anywhere Haven could see, and yet he sounded close enough they could both have been held in the same scaled grip. It startled Haven into freezing for a moment, scared that he might knock a companion free to plummet to the ground below.

A pair of huge wings flapped above, pumping the air and angling their flight slightly to the left. A crack of thunder sounded out of the blue sky, making Haven shiver for yet another reason. They started descending. The tops of the trees slowly grew closer as the wings beat over Haven’s head. Every downbeat was accompanied by a crack of thunder. The wings were so large they were displacing the air in much the same way a bolt of lightning did. It still made Haven flinch, but he was also growing used to it. Thunder on a day that was cloudless and blue just wasn’t so scary, especially when compared to being carried in the air by a giant bird. Haven was pretty damn freaked out about that, and the thunder couldn’t compete.

“Wind Rider, you made it!” A second bird flew into view, lifting up from somewhere in the woods below. His wings made the air crack beneath them, too, but it sounded more like gunfire in comparison to the bird carrying Haven. “And you’re carrying a human?” he gasped. “We need to bring him to the chamber!”

“There’s no time, Breeze Watcher,” Dae disagreed. “The egg is hatching. I must go directly to the hatching grounds.”

Breeze Watcher nodded. “I’ll inform the elders.” His wings dipped and he turned abruptly, flying back into the depths of the forest below.

Haven looked over at the egg and saw that it was quaking in the bird’s grip. The jagged streaks of gold were glowing slightly, although it could have been the wind in Haven’s eyes that made it look like that. He hoped it was the wind, but nothing about any of this was normal. He was still shaking, and without the distraction of the movement of the egg, he would probably also still be screaming.

What he had foolishly thought was someone’s lost Faberge egg was actually a living egg belonging to the gigantic bird carrying him. The egg was apparently about to hatch, and Dae was bringing it to safety. Perhaps Dae was riding on the back of the bird. Maybe the bird was the missing Zephyr?

They were dropping quickly now. Haven’s ears popped and the rushing wind stung his eyes. He could have reached out and touched the tops of the trees if he wanted as they swooped low over the forest. The trees were tall and leafy, already fully bloomed despite the early season. The bird tucked its wings and pulled its feet closer to its body. Soft feathers brushed against Haven’s face and body. The bird dove and Haven let out an involuntary scream of fright. They slid through the trees easily, barely a branch cracking in their passage, and through a wide cave entrance that appeared suddenly as they broke through the tree line. They emerged from the cave a few minutes later into bright sunlight. The forest had vanished, replaced by high walls of stone with cave openings spaced evenly around.

It looked similar to the pictures of dormant volcanoes that Haven had seen in a nature magazine once. There was a blue lake in the basin below, and the cone was blasted open. It was an unwelcoming place for humans, but there were so many black birds flying idly around that it must be a perfect home for them.

The bird flew toward a cave opening slightly larger than the rest, again tucking his wings to dart through. This cave was even longer, and the bird was losing momentum. Haven was worried they would have to stop and walk, but they burst out into sunlight just before that could happen. They were inside what looked like another dormant volcano. This one had a thick layer of sand in the basin. Six birds were already sitting in a circle in the sand. The bird carrying Haven flapped its wings twice to stabilize and then gently circled until he awkwardly landed, the ground hitting him in the butt directly underneath his tail feathers so he didn’t crush the cargo in his feet. The bird’s feathers thankfully blocked the resulting spray of sand, but Haven still flinched at the impact.

A zap ran through Haven, much like the electricity Dae had zapped him with earlier. The claws around him began to shrink, as did the bird above him. Haven’s feet touched the warm sand, but his legs didn’t have the strength to hold him up. He sank to the ground in a boneless heap, panting in fear.

The electricity faded away as the bird let go of Haven. He was still twitching slightly, but the buzzing was gone from his ears and behind his eyes. Haven looked up and watched as the bird shrank to human size, shivered, then split down the middle. Dae’s arms poked through the seam, and his hands pulled his cloak away from his body and the hood off his face. His cloak of feathers settled into place on his back. No sign of the bird he had been remained, but Haven knew what he had seen.

The egg had landed on Dae’s other side. He quickly bent and gently buried it in the sand. Once that was done, he reached out and gripped Haven’s wrist in one hand. He yanked Haven backward, out of the circle of waiting birds and farther back until hard rocks began to take over from sand underfoot. Haven stumbled over a rock, his feet crying from the abuse. He fell into Dae’s side and involuntarily wrapped his arms around Dae’s middle to catch his balance.

Dae’s body was warm and tingly, as if lightning ran through his veins and passed via his skin to whatever he was touching. There was muscle there, firm underneath Haven’s hands as Haven scrambled to push away and get his feet underneath him. His traitorous hands wanted to cop another feel of that soft skin over muscle, but luckily he stepped on another rock and sense returned with the onset of pain.

“What’s going on?” Haven asked softly, aware that everyone, Dae included, was staring raptly at the lump in the sand where the egg was buried. “Where am I?” His voice was shaky with nerves, and his heart was beating heavily with a combination of aborted lust and fear. The fear was winning, however, as he glanced around at the place to where he had been kidnapped.

The egg was shaking in the sand, pieces of it being revealed as the sand was knocked off the top. Haven didn’t know what the point of burying the egg was because the first cracking noise only occurred once all the sand was already gone. All of the birds including Dae started humming, each letting a different, complementary note reverberate. The noise echoed around the sandy basin, combining and growing until Haven couldn’t hear the egg cracking.

A bolt of light—of lightning, Haven realized—flashed from the egg. Haven didn’t even flinch; he was getting so inured to things that had scared him the most only mere hours ago that he almost didn’t recognize himself. He was barely even shaking anymore at being taken from home by a bird that shape-shifted into a human.

All of a sudden, the humming stopped. In the abrupt silence, Haven could finally hear the egg creaking and groaning. There was only quiet for a brief moment before another flash of lightning lit the space. With an almighty crack, a large portion of the egg broke free and fell to the sand below.

Two tiny human hands popped out and gripped the edge of the egg. A small bird’s head followed after. The baby tumbled out of the egg, hitting the ground hard. The hood from the cloak of feathers hanging down the baby’s back lifted away from her face, revealing a human head. To Haven’s eyes, the baby didn’t look like an infant just born. Instead, if he hadn’t known better, he would have pegged the child as a one- or two-year-old. The egg had been large enough to fill the cradle of his elbow, and the child was just a little smaller than that. None of the birds seemed surprised about it though, so this must be normal for whatever species they were.

The baby let out a peeping cry as she slowly levered herself off the sand and onto her hands and knees. The air felt expectant around her; each of the birds in the circle leaned forward slightly as if they were waiting for something. The baby crawled, still crying, toward the side of the circle closest to Haven. The birds on the far side of the circle slumped back when it became clear the baby wasn’t going to crawl to them.

She drew close to two birds and they both reached an expectant wing forward so she could grab on, but the baby continued to crawl without noticing. She passed underneath those wings and beyond the circle. The baby was crawling directly at Haven, he realized. The sand quickly became rocky underneath her knees, and her peeping cries grew louder with the hurt.

Dae knelt so he was eye level with the baby. “The Elders are over there, youngling,” he insisted. “Go choose your Tribe.”

The baby ignored him. Haven was forced to kneel, too, when she reached his bare feet and flopped down in front of him in exhaustion. She peeped imperiously up at him, and Haven couldn’t help reaching out and scooping her gently into his arms.

Her body was warm, but it lacked the tingling electricity he felt from Dae. Haven would have said she was running a fever if he didn’t know better.

“Should I take her back over there?” Haven asked.

“It is instinct,” an old woman said. Her cloak of feathers was thrown back, and she was struggling to her human feet on shaky legs. “The younglings are born, and they already know which Elder to approach to begin their training in that Elder’s Tribe. We have never had a youngling purposefully not choose a Tribe, but there must be a reason for it.” Her back was bent severely to the point that one of the other Elders, a man not much younger than she was, had to help her across the sand.

When she finally reached Haven, she studied the baby slumbering peacefully in his arms and then Haven himself. Her eyes were clear and focused despite her age, a deep brown color that seemed to see everything.

“You are lightning-kissed?” she asked, her eyes on the white streak of hair falling over his forehead. “At least Dae and Zephyr did not bring an ordinary human to our nest.” One knobby and shaking hand reached out to tug on that specific bit of hair. “The youngling has chosen you; that is clear. Very well, you are welcome here to raise your child. Accommodations will be made for your flightless status.” She turned to Dae. Her eyes grew even more piercing for a moment as she studied Dae, but they gentled after a long moment. “You did what you had to do by bringing a human to our nest. You are forgiven for the transgression. Now, tell me, where is Zephyr of Tribe Storm Fighter?”

“I request permission to go in search of Zephyr,” Dae said formally. “My duty to the Tribe has been completed.” He sounded strained, as if regardless of the answer he would be flying away to locate his missing partner.

The Elder no doubt saw that. “I grant permission, but you must take this human with you. Zephyr must have disappeared in the human territories, and the human will provide direction and instruction.”

“I can’t take the youngling with me!” Dae gasped, looking at Haven like he was a bug that needed to be stepped on. Haven’s lingering libido was crushed on the spot.

The old woman laughed. “Ah, Dae, you know as well as I that a wet nurse is waiting. She will care for the youngling until the child is strong. All we need from the human at this moment is a name for the youngling, and then you can be off.”

All of the Elders and Dae turned to look at Haven expectantly. He had to name the child? She was sleeping peacefully in his arms, her human face pressed into his elbow and her cloak of feathers pressed softly against his chest. She was cute, for a baby, and she had apparently chosen him to raise her. Was he now her father? Haven had never expected to have kids. After his parents died, his father from cancer and his mother from a car accident a few years later, there hadn’t been any further pressure for grandkids. As a gay man, Haven hadn’t really given any thought to his future family or if he might eventually choose to adopt a child or find a surrogate mother. He would need a long-term partner or a husband before those thoughts could even begin to manifest. Yet, in his arms was the baby girl that was apparently his.

“My mother’s name was Aira. It means ‘of the wind.’” Aira was an American name—it hadn’t come from Europe or anywhere overseas. It seemed appropriate for whatever First Nation species the bird shape-shifters were.

“Aira is a beautiful name,” the Elder woman agreed with a smile. “Now, we will bring Aira to the wet nurse, and you and Dae shall be off. Do bring Zephyr back to us. He is my grand-nephew by blood and by Tribe, and I would not like to see him lost to the horned scourge.”

“Thank you, Elder Storm Fighter,” Dae said. He sounded far too relieved for someone just interested in finding his work partner. Haven forced the last lingering vestiges of attraction away from his heart. Dae was clearly already spoken for, and Haven wasn’t interested in getting between someone else’s relationship.

They walked slowly through the tunnel Dae had flown so quickly through just a few minutes earlier. Haven looked down at Aira, bemused. He was a father, as simple as that, and he was still totally flummoxed about it. Aira was still sleeping peacefully; her workout reaching him across the sand had exhausted her. She was nestled in her feathers, using them as both blanket and pillow.

“What are you guys?” Haven asked, wondering how a human creature could be born with feathers and shape-shift into a bird.

“We are Thunderbirds,” Elder Storm Fighter replied.

Thunderbird was a Native American term, one Haven had only heard of maybe once in his life in a high school American history class. He thought they were gigantic birds that brought thunderstorms, but he had little doubt that he was woefully undereducated on the subject.

Elder Storm Fighter apparently read his ignorance on his face because she started explaining. “Long ago, the Sun became angry with the people of Earth and sent an illness to kill them all. The Sun halted the rain and blazed strongly so nothing could quell the disease running through all the human Tribes. The Tribes prayed to the spirits of the water for aid, and a horned serpent emerged from the depths. He promised to vanquish the Sun and bring life back to the Tribes. He failed. A simple rattlesnake took his place and succeeded where the mighty horned serpent was impotent. So the serpent retreated to the depths of the waters, and hate festered within his heart. When he again felt the strength to emerge, his goodness had faded entirely. His very breath brought back the illness to the Tribes, and he killed with impunity. Again the Tribes prayed, and this time the Thunderbirds heard them.

“The Thunderbirds were once human before we found our feathers and took to the skies. We swore to help our flightless brethren defeat the great horned serpent and bring peace back to the Tribes. The first of the Storm Fighter Tribe struck a mighty blow of lightning against the serpent in the battle, hitting the seventh spot below the head where the serpent’s heart is located. Yet, the serpent’s heart had turned to stone in his hate and he was merely wounded. We retreated to our separate nests to recuperate until the battle might recommence. Small skirmishes, like the one you encountered, occur often, and we hope that one day the great horned serpent might be vanquished.”

Elder Storm Fighter finished her story just as they emerged from the tunnel. The sun was bright, reflecting off the clear water filling the basin below. Birds flew overhead and basked in the sun on large ledges in front of the numerous cave openings. A woman was waiting by the cave entrance, her feathers carefully pulled backward so her arms were free. She held them out for Aira without even the slightest hesitation when she saw who held the baby.

“Mona Breath Giver, welcome,” Elder Storm Fighter said formally. “We present you Aira and her father…” She paused and then chuckled to herself. “I never asked for your name, Lightning-Kissed Human.”

Haven shrugged. He hadn’t expected her to ask, considering he was just a human in her eyes. “My name is Haven Winnow.”

“Her father, Haven Winnow,” Elder Storm Fighter finished with a nod.

“I take upon myself the responsibility of Aira of the Winnow Tribe,” Mona Breath Giver said formally. “She shall grow strong and hale under my care.”

Haven passed Aira over to Mona with a pang. She had been named his daughter, yet he had barely even held her before having to give her away. He was surprised at how attached he had become to the idea of being her father in such a short amount of time. As much as Haven might have liked to see where Aira would be staying or to learn more about Mona and the Thunderbirds Aira would be staying with, Dae was grumbling low in his throat with impatience. He wanted to find Zephyr badly, and Haven was holding him up.

Aira would be well taken care of, but there was no guarantee that Zephyr was. Haven nodded his thanks to Mina and turned to Dae.

“We should go back to my house. I need clothes if we’re going around the human world, and I found the egg in the forest right near there. There might be a clue of Zephyr’s whereabouts.”

“Fine,” Dae grunted. He stepped back to get enough room before pulling his cloak around his shoulders and the hood over his head. A smaller bird, slightly misshapen for its human height and thinness, appeared where Dae had stood. It grew in size quickly, filling out until width matched height and the gigantic bird stood in front of Haven again. Dae held out one clawed foot. “Climb on. It’s easier to carry you if you can hold on yourself.”

Haven stepped onto Dae’s clawed foot, found a grip in his thick feathers, and pulled himself up onto Dae’s back. It took a little situating before he found a spot that didn’t impede Dae’s wings, but once he had, Haven buried his fingers in Dae’s soft feathers to hold on.

Dae flapped his wings twice, stirring the dirt below them and forcing Mona to turn her back so Aira was protected, and then he threw himself into the air. Haven gasped and tried not to pull on the feathers in his hands. He huddled close to Dae’s back as wind buffeted him.

They rose quickly and flew through the tunnel leading out of the mountain swiftly. The blasted volcano vanished beneath the forest until all Haven could see was the original image he had woken up to just a mere hour ago. Flying was totally different this time. For one thing, he knew what was going on. Somewhat. The entire Thunderbird concept was still defined a little shakily for him, but he had seen Dae change from a human to a bird. He was touching Dae’s soft feathers, sitting on his back, and feeling the air rush past his face as Dae flew. He knew he was on a mission to help another Thunderbird named Zephyr that Dae had a deep relationship with. The other side of the coin was that he had woken up hanging from a gigantic bird’s claw like prey snatched away to be torn apart for dinner. Luckily, he had been welcomed by Elder Storm Fighter and was hoping to help the Thunderbirds. It made a big difference.

Flying back to Haven’s home didn’t take nearly as long as he thought it would. Dae’s wings were strong, cracking with the power of thunder with every beat, and they soared through the air like a rocket. Haven didn’t know how many miles they traveled, but it wasn’t more than an hour before he started to see the tops of the skyscrapers of the city ahead.

It took another twenty minutes before they were flying low over familiar neighborhoods. Haven didn’t see anyone below pointing incredulously at the sky, which confused him for a few moments until he realized there must be some more magic at play keeping them hidden. Still, the thunder from Dae’s wings had the few pedestrians Haven could make out clutch at their umbrellas and glance instinctively up at the few clouds in the sky even if they couldn’t actually see Dae.

“You found the egg in the forest?” Dae asked, twisting his head around until Haven could see his human gray eyes peeking out between thick feathers. His beak didn’t move as he spoke, but the words were clear.

Haven located the reservoir near his house, the budding trees still bleak and bare below. “That’s mine, the small one there,” he explained, pointing over Dae’s shoulder. “I found the egg right in the middle of the path. It wasn’t hidden or anything.”

Dae growled under his breath. “The damned snakes must have been carrying it when you interrupted them. They can’t have gotten far with the weight of the egg and of Zephyr. I’ll drop you off at your house. Get dressed and meet me in the woods.” He turned abruptly, dropping hastily and landing in the small yard in front of Haven’s house. Haven quickly climbed down, and Dae took off with a gust of wind and a crack of thunder.

The front door was unlocked, which was good because Haven didn’t have his key tucked away in his boxers. It was dark and quiet inside. Haven hurried to his bedroom, carefully stepped over the burnt spot in the doorway, and found a pair of jeans that were mostly clean lying on the floor. He yanked the pants up his legs and did up the button fly. All he had to find was a T-shirt and his keys and he could join Dae in the woods.

A sharp pain radiated from Haven’s left ankle. He staggered and his vision fluttered. He didn’t feel his knees hit the ground, but he saw the tiny snake that slithered out of his jeans cuff before everything went black.

*

A thump and a pained groan woke Haven. His head felt fuzzy, and it took a few blinks for his eyes to clear of gunk before he could see. Haven was lying slumped on his own basement floor, legs and arms akimbo as if he had been unceremoniously dropped and left where he lay. It took a few uncomfortable seconds for Haven to untangle himself. His limbs didn’t quite want to cooperate, as if whatever he had been drugged with hadn’t entirely worn off. He would manage to get one leg situated only to have to start over again when he kept falling over while trying to move the other.

Soft chuckling off to Haven’s right made him freeze in place and turn his head.

“Don’t stop now,” the man lying on the floor next to the small cot Haven had slept in not even twenty-four hours ago said with a grin. His teeth were bloody and his face swollen. One of his bright blue eyes was almost totally obscured by a heavy bruise over his inflamed cheek. “That’s the best damned thing I’ve seen in hours.”

“Wha—” Haven coughed, trying to clear his throat and move his vocal chords, which were obeying about as strongly as the rest of his body.

“It’ll take at least twenty more minutes before the muscle relaxer in their venom wears off,” the man continued. “You’re lucky you were only bitten by a small one. The bigger ones can kill just by licking your skin.” Haven let out a shudder. “So, how did a human get mixed up in all this?” he asked, then paused sheepishly. “Wait, you probably still can’t talk. Tell me later.”

Until the man had described Haven specifically as a human, Haven hadn’t paid any extra attention to the black mass half lying across the man’s legs. It wasn’t a blanket like Haven had assumed; rather a very ragged cloak of feathers lay there. Some feathers were missing and others were broken, but it very clearly belonged to a Thunderbird.

“Zeph—” Haven tried to speak again, hoping to force out the name of who he thought he was speaking with.

“Zephyr, that’s me,” Zephyr said with another grin. Even with the bruises he was a gorgeous man, easily the equal of Dae in looks. Haven had to remind himself they were a pair before he said or did something stupid. “If you know that, then Dae must be nearby. That idiot. I’m the Storm Fighter; he’s only a Wind Rider. I fight while he flies. Did he at least get the egg to the nest?”

“Egg fine,” Haven forced out. “Dae looking—”

“The idiot’s looking for me. Of course, he is. I don’t know if I should kiss him or kick him. He’s not cut out for rescue missions. Didn’t Elder Storm Fighter send someone to help?”

Haven slowly shook his head and shrugged.

“Well, damn,” Zephyr sighed. “We’ll have to get out of this one on our own, then. Look, the snakes have no sense of time. They’ll come in five minutes or two hours after they left, thinking it’s been an hour.” He groaned in pain as he forced himself into a sitting position. A small dribble of blood rolled down his chin as he panted weakly. “I—I need you to distract them when they do come, just for long enough that I can fry them. I have one more good shot of lightning in me. We can kill some of the snakes, and Dae will hear it and know where we are.”

Dae already knew where Haven was. Sort of. Dae was searching the forest while Haven quickly put clothing on. When Haven didn’t show up, hopefully Dae would come looking. He wouldn’t fall to the snakes as easily as Haven had, even if he wasn’t a fighter like Zephyr had insisted. Haven had to tell Zephyr that, before his plans counted Dae out entirely. He was feeling stronger with every passing minute. Hopefully, he’d be able to speak properly now.

“Dae in woods,” he forced out. “Waiting for me. Maybe come look here when I don’t show.”

Zephyr’s grin widened, and Haven’s heart gave an extra little thump. “Is he now? I bet he’ll come stomping in, yelling for you at the top of his lungs. Dae’s got a bit of a temper,” he explained fondly. “I have a feeling a good distraction should come along shortly. Can you move yet? I’ll need your shoulder to walk.”

Haven was able to straighten both his legs in front of himself and with a bit of struggling was also able to push into a sitting position. His muscles still felt uncoordinated and weak so he rested there. Zephyr was leaning against the side of the bed, slumped, as if he didn’t have the strength to hold himself up. He might have the power for one more good lightning strike, but Haven had doubts he would be conscious afterward.

The front door slammed open upstairs long before Haven felt like he was strong enough to stand. He curled his legs underneath him and pushed upward so he could stagger to his feet.

“Where are you, damned human?” Dae yelled, stomping around so hard the floor overhead creaked. Zephyr grinned and rolled his eyes.

“Come over here and help me up,” Zephyr called. Haven hurried to his side, every step a little stronger than the one before it. He wasn’t scared, Haven realized as he bent down so Zephyr could wrap one arm over Haven’s shoulder. Maybe after everything that had already happened to him, he couldn’t find it in himself to still be scared. There was also something about Zephyr’s constant smile, bloody as it was, that made being afraid impossible. Zephyr’s confidence in the situation’s outcome helped too.

The basement door creaked open, and Zephyr froze in place with a hiss. “Don’t look into the light.” With that cryptic statement, Zephyr turned them both toward the door. Injured and frail he might be, but he was still stronger than Haven.

There was a gigantic snake standing in the doorway. It was black skinned with a wide yellow stripe down the middle. It had human arms and a snake’s tail instead of legs. The human face was oddly flattened, and a pair of long fangs poked out of the top lip. In the creature’s forehead was a gemstone that glowed slightly. It was so very pretty. Haven didn’t want to look away from the gentle glow as it brightened. It was all he could see; it was all he wanted to see.

Distantly, he heard Zephyr snicker, and then a hand came down over his eyes. “Don’t look at their light,” he repeated, whispering it into Haven’s ear as if he were a lover. Haven shivered, but when Zephyr removed his hand, Haven was able to look away from the light. It was still there, easily the brightest thing in the basement room, but Haven had other things on his mind. Like reciting the alphabet backward because the beginnings of an erection was a terrible thing to have when a snake-man was hissing like that.

It honestly hadn’t been that long since he’d slept with another man! Haven didn’t understand why he kept having these feelings around two men, especially two men who were in a relationship with each other. It was beyond wrong to interfere, so Haven told his body to shut up and pay attention to more than the heavy tingling warmth of Zephyr’s arm over his shoulder.

The hissing actually contained words, Haven realized once his brain had checked back in.

“The bird man will find your dead body and will cry,” the snake hissed with what sounded like gleeful laughter. “Once he is sad, we’ll kill him too. Then we’ll eat all your flesh.”

“He’s a lot bigger than the other snakes I’ve seen,” Haven murmured, unable to listen to the hissing diatribe any longer.

Zephyr snickered. “The bigger ones are more venomous, but I think it affects their brain detrimentally. How about we find out for certain?” His skin started buzzing where it touched Haven’s bare skin. A bolt of lightning seared across the room, hurting Haven’s eyes. The responding crack of thunder shook the house. Haven felt Zephyr’s weight increase where he was leaning on Haven. It took a few more seconds before the spots faded from his eyes and he could see again.

The snake was nothing but smelly char, smoking on the basement floor.

“Always aim for the seventh spot from the head,” Zephyr mumbled. A second crack of thunder resounded from upstairs. “That idiot,” he added fondly.

Haven’s knees were wobbly, but for the very first time in his life since the accident, they weren’t wobbly because of the lightning. He hadn’t even flinched when Zephyr killed the snake. It sounded like a minor thunderstorm was ravaging the upstairs, but he still turned toward the staircase. He wasn’t afraid of thunder and lightning any longer.

It could be because all of the lightning he had seen in the last day was used to protect people. Haven hadn’t been harmed; even when Dae lost his temper, it wasn’t the lightning that caused Haven to faint. Dae and Zephyr themselves were probably the other reason Haven was no longer afraid. When the lightning came from two handsome men that Haven had formed an instant crush on, it was difficult to be scared.

The venom in Haven’s system was beginning to fade, so he felt confident on the stairs. He half carried Zephyr, who, despite still being conscious, was having difficulty moving his feet. It was slow going. Haven would walk up one stair, then pause to heft Zephyr up too. When they finally reached the landing, Haven was exhausted and Zephyr was shaking. Haven guided them into the nearby kitchen where Zephyr thankfully sank into one of the chairs. It was still thundering down the hall, closer to the bedroom, so Dae was still busy. Zephyr kept looking in that direction worriedly, but he didn’t have the strength to go help. He would probably end up getting in the way instead. They really should leave the house entirely, but Zephyr needed the break and they had to meet up with Dae.

Haven filled a glass of water at the sink and brought it over to Zephyr. “I’m going to find Dae, if you think you’ll be all right for a few minutes on your own.”

Zephyr’s grin was weak, but still devastating. He held up one hand and let a little spark travel between his fingers. “I probably can’t take another big one, but if any of the little ones try to ambush me again, I’ll be ready.”

Haven nodded. “I’ll be quick.”

Kitchen knives were a terrible weapon to use against an enemy. Without a cross guard, Haven was as likely to slice open his own fingers as stab a snake. He took the largest knife off the butcher block anyway and peeked around the corner into the hall. It sounded like Dae was in the bedroom fighting off a large number of the snakes, judging by the different-sounding hissing noises and the sheer amount of thunder still echoing through the house. The hallway was empty, so he crept from the kitchen. The carpet underfoot smelled slightly burnt, and the hairs on his arms and head were standing up from the ozone-scented charge that fought for dominance around him.

The house wasn’t large, so it only took a few anxious moments for Haven to reach the bedroom area where he found Dae. He had probably stormed there after stomping into the house, blindly looking for Haven, and been cornered just like Haven had. The doorway was open, so Haven boldly stepped into his room.

There were two larger snakes, their humanlike features set in snarls as they tried to advance on Dae. At least half a dozen smaller snakes of various colors and shapes, some with wings and some with fangs, all with pointed horns on their heads, were also trying to break through Dae’s defenses. Dae himself was leaning against Haven’s dresser, wheezing for breath. One of the smaller snakes lunged, and Dae zapped it with a bolt of lightning that flashed so quickly only the afterimage and the roll of thunder let Haven know what he had just seen.

“Hey, snake-monster thing!” Haven yelled. He didn’t know what he was doing or why. Well, he knew why. He had to save Dae. He never wanted to see Zephyr’s smile dim or Dae’s scowl fade. Haven might not be able to have either of them for himself, but at least he could ensure they had each other. The what portion of his actions had his brain asking if he was being crazy.

Both of the big snakes hissed and turned in his direction. They glanced at each other, appearing to converse for a long moment while Dae zapped two more small critters, before one of the big ones advanced in Haven’s direction.

“You’re ugly, you know that?” Haven gasped out, backing away into the hallway. The gemstone embedded in the snake’s forehead glittered, but Haven resolutely kept his eyes trained on the snake’s nose. “And you’re not welcome in my house!”

There were spots on the snake’s bald head, just as Zephyr had said. He counted for the seventh one as the snake slithered into the hallway and hissed at Haven. Its fangs were long, dripping venom and menacing. Haven would have looked away if it hadn’t meant taking his eyes off that one damned spot.

As if sensing Haven’s fear, the creature took its time sliding closer across the abused carpet. Haven let himself shiver in response. It wasn’t feigned—he was panting for breath and the knife was shaking in his hand—but it galvanized the creature into laughing cruelly.

“Watch as the bird dies first,” it hissed, turning its body sideways so Haven could see the other snake also advancing on Dae. It took its attention from Haven for one crucial moment to admire Dae’s impending death. Haven tried to steady his hand. He wanted to take a deep breath, but there wasn’t time before the snake’s attention would return. The knife wavered in the air as his arm shot outward. It wasn’t a direct hit; the blade sank into the creature’s leathery skin, cutting deep into the seventh spot just to the left of center. The snake gave a choked gasping groan full of pain and the burble of death—Haven didn’t think he would ever forget that sound—and then collapsed to the ground.

A great crack of light and thunder shook the house, and the smell of charred meat filled the air. Haven forced his fingers to let go of the embedded knife, leaving it inside the body of the dead snake. Dae was sitting on the ground, holding one hand to a bloody nose. Haven couldn’t see any more snakes, but there were a bunch more burnt patches in his carpet. It would all have to be ripped out and replaced, he thought distantly. Haven was still shaking, but not from fear. He felt cold and shivery as if his body wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Dae’s eyes were sunken and tired and blood was still dripping from his nose, but he was alive.

“Zephyr’s in the kitchen,” Haven explained, knowing that was the most important thing to say.

Dae’s eyes lightened immediately. He used the corner of Haven’s dresser to lever himself to his feet and then tottered toward the door unsteadily. Instead of passing by Haven and going to his partner, Dae looped his free arm through Haven’s and pulled Haven along with him. They walked around Haven’s dead snake, which Haven tried not to look at too closely, and back down the hallway.

“Zephyr?” Dae called, his voice muffled thanks to his fingers still pinching his nose shut.

“I’m here!” Zephyr called back.

They hurried into the kitchen. Dae let out a strangled noise of pain when he saw how beaten Zephyr looked. He hurried to Zephyr’s side. Haven let their clasped arms drop and headed to the counter where there were paper towels instead.

“You’re all out of lightning seeds, aren’t you,” Zephyr stated. One of his arms was around Dae’s waist as if he couldn’t be so close to his partner without touching him. Haven wordlessly held out the towels and tried to keep his envy at bay. Zephyr took the towels, but he also gripped Haven’s hand in his for a long moment before letting go so he could tend to Dae. Haven’s hand felt warm and tingly for a few long seconds afterward.

“I’m tapped dry,” Dae agreed. “Do you have anything left?”

“Just a spark,” Zephyr groaned. “We should get moving before any more damned snakes try their luck.”

“Dae Wind Rider? Zephyr Storm Fighter?” There was a woman yelling outside. Dae looked up, his bloody nose apparently contained.

“That’s Tempest Storm Fighter,” Dae exclaimed. “What is she doing here?”

“Elder Storm Fighter probably sent her after us,” Zephyr replied. “Let’s go meet up with her.”

It took some doing to get Zephyr back to his feet. They both had to cling to Haven’s shoulders for balance, and Haven had to cling back as they left the kitchen and Haven’s house behind. Tempest was standing in the middle of the street, repeating the two names over and over again. None of Haven’s neighbors, quite a few of whom were outside in their yards, had taken any notice of her. Since there weren’t any police officers or people looking concerned in the direction of Haven’s house, he guessed there had been more than storm magic at play during the fighting.

“Here, Tempest!” Zephyr called.

She hurried to their side and reached them at the same time as a second Thunderbird landed next to them.

“Rescue mission successful, I see,” she said happily. “We were following the thunder, but it stopped before we could pinpoint the house. Glad to see you’re all right. We’ve got a hammock to take you all back to the nest if you haven’t got the strength to fly the distance.”

“Thank you, Tempest,” Zephyr interjected quickly before she could continue speaking. “We would appreciate the ride.”

Tempest threw her cloak on and assumed her bird shape. Her partner was carrying what looked like the rope and knots of a collapsed hammock. Together they straightened out the rope until a rough hammock appeared. They each took one end, pulling it taut so Zephyr could gratefully drop into it. Dae followed, leaning against Zephyr as soon as he was situated.

Haven hesitated to follow. He was a human, and even with a partially destroyed house, this was where he belonged. Aira should be raised by her own people, not a human she had no doubt accidentally chosen, and Dae and Zephyr should return to their own nest together.

“Come on,” Dae called, his scowl firmly in place. Zephyr shot them both an automatic smile at Dae’s hard tone and then waved for Haven to join them. Haven couldn’t say no. He climbed into the hammock next to Zephyr.

Two pairs of wings cracked overhead as the hammock lifted into the air. Haven was thrown into Zephyr’s side. Zephyr gasped in pain, but before Haven could scramble away, Zephyr rearranged Haven’s body so he wasn’t leaning on sore ribs. Zephyr wrapped one arm over Haven’s shoulder and held him tight.

Haven held himself stiffly for the first few minutes, his neighborhood quickly vanishing below as they flew over the city. He didn’t want to hurt Zephyr again, and he didn’t want to read more into the situation than he ought. Zephyr was just being kind, Haven reminded himself even as he slowly relaxed into Zephyr’s gentle hold. The long and difficult day coupled with how comfortable Haven felt and the gentle rocking of the hammock soon sent Haven drifting off to sleep.

*

Haven was dreaming. He must be dreaming. It was the only scenario that explained why he was curled in bed with two other people. Zephyr was bandaged and bruised on Haven’s right side. One of his arms and part of his soft cloak were thrown across Haven’s chest. He was breathing deeply and evenly despite how much pain he must still be in. On Haven’s left was Dae. He also had his arm and part of his cloak thrown over Haven, arranged in such a way that his cloak didn’t overlap with Zephyr’s while their arms were still pressed together. It felt like Dae and Zephyr were trying to hold each other, but Haven was in the way. Yet, instead of moving him, they had embraced Haven willingly. That was why Haven knew he was dreaming. Why would Dae and Zephyr feel any need to include him when they already had each other?

Haven let his eyes slide shut again. He was selfish enough to enjoy the dream while it lasted, so he settled back into the bed and let the dream take him away.

When Haven woke again, his body felt heavy. It was the same feeling he got whenever he overslept. His brain felt sluggish and his limbs too weighty to move. It took a few minutes for his mind to start thinking properly and even longer before his arms and legs agreed to attempt sitting up. He was alone in the bed, and a pang of disappointment that his wonderful dream had ended lanced through him.

Two gigantic feathers fell off his chest and into his lap when he sat up. They were each the length of his forearm and as black as the feathers of every Thunderbird Haven had ever seen. They could have belonged to anyone, but as Haven ran his fingers gently over the soft plumes, he knew which one belonged to Zephyr and which one belonged to Dae. He held the one that felt aggressive, as if it were just waiting for a moment to zap him with its pent-up electricity in his left hand. That was Dae’s feather. The other felt much more mellow, almost like it could fly out of his hand and start laughing just like Zephyr. Haven didn’t know why he had the feathers, but he stroked their plumes for a long moment before deciding it was time to get up and find out whether he was going home or not.

He held the feathers in one hand as he climbed out of bed. Someone had removed his jeans and put him into a pair of loose black sleeping pants, he noticed, as he pulled the blankets off and swung his legs off the bed. He was in a darkened room. There were heavy curtains hanging over a doorway, which blocked most of the light. Haven headed for the door and pulled the curtain aside. He was blinded momentarily by sunlight, forcing him to blink to clear his eyes as he stepped into an outer room.

There were three people sitting on two wide couches, talking softly among themselves. Mona was sitting alone. She looked up first and smiled widely at him.

“You’re awake,” Mona said happily.

The other two people jumped to their feet immediately, turning around to look at him. Zephyr’s cloak was still a little ragged-looking, his face was still swollen and bruised, and he had bandages visible underneath his shirt. Dae looked fine despite having black circles under his eyes. He was holding Aira tucked into one elbow. She was sleeping with her cloak twisted around her, one foot scaled and clawed while the other was still human. She cracked one eye open at the sudden movement, caught sight of Haven, and let out an excited chirp.

Dae hurried forward at Aira’s insistence, and Haven found his arms automatically extending before conscious thought could take over. Aira shifted around a few times in his arms, cheeping contentedly. She was still warm to the touch in a slightly frizzy way, as if the hair on Haven’s arms was standing up wherever he was touching her. She continued to peep and burble, her wide brown eyes looking around and missing nothing.

“We think it’s because you protected her so fiercely in the egg that she’s chosen you,” Dae said softly. He was still standing just in front of Haven where he had come close to pass Aira over. Haven looked up and was caught in the intensity in Dae’s eyes. His usual scowl was gone, but the blank face and burning eyes that replaced it was just as ambiguous.

“We’ve chosen you for a different reason,” Zephyr added as he walked up to stand next to Dae. He still had a small smile on his face, but his eyes were just as intense. “You’ve shown us the strength in your heart, which has called to the lightning in ours. We want to offer you our flight feathers.”

Haven looked down at the two feathers he still held in the hand that wasn’t keeping Aira secured to his side. They were giving him their flight feathers? What did that even mean? They could simply be expressing their admiration for how Haven had helped rescue Aira and save Zephyr. Haven’s libido wanted something a little more personal than that, and it soared in want as he looked up from the feathers to the two men still earnestly looking at him.

Before he could give an answer, Haven had to be sure what they wanted from him. “What does that mean?” he asked, his voice soft with a hopeful note to it that he couldn’t suppress. Dae scowled, but Haven thought it was just reflexive.

Zephyr smiled sheepishly. “I had forgotten that you wouldn’t understand what we were asking. I believe for humans it is customary for the one asking to present a ring? For Thunderbirds we exchange flight feathers.”

“But you already have each other!” Haven gasped, looking between them wildly while hoping this wasn’t a cruel joke or a misunderstanding.

“One, two, or even three. The lightning doesn’t care how often it strikes as long as it strikes true,” Dae insisted. “We have each other, but that never meant we wouldn’t eventually find you too.”

“But why me?” Haven gasped. He was just a human. Dae and Zephyr were glorious Thunderbirds. What did he have to offer them?

Zephyr laughed. “Because you’re beautiful,” he insisted. He gently reached out to run his fingers through Haven’s sleep-tangled hair, tugging playfully on the strip of white. “Because you make Dae smile in happiness and me frown in thought. Because from the moment we met you, our lightning insisted we were connected.” He let the palm of his hand rest against Haven’s cheek. Haven felt the same buzzing under his skin that he always felt whenever Dae or Zephyr touched him.

Mona reached past Zephyr and softly placed her hand on Haven’s arm for a brief second before gathering Aira and stepping away. Haven felt nothing from her touch. Her skin was soft and warm, but he didn’t feel any of the buzzing or lightning he expected from a Thunderbird’s skin. Mona left the room before Haven could ask for clarification. Dae stepped into the empty space at Haven’s side now that Aira was gone and placed one hand on Haven’s arm. His skin buzzed again, only double because they were both touching him.

“Just give us a chance to prove to you what our lightning has already proven to us,” Zephyr insisted, his voice soft, but his eyes still burning.

There really wasn’t a way for Haven to say no. Dae and Zephyr were everything he had ever wanted. He was tired of curling up alone with only loud music to drown out his fears. He wanted them both, and it appeared they wanted him back. “Okay,” he whispered and let himself be drawn back through the heavy curtain that led to the bedroom.

Haven had a feeling as he looked at their strong backs and cloaks of feathers as Dae and Zephyr pulled him toward the bed that he would never be alone again. This was everything Haven had ever wanted, and he couldn’t help smiling happily as they fell into the soft bed together.