Chapter 1

Argenis spotted her. An attractive woman about forty-five standing in the crowd at the square. There was something more than just concern about what had stopped all the technology—more than a concern about dragons.

After the mayor had dispersed the group into useful categories, he'd watched that woman and followed. When she stopped to talk to Aurora about a missing person, Argenis had acted.

"I will handle this one," he told Aurora firmly, and took the paper gently from her hand.

He saw Aurora look at Drake. He met the gold dragon's eyes solidly. As he suspected, Drake understood. Aurora's mate nodded, and she relaxed.

"Of course. Here's her mother. Would you like to ask her any questions?" Aurora asked, gesturing at the woman in front of her.

"Yes," Argenis confirmed succinctly and walked a short distance away.

"Follow him," Aurora suggested, pointing at the silver dragon.

He kept his face expressionless as the woman leaned in to whisper, "Is it safe? He won't eat me, will he?"

Argenis could see the amusement that flashed across Aurora's lovely face before she relieved the woman's doubts. "You're perfectly safe. Tell him everything you can to help him find your daughter."

"Thank you, miss." The woman hesitated and then asked, "Are you happy? You know, being with a dragon?"

"More than I ever thought was possible," Aurora assured her. "Go talk to him."

"Shouldn't I stay with the others who are worried about someone outside of Wyvern?" she asked, wavering between nervousness in talking to a dragon and worrying about missing out on having help with her daughter.

"The missing Wyvern reports filed with that group over there will be prioritized, and dragons will be asked to investigate those deemed most urgent. If you wish to be somewhere in line for help, that's where you should be. If you wish to have a dragon's help, here and now…" Argenis let his voice drift away as she digested his message.

"Oh, please. I would love to have your help immediately. I meant no disrespect," she said hastily before adding, "It's my daughter Ciel."

She searched in her pocket and withdrew a photo. "I searched for a picture to bring. We've kept so many on our phones in the last few years. The most recent printed one I could find is this one—from her high school graduation. She's a couple of years older now."

She handed Argenis a high school graduation picture of a young woman leaning against the dragon statue just across the square. He swallowed hard, controlling his visible reaction.

"Ciel is a very sweet person. She'll know that I'm worrying and will try to get home. With no transportation, I'm worried someone will take advantage of her…. Maybe hurt her."

"Where was she when you talked to her last?" Argenis forced himself to focus.

"She was in her dorm room, cramming for her last final. Ciel told me she was packed and would call me from the train station when she got there. I don't suppose the trains are still running. They don't use technology, do they?"

Argenis didn't even acknowledge that question. Everything used technology now. It made life easier for everyone. "What university?"

"Oh. Sorry. She's at the state university in the capital."

"Got it. You think she'd head to the train station first?" Argenis asked.

"Yes. Then she'd start walking. I don't even know if she has the roads memorized. We drove her back and forth a few times, but she was always on her phone," Maureen admitted.

He could hear her feelings of helplessness in her tone. "Thank you. I will do my best to locate her and bring her back. Tell me something that only you would know. That way, she'll know she can trust me."

"Her childhood toy was a stuffed dragon. She still sleeps with it. Ciel wouldn't leave the store until I bought it. She never acted like that. I tried to get her to like the bronze colored one because I was worried the silver would get dirty."

The dragon inside Argenis roared his disapproval. He did not like the thought of Ciel with a different colored stuffie. Argenis retained control with an ironclad force. "Little girls know what they need sometimes."

"She took such good care of Silly. He was in the bathtub with her frequently."

Argenis felt his dragon nod with satisfaction. He thoroughly approved of this. "Silly was the toy's name?"

"Yes. Short for silver. She still talks to him as if he were a real dragon. I warned her about taking a child's stuffed animal to college. I didn't want people to get the wrong idea."

His temper flared, as well as his nostrils. How could this woman not know enough about her child? He reminded himself that she was there and worried. She hadn't just sat at home, sending random thoughts out into the universe. She'd pushed herself to come to the meeting. His dragon huffed and settled down.

Memorizing the photograph, Argenis handed it back to Ciel's mother. "I will bring her home."

"You can keep that. I have more. And thank you."

Stalking away without another word, Argenis folded the paper and placed it and the photo carefully in his pocket. He sent the dragons a mental blast.

I am off to hunt down a Wyvern citizen.

Their communication over the years had dwindled. Those dusty connections had revitalized over the last few days.

What made you choose this one?

The angry tone of the black dragon echoed in his mind. Argenis shook his head. The solitude caused by surviving without a mate had changed Keres. He tempered his retort to not respond with the same emotion. He did not want Ciel's existence to be tainted by negativity.

This one is my mate.

Silence followed for several heartbeats as Argenis strode to a wide section of the town that would allow him to release his dragon. He did not add his apologies to Keres for having found his mate first. That wasn't how it worked.

My congratulations.

The weary response made Argenis incline his head down slightly. He, like the others, grieved for Keres's loss. Someday.

"My congratulations as well," Khadar, the emerald dragon, chimed in and the others echoed his good wishes.

I will return with her as quickly as possible. Call me in an emergency. I will respond if it doesn't put my mate in danger.

With the message sent, Argenis allowed the change to flow over him. The feeling of power and heightened senses never failed to flood his mind and form with energy. Now with an urgent mission, he felt back in his element.

Argenis roared a warning for villagers too close to get away and waited for several seconds. Powering upward with his muscular hind legs, Argenis took to the sky. He heard the shouts of the village kids in awe of his dragon form. The toy shop off the square had sold out of the dragons they had in stock when the demand skyrocketed.

"Being a dragon is cool again," he thought and allowed himself to dive toward the building tops to thrill his onlookers.

Focusing on the woman who awaited him, Argenis set a path for the capital. He was concerned by the chaos on the ground below him now more than ever. It had not taken everyone long to figure out that the technology grid wasn't just down. It was obliterated. Compounding the confusion and violent feedback with no instant communication systems, people felt abandoned and desperate.

Rioting and lawlessness were growing. People had begun to stockpile essentials and defensive materials. His dragon vision was extremely fine-tuned and didn't require him to fly close to see the actions on land. Grateful that his mate was close, Argenis sped up his pace. The faster he found her, the better.