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Story: Cosmo

Hawk had what he needed right here.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Cosmo wandered, reading a bit of a book here, eating an apple there. He was basically happy.

It was a beautiful day outside, both in the dragonlands and in the human world. On one side, it was snowing, and on one side, it was sunny.

The nursery was pretty much put together. Cullen had done an amazing job repainting the fairy tales on the cradle that had been Hawk’s.

Hawk was happy and attentive, the baby was rolling and kicking. He felt healthy and solid.

All in all, life was all right.

Cosmo headed through the common area. Everybody was busy, so the rooms here were empty. Cullen was helping Mom with some project, Corbin was sorting seeds. Hawk was pretending to read while he napped.

Cosmo peeked at the rising bread and nodded approvingly at the stew that was bubbling on the stove.

Everything was just fi?—

He stopped, swirls of diamonds seeming to sparkle around his eyes, blinding him, and he stumbled forward, grabbing hold of the pass-through so that he didn’t fall.

Uncle, Uncle, Uncle, Uncle, Uncle!The cry was wild and panicked, Katrina and Kynan truly scared and screaming for him.

Cosmo felt it everywhere, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, this terrified screaming of his name.

Uncle, Uncle, Uncle, Uncle, Uncle!

He looked around in his vision, trying to figure out where they were. It was dark, he could tell that, and it smelled—not of rot, but of earth and of dank.

And it was cold. How could it be cold? It was summer where they were.

Uncle, Uncle, Uncle, Uncle!

I’m coming, I’m coming, I’m coming. I’ll be right there.He wasn’t sure where right there was, but he had faith in his vision and in the twins. He always did.

Cosmo heard a door opening and closing. Then he felt stairs underneath his feet, and he wasn’t sure where he was going, but it didn’t matter because he could hear them screaming for him, and he just kept walking down.

Down into the basement and then down farther and out and?—

And suddenly it was dark, the vision was gone, and he didn’t know where he was.

Faboo.

Okay, Cosmo, you can do this. He might not know where he was any more than the twins did, but he was a professional, and he knew what to do.

First, contact your team.

Brothers! The twins are lost. I’m underground. It’s dark.

He wasn’t sure whether they heard him, but all he could do was follow the plan.

He did love a plan.

He checked his pockets—a handful of hard candies, an apple, and a little pocketknife in one, plus a little notebook and a pen in his cargo pocket, and his phone.

All right.