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He didn’t have any service bars, but there was a flashlight. That was something.

All right.

Uncle?

Coming, dear ones.

You can hear us?He felt the relieved sobs in his soul.

Of course he could hear them. He knew he would find them. He would get them out because that was his job. He rescued people.

I can totally hear you, lovelies. I’m coming.Wherever they were, they had to be in the dragonlands, because they couldn’t come into the house. They couldn’t come through the veil.

So somewhere down here there was another opening. Something he would have to keep an eye on and be aware of.

Uncle, Uncle, can you still hear us?

Was that in his mind or was that in his ears?Call again,he thought.But this time I need you to do it with your voices. Use your voices, dragons.

“UNCLE!”

Whoa.

He did hear it. He absolutely heard them with his ears.

“I can hear you. You’re going to be fine. Stay where you are. I’m coming.”

Cosmo kept stumbling forward, hands held out in front of him because there wasn’t a lot of light, even with his phone aglow.

This place didn’t feel dragon made, though. It felt as if the ground was bumpy and rough, and he could hear the pebbles and gravel moving as he walked.

Can you two make light? Will you make light for me? Can you remember how to do that? Can you make light together?He felt their nervousness, their worry, so he kept encouraging.Make a little light. I know it’s hard.

They weren’t like other dragons, those two, but they had a spark.

Can you make the little soft light so I can find you?

He didn’t want to trip, so he moved slowly, stepping carefully. He didn’t want to hurt the baby, he didn’t want to hurt himself, and he didn’t want to go into labor. But this would be a terribly awkward place to have a baby, and it was a bit too early.

He saw a dim light coming from what seemed like forever away.Is that the two of you? Can you see my light?

Yes, Uncle. We can feel you. We can see you coming.

He should have brought a big flashlight and a rope and possibly a first aid kit, but visions were horrible that way. They never let you plan ahead with supplies like that.

At least when they’d worked with Gavin, he’d had a utility belt.

“Uncle! You’re close. Come this way!” There was another sparkle, this one not a vision. No, this was the twins, their little light sputtering like fireworks. Or like very nervy fireflies.

“I see you. I see you. Can you see me?” He waved his phone.

There was a long tunnel. It seemed relatively narrow, heading straight for the kids.

He went right to them and held his arms open. They wrapped around him, shivering violently, their tails twining together and curling around his legs like they were boa constrictors.

“I’m not leaving. It’s going to be okay. Everybody breathe.” He circled them in his arms and held them close, tickled that he had on his hoodie. They could snuggle in, share warmth. “You’re both so chilly. What on earth happened?”

It occurred to him, vaguely, that they weren’t officially on earth, not here…