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She did not hear what Equinox revealed to me in the dungeon, so she does not yet understand what we are up against. She thinks that the people on the plains are harmless, aside from the one with the crossbow, presumably, because they seem soft, foppish, directionless, because they were wandering in circles and occasionally attacking one another.

“They’re not just people, Melissa. They’regamers.”

Her eyes widen. “They are?”

“Yes. Equinox has set his army upon me. This is his revenge.”

“What a shit revenge.”

I chuckle in spite of the darkness of the situation. “Indeed.”

“Do you think there are any left?”

“I doubt it. They scattered, but they had a long way to run and my dragons are not merciful. We cannot tolerate loose humans, especially not those who came with the sole intention of attacking us.”

“Please. They’re just idiots. They’re gamers. They don’t know any better. One time they all got riled up to attack a military base because they thought aliens were inside. They didn’t come with proper weapons. They didn’t come here with any kinda armor. They were in cosplay and t-shirts.”

“Maybe, but a stray bolt has cost one of us his life. I’m sorry. No mercy will be shown. They do not deserve it. And pawns are always sacrificed.”

Her lower lip trembles and her eyes mist with emotion, but she does not argue. What is there to argue about? The humans were given a chance to unmake their mistakes and they chose to double down on them.

“I’m sorry, Melissa. I’m sorry you saw what you saw. These things change us. But we cannot allow invasions. Now I will have to send a team to the human world to completely eradicate every bit of technology Nox ever set up. The game will be removed. The buildings will be brought down.”

“Is that going to be enough?”

“I don’t know. He has made it clear that humans now have access to technology that can penetrate our realm.”

“So you’ve got to find out how they’re doing it and stop that too. Knocking down buildings won’t make a difference. It will make a mess.”

She’s right. My young human mate is quite wise at times.

“I can help,” Melissa says.

“How?”

“Well, for one, I’m a hot girl who knows other hot girls.”

“I fail to see how that helps.”

“And that is why you’re losing,” she says.

I raise a brow at her. “Melissa, tell me what you are thinking before I whip it out of you.”

“He’s not doing this secretly. Maybe it’s secret to you, but it’s not secret to the people who are doing the work. Tech bros love hot girls. Tempest and I could throw a party with everybody who has the capability or likelihood of being involved. We could lure them in, try to get some intel.”

“You want me to send you to the human realm to dress in scanty clothing and talk to men?”

“Okay, when you put it like that, it sounds bad. But you don’t know what’s going on.”

“I have my own connections.”

“And they’re not working. Please, Ornix. We have to try.”

CHAPTER 17

Melissa

Bass makes the foundations shake, and I am arm in arm with Tempest. It is so good to see her again. I had almost forgotten the feeling of being with a friend. This used to be the entirety of my life, and in all the excitement and oddness of it all, I let it go.