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Agrel’s laughter filled the air as he launched them upward with Gehj following close behind, their wings carrying them higher and higher until all the mountains unfolded before them. Delilah’s heart found its wings in that moment, her wonder and love carrying her as they flew over the expanse of rising peaks to a verdant, flowering valley that she would live in happily with her mate and evermore call her home.

Epilogue

SIX YEARS LATER

It took a month for them to build their nest in the first of the structures that would eventually become the rookery overlooking the valley. It was only when the nest was complete and Lily and Delilah were safe and comfortable that Agrel finally prepared to depart to find the other members of his clan, and then another month that he was gone searching for them. Delilah had waited anxiously for his return, only to awaken one morning to be greeted by the sight of hundreds of flaming wings rising above the horizon. Many of them held enormous litters suspended between them carrying supplies, while others carried wingless golden females in their powerful arms. It was a sight that she still remembered clearly years later, as if it had just happened the previous day.

Afterwards, construction went quickly as the rookery rose up like a brilliant sentinel of white stone on the slope and life settled in a pattern of normality in which, while her males had brief periods of responsibility outside of the home, the entire Atlavan lifestyle was geared toward families. The vast bridgesthat connected the massively built districts of nests and clan commerce also became places where the Atlavans gathered during many evenings, eating, singing, and playing together as the bright moon rose above them. No one ever turned her or Lily away for being human. Rather, they embraced them, drawing them into their beautiful culture as if they were Atlavan females themselves.

They embraced Zemb, as well, until the male reached an age where he decided to go and explore, and to seek out his own territory and triad. And while that day had brought much sadness to their family, it had also been an occasion of great celebration among the Atlavan. They celebrated the male that he had become and would become. And life continued. They developed friendships, and as Lily began to grow into a beautiful young woman, the beginnings of romance were already beginning to bloom, much to the consternations of her fathers who bemoaned not having enough time with their nestling.

That, of course, just gave them excuses to secret their family away from the rest of the clan and the young ahaku males that flirted with their daughter. It was on these occasions that her mates flew them to the far edges of the mountains to the rolling sands of the desert, where oases offered private retreats for pleasure. And every summer, the entire clan met with other clans at the greatest oasis in the desert to pay homage to the sun and all its blessings. It was during the first gathering that she learned that the Atlavans considered the sun of their own homeworld their divine ancestor, and because gods were greater than mere mortals, they recognized the suns as carrying the same divine being, a goddess, Deji, shedding her light and graciousness upon the world in the arms of mates Goruny, the sky, and Fulor, the earth into whose arms she sank at night.

Delilah had no trouble honoring these gods in addition to the worship of the Mother that had risen among her own people.The spiritual world was vast as the cosmos that had brought so many species together so that she wasn’t even sure who exactly to thank, but was thankful nonetheless when she bore another daughter, Xava, that spring.

Petting the sleeping cat beside her, she smiled down at her nestling, the numerous necklaces covering her breasts rattling, and ran a finger of the soft tufts of downy feathers that would eventually become her crests. Like all Atlavan females, she was wingless but was powdered with feathery down in all the right places and even had a thicker concentration of it over her tail where her plumage would eventually grow. A pearl pink in color rather than the reds and golds that dominated the Atlavan complexion, she was a beautiful baby with the same bright blue eyes that Gehj possessed.

“She is truly such a well-behaved baby,” her friend Exilei murmured as she wiggled a claw at baby Xava. “It won’t be too many revolutions before Lily will find her ahaku and have her own courting flight. Then nestlings will certainly be overfilling your home,” she teased.

“Mating flight?” Delilah echoed in confusion.

Exilei looked up at her and grimaced. “Apologies, Delilah. I forgot that your mating was a bit untraditional. I did not mean to make a callous remark. It did not occur to me that you would not have had one or know what it is.”

Delilah shook her head. “No, it’s fine, but what is a courting flight?”

Her friend grinned slyly. “Ask your mates. It is never too late to enjoy a courting flight, and many females enjoy replaying their courting flight on the anniversary of their mating day. Many find their bellies filled with nestlings by the time the next season comes around because of it.” With that, she winked and stood. “Speaking of which, I must return to my own nest. I will take Xava, yes? Give you some time to greet your ahaku and havethat little discussion. Xava is nearly a revolution old, so you may be fortunate to fill your nest once more.”

“Fine, go on. I will have Gehj come for her in a while,” Delilah laughed and waved away her friend as the female bent to pick up the nestling.

“I will not expect him until the morning. Have fun,” she called over her shoulder as she carried Xava out of the nest.

Delilah shook her head in amusement but gave Nimh one last gentle pat before busying herself around the nest. She sang quietly to herself as she straightened things up and did the bit of cleaning that was more difficult to attend to when Xava was awake. Though her mates insisted that she leave the cleaning to them, she enjoyed keeping busy but was happy to leave the less pleasant tasks for them. All the while, she listened for their return as she cleaned, and when she heard the jingle of the numerous little bells that were tied over the doorway, she slipped out of the storage area that she’d been organizing to greet them.

Wings and arms folded around her in the same loving greeting that had never dimmed over the years. Agrel amorously brushed the hooked boney tip of his nose against her cheek, his hips pressing suggestively against her before glancing around as if only then aware of the fact that they were alone.

“Where are our nestlings?” he queried curiously.

“Lily is gathering fruit with Soruk and Teyg,” she replied, and his expression darkened.

“Those two again?” he muttered as he glared accusatively at Gehj. “I told you that we should have frightened them away the last time they came.”

Gehj trilled with amusement and shook his head. “Do not be ridiculous. They are a good ahaku, evenly balanced, and treat her well. We could not ask for better companions for her.”

“And she’s only sixteen,” Delilah reminded them. “We do not know which males she will end up with, if any of them. It isn’t going to happen anytime soon.”

Agrel grunted, but his expression lit up as his gaze searched for their youngest nestling. “And Xava? Is she resting?”

“No, she is with Exilei for the night.”

A look of concern came over her mate’s face. “Exilei? Is there something wrong?”

Delilah shook her head. The fact that her friend was a healer clearly sent her mate immediately down the wrong mental path.

“No, she offered to watch her so that I could talk to the both of you,” she explained.

“Oh?” Gehj peered at her curiously as he set down the bundle that he’d been carrying on a small table. “About what?”

“Courting flight,” she replied casually, and both of her mates froze, their eyes fastened unblinkingly on her.