Redtail Rise We are close to war.

They smirked a little at his, “Oh.” It was sort of fun, teasing him like this and getting a reaction.

Not me, they reminded him, gesturing toward the tree line where Avicus had vanished, my mother.

They set their foot back on the ground and straightened, beholding the Blod for a moment. It was true, what they’d said: anything could happen over the next few months. Avicus could step up again and take her pick between Reki and Riley, or even mate with both.

You even look like one of the men she chose before, Masque posited. His name was Ashlar. He was our Haelend, our healer. He was very soft-spoken, not the sort of man you’d think she’d like. But they balanced one another…

Ashlar had disappeared shortly after Avicus. She’d been back a while now and he had yet to return. Masquerade wondered if he ever would. It would be quite theatrical if he magically reappeared come springtime.

Have you gotten to know her at all? Perhaps you two would make a good match, though as far as I know, she’s never formally taken a mate. You might have to share.

Perhaps they’d inherited their lack of romantic interest from Avicus, actually, although of course that didn’t explain the rest. They had no clue why the thought of reproduction repelled them so completely. And even though they had no interest in romantic or sexual trysts, it wasn’t as though Masque abhorred intimacy.

If anything, they craved that. They hummed thoughtfully under their breath as they realized just how much they enjoyed Riley’s company. Conversations like this one were so difficult to come by on the rise, much less ones with such intriguing breadth and depth. They only hoped that if Riley did pair up with Avicus, he and Masque could maintain this friendship they’d begun.