When we first brought Echovern home from the Echo River, I never imagined our sanctuary would end up filled with tiny hatchlings running across the floors and mimicking everyone they heard. For weeks the underground base echoed with squeaky croaks, splashing water, and Aura Beak getting bullied by babies half his size.

But today was adoption day.

Since we’ve been hiding from the Council of Elders, we couldn’t use the Cross Sigils Outpost anymore. That place has been abandoned for a long while now, and honestly… returning there would’ve been too dangerous for everyone involved. So instead, we opened the hidden sanctuary itself to trusted caretakers from across Nibiru.

I was nervous at first.

The sanctuary is our home.

Our safe place.

Letting strangers inside while the Council hunts us felt risky, but the moment  ...