elyssa tapped her chin. "i wonder if they can handle formula or regular milk."

slitheren didn't offer an opinion.

"we will have to experiment," cinder said.

"maybe meghan can help," i offered. "she's a healer after all."

"good idea," elyssa said. "let's ask her."

i called meghan and reached her on the second ring. i told her our idea.

"how interesting," she said. "i'd be delighted to help."

i didn't bother to ask the details because i wasn't ready to play doting parent just yet. we walked to the nursery. i could tell the babies weren't having a good time of things with their constant wailing. some of them looked pale and gaunt. i figured their hardy angel physiology, as meghan had put it, might be the only thing keeping them from starving to death.

meghan showed up an hour later, adam in tow, with a flying carpet laden with supplies.

"i'll test different forms of milk," she said. "i asked nightliss her opinion, and she said angels eat food much the same way humans do, though the memory of her home is still fuzzy."

i told meghan about the trench. "i wonder if nightliss can come down here with the cherubs out of the way."

"speaking of which," elyssa said, "aren't these babies more like real cherubs than the husks?"

i shrugged. "it'd be confusing to change things up and start referring to them as cherubs. maybe we can come up with a better name."

"cupids?" meghan asked.

"i love it," elyssa said, eyes soft as she regarded the starving little seraphim. "itsy bitsy little cupids."

adam and i looked at each other and rolled our eyes.

meghan produced some bottles, filling some of them from cans of infant formula and others with what she said was goat milk. "my childhood friend, netta, was allergic to everything but goat milk," meghan said. "hopefully the cupids will find it palatable." she handed cinder a bottle. "you know how to feed a baby?"

cinder regarded the rubber nipple for a moment. "from the informational films harry watches, i have seen how men enjoy-"

"enough!" meghan said, alarm in her eyes. "just put the nipple in the baby's mouth, okay?"

"of course," he replied, head tilted with curiosity while adam and i giggled like school girls.

"educational films," adam said with a snort.

cinder gingerly picked up a baby from the floor, and cradled it in his arms. he offered it the nipple and the infant sucked greedily. meghan did likewise with one of the other babies. after the bottles were empty, she waited a couple of minutes, observing the two infants who now cooed happily.

"it looks like either formula or milk works," she said. "we'll have to keep an eye out for diarrhea or vomiting, to be sure."

"can't wait," i said, wondering if she'd brought nose plugs and a plastic coverall for protection.

she handed bottles to each of us. "let's feed them."

i walked up to one particularly gaunt little baby, and picked it up. it stank to high heaven. i wondered if it had been peeing or pooping itself despite the lack of food. my supernatural sense of smell certainly didn't help matters, bringing forth the odor in all its glory. nose plugs, please! the baby sucked the bottle dry in seconds.

"should i give it another?" i asked.

"give it a minute to digest," meghan said. "in the meantime, you and adam can unpack the cribs and baths."

adam indicated several tightly packed bundles. he set one down, and untied the bow on top. the bundle sprang open, forming a hammock lined with soft fur and glinting like diamond fiber. we did the same with the other bundles, lining them in two rows while meghan and elyssa fed the other babies.

"coochie-coo," elyssa said as one baby smiled up at her, its little tummy round and full. "you are just adorable."

"i'll need water," meghan said to slitheren.

the dragon slithered away about a hundred feet and abruptly dove straight down, burrowing into the obsidian slab as if it were butter. a moment later, he returned to the surface, his body writhing through the stone, leaving a shallow channel behind. once close to the cupids, he spun in a circle, carving out a bowl. he resumed his handiwork, creating another aqueduct on the opposite side before burrowing straight down. water gurgled from the new hole he'd made, trickled into the channel, and pooled in the bowl, filling it and flowing into the other shallow canal where it drained down the first hole.

"have you ever considered a career in construction?" i asked the dragon.

slitheren tilted his head and blinked at me.

"wonderful," meghan said. "i won't even need to use the portable bathtubs i brought." she took the baby in her arms and lowered it into the water. "oh, it's warm," she said, smiling at slitheren. "thank you."

the leyworm almost seemed to smile back, his tongue snaking in and out a bit faster than usual.

adam and i watched as the women bathed each infant in turn while the little buggers cooed happily. elyssa set the clean cupids in the cribs until all thirteen were processed. the giant purple leyworm hawked up another sparkling new cupid as we looked at the nursery. cinder picked it up by the feet, and gave it a gentle spank on its bare bottom. the baby burst into tears.

"coochie-coo," he said in his monotone voice, and held a bottle to the newborn's mouth.

adam and i snickered.

"how interesting," cinder said, watching the little life form drain the bottle. "watching them feed has an almost soothing side effect."

adam barked a laugh, which he quickly covered with his hand, while elyssa and meghan looked on in surprise.

"can you remain and be responsible for feeding them?" meghan asked. "i would stay, but have other pressing matters to attend."

"yes," cinder said. "it will be interesting to learn how one should interact with babies."

"heaven help us," elyssa said.

"did you find out anything about the arches in the control room?" i asked cinder. "like maybe how to work the alabaster arch?"

"unfortunately, i was unable to determine how to safely reactivate the alabaster arch," he said. "some of the other arches seem to work, though i lacked the resources to test them."

i didn't really see a need to spend time testing the mini-arches just yet, so long as the omniarch at the mansion worked. it might be handy having an extra omniarch here in el dorado in case someone became stranded, but with the other problems heaped on our plates, i wasn't sure when we'd have a chance to mess with them. i told cinder goodbye, and we left.

"thanks for the help, slitheren," i told my new dragon buddy as we walked back to the control room.

he looked at me for a long moment, almost as if he wanted to say something, nodded, and slithered back into the cavern.

"i wish he could talk," i said, wondering what was going on in that reptilian brain of his. i cast a glance at meghan. "know of any good animal speech spells?"

she smiled. "novelty spells, perhaps, but nothing that truly translates."

"give cinder enough time and he'll have them all talking," adam said with a snort.

"i hate to admit it, but he kind of rubs off on you," elyssa said. "don't get me wrong, he's still a creepy golem, but he seems to have a heart."

"our very own tin man," adam said.

as we walked to the open portal leading back to the mansion cellar, i gave the alabaster arch a wistful look. the arch operator in queens gate had mentioned tracing a pattern on the modulus to unlock it. without specifics, it might be impossible to guess, and i didn't dare go back with kassus or his people waiting. we stepped through the portal, back into the mansion cellar. i deactivated the omniarch, and we headed upstairs.

"i guess i should call lornicus and tell him we accept his help," i told elyssa.

she nodded. "waiting won't help, especially if the brb is hunting us."

i shuddered. this was not a good situation. cutsauce greeted us with a happy bark as we appeared at the top of the stairs. i scratched behind his ears and idly thought of yolo, wondering if the shaggy beast was lonely or best buds with the leyworms. maybe he and cutsauce could be best buds.

"i could ask for help from vallaena," i said. "surrounding this place with hellhounds might be super effective."

"the university won't allow it," meghan said. "plus, hellhounds would be very conspicuous."

i hated to admit she was right. on the other hand, i could summon hellhounds if the going got rough. i'd have to do it well in advance since it took me a while to find a suitable spirit on the demon plane and manifest it on this side.

it looked like lornicus was our best bet. i called him.

"have you reached a decision, mr. slade?" he asked.

"we'll partner with you," i said. "but the minute i get wind of treachery, we're out."

"quite reasonable," he said. "have you anything else to report on the infants?"

i fought back the urge to lie and told him about the day's activities.

"i wondered if they require food," he said. "it greatly concerned me."

"really? then why didn't you mention it before?" i said. "don't blow smoke up my butt, lornicus. the only reason you care about the babies is so you can use them."

"regardless of my reasoning, mr. slade, i do have concern for the welfare of the infants."

i'm sure you do. "fine. you have your information. do you have anything for me?"

"indeed," he said. "i discovered something rather troubling for you."

my stomach clenched. "and that is?"

"during your encounter with the brotherhood, you struck one of the attackers."

i decided not to tell him it had been an accidental discharge. "yes."

"he's dead."