"What's wrong?" I asked.

She frowned. "I wanted to talk to you about something . . . before we do it. This may not be the best time, but somehow I don't think we're going to get a lot of best times best times from now on. I'm not asking permission, our minds are made up, but I need to tell you and Menolly's going to be p.i.s.sed when she finds out." from now on. I'm not asking permission, our minds are made up, but I need to tell you and Menolly's going to be p.i.s.sed when she finds out."

"What did you do now?" I turned to her, studying her face. There was a faint look of guilt in those emerald eyes, but more than guilt-fear. "You're afraid of what I'm going to say. Tell me. It can't be that bad."

"Chase and I've come to a decision. I stole a bottle of the nectar of life during the Litha festival that Aeval, t.i.tania, and Morgaine held. Chase is going to drink it. So we can be together for a long time." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "We're planning on him doing it during the equinox."

No. No, no, no. This was so so wrong. "Kitten, listen to me. You can't just let him guzzle it down. There are rituals that need to be performed when an FBH drinks the nectar of life. They wrong. "Kitten, listen to me. You can't just let him guzzle it down. There are rituals that need to be performed when an FBH drinks the nectar of life. They must must be prepared for the ramifications. You're risking his sanity if you do it any other way." be prepared for the ramifications. You're risking his sanity if you do it any other way."

"But what can we do? Who would perform the ritual? You know n.o.body back home would. Even Father-even though he loved Mother and offered her the same chance, he'd never go for it. I don't think he believes any men are good enough for us." She looked ready to cry. "I just want Chase to feel like he'll have the chance to be with me always."

"Babe, you listen to me. Promise me you won't do this-it's rash and dangerous. If you give me your word, I promise to find someone who can guide you through the ritual. It won't be by the equinox, but I will will help you. I just want both of you to come through this safe and sane." help you. I just want both of you to come through this safe and sane."

Actually, what I wanted was for them to forget about it. Chase didn't strike me as someone who could handle a thousand-year stint very well, but then, I could be wrong. I just knew that if they carried out their plans, our detective would go bye-bye, and in a very bad way.

She bit her lip, then finally nodded. "All right. But you promised to help me and I'm keeping you to it."

"Yeah, I know," I said, thinking about all the promises we'd made over the years, and how some of them were coming back to bite us in the b.u.t.t. And then there were the promises that had been made to us, the ones that threatened to shatter at our feet.

Smoky, for one. Smoky and Morio and I were soul bound, but would that promise-that oath and binding-carry through the will of his family? He was waiting for me to come home, but with what news? Would he stay? Or would his family force him to return to the fold? Would he rip apart the bond that tied our souls together?

And if he stayed, Smoky and Trillian would come face-to-face again. Only now Smoky had a claim over me Trillian didn't, and how would that shift the balance of power? Although I knew I should be thinking about our problems with the Bonecrusher, all I could think about as we climbed in the cars was the love that Smoky had offered me, and whether it would still be there when I got home.

CHAPTER 19.

The lights in the house were a welcome sight as we drove up through the ever-pounding rain. Parts of the path bordering the driveway were a mud bath, and I was grateful we'd thought to have the actual drive graveled. I stepped out of the car and looked at the house.

Morio rested a hand against my back and even Trillian seemed to sense my mood. He took my other hand.

"No matter what, Camille, you belong to me. No matter who else you're bound to, you and I will always be together," he whispered.

Morio heard. He gave Trillian a long look and said, "Me, too. You go in, we'll head out to the studio and hang out until you've had your talk." He motioned to Roz and Vanzir and the four of them headed off to the shed-turned-studio apartment that we'd had outfitted. Our little family had expanded by more than half and the added s.p.a.ce made a world of difference.

Iris, Bruce, and Delilah were still standing beside me.

"I'm going to scout the perimeter of the land," Delilah said.

"But the wards were shining strong when we came in," I said, then stopped. She was offering me privacy. "Thanks, hon."

Iris took Bruce's hand. "We'll go in the back way and have a snack, then put Maggie to bed. Smoky said he'd be in the parlor."

The parlor. Not our bedroom. That didn't bode well. I sucked in a deep breath and strode up the stairs, my footsteps firm, shoulders back. If it was bad news, I'd take it like a D'Artigo-I'd suck it up and deal with it the way I dealt with all the pain in my life. I'd push it out of the way and move on, because there weren't really any other options.

I slipped into the living room. The door to the parlor was ajar and I could smell him there. Smoky. He smelled like cedar and cinnamon and old library dust. My heart leaping into my chest, I slowly pushed the door open.

Smoky was standing there, waiting for me, his gaze fastened on the doorway. He stared at me for what seemed like a million years, then his lip curved in a triumphant smile and he opened his arms.

"Camille, my Camille. I'm back."

Not trusting what that meant, but praying it meant what I thought it did, I dropped everything and flew into his embrace. He swung me up and around, covering my face with kisses, his lips soft and pa.s.sionate. I grabbed him around the neck and held on, letting him spin me at a dizzying speed.

"I love you, I love you, and I'm home," he said. "My Camille, I told you nothing would part us."

"I love you, too, but can you please put me down?" As ecstatic as I was, my stomach was beginning to shift into queasy from the makeshift carousel ride.

He abruptly stopped and dropped into the loveseat, pulling me down on his lap. I cuddled against him, resting my head on his shoulder as he gently kissed the top of my head, my forehead, my nose.

"So you're staying? You aren't going back to the Northlands? You aren't going to marry Hotlips?" My voice broke over the last one and regardless of my decision to be calm and collected, I burst into tears.

"Sweet one, oh my lovely one." He cupped my chin in his hand and gazed into my eyes. "I've made you cry. I'm sorry." Wiping away my tears, his masks dropped and the millennia pa.s.sed through his eyes, this thousands-year-old beast I'd fallen in love with.

"No, I'm not leaving you. I told you I wouldn't. I'd part ways with my family if I had to. But Hotlips has been paid off. She's of no concern to us now. My mother wasn't terribly thrilled but she's . . . she's not my father." His voice dropped and I glanced up to see a cloud cross those glacial eyes.

"What happened?" I asked, pushing myself off his lap. "Are you okay? Did they kick you out?"

He shook his head. "No. No, as a matter of fact, the Dragon Council was so appreciative of the news about Shadow Wing that they gave us their blessing. Basically, they told Hotlips to take the money and shut up."

But there was something else. Something not so good. I could hear it in his voice and see it in the troubled expression playing across his face.

"You aren't telling me everything. I want you to be honest with me. No more surprises." My decisiveness returned after the little jaunt into maudlin-land and I sucked in a deep breath. "Smoky, I can't afford to be worrying about us us when I'm facing down demons and ghouls." when I'm facing down demons and ghouls."

He slowly nodded. "I see your point. And since you refuse to let me take you away from this war, then you're correct. I should have told you about the betrothal sooner, but I thought I had time to figure it out before it became an issue. All right. Prepare yourself. What's troubling me is this: We've made a powerful enemy and I'm frightened for you."

I frowned. What powerful enemy wasn't wasn't already signed up to hate us? already signed up to hate us?

"Great. Whose hit list am I on now? You said the Dragon Council was on your side, and your mother may not be happy, but you said she . . . oh no." I raised my hand to my throat, a lump the size of my fist forming. "Tell me it's not your father? What happened with your father, Smoky?" Memories of Hyto's hands on my a.s.s came racing back.

"Hyto was kicked out of the Council and my mother denied him. Not only has he lost his seat in the Council, but he's also been cast out of the family and has no rights over the children anymore. In essence, my mother divorced him and he lost any standing that we children brought him. She's been leading up to it for some time, and this was the last straw."

I could feel the fear hiding behind that impa.s.sive face. "Holy cripes, what the h.e.l.l did he do? Isn't it hard to get yourself kicked out of the Dragon Council?"

"For many, yes. But he's a white wing, and white dragons hold only a moderate amount of caste and influence. When the Council put the stamp of approval on my marriage to you, he blew up and demanded the Wing Liege change his mind. And worse: When they cast him off the Council, he refuted them."

I almost swallowed my tongue. "Is the Wing Liege your king?"

"No, the Wing Liege is the lead justice on the Council. He has the authority to speak for the Emperor-we don't have a king-when it comes to matters like this. When Father refuted the Council, the Wing Liege ordered him to vacate Mother's dreyerie immediately and then proclaimed him pariah for a period of a thousand years."

Images of dragon rising against dragon flooded my mind and I was suddenly grateful that I'd been left behind and hadn't had to witness the scene.

"h.e.l.l in a hand basket. Was anybody hurt? Did it turn into a fight?"

Smoky grimaced, a look of sorrow filling his eyes. "Not for lack of trying. Father sent a blast of fire my way, but I dodged it. The guards wing-strapped him for defying the Council ruling. There shall be no flame upon the Council's sacred grounds. Ever. Only the Emperor and Empress may ignite flame in the courts."

He looked so unhappy that I wanted to take him in my arms and kiss away the pain, but nothing I could do would soften the blow.

"I'm so sorry-and I'm to blame," I whispered. If Smoky hadn't met me, he wouldn't have gotten into it with his father. Feeling responsible for tearing apart their home, I crossed to the window and stared out into the autumn night. "What can I do to make up for this? There's nothing I can do, is there?"

Smoky whirled me around, his hands firm on my shoulders. He forced me to meet his gaze. "You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing. Nothing. Father and I would have arrived at this point sooner or later. The foundation for this was set long ago, before I first left the Northlands." Father and I would have arrived at this point sooner or later. The foundation for this was set long ago, before I first left the Northlands."

"What do you mean?" I felt so young compared to him. And in truth, I was was so young. Fully a woman, yes, but a child in terms of the scope of years Smoky had already seen come and go. so young. Fully a woman, yes, but a child in terms of the scope of years Smoky had already seen come and go.

"The reason I left the Northlands was to avoid coming to blows with him. I wanted to kill him when I was younger, I hated him so much, but dragons are raised to honor our ancestors. I thought if I left, things would get better. Maybe he'd change. Maybe he'd see the error of his ways. But Hyto got worse. He abused our servants, he threatened my mother time and again, and while she just ignored him, there was always the fear he'd act on his threats. And he loved to ravish and pillage the nearby human villages. He took pleasure in burning their houses to the ground and raping their women."

I shivered. My instincts had been right on. And then I remembered when I'd first met Smoky. He had said, "I could steal you away and no one would stop me." He did did have some of his father's blood in him, but he was doing his best to keep it under control. have some of his father's blood in him, but he was doing his best to keep it under control.

"I thought he fought alongside the humans in the wars-you told me your grandfather did, and your father."

"Hyto fought in the wars all right, but only to keep from being branded a coward. My grandfather's the brave and honorable one. At the Council, after the ruling, he actually disowned Hyto and . . . he made me his heir. So my father is truly alone. He's been turned out by all of his family. He can't be seen in the Dragon Reaches-not for a thousand years, at least." His voice cracked for just a moment. "It was bad, Camille. Very, very bad."

Very softly, I asked, "What does your grandmother think about this? Hyto's mother?"

He shook his head. "She died long ago. She was murdered by a redback."

I froze. Should I tell him what his father had said to me? Would it just complicate matters even more? But really, they couldn't get much worse. I let out a long sigh and told him everything.

Smoky's eyes shifted from glacial gray to white ice as I spelled out Hyto's implied threat. He took hold of my wrist.

"Listen to me. If anyone, anyone at all anyone at all, ever says something like that to you again, you are to tell me immediately. If Hyto ever comes near you, I'll kill him. If he touches you, I will flay him alive. And don't you ever ever hide anything from me. If you see him, you tell me. If you hear from him, you tell me. Do you understand?" He punctuated his words with a low growl and I was afraid he was going to shift into dragon form right there. hide anything from me. If you see him, you tell me. If you hear from him, you tell me. Do you understand?" He punctuated his words with a low growl and I was afraid he was going to shift into dragon form right there.

"I hear you! Let go of my wrist, dude, you're holding me too tight."

He loosened his grip, but pulled me close. "Father threatened me-and you-before he left. And it does not pay to take dragon threats lightly. Camille, I'm serious. If you smell one whiff of that rethoule rethoule around, you tell me." around, you tell me."

"Yeah," I said, burrowing into his embrace. I wasn't sure of what a rethoule rethoule was, but whatever it meant, it wasn't complimentary. "I promise." was, but whatever it meant, it wasn't complimentary. "I promise."

His lips met mine then, in a fierce kiss, his tongue seeking my own, his hands wandering over my body. "I want you, I want you now," he said, his voice husky and low.

"You'll have to share me," I whispered back. "We found Trillian. And Smoky, so much has happened. You need to hear everything."

"Not now. I need you, I want you. I want to feel your legs wrapped around my waist and to hear you cry my name. If you want the others with us, fine, but I'm first-I touch your core first this night. You understand?"

And he was so determined, so furious at his father and pent up from the conflict, that all I could do was nod.

But before we could head up to the bedroom, Delilah peeked into the room, an ashen look on her face.

"I hate to bother you, but you'd both better come out." She glanced at Smoky's hand, which was under my shirt, caressing my breast. His hair, which had lifted up my skirt and was tickling me between my thighs, suddenly dropped to his ankles again. A quixotic smile crossed her face. "I take it everything's all right between the two of you, then?"

I nodded, pulling away from his embrace. "Everything's fine. What's wrong?"

"We have company and you both should be in on the conversation because, from what little has been said, it's going to be a doozy. I called Menolly. The surveillance camera's been set up and she and Chase are on their way back here now." She stifled a snicker as she headed out the door. "Smoky, dude, you'd better take a moment to deflate your tent."

"Thanks for the advice," he called after her, chuckling. "It's good to be home again," he added softly.

I glanced at him. "Whoa mama, she was right." The outline against the fly of his tight white jeans left nothing to the imagination as to just where his thoughts had been wandering. "Meet you in the kitchen in a few." And, adjusting my shirt and skirt to make sure nothing was showing that shouldn't be, I headed toward the door.

As I entered the kitchen, I saw Aeval sitting there, along with t.i.tania. Morgaine was nowhere to be seen. Another familiar face was standing near the door. Feddrah-Dahns. And Mistletoe was perched on the counter, resting his a.s.s on one of the napkin rings. Iris was talking to him softly.

Maggie was nowhere to be seen. We didn't keep her out and about when the Triple Threat was around, or even two-thirds of the Triple Threat, nor when Queen Asteria paid a visit. Though none of us could put our fingers on why, we had agreed that it wasn't a good idea. There was some sort of threat to our little girl when they came visiting, and so we kept her out of sight, either in Iris's bedroom or Menolly's lair.

"Feddrah-Dahns!" Overjoyed to see him again, I dashed over and gave him a quick hug around that thick neck of his. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"You'll be even more surprised by what's going on," he said. There was no threat behind the words, yet they made me uneasy.

I slipped into a chair and fingered one of the thumbprint cookies Iris had set on the table, licking the jam out of the pastry to kill time. I had no idea what to say to the two Fae Queens. Smoky joined me, taking a chair on my left.

"So where are Trillian and Morio?" I glanced around.

"They're on their way up from the studio." Delilah offered me a gla.s.s of mulled cider. I accepted the steaming mug and gratefully sipped the spicy juice. "Roz and Vanzir are out getting dinner. They should be back soon. Roz called to say they're on the way."

Trillian and Morio came trudging in. Trillian gave Smoky a long look before taking his place on my right. Morio sat next to him. Smoky gave Trillian a short nod, and the Svartan returned the gesture. Oh great, were we going to have to deal with another testosterone war once we were alone? Well, as long as they didn't kill each other, I'd be happy.

Shortly behind them, Menolly and Chase came meandering in and less than five minutes later, Roz and Vanzir appeared.

n.o.body said much until we were gathered around the table. Iris handed out mugs of cider and bowls of popcorn, along with more cookies and the pizzas the demon twins had brought home. Finally, we were all settled, and Feddrah-Dahns was leaning his head over my shoulder.

Aeval spoke. "We're here to talk to you about the ludicrous idea Asteria and Tanaquar have cooked up about using mortals to wield the spirit seals. This is insanity. We cannot let it happen."

"How did you you find out about it?" I asked her, my hand freezing, another cookie halfway to my mouth. find out about it?" I asked her, my hand freezing, another cookie halfway to my mouth.

"I told them," Feddrah-Dahns said. "I'm so worried that I thought they should know."

"Your father will kill you!" Delilah clasped her hand to her mouth, staring at him wide-eyed. "He agrees that it's the right thing to do."

"Sometimes, my youthful cat, reason must outweigh loyalty. Especially when honoring that loyalty would be to make a huge mistake." The unicorn whinnied softly. "My father will be angry with me, yes. But in the end, I hope he'll see I'm right."

"The unicorn speaks the truth," Smoky said. "Reason must, at times, prevail over blood ties."

I glanced at him. I hadn't had a chance to tell him what had happened, but he shook his head and leaned down, whispering, "Iris told me some of what went on. I know only the basics, but it's enough for now."

t.i.tania leaned forward, her face crinkling with worry. "Camille, you were there. You saw my dear Tam Lin. Did you sense anything strange about him-or the other mortals? Anything out of the ordinary?"

Torn between allegiances, I struggled with how much to tell them. But Feddrah-Dahns had already done the damage. Whatever I said couldn't amount to more than throwing another gallon of gas on the fire.

"No. I was too shocked to even think about it. I wanted to talk to Venus the Moon Child but there was no chance."

"I might be able to find out something," Delilah said. "I do have connections with the Rainier Puma Pride."

I glanced at her, wishing she'd kept that little idea to herself until t.i.tania and Aeval left. I scurried for something to throw them off the thought. "I did figure out that Queen Tanaquar is sleeping with our father. My guess is that she's doing so in order to keep tabs on us. I don't know how they plan on using Tom and Ben and Venus, but I was pretty d.a.m.ned shocked."

"So are we, which is why we're here," Aeval said. "Queen Asteria, as prim and proper as she is, has a good head on her shoulders and this sudden shift in her viewpoint is odd, to say the least. The question is, what do they know that we don't? And how did they find out about it?"

t.i.tania let out a soft flutter of a sigh. "There is the question of whether she's being threatened into action."