"No." With a little laugh Glenna twisted the pendant around her neck. "I need a very special dress. A wedding dress. Moira, Hoyt and I are going to be married. Handfasted. We decided on handfasting, with a wedding ceremony later. After."

"You're betrothed to Hoyt? I didn't know."

"It just happened. I know it might seem rushed, and the timing of it-"

"Oh, but this is wonderful!" Moira sprang up, and in a burst of enthusiasm, threw her arms around Glenna. "I'm so happy for you. For all of us."

"Thanks. For all of us?"

"Weddings, they're bright, aren't they?

Bright and happy and human. Oh, I wish we were home so I could have a feast made. You can't make your own wedding feast, and I'm still not very good at the cooking." "We won't worry about that, not yet.

Weddings are bright-and happy and human.

And I'm human enough to want the perfect dress."

"Well, of course. Why would you want less?"

Glenna let out a long, happy sigh. "Thank G.o.d. I've been feeling a little shallow. I should've known all I needed was another girl.

Help me, will you? I have a few picked out, and I need to narrow it down."

"I'd love to." Gently, curiously, she tapped the side of the screen. "But... how do you get the dress out of the box?"

"We'll get to that, too. I'm going to have to take a few shortcuts. But later, I'll show you how to shop online the conventional way. I want something-I think-along these lines."

While they were huddled, Blair gave the doorjamb a knuckle rap. "Sorry. You got a minute, Glenna? I wanted to talk to you about requisitions and supplies. Figured you were the go-to. Hey. Nice toy."

"One of my favorites. Cian and I are the only ones linked up, so if you need to use-"

"Brought my own, but thanks. Shopping?

Neiman's," she said as she moved close enough to see the screen. "Pretty fancy duds for wartime." "Hoyt and I are getting married."

"No kidding? That's great." She gave Glenna a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"Congratulations. So when's the big day?"

"Tomorrow night." When Blair only blinked, Glenna hurried on. "I know how it must seem, but-"

"I think it's terrific. I think it's excellent.

Life can't stop. We can't let it. We can't let them make it stop; that's the whole point. Plus, it's great, seriously great, that the two of you found what you've got when everything's so extreme. It's one of the things we're fighting for, right?"

"Yes. Yes, it is."

"Wedding dress?"

"A potential. Blair, thank you."

Blair put a hand on Glenna's shoulder in a gesture that might have been woman-to-woman or soldier-to-soldier. Glenna supposed it was now one and the same.

"I've been fighting for thirteen years. I know better than anyone you need some real, you need things that matter, and that warm you up inside, or you lose the mission. I'll let you get back to it."

"Want to help us shop?" "Really?" Blair did a little shuffle dance.

"Are vampires blood-sucking fiends? I'm so in.

One thing, not to put the damper, but how are you going to get the dress here by tomorrow?"

"I've got my ways. And I'd better get started. Would you mind closing the door? I don't want Hoyt coming in while I'm trying them on."

"Trying... Sure." Blair obliged while Glenna set several crystals on and around the laptop. She lit candles, then stood back, held her arms out to the side.

"Mother G.o.ddess, I ask your grace to bring this garment to this place. Through the air, from there to here, in the light unto my sight a symbol of my destiny. As I will so mote it be."

With a shimmer and flash, Glenna's jeans and T-shirt were replaced by the white gown.

"Wow. A whole new level of shoplifting."

"I'm not stealing it." Glenna's scowled at Blair. "I'd never use my powers that way. I'm trying it on, and when I find the one, I've got another spell to work the sale. It's just to save time, which I don't have."

"Don't get bent. I was just kidding." Sort of. "Will that work for weapons if we need more?"

"I suppose it would." "Good to know. Anyway, great dress."

"It's lovely," Moira agreed. "Just lovely."

Glenna turned, studied her reflection in the antique cheval gla.s.s. "Thank G.o.d Cian didn't strip all the mirrors out of this place. It's beautiful, isn't it? I love the lines. But... "

"It's not the one," Blair finished, and settled down on the bed with Moira to watch the show.

"Why do you say that?"

"It doesn't light you up. That light, in the gut, in the heart, that just spreads out right to your fingertips. You put on your wedding dress, take one look at yourself in it and you know.

The others are just practice."

So it had gotten that far, Glenna thought, remembering the vision of Blair and the engagement ring on her finger. And the image of her weeping in the dark, her hand bare.

She started to comment, then said nothing.

A tender area like that required more than camaraderie. It needed true friendship, and they weren't there yet.

"You're right, it's not the one. I've got four more picked out. So we'll try number two."

She hit it on the third, and felt that light glowing. Heard it in Moira's long, wistful sigh. "And we have a winner." Blair circled her finger. "Do the turn. Oh, yeah, that one's yours."

It was romantic, and simple, Glenna thought. Just as she'd hoped. There was a little float in the long skirt, and the soft sweetheart neckline was framed by two thin straps that left her shoulders bare then ran down her shoulder blades to spotlight her back.

"It's so exactly right." She glanced at the price again, winced. "Well, maxing out my credit card doesn't seem that big a deal considering the possible apocalypse."

"Seize the day," Blair agreed. "You doing a veil, a headpiece?"

"Traditional Celtic handfastings call for a veil, but in this case... Just flowers, I think."

"Even better. Soft, earthy, romantic and s.e.xy all rolled into one. Do the deal."

"Moira?" Glenna looked over, saw Moira's eyes were damp and dreamy. "I can see it has your vote, too."

"I think you'll be the most beautiful of brides."

"Well, this was serious fun." Blair got to her feet. "And I agree with the brain trust here- you look outstanding. But you need to wrap it up." She tapped her watch. "The two of you are due in training. You need some major hand-to-hand practice. Why don't you come with me now?" she said to Moira. "We can get started."

"I'll only be a few minutes," Glenna told them, then turned back to study herself in the gla.s.s.

From wedding dresses to combat, she thought. Her life had become a very strange ride.

Because he heard the music playing inside, Hoyt knocked on Cian's door a little before sundown. There'd been a time, he remembered, he wouldn't have thought of knocking, when asking permission to enter his brother's chambers wouldn't have been necessary.

A time, he thought, he wouldn't have needed to ask his brother if he could live with his wife in his own home.

Locks clicked and snicked. Cian wore only loose pants and a sleepy expression when he opened the door. "A bit early for me, for visiting."

"I need a private word with you."

"Which, of course, can't wait on my convenience. Come in then."

Hoyt stepped into a room that was pitch black. "Must we speak in the dark?" "I can see well enough." But Cian switched on a low light beside a wide bed. The covers on the bed gleamed jewel-like in that light, and the sheets carried the sheen of silk.

Cian moved to a cold box, took out a packet of blood. "I haven't had breakfast." He tossed the packet into the microwave sitting on top of the box. "What do you want?"

"When this is done, what do you intend to do?"

"As I choose, as always."

"To live here?"

"I think not," Cian said with a half laugh, and took a crystal gla.s.s from a shelf.

"Tomorrow night... Glenna and I are to be handfasted."

There was a slight hesitation in his rhythm, then Cian set the gla.s.s down. "Isn't that interesting? I suppose congratulations are in order. And you intend to take her back, introduce her to the family. Ma, Da, this is my bride. A little witch I picked up a few centuries from now."

"Cian."

"Sorry. The absurdity of it amuses me."

He took the package out, broke it open and poured the warmed contents into the gla.s.s.

"Well, anyway. Slainte." "I can't go back."

After the first sip, the first long stare over the rim, Cian lowered the gla.s.s. "More and more interesting."

"It's no longer my place, knowing what I know. Waiting for the day to come when I know they'll die. If you could go back, would you?"

Cian frowned into his gla.s.s, then sat. "No.

For thousands of reasons. But that would be one of them. But that aside, you brought this war to me. Now you take time from it to handfast?"

"Human needs don't stop. They're only keener, it seems, when the end of days threaten."

"It happens that's true. I've seen it countless times. It also happens war brides don't always make reliable wives."

"That's for me and for Glenna."

"It certainly is." He raised his gla.s.s, drank some more. "Well then, good luck to you."

"We want to live here, in this house."

"In my house?"

"In the house that was ours. Setting aside my rights, and our kinship, you're a businessman. You pay a caretaker when you're not in residence. You'd no longer have that expense. Glenna and I would tend this place and the land, at no cost to you."

"And how do you propose to make a living? There isn't much demand for sorcerers these days. Wait, I take it back." Cian laughed, finished off the blood. "You could make a G.o.dd.a.m.n fortune on television, on the Internet.

Get yourself an nine-hundred number, a web site, and off you go. Not your style though."

"I'll find my way."

Cian set the gla.s.s aside, looked off into the shadows. "Maybe I hope you do, providing you live, of course. I've no problem with you staying in the house."

"Thanks for that."

Cian shrugged. "It's a complicated life you've chosen for yourself."

"And I intend to live it. I'll let you get dressed."

A complicated life, Cian thought again when he was alone. And it stunned and annoyed him that he could envy it.