"Ganya"

"Shh," she said, placing her lips on his.

Ganya's arousing dance was suddenly back in his consciousness, her tongue working in treacherous tandem with his own lustful thoughts, winning an instant response from him. Helplessly he kissed her in return, his mind fleeing toward Ana as his arms felt the warmth of Ganya's naked back, her belly pressed hard against his. He begged Lyana to forgive his using this woman in such a manner. One of her hands reached down but Lazar pulled it away before gently pushing her back. "Don't," he said. His words came out as a plea.

"Don't?" she echoed, amused. "And yet your mouth says otherwise."

"I cannot," he groaned.

"Do you not want me?"

"More than you can imagine, Ganya. But what I need is your help."

"Help?"

He sighed. "It's so complicated, too hard to explain. I need you to trust me, as your father does." He could just see her brow creasing in confusion, and he hurried on, whispering, "As hard as this is to believe, I suspect an owl is going to arrive any moment and I don't want you to be startled."

"An owl, you say?" She laughed. "Well, this is a first for me."

"Ganya, please trust me. You are a beautiful, incredibly desirable woman and in different circumstances..."

"You would have thrown me to the ground and enjoyed me, I know," she said, an edge to her tone. "What about this owl? And what does it have to do with me?"

"He has nothing to do with you. He is a friend. I need to speak with him but I had to get away from the campsite. I used you. I'm sorry."

"You are going to talk to an owl? Are you some sort of good-looking madman?"

He shook his head. "This is a matter of life and death. You need to trust me."

"You've said that three times now. So, what happens when this owl arrives?" she asked. Her words went along with his story but her sharp tone goaded him.

"I told you. We will speak, share some knowledge. Actually, it's more likely he'll change into the form of a dwarf."

"Have you any idea how ridiculous you sound?"

Lazar sighed. "Frankly, yes."

"I put my claim upon you, Lazar. You accepted. In the way of the desert that agreement is binding. Don't humiliate me or lose the high esteem that my people hold for you."

"Help me and I will honor our agreement. But time is short."

"What do you want from me?

"Just don't make a fuss when he arrives. Keep a lookout for anyone who may steal up on us. Garjan is my enemy. He especially must not know about the owl."

"And who is this all important bird, Spur, that would cause you to cast aside a chance to make love with me beneath the stars?"

Lazar took a breath. "His name is Iridor."

He heard her gasp as she yanked herself from his grip. "You dare to take Iridor's name in vain! It is wrong of you to make a jest like this."

"Ganya, wait, please. I warned you." He heard the beat of wings. "Watch."

Right enough, the owl appeared as if on cue.

"Don't scream, I beg you," Lazar beseeched.

But Ganya made no sound at all, just a soft moan of disbelief, tinged with awe. "How can this be?'

"It is him," Lazar assured her, hoping with every ounce of faith that Lyana had guided him to this point. That she would not betray his instinct to be honest with this woman.

"How can I be sure?"

"The desert isn't normally home to snow white owls, is it?"

Ganya was silent.

"You follow the Goddess, don't you?" he asked.

"With every beat of my heart," she whispered.

"Then by his presence you will know what is occurring here."

"She is rising," Ganya answered. Her tone had lost none of its wonder.

He didn't really know what to say; he hardly believed it himself. "I told you Garjan is our enemy. I need to talk with Iridor but Garjan can sense the owl's magic. It is dangerous. I need to think."

Iridor had listened as Lazar spoke with the woman. He'd been listening from slightly farther away earlier and had taken his cue to arrive at the moment he did for maximum impact. Lazar had obviously put his trust in this woman, even though they were strangers. And now Iridor waited, frightened to talk to Lazar for fear of discovery but helpless to know what else they could do. He needed to give Lazar instructions. He sat still, sensing the woman's gaze fixed upon him.

"Lazar," she whispered, "what do you mean, he can sense the owl's magic?"

"The owl is here to give me a message."

"Who are you," she demanded, "that Iridor himself talks to you?"

Iridor could hear Lazar holding his rising irritation in check. "We are friends. I am helping his cause."

"Then I am his friend, too," she answered. "Can I help?"

"I don't think so. The magic can be traced. We need to speak but it will draw the wrong sort of attention."

"You use magic to speak?"

Of course, Iridor thought, equally frustrated. How else is an owl going to talk to a man!

"He speaks to me in my mind. No, wait!" Iridor watched Lazar take her arm as she prepared to stomp away in disgust. "I speak only the truth to you, Ganya. I have no reason to lie."

"How can I trust you?" she asked.

Iridor was surprised, even bemused, despite his fear, to see Lazar dip his head and kiss the woman in a long, deep embrace. Finally Lazar parted his mouth from hers. "That's why. If you sense any guile in that, you may leave and tell whomever you wish about what you've seen tonight. If you felt only sincerity, then trust me."

Iridor's exceptional eyesight saw Ganya smile at Lazar's words. "Did my father not tell you I was the tribe's lajka? There is an aura about you, which I don't understand. But I don't mistrust it either. And I think I can be more than a sentry for you."

"What do you mean?"

"If I hold the owl and I hold you, too, and go into my dream state, I might be able to surround you both with my own protection. I cannot maintain such a protection for long but it will stretch to a minute perhaps, enough for you both to communicate."

Iridor watched Lazar hesitate, then nod. "Anything's worth a try. But then we will have no one standing guard."

"Risk it!" she said, taking his hand.

Lazar turned to his friend and Iridor glided down from the dune and watched as Ganya helplessly fell to her knees, still holding Lazar's hand. "Iridor," she murmured, placing her other hand over her heart. "The Khalid welcome and revere you."

"Ganya," Lazar growled. "There is no time for this. It has to happen now."

Iridor hopped over to the woman and allowed her to pull him close so that his back nestled against her. She wrapped an arm around him and once again took Lazar's hand. "Ready?" she asked.

"Do it!" Lazar replied, urgency in his voice as he cast an anxious glance around him.

"I must find my quiet place and then I will slide into a trance. I won't be able to see or hear anything around me, not even you. I cannot guarantee"

"Ganya, please. Let's try," Lazar urged.

She nodded, bowed her head. The trio were bound in silence for several tense moments. Suddenly the air felt thick around Iridor. He could no longer feel Ganya behind him or her arm around him but he was aware of her as a smothering presence about him. He took a slow, deep breath, and put the threat of Maliz to one side.

Lazar, he said gently. Can you hear me?

I can. How are you, old friend?

The very short version is that I am stuck as Iridor now. The demon found me. Pez, as you knew him, is dead. Tortured and drowned. But Maliz learned nothing; he is no closer to Iridor or Ana...or you. But you must be careful about everything you say or do. He is frustrated and is in a dangerous frame of mind.

I don't know what to say, Lazar said softly into his mind.

There is nothing to say. I am gone as you knew me. What is important is Ana. I cannot tell you the way. I can only lead you there, but if the Khalid carry hawks, I'm in danger.

One hawk is certainly with us, Lazar confirmed. Let's just figure out tomorrow's journey and we'll worry about the rest of it as we go forward.

All right. Travel all of the next five days in a firm westerly direction. We will need to meet the night of that fifth day to reassess our plans. I'll be watching you that evening for any sign that you can get away. As for how we avoid Maliz sensing our conversation...I don't know. We may just have to place our faith in the Lore and hope it's enough.

We know it's not.

We have nothing else. Use Boaz to divert him.

Boaz? What reason do I give?

I have shared my fears with him. Not explicitly that his Grand Vizier is Maliz but that he's an impostor, using magic, and means us harm.

If Lazar was surprised at this news, he didn't share it. We'd better stop. Ganya's cloakingif it's workingcannot last much longer.

I shall fly ahead to stay well clear of your birds. I'll probably be a day ahead.

Be careful, Pez.

Iridor smiled sadly within. Call me Iridor now. Our one advantage is that Maliz has no idea I've survived.

What about Ana? Can you not reach her through the mind?

Right now I am nervous about how vulnerable that makes us. Who knows what powers are being used by Arafanz? And with Maliz in our amidst I am fearful of revealing us all.

Risk it. We have to risk everything.

All right. When I feel far enough ahead, I'll try.

Lazar broke the chain with Ganya and pulled her hand from around Iridor. "Go now," he said, and the great owl took two hops and flew into the night.

"Ganya," Lazar whispered. She moaned softly. "Ganya, it is done."

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "And you were safe?"

He grinned in the darkness. "It seems so."

"It worked!" she said.

"Perhaps. We could have just been lucky."

"That won't get you out of our bargain, Spur Lazar."

"I have no intention of reneging. What you did was brave."

She shook her head. "What I did was for Lyana. I am not going to think about what I just experienced until later when I'm alone and have silence and solitude to understand it. Iridor!" She gave a soft laugh of awe.

"You believe it was him, don't you?"

"I do. I felt his presence. And you, Lazar, who are you in this struggle?"

The question hurt. "I don't know," he said sadly. "But I seem to be in the thick of it."

"I saw other things just now. Things about you."

"What did you see?"

"Pain, mainly."

Lazar sighed but said nothing.

"Let me help you lose that pain, if just for a short while," she said gently, huskily. "There are no consequences with me, Lazar. I listened to your heart speak. The name of a woman echoes around it. Although I cannot make it out, I know she is young, vulnerable."

She pulled him close and he nodded, his face buried in her neck, her long hair shrouding him.