Trillian sat on the bed next to me, his shoulders slumped. "I didn"t want to tell you. I didn"t want you to know how bad things were. After I escaped, I managed to catch up with some of Tanaquar"s forces and they guided me safely back to her camp. I"d been searching for your father, but apparently he managed to escape on his own. After that incident, I spent some time helping out with interrogations, but I"d lost my appet.i.te for it. I"m a mercenary, yes, but I"m not a s.a.d.i.s.t. Not unless the situation demands it."

I shook my head. "I know you"re not." I paused, then said, "Chase was captured by the R?ksasa. We"re not sure just what went on, but at best, he lost part of his little finger. At worst . . . we don"t know. We saved him, but the experience changed him. How could it not? Delilah doesn"t talk about it much and he won"t talk about it at all, but I can see it in his eyes."

"f.u.c.king demon sp.a.w.n," Trillian said, hitting the wall next to us. "Chase is human. He isn"t cut out to withstand that sort of torture. What else has happened, my love? I knew about Smoky and Morio and you. Your father forewarned me. Now I"m thinking he hoped it would chase me off your tail, but the truth is, Camille, as angry as I was-as much as I hate sharing you with that lizard-you and I are forever bound."

I filled him in on everything from Karvanak to losing the third spirit seal to the Ka.r.s.etii demon that had almost devoured Delilah"s soul, to the nerds from h.e.l.l and what we were up against now.

"We"ve been busy," I said softly. "Trillian, now that we"ve talked, I want to ask you something."

He gazed at me, then lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "What?"

"Will you marry me? I want you to join us in the Soul Symbiont ritual. You and I are bound by the Eleshinar ritual, but if we"re going to be bound by body, why not just go all the way and be bound by soul? I would be honored to take you as my mate and to call you husband."

My heart skipped a beat. What if he said no? What if he couldn"t face being around Smoky when I had s.e.x with the dragon? What if he was too angry because of the attack to even think of returning to our relationship?

But Trillian just gazed in my eyes with those icy baby-blues, and a slow, cynical grin spread across his face. "You have a penchant for dangerous and damaged men, my love. Your tastes run to the dark, and now you are practicing death magic with Fox Boy? Camille, there"s only one person I"d ever consider marrying, especially through that ritual. So, yes, my love . . . if you"ll forgive me for calling you a traitor, I will join your harem and be your husband. But never, ever forget, I always have been-and will always be-your alpha lover."

"I know," I whispered as he laid me down in his arms again. "Oh, believe me, I know. But you aren"t damaged, Trillian. You are wild and pa.s.sionate and free. We"ve all been at the mercy of our enemies, and chances are, we"ll all be dancing with the devil again. But as long as we have our dignity, then walking wounded or not, we remain strong. And as long as we"re together, nothing-not even death-can tear us apart."

And then Trillian began to make slow, pa.s.sionate love to me, and all my worries vanished in the wash of his arms, in the taste of his lips, and the feel of his skin gliding against mine.

CHAPTER 13.

By the time we"d washed and dressed, a messenger was at the door requesting our presence in the King"s chamber. I did my best to smooth out my clothes and Trillian handed me his brush, so my hair wasn"t flying wild with after-s.e.x frizz. All in all, according to the mirror on the wall, I washed up pretty good.

Trillian slapped a starberry m.u.f.fin in my hand. Munching on it, I followed him through the streets, back to the palace. I didn"t have time to look around, but I knew that I wanted to return when we had more time. Dahnsburg was clean, and it felt old, with mysterious doorways and curious shops that promised adventure and d.a.m.ned good shopping.

We reached the outer courts just in time to see my father coming down the path. He looked at Trillian, then at me, then rolled his eyes.

"You two have been busy," he said softly.

It occurred to me that although Father was full-blooded Fae, he might actually have a problem with his daughters actually sleeping with men. Or women. But it wasn"t something I could ask him, especially in front of Trillian.

I flashed him a slap-happy grin. "Don"t worry, I"m not going to make you a grandpa." Yet. Yet. Smoky"s little bomb about fathering a child on me was still exploding in the back of my mind. I had to find some way out of that one. Delilah could have a litter of young ones and I"d love them all-cat or Were-but babies weren"t my style. Smoky"s little bomb about fathering a child on me was still exploding in the back of my mind. I had to find some way out of that one. Delilah could have a litter of young ones and I"d love them all-cat or Were-but babies weren"t my style.

"I certainly hope not," Father said. "You"ve got enough problems as it is." But then he relented and held out his hand to Trillian. "I have an errand to run. I"ll be back in a bit." He paused. "Trillian, look out for my daughter."

Trillian stared at Father"s hand, then slowly took it. "As always, Sephreh. As her lover, her life comes before mine. And-" He crooked his lip into that d.a.m.ned arrogant smile that was both so appealing and so irritating. "-as her husband-to-be, I"ll do everything in my power to make certain she"s happy."

Father stopped in mid-step. "Husband? So you"re actually going to marry Camille?" He reminded me of a flipbook, going from disbelief to distress in a single leap. So you"re actually going to marry Camille?" He reminded me of a flipbook, going from disbelief to distress in a single leap.

"I will join her harem, yes," Trillian said, repressing a grin. I wanted to give him a good kick, but Father had been on his case for so long that I couldn"t really blame him.

"So, is this happy news true, Camille?" Father looked anything but happy.

I sucked in a deep breath. "I know you told Trillian that I married Smoky and Morio because you wanted to try to break us up, but it won"t work. I love Trillian. He"s my alpha lover and he"s willing to undergo the Soul Symbiont ritual with us. So yes, he will be my third-and, I sincerely hope, last-husband. Let it go, it"s a done deal, it"s going to happen, and there"s nothing you can say to change it. I should have never left him in the first place."

Trillian wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "And I should have never let you go. We"re fated to be together, and there"s nothing you can do when the Hags take an interest in your life."

Father looked us up and down and then, sounding the most human I"d ever heard, uttered one word. "c.r.a.p."

I sputtered. "Excuse me, but shouldn"t that be congratulations congratulations ?" ?"

"Yeah, Dad," Trillian said, making it worse. "Maybe you can come visit us Earthside and we"ll take in a few holes of golf."

Sephreh blinked. Without another word, he marched over, kissed me on the forehead, shook his head disgustedly at Trillian, then stomped off. But as he climbed in the carriage, he turned to wave good-bye and he was smiling.

Trillian kissed my cheek. "I think he"s coming around. We"ll be best buddies in no time."

"You wish," I muttered. "Come on, I"ve got an audience with the King."

"As do I," Morio said, coming up behind us. Iris was nowhere in sight.

"What?" I twirled.

"A messenger found me in the marketplace and told me to join you in the throne room." He held up a cloth bag. "I found some fascinating spell components there."

"Come on, woman." Trillian gave me a little shove forward. "We"d better get our b.u.t.ts in gear."

He led us through the maze of gardens toward the central tent. As we pa.s.sed close to the cloth panels, the material brushed against my arm. Basket weave, it was durable, and yet finely crafted.

"What"s this made of?" I reached out to touch the panel. Soft under my fingers, it tingled with a faint buzz. "There"s magic woven into the cloth."

"You think?" Trillian arched his eyebrows. "These are the walls of the palace. Unlike stone or mortar or brick or marble, cloth isn"t quite as effective in stopping little things like cannons or fireb.a.l.l.s. Of course Of course the material is enchanted. The tents that make up the palace have protective energy woven into every strand, every thread." the material is enchanted. The tents that make up the palace have protective energy woven into every strand, every thread."

And then we were at the door leading into the throne room. Trillian stood to the side, waiting for us outside as one of the Dahns guards led us on. We followed the unicorn, who looked dangerously large and powerful, up the cobbled path that separated twin courts cushioned with moss and an occasional stone bench. The walls of the tent were a good twenty feet high, held up by an intricate system of cross-bars and I wondered how the unicorns had erected them.

Then, I saw exactly how they had managed the task. Around the perimeter, manning the guylines and counterweights, stood several large centaurs. Male centaurs. Very well-endowed centaurs. Suddenly blushing, I looked away. I didn"t need any new fantasy fodder-I had plenty of it in reality, but man, oh man, the women of their race had a lot to be thankful for.

We followed the guard along the path until we came to a large gra.s.s-covered knoll. Atop the knoll rested the King of the Dahns Unicorns. I could see the resemblance between him and his son and as I knelt into a low curtsy a whinny to my left caught my attention. I raised my head and saw Feddrah-Dahns enter the courtyard. He lumbered over toward us and, without thinking, I leapt up and went racing across the gra.s.s, laughing.

"Feddrah-Dahns! It"s so good to see you again!" I threw my arms around his neck and his velvet coat tickled my skin.

He let out a snort, then a soft chuckle. "Lady Camille, it"s good to see you again. How fare you and your sisters?"

I suddenly realized that I"d turned my back on the King and quickly stumbled back a few steps, whirling to face the larger unicorn. Feddrah-Dahns wasn"t fully grown, that much was evident, but his father was, and the sire was staring at me with a look of amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes.

"You were right," King Upala-Dahns said to his son. "She"s impulsive and unpredictable. But also charming, as you said."

"I"m sorry," I stuttered. "I meant no disrespect. I was just so happy to see your son again-"

"No matter, nothing harmed. Not even my sensibilities," the King said in Melosealfor. Switching back to the common tongue, he included Trillian and Morio in his gaze. "We must talk about the unicorn horn. And about the magic you are learning from this young fox."

Morio looked confused.

"Excuse me, Your Highness, but Morio doesn"t speak any of the Otherworld dialects. Do you, by chance, speak English?" I couldn"t fathom why the King of the Dahns Unicorns would have bothered to learn an Earthside language, so it was a real shot in the dark.

King Upala-Dahns whinnied softly. "Yes, to some degree. William Butler taught us when he stayed with us for several years."

I smiled softly. "Yes, Feddrah-Dahns and Mistletoe explained about him when they visited Earthside." Glancing around, I added, "Speaking of pixies, is Mistletoe around? I"d like to say h.e.l.lo to him." One of the few pixies I could ever imagine liking, he was Feddrah-Dahns"s a.s.sistant.

"He"s off on an errand, but he should be back soon." As the King switched to English, his voice took on an archaic air. "We haven"t much time, so I"ll be brief." He paused. "Are you understanding me now?" he asked Morio.

Morio nodded. "Clear as a bell."

"Bell? What should be clear about a bell?" With a shake of the head, Upala-Dahns snorted. "No matter. While it may have seemed foolhardy for you to bring the horn of the Black Beast with you, it was actually a wise decision. The Black Unicorn himself awaits you in the forests of Thistlewyd Deep. He traveled up from his lair in Darkynwyrd and has sent for you."

A cold chill raced down my spine. What the h.e.l.l did the Black Beast want with me? It was an honor-and a pain in the a.s.s-to be given his horn, but to actually meet him, a creature straight out of dark legend? Not fun . . . not fun at all at all. A vision of a huge stallion with a crystal horn, rearing up as he breathed flame from his nostrils, filled my mind.

"c.r.a.p." The word was out of my mouth before I could help it. I blushed as everybody stared at me.

"Excuse me?" the King said.

Stammering, I tried to gracefully backpedal. "I mean, it"s just . . . the thought is rather intimidating."

"It should be," Upala-Dahns said, not helping matters any. "The Black Unicorn is the father of the Dahns Unicorns. For him to summon a mortal to meet him-one who is not of his race-is almost unheard of. Most think he"s legend, though the Dahns Unicorns know better. As far as I know, the only Fae or elf he"s had truck with in the past hundred years is Queen Asteria."

On one hand, I felt flattered. How could I help but be? Big Black Beast wanted to see little ol" me? On the other hand, I was scared spitless.

I glanced at Morio, who shrugged, keeping his mouth shut. He was more taciturn than I. Probably a good thing, considering how lacking in diplomacy I could be at times.

King Upala-Dahns waited as if he expected an answer, but when I didn"t speak, he added, "He not only wants to see you, Camille, but your mate Morio."

Now Morio jumped. His eyes grew wide and he nervously glanced over at me. "Me? Why me?" Though his voice was steady, I could sense the rush of fear beneath it.

I repressed a smile and whispered, "Now you know how I feel."

"Because you and Camille are working death magic together."

The King had a gleam in his eye that told me he"d gotten the reaction he wanted. Yeah, Upala-Dahns liked to make people jump. He"d be a bear to work for, but fair.

Dreading any further explosive revelations, I jumped when something landed on my shoulder. I jerked to brush whatever it was away when a voice near my ear said, "Watch it!"

"Mistletoe!" I held out my hand and he stepped onto it. The pixie was nearly translucent and his wings glimmered in the daylight, but when he touched my palm, he was as solid as I was.

"My lady," he said, bowing low. Mistletoe was far more courteous than other pixies. Most were a pain in the a.s.s.

"Mistletoe," Feddrah-Dahns said, "you will go with Rejah-Dahns and escort them to Thistlewyd Deep to meet the Black Beast."

"Can we portal jump there?" I asked.

Mistletoe shook his head. "We can take the portal to the edge of the wood, but no portals ever have been able to penetrate the Deep, and so we will go on foot from the tree line. The place we seek isn"t far from the border and we will reach there before midnight tonight."

I glanced at the sky. The full moon was tonight and I"d be caught up in the Hunt. But one look at the King told me arguing would be of no use, so I sucked it up. "Trillian will come with us. I"m not leaving him here."

Upala-Dahns didn"t look happy, but all he said was, "As you wish. He will accompany you. From there, after you"ve spoken to the Black Beast, you may return Earthside."

Feddrah-Dahns stepped up and nudged my shoulder with his muzzle. "I wish I could go with you, but Father forbids it."

I gazed into those luminous eyes and once again felt teary. I always did around the unicorn and I had no idea why. "Feddrah-Dahns, you are a good friend, and I thank you for the guidance and trust you"ve shown us. We"ll try not to let you down." I leaned my head against his downy nose.

A moment later, Trillian"s voice echoed through the chamber. "Camille? Is everything all right?"

I glanced over my shoulder. Mistletoe had ushered Trillian into the throne room. "For now," I said, then quickly filled him in.

Trillian stared at the King. "You"re serious? You"re sending her to face the Black Beast?"

"Not alone," Upala-Dahns said. "She goes with you. And the fox demon will face the Great Father by her side."

By his reverent tone, it struck me that the Dahns Unicorns actually worshipped the Black Unicorn as a living G.o.d. After all, he was the father of their race, a living legend. He was the phoenix of their culture, shedding his horn and hide every thousand years to be reborn anew.

And the Black Beast had requested that I face him. He"d given me-a half-Fae, half-human woman-one of his horns and a cloak made from his hide in order to fight the demons. And it wasn"t every day that I got invited to pay a house visit to the home of the G.o.ds.

I rested my hand on Trillian"s arm. "This is an honor, love, and we should remember that." And if we could get out of here without anybody making a scene, so much the better. The last thing I wanted to do was to offend the Dahns unicorns.

Trillian caught my thought and bowed to the King. "Your Highness, when should we leave? Are there any warnings or cautions we should be aware of?"

King Upala-Dahns glanced around the room, then motioned with a toss of the head that we should follow him. "Come, let us walk in the garden."

The clouds had opened up and it was raining as we followed the King into one of the empty gardens. Mistletoe rode on my shoulder, and Feddrah-Dahns walked to my right. Morio and Trillian kept close, a few steps behind me.

The smell of rain-washed gra.s.s and hearth smoke filled the air and I pulled my cloak tightly around me.

"What about Iris?" I asked. "Will she be coming with us, too?"

"Yes," Feddrah-Dahns said. "Though I don"t think the Deep is a good place for her to be right now." But he wouldn"t explain why.

The afternoon was wearing away and even though I couldn"t see the Moon Mother, I could feel her gearing up for the Hunt. It had been a good two years since I"d leapt onto the astral to run at her side here in Otherworld, rather than Earthside. Although the Moon Mother was the same G.o.ddess in both worlds, the energy of the Hunt ran a little different depending on where you were.

We came to a low hedge trimmed in the shape of a spiral, and followed Upala-Dahns into the center. The labyrinth was simple, but as we walked it, my mind settled. There was deep magic in this place. We were tracing a ley line, and it was singing to me, rea.s.suring me that from here, no one could overhear us. Here, we were safe.

Once we were at the center, the King paused and we formed a semi-circle around him. "I brought you here because this is the one place I know harbors no spies, no prying eyes and ears. Listen to me, and listen well. We"ve been doing what research we can into the demon threat, and we"ve uncovered some interesting information that you need to put to use."

I perked up. Any help we could get was welcome, especially when it came from the Cryptozoid Alliance.

"As you know, the fabric separating the worlds is ripping. Together with the elves-and now Tanaquar"s magicians-we"ve been searching for a way to fix what has been broken."

"Is that possible, though? I thought the Great Divide created an unnatural state of affairs and that"s why everything is breaking down. The world is trying to right the balance again." I frowned, trying to remember what I"d been told by the Earthside Fae Queens and Grandmother Coyote.

"You"re right. There"s no way to fix the rip tearing the fabric of s.p.a.ce. However, we believe that we can use use the spirit seals, along with magic developed since their creation." the spirit seals, along with magic developed since their creation."

What? How could they do that without risking exactly what we were trying to prevent?