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He was grinning like an idiot, but I could see fear masked behind his eyes—the fear of being rejected.
Iris gasped, but he looked at me and then Delilah. “You two might as well be her sisters . . . and Miss Menolly, too. Would you object to having me for a brother-in-law, should Iris accept my proposal?”
I broke into a smile a mile wide, wanting to cry. So often our meals were tempered with bad news, but this . . . “I have no objection, but know you this, Master Leprechaun: If you hurt our Iris, you’ll have all of us to deal with. ”
Delilah laughed and clapped her hands. “I agree. I so agree. Oh, I wish Menolly were awake, but Iris, you can tell her first thing. ”
The men murmured, but I shut them up with a look. I turned back to Bruce. “Go on, then. If you want some privacy, the parlor is free. ”
“No,” Iris said, slowly. “You are family. You’ve seen me through so much. It’s only fitting you should share this. ” She stood and Bruce knelt at her feet, taking her hand in his.
“I am not of your race, I am not of your background. But I come to you, a son of the Rainbow Goddess. A son bound by the golden locks of both the goddess Iris, and my love, Iris. ” He clasped her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I promise you: I will honor you, give you shelter, give you children if it be the will of the gods, and love you as long as love shall last. Will you, Iris Kuusi, accept my offer of marriage and join me as my wife?”
Iris stared at him, her eyes glazing over like clouds in a blue sky. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Bruce O’Shea, I am not of your race. I am not of your background. I am the daughter of the goddess Undutar, priestess to the snow and mist. I am a child of the ice floes. I accept your offer to marry. I will honor you, make a home for you and our children, should the gods bless us. I will protect the household, and love you as long as love shall last. ”
And then she burst into tears, smiling, and fell into his arms, kissing his face, his eyes, even as he sought her lips.
After lunch, Smoky, Trillian, and I wandered into the living room. Delilah and Shade had volunteered to clean up so that Bruce and Iris could have the afternoon to themselves, and they were also taking care of Maggie.
Roz meandered in, looking bored. “Vanzir called. He’ll be home in a few minutes. ” He gave me a short but meaningful look, and I gave him a quick nod. Crap. We’d have to be on guard. Again. Everybody but my husbands knew what had gone down.
I decided to fill the guys in on what Delilah and I had found. During lunch, Bruce’s proposal had taken precedence and I didn’t want to spoil it for Iris. Whether we discussed what next to do then or at dinner wouldn’t matter.
“Come upstairs—you, too, Roz. I want to tell you all something, and I should tell Morio while I’m at it. Delilah will fill Shade in on matters. ” I dashed down the hall and stuck my head in the kitchen. “I sent the guys upstairs. I’m going to tell them about Chase. You run down the situation with Shade and come up after you’re done with the dishes. ”
“No problem. ” Delilah waved me on. I’d started up the stairs to meet the guys when I heard the front door open. Must be Vanzir. And once again, we’d be walking on eggshells.
Smoky and Trillian sprawled on the sofa in Morio’s room, while Roz sat on a nearby ottoman. Morio was propped up by a wall of pillows. He looked a little stronger today. I hurried to his side and planted a long kiss on his lips.
“How was your day?” He stroked my cheek, his nails black and sharp. He hadn’t changed into either his fox or demonic form since he’d been hurt—he wouldn’t have the energy to change back.
I pressed his hand to my lips and kissed each finger, licking the tips gently. He shuddered, closing his eyes. Morio had seldom talked about his heritage—he was Japanese and had come over when summoned by Grandmother Coyote, one of the Hags of Fate—but I suddenly wondered: What would his family think of me? He was married now. Had he told them? I’d never even thought to ask.
“Love, does your family know about your marriage to me?” I tilted my head, waiting.
He cupped my chin, lifting it slightly. “Yes, they know about you and your sisters. They know about us. Someday, you will meet them. They were . . . not entirely pleased, but neither were they against it. They reserve judgment. And they trust my instincts. ”
That was more than I’d hoped for. I nodded and didn’t bother to press the subject. As far as Trillian was concerned, I knew that he had long ago left his home and abandoned his family—or rather, they’d abandoned him. It wasn’t even an issue with him.
Just then, Vanzir came creeping into the room. He was pale, which was normal—he looked a lot like David Bowie as the Goblin King in Labyrinth—but tonight he looked even more withdrawn. His eyes were luminous, swirling kaleidoscopes of a color to which we couldn’t even put a name.
He slid onto a far chair and stared at me, his gaze focused on me. What the hell could have happened?
“Hey, where have you been?” Trillian asked him, staring at him a little too long for comfort. And then, without missing a beat, he turned his gaze to me, then back to Vanzir, and I saw understanding flash through his eyes.
Oh fucking hell. He knew. Somehow, he’d picked up on it. But when? Just now? Or had he known for a while? My stomach began to churn as Vanzir shrugged.
“I was hanging out in the Demon Underground for a while. Hey, dude . . . Smoky . . . have you heard the rumors about your father?” Vanzir was struggling to keep his voice neutral, but I could sense the fear beneath it.
Smoky gave him a short nod. “Yes. Unfortunately. ”
I broke in, trying to control my nerves. “We have further problems. ” I outlined what had happened to Delilah and me, first in the portal, and then what I’d learned down at the bookstore.
“So we’ve got to figure out what to do about Chase, and . . . I think the person looking for me at the shop was the snow monkey that Trytian mentioned. ”
My words died on my lips as I stared at the floor. The room was silent for a moment, and then before the testosterone could fly, I added, “I am thinking of selling the bookstore. I’m afraid for the people who come in. I’m afraid more innocent people will die because of the demons, or an irate dragon, or just because I’m a handy target for the Fae-haters. ”
Morio shook his head. “You can’t let fear rule your life. If you do, you’ll lose more than you know. Everyone on this planet takes a chance the moment they wake up in the morning and get out of bed. You’ve seen Earth’s history—the wars in the Middle East, the world wars, the natural disasters . . . people dealt with them. Now, the biggest war is headed our way and you’re doing everything you can to stop it. Closing the Indigo Crescent isn’t going to prevent people from getting hurt. ”
“He’s right,” Trillian said, his voice surprisingly soft. “You have never been one to run in fear. That’s one thing I’ve always loved about you. You said the hell with it and faced danger time and again. And now, my lovely wife, you need to stand up and face the facts of what’s going down. All the facts. ”
It was both a question and a demand. And I knew right then that Trillian would bring it up if I didn’t. And Trillian didn’t mince words. He didn’t play fair, and he didn’t sidestep delicate issues.
I sucked in a deep breath. “Yeah. I’d better. Vanzir . . . will you please leave the room? In fact, you might want to go for a long walk. Roz, you, too. I’ve got something to talk over with my husbands. ”
Vanzir jerked around. He stared at me, then bit his lip, nodded, and left without a word, Roz following behind him.
Smoky looked puzzled, Morio perplexed. I walked over and locked the door. As if that could stop Smoky from breaking through the wall if he wanted, but hey, it was something. And it might give Vanzir an extra moment to make a break for it.
I turned, scarcely able to breathe. My loves stared back at me. Trillian nodded, and I realized th
at he was on my side. How he found out—and just how much he knew—I had no idea. But he wasn’t going to go apeshit. Morio was still too wounded to throttle the demon. That left . . .
“I have something to tell you. You have to promise to remain calm. I need you to be calm for me. Before we left for the Northlands, something happened. ” I could barely whisper. “There was no way to avoid it. You have to understand this . . . you have to understand . . . Morio—remember how bad it was? Smoky, you were off helping your mother. And Trillian wasn’t there. We didn’t have enough people in the tunnels when the ghosts attacked. It was bad . . . so bad . . . ”
“Camille . . . what happened?” Smoky shifted, his hair coiling out to trail along my shoulder, but I pulled away, shaking my head.
“When Morio was hurt, Menolly and Chase were up top in the snow, trying to keep him alive till Sharah could get there. ”
“I don’t even remember that,” Morio said. “Just the pain and the feeling that my life force was draining away. ”
I pressed my hand to my stomach. “Yeah . . . I know. I know what that feels like. In the tunnels . . . Vanzir and I were left down there alone. We were fighting for our lives. I was throwing spells right and left. Vanzir was feeding so deeply from the ghosts that he was lost in the energy and couldn’t break free. ”
Memories flashed through my mind, vivid, like a waking dream. It had been so surreal, and yet, all too real. “When we tried to get to the ladder, I couldn’t find my gloves—and the rungs were iron. ”
Trillian nodded, and I could see he’d already forgiven me. He, of all three, would understand the most. He was my alpha, but he had the same Fae nature I did. Possessive? Yes. But to the point of stupidity? No.
Turning away, I walked over to the door and leaned against it, my head resting on the cool wood. Then I whirled around and pressed my back against it . . . eyeing the three men from whom I knew I could never keep secrets. They were my all. My everything. My loves.
I just hoped they’d feel the same about me after tonight.
Smoky started to stand, but I motioned for him to sit down.
“As I said, I threw some hefty energy bolts that night . . . the air was charged, drenched in energy. Vanzir was trying to feed on the ghosts, to keep them away from us. It was like being trapped in a horror movie with no one from the cavalry coming to save us. I got too close to Vanzir—he warned me not to, but I was trying to get his attention, to see if he knew where my gloves were. ”
I paused, waiting, searching Smoky’s face. But Morio, I couldn’t look at Morio. How could I, when he’d been bleeding to death while I’d been down below, fucking a demon?
“What did he do?” Trillian asked, his voice even.
“His feelers were out, seeking energy, and right then we were attacked again. I cast another spell—a huge mother of an energy bolt. Vanzir latched onto me and began to feed. ”
Smoky stood, his eyes draining to cold, flat gray.
“Stop! Please stop. Wait. Let me finish,” I begged him, still unable to leave the door. After a moment he sat back down, but his back was stiff, his expression unreadable.
“Vanzir didn’t want to feed on me. He tried to stop himself, but his nature overtook him. He was draining me. It was horrible, but even through the pain and the invasiveness, I could feel his anguish. There was only one way I knew how to stop him. One way to make him break off from my mind. ”
I was crying now, both in fear and in sadness. So much had gone wrong. I held out my hands. “I gave myself to him. It stopped him from feeding on me. ”
Smoky slowly stood again, then stepped forward, staring at me with a look so harsh that I cringed. Trillian noticed and tried to intervene, but Smoky’s hair thrashed, whipping him out of the way. Morio let out a cry.
“He touched you?” Every word punctuated by another step, Smoky reached my side. He grabbed my wrist and held it tight, shaking me as he drew me forward. His hair wrapped around my waist, lifting me up to face him at eye level. “I asked you if he touched you! Answer me!”
“Yes, he did. But he didn’t have any choice—” My teeth were chattering now. Smoky caught my gaze and then, after a horrible moment in which I was truly afraid he might lose control, he very quietly put me down and gently pushed me away from the door. “Don’t—don’t go after him! He doesn’t have his powers anymore! He can’t defend himself. ”
Trillian and Smoky both turned to me. Morio was sitting forward as far as he could. I swallowed my fear.
“The Moon Mother came through me while he was . . . while we were . . . she stripped him of his powers and the soul binder. He might as well be mortal, except for his innate strength. She took away his ability to feed. ”
Smoky began to laugh then, but it was a horrible laugh, one filled with retribution and glee. “And so the Moon would wreak her justice before I have my chance. But I will have my say. Vanzir will know why even the gods fear a dragon. ” He turned and wrenched open the door so quickly that he tore it off its hinges. Tossing it aside, he made for the stairs with me running after him.
“Stop! Smoky! No. ” I put all the force I could muster in my voice.
He turned at the landing. “Why? Did you enjoy him so much? Are you so hungry for him that you would take a fourth?”
I let out a little cry. “How dare you? How dare you make light of what was one of the worst nights of my life? He fed on my mind—he didn’t want to, but his nature pushed him over the edge. And just where the fucking hell were your ears when I was telling you about the attack? We were at war with a pack of hungry ghosts. They almost killed Morio—they would have killed both of us!”