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Trillian shrugged. "The way I see it, you should be safe enough here. You bought the house with money from your father, not from the OIA. And nobody from the OIA will be coming through the portals anytime soon. But don't use the Whispering Mirror to contact the OIA or the Guard Des'Estar. And whatever else, don't let yourselves be seen in Y'Elestrial if you return to OW."
All three of us paused. We all knew what was coming next, but nobody wanted to be the one to ask. Finally, Camille whispered, "Why?"
For the first time, I saw a flicker of fear race across Trillian's face. "Because there's a bounty on your heads should you return to the city."
"Then we're under a death threat," I said.
Chase jumped up. "You have a bounty on your heads? What the hell is going on? Is your Queen insane?" Any residue of anger he had left seemed to disappear, and he reached for my hand.
I took his hand. "Lethesanar's lost all sense of perspective. She's never borne an heir to the throne, so there's no princess to take her place. I have a feeling she means to rule for as long as she can."
"But Tanaquar has two daughters," Trillian said. "And she's clearheaded. She can turn things around."
"Where does the portal in the Wayfarer lead?" Smoky said, suddenly breaking into the conversation.
"It's connected directly to Y'Elestrial." Menolly floated up to the ceiling. "We'd better find a way to recalculate its target. And for now, if we return to OW, we have to use Grandmother Coyote's portal, which will take us safely to the outskirts of Elqaneve, the Elfin city."
"So," I said, "we've lost our jobs. What about the other agents over here? Do you have their names?"
Trillian held out a file folder. "I thought you'd want this. I put together a list of their names and where they're staying. One other thing—they know nothing about Shadow Wing. Apparently the OIA never officially acknowledged that the demons are planning to invade Earth, and none of the other agents were told about your encounter."
Well hell. That meant that every OIA agent who had chosen to stay Earthside, other than the ones we knew personally, was in danger. And none of them knew about it.
He handed me the file. "I think they deserve to know what they're facing. When I return to OW, I'll contact your father and aunt to let them know you're safe."
"Thank you," I murmured bleakly. Unemployed except for what we had in savings and what we could earn off our cover jobs, we were alone in a strange land without any hope of support from home. Well, that wasn't exactly true. We had allies, but they weren't available at the drop of a hat.
A sudden thought hit me, and I looked up. "Do you think we could reprogram the Whispering Mirror to contact Queen Asteria's court? That would be so much easier than having to send—or wait for—her messengers."
Camille clapped her hands. "That's perfect! I love the idea. Can we do it, though? My magic isn't good enough to ensure success, and we don't dare take a chance on anything less."
"I'll head out tomorrow first light. My first stop will be Elqaneve. I can convince them to send one of their mages out to work with you." Trillian yawned. "I'm so fucking astral-lagged," he said, wincing.
Frequent or prolonged travel through the portals could cause the system to overload and throw off sleep cycles, metabolism, and all sorts of goodies. Trillian had been hopping between OW and Earthside several times a week since he'd healed from the skinwalker's attack.
Camille took his hand. "Come to my bedroom."
"Gladly, my love." He motioned for her to go ahead, then turned to Smoky. "Remember," he said in a tone that was as calm and deadly as a viper. "Camille is on loan. I don't care whether you're a dragon or a gecko, she's mine. Understand?"
Smoky chuckled. "As you wish. I won't interfere," he added, but I wasn't so sure he was telling the truth.
As Camille led Trillian away, Menolly glanced at the clock. "I'd better get down to the Wayfarer." She grabbed her keys and purse, a cute little patent-leather clutch. I had no idea where she'd found the handbag—it was shaped like a bat with wings spread and was probably part of some kid's Halloween costume. "I guess I'll just keep everything we earn from there now."
"Well, you can't send it home anymore," I said.
She nodded. "That makes me think. With the OIA pulling out so abruptly, my guess is that they won't bother to do anything about ownership of the buildings. We'd better find out if there's a monthly mortgage on the bar and the Indigo Crescent. If the OIA is still paying them off, we'll have to make the payments. At least for the bar. There's no way we can let go of the Wayfarer, since it houses the portal."
I grunted and jotted down a note in my book as she headed for the door. "Good idea. The last thing we need is someone trying to foreclose."
Morio stood and stretched. "I'm going to drive Smoky home," he said. "I'll be back, if you don't mind me crashing in the parlor tonight."
"Not a problem," I said. "I'll leave a note for Iris that you're here." The two men left, leaving Chase and me alone. I looked at him and let out a long sigh.
"Things are so messed up," I said, so exhausted I could barely think. So many things were unresolved. I wondered if we'd make it through this. Once again, I longed for the days of my childhood when life had seemed simpler.>He huffed. "No, damn it!" I raised my eyebrows, waiting, and finally he gave me a short shrug. "Yeah, all right, I have cheated a few times. But I never felt the desire to be with just one woman before. I never met the right girl."
Until now. I heard the words as clear as day, even though he hadn't said them.
I crossed my arms and leaned against the railing. "Then how about if we set some rules. Right now? I won't ask you to be exclusive, and you won't expect me to be. But no hiding or lying. If I end up sleeping with somebody else, I'll tell you about it. And vice versa." I waited. It would make life so much easier if humans were just up-front and honest about relationships and sex.
