AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I thought of the throbbing ache between my legs. He'd managed to introduce me to muscles that I didn't know existed.
"Well, he does keep going and going and going. Nice in some respects but…"
Morio snorted. "Finally found somebody who can outride you? Maybe I should have stuck around last night, just to witness the miracle."
I swatted him lightly on the arm. "Yeah, right, you should talk. Between you and Trillian, it's a wonder I ever get any sleep."
He winked at me, then leaned over to plant a quick kiss on my cheek. He backed away then, just an inch or so, and held my gaze, searching my face. "You aren't going to leave us for him, are you?" he asked.
And once again, I was pulled back into my reality.
"No," I said. "Trust me, I have no plans on deserting either of you for Smoky. But it's been like a bizarre dream. He's incredible, but his life feels so… outside of my reality."
"Maybe that's what he's meant to be for you. A retreat—a safe haven perhaps—for you when you need to get away from who you are and from what's going on." Morio slid back into his chair as Smoky returned to the room, a sheaf of papers in his hand.
As Smoky handed the papers to me, I thought about what Morio had said. Was the dragon my safety net, where I could come when I needed to feel isolated and insular? Could I play Persephone, spend part of my time in Smoky's world, the rest out where I was needed—fighting demons and saving worlds? And would Smoky be content with that?
"Thank you," I said as I leafed through the neatly printed notes. "You're a sweetheart, even if you won't admit it." He looked pleased as I leaned over to plant a peck on his cheek. "You really are," I whispered. "I would have come to you even if we didn't have a contract between us."
Smoky relented then and pulled me to him for a long, slow kiss, then let go with a huff, but this time he didn't sound put out.
I glanced at the papers. His handwriting was precise, and he used blue ink on a frost-white notepad. I decided to wait until I got home to read it, so I could talk everything over with Menolly and Delilah.
"We'd better be going," I said, standing. "Morio, did you drive out here?"
Morio arched an eyebrow. "No, I flew. Of course I drove. My car is near Georgio's house." He turned to Smoky. "With your leave?"
Smoky slipped into his white trench, and I found myself entranced by his beauty again. The man was just too gorgeous to be real. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and hoisted my overnight bag with his other hand. "I'll walk you to the house. I should ask Estelle how Georgio's doing today."
As we wended our way through the woodland, I felt like I could breathe again. The barrow had been too confined, but out here it felt perfectly natural for Smoky to have his arm around me. I leaned my head against his shoulder.
"I'm sorry we have to split up the week," I said.
"No you're not," he countered. "But that's all right. It just means you'll be bound to me longer than you thought—what with all the days in between. I'm not going to insist you come out tonight. I know you'll be busy with the demon business."
"Thanks." And there was far more at stake than just the demon business, I thought.
Titania was scary-powerful again, and Morgaine was no slouch, herself. What if Titania encouraged Morgaine to take over the Unseelie crown, and they raised the courts that way? What if Morgaine decided to try to kill Titania? That alone would marshal the Fae from both OW and Earthside into action. But not the kind of action we needed.
I stared at the path. The leaf debris from last autumn had worked its way into the mulch of soil and undergrowth, and the trail was wet but not sink-to-your-boot-tops muddy. As we stepped over rock and branch, I tried to tune into the land to see if I could find out what Titania and Morgaine were up to.
For a few moments, all I could sense were the usual comings and goings of the forest, the scurrying of creatures, the wind whistling through the branches, the sun trying to break through a heavy cloud cover. And then, slowly, my attention narrowed. I could feel the signature of a huckleberry deva as we passed by a stand of the shrubs. And over there, a group of nature sprites working on a fir who was ailing.
Then I felt it—a stirring, almost like a vortex.
"There's a disturbance in the force, Luke," I muttered.
Smoky frowned. "What does that mean?"
"No kidding," Morio said. "Even I can feel it. Something big is on the horizon."
As I sorted through the energies whirling in the maelstrom, I began to sort out two distinct presences. One, a swirl of leaf and branch, of stone and wood and autumn colors and summer scents… the other a cacophony of mist and shadow, of starlight and crystals and deep caverns, but the energies weren't in conflict.
"It's almost as if… oh gods. Oh Great Moon Mother, what the hell are they up to now?" I jerked out of my trance and opened my eyes before they could sense me. The sudden jolt almost sent me sprawling across a root that caught my toe as I stepped forward.
"Who?" Smoky's tone demanded an immediate answer as he caught my elbow, keeping me from falling.
"Titania and Morgaine. They're working together. I dunno what they're up to, but whatever it is, you can bet it's going to cause major havoc. Last night they were almost at each other's throats. What happened between then and now?" I tried to zero in on the exact nature of the energy, but nobody was giving away any secrets.
