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"The Seattle Tattler captioned the picture, 'Alien Seductress Seeks Tryst with Trolls Via Fiery Lust Spell.' He knew enough to wait for my reaction, which wasn't long in coming.>Not wanting to even go down that path, I shook my head. "Don't talk like that—don't even joke about it. You're coming back, do you understand? If you don't, I'll come find you, no matter where you are."
"No. Your job is here, guarding the portals, stopping the demons. We are at war, Camille, on several fronts. You're the daughter of a Guardsman. You will not shirk your duty." He kissed me lightly on the forehead. "Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. I'll be back." And then he fastened his lips on mine, and the world ground to a screeching halt as we kissed, long and slow, bathed in fire and frost.
After a moment, he let go and slid his cape over his shoulders. "I'll go via Grandmother Coyote's portal. Trenyth will be waiting for me on the other side. Take care of your sisters. Take care of Iris and Maggie. And most of all, take care of yourself. I need you, Camille. Just as you need me."
Before I could say a word, he turned and slipped out of the room. I hurried to follow him, but he was a dark shadow against the staircase, and before I knew what was happening, he'd opened the door and hurried down the porch steps and vanished into the shadows of the early morning.
I folded my arms over my chest to protect myself from the chill as I gazed toward the eastern sky. The first hints of dawn were vaguely forming, fingers of pale light that penetrated the diminishing veil of night. Not sunrise, not for awhile, but the promise was there. The sky was clear for a change, stars still shimmering in the night. The moon had gone to bed; she was sleeping as she traveled on her journey out of her dark phase. Yet I could feel her pull even now.
The faint chirping of early morning birdsong echoed through the stillness. I turned my attention toward the oak in the yard, beneath which Feddrah-Dahns had settled, sleeping. Even in slumber, he looked regal. As I watched, Delilah and Menolly joined me on the porch. Menolly glanced at the sky, checking her safety zone.
"This is as light as it ever gets in my world," she said offhandedly. "At least, unaided by lanterns or lightbulbs."
I let out a deep sigh. "I wish I could change that for you. I wish I could change a lot of things. Trillian's gone home to OW. He wouldn't tell me why, only that it was of extreme importance. Meaning he'd be dog meat if he refused, considering Tanaquar still holds his contract."
"I wish he could stay," Delilah said. "So much is happening."
"What do you think will happen now that Chase's boss is dead?" I asked.
She shrugged. "I have no idea. I hope he doesn't get fired."
Menolly sat down on the top step and leaned back on her elbows. "You headed out to Smoky's today?"
I nodded. "Later on, though. I have to talk to Morgaine. But first, we'd better check out the leads on that demon." Frustrated, I tripped down the stairs and knelt in the dew-laden grass, plucking at a handful of scant weeds who'd dared to make their home amongst the irises. "There's just too much… too much to do, and all of it too scattered to see how the puzzle fits together. Where do you think the third seal is?"
"It could be anywhere, considering the locations of the first two," Delilah said, joining me, still in her pajamas. We weeded together, the dirt wet and loamy against our hands. The pungent smell filtered up with the faint scent of mildew, rich and sour and promising new growth, "If we only had some other clue…"
Menolly cleared her throat. "Well, I did find out something at work last night, but I don't know how useful it will be." She joined us but merely watched as we yanked out the beginnings of dandelions and clover. Vampires weren't terribly good with growing things, and she'd never taken an interest in gardening like Delilah and I had.
"What?" I glanced up at her. "Any news is welcome right now." I didn't add that I wanted to hear anything that might keep my mind off Trillian returning to OW, but I could see in her eyes that she understood.
She glanced at the sky again. "I've got about an hour left before I have to be inside," she said. "Okay, here's the deal."
She plopped on the ground beside us, crossing her legs and picking a long spray of grass to play with as she spoke.
"While I tended bar last night, Luke was waiting tables because Chrysandra's on vacation. He stopped by a booth, and when he brought me the order, he told me that the customer had been asking questions about me. I asked Luke what she wanted, and he told me that she'd been asking if he knew where I live, and when I got off duty."
"That doesn't sound good." I tugged at one particularly stubborn thistle root, and it came sliding out of the ground. I tossed it on the pile. "What did he say?"
"Well, of course, he didn't tell her anything, but I did a little bit of snooping. Genehsys was there. You know, the folk singer who occasionally performs at the Wayfarer? Anyway, she's Fae and gifted with the ability to divine magical beings. I asked her to scope out the woman."
"What did she find out?" Delilah stopped to pick up a branch covered in lady bugs. She carried them over to one of the nearby rosebushes and gently shook them onto the leaves. "We've got aphids," she said. "They'll help control the pests."
Menolly raised her eyebrow. "Go, lady bugs. Anyway, Genehsys said that the woman appears to be a djinn."
"Djinn? Shit." Delilah whirled around. "We don't need to tangle with a djinn."
I frowned. "Do djinns and Raksasas hang around together?"
Menolly shrugged. "I don't know, but you might want to find out. I followed her after she left. I asked Luke to mind the bar. She entered a door next to a Persian rug shop. There are apartments above the shop. Want to bet she lives there?"
"Persian rug shop? Some Raksasas are Persian." I frowned. "If she is working with the demon, he probably knows about us, considering he's been around Seattle for awhile. If not… then who is she, and what does she want?"
Just then a whinny interrupted us. Feddrah-Dahns had woken and was standing near enough for me to feel his breath on my shoulder. "You three are awake early," he said. "Are we ready to go in search of Mistletoe?"
Delilah shook her head. "Not quite. Menolly, did you find out anything about pixies running wild before your shift was over?"
She grinned and pulled out a slip of paper. "That's the best part. I was going to leave this for you to find at breakfast. A couple of elves at the bar were griping about a wayward pixie who doesn't belong around the area. He seems to have made himself at home in their garden. I got their address and promised that we'd have a look. They said fine, as long as we convince him to move on."
