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Morio came bopping back through the door then, his attention on the bottle in his hand. He walked through the fire without blinking. At least, he did for three steps. Then he turned and stared at the door behind him.
•'Checking to make sure I'm really who I say I am?" He tossed Smoky the green bottle of water, and Smoky caught it with one hand. "Can't say that I blame you. Not with a Raksasa in the picture."
"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked, feeling both insulted and yet strangely protected by Smoky's actions.
"Smoky obviously knows his demonology. Raksasas are masters of illusion," Morio said. "He was just making certain I'm not the demon taking the shape of someone you know and trust."
I blinked. "I hadn't thought of that."
"Well, you should," Smoky said. "You and your sisters have to start thinking the way your enemy thinks—cunning and devious and without compunction. The demons certainly won't cut you any slack for sloppy thinking. Know this, Camille: They are ruthless. Demonkin make dragons look like choirboys. They enjoy pain, they enjoy torture, and they suckle death like a baby suckles its mother's teat."
He paced the room. "I don't like you being involved in this. The Elemental Lords caused this entire situation when they gave away the spirit seals, and they refuse to take responsibility for cleaning up the mess. I have no truck with any of them, save for the Harvestmen and the Queen of Snow and Ice." He paused. "I'd say dump the entire problem in their laps."
"You really think that's feasible? That they'd even blink? Most of the Elemental Lords don't give a crap about humanity—"
Smoky held up his hand as I started to protest. "I know, I know. You can't… or rather you won't walk away. As misguided as I think you are, I admire you for it." He turned back to Morio. "Tell me, you say you smelled a demon. Did you, by any chance, catch wind of the fragrances of orange and jasmine? And, perhaps, sugar vanilla?"
Morio frowned, squinting. After a moment he nodded. "Now that you mention it, yes, I do remember those scents. They were everywhere in the shop. An odd combination, like a perfume that was on the verge of crystallizing. Too sweet," he said. "It was too sweet. It cloyed on the tongue, smelling like it was on the edge of decay."
"Then rest assured, you have a Raksasa on your hands." Smoky opened the drawer on the end table nearest him and pulled out a pipe, tamping it full with herb from a leather pouch. He leaned back and motioned to me. "Camille, light my pipe, if you will."
With a glance at Morio—I never did things like that at home—I shook my head. "You know smoke of just about any kind bothers both Delilah and me." But I crossed to Smoky's chair and knelt by his side. "No smoking inside while I'm here. I have to insist. Please," I added.
"This is a side of you I've never seen," Morio said, an odd look on his face, like he might actually find the idea of me playing the submissive girlfriend appealing.
"Don't get any ideas," I muttered, flashing him a snarky grin.
"Oh, I always have ideas when I'm around you," he quipped back.
Smoky cleared his throat and put away his pipe. "Not a problem."
"Why did you say we definitely have a Raksasa on hand?" Morio leaned back in his chair, sipping his brandy.
Smoky shrugged. "Those scents, or rather, the combination, is their natural fragrance. Here, Earthside, it can easily pass as a perfume, so most people wouldn't pay it a second thought. The only reason I know is because when I heard you might be facing one, I called in a few favors and gathered what information I could."
He said it as calmly as he might have been giving us the weather report, but both Morio and I turned to stare at him. I threw myself into his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"You meant to help us all along! You were just stringing me along." I planted a kiss on his lips and pulled back, suddenly finding myself staring intently into his eyes.
A long lock of his hair unbraided itself and reached around to encircle my waist as he gently returned my kiss. "You like to think so, don't you? I was just curious, perhaps?" But his kiss had told me everything I needed to know.
Suddenly aware that Morio was watching us, I started to get off of Smoky's lap, but Morio held up his hand. "Don't get up on my account," he said. "I can see you… have come to an understanding."
Smoky met Morio's gaze, and his lip curved up to just the slightest degree. "Don't forget, I witnessed your first tryst with Camille here in my woods." He let out a low huff. "I know perfectly well that you and Trillian love this woman, and you know perfectly well that I intend to do my best to steal her away. But that may take some time, and in the meanwhile… I'll be on my best behavior."
Once again feeling like the Invisible Girl, I pushed my way out of his lap and parked my hands on my hips.
"Excuse me, but in case you haven't noticed, I happen to be in the room. And believe it or not, I can hear every word the two of you are saying. I wasn't so quick to point this out to Morgaine and Titania, because they're both off their rockers and might just take a notion to blast me into smithereens. However, since I doubt either of you has the balls to chance it, you'd better listen up! You will stop referring to me as anybody's property, you will acknowledge my presence, and you—are you laughing? You'd better be listening to me!"
Smoky and Morio broke out in full-blown howls that echoed through the chamber.
I'm serious! I don't find this funny in the least—"
"The woman has a point," Smoky said, ignoring me and speaking to Morio.
Morio shrugged. "I suppose so, but it's more fun to watch her get all apoplectic. She can fly into a fury, I warn you."
"I'm all too aware of that, but her delights make up for the tantrums." Smoky reached out and ran his finger down the outside of my thigh. I could feel his energy through the dress, a series of miniature lightning bolts sending off warning signals through my body that a welcome intruder was near.
