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And then Hi'ran himself was there, strong and looming in back of me, and the shadow faded from view. He enfolded me in his cloak and once again, it was his energy touching mine, not the touch of fingertips.
"While you are mine in the end scheme of things, I am not a jealous master as long as you remember that I am your master."
And then--like the wind--he was gone, and I opened my eyes. Iris stared at me, grinning.
" Him . . . again?" She could feel the energy. I could see it in her face.
"Yes, him. The Autumn Lord. He makes me feel . . . beautiful and bril iant and powerful. I both fear him and desire him in a way I've never wanted anyone else before. But . . ." How could I explain there had been someone else, someone who felt like Hi'ran but wasn't him? I decided to keep that to myself for now. "I don't feel quite so worn out."
I was tired but no longer heartsick. I felt like I'd just had the mother of al massages, and in a way, I had. Orgasms given by the gods--priceless. I finished my tea and picked up my Cheetos.
"I'm going to go to my room, finish eating these, then sleep for a good eight hours. I'l see you in the morning, dear Iris." As I kissed her, she smiled, but behind that smile I sensed worry. And then I remembered--she was carrying a secret of her own, one that she had yet to tel Menol y and me. "And tomorrow, perhaps you can tel me what's going on with you--why you need to go to the Northlands."
The house sprite dipped her head. "You'l know at some point. But for now, sleep wel , my dear. Sleep wel ."
As I headed upstairs, I pondered what Iris could be keeping secret. It was enough that Camil e had promised to visit the Northlands with her--a journey not for the faint of heart. In fact, it was a daunting journey and--with what we knew about Smoky's father and him being on the rampage against my sister and her husband--potential y dangerous.
My thoughts whirling, I slipped into my Hel o Kitty night-shirt, flipped on the TV in my room, and settled in for an hour or two of late-night TV and junk food. And I realized that even though the other side of the bed was empty, I wasn't lonely. I felt secure and comfortable, and for once I was glad to be alone with my thoughts. It was a soothing end to an otherwise stressful day.
CHAPTER 13
For once, a beam of sunlight broke through my window the next morning. I woke, blinking against the light, and found that I'd buried not only myself but the mostly empty bowl of Cheetos, a half-eaten Snickers bar, and a bottle of water under the brand-new quilt I'd bought a month ago. The Snickers bar was melted to my pil ow. Delightful. The water bottle had come open, and I was lying in a wet spot. Lovely. The Cheetos had stained the sheets, but against the earthen tones of the comforter, the orange wasn't that noticeable. One out of three isn't too bad.
Since I kept a mattress protector beneath the sheets--my hairbal s were a constant threat--only the sheet had gotten wet and stained, and remembering Iris's last reminder when she'd dumped my cat box on top of my bed, I stripped the sheet and put it in the hamper. She didn't mind making the beds, but she and my sisters had pounded through my head just how much of a slob I was and how badly I'd abused her services. I was trying to make sure that I helped out more.
I opened the window and immediately slammed it shut. The sun might be shining, but it couldn't be more than forty degrees outside. Digging through my closet, I came out with a pair of brown cords and a green pul over. I slipped my feet into a pair of cowboy boots, spiked up my hair with a dab of gel, and brushed my teeth. Earthside had it al over Otherworld when it came to dental hygiene technology, that was for sure. And being half-human, our teeth weren't as strong as our father's people.
When I was done, I grabbed my purse and headed downstairs. The smel of bacon and eggs drifted up the stairs, and I inhaled deeply, my stomach rumbling. We had a lot to do today, and in the back of my mind, I couldn't forget the fact that every moment her captors had her, the danger to Amber grew.
Iris and Camil e were at the table, Maggie in her playpen. The kitchen was otherwise empty. I glanced around.
"Wow. Where is everybody?" The breakfast table was usual y jumping. I glanced over to the sink and saw the pile of rinsed dishes. "Looks like everybody's already had a go at the food."
Camil e grinned. She looked better. "Tril ian, Smoky, and Morio have enlisted Roz and Vanzir to expand the studio into a multiroom apartment. It's not the best weather for building, but I think they can get a lot done today if the rain holds off. The guys certainly could use the room, and now and then I real y want my bedroom to myself and the three of them out of the house. Husbands or not, they can be a pain in the ass." She dotted the corners of her lips with her napkin. "When do we head out for Mary Mae's?"
Iris handed me a sandwich of eggs, bacon, and toast. I wolfed it down, feeling oddly energized. My encounter the night before had done more than comfort me. I felt recharged.
"She said to come over around ten A.M."
The phone rang, and she answered. After a moment, she handed it to me.
"Luke here. I just heard from Jason."
"And?"
"Rice has been placed in Arizona. He's not up here. And something else--Jason told me that there's some big to-do going on in the desert down there, among one of the minor Packs."
Damn it, that meant likely Rice had nothing to do with his wife's disappearance, and we were back to square one. "What kind of to-do?"
"A string of deaths occurred in one of the werewolf Packs down there. Five beta males, al turned up dissected, their scent glands and other organs missing. They've cleared al the rival clans in the lycanthrope community. But there's more. The scent of magic was picked up at one of the bodies-
- trickster energy . Dark trickster energy."
Trickster. There were a few clans that fed on trickster energy. Rabbits, jackals, hyenas . . . coyotes. "Coyotes--coyote shifters. From what Wilbur said, the coyote shifters down in the jungle use Wolf Briar to take over territory and kil off their rivals."
"Fuck. Territory wars?" Luke fel silent for a moment, then said, "Coyotes--the good ones--are helpful to no end. But the bad ones . . . they're dangerous and ruthless. They give Demonkin a run for their money."
"We'd better look into the coyote Packs around here. Although what they might want with Amber is anybody's guess. Nothing against your sister, Luke, but she's a solitary pregnant female, and she's not the Alpha's wife."
