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"We don't mind--we love having you here." I playful y snatched her hand and pointed to the ring. "I saw this last night. I made Menol y give it up. You guys are so sweet."
With a soft smile, Nerissa rubbed the band encircling her finger. "I guess it's okay to tel you since we're wearing these openly now. Last week we said the words for the first time."
I blinked. "Real y?"
She nodded. "Real y. We don't know where this wil lead. We're stil playing with men on the side. At least, guys who have it pul ed together and aren't like a certain wacked-out paparazzi tabloid freak we both know and hate. But our hearts belong to each other. Menol y's an amazing woman, and I've never felt so close to anyone in my life as I feel toward her. She knows me, inside and out." The look on her face backed up every word.
"Listen . . . let me tel her about Gambit. She's going to find out, but if you tel her, she'l go off half-cocked and wipe the dude off the face of the planet for what he said to you. And that would not be a good thing, as much as we'd like to see it happen."
"Sure," she said with a wistful look. "But I can dream, can't I?" With a laugh, she took off for the hal bath. Nerissa had spent enough time here. She knew where the towels were.
As I stood there, watching the back of the Amazon goddess as she headed down the hal , I could only hope that things worked out better for them than they had for Chase and me. A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Iris answered and led Luke in.
"Have you found out anything about Amber?" he asked, scanning the room quickly.
I shook my head. "We have some news, but now more questions. Iris, can you help Camil e get her ass in here?"
I motioned for Luke to join me in the living room. He slid into one of the upholstered armchairs and crossed his legs, tapping on the end table with his fingers. Nervous. Beneath the scruffy exterior, I could see the glimmer of trouble in his eyes. His long ponytail was neatly caught back, and he looked like he was trying to keep his composure.
Camil e slowly made her way to the sofa, looking exhausted. Iris brought her a blanket and then quickly vanished with the promise of tea and cookies.
Luke looked at Camil e for a moment, then sniffed the air. "What the hel happened to you? I smel something . . ." He stopped short and growled.
"Wolf Briar." I said the words as gently as I could, but he jerked his head up, his face a wash of fear.
"No . . . no. Where the hel did you run into Wolf Briar? I didn't know that crap could affect a non-Were. Unless there's something about Camil e that I don't know." He bit his lip and then let out a soft sigh as the words sunk in. "Not . . . Amber?"
"When we went to Amber's room, we found a trap. It exploded al over Camil e. Definitely Wolf Briar. Apparently it messes something fierce with magical energy like Camil e possesses. Damned stuff paralyzed her. We had to cal in the medics."
"And my sister?"
I could tel he was holding his breath, and I shook my head. "We don't know. She's gone. Her clothes are there, her purse and keys. But Amber's gone.
A strange magical signature was left behind in the room. We have no idea what's going on." I paused for a moment. "Do you think Rice would use Wolf Briar to capture her?"
Luke winced. "I'd like to say yes, because that scumbag wil use just about any dirty trick in the book . . . but Wolf Briar . . ." He shook his head. "I can't imagine a werewolf using it on another werewolf. They'd have to be a psychopath, and while Rice is a sadistic bastard . . ." Wiping his hands on his knees, he final y looked up at me. "I don't know, but I'm not inclined to think so."
"Is there a way to find out if Rice is in Arizona right now? If so, he can't be the one who actual y used it, though I suppose he could have hired somebody."
Luke frowned. "I don't have any connections down there anymore. Amber was the only one from the Pack that would talk to me. Except . . ." He frowned, then stood and paced over to the window. "I had one buddy. He's an expatriate from the Pack, too--but he stayed down in the desert. I haven't heard from him in ages, but I can try to contact him. He might be able to find out for us."
As he pul ed out his cel phone and began flipping through the contact list, it occurred to me that Luke was very much like us. He was a Windwalker, a nomad without roots. He'd been cast out. We lived between worlds. More and more it seemed like too many people had nothing to anchor themselves to except the family they could create from their friends.
"Hey, while you're looking for his number, what are you doing for Thanksgiving? We're going to be putting on a huge spread here, and you're more than welcome to join us. Your sister, too, once we find her." I wasn't about to put a damper on the offer by hinting that I thought Amber was dead.
"That's a wonderful idea." Camil e shifted on the sofa, looking more tired than I'd seen her in a long time. "Damn this stuff. I can't feel my connection to Tril ian, Morio, or Smoky--the links are clouded from the Wolf Briar."
Luke glanced up at us over the screen of his phone, his gaze softening. "Thank you--I appreciate the offer. Menol y hinted at it, but I didn't want to barge my way into a family gathering." He stopped. "Here it is. Jason's number. Let me give him a cal . . . we haven't talked in over a year."
As he moved to the other side of the room and made his phone cal , I motioned to Iris. "Any chance of getting some lunch? Nerissa wil be back from her shower soon."
"It's on the stove. I started it when Camil e cal ed." The house sprite bit her lip, then sat down next to Camil e. "I am going to need some time off this winter. And I was wondering . . . Camil e, could you and Smoky and Roz come with me if there's any way that you can tear yourselves away from here?"
Camil e blinked, then sucked in a deep breath. "Is it regarding . . ." She stopped, staring at Iris. It was obvious that she knew something I didn't.
"Yes. I think I've found a way, but it's dangerous, and I need help."
"Hold on here, you two. What's going on?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"
