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Menolly laid her hand on mine. “You helped save me from what he had planned. Nobody could save me from him, but you stopped his plans for me. I’ll never forget that. And I intend to repay you.”
Chase meandered over, a strange look on his face. He’d put down his plate, and now he rubbed one temple. “I feel rather strange,” he said. “Does anybody have any aspirin?”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, we can’t take aspirin. Maybe Sharah is carrying some—” But as I spoke, he started to crumple and hit the floor with a thud. I jumped up, looking around wildly for Sharah, who was over in the corner with Delilah. “Sharah! Stat—now. Chase just fainted.”
She raced over and knelt down by his side, feeling his pulse. “Thready, fast . . . weak.” A hand on his forehead, and she wiped it on her jeans. “He’s sweating up a storm. Could be from him being out on the astral so long, and not used to the magic it took to get him there. I need to get him back to the FH-CSI for some tests. What’s the quickest way to get him there?”
Smoky stepped forward. “I can take the two of you through the Ionyc Seas. I’m not sure how it will affect him, but if you want him there without a ninety-minute drive, especially in this weather, then you’d better let me take you.”
She nodded. “Help me get him up.”
Smoky swept Chase up in his arms. “Climb inside my coat and put your arms around me. I’ll carry him. It will be safer.” To me, he said, “I’ll be back shortly. Don’t let anyone in until I get back.” Before I could say a word, the three of them vanished, as if they’d never been there.
“What do you think is wrong?” Delilah crowded close to my elbow.
I shook my head. “I have no idea. But I don’t even want to think about what might be wrong. He was out on the astral for a long time. We should have made sure Sharah looked him over. Too much has been going on.”
Vanzir sidled over. “I have news,” he whispered. “But we have to go outside. Need to make a phone call.”
I bit my lip. “Shade’s going with us.”>Smoky swept me into his arms. “Then I will stand by you and keep watch. I will never leave you alone again—not until Hyto is dead. I will not let him touch you again, if I have to fly with you to the farthest heights of the Dragon Reaches. I will not let you down again.”
His forehead touched mine again, and I reached up and kissed his lips. Gently at first, then as he held me, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, hungry for his touch. I needed them all—my men, to wipe away the memory of Hyto’s fingers on me, to wipe away the memory of his taste, of him inside me.
“I need you tonight. Trillian, too . . . and Morio. If he can possibly join us. I need you all. I need you to reaffirm that I’m yours. That you’re mine. That we are bound and that nothing can break those bonds.”
Smoky bit his lip, looking uncertain. “You are still hurt, Camille.”
“I may be hurt, but I’m hurting worse inside. And you . . . the three of you can heal what’s in my heart. Bruises on the body will fade. The memory is what haunts me.”
He shook his head. “Not yet. Trust me, you aren’t ready yet. I know—don’t ask me how, but I know. But we will be with you tonight, and sleep by your side, and guard you. We will be there when you fall asleep, and there when you wake.” And then he carried me to the car and slid me into the driver’s seat.
As I put the car in gear, I took one last look at Georgio’s house, and thought that if such a fragile man could manage to have so much courage, how could I do any different?
When I entered the barrow, the first thing I did was make a run for the bedroom where Morio was, in a bed that Shade and Roz had specially set up for him. I raced over the side and jumped on the mattress beside him.
Morio gave out a cry. “Camille! Babe! They told me the truth. You’re . . .” He stopped, eyeing me up and down. “You’re not okay. I can see it in your aura. But you will be. Trust me, you will be. We’ll see to it.”
He leaned up, and I covered his face with kisses, not caring that it might tire him. “I missed you so much. How are you feeling?” The last thing I wanted to talk about right now was Hyto, and I prayed that somebody had already covered what had happened with him.
Morio gathered me into his arms, gently encircling my waist in a way that told me he knew how damaged my body had been. He held me at arm’s length after a moment.
“By now, you’ve heard how crazy Smoky went when you were kidnapped.” A statement. “What you may not know is that Vanzir went down to the Triple Threat to beg for their help.”
“Vanzir? Went to Aeval?” I vaguely remembered him saying something about it but had for the most part forgotten. I blinked.
“Yes, and they’re the ones who empowered him to travel through the astral realm. He has no clue they were the ones who did it, but I can tell. He’s wearing Fae energy in his aura now, and I’m not quite sure what the hell went on with him. Howl sent the word to Smoky while he was still in the Dragon Reaches.”
“A lot went on I wasn’t aware of.” I paused. “Do you know . . . what happened to me?”
He gave me a long look, then nodded. “I do. Camille, I love you, to the ends of the Earth. I am not angry about Vanzir, not in the least. I understand the gray areas in life and you know I’m not the possessive type. I will be at your back forever, in whatever you need. I can share you and be content . . . but only when you want to be touched.”
I nodded. Sometimes I thought Morio understood me better than just about anybody. We had a connection that broke through shoulds and shouldn’ts . . . Perhaps it was brought about by our magic together, perhaps by some other free force that rang deep inside us.
Leaning my head against his shoulder, I let out a long sigh. “I wanted Smoky and Trillian and you . . . tonight. I want to wipe the memory of Hyto off my body, but Smoky won’t. I think he’s afraid it’s too soon, that you’d hurt me. But nothing can hurt me worse than what Hyto did to me. I want a good memory to replace the vile ones.”
Morio smiled gently. He leaned me back on the bed beside him. “I’m still weak, but there are things I can do . . . to help?”
Shuddering, I nodded, and slid out of my skirt and panties, then unfastened my bustier. He winced when he saw the bruises running the length of my body, but motioned me back into bed.
