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Smoky insisted on carrying me, and I didn’t object. After the past few days, being pampered was a blessing. I wrapped my arms around his neck and covered him with kisses as we headed out of the Council chamber.
The Dragon Reaches were huge—as befitted dragon-sized inhabitants. As we entered the main complex, I realized that most of the dragons were walking in human form through the corridors, but the chambers themselves were large enough in which to change shape.
Smoky carried me down one marblesque corridor, and as I gazed at the walls, I realized that as ornate as the chamber was, it was far from pretentious. The engravings on the walls were muted, tone on tone, but as I looked closer, they proved to be meticulous and I began to get the impression that they were history in motion—a pictorial history of the Dragonkin.
The light in the chambers came from open windows along the walls—huge slits that looked out onto the sky. How far up we were, I could not fathom. I felt a little giddy, but whether it was from altitude or from just the knowledge that Hyto was locked away, I didn’t know.
“I hope Delilah’s not too worried,” I said, suddenly realizing that my sister had no clue what had happened to me. The last she saw, I’d been carried off by Hyto, and Smoky and Vishana had disappeared along with us. “I wish I could let them know I’m alive.”
“They’ll know soon enough. I know it’s hard, my love, but we cannot leave yet. We must finish matters with Hyto.” Smoky buried his face in my hair and gently kissed my cheek. “I am so proud of you, Camille. You’ve been brave—and you’ve kept a calmer head than I.”
Saying nothing, I tightened my grip around his neck, reveling in the feel of his arms, his presence. We came to a turnoff to the left and Smoky opened the ten-foot door leading into the chamber. As he carried me over the threshold, I let out a little gasp.
Smoky set me down. “Welcome to my family home in the Dragon Reaches. Your home, too—I told you on returning from my last trip that the Council put the seal of approval on our marriage. You are welcome here, as much as any dragon.”
The room sparkled. Voluminous lengths of silver and blue material draped across the walls, sparkling with metallic threads. The same crest I remembered seeing on a shield in Smoky’s bedroom adorned the wall—a huge bas-relief sculpture set in lapis lazuli and silver. A dragon, glancing over his shoulder, was engraved on the front with nine silver stars shooting out of his mouth into the sky.
Stretching over the dragon—two silver foils crossing blades shimmered, set in silver. Beneath the dragon, nine silver snowflakes drifting down from the sky. The borders of the crest were set in silver, with two vertical lines of knot-work to the left of the dragon.
I slowly walked over to the crest. “Tell me. This is the one in your barrow. You said that belonged to your father and your grandfather . . . is this, then, Hyto’s symbology?”
Smoky nodded. “It is my paternal crest, yes. But I count it as my grandfather’s more than Hyto’s. Hyto did not deserve it—he carried the shield out of obligation rather than honor. Over there, on the other wall, is my mother’s crest.”
On the opposite wall, the crest was set in silver and onyx. In the center, a dragon coiled, etched in the onyx. To the left, five sparkling silver stars. To the right, four stars faceted from diamonds. I gasped at the size of the diamonds—they were as big as my fist. Overhead, nine lines of silver arched over the dragon. Below, something had been written in silver, but I could not read it. Instinctively, I could tell that this crest outweighed the other in importance—by a long, long ways.
“What does this say?” I asked, kneeling down to look at the writing.
Smoky knelt beside me and made a sign of genuflection toward the crest. His voice was low. “It says, Dreams into action, life into death, take honor to heart, bring honor to breath. It means . . . my mother’s family is one of the oldest in the Dragon Reaches. I am truly a lord among my people. We are looked to for role models. My mother is very big on honor—which is why she married Hyto in the first place. Her father had promised . . . she could not break his promise.”
I nodded. “I think I like your mother.”
He smiled, then. “She is an amazing dragon, a woman who values truth over treasure. She does what needs to be done and does not flinch from duty. Come though, you should bathe and prepare yourself for the Council.”
A shiver of fear ran through me. “What should I expect? What am I getting into?”
Smoky paused, then shook his head. “You will be fine. I cannot prepare you because it is expected that you come to Council as who you truly are. If I coach you and you act according to what I say, the elders will know.”
Oh yeah, that made me feel better. I swatted him. “Fine, then. Give me soap and water and if you can find something that will fit me, clean clothes?”
Smoky led me to a bathing chamber with a huge marble tub that was filled with bubbling, steaming water. I stripped and he ogled me as I crawled into the dragon Jacuzzi, enjoying the whirl of froth that immediately began to ease my muscles. I leaned back against the marble, nearly falling asleep, letting the tension soak out of my body. After a moment, I noticed that Smoky had taken off his clothing and was crawling into the tub with me, a lecherous look on his face.
His long, muscled body was magnificent and I couldn’t help but run my gaze over the six-foot-four icy drink of water. His hair coiled and curled, sure signs that he was ready for playtime, and one glance at his cock told me the same thing. He was standing at attention, engorged and rigid. A swell of desire broke through my weariness.
“Oh, you think you’re getting some?” I couldn’t help but laugh. My wounds weren’t hurting as much, thanks to the Moon Mother, and the knowledge that we had Hyto strapped down and preparing to face trial made me ever so giddy. I leaned forward, crossing my arms over my breasts. “What makes you think you can crawl into my bath unasked, sir?”
“Because, you are my chosen mate, and my wife, and I know you too well—you’ve got that look on your face that says you’re hungry for sex. I’m sorry the others aren’t here. Well, I’m not, to be honest, but I know you like to play with all of us. I’ll just have to be enough this time.” But his eyes were twinkling and I knew he was teasing.
“You think so? What if I say I have a headache?” But at the sight of his puppy-dog face and pleading eyes, I relented. Truth was, they were all enough, at any one time. But for keeps, I did need all three of my husbands. I loved them all, and my love for them just kept growing as we were together. I couldn’t imagine any other combination that would make me this happy.
I pulled him to me, and he knelt between my legs in the spacious tub, as I leaned back against the warm marble. He fastened his lips to mine, as his tongue entered my mouth, playing against my own. We kissed for a long moment, him lying atop me, my breasts pressed to his chest.
And then I pushed him back, just a little, my hands on his shoulders. “We need to talk first. We really need to talk.”
He looked a little hurt and his expression stabbed into me. “Did I do something wrong? Are you not ready yet? I know Hyto’s attack . . .” His voice drifted off and he stroked my face. “Do you want to wait until the collar is gone?”
“No, no, my love. It’s not you, and I do want you. But we need to discuss a couple of things first. I want there to be no secrets between us.” I slid up to a sitting position and took his hands in mine as he sat cross-legged in front of me.
“All right. Then what?”
