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As I gazed into his eyes, I couldn’t help but smile. “I love you so much. I love you . . . And Trillian and Morio. You are my chosen mates, as you would say. I am a better woman because of your influences on me. Please, though, know that what happened with Vanzir . . . there was no choice. It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t mine. Don’t blame him—he was trying to protect me and the energy blew up in our faces. I don’t want you angry at him. I would never have let him touch me like that if there had been a choice.”
Smoky pressed my hand to his lips, kissing my fingers. “I realize that, now. I wanted to kill him at first . . . but then you disappeared and Trillian and Morio convinced me I was being stupid. They wanted Vanzir to help find you. And he did. I won’t hurt him, my love. I’ll even be nice to the demon. Just don’t think badly of me.”
“I could never think badly of you. You are not your father, Smoky. You are a good man—a great dragon.” I stroked his face, feeling the smooth skin under my fingers. “Don’t you ever have to shave?”
He shook his head. “I seldom have more than a five o’clock shadow. Green dragons tend to have facial hair—but silvers and whites, rarely. Is there anything else on your mind?”
I nodded. “Yes, love. Your father and what he did to me. Smoky, it’s going to take me a long time to get rid of the memories, but the Moon Mother helped me understand my reactions to some degree—and I know that I’ll come to grips with his attacks eventually. What humiliated me most was groveling at his feet—I will never bow to any man’s foot again, unless it be a king or sovereign where custom dictates. And when he beat me . . .”>The roar became thunder, and the thunder a cascade of sound and movement. I closed my eyes, trying to protect them from the debris, and held tight the unicorn horn. I just wanted everything to stop. Regardless of the consequences, I wanted it all over. I was tired of fighting Hyto, of being afraid every time I turned around. I was tired of the pain and threats, and the knowledge of how ready he was to make good on every one of his ugly promises.
“Enough,” I whispered. “Moon Mother, enough. If you want me to come home to you, take me now. But please, spare Smoky and his mother. And send Hyto to the depths of the abyss.”
There was another loud roar, and then the dust suddenly began to clear and I felt myself fall to the ground. I opened my eyes and saw that Hyto was screaming—I couldn’t hear him through the cacophony of the falling rocks, but the long tendril of his hair that had held me up was on the ground, cut off from near his head. As I stared, droplets of blood began to flow out of the severed ends. Next to him stood Vishana, her nails long talons, dripping with blood.
I whispered to the horn, “Calm, please . . . calm the earth.” And the shaking slowed to a halt. As I stood up, bruised and covered with cuts from the flying debris, Smoky struggled out of another pile of rubble. He raced over to me and pulled me into his arms, but I pushed him away.
“We aren’t done yet,” I said, nodding to Hyto.
Vishana turned to the white dragon, who was struggling to stand. She lifted one delicate arm and backhanded him so hard that she tore a long gash in his face. He let out a curse but fell back, leaning back against the rocks. A large stalactite that had been delicately propped against a pile of rubble shifted and fell across his legs. He was trapped by a ton of rock, and there wasn’t room for him to transform into his dragon self.
Smoky stepped forward, but his mother held up her hand. “Your father’s life is forfeit. But since I am here, I have the final say. This shall be done in the Dragon Reaches. Gather your wife, and I will take Hyto. Meet us in the Council chamber. Camille has first right of punishment.”
First right of punishment? What did that mean? I was about to ask when Smoky merely inclined his head.
“As you wish, my Lady.” He tenderly lifted me in his arms as Vishana grabbed hold of Hyto’s arm and, the bedraggled dragon in hand, vanished.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I don’t understand—what’s going on? Where are we going?”
“You are going to meet my people, my love. We’re going home. To the Dragon Reaches.” And then, before I could say a word, the world again began to turn, and we spun around and around through the Ionyc Seas, just me in the arms of my beloved Smoky.
The hall was larger than I could have imagined. Picture an amphitheater large enough to seat row after row of dragons—in their natural form. Add to that a central pavilion from where Smoky told me the Wing-Liege and the Council presided. The ledges for the dragons were fashioned of a stone that reminded me of marble. One entire wall was open, missing, facing the sky, and I realized that the dragons flew in from there, landing on the spacious deck that stretched the entire front of the pavilion. The skies here were pale blue, with billowing clouds rolling across the sky. The temperature was chilly, but not icy cold like in the Northlands, and I wondered to just what realm the Dragon Reaches belonged.
As we appeared in the center of the room, there was a bustle and a number of dragons—some in their human form, others in their natural form—stopped to stare at us.
Vishana strode into the room. “Your father is being wing-strapped for now. But I have spoken to the Wing-Liege and he has already agreed: Hyto must die. The question is, who gets the first right of punishment. We will meet within two hours. You have time to rest and relax. Camille, I imagine you would like to bathe—the dust in the cavern was thick and your people do not have our natural abilities.”
I stared at her, realizing she was as clean as a whistle. Same as Smoky. “What is with you dragons? How do you do that?”
Vishana laughed. “Iampaatar told me that you and your sisters continually badger him about his secrets. I’m afraid this one is not to be found in a detergent bottle or a washing powder. Now, Iampaatar—take your wife to my chambers. Bid my chambermaids to wait on her—whatever she needs.”
“Excuse me, but the collar . . .” I left the question unfinished, merely brushing the yoke I still wore around my neck.
“That will be removed soon enough. You will never need fear wearing it again after we are done today.” And then, with a gracious nod, Vishana left us, gliding over to talk to a group of other dragons, who I assumed were silvers. They had the same coloring and feel that she did.
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.”
