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Her voice drifted off. I held my breath as a nasty look crossed her face—an I'm gonna kick you in the balls look. "But… I need something you carry. Give it to me. Give me the horn. "
Startled, I stumbled back. Mordred moved then, rushed toward me at lightning speed. I matched his pace. He might be part Fae, but my bet was he'd never lived among his otherworldly kin. My blood was at the top of my veins, his was buried in history.
"Don't even think about it," I said, dancing away. I slid my hand in my pocket and wrapped it around the horn. "Don't even try it. The horn was a gift for me, and only I can use it. And if I do, it will shatter you. " A bluff, of course, but conceivably true. It sounded good, at least.
As I backed my way toward the trail, I wondered if I'd be able to make it to the barrow before they caught me. There were three of them, although Arturo didn't look nearly so keen on catching me as did Morgaine and her nephew.
I was debating on whether to turn and run or to try to face them down when a blinding flash startled the hell out of me. Could it be Smoky?
"Leave her be. This is my territory and you are trespassing on it. "
I swung around. There, standing tall and regal and crowned in a swath of energy far stronger than before, stood Titania. And she didn't look happy.
Chapter Sixteen
"Titania!" Morgaine's voice echoed through the clearing.
The element of surprise was clearly in the Fae Queen's court. Titania gave Morgaine a warning look as I raced over to her side.
"Am I ever glad to see you. " Maybe she'd overlook me stealing away her lover just this once. After all, it wasn't like I'd taken Tom Lane for myself. I glanced up at the tall, gossamer beauty, and she gave me a sly smile. Good sign? Bad sign? Not sure, I opted to hope it was good.
Titania stepped in front of me, and as she did so, she whispered, "Your scaly boyfriend asked me to keep watch over you. "
Scaly boyfriend? I did the wisest thing I could think of. I kept my mouth shut.
Morgaine gave Titania the once-over. "So, last I heard, you were so deep in your cups that you might as well roll over in the gutter and die. What happened? Run out of wine?"
Hokay, that was enough for me. I backed away. Titania might be a shadow of her former self, but she could still mop up the floor with me and wring me out to dry afterward. If Morgaine provoked her enough…
Titania straightened her shoulders. She no longer reeked of booze, and her powers crackled around her, a nimbus of sparks. Oh yeah, apparently her stint in magical rehab had done wonders. Her dress, a gossamer see-through gown, seemed to float from her shoulders, and her long, golden hair shimmered under the bonfire light.
"Upstart. I know what you're doing. Don't you even dare dream that you could replace me. If the Courts of Fae rise again, I will be riding the crest, not you. I could squash you like a beetle with one hand. " She moved forward, gliding as if she were skimming the grass with her feet.
Morgaine caught her breath, and I saw her step back, fear washing across her face. Yeah, mighty sorceress she might be, and half-Fae, but she was a baby compared to Titania's age and full power.
"You… you have hidden out for so long and now you expect to step in and reclaim a throne you willingly vacated years back? The Merlin told me you were fickle, when he taught me so long ago—"
"Fickle? We're all fickle, you snot-nosed brat. " Titania squared her shoulders and raised a finger, pointing it at the sorceress. "You, me, her—" She swung around to nod to me. "Anyone with Fae blood will turn their backs on someone they love, sometime. It's in our blood, it's in our nature. Don't you know that the Merlin was my lover long before you were born? He was an old fool who cared too much for his reputation and too little for what he could offer to the world. If you seek his help to raise the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, you'll understand what it truly means to be betrayed. "
Morgaine opened her mouth, then quietly closed it. She dropped to one of the fallen logs and clasped her hands together. "I know. That's why I stopped hunting for him. But we have to do something. I cannot allow this world—and all that I love about it—to fall into the hands of the demons. And that girl is no match for a demon lord. " Again, a nod to me.
I was beginning to feel invisible, the proverbial fly on the wall. I started to speak, but Mordred, who had inched his way over to my side, shook his head.
"Don't get involved. It isn't safe. " He had a dark scowl on his face, and I wondered what he thought of the whole matter.
But I didn't ask. I wanted to hear everything I could that Titania and Morgaine were saying.
Titania gave Morgaine a dangerous smile, showing her teeth just enough to remind me of a snarling dog. "Don't dismiss the girl and her sisters so lightly. And remember this: they are under my protection and the protection of the dragon who lives on my land. "
I blinked. Obviously, Smoky and Titania were having some sort of dispute over property boundaries. I idly wondered if he'd ever slept with her, but decided not to go there. At least not right now.
"Morgaine, we have much to discuss. " She turned back to me. "Camille, return to Smoky's for now. Do not stray from the path; there are dangerous traps and creatures that wander this land. We will be in touch with you soon. You are not out of this yet. "
"But the horn—she has—" Morgaine jumped to her feet.
"Enough!" Titania's voice shook the clearing, and Morgaine cringed. "Leave it be for now. "
I chose that moment to make my exit, stage left. I gave a short bow to the Fae Queen emeritus and the sorceress. As soon as I was away from the clearing, I started to jog along the path, wanting to put distance between me and the sparring women. What the hell were they up to? Titania looked far stronger than the last time I'd met her. I would have bet my pay that she couldn't have returned from the sodden state she'd been in, but I'd been wrong.
As I rounded the bend, a noise startled me. I glanced over my shoulder to check if Mordred had followed me, but there was no one there. Just then, a beautiful red fox raced onto the path and blocked my way. I dropped to my knees.
"Morio! I'm so glad to see you. " I recognized the particular glint in his eye. Within seconds, he'd changed back into human form and retrieved his bag from beneath a huckleberry bush.
"Camille, I was worried about you. I saw everything. I've been prowling the land all day. Smoky and Titania have the place loaded with magical traps, but I'm good at spotting most of them. " He helped me to my feet and slid his arms around my waist, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "I thought I was going to have to jump in there and help you get away from that witch. "
"You mean bitch, don't you? I don't think I like Morgaine," I said, frowning. "Grandmother Coyote was right. She's power hungry. "
"She may be, but she's right about one thing: we need all the help we can get to fight Shadow Wing. " He drew me to the side of the path. "This area is safe. I checked. "
As we settled down on the lush patch of grass, Morio held out his arm and I leaned into it, realizing how comforting it was to be on familiar turf again. Morio and Trillian were safe. I knew them, we had our routine and rhythm down. But everything out here felt dangerous. Smoky, included.
"I'm scared," I said. "I just want it to be tomorrow so that I can go home. "
"It will be soon, just hang on a little longer," he murmured.
I leaned forward and propped my elbows on my knees. "So, what did you and Delilah find out about the rug shop?"
"Demon scent there, all right. I went in, just in case they recognized Delilah. The owner wasn't there, but his assistant was. A woman named Jassamin. I think she's the one who was asking after Menolly. "
"What's she like? Do you think she's a djinn like we thought?" Djinns were tricky to pinpoint, but there were ways to flush them out. And Morio was well-versed in identifying magical beings.
"She's beautiful, she's sensuous, and yes, she's a djinn. " He g
rinned at me as I slapped him on the arm.
"Beautiful and sensuous, huh?" An odd little flutter inside warned me that I was tripping close to playing the jealousy card. I had no idea where the feeling had sprung up from. It had never bothered me before if my lovers had their own private flings. But something was shifting, and it had started when we came Earthside.
He snorted. "I knew that would get your attention. Don't worry, I have no intentions of getting involved with a djinn. I don't like them, for one thing. For another, anybody hanging around a greater demon has to be bad news. I think she's young, in terms of her abilities. The underlying wards on the shop were very strong, but the ones that I could tell she had erected were weak and easily overcome. "
"Did you say greater demon?" My blood turned to ice.
He nodded.
"But djinn technically aren't demons, they aren't even considered to be minor demons like imps and incubi. So where do you think the scent of greater demon is coming from? I can't believe one just wandered through the shop. "
Morio shook his head. "I don't think so, either. Honestly? I think it's the owner. The scent went beyond the areas they allow customers in. I snuck into the office while the girl was off checking on a nonexistent order I'd put in, and sure enough, the room was rife with it. The stench is stuck in my nostrils and driving me nuts. "
My breath quickened. "Want to make a bet we've found out where the Raksasa lives?"
He nodded. "Again, that seems logical. Whoever he is—and it's a he, that much I could tell, well, he's big and he's bad and he's dangerous. We're going to have our hands full with this mess. "
"What mess?" Smoky suddenly appeared from around the bend. He gave Morio a long, studied look, then slowly turned back to me.
I jumped to my feet, suddenly feeling guilty for talking to my lover. "We're discussing the demon. Probably a Raksasa, from what we know. And a nasty one, at that. "
Morio smoothly rose to his feet and gave Smoky a casual nod. "We've also got a djinn on our hands who might be in cahoots with him. "
With a slow blink, Smoky let out a little huff, and I saw the faint trace of smoke wisp out of his nostrils. Disconcerting, to say the least.
"Not only that" I hurried to say, "but I found out that Morgaine is planning on resurrecting the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, and she's nominated herself for the title of Seelie Queen. Titania is over there right now, stone cold sober, and ticked off like you wouldn't believe. "
"Wonderful," Smoky said, looking like he couldn't care less. "As long as they keep the battle off of my lands, it doesn't matter to me what they do. Meanwhile, Morio, I assume you came out here to tell Camille about the demon?" And nothing else was heavily implied in his voice.
Morio shrugged, ignoring the hint. "Yes, and to make sure she's all right. You're a dragon, yes. You could hand roll us on your thighs and smoke us like Cuban cigars, true. But that won't stop Camille's friends and family from making sure that she's okay. We like you enough, don't get us wrong, but she's our… she's my mistress, and her sisters are worried about her. "
Smoky considered his words, then turned back to the trail. "Come then. We can talk better inside, where there are no prying ears to listen, nor eyes to take note of our actions. "
Morio gave me a surprised look, and I shrugged. Who knew the whys and wherefores of Dragonkin? I fell in behind Smoky and, with Morio at my heels, we headed back to the barrow.
The warmth of the barrow—even as cavernous as it was—felt welcoming after the chill of the spring night. Morio gazed around, politely refraining from asking any questions. But I noticed he was paying careful attention to the layout of the place. Casing the joint, I would have said if I didn't know him better.
Smoky ignored him and crossed to a hand-carved bar that sat in the living room area, where he poured three snifters of brandy. He motioned for us to sit.
"Come, we'll discuss your demon problem. You say a Raksasa? I've never had a run-in with one, but some of my Asiatic cousins have. They can be extremely dangerous, and they're very good at…" he paused. "Morio, would you do me a favor?"
Morio stared at him. "What do you want?"
Smoky motioned toward the kitchen. "Will you bring me a bottle of Perrier? It's in the icebox. "
Confused—Smoky seemed such a gracious host, and it seemed odd for him to ask a guest to run an errand—I stood. "I can get it for you. "
"Camille, sit. " He spoke quietly, but one look in his eyes told me that I'd be treading deep water if I didn't obey. I sat.
"Sure," Morio said, still frowning. He rose and went into the kitchen. As soon as he was gone, Smoky whispered something in a low voice—again, I couldn't make out what he was saying—and pointed toward the kitchen. A faint shimmer of blue fire wreathed the door.
"Now we'll wait," he said, glancing at me. I opened my mouth to ask what he was doing, but he shook his head. "In a moment. "
Morio came bopping back through the door then, his attention on the bottle in his hand. He walked through the fire without blinking. At least, he did for three steps. Then he turned and stared at the door behind him.
•'Checking to make sure I'm really who I say I am?" He tossed Smoky the green bottle of water, and Smoky caught it with one hand. "Can't say that I blame you. Not with a Raksasa in the picture. "
"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked, feeling both insulted and yet strangely protected by Smoky's actions.