I introduced Hanna to Howl, who had shed his outer pelts. With leather buckskin pants and a bare chest, he was pretty much dressed the same as last I’d seen him . . . except the headdress was different. He had long dark hair, gathered back in a ponytail, with eyes just as dark.

“Howl, please, meet Hanna. She saved my life.” Even as I spoke, something gave way inside, and I slid to the floor, unable to stand.

One of the largest white wolves padded forward to press her nose against my side. I knew who it was. Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, she transformed. She was short, about five five, and sturdy; with eyes that glimmered ice blue, Kitää had hair as silver as Smoky’s. Dressed in a white pair of soft leather pants and matching tunic, she knelt by my side and stroked my hair.

“You are hurt,” she said, and I burst into tears as Kitää, Howl’s wife, the Queen and Mother of the Katabas Wolf People, gathered me in her arms and rocked me gently.

I leaned into her soft body, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep, but one of the warriors raced in, kneeling at Howl’s feet. Howl motioned for him to rise. “What news, Taj?”

“Lord Howl, the dragon at the top of the mountain has gone on a rampage. Fire is raging in the upper forests.” Taj, who by the coloring of his hair I guessed was a gray wolf, was standing at alert. The rest of the pack picked up the scent of his worry off him and began to mill around, in both wolf and human form.

I let out a little cry. “Hyto. It’s Hyto. He’s made a dreyerie for himself up there. He’s been there about five years, though—from what I understand.”

Howl turned to me, slowly looking me up and down. “Indeed, the dragon has been living there five years. But you say it is Hyto? The White Demon?” And then he paled. “You have come from there. Is Iampaatar up there with him?”

I shook my head. “Hyto captured me.” Stopping as a lump rose in my throat, I tried to keep my panic at bay and slowly showed him my collar. “He kidnapped me. This is his mark. He was trying to lure Smoky here, to destroy him.”

Kitää gasped. “He caught you?” She looked into my eyes and I opened my heart to her, telling her everything that had happened with a single look. As her expression fell, she ducked her head, shaking it gently. “Oh my child, you are truly hurt.”

Nodding, I forced the tears back. “Yes . . . But Hanna helped me escape, and Hyto is furious. We saw him raging early this morning, from the boulder field on the Skirts of Hel.”

“We have to get you out of here,” Howl said. “Before the dragon rains fire down on my people. That collar can lead him to you—once he comes out of his rage long enough to remember it.”

“I don’t want to put you in danger,” I whispered. “But I don’t know if I can make it down to the portals on my own. I could barely make it here. I am hurt, bruised sore through.”

“We don’t have time to stand on ceremony.” Howl motioned for Kitää to help me.

Hanna started to protest, but I shook my head at her. “It’s okay. Howl won’t harm me.” I stripped out of the garments, now soaked with sweat and the scent of fear. As I winced, peeling off the underlayer of lighter clothing that had stuck to some of my open wounds, Kitää let out a sharp cry and Howl shouted.

“You poor child.” Kitää hurried forward, examining my back. As she circled me, her gaze fell to the dark bruises and raw skin between my thighs and she raised her eyes to meet mine. “He has grievously injured you.” She turned to Howl. “He has violated her, as well as beaten her.”

Howl let out a low growl. “We will help you get safely home. I will not let him take you from our midst.”

I inhaled a deep breath, shuddering, and as we stood there, a low shimmering caught my attention. “Someone is coming through from the astral—over there!”

The warriors of the tribe swiftly moved into position, weapons to the ready. As we waited with pent breath, three shapes flickered into view and I shouted with joy, as Rozurial, Shade, and Vanzir stepped in off the astral.

And then I saw the expressions on their faces as they took in the bruises and welts on my body. Vanzir let out a sharp cry, as Shade began to rumble. Roz hurried toward me and gently draped his duster around me, but the inner pockets were full of weapons and I moaned as something sharp and pointy scraped a sore spot. He quickly pulled it away from my shoulders, but by then Kitää had found a luxurious fur drape and slid it around me.

All the adrenaline that had been keeping me going suddenly vanished, and once again I lost my balance and tumbled forward, into Roz’s arms. He gathered me up and Kitää led him over to a soft pallet of fur pelts. As I tried to catch my breath, she motioned to a serving girl and soon I was holding a cup of hot broth, propped up by Roz, who was sitting behind me, with me leaning back against his chest. Vanzir and Shade knelt nearby.

“You’re safe now, Camille.” Shade took my hand, but I pulled away. Too much attention was making me feel weak. “What’s this?” He fingered the collar, then let out a sharp hiss. “Evil! What evil do you wear?”

“Hyto’s collar.” I motioned Hanna over to sit beside me. “This woman saved my life. She’s to thank for me escaping.”

“We’ll take you home as soon as you’re ready to travel. And we’ll get that collar off you.” Roz stroked my hair back away from my face. I pressed my lips together.

“Where’s Smoky?” I looked up at him, dreading yet needing to know the answer.

“Looking for you. He’s on the rampage. He went to the Dragon Reaches to find out what he could about Hyto . . .”

I turned to Vanzir. “The other night . . . I don’t know when—I’ve lost track of the time—you came to me . . .”

“I still don’t know how I got out there, but when you told me you were in a cavern near the Skirts of Hel, I remembered what Iris had said about her journey and thought that maybe . . . just maybe . . . so Roz and Shade brought me along with them.”

“We weren’t quite sure where to look, so we have been looking as we came up the mountain from the portals,” Roz said. “You told Vanzir near the Skirts of Hel, but we weren’t sure in which direction. It took some doing to get our bearings, but it helped that I’d been here before.”

“We have to get out of here.” I struggled to sit up. “I can’t let my presence put Howl’s people in danger.” The Elemental Lord would be able to handle Hyto, but his people weren’t quite as powerful as he was.

“Lady Camille, it is true you are a threat here, but we will not ask you to leave until you are ready,” Kitää said. She pressed a mug of soup into Hanna’s hand and gave us soft bread and meat. We both gulped down the food, along with big steins of heady beer.

I wiped the crumbs off my mouth. “I need to get home. Hanna—you’d better come with me. If Hyto finds you, he’ll kill you. I don’t know if you can adjust to life over Earthside, but until we’ve somehow managed to destroy Smoky’s father, you need protection.”

“I’m not the one he’s after,” she said, softly brushing a stray strand of hair out of my face. “My dear, I’ve done what I set out to do—help you escape. I really haven’t thought further than that. I thought I might search for my daughters . . . in hopes they still live.”

I grabbed her hand. “You don’t dare run off now. Hyto will seek you out, and he will kill you for your part in this. Do you want to chance your daughters’ lives to him? At least come with me until we’ve found a way to deal with him.”

She smiled softly, then knelt by my side. “You are a caring woman. I hope I can call you my friend.” Then, after a pause, she added, “Yes, I will come with you. Warn me of things I need to be aware of. I’ve heard that Earthside has wonders unheard of in the Northlands and in Otherworld, but I will miss my home.”

I pressed her hand against my lips and kissed it gently. “It does, my friend. And terrible troubles, as well.” Forcing myself to stand, I turned to Shade. “We need to leave. I would not put Howl and Kitää’s people in any further danger. How are we going to manage this? Can you carry two of us?”

He glanced over at Rozurial. “Let me take Vanzir. My travel is better suited toward those not of mortal stock. You . . . do you think you can take two of them at once?”

Rozurial bit his lip. “I don’t know . . .”

Kitää stepped up. “I will go with you and carry one of the women. I can also travel through the Ionyc Seas. I will make the portal jumps with you to Elqaneve, where you can all travel through the portal back to Earthside. My husband, do you mind?” She turned to Howl, who nodded gruffly.

“Aye, woman, go ahead, but do not tarry on the way home, and be cautious. Dragons are wily, and dangerous, and too clever for their own good. Meanwhile, I will send a runner to the Dragon Reaches in search of Iampaatar, and bid him head homeward to his woman.”

They found some clean clothes for Hanna and me and, with Kitää’s and Hanna’s help, I dressed. Then, after Hanna had changed into a clean outfit, we gathered in the main council chamber.

Shade slid his arm around Vanzir, Rozurial took me, and Kitää gathered Hanna to her. Without another word, we slid into the Ionyc Seas.

I was going home.

“Bless you and your people, for giving us shelter. May the Moon Mother shine down on you in all her glory with all her blessings. I will not forget the debt I owe you.”

She smiled gently. “You owe us no favor, save for to do your best to destroy the monster on the mountain. We knew a dragon had taken hold up there but weren’t sure just who. That it is Iampaatar’s father is a deathly knell. He is truly mad. And Camille—be cautious. If he catches you again, I dread to think what he’ll do.”

“I know what he’s capable of,” I whispered. “In the long run, I think I got off easy . . . but it wouldn’t have been long before the real pain would have begun. I don’t think I could withstand it.”

“Just be careful, please. Remember the wolf people when you next go hunting with the Moon Mother.” Then, before we could say another word, she ducked back inside the portal and vanished.

I turned to Roz. “Home. Let’s get home. It will take Hyto some time to follow the signature in my collar, but we need to get it off as soon as we can.”

And so we entered the portal, ignoring the stares of the elves filing in and out, and jumped back home, Earthside.

“Camille, you live. I thought you might when your threads began to untangle from those of the white dragon.” She gazed at me, long and deep, from within the folds of her hooded gray cloak. Grandmother Coyote’s face was lined with more rivers and valleys than a topographical map, and her eyes were a streaming flow of whirling clouds and stars. When she smiled, her teeth gleamed—sharp steel. She was truly one of the ancients.

I thought about asking her help—there was always a steep price to pay, but she leaned forward and took my hand, upending it in her palm. She slowly shook out one finger bone from the bag in her other hand, to land on my palm.

“Free advice, so listen well.” She gazed at the bone in my hand. “Do not stay in your home. Go instead to your husband’s abode—the barrow. It will be safer. The dragon’s fire is seeking you out. He is not done with you yet, but you can live through this if you are smart. As long as you wear his mark, he will find you—and you cannot undo it until his death.”

She removed the bone from my hand and dropped it back in the bag.

“We have to kill a dragon . . . How can we do that? Only Smoky stands a chance . . .” Feeling hopeless, I stared at the old crone, wishing for all the world she might for once intervene. But the Hags of Fate seldom took sides in the way of the world, letting events flow around them as they watched and listened.

“There is another . . . there is help where you least expect it.” And then she turned to Vanzir. “Young demon, fret not. You are not at the heart of this. And the gods can regift where they’ve taken away . . . hold hope in your heart.”

I turned to look at Vanzir. He shifted his gaze, but not before I’d caught the distress in his eyes—which spiraled like a vortex. I suddenly understood. He blamed himself for my condition. Any lingering anger I had toward him vanished and I moved forward, tears flooding my eyes.

“This wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t Smoky’s fault. Or mine. The only one to blame here is Hyto. He’s the one who hurt me.”

“But if I hadn’t . . . if . . . Smoky hadn’t chased you out of the house, you wouldn’t have been captured.” The words came streaming out of his mouth, and for once I heard his voice crack with emotion.

“No . . . no . . . sometimes life just happens. Sometimes the universe plays horrid practical jokes on us. And sometimes, the world just sucks. Events snowball . . . shit happens, Vanzir. I don’t blame you.” And even as I said the words, I felt something within myself lighten and fly away, a secret resentment I’d been carrying around since that night in the tunnels.

Vanzir sucked in a deep breath and met my gaze. “You don’t?”

“No, I don’t.”

Rozurial glanced around nervously. “I’m glad you two are all buddy-buddy, but we’d better get out to Smoky’s barrow. I’ll take you there through the Ionyc Seas, then come back for Hanna—”

“No.” Vanzir’s voice was so loud it sounded like a thunderclap. “We don’t dare leave Camille alone out there. I’ll bring Hanna in the car. You and Shade head out there with her. I’ll stop at the house and let them know—Delilah and Menolly are probably at home.”

“Menolly would have to be—we’re into morning now.” I shivered. The snow-covered wood was starting to get to me, and I was losing it fast. The next time I faltered, I’d probably pass out.

Roz and Shade agreed, and so, sheltered once again in Roz’s arms, we leaped into the Ionyc Seas, and the maelstrom of traveling between worlds raged around me as I leaned into his shoulder.

“How did you find me? Just kill me now . . . please, just kill me.” I couldn’t go through any more. I wasn’t a rock, wasn’t as strong as everybody thought. “I’m weak, I’m so weak. I can’t be the anchor anymore. I can’t hold up everybody’s burdens . . . just let me slide into the darkness. Please.”

“Oh, the darkness will swallow you deep and never let you go, girl. When I’m done with you. But we’ve just started, Camille. You and I have a long, dark road to walk together.”

He laughed and the blows began to fall, one after another after another, white hot and searing into my flesh. As the skin began to peel back from muscle and bone, I cried out for Smoky, for Trillian, for Morio . . . for my sisters . . . not wanting to die alone at the hands of a madman.

The voice cut through the pain, and I woke, screaming, to find myself in the mountainous four-poster bed that Smoky had in his bedroom, dressed in a filmy nightgown that floated away from my injuries. Slowly, groggy and feeling hungover, I pushed myself to a sitting position, wincing as I did so, trying to figure out what the hell was happening.

A blur of movement startled me, and I scrambled back against the pillows, dragging the comforter up to cover me. My heart raced and for a moment I couldn’t focus, but then I saw that it was Vanzir who had woken me up. And Hanna was asleep in the rocking chair.

I tried to calm my breath and leaned forward into his arms as he wrapped them around me and held me quietly until the tears stopped flowing. He pushed me back then and offered me a handkerchief.

“I still have nightmares of my time with Karvanak,” he said softly. “I never tell anybody—after all, I’m a demon; I’ve done worse to others. But his treatment . . . he was a sadist through and through.”

“Like Hyto,” I whispered, staring at the covers. The pale blue-on-blue pattern was delicate, almost lacy. An odd choice, but Smoky had his elegant side that I’d always loved dearly.

“Like Hyto. I’m not sure all he did to you, but Camille . . . you’re going to need some help to get through this, I think.” Vanzir looked around, then picked up a bathrobe and wrapped it around my shoulders. “Can you walk? You should eat something.”

I stopped him. “I’m glad Smoky called truce with you. I didn’t want to tell him, but . . .”

“But you are married to him—and to Morio and Trillian, and they deserved to know. And you love them and wouldn’t hurt them by letting them find out accidentally. I know. I get it. Believe me. Come, let me get you food.”

I tugged at the collar. “I hate this. I hate this with a passion. And he can track me through it. I want it off; it feels like it’s choking me.”

“That was what the soul binder felt like, but that I went into voluntarily. This . . . you should never have had to wear this. I’m so sorry.” And once again, his voice cracked. He shook his head, the spiked blond shag barely moving.

“Vanzir . . . what happened, happened. I forgive you. And I forgive myself. And that’s all anybody will ever have to know. I won’t let Smoky hurt you.” As I stumbled out of bed, Hanna shifted. “Why isn’t she in a bed of her own? She can’t just sleep in the chair.”

“She insisted on sleeping near you, to keep watch. I spiked her drink with a sleeping aid. The woman was worn out.” He gazed down at her. “She’s comely enough, but looks harsh . . .”

“She spent five years locked up with Hyto, doing his bidding, watching her son descend into madness because of the dragon. She has a right to be harsh.” I motioned for Vanzir to gather her out of the rocking chair and put her in the bed. He did so, covering her gently with the blankets. Then, as I wrapped the bathrobe around my aching body, we headed out into the main living chamber.

The smell of my love was everywhere—dragon musk, but this was a soothing musk, a gentle, loving scent. Smoky could raze a town if he wanted, but he was my love and my heart. Hyto was a madman. As I sought to unentangle the two in my mind—Smoky took after his father in looks—I glanced around the barrow for the wind-up clock. Here, time slowed, and electronics ceased to work.

Smoky’s barrow was located out near Mount Rainier, in a faerie mound—a barrow he’d co-opted from Titania for his own. Toward the back of the area he used for a living room, a dropoff led to a huge underground tunnel, through which he could fly in dragon form. To the right was the bedroom and bath, and to the left, a kitchen-dining area.

The furnishings were old, heavy wood, expensive antiques, and the scent of cigar smoke filled the air—Smoky was big on brandy and cigars in his own digs, though he abstained from smoking when around me because the smoke bothered both Delilah and me so much.

The scent of cigar was cut with the smell of sizzling sausage, and my stomach lurched. I realized I was famished. How I could be hungry after what I’d been through escaped me, but the fact was, my body craved food. As I achingly made my way toward the kitchen door, it opened and out came Delilah and Trillian.

“Camille!” Trillian dropped the plates he was carrying, and they shattered on the floor as he raced over to grab me up and spin me around. When I let out a shriek of pain, he immediately put me down. “Oh crap, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. My beloved, forgive me.” The look on his face was one I’d never before seen—a mixture of terror and joy.

Holding my sore ribs, I let him lead me over to the sofa and gently pull me down on his lap. “No . . . it’s just . . . I hurt everywhere.” And then, even as Delilah was rushing over, food in hand, I fell into his arms and kissed him deeply, trying to wash the memory of Hyto’s touch out of my mind with Trillian’s eager, loving embrace.

As I finally came up for air, he slid me off his lap and put a pillow behind my back. “Morio would be here if he could. Shade’s at home, watching over him now, along with Rozurial.”

I nodded, biting my lip. “Is Smoky back yet?”

“No, but he will be here soon, trust me, love. Now eat.”

Delilah returned to the kitchen and brought out fresh plates, then fixed me a breakfast of sausage, eggs, and biscuits and a tumbler of orange juice as Vanzir swept up the broken glass. Her mouth was pursed, and she looked like she was about to cry, but I could tell she was trying to keep her composure.

As I forked the food into my mouth, I wasn’t sure what to say. What could I say? Hyto had raped me, beaten me, humiliated me, and I still wore his collar, spelling out that I was his possession. Oh, I could just come out and say, I’m fucked up . . . I can’t get his image out of my mind. Because it was true—no matter how much I wanted to, when I closed my eyes he was there, towering over me, his face a fury, his eyes gleaming with the darkness of insanity. But that wouldn’t do any good except to make them feel worse.

“What . . . what do you need?” Delilah finally caught her breath and her words spilled out, sounding wan and hollow. She hung her head. “I’m sorry—I don’t know what to say, what to ask. Menolly was here all night, pacing, but she had to go home this morning.”

“How long was I out?” I jerked my head up.

“Close to twenty-four hours.” She looked up as the front door opened and Shamas peeked inside. His eyes lit up when he saw me and he opened his mouth, then paused. After a moment, he let out a long sigh and held my gaze, offering me strength without pity, and I gratefully nodded to him.

“Delilah, your phone’s ringing. I answered—it’s Sharah.”

She glanced at me. “I guess I’d better . . .”

“Go take it. When you come back, I have something to tell you.” In my scramble to get away, to find a hiding place where Hyto couldn’t get me, I’d forgotten about Chase, but now the memory of meeting him on the astral flooded back. At least we might be able to rescue him, if nothing else.

As she headed outside, I turned to Trillian. “Is everyone okay? What happened while I was gone?”

“Absolute hell, my love. We were all in absolute hell. Smoky . . . you’ve never seen him angry. Pray you never do. I may be your alpha, but I think he’s all our alpha. Dragons are not to be crossed lightly, and when you threaten their families . . .” He took my hands. “Seriously, I have never seen anyone so anxious to kill. Camille, I’m glad you love him, because now that you’re back, he’ll never, ever let you go.”

I ducked my head. “I hope that he can stop Hyto . . . Trillian—he’s insane. He hated me before; now I can only imagine the torture he has planned for me.” And then I found myself blurting out, “I want to be strong. I don’t want to be afraid of him! But I am—I am so terribly afraid of him. And he can find me . . . he can track me.”

Trillian motioned to Vanzir. “I think she needs a drink. Brandy, please. For the both of us.”

As Delilah came back in, she was smiling, though her lips were still pursed. “Smoky’s back and on his way. He’ll be here any minute. Camille, finish your breakfast. He’s bringing Sharah with him to attend to your wounds.”

Sharah . . . Chase!

“My mind is a little muddled. I was going to tell you a few minutes ago but spaced it again. That first night, I saw Chase. I went out of body onto the astral, after Hyto . . . was done with me.” Biting my lip, I stopped, fighting back the memories. “Anyway, I was on the astral and I saw Chase out there—in body! We may be able to find him if we head out there looking. He can’t get off the astral on his own, but he was alive and well.”

“You saw Chase?” Delilah broke into a smile. “That is good news. And we need every bit we can get.”

Just then, the door burst open and Smoky stood there, in all his glory, with Sharah standing a few steps behind him, looking shaken. Trillian gently backed away from me as my dragon strode toward me, pushing everything that impeded his progress out of the way. And when he reached me, I expected him to grab me up, steeling myself for the pain, but he fell to his knees in front of me and pressed my hands to his forehead.

His voice muted, he whispered, “Can you ever forgive me, my love? Can you ever, ever forgive me?”