As I got out of the car, one look down toward the trail leading to Birchwater Pond told me that Smoky had, indeed, been more than a little upset. Near the mouth of the path, trees had been uprooted and tossed around like a dog might toss a branch. Scorch marks blackened the ground. I swallowed hard, trying to not remember when I’d realized it was Hyto and not Smoky waiting for me.

Smoky stood at my shoulder and gently put his arm around me, glancing into the sky. “Come, let us go in. And whatever you want, just tell us and we’ll make it happen, my love.”

I nodded, slowly, following them up the stairs to the porch. As we entered the house, Trillian and Delilah immediately spread out, searching for any unwanted guests. Iris peeked in from the kitchen and motioned toward the living room. I blew her a kiss, touched by the tears in her eyes when she saw me standing there.

Motioning for the others to remain behind, I silently walked into the living room, afraid to look at my father. Afraid to see that he might be here on business only. It had torn me up to lose his love and support, but he’d forced a choice I couldn’t make in his favor. He’d given me an ultimatum, and I’d responded the only way I could—the only way my conscience would allow.

He was sitting there, his hair a braided mirror of my own, his eyes the same misty lilac color as my own. He glanced up. I couldn’t read his expression. As I approached the sofa where he sat, he stood, holding my gaze.

I nodded. Let him be the first to speak. Let him take the reins so I’d know what I was dealing with.

“Camille . . .” His voice was edgy, unsure.

“Welcome to our home, Ambassador. What can I do for you? Or would you rather speak to Delilah? I know just what you think of me.” My voice took on a raw edge as the words spilled out, unbidden, unplanned.

Father stared at me. First came the challenge—but he’d taught me well, and I said nothing more. Just waited, unwilling to look away or blink. Would he reach out? Would he open his arms to me? Or would he be cold and professional and say what he had to say?

After a moment, he quietly reached inside his pocket and pulled out a folded paper. “I bring you a letter from your Aunt Rythwar. She bade me deliver it—in fact, she insisted. I also make one last plea: You have not yet joined Aeval’s Court. Turn away and you will be welcomed back into Tanaquar’s presence again. And . . . into mine.”

So . . . it was the latter. I slowly picked up the letter and stared at it, then set it back down on the table. With a long look at Father, I walked over to the window and stared out at the snow that was piling up.

“Do you know where I spent the last few days?” When he didn’t answer, I shrugged. “No, of course you wouldn’t. And you wouldn’t care.” Turning around, I touched the collar locked around my throat. “You see this? A dragon captured me. He raped me, he beat me senseless. My body is covered with his bruises and the feel of his hands. His collar is locked on until we can kill him. He’s out there, now, looking for me.”

Sephreh let out a little cry, but I ignored it. I continued on, my voice as hard and cold as I could make it.

“But I escaped. I climbed down a snow-covered mountain, terrified and exhausted. My family was searching for me. I kept hope . . . because, you see, they love me. They stand behind me. I kept hope because I know there’s a demonic war brewing and we’re waiting for Shadow Wing’s next move.”

“Please, stop—”

“No! I will have my say and you will listen. This is my house, not yours. I kept up hope because my goddess offered me strength when the darkness threatened to engulf me. When I was bleeding from the beatings. When Hyto held my head down, forcing me to suck his cock. When my father-in-law kicked me across the rock floor like an abused dog . . . I escaped because I knew what I needed to do. Because people who love me were looking for me. Because I was raised to be the daughter of a soldier, to never give up.”

“Camille—” My father let out a strangled cry, his expression stricken. “Please understand . . .”

“Not anymore. No more. I took over for Mother when she died. I kept my sisters going. You put that responsibility on my shoulders, and I willingly accepted it. But I’m no longer your obedient servant.” I shook my head at him. “I don’t exist to you, do I? I’m no longer your daughter. I’m dead to you. Why should I have expected you to give a fuck? Why did I hope you’d care?”

“You don’t understand! My duty to the Court and Crown—”

“You chose the Court and Crown over your family. I hope that Tanaquar keeps you warm in the winter, that she doesn’t toss you out if you lose your usefulness to her. Because you’ve made it clear you no longer need us.”

“Camille—” My father’s voice cracked. He looked both angry and yet heartbroken.

Picking up my aunt’s letter, I headed for the foyer. “Thank you for this . . . but I’ve got a lot to do before my initiation into Aeval’s Court. I’ve got a dragon I’m thirsting for vengeance against. And I’m a priestess of the Moon Mother . . . and my Lady comes before anyone and anything. She was there for me. You weren’t. Tanaquar wasn’t. Go home, Sephreh. Unless you want to be my father again, on my terms, go home.”

As I left the room, I could hear him whisper behind me. “Camille, my little girl . . .” But he didn’t try to stop me.

I passed Delilah in the hall. “He’s in there. If you have anything to say to him, do so. I’m going to grab a few clothes before we head back out to the barrow. I’m done with him.”

She took one look at my expression and her face fell. “I gotcha. Oh, say, I need my litter box out there.”

“Oh delightful. Just make sure you keep it clean or Smoky’s going to have a fit.” I grinned at her then, grateful for the chance to laugh at something.

What Delilah said to our father, I didn’t know—I didn’t want to know, actually. Instead, I sat on my bed and opened the letter from Aunt Rythwar.

I folded the page and slipped it into my purse, then went about throwing a few more pieces of clothing in a bag. At the last moment, I stopped, opening my jewelry box. There lay all three of my wedding rings. I usually didn’t wear them for fear of losing them, but right now, the only thing I could think of was how much I wanted them on my fingers. I slid them on—two on the left hand, the third on the right.

“Are you ready?” Delilah popped her head in. I nodded, threw my backpack over my shoulder, and followed her down the stairs, wondering if Father was gone but unwilling to ask.

“He left,” she said quietly, reading my thoughts. Or most likely, she just knew me well enough. A glance out the window showed that dusk was almost here. Though I longed for the safety of Smoky’s barrow, I motioned her into the kitchen and put my bag on the table.

“Let’s have a bite to eat before we head back out. We’ll wait for Menolly. Having her with us will make me feel safer, too.”

Iris rushed over to me, threw her arms around me, and hugged me tight. “I’m so grateful you’re safe. I’m so glad you came back to us.”

As we eased into chairs at the table, she put a tray of sandwiches in front of us. “Eat up. I’ll heat up some soup, too—it won’t take but a moment.”

Hungry, and sore as hell—today had taxed my bruises—I bit into a roast beef sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. The bustier was rubbing against my back, and I glanced over my shoulder. “While we’re waiting, can you put something on my back to help me stop hurting? Sharah did earlier, but it’s worn off.”

As I undid the hooks and eyes on the front of the bustier, Delilah moved around behind me to help take it off. I winced as it peeled away from the wounds crossing my back. It helped with my ribs, but the lashes were a pain in the ass to deal with. Delilah let out a choked sound as Iris came back with a bottle of salve, and then I turned to find both of them in tears.

Just then, the secret door behind the bookshelf opened—our biggest running joke now in the household, since most everybody had figured out where the door to Menolly’s lair was—and there stood Menolly. She started to say something, then fell silent. Striding over, she shoved Delilah out of the way and made me stand.

“What he did to you . . .” Her voice was soft, but I’d long learned that a soft-spoken Menolly was a dangerous Menolly. After a moment I sat back down and she knelt beside me, taking my hand. “Did he . . . or do I have to ask?”

“Yes, he did.” I gazed down at her. “You were my strength. You were my inspiration. I remembered what Dredge did to you and kept thinking, If she could resist that . . . I can resist this. If Menolly could withstand the torture she underwent, I can handle a beating or a kicking. Or being raped.”

Menolly let out a snarl as she traced the lashes on my back and the bruises on my ribs. “He’ll die. Hyto will die. None of us will rest until he’s taken down. You helped me with payback to Dredge. I will be at your side until Hyto goes down.”

Delilah knelt at my other side. “That goes for me. Nothing can withstand our bond. Nothing is stronger than our connection.”

Iris watched us closely, then motioned for them to move. “Let me tend to her wounds. Sharah’s good, but I’ve had far more experience.” As she slowly slathered the bruises with the salve, the pain began to subside again. “The collar . . .”

“Won’t come off till he’s dead,” I said flatly. “Now I understand how Vanzir felt—to an extent. His was voluntarily yoked. Mine wasn’t. But the result is the same. Hyto can find me, Hyto can trace me, Hyto lays claim to me until we get this fucking thing off.”

We gathered our things and headed out of the house to where the guys were waiting. Trillian, Smoky, and Chase were there. I looked at the detective. I’d expected him to go back to the station, but he shook his head.

“I told Yugi that until we take care of Hyto, I’m on leave. Officially, I’m on sick leave.” As we climbed in the cars to head back to the barrow, I realized just how grateful I was for my family and friends. They were everything to me.

We were nearly to the barrow when Smoky asked me to turn up the drive instead. Over the past months, he’d created a rough road leading closer to the barrow so we didn’t have to park at the house.

But now we stopped in front of the house where Tom Lane—Tam Lin—used to live when Titania had hung out on the land, bothering Smoky, deep in her cups. Things had changed so much, in a little over a year—so much so it was hard to remember what life had been like before we’d taken on Bad-Ass Luke and first found ourselves thrust into a demonic war.

As we got out, Smoky motioned for just Delilah and me to join him. We headed up the steps, toward the glowing lights that emanated from within the house. Smoky knocked lightly, and within seconds, the door opened.

Estelle Dugan stood there, eyeing us with a half smile. “He’s practicing his swordsmanship today.”

Smoky nodded. “Any better?”

She shook her head. “I’d invite you in, but I’m trying to keep him calm. He fades in and out, but yes, for now he has some semblance of . . . where he is. But I think Georgio is long gone. It’s just St. George left.” She smiled then, fully, looking like a mother glowing over her child.

St. George. Georgio Profeta. We’d first met last year, when he was prowling around our windows. Don Quixote, jousting at windmills. Lancelot, trying to win fair Guinevere. Georgio was every wounded hero who’d found a real live dragon to slay. With his plastic armor and his toy sword, he’d struck at Smoky. And Smoky—being who he was—let the poor man live. Even took him in, set him up with a nurse. No one mentioned it much—Smoky wasn’t one for praise—but we all knew that he felt sorry for the man. That somehow, Georgio had touched his dragon’s heart.

“I want you to be careful. I have guards out in the forests, but I tell you now: My father is on the loose and he’s out for blood. Keep St. George inside. My father doesn’t care for humans.” Smoky stared at Estelle for a moment. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

She shook her head. “No, Lord Smoky. We are well taken care of. I will watch over Georgio. He’s . . . I’m all he’s got, you know. As far as humans go.”

Smoky nodded. “I know. That’s why I check on you every few days. If you should see anyone strange lurking around—especially someone who looks like me—be sure to call the guards the way I told you to. Tell them to come get me immediately. If I send for you, come immediately to the barrow.”

And then we turned and, without another word, descended the stairs. I glanced up at the moon, needing her strength. Needing her comfort. “I need to be outside when we return to the barrow. I need to meditate beneath the Moon Mother.”

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?

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.

“Lie back in my arms. If you need me to stop, then just say the word.” With one hand he stroked down the side of my body, gently playing my skin with his fingertips. His darkened nails—sharp and black—became the bow on the violin as he deftly stroked my breasts, lowering his mouth to my nipple, tugging it very gently with his teeth before lightly sucking.

I caught my breath, a wave of desire and fear racing through me. I wanted him, but I was afraid to give in to the feeling. I still hurt—was this a bad idea? But then his fingers slid down my stomach, fluttering over the bruised skin so lightly I barely felt them except for the sudden flurry of hunger from deep in my body. He reached my clit and softly stroked the embers, coaxing them to ignite, as he whispered in my ear.

“Camille, give yourself up to me. Let me guide you, take you down. That’s right, breathe deep and surrender to the feel of my fingers.” As he swirled against me, his fingers dancing lightly over my body, my breath caught in my chest and I felt the weight of the collar on my neck. Maybe this was a mistake—maybe Hyto could feel me? Could he sense what I was sensing?

“Spread your legs, my love, let me fully explore you.” Morio’s voice brought me back into myself as a sob caught in my throat. I did as he asked, spread my legs, and he slid two fingers inside me, cajoling me, caressing me, tickling me into a delicious froth of hunger.

But there he was—Hyto’s face, smirking down at me. Hyto’s body, ramming itself into me. I fought for control, fought to shove him out of my mind. Fought to take control of my body back from my attacker.

“Camille, breathe deep . . . once, twice . . . tell me where you are.”

The words lurched out of me. “Caught between heaven and hell, my love,” I whispered, my throat thick with phlegm. “I need to release, need to let go, but what if he feels me? What if he’s watching through the fucking collar? What if he uses me?”

“Let go of him. There’s nothing you can do about the collar right now. And if he is? Then let’s give him a show to know what he’s missing—to know what he will never, ever have. What he took from you wasn’t sex, it was strength, and what I give to you is strength.”

Morio’s voice was smooth, satin on skin, and it pulled me down into a haze of sexual hunger. I inhaled deeply on his command, then slowly let it go as he began to stroke me faster. I heard myself crying, sharp jagged little pants as my fear fought the growing heat, but then she was there, with me, the Moon Mother.

I struggled, trying to move beyond the fear, trying to get beyond the roadblock with Hyto’s face on it. His leer bothered me most, the grasping leer. But then I felt—rather than saw—another pair of hands stroking my legs, and yet a third sliding across my arms. The circle was complete—all my men were with me, surrounding me, helping me, protecting me. Trillian leaned forward and kissed me deep, and I felt the dark charming swirl of his sensuality run through me like a waterfall. I shuddered, wanting more.

Smoky’s hair lightly played on my body, but in such gentle swirls that I could no longer see Hyto—instead, there was my dragon, my love, staring down at me. Morio kept up the gentle stroking, insistent, not letting up, pushing me higher and higher.

And then, suddenly, the lightning inside broke, thunder crashing through me, reverberating from head to toe, and with a giant shudder I screamed, one long cry, and all the anger and tears and frustration broke through, flooding me with a wave of cleansing tears as I came long, sharp, and hard.

Gasping, swirling in the haze of passion, I opened my eyes to see the three of them staring down. Still crying, I gathered them in, realizing they’d never turn their backs on me even in the darkest of times.