“I can’t wear this! What if Hotlips is at the Council?” I turned to Smoky, frowning. Hotlips had been his fiancée from an arranged marriage until he’d managed to buy her off.

He smirked. “Is her opinion really of any importance to you? It’s not to me. But as you wish.” He motioned to the maid—who I suspected, from the color of her eyes, was a green dragon. “Find something that truly fits her, please.”

“Yes, Lord.” The maid vanished out of the room.

“She doesn’t talk much, does she?” The woman had barely said a word to me since she’d come in and found us in our second bath of the day. Her eyes had glimmered with a smile, but she’d said nothing other than to curtsey and greet me as Smoky introduced me.

“She’s an indentured servant. Long ago, her father accosted my mother. The Council sentenced his family to serve my mother until the day she dies. Mother chose to train a handful of maids from the sons and daughters and leave it at that. She could have the whole damned family at her beck and call, but she doesn’t abuse privileges.”

“Life in the Dragon Reaches isn’t easy, is it?”

“No.” Smoky was dressed again by the time the maid—I never did catch her name; maybe she didn’t have a public one—returned. She carried a dress similar to the one I’d tried on, but it was shorter and fit better. I slid into it, marveling at the weave of the fabric. It was warm, while appearing to almost float like silk around my body.

“This is lovely. Thank you.” I gave her a warm smile and she returned it before fleeing from the room, only to return with a large platter filled with meats, cheese, and bread. We ate silently.

We were just finishing up the last of the loaf when a soft chime rang through the chamber. Smoky stood, motioning for me to join him. “Time to go. That’s the sound that means the Council will convene shortly.”

As we headed out the door, I wondered what was going to happen. And how. Images tumbled through my mind, broken bits of Hyto’s sneering face, his grasping hands . . . but then it was all moot as we came to the Council chamber and entered.

There, in the center of the floor, lay Hyto, in dragon form. His wings were strapped back, in a rigid framework that looked like a combination of steel and wood and rope. The frame held them in what had to be a painful position. A ball gagged his mouth, strapped over his muzzle, and he could do nothing but thrash on the floor. For all of his sins, I was horrified as I realized just how much humiliation and pain the setup provided. But at a flash of memory of groveling at his feet . . . my horror vanished and I breathed out a long sigh.

Atop the podium were a group of five silver dragons, the center one being the largest dragon in the entire place. He had to be the Wing-Liege. The others gave the air of nobility and I figured they must make up the presiding Council members. The Emperor was nowhere in sight.

As I looked around the stadium, the ledges were filling with dragons, most in their natural form. Vishana was standing to the side, in her dragon form, and as Smoky saw her, he, too, stepped back, and within seconds my husband had transformed into his natural bent.

I was beginning to feel conspicuous.

After a few minutes, the Wing-Liege let out a loud roar and chimes rang through the amphitheater. Everyone quieted down. Then came a spate of words in a language I did not understand. Shortly after that, a flash of shimmers and the entire Council, Smoky, and his mother shifted into human form. The Wing-Liege spoke again, and Hyto shifted, the wingstrap contraption now pinning him to the ground with its weight. What appeared to be a set of guards moved forward to remove it and to hold him in check. Hyto gave me a long look, but he said nothing, did nothing. Simply challenged me with his gaze.

The Wing-Liege spoke again.

“We will stand in this form today because the complainant’s daughter-in-law is involved in the proceedings, and she is not of Dragonkin blood. She is, however, sealed into our society by marriage, and therefore has the right to attend this Council.”

I wanted to thank him but decided to keep my mouth shut. It was too easy to stick my foot in and turn up the temperature.

As the Wing-Liege began to read off something that had been imprinted on a scroll, I phased out. It sounded like an exceedingly boring list of rules and regulations, and although I wanted to pay attention, I had no energy left. I was tired. I was still hurting, and I was worried about the others. Did they think I was dead? Were my sisters trying to track me down?

An hour later the Wing-Liege turned to me and I snapped back to attention. Compared to Hyto, he looked positively old. I was ready to drop—I was exhausted and could barely think. He smiled, his lips pulling back in a feral grin.

“You bear our lengthy discourse with grace, Camille, wife of Iampaatar. We thank you for this—I know you must be weary. But the formalities are done and I would now read the charges against Hyto. If you have any to add, please, feel free after I am finished.” And then he stood and I forced myself to shake out of it and pay attention.

The Wing-Liege moved around the dais till he was standing in front of Hyto, who was being held upright by two guards.

“Hyto, you were cast out of the Dragon Reaches on pain of death. You were sent forth to mend your ways. You were recently caught attempting to murder Vishana, she who denied you, but we gave you one last chance and allowed you your life. For that breach alone, we should have put you to death. But your sins are long and numerous.”

Hyto started to speak, but the Wing-Liege raised his hand and a crackle of lightning played over his lips. Hyto let out a shriek and closed his mouth.

“You kidnapped the wife of Lord Iampaatar. You abused her, raped her, beat her, and forced your collar around her neck. The penalties for those crimes: death. You attacked your son and would have killed him if you could. The penalty for that crime: death. You have lost any lenience we might have given you. You have lost the right to speak in your own behalf.”

He turned back to the Council. “Lady Vishana has given the first right of punishment to her daughter-in-law. Does this meet with your approval?”

The other dragons whispered among themselves. One stood, pushing his chair back. “It does, Your Lordship.”

The Wing-Liege turned to me. “Lady Camille Sepharial te Maria D’Artigo, wife of Lord Iampaatar, you have the first right of punishment. Name Hyto’s method of death, or if you wish to strike the final blow yourself, that is within your right.”

I gulped. They were giving me the choice of how Hyto would die? Even offering me the chance to kill him myself?

Feeling awkward and thrust into the spotlight, I walked up to my enemy and stared him in the face. I’d killed before, and been glad to see some of them die. But this was Smoky’s father, and I’d be ordering his death in cold blood.

Hyto gazed down at me, the sneer still on his face. “Do you have the courage to order my death? You’d better, girl, because if you don’t, I’ll be back. I’ll be after you until the day I die. I’ll kill everyone you love. I’ll destroy everything you hold dear. I’ll rip you to bits, first through your emotions and then by your body. You are my she-devil and I will not rest until I’ve driven you so far into oblivion that you can never reach daylight.”

He meant what he said. If they locked him up, he’d find a way out. His hatred would sustain him. There was no choice—Hyto had to die. And my responsibility included ordering his death. Vishana would, if I couldn’t bring myself to, or Smoky, but this was my battle. Hyto had injured me and it was my duty to claim punishment.

I turned to the waiting dragons—now my people as much as the Fae or the humans. I had married into a powerful clan, and they weren’t squeamish. I couldn’t afford to be weak in their eyes . . . nor in my own.

I turned back to Hyto. “I will not raise my own hand to you—I will never sully myself by touching you again. But I claim your death—for Lady Vishana, for Lord Iampaatar, and for myself. I claim your death through a quick, clean bolt of lightning.” I would not lower myself to his level. As much as I’d wanted to torture him—to make him scream the way he’d made me scream, I would not become what he had become—a sadist.

The Wing-Liege motioned for me to look at him. “Is this your will? That Hyto die by lightning?”

“It is.” I glanced over at Smoky and Vishana, and they both gave me long smiles, nodding their approval. Apparently, I’d passed yet another test.

“Then I pronounce sentence. Hyto, you will die by lightning. Now, here, before another day passes.” Apparently dragons didn’t wait around once they’d made decisions.

Two poles were brought to the center of the pavilion and placed in holes in the floor to hold them upright. Hyto’s arms and legs were fastened with manacles, spreading them wide. His hair moved wildly, but where Vishana had severed the long thick strand, blood had crusted over. I suddenly understood—their hair was part of their bodies. It had a life of its own because it wasn’t just dead keratin.

Hyto said nothing—not another word. He simply grinned his sickly smile, watching me the entire time as they lashed him to the poles. The dragons on the tiers were murmuring, but I got no sense that they were enjoying this. It wasn’t some Roman arena, or goblin death match. This was justice, and they were witnesses to it being carried out.

I looked up to find Smoky and his mother standing by my side. Smoky took my hand and I suddenly felt horrible. I’d just sentenced his father to die. But he gazed down at me and squeezed my fingers.

“It’s all right,” he leaned down to whisper. “This was long coming, and not your fault. You simply got caught in the crossfire.”

“My son is correct.” Vishana leaned down on my other side. “Blame not yourself, Camille. Hyto brought this on himself. He taught me a lot about what not to do—how not to be.” She smiled gently and reached out to cup my chin. “You are lovely . . . granted, at first, I would have rather Iampaatar married a dragon—but that matters no longer. You are family. You will bring your sisters here to meet my children.”

I swallowed. That was going to be one hell of a dinner party. “You know my sister Delilah is in love with a half shadow dragon.” I blurted it out before I realized what I was saying.

Vishana laughed. “Yes, remember? We met. And he seems a refined gentleman. The coming years should prove interesting.”

And then the chimes rang. The Wing-Liege motioned for us to stand quiet. He turned to Hyto and held out his hands, palms up. A hush descended on the hall.

“To walk freely in the halls of the Dragon Reaches means to abide by its rules. You have broken your vows. You have dishonored the halls. You have dishonored your race. You have dishonored your name. You have cast yourself out by your actions. You are cursed to wander the abyss, barred from the Shining Stars forever. You will walk in limbo, your spirit forever bound to wander between the worlds. Your name will be stricken from the Halls of Records and you will be expunged from the History, placed among the exiles. Hyto, you are no more the son of your father. You are no more the father of your sons and daughters. You are denied on all sides. You are no longer of the hive. You are alone. You were pronounced pariah. Now you are pronounced cast to oblivion.”

And then, with a single gesture, a bolt of lightning struck out from his palm, forking over Hyto like a net, sparking and glowing as it seared into his body. Hyto began to scream as smoke rose from his robes and his hair caught fire. Still the lightning played across him, until his pale skin was black with crust. And then the wind gusted through, as the lightning stopped, and he crumpled to ashes, and the wild breeze caught him up and swept him away, out of the Dragon Reaches, into the softly falling snow.

At that moment, my collar loosened and fell to the floor. I was free.

“One more thing,” the Wing-Liege said, holding up his hand. “Lady Camille, you have the right to claim damages for what happened to you. We should not have let him go free when he tried to kill Vishana and are we indirectly responsible for his assault on you. We owe you reparations. What would you ask? Jewels? Gold? A home of your own here in the Dragon Reaches?”

I stared at the man, at his stance, at the emblems he wore denoting his rank. He’d just offered me the key to the kingdom. Then glanced over at my mother-in-law. She believed in honor. She’d been just and fair with me.

“Sir, Lady . . . gold and gems are lovely, but they do not bring lasting joy. I have a home back Earthside. And one here—my husband’s home is enough for me. But what I would ask . . . You know of our war against the demons? Smo—Lord Iampaatar told me that much.”

“We do.”

“Then I ask a boon. I ask that when—if—we need your help to fight against the demons, the dragons will come to our aid. That you will be on our side in the demonic war we’re fighting.”

The Wing-Liege sucked in a deep breath, but then he smiled, full lipped and sensuous. “Lady Camille, such a request is greater by far than our most brilliant gems. But it is also one we cannot—and will not—refuse. Consider us your allies.”

And then we were surrounded again, by dragons on all sides in their human forms, wanting to meet me, wanting to congratulate us on surviving Hyto’s attacks.

After another half hour, we were able to slip away.

“I need to get home. They must be frantic with worry.”

“Patience, love. We can go now. But sometime, we’ll come back and explore, and you can truly get a feel for how grand this place is.”

I already had a feel for it but decided to play along. Smoky was proud of his home, and well he should be. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding the wedding present between us, as he swept me up and we whirled our way into the Ionyc Seas and returned to the barrow.

“Camille! It’s Camille and Smoky! They’re alive!” Iris was standing outside the door, and she screamed to the others inside when she saw us. A little unsteady on my feet, I made my way over to her and caught her in my arms and she reached for me, holding her tight. The next moment a teary-eyed Delilah came bounding out, followed by everyone else. We stood in the freezing snow, hugging, all talking at once.

“We thought you were dead. I was getting ready to go to Y’Elestrial to see if your soul statue was still unbroken. We thought . . . we thought . . .” Delilah burst into huge sobs and Shade pulled her into his arms.

“Enough!” Smoky’s voice thundered over the mayhem. “Everyone inside so we can tell you what happened.”

As we entered the barrow, I saw that Hanna was up, a haunted look on her face. And there were Georgio and Estelle. Thank gods for Shade. He’d saved our poor friend, and I would forever love him for that. I was tired of collateral damage. Hurt me? Fine. Hurt my friends? Not so much.

Everybody settled down, and I realized that we were near sunset. “Give it ten minutes until Menolly is up—I don’t want to have to repeat this.”

“Nice dress,” Trillian said, his eyes shining at me. “You are so beautiful. I was so worried, my love.”

“Make that two of us,” Morio said, forcing his way out of the wheelchair. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

I kissed him first, then pushed him back into the chair. “Sharah says you need another two weeks in that, buster. So sit down. And this dress”—I turned to Trillian—“was a gift from my mother-in-law.” Then, after kissing him, I turned around to see Menolly standing at the edge of the chasm behind the living room, holding a very playful Maggie.

“What happened while I was asleep? Something, obviously.”

I let out a laugh, and then, with Smoky’s help, told them everything that happened. Well, almost everything. We left our lovemaking out of it. Trillian and Morio could know, but not everybody wanted or needed to hear that much detail. Sometimes TMI was TMI.

“So, he’s dead.” Delilah glanced up at me. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah, I am. I will. It may take some time, but Hyto can’t hurt us again.”

“Unless his ghost makes a visit,” Morio mumbled. “He’s been cursed to limbo. We’d better put up wards. I don’t want any more angry ghosts or hungry ghosts popping in to say hi. Especially a dragon’s spirit.”

Choosing to push that thought out of my mind, I sucked in a deep breath. “Tomorrow night is the Solstice. I enter Aeval’s Court. After what I went through with Hyto, I think I’m ready. And I’m ready to start hunting down Telazhar. Give me demons and spirit seals any day over an angry dragon.”

Smoky pulled me onto his lap as we sat at the table. “Speaking of dragons, my mother likes you. Open your wedding present. She is sending us something else later on—this is just to tide you over.”

I stared at the box he held out, wondering what it was. As I untied the ribbon and unfolded the silk wrapped around the box, I thought about what family meant. The dragons were now our allies. And they were part of my family. Smoky wanted to have a child, to cement our bonds. Though I wasn’t the mothering type, I was beginning to see the wisdom of this, the politics of it, and . . . it would make him happy.

Perhaps when the war was over . . . when things were safer . . . but then, I’d have to have Trillian’s child first if I had one from Smoky, and then Morio’s. It would mean a lot of trouble and nannies because, although I knew I’d make a good mother emotionally, I wasn’t the type to be a stay-at-home mom. Minivans and soccer practice and picket fences weren’t my speed.

But for now the whole question was moot. We were a long way from winning the war. And we were a long way from knowing we’d even survive the next battle.

I shook thoughts of the future out of my head and opened the box. Inside, I found a silver-framed plaque. It was Vishana’s family crest, and imprinted beneath the crest, written in silver, was my name. She had truly accepted me. I was part of her clan.