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.""We'll get her," he said softly."Sleep now, love."The tear took her by surprise.She wiped it away with her fingers, but another one took its place,rolling hot down her cheek."I've worked so hard," she whispered.His arms tightened."I know, my love." At the tenderness in his voice, the last of her barriersbroke.She began to sob into the warmth of his chest.Aching as she cried, Llyr stroked her hair and whispered Sidhe endearments he knew she didn'tunderstand.But this time, she wouldn't allow herself to be comforted.Finally she rolled away from him and curled into a ball of helpless misery.He followed anyway,spooning her with his body, trying to offer what comfort he could.After a long, miserable hour went by, she went lax in sleep and he eased away from her.Naked, Llyr rolled from the bed and padded soundlessly downstairs into the living room, wherethe furniture still stood pushed against the wall from his last attempt at calling the dragon.Taking a deep breath, he slid into the first sequence of the Dragon's Dance, seeking to callCachamwri once again.He had failed so many of his women.Janieda.His wives.Even his children.What good was hewhen he couldn't protect those who loved him?If he could call Cachamwri and break the spell, he was perfectly willing to make every mortal onDiana's council forget any grievance with her.Then he'd tend to the vampire. And his brother would be next.If he had to attack Ansgar directly and lose both his throne and his life, so be it.Llyr had alwayshesitated before because he'd known he'd not only die; he'd plunge both kingdoms into a civil waras the various factions in each struggled for power.The Cachamwri Sidhe, at least, lived in somesemblance of peace; his advisors had vehemently argued that his people could not afford to losehim.But enough was enough.Ten Sidhe bodyguards lay in the mortals' morgue, their families unaware of their murders.Deaddefending him from Ansgar's assassin.His wives and his children, too, were dead, murdered byhis brother's pet killers.And Diana's life was in ruins.All because of Ansgar.No more.Llyr was done with playing the game his father had dictated all those centuries before.Cold determination filled him.He pivoted, snapped a punch into the air with all his strength, followed it up with a kick, andspun.Sweat rolled down his naked body as he chanted, calling Cachamwri, reaching out to theDragon God through the very cells of his body.Llyr could feel the great beast coiled deep in the heart of the Mageverse, linked to him by its ownvows to Galatyn the First.The vampire's spell might have robbed Llyr of his powers, but nothingcould break that link."Heed me," he whispered in Sidhe, pivoting, stepping, punching into the air with all his strength."You took a vow, Great One, to come to the aid of those of my line in our hour of greatest need.Come to me now.Breathe your fire over me.When I slid from my mother's womb, I bore yourmark on my flesh.Come to me now.Come to me, for she whom I love suffers and my people are atrisk."Heat pulsed across his skin.From the corner of his eye, he saw color streak across his bicepsand coil the length of his arm.She whom I love&Suddenly he heard his own words, and his steps faltered.Did he love Diana? Had he spoke thetruth of his heart without realizing it?His concentration scattered.The heat died, and he swore viciously."No! Cachamwri!"But the dragon was gone.Llyr stopped and threw his head back, cursing himself.He'd almost had it! "Fool! Stupid fool!"He squared his shoulders and pushed his frustrated rage away.He would just start over. Doggedly, he turned and began again.Diana and Llyr walked into the Verdaville City Council chambers to discover every off-dutycity cop in the audience, all in uniform.Even Jerry Morgan was there, his face still bruised blackand blue from the bar fight.Gist's expression was downright stormy, his eyes hot with outrage.Unfortunately, the packed audience also included Clara Davies; her son, Roger, also bruised; thecoroner; and two television cameras.Evidently somebody had alerted the media that the councilwas planning to fire her, because they did not normally cover Verdaville City Council meetings;the town was just too small.Great.Just great.Not only was she going to be humiliated and fired, they were going to broadcastit on the six o'clock news.Keeping her face expressionless with an effort, Diana walked over to the table she shared withthe city clerk and the treasurer, while Llyr found a seat in the front where he could aim his regalglare at the council.As she sat, she was aware of the cold, disapproving stares of all seven city council membersflicking from Llyr to her.She stared back steadily.Dammit, she'd done nothing wrong exceptpossibly sleep with Llyr, and that was none of their business anyway.City Clerk Tammy Jones leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I can't believe they're doing this.You're the best administrator we've ever had!" Tammy, who was nearing retirement after thirtyyears with the city, had worked with seven managers.Professional administrators tended to useVerdaville as a stepping-stone to something bigger and better.Or, depending on how things went,smaller and worse.The latter evidently being Diana's destiny.Jerry and the chief moved to join Diana at her table.Both men looked equally indignant."We'renot going to let them do this to you," Gist said in a low, intense whisper.Diana sighed."Chief, you're going to end up getting fired, too, if you're not careful.It's not worthit."He set his jaw."Yes, it is.""You're a good cop," Jerry told her, a mulish expression on his face."Whether you're a volunteeror not.I'd be in the hospital right now if it hadn't been for you and the blond guy." He lowered hisvoice."But it might have been better if you'd left him at home.They think ""I know what they think.I just don't care." She stiffened, seeing Bobby Greene get out of his chairwith his notebook, followed by two broadcast reporters."Oh, God, here comes the media."The cops shot simultaneous glances of pure distaste over their shoulders and went back to theirseats as the three reporters walked up. Bobby grinned."So, Diana I understand you're living in sin with a fairy."Diana stared at the Verdaville Voice reporter, feeling her face go cold with shock.Good God,how had he found out? "What fairy?"Instantly, all three reporters took on predatory expressions at her reaction."The big guy," Bobbysaid, making a gesture as if indicating the length of an invisible ponytail."With the hair."Oh, that kind of fairy.She relaxed."That's my cousin." She hadn't lived thirty years as awerewolf without learning how to lie like a rug."Cousin." Bobby lifted his thick black eyebrows and scrawled something down in his notebook."Right.""Ms.London," one of the television reporters began.She was tall, slim, blond, and perfectlygroomed in a suit that probably cost as much as Diana made in a month [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]