"Lissa, we should have explained this a little better," Merrill said.

"Uh-huh," I stood, then—even Rigo couldn't hold me down.

"Not all her mates are held to those standards," Rigo stood beside me.

"Lissa should take care of this herself—the hearing is scheduled in six days." Thurlow showed up by folding into the dining hall. If anybody wasn't already aware that he wasn't just an official from the Alliance, they knew now.

"Oh, my God." Kiarra was now standing and staring at Thurlow. She knew if nobody else did. "Lissa, do you know who this is?" I'd never seen Kiarra so upset, I don't think.

"Yes, I know exactly who it is," I replied, looking at Thurlow, who used to be Thorsten. "At least he says he loves me, which is more than my father says nowadays." I'd had enough of this, so I folded away.

* * *

Norian settled back in his chair, unsure whether he should be amused at all the commotion, or upset on Lissa's behalf. He felt both emotions—Lissa was obviously upset and he understood that. It was amusing, too, watching Adam and Merrill try to get to Thurlow, before a blinding light appeared and someone named Belen called them back, explaining that Thurlow, who'd been someone named Thorsten long ago, had paid his debts, except what he owed to Lissa. Now he was trying to make up for a great mistake he made where she was concerned.

The fact that Thurlow was acting as an agent for the Alliance concerned Norian not at all. Norian wished he could find Lissa—he would tend to her if the others wouldn't. They seemed content to argue with Belen, Thurlow, Glendes of Grey House and his son and grandson. Norian settled in to watch the entire debacle—it was more amusing that Alliance vid-vision.

* * *

If my life wasn't fucked up in one way, it was fucked up in another. I was held responsible for the screw up on Cloudsong, though I hadn't signed anything and had no part in any of it? That was priceless, and not in any good way. Did I need legal counsel? Cloudsong obviously had some fucked up rules. Once again, I'd chosen Harifa Edus as my place to hide. Too bad the planet was still in its second infancy—there weren't any tall buildings to sit on to ponder life's little problems.

* * *

"We were trying to find a good time to tell her," Tony muttered to Wlodek. He still felt as if he were under obligation to the former Head of the Vampire Council.

"You should know how much she hates the withholding of information," Wlodek reminded Tony. Gavin stood nearby, not offering any excuse. "There must be a way out of this, without employing vampires to threaten the crown of Cloudsong, although they have no right to harm Lissa in any way." Wlodek raked a hand through thick, black hair. "I will speak to the others, including Dragon and Crane, to see if they have suggestions."

"They will not harm my Lissa," Gavin was back to growling.

"They're not threatening physical harm," Wlodek pointed out.

"It is emotional harm—how is that not physical in the long term?" Tony demanded.

"That is true, but there is still a fine line—you can't interfere," Wlodek added.

* * *

"Cloudsong is a world of light; you cannot destroy it, especially since they are not making a physical threat against your mate," Belen pointed out to Kifirin, who stood and glowered at his Light Brother and counterpart. Kifirin was still actively blowing smoke, but that presented no threat to Belen. Belen knew that Kifirin was angry—dangerously so. Still, Belen could not be harmed. "Lissa will have to deal with this—when she was made, she was given the ability to traverse both sides of the universes. The ones above us wanted this."

"You know as well as I, Brother, that there is much she cannot do so long as she holds to this corporeal body. And she will not willingly release it for a very long time."

"I know this, but there is still much she can accomplish. We must leave this in her hands. We cannot come rushing to her defense every time there is a problem." Belen crossed arms over his chest—a humanoid gesture he liked very much.

"When have we ever rushed to her defense, Belen? When?" Kifirin demanded.

"Well, perhaps it is the other way around," Belen admitted. "If she had not acted, we would have all gone back to the beginning. We have done small things, here and there, but Lissa mostly takes care of herself and the others."

"Yes—Lissa takes care of the others, generally before she thinks of herself. When can we think about her, Belen? Do you dislike her?"

"You ask such a question?"

"I merely wish to learn that you mean her no harm."

Belen watched his dark brother for the space of a few humanoid breaths. "Would you like to come with me, Brother, and rectify a wrong?" he asked.

"Which wrong do you mean? There are so many of them."

"Come and see." Belen folded Kifirin away.

"Where is this?" Belen had dropped Kifirin inside a very dark and cluttered space. Belen allowed his light to shine dimly, illuminating the place. It was a cellar on Earth, more than three hundred years past. "No," Kifirin muttered at the slight form, which had been carelessly dumped onto a bare space on the cold floor. Lissa's limbs were tangled; she'd been dropped with disregard onto the rough surface and abandoned. Sergio and Edward didn't care if she woke at all, no matter her discomfort if she did happen to wake.

"She will wake in a few minutes," Belen murmured.

"Avilepha, how could they leave you like this?" Kifirin was crooning and turning Lissa onto her back, arranging her limbs in a more comfortable position. "What wrong are we making right?" Kifirin looked at Belen.

"This." Belen held out his hand and a paper square appeared in it. He carefully settled the napkin on the corner of a nearby desk. "Edward and Sergio did not leave their agreement in this cellar, Brother. And without it, Lissa might not have been afraid enough to leave this place. Do you still think I might not care for her? That I might wish her harm? Neither of those things is true. You chose her as your mate. I will not interfere with that. She belongs to all of us, though. Surely you know this."

"I will search for her and hold her. Do you think she does not need that?"

"Of course she needs that. As long as she retains this body, she will need that." Belen knelt, reaching out to touch Lissa's cheek. "We will meet again soon, little one. I am sorry to leave you now." Belen folded Kifirin away.

* * *

"Avilepha, what are you thinking?" Kifirin found me again. At least I wasn't shaking and crying this time. Truthfully, I felt angry and hurt. Glendes, Raffian and Shadow had come to dump their problem in my lap, with no offer to help get me out of it. It infuriated me that they'd placed me in this position to begin with.

"I was thinking about all the greedy people in the universes," I muttered. I still couldn't understand how Cloudsong felt I was obligated because somebody I'd never met had signed up with Black Mist and managed to die with the prince he was supposed to protect.

"My love, you must find a way out of this."

"How am I going to explain to my Council that somebody we didn't even know about now wants our profits for the next fifty years?" I huffed. "How can you expect a fair hearing on the planet that wants to rape and extort in the first place? Is this payment for my getting children after all?"

"Avilepha, your children are not in exchange for this," Kifirin sighed. "Your children are a gift to you, as any child is. A weak wizard who could not fight Black Mist put this in motion. And then a daughter, with full knowledge of what her husband had done, acted in the only way she could to keep herself and her father alive. She is angry, avilepha, and guilty. She knew what was happening and did not attempt to stop it."

"She knew about her husband's alliance with Black Mist." I shook my head at the complexity of the situation.

"Yes," Kifirin confirmed. "She wished to form a new clan with her husband and willingly agreed to the amount offered by Black Mist. Of course, the money never materialized and her husband then paid for the treachery with his life. Now, she cannot tell her father that part of the story, because she would have competed against her own family for the same business. And the fact that Black Mist was involved would warrant a death sentence at her father's own hand. Therefore, her reasons for becoming pregnant were twofold. It was to save her life and to obligate Grey House at one and the same time. Her family will not execute a mother."

"What kind of mother do you think she's going to be to her child?" I asked.

"I do not know, love."

"Kifirin?"

"What is it, Lissa?"

"What am I going to do?"

"My love, I do not know. Even Belen says you must find a way out of this."

"What am I supposed to do about Shadow and Grey House? Right now, I want to slap Glendes and Raffian through a wall and before, I liked them. How did things turn out so badly?"

"I don't think they meant to harm you. Not as they did, and they certainly had no knowledge of this. They should have done more investigation, however, before taking Melida as quickly as they did. I feel Marid was to blame for that—he made it appear as if there were more offers for his daughter than there were. He knew, somehow, that Shadow was without an heir and unlikely to get one with his current mate."

"So everything is fucked up, now. I don't know what to do about Shadow and me," I sighed.

"You must decide whether you love him or not. Then decide whether that love is sufficient to weather this. And if you decide to stay with Shadow, you must find a way to deal with his father and grandfather."

"That sounds like so much fun."

* * *

"Thank the skies," Norian muttered when I appeared inside his office after folding away from Kifirin.

"Tell me why you sounded hopeful when I told you I'd know your parents if I met them, Norian," I sat on one of the chairs placed before his desk. Norian looked shocked at my words and didn't speak for a while, settling for watching me instead.