"I was already considering it," I grumped. I may have been pouting a little, too, but it seemed to amuse Ildevar Wyyld.

"Then I hope I have not interfered and changed your mind. Although I did detect a bit of a quarrel between you, did I not?"

"People disagree all the time."

"Yes they do. But if they care for one another, then the quarrel should have no impact on their relationship."

"It depends on what the quarrel is over."

"You wish to spar with me?" That made him laugh.

"Not particularly. And it isn't because I'm afraid of you." I raised a hand to hold him off.

"I've watched the vid from Refizan too many times to count, little one. I know what you can do and I do not wish to challenge you."

"Well, I saw what the Ra'Ak did to Le-Ath Veronis, when they killed the last Queen." I didn't tell him that I was that queen, reincarnated. I figured that would muddy the picture. I still had a hard time dealing with it myself.

"Yes—the dark races have no reason to love my kind." He nodded in agreement. "Of course, most of the dark races are dead. Only the vampires, werewolves and a handful of others managed to survive. Norian is one of those races that somehow made it through, but then his kind are not tasty enough for my cousins."

"Wow. That didn't stop them from destroying Le-Ath Veronis or Harifa Edus."

"I know. The vampires and werewolves opposed them. The others hid. It is that simple, little Queen."

"And the High Demons stood by and watched." I was nodding too, now.

"Yes. A shame, actually. They might have intervened and brought things back to the way they should have been. They did not and here we are. There are no females among the twenty, did you know that? If we couple with a humanoid, it can damage them. We have to be extremely careful if we take anyone to our bed."

"No, I haven't thought about that," I shivered at the idea of it.

"Do not concern yourself—I am very careful and my partners leave intact and happy. I have learned to do this, over the years."

"Oh, good." How else was I supposed to respond? This was letting secrets out of the bag right and left and I wasn't sure I wanted to know those secrets—ever. "So—do you not kiss your partners?" Okay, I had to know.

"We claim it is a phobia, so we do not. You know of the Ra'Ak kiss, obviously."

"I've seen it done. It wasn't pretty."

"On Refizan?"

"Yes." Ildevar tapped his fingers absently on the table at my admission.

"But the vampire turn isn't pretty, either," I offered.

"It is the way we were made," Ildevar acknowledged.

"Yeah. Some days I want to kick Kifirin," I grumped.

"If I suggested that, I suspect I might be dead within minutes," Ildevar was back to smiling. I didn't say that I slapped Kifirin—twice, I believe. I didn't want to give anyone ideas, especially when Ildevar was right—Kifirin wouldn't take that from anyone else. "And so we are back to Norian. He wishes to learn who upon Le-Ath Veronis gave out the information that you were on Trell. That in itself resulted in those deaths. Had the information been withheld, they would still live."

"I'm afraid to find out who it was," I admitted reluctantly. I hadn't gone Looking, either. In fact, I wanted to put all of it off as long as possible. That was pain waiting to happen, and I'd had more than my share lately.

"Yes, it can bring harm, when you learn that someone you care for brought this to your door." Ildevar was right—I wasn't in the mood for fresh betrayal right then. "I suggest you allow Norian and Lendill to handle this for you. They will find this out. Meanwhile, there are many who now believe you dead. You may wish to be selective when you pass along the information that you are not. Now, I will leave, I will have better quarters prepared at the palace and a meal served. Norian is lurking outside, so I will inform him of the new arrangements." Ildevar stood and stretched. "Do not fear me, little Queen. I would like to say you are my friend, one day. And the mate to my heir. As to your fears that we would blackmail you, those are unfounded, although it is my wish for you to continue to work with Norian. With both of you working to destroy the enemies of the Alliance, I will sleep better."

"You could do it yourself," I pointed out.

"But that increases the chances of discovery. We have hidden ourselves for thousands of years. We do not wish to frighten the Alliance and we certainly have no desire for any of our ruthless cousins to come calling. I gave you this information for a reason, Lissa. You have the power to destroy me, should you choose to do so. I hope we can come to trust one another." Ildevar Wyyld walked out of the small guesthouse, closing the door softly behind him. Norian and Lendill were back inside within minutes.

"Breah-mul, we're moving to the palace. Leave your things—someone will bring them," Norian spoke softly as he tried to herd me out the door without being obvious about it. We walked outside, and it was a beautiful day. A garden bloomed around us and the scent of roses came to me.

Flowers. That's what did it. Six-hundred-million lives had been snuffed out in seconds. I crumpled to the ground and started weeping. Norian was kneeling on the grass beside me, taking my face in his hands and kissing me. He lifted me up after that and I had no idea what he was saying as he carried me the entire quarter mile to the palace. I'm sure Ildevar Wyyld's home was beautiful, but my first impression of it will always be through tears, with Norian kissing my forehead while he carried me.

* * *

"She isn't dead." Those were Connegar's words to the inner circle. Drake and Drew breathed a sigh of relief at the announcement. Shadow was there and looking pale. He was afraid Lissa had died when Trell did and he hadn't had a chance to make things up to her. Garde was pacing and blowing smoke while Erland did his best to calm the High Demon down.

"Then where is she?" Gavin demanded.

"Somewhere safe. Someone on Le-Ath Veronis gave the information on her whereabouts to a Black Mist agent. I can tell you where the agent is, but you must deal with the one who handed the information over. This will not be easy." Connegar raked long, blue fingers through thick, blond hair. Reemagar was standing nearby and nodding slightly at Connegar's words.

"Did one of us let it slip?" Tony was standing now.

"No. But someone close did, inadvertently. Although it was not an intentional breach, it must still be dealt with. We cannot have this happening again. Six-hundred-million died, in the hopes that Lissa's enemy could get to our mate. We cannot let anyone outside this room know she is still alive."

"But the entire palace is holding its breath," Roff pointed out. Cheedas was in mourning, he knew that much. The old cook was inconsolable.

"Then place compulsion not to reveal the truth," Connegar replied. Roff nodded his thanks. Lissa would not want Cheedas to suffer needlessly.

"Where is the agent?" Rigo stood. He was prepared to take care of this, immediately.

"In a dress shop in Casino City," Connegar replied. No less than thirteen of Lissa's fourteen mates were folded to the dress shop in question.

* * *

Pearlina Rin was hanging a new shipment of blouses onto racks when the newcomers arrived. Some of them she recognized right away and did her best to release the poison in the vial inserted beneath her skin. She hadn't counted on the efficiency or the ability of the Larentii, who had the tiny container out and handed to Rigo swiftly. Gardevik came forward then and grasped her by the throat. "You will tell us everything you know," Reemagar placed compulsion, careful not to destroy Pearlina's mind with the power exerted. He was angry and Larentii were extremely dangerous in that state. Connegar worked to keep his fellow Larentii under control. Reemagar was very close to releasing Pearlina's particles and they had to question her first.

* * *

Roff watched Cheedas, Grant and Heathe. They all thought Lissa dead. This would be his first time placing multiple compulsions. "You will not reveal the truth to anyone outside the inner circle," Roff laid the command. He knew his compulsion wouldn't work with Grant and Heathe—they were both older than he as vampires. He also knew they were good at keeping secrets. He suspected someone else of releasing the information about Lissa and it made his heart hurt.

"What is it?" Grant sounded hopeful.

"Lissa is alive. The Larentii confirmed it," Roff replied.

"Thank goodness." Heathe sank onto the sofa inside Lissa's private study. Roff had brought them inside to deliver the news. Cheedas was weeping, but they were tears of relief, now.

"Where is she?" Grant asked.

"They wouldn't even tell the rest of her mates." Roff was certainly upset over that. He wanted Lissa on Le-Ath Veronis. He wanted to protect her. Just as the others did. He knew Rigo was about to explode from a lack of information. He was Lissa's newest and he'd gotten precious little time with her. Shadow, too, was extremely upset and angry.

All of Lissa's mates wanted her back so they could put their hands on her, yet she was elsewhere and that information was withheld. Roff hadn't failed to notice Kifirin's absence, either. Regardless, the rest of them were determined to find the one responsible for handing information to Pearlina. Gavin and the others were currently getting that information from the Black Mist operative, who was being questioned in the dungeons.

* * *

"He has wizards and warlocks under his command? You are sure of this?" Erland didn't like what he was hearing. "Do you have any names?"

"I only heard one name," Pearlina admitted reluctantly. The stupid Black Mist bastard had assured her that none could get past his compulsion. He hadn't counted on the Larentii. They were fools—all of them, and now Pearlina was about to pay the price for spying.

"And the name was?" Erland pushed.

"Zellar." Erland sent mindspeech to Wylend as quickly as he could without being obvious about it.