Bridge of Dreams

Chapter 24

Lee itched to cross that border and find out what was taking Glorianna and Sebastian so long to confirm that Ephemera had connected Tryadnea to the Den, but he waited with the others.

He wanted to go home, was ready to go home. He yearned for the familiar landscapes he’d wanted to leave a few months ago. He wanted to spend time with his mother, even wanted to talk to that ripe bastard Michael. And he wanted to talk to Yoshani about the truths he’d seen about himself in the past few days.

He wanted those things. At least for a while. And all that separated him from those things were a couple of steps across a border.

The Knife and the Apothecary stepped up to him.

“Does it usually take this long to make a connection?” the Knife asked quietly, glancing over to where Zhahar was talking with Morragen.

Lee shook his head. “A border was made the instant two landscapes connected with each other.” And what is made in an instant can be broken just as quickly, he added silently. “None of us have dealt with a race like the Tryad, so Glorianna is taking extra care to be sure people won’t be harmed when they cross over.” He didn’t mention that this was the first landscape she’d brought into her garden since she tore her heart in half, and he suspected that was a good part of the reason she was taking so long to do something she’d been doing since she was fifteen. “And since this is the only place where Tryadnea is connected to the world, no one is going to be cavalier about securing it to the Den.”

“What about us?” The Apothecary wagged a thumb to indicate himself and the Knife. “Will we be able to get back to Vision?”

“I don’t know. But if it can be done, my family can do it.” He hadn’t considered how much skill that extended family had now, between Sebastian’s recently awakened power as a wizard and Michael’s different way of connecting with Ephemera, not to mention his mother’s and Caitlin Marie’s talents as Landscapers. And Glorianna Belladonna, Guide of the Heart.

“Lee?”

He turned to find Zhahar standing nearby. He smiled and held out a hand to her. She took his hand but didn’t return the smile.

“If you’ll excuse us?” Zhahar said, looking at the other men.

“Problem?” Lee asked when the Knife and the Apothecary stepped out of hearing.

“Maybe. How…carnal…is this Den?”

“Very. It’s a dark landscape that welcomes the incubi and succubi. Sex is a commodity, so it isn’t hidden, if that’s what you’re asking.” She was troubled, but he wasn’t sure why. Working as a Handler, she’d seen her share of naked men. Then he glanced toward her mother. Mothers. Which did the Tryad use? “Are you worried about Sholeh? Lynnea and Caitlin Marie don’t have a problem being in the Den, so I don’t think Sholeh will have trouble being there.” Of course, he was assuming that having Zeela for a sister had broadened Sholeh’s intellectual experience with regard to sex—and her physical experience as well? Not a discussion he wanted to have with Zhahar while Morragen Medusah a Zephyra watched them.

“Not Sholeh,” Zhahar said. “Kobrah. Something happened to her before she came to Vision. Something bad. She hates men and reacts badly to seeing male parts.”

“Guardians and Guides,” Lee muttered. The Den of Iniquity was what it was. A quick chat with Philo would keep his specialties off the table, but there was nothing they could do about the erotic statues that decorated Philo’s courtyard. And that was a quick brush of what she might see. “Kobrah?” He waved her over to them.

“Lee,” Zhahar warned. Or maybe that was Zeela, since he was suddenly hearing two voices.

Kobrah looked at the space between the stone triangles. “Did something happen?”

“No,” Lee said, “but I need to know if you can handle being in the Den. It’s an edgy place with a lot of sex.” He still had trouble seeing subtle expressions, but he had no trouble seeing the loathing on Kobrah’s face. “The rest of us need to go, but maybe you could stay here with Zhahar’s people.”

“Of course you could,” Zhahar said quickly.

Kobrah shook her head. “I’ll go. You might need my help. I can stand it as long as I don’t have to touch any Chaynes.”

“You don’t have to touch anyone or anything you don’t want to,” Lee said. Then he added, “Teaser lives there.” And Yoshani likely will be present.

“Teaser?” The loathing faded from Kobrah’s face. “I like Teaser. He’s not a Chayne, even if he is a sex demon.”

Good to know. “Then you already have a friend you can look forward to seeing.” Lee added finding out what a Chayne was to the list of things he wanted to discuss with Zhahar.

Sebastian suddenly reappeared, startling everyone. He nodded at Lee. “The border is solid. Tryadnea fits like it’s always been there.” He waited until Morragen joined them. “We’re ready for you to cross over, but I’d like to limit the number of Tryad coming to the Den this first time.”

Lee thought he could see Morragen’s temper rising—and the way Zhahar clamped her hand around his fingers confirmed it.

“Why?” Morragen and Medusah asked coldly.

Sebastian gave her a sharp-edged smile. “Because we get enough crap from the daylight landscapes about corrupting their youngsters. I don’t need that in triplicate from parents in your landscape.”

Lee huffed out a sigh. “Yep. I’m home. Morragen, until you’ve seen the Den, it would be prudent to restrict the visitors to adults.” He paused. Thought. “Experienced adults.” Then he tightened his hold on Zhahar’s hand, since it occurred to him that he might have just excluded two-thirds of her Tryad and he didn’t know how many toes he’d just stepped on—or how many women were annoyed with him.

Glorianna returned and stared at them. “Problem?”

“Sebastian is sounding like a prissy prig, and Morragen is still deciding if she should feel insulted on behalf of her people,” Lee replied.

“I am not a prissy prig,” Sebastian growled.

“And I am not insulted,” Morragen snarled.

“Then it’s settled,” Glorianna said. “Only the people involved in the discussions about Tryadnea and what do to for the city of Vision are coming to the Den. Everyone else stays on their respective sides of the border. Sebastian, did you tell these men to bring the wagon and their horses?”

“We didn’t get that far,” Sebastian replied.

“Then get that far.” She pointed at Zhahar and Kobrah. “You two. Come with me.”

“Glorianna,” Lee protested as Zhahar released his hand.

She turned to him, but it wasn’t Glorianna who looked at him.

“You know better than to create dissonance this close to a border, Bridge,” Belladonna said. “Or have you forgotten Lighthaven and the White Isle?”

An island that held a Place of Light. A land that had been whole until two women passionately rejected each other—and by doing so, split Lighthaven from the rest of the White Isle so completely the two pieces couldn’t be connected anymore.

Lee’s heart leaped into his throat. Fool to forget something so basic—especially when Morragen’s will and heart seemed to guide Tryadnea like a tiller provided direction for a boat, and Sebastian was the Den’s anchor, the heart that kept the Den protected and kept it from turning dark in ways that would make it too dangerous.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have needed the reminder.”

“Neither should I.” Sebastian sounded embarrassed.

“Now that we have that settled…” Belladonna turned and walked between the stone triangles—and disappeared.

“You and Kobrah should go,” Lee told Zhahar. “We’ll catch up to you.”

“Is your sister upset with you?” Zhahar asked.

“Us,” Sebastian said, looking at Lee. “She’s upset with us.”

“And she’s right to be,” Lee acknowledged. “We come from this part of Ephemera. We know better than to let emotions run without considering consequences.”

“Don’t keep her waiting, Zhahar,” Morragen said. “We’ll gather what we need and be along.”

Zhahar took Kobrah’s hand, and the two of them walked across the border.

“Do we need supplies?” Morragen asked.

“Not food and water, unless you need something special,” Sebastian replied. “A change of clothes and toiletries should be sufficient.”

She walked away, followed by the Knife and the Apothecary.

“Are you uneasy about coming back?” Sebastian asked.

Lee shook his head. “A moment’s stupidity. We’ve been running for the past two days, and getting away from the men the wizards sent after us.…It was too close. And if we don’t find a way to help the Shamans defend Vision, the surviving wizards and Dark Guides will be able to turn at least some of it into another Wizard City—a stronghold from which they’ll feed the Dark currents in a way that will change a piece of the world.”

Sebastian laid a hand on Lee’s shoulder. “You all need to rest. We all need time to talk and think and consider what can be done.”

“They need us. The Tryad. The Shamans. They need us.”

Sebastian took a step closer to him. “We need each other. I’ve missed you, cousin.”

Lee hugged Sebastian. “I missed you too.”

Holding Kobrah’s hand to offer encouragement and contact, Zhahar trailed behind Glorianna, watching the world playfully change. Glorianna walked a dozen steps, then pointed at the ground. Moments later, a boulder pushed out of the earth. The result was a string of markers from the stone triangles to a dirt lane that began in the middle of a field.

“That’s enough,” Glorianna said as a boulder pushed up a long step away from the lane. She looked at Zhahar. “This lane leads to the Den. When your people cross over to visit, you keep the markers on your right on the way to the Den, and on your left when you go home. That will keep you from stumbling someplace you shouldn’t be.”

Because you don’t want us to explore? Zhahar wondered. Before she could think of how to phrase the question without causing offense that might make Glorianna change her mind about helping them, Kobrah pointed in the opposite direction and asked, “What’s over that way?”

“The border to the Merry Makers’ landscape,” Glorianna replied.

“They sound festive,” Zhahar said, trying not to jump when Sholeh yelled ::No!::

“They’re not,” Glorianna said. “They respect the Den’s rules when they visit the Den, but very few people who go into the bogs the Merry Makers call home survive long enough to walk out again.”

“Oh,” Kobrah said.

::Lee told me a little about the Merry Makers and the waterhorses,:: Sholeh said. ::They’re dangerous.:: Then she added wistfully, ::But I’d still like to see them.::

Zhahar sighed, which had Glorianna raising an eyebrow in question.

“My sister Sholeh was exchanging information with Lee about some of the races found in Ephemera, and she’s curious.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Not so young, then.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Glorianna laughed. “Never mind. The others are coming.” She looked down the lane and laughed again. “Tell your sister she’s about to have an opportunity to meet a demon.” She sounded as concerned as if the family dog was heading toward them—a dog large enough to be scary, but usually friendly.

Zhahar looked at the swiftly moving lights and felt weak-kneed relief when she turned and saw Sebastian and Lee walking ahead of the Apothecary’s wagon. Her mother shared the driving seat with the shadowman while the Knife rode alongside.

“Why are we stopping here?” Sebastian asked.

“We were waiting for you,” Glorianna replied.

“How did you set the markers so quickly?” Morragen asked, pointing to a boulder.

Glorianna smiled. “Ephemera helped. Shall we—”

“Wait,” Zhahar said, her voice so sharp everyone looked at her. But all she saw was a boulder that hadn’t been there a few minutes ago. All she remembered was a mud wallow changing into rushing, fresh water.

She changes the world. Glorianna can change the world. “If you can make boulders, can you repair farmland?” Zhahar asked. “Can you restore streams? Turn sparse grass into rich grazing?” She looked at Glorianna and heard Morragen suck in a breath. Her mothers understood the reason for the questions. “Can you?”

“This isn’t the place to discuss this,” Glorianna said at the same time Lee said, “Zhahar,” and touched her arm.

She pulled away from Lee. “Can you?”

“Despair made the deserts, and hope the oases,” Glorianna replied. “Ephemera manifests the heart.”

Zhahar stared at her in disbelief. “You think we did this to our homeland? You think we wanted this?”

“Wanted it? No. Did your people do it? Yes. Heart’s Blessing, Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar,” Glorianna Belladonna said in a cold voice that was oddly laced with compassion. “May your heart travel lightly, because what you bring with you becomes part of the landscape.” She turned and started walking down the lane toward the Den.

Lee grabbed Zhahar’s arm. “That’s enough. You don’t make demands of a Landscaper. It isn’t done.”

“Well, maybe it should be!” Zhahar tried to jerk her arm out of his grip. When she couldn’t, she appealed to Zeela.

=No,= Zeela said, sounding troubled.

*Why not?* Zhahar continued to try to pull away from Lee, ignoring the fact that the harder she struggled, the tighter he held her arm.

=Because our mothers didn’t agree with you.=

::And because what Glorianna said is true,:: Sholeh added.

She looked at Morragen Medusah a Zephyra and realized Zeela was right. Their mothers were angry—at her. If Sholeh knew why Glorianna had spoken the truth, then so did Medusah.

She stopped struggling. Lee released her arm and stepped back to stand beside Sebastian, who no longer looked friendly.

“We ask you to overlook our daughter’s unconsidered, and inconsiderate, words,” Medusah said, coming into view. “She needs rest, so Zeela should continue this journey.”

“Not Zeela,” Lee said. “Not yet. I think Sholeh should finish the trip to the Den.”

Medusah tipped her head, considering. “Why?”

Lee’s smile looked forced, but it was still a smile. “Because there’s someone she should meet.”

Sebastian glanced at the lights heading toward them, then at Lee. “You sure?”

“Lynnea did all right with them.”

“Oh, daylight. Then you’d better ride with her, or she’ll never get to Philo’s.”

Ashamed for being reprimanded before the others and angry enough not to want to be around Lee, Zhahar’s aspect waned and Sholeh’s came into view.

Sebastian pointed to the Apothecary and the Knife. “Wait there so the horses don’t spook.”

“Come on, Sholeh.” Lee walked over to the lane.

“What about Kobrah?” Sholeh asked, hurrying to catch up.

“She can take a look and make her own choice,” Sebastian said.

That’s when Sholeh saw two somethings racing toward them. Big eyes, long arms, and…

“Blaaarrrrrgh!” one of them roared, waving those long arms and displaying too many sharp teeth. It stopped within touching distance of them. “Blaaarrrrrgh!”

She had never seen anything like them. Not even in the pictures she had found in the books she’d studied in Vision.

“Demon cycles,” she breathed, smiling so widely her cheeks hurt. “Are you a demon cycle?”

It seemed to ponder her reaction. “Wanna ride?”

The voice like gravel in a metal barrel thrilled Sholeh.

“This is Sholeh, who is Lee’s friend,” Sebastian said. “They could use a ride to Philo’s Place. Belladonna will be waiting for them there.”

One demon cycle turned its odd metal body as an invitation to mount while the other drifted above the road until it was looking right at Kobrah.

Sebastian smiled at Kobrah. She swallowed hard but nodded.

“Kobrah will ride with me.” Sebastian walked up to the cycle and swung a leg over the leather seat. “Come on. You can ride behind me.”

“Take the front position,” Lee said, guiding Sholeh over to the cycle that was waiting for them.

“But I don’t know how to steer!”

He laughed. “You don’t steer. You just hold on.”

She mounted. He got on behind her and rested his hands lightly on her waist. A friendly touch that warmed her and made her wish he could remain their friend after he learned about the taboos. It wasn’t likely, but she still wished it.

“The lane will take you to the Den,” Sebastian told the shadowmen. “You should be fine on your own, but I’ll send Addison or Henley to guide you.”

“Appreciate it,” the Knife said.

Sholeh turned her head and spoke over her shoulder. “The horses weren’t afraid.”

“The horses were upwind and don’t understand what they’re seeing,” Lee replied.

They headed down the lane.

After a minute, Sholeh sighed. Now that she was used to how the demon cycles looked and how they floated over the road, they weren’t very exciting.

“Daylight,” Sebastian muttered. “All right. You two go ahead. We’ll catch up.”

Suddenly the ground was a blur.

“Hang on!” Lee shouted.

She whooped in answer. Zeela did exciting things, but even her warrior sister hadn’t done anything like this.

It seemed like they’d barely started when she saw lights coming up fast. Lots of lights.

“We’re here already?” She didn’t say it loudly, but she didn’t take those big, tufted ears into account. As they reached the place where dirt lane changed to cobblestone street, the demon cycle made a tight turn and went speeding back the way they’d come.

“Hey!” Lee shouted.

“Yay!” Sholeh shouted.

“Blaaarrrrrgh!” the demon cycle shouted.

They passed Sebastian and Kobrah, then made another tight turn to race alongside the other cycle, which sped up, responding to the competitive spirit—or something—until Sebastian made a sharp sound that caused both cycles to slow the pace to halfway between amble and blur.

She wanted to tell him it was all right for the cycle to go faster, but a glance at Kobrah made it clear that the other woman had never ridden anything that went this fast and was, according to Lee, very dangerous, even if it was acting friendly. So she contented herself with the more sedate return to the Den.

When they reached the cobblestones, the demon cycles slowed to the pace of a fast walk and finally stopped in front of a courtyard that had tables and statues.

“That was wonderful!” Sholeh said as she dismounted. “Can we do it again?”

“Later,” Lee replied, grinning.

She noticed the blond-haired man who stared at them a moment before hurrying toward them. And she noticed the way Kobrah stood frozen, staring at the statues.

*Oh no,* Zhahar said. *Sholeh, you’d better let me—*

=It’s my turn,= Zeela said.

*Kobrah needs help.*

::I want to stay a bit longer!::

Zhahar withdrew from them in a way that told her sisters she was hurt and upset.

“Lee!” The man bounced up to Lee and hugged him. “Welcome back, you fool.” Then he gave Kobrah a delighted grin—and put himself between Kobrah and her view of the statues. “Hey-a, Kobbi. Welcome to the Den.”

Kobrah blinked. “Teaser?”

“All the way.”

Teaser cocked a thumb over his shoulder. “Nothing but statues tonight. No live performance. But if they bother you, we could go down the street and listen to some music.”

“I think it would be best for us all to stay together for a bit,” Sebastian said. “But we can use the inside room if the statues bother Kobrah.”

“No,” Kobrah said. “I can—” Her mouth fell open. “Shaman Danyal?”

It was Danyal heading for them with a dark-eyed, dark-haired man.

“I’m happy to see you all,” Danyal said. He looked at Lee. “And I’m glad you found your way home.”

“Me too,” Lee replied.

“Lee!”

He’d barely had a chance to turn toward the voice when a woman leaped into his arms.

“Lynnea!”

Sebastian leaned over Sholeh’s shoulder. “Let’s find some seats for you two. People are going to be pouncing on him for a while.”

“Is that his lover?” Sholeh asked, worried because jealousy was seeping through despite Zhahar’s withdrawal from her and Zeela.

Sebastian choked on a laugh. “No, that’s my wife, which makes her family.”

The hug might have been from a lover. The punch in the shoulder that followed it? That was family.

Sholeh relaxed, determined to enjoy as much as she could before Zeela demanded some time to explore this place.

A round man with dark, receding hair hurried up to them.

“Sit. Sit. I’m closing off this half of the courtyard for you,” Philo said.

Before Lee could take his seat at the table, a male voice said, “Lee, you ripe bastard. It’s about time you stopped ignoring a helping hand and got yourself back home.”

She saw pleasure in Lee’s face as he turned toward the man, but there was shame mixed with that pleasure.

“Magician,” Lee said. A hesitation. Then he grabbed the man in a hard hug.

More people. So many people, Sholeh had trouble keeping track. There was Yoshani, the holy man with Shaman Danyal. There were Nadia and Jeb, Lee’s mother and stepfather. There was Caitlin Marie, Michael the Magician’s sister.

And there, at the edge of the courtyard, part of the group and still apart from it, was Glorianna Belladonna.

“Come on, Kobbi. Have a seat,” Teaser said, pulling out a chair across from Sholeh and Lee. As he pulled out a chair for himself, he looked at her. “So you and your sisters are together all the time?”

“We are Tryad. We are three who are one, one who is three,” Sholeh replied, noticing how sharply Medusah watched Teaser—and how sharply Nadia also watched Teaser.

He gave her a smile that was naughty and boyishly good-natured. “How does that work when one of you has sex?”

“Teaser,” Lee warned.

“If one of you is romping, do you all feel the fizz-bang at the end, or is it each to herself? And if one of you has a lover, do the other two have to do without cuddles?”

“Teaser!” a chorus of voices shouted.

“What?” He looked around. “I’m just asking. It’s not like I’m inviting myself to the party. Although…” He gave Sholeh a considering look. “Would it be cheating if the other lover was just a dream? Ow ow ow!” That last because Nadia grabbed his ear and pulled him toward another table.

Sholeh hunched down in her chair, hoping to look smaller as she tried to interpret the look on her mother’s face. She was certain that no one had ever said such things in front of Medusah before now.

=By the triple stars,= Zeela whispered.

::Are you appalled or amused?:: Sholeh asked.

=I don’t know.=

Sebastian gave Medusah a smile that had heat and said, “It’s a valid question. Especially when asked by an incubus.”

“Oh, daylight,” Lee groaned. “Don’t say things like that to Zhahar’s mother. Mothers.” He put his hands over his face. “Why did I miss any of you?”

“I’m thinking the man now knows what it’s like to be dealing with the rest of you for the first time,” Michael said, giving Lee a friendly clap on the shoulder.

“Yeah,” Sebastian said. “I haven’t seen him this embarrassed since the first time I walked in on him and a girl and he had his hands—”

Lee grabbed for his cousin at the same time Nadia said, “Sebastian Justicemaker! If you don’t want to be telling that story to me, you won’t be telling it to anyone tonight.”

“Yes, Auntie,” Sebastian replied. But he winked at Sholeh. “So where’s the other sister?”

She didn’t want to give up the chance to experience this place for herself, but she yielded to Zeela as everyone sorted themselves out among the tables, leaving them the lone female at a table that included Sebastian, Lee, the Apothecary, and the Knife.

Morragen Medusah a Zephyra, Zeela noted with relief, was at a table with Nadia, Jeb, and Danyal. Glorianna was sharing a table with Michael and Yoshani.

*What about Kobrah?* Zhahar whispered.

=She’s with Teaser and…Caitlin?= Hard to remember all those faces when they moved about separately. Especially when she wanted to pair Lynnea with Caitlin as siblings, but it was Michael and Caitlin who had that connection.

Philo and an adolescent boy returned with two large trays. “Lynnea modified some of the specialties for Teaser’s table,” Philo said, “but the consensus was that adjustments weren’t needed for you.” Saying that, he set down a large basket and two bowls of melted cheese, a platter of mushrooms stuffed with breading, and various other bowls, while the boy gave them plates and silverware. “Drinks?”

“Bottle of wine and a pitcher of ale,” Sebastian said.

Zeela picked up an object from the basket and considered its length and diameter.

“This is a Phallic Delight,” Sebastian said.

“This is wishful thinking,” she replied. But after Lee finished choking, she followed Sebastian’s example and swirled the tip of the penis-shaped bread in the melted cheese. Giving the cheese a moment to cool, she took a big bite.

Sebastian looked at the men around the table and laughed. “Daylight. Shadowmen blush and the holy men don’t even blink when these are set on the table. What does that tell you?”

“That holy men don’t understand why they should blush?” the Knife asked.

Lee shook his head as he filled his plate. “Nope. Neither Yoshani nor Danyal is required to be celibate, so they’ve had experience enough to be thinking all kinds of things.”

::Could you try one of those round black things?:: Sholeh asked. ::They look interesting::

“What are these?” Zeela asked as she picked up the bowl.

“Olives,” Sebastian replied. “Bite carefully. They have a pit in the center.”

“Bite carefully” was good advice for pretty much everything on the table, but the flavors were unlike anything she’d tasted. She wanted to eat until she was full, but she stopped when she had half of everything left on her plate. She leaned toward Lee and said quietly, “Would the other people here be offended if Sholeh came back into view to eat?”

Lee smiled. “This is the Den, Zeela. It takes a lot more than a Tryad to offend anyone here.”

::I like this place,:: Sholeh said a minute later as she took a dainty bite of a Delight.

=So do I.=

Zhahar, they both noticed, said nothing.

Michael walked down the Den’s main street with Lee, heading for the lane that would lead to Sebastian and Lynnea’s cottage.

“I don’t how many times I ended up sleeping on that couch,” Lee said, huffing out a laugh. “And here I am again.”

“Since they’re staying at your cottage, Danyal did offer to let you have your room back,” Michael said. “We weren’t sure if you’d be coming back, so it seemed practical to let him and Yoshani stay there.”

“It was practical, and I’m not complaining.” Lee slowed his steps.

“We can keep walking as long as you need to,” Michael said quietly. Yoshani and Danyal were waiting at Sebastian’s cottage to help Lee put in the eyedrops, but when Lee asked him for help getting back to the cottage instead of going with them, it was clear the man had something on his mind.

“There are shadows in every garden,” Lee said when they reached the end of the cobblestone street and headed down the lane.

Michael nodded. “One of the lessons the Landscapers learned at the school, yes?”

“Yes. But not a lesson that was taught at the Bridges’ School, because the bridges that are made are neutral. Someone who has that ability just connects the pieces Ephemera wants to connect. Dark, Light—doesn’t matter. Those things are the Landscapers’ responsibility. But I have shadows in me, Michael. Last year, my mother was touched by a wizard and influenced just enough to begin to wonder about the dark side of Glorianna’s heart. She wondered about it because Glorianna’s father was a wizard.”

“He was your father too.”

“That didn’t seem to occur to anyone—that I would have a stronger connection to the Dark currents because of it.”

“Are you making a point?”

Lee stopped walking and stared straight ahead. “I blamed you when Glorianna locked herself in that landscape with the Eater of the World. I blamed you for stopping me while there was still time to get into that place. I blamed you because I thought you stopped me so that the Warrior of Light would drink from the Dark Cup, that you’d convinced her to sacrifice herself in order to accomplish your own plan.”

“I told her the story,” Michael replied. “The heart has no secrets, Lee. Not from her. She knew I had the answer to saving Ephemera. Denying it would have betrayed her trust. Just like…” No. That wasn’t his to say.

“Just like you broke my arm because she asked you to keep me safe? To keep all of us safe?” Lee’s smile held sadness as well as understanding. “By stopping me, you protected everyone who was there that day.”

“Yes.” Michael touched Lee’s arm. “I’m sorry for the broken bone.”

Lee shook his head and started walking again. “Funny how losing one kind of sight made other things so clear.”

“You’ll get your sight back.”

“I hope so. But I seem to be hoping for a lot of things lately.” Lee hesitated. “Can I ask you something?”

“Which side are you asking?” Michael countered. “Man or Magician?”

“I’m not sure. The day I tangled with the wizards and ended up in Vision, I was checking a stationary bridge. Should have connected landscapes that belonged just to Glorianna and Nadia, but the resonance for Glorianna included the possibility of someone crossing over to Foggy Downs. Wasn’t the first bridge that had connected landscapes that belonged to them and now also connected to you. I heard faint music. It made me angry that it was never just my sister anymore. You were always there.”

“You were still adjusting to the idea of Glorianna having a man in her life who wasn’t passing through,” Michael said. “Part of being a brother, I’m thinking. Caitlin Marie goes to a dance in Darling’s Harbor—and she’s as safe and snug in that village as a baby in its cradle—and I still feel twitchy about the boys.”

“Could be worse,” Lee said in a singsong voice. “Could be Teaser.”

At another time, he would have felt obliged to respond to that reminder of Caitlin’s friendship with the incubus, but not tonight. “Glorianna hears the music in my heart. It’s what Ephemera used to guide her home. And I hear the music in her heart. All of it. Dark and Light. Every day I play the music that is Glorianna Belladonna. I play both the tunes I hear, and then I blend them to be one song again. Hearing who she is provides a kind of bridge between the two sides of her heart, and some days she stays in that in-between place for hours—the place where she is both, as she used to be. She can travel with me to most of my landscapes, but out of those, Foggy Downs is her favorite. So…” Michael shrugged. No one thought Glorianna would be completely whole again, but the music was connecting the two halves of her heart bit by bit.

They walked for a few minutes in silence before Lee asked, “What kind of music do you hear in Zhahar’s heart?”

“You’re asking about something that’s very private. If you want to know her heart, you should ask her.”

“The part of the question that’s personal is private,” Lee agreed. “But I’m asking Bridge to Magician. She doesn’t belong in the Den, does she?”

“No. Zhahar’s music is out of tune with the Den. Zeela, on the other hand, is very in tune with the carnal carnival. So is Sholeh.” Which had surprised everyone except, perhaps, Glorianna Belladonna.

Lee laughed softly. “Sholeh wants to interview the bull demons.”

“Lady of Light,” Michael muttered. Then he sighed. “Not fitting in with one place that you do doesn’t mean she won’t fit in with the rest. And because her sisters are easy with the place, she can reach the Den.”

“I know. I’m just not sure she wants to fit in—and I’m not just talking about the Den.”

“And you’d like her to fit in?”

“Yes, I would. But as we got closer to Tryadnea, I had the feeling there were things she hadn’t told me about her people. It’s made me wonder if a Tryad would—or could—care about—” Lee stopped walking abruptly. “Who’s that?”

“It’s Yoshani.” Michael raised a hand in greeting. “It appears he’s been waiting for you at the bridge.”

“In that case, why don’t you go back? Glorianna is waiting for you, and we’ll all have a great deal to discuss tomorrow.”

“Yes, we will. Good night, Lee. Welcome home.”

Lee hesitated. “I’m not sure I’m back to stay.”

Michael smiled. “I’m not sure anyone expects you to stay. Yoshani? We’ll see you and Danyal tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Yoshani replied. “We are to meet at Nadia’s house.”

Michael nodded and headed back down the lane to the buildings and colored lights that made up the Den.

Travel lightly. Lee’s heart had not been traveling lightly when he tangled with the wizards, but…

Come on, wild child, Michael thought. Let’s bring a bit of luck into Lee’s life.

Currents of power flowed around him, and he sent out the Magician’s gift of luck-bringing so that some good would balance whatever Lee had suffered in the past weeks.

As he reached the edge of the Den, he spotted Morragen Medusah a Zephyra sitting on a bench near one of the garden islands that ran down the length of the main street and contained dwarf trees and flowers that drew sustenance from moonlight instead of sunlight.

She’s dangerous, Magician, Belladonna had warned. Don’t push her.

I won’t push, Michael thought as he sat on the other end of the bench and smiled at the Tryad leader. But there’s no harm in telling a story.

“Nice night,” he said, smiling. “Then again, the sun never shines in the Den.”

“So it’s always a nice night,” Medusah said.

“Ah no. The Den doesn’t see the sun, but it does follow the seasons. A cold, rainy night is just as uncomfortable here as anywhere else. The only difference is how people pass the time once they get indoors.”

“I’m not sure this is a good match for the Tryad.”

“More often than not, what a person needs doesn’t always match what you imagine. And maybe you shouldn’t be looking at just the surface.”

She gave him a look that chilled him. But she didn’t understand what it meant when a man was an ill-wisher as well as a luck-bringer.

“One of the things we do for entertainment on a stormy night is tell stories. Something Sholeh would enjoy, I’m thinking. Anyway, there are enough of us from different parts of Ephemera to compare what Yoshani calls story-truths. Well, one thing led to another this evening, and a few of us were reminded of an old story. Don’t know where it began, since plenty of landscapes have some variation.”

“I’m not interested in stories tonight.”

“Oh, I think you’ll be interested in this one. You see, a long time ago, there were three sisters. Some of the stories mention two sisters, but we’ll go with a version that has three. So there were these three sisters who lived together and worked together and were as close as kin can be. Then one day, a man came by, passing through or looking for work—your choice. Anyway, some of the versions say he was a charmer with a shallow heart; others say he was an honorable man who enjoyed the flirtations of the eldest sister but found himself falling in love with the youngest sister. The day came when the sisters realized they wanted the same man. Now, these sisters had some power or magic, and their anger with each other grew to a fearsome thing. They turned against each other, each determined to destroy the other in order to have the man to herself.

“The middle girl ran to her sisters, wanting nothing more than to stop the fight. But she got caught in it. Some stories say a knife found her heart; others say it was the magic the sisters were flinging at each other that found her instead. It came to the same end. The remaining sisters, seeing what they had done, lost all interest in the man, and he lost interest in them and continued on his way. But the sisters still blamed each other for the death of the third sister—and they blamed the man. Wrapped in that blame, they gathered their power and made a terrible wish and turned love into a weapon. They wished to be kept apart from the world as punishment for wanting an outsider. And because they truly wanted to be set adrift, the world answered. And even to this day, the sisters drift through the world, never connecting to another place long enough to touch another heart.”

Michael watched the careful way Medusah swallowed.

“That’s an interesting story,” she finally said.

He nodded. “More interesting to those of us who were on the White Isle the day a young Landscaper and a Sister of Light spoke hard and heartfelt words that split an island into two places that now can’t touch. Story-truths, Medusah. The wrong words said in the wrong place by the right people, and a piece of the world is torn from the rest.”

She said nothing, so he added the last thing. “If the Tryad have some taboo about loving a person of single aspect, now is the time to mention it. Lee is falling in love with Zhahar, and I’m thinking he’s been given enough encouragement to believe those feelings can be returned.”

“She is Tryad.”

Three voices. Three tunes. All of them held sharp notes of fear.

“Yes, she is. I’m guessing love isn’t an easy thing, even among your own people.”

“No, it isn’t,” they whispered. “Is it easy among your people?”

He shook his head and smiled. “Not always easy, even when you’re with the right person. But maybe that story needs to have a different ending, one that gives love a chance to heal what magic cursed.”

“We can’t ignore our laws and taboos for one heart,” Medusah said. “Not when others paid so dear a price for wanting the same thing. If we allow our daughter to have what has been forbidden, it will tear the Tryad people apart.” Zephyra came into view and looked at him, her eyes bright with tears. “If the Triple Goddess could find a way to give a Tryad a chance at that kind of love without destroying our people, we would wish for it with all our hearts.”

???

Wild child, no!

Too late. Michael remained completely still while the currents of Light and Dark swirled around him and Morragen Medusah a Zephyra—and faded.

Lady of Light, have mercy. He’d have to check with Glorianna, since the Den was her landscape, but he was certain Ephemera had just responded to a heart wish. He just hoped Glorianna would have an idea of how the wild child had responded.

“Well.” Michael rose on shaky legs. “Teaser said he’d meet you at Philo’s and make sure you got settled in your room all right.”

Leaving her, he headed for Philo’s. Halfway there, he found the Apothecary kneeling in another of the garden islands while the Knife stood uneasy watch.

“Problem?” Michael asked.

“This plant,” the Apothecary said, lightly touching the leaves. “Does it grow here?”

Michael crouched beside the Apothecary and sighed. “I rake what I’m told to rake, dig where I’m told to dig, and wheel the barrow to the compost bins. If you want to know about plants here, you need to ask Glorianna.”

“Ask me what?”

He looked over his shoulder as Glorianna and Sebastian came up to them. Some sharp notes in both their tunes, which told him that Glorianna had felt that heart wish, and whatever she told Sebastian had the Justice Maker on edge.

“He’s wondering about this plant,” Michael said. Best to talk to Glorianna in private.

???

Glorianna cocked her head, then looked at him. He nodded, indicating he felt the wild child too.

“I don’t remember seeing that plant before,” Sebastian said, sounding cautious.

“I don’t think it was here before. Not in the garden islands anyway. Maybe it usually grows freely in some of the open land around the Den,” Glorianna said.

yes yes yes

Easier to find a plant in a flower bed than by wandering around in the dark on unfamiliar land. “Why are you interested in this plant?” Michael asked.

“It’s similar to one of the ingredients I use in the drops that help eyes heal,” the Apothecary replied. “But this is much more vibrant than the plants we’re able to obtain. Those plants need full shade, but still tend to be spindly.”

“Probably they need moonlight instead of sunlight in order to grow,” Glorianna said. Then she gave the Apothecary a sharp look. “You think this plant could help Lee? He said whatever was left in the bottle he had would give him the best sight he could have now.”

“That was true with the plant extracts I had to work with,” the Apothecary replied. “But with this? More of his sight might return.”

“What about the other ingredients?” Glorianna asked. “Do you have them with you?”

The Apothecary nodded. “I brought everything I could in the wagon.”

“Then bring a sample of each with you to the meeting tomorrow, and we’ll see what else can be found.”

Thank you, wild child, Michael thought as he rose and reached for Glorianna’s hand.

Sebastian escorted the two shadowmen to the bordello, where he’d arranged for them to stay. Then he caught a ride with a demon cycle to make a last check around the Den and see if the guards, Addison and Henley, had anything to report.

Michael and Glorianna stopped by Philo’s, but the only person left at the tables was Zhahar, so they bid her good night, accepted a ride on another demon cycle, and crossed over the stationary bridge that would take them to Nadia’s house.

In the privacy of Glorianna’s old room, Michael told her about his talk with Morragen Medusah a Zephyra—and about the heart wish that even now might be manifesting changes throughout pieces of Ephemera.

Zhahar sat at one of the tables, drinking a glass of wine and nibbling on the food Philo had brought for her.

=You don’t feel easy here, do you?= Zeela asked.

*No, I don’t. I want to get away from here.* She hesitated long enough to be sure Sholeh was preoccupied with her own thoughts. These weren’t fears she wanted to share with her youngest sister. *I think I love him, Zeela. And that scares me.*

=Scares me too,= Zeela replied. =A man of single aspect has never stayed with a Tryad for long—even when the aspect who loved him gave up everything else.=

*I know.* She took a deep breath, then let it out in a sigh. *When I was private, I would fantasize how it might be between him and me and all of us.*

=I hope that fantasy didn’t include me rubbing skin with him too,= Zeela said.

Zhahar choked on the wine she’d just swallowed. *No, it didn’t.* She looked around to make sure no one had noticed her. *It’s just…Everyone Lee cares about feels easy here, but I don’t. Maybe it’s a sign.* And hadn’t she seen another sign that it would be dangerous to be near Lee while they were here?

A long silence.

*Zeela?*

=What did you see, Zhahar?=

*What?*

=I’m the warrior of our Tryad. You’re the heart. But I know you. You came into view once earlier, and you’ve been hiding until now. What did you see that scared you so much?=

*I thought I saw Allone,* Zhahar whispered.

Zeela swore viciously. =You have to tell our mothers.=

*They’re upset with me. Maybe you could—*

=I didn’t see her. She shouldn’t be here.= A pause. =By the triple stars, no wonder you want to get away from here. If she suspects that you and Lee have feelings for each other, if she accuses you…=

*I know.*

=Talk to our mothers. Tell Zephyra if you can’t face Morragen or Medusah. Zhahar, if Allone has touched this land, Glorianna Belladonna needs to know.=

A wave of exhaustion made her body unbearably heavy. Before she could push to her feet, her mothers sat down at the table, with Medusah in view.

“We apologized for your behavior and your words,” Medusah said. “When Glorianna Belladonna returns in the morning, you should make your own apology for speaking before understanding.”

“I will,” Zhahar said hurriedly. “And I do want to understand why I was mistaken. So do Sholeh and Zeela. Mother…”

“We know what it’s like,” Medusah said. “When we were your age, we went out into a one-face land to provide an anchor for Tryadnea. Even after we were discovered and were being hunted as a demon, we stayed to the end to give the others a chance to escape. We barely made it back before the last connection broke. We were not pursued by an enemy as terrible as you faced, but we know what it’s like to live in fear day after day, interpreting every look, every tone of voice, and wondering if that was the day we would forget for just a moment and betray ourselves. Morragen told you about the risks, but you still wanted to go. You wanted to help the Tryad.”

“And I failed.” If she had been able to keep the connection to Vision, maybe she could have stayed with Lee without losing her sisters.

Medusah looked surprised. “No, you didn’t. You protected Lee when he needed someone, and he helped you to return home. By doing that, his presence brought a person able to forge a link that connects Tryadnea with another piece of the world—a link far stronger than anything I could have created.”

Zhahar looked around, searching for a face that shouldn’t be there. “This place?”

Medusah also looked around. “My sisters and I all came into view in front of people of single aspect, and there was no disgust, no fear.” She laughed softly. “There was a candid desire among some of the residents to discuss the Tryad’s sexual practices, but the directness was refreshing. Some of their directness and ability to see the heart so clearly disturbs us, and their acceptance is, in its own way, just as unsettling.” She sighed. “This isn’t what I envisioned when I sent my will questing through the world, but I think this might be what our people need. At least for now.” Her eyes held Zhahar’s. “Which is why you must mend the break caused by your words.”

She was too tired to be prudent, so she was honest. “If Glorianna can make boulders, why can’t she restore Tryadnea?”

“These Landscapers say despair made the deserts, and hope the oases,” Medusah said.

“So you agree with her that what happened to Tryadnea is our people’s fault?”

“Yes, we do. If there is any truth in the story her lover told us tonight, then, yes, the Tryad did this to ourselves, and we’re the only ones who can truly fix it.”

Zhahar sat back, stunned.

“When we became leader, I searched the official records, the stories, consulted with those who serve as our people’s Memory. There was nothing left that explained why Tryadnea broke away from the rest of the world, no mention of first becoming adrift. I thought then, and feel more strongly now, that something happened—an act so shameful that it was expunged from our history. Or maybe the act itself wasn’t that shameful, wasn’t meant to be harmful, but the result was catastrophic. Considering the nature of our taboos and the penalty for breaking them, it’s easy enough to guess how it started.

“I listened to these people tonight, listened to the Landscapers among them. What happened to Tryadnea is not strange to them, and they all agree on one point: somewhere in the Tryad’s history, a heart cried out with such conviction, the world responded. And Tryadnea was torn away from the rest of Ephemera so that our contact with other peoples would be fleeting.

“Tryadnea has been adrift for generations, but I think this time, in her own way, the Triple Goddess heard our hopes and prayers. Zhahar, was it happenchance that the man you helped has a sister who began as a single aspect and is now two?”

She’d forgotten that. In the blinding moment when she thought Glorianna could make Tryadnea’s land viable again, she’d forgotten what the woman had already done to protect the world.

Medusah’s aspect waned, and Zephyra, the core and heart of her mothers’ Tryad, came into view.

“It wasn’t what you said that offended Sebastian and Lee so much as the way you said it,” Zephyra said gently. “That’s why their friend Yoshani made a point of explaining to me that Glorianna Belladonna isn’t just a Landscaper; she’s a Guide of the Heart, and that is how she can help us.” She tapped her fingers against her chest. “If we want Tryadnea to flourish again, we’re going to have to enrich the ground here first.”

::Don’t cry, Zhahar,:: Sholeh said.

She hadn’t realized she was. But she knew she was trembling.

“Mother, I think I saw Allone tonight.”

A stunned silence. Then Morragen came into view, her face cold and hard. “Here? Are you sure?”

She shook her head. “I saw someone standing at the mouth of an alley across the street from me. A woman. That I’m sure of, despite the cloak. When I saw her, I stopped. She stepped back into the alley, out of sight. I was afraid of what she might claim to see if I stayed in view.”

“So that’s why you avoided Lee and his family.” Morragen nodded. “A wise decision, if Allone did slip past the guards and come to this place.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Zhahar whispered.

Zephyra came into view and placed a hand over hers. “You’re sharing a room with Kobrah, and I’ve been given a room in the same building. Much has happened today, and we all need some sleep. Tomorrow I will tell Glorianna Belladonna and Sebastian about Allone and the harm she can do to the Tryad people. Come, daughter. We need to rest.”

Wiping the tears off her face, Zhahar left the courtyard with Zephyra. Halfway to the bordello, they met up with Teaser, who went back with them. He escorted Zephyra to her room first, then showed Zhahar to the room that belonged to Sebastian and Lynnea and shared a bathroom with his.

The travel pack that held her clothing had been brought up. Kobrah was already there, looking sleepy as she combed out her freshly washed hair.

Unwilling to get into a clean bed when they felt gritty from the day’s travel and exertion, they took a quick bath before joining Kobrah and settling on their side of the bed.

How many lives had Allone destroyed in the years since making the choice that had destroyed her own?

Dreaming of what it would be like if Lee was willing to join hearts with her as well as bodies had been safe enough when they had been in Vision—especially since being at the Asylum helped her resist temptation. But now? If accused, she would have to make a choice before witnesses—and her choice would hurt Lee’s heart.

Better to bruise his heart now than risk her sisters. She just hoped that he would understand someday.