“It’s beautiful. It feels... happy.”

“Some are, some are not. Some demand a hard life, full of pain and effort. But it is still life. This world is old,” the goddess said, her robes flowing as she opened her arms. “It earned this beauty, this peace, through that pain and that effort.”

“You could stop what’s coming. Stop her.”

Her bright hair dancing in the wind, she turned to Glenna. “I have done what I can to stop it. I have chosen you.”

“It’s not enough. Already we’ve lost one of us. He was a good man.”

“Many are.”

“Is this how fate and destiny work? The higher powers? So coldly?”

“The higher powers bring laughter to those children, they bring the flowers and the sun. Love and pleasures. And yes, death and pain. It must be so.”

“Why?”

Morrigan turned, smiled. “Or it would all mean so little. You are a gifted child. But the gift has weight.”

“I used that gift to destroy. All of my life I’ve believed, been taught, I knew what I had, what I was, could never harm. But I used it to harm.”

Morrigan touched Glenna’s hair. “This is the weight, and it must be carried. You were charged to strike at evil with it.”

“I won’t be the same again,” Glenna stated, looking out to sea.

“No, not the same. And you’re not ready. None of you. You’re not yet whole.”

“We lost King.”

“He isn’t lost. He’s only moved to a different world.”

“We’re not gods, and we grieve for the death of a friend. The cruelty of it.”

“There will be more death, more grieving.”

Glenna closed her eyes. It was harder, even harder, to speak of death when she looked at such beauty. “We’re just full of good news today. I want to go back.”

“Yes, you should be there. She’ll bring blood, and another kind of power.”

“Who will?” Fear had Glenna jerking back. “Lilith? Is she coming?”

“Look there.” Morrigan pointed to the west. “When the lightning strikes.”

The sky went black, and the lightning arrowed out of the sky to strike the heart of the sea.

When she whimpered, turned, Hoyt’s arms came around her.

“It’s dark.”

“Nearly dawn.” He touched his lips to her hair.

“A storm’s coming. She’s coming with it.”

“Did you dream?”

“Morrigan took me.” She pressed closer. He was warm. He was real. “Some place beautiful. Perfect and beautiful. Then the dark came, and the lightning struck the water. I heard them growling in the dark.”

“You’re here now. Safe.”

“None of us are.” Her mouth lifted, met his desperately. “Hoyt.”

She rose above him, slim and fragrant. White skin against pearled shadows. She took his hands, pressed them to her br**sts. Felt his fingers cup her.

Real and warm.

As her heartbeat quickened, the candles around the room began to flicker. In the hearth, the fire woke to simmer.

“There’s a power in us.” She lowered to him, her lips racing over his face, down his throat. “See it. Feel it. What we make together.”

Life, was all she could think. Here was life, hot and human. Here was a power that could strike back the icy fingers of death.

She rose up again, taking him into her, strong and deep. Then bowing back as the thrill washed through her like wine.

He wrapped around her, coming to her so his mouth could take her breast, so he could taste the pounding of her heart. Life, he thought as well. Here was life.

“All that I am.” Already breathless, he feasted on her. “This is more. From the first moment, for the rest of time.”

She took his face, watched herself in his eyes. “In any world. In all of them.”

It poured through her, so fast, so hot, she cried out.

Dawn broke quietly while their passion raged.

“It’s the fire,” Glenna told him.

They were in the tower, sitting over coffee and scones. She had the door firmly locked, and had added a charm to make certain no one and nothing entered until she was finished.

“It’s exciting.” His eyes were still sleepy, his body relaxed.

Sex, Glenna thought, could work wonders. She was feeling pretty damn good herself.

“Wake-up sex agrees with you, but I’m not talking about that kind of fire. Or not exclusively. Fire’s a weapon, a big one, against what we’re fighting.”

“You killed one with it last night.” He poured more coffee. He was, he realized, developing quite a taste for it. “Effective, and quick, but also—”

“A little unpredictable, yes. If the aim’s off, or one of our own is too close—or steps or is shoved in the line, it would be extremely tragic. But... ” She tapped her fingers against her cup. “We learn to control it, to channel it. That’s what we do, after all. Practice, practice. And more, we can use it to enhance the other weapons. The way you did last night, with the fire on the sword.”

“I’m sorry?”

“The fire on your sword when you clashed with Cian.” She lifted her eyebrows at his blank expression. “You didn’t call it, it just came. Passion—in that case anger. Passion, when we’re making love. A flame shot down your sword last night, just for an instant. A flaming sword.”

She pushed up from the table to pace around the room. “We haven’t been able to do anything about creating a protected zone around the house.”

“We may yet find the way.”

“Tricky, since we have a vampire on the premises. We can’t set down a spell to repel vampires without repelling Cian. But yes, in time—if we have the time—we may find a way around that. In the meantime, the fire’s not only effective, it’s beautifully symbolic. And you bet your gorgeous ass, it’ll put the fear of the gods into the enemy.”

“Fire takes focus and concentration. A little difficult when you’re fighting for your life.”

“We’ll work on it until it isn’t so difficult. You wanted me to work more on magic, and in this case I’m willing. It’s time to make ourselves a serious arsenal.”

She came back, sat on the table. “When it’s time to take this war to Geall, we’re going loaded.”