"Ladies and gentlemen, dragons, wizards, Wiccans, faeries, fellow demons, and citizens of Abaddon and the Otherworld, welcome to the Goety and Theurgy Starlight Lounge. For my first number, that timeless classic by the Oak Ridge Boys—'Elvira'!"

I snatched the microphone away from Jim just as. it was crooning the opening lines. The silence in the room was almost deafening as I looked out at a sea of aston-ished faces. "Uh… hi. Excuse my demon, it's a bit giddy after dining a la dumpster. Um. For those of you who don't know me—and that's most of you—my name is Aisling Grey."

Several people gasped at my name. I sucked on my lower lip for a moment, unnerved by having the complete and total attention of so many people. "I… uh… have an announcement, so if you'll just bear with me a mo-ment." I smoothed out the wrinkled sheet of notepaper, glancing up to locate Drake. He leaned against the wall, a drink in his hand. "In accordance with the laws govern-ing the Otherworld, I, Aisling Grey, Guardian of the por-tals of Abaddon, do hereby issue a formal challenge of transcendence to the one who is mated to me, Drake Vireo, the wyvern of the green dragons."

This time the whole room gasped. I didn't wait for the excited chatter to start; I plowed ahead, even though Drake's unconcerned expression was worrying me greatly. Why was he looking bored when I just an-nounced that I was going to battle him for control of his sept? Did he think I was that ineffectual? That clueless? Well, OK, I probably was, but it was still extremely in-sulting that he should let everyone else know he wasn't in the least bit stressed over our upcoming battle. "I charge you, Drake Vireo, to meet me here, tomorrow, at the time of the moon's zenith, when I will defend my challenge with my body. Should my power prove stronger, you will immediately turn yourself in to the police and confess to the acts of murdering Aurora Deauxville, Albert Camus, and Perdita Dawkins. How say you?"

Drake didn't answer right away, which was good be-cause the people in front of me burst into startled conversation, some people claiming Drake's innocence, others making crude comments about how I was going to defend a challenge with my body, and still others already starting the wagering on the outcome. Finally Drake stepped for-ward, his eyes so dark, they looked black. "I, Drake Vireo, wyvern to the green dragon sept, will accept your challenge, body to body. I agree to your terms and offer my own: Should my power prove stronger, you will sur-render yourself for judgment by the will of the green dragons."

I was more than a little surprised at his words, having assumed that he would ask for me to reveal the location of the Eye of Lucifer rather than agree to take whatever punishment the sept handed out for someone who chal-lenged their beloved wyvern. I didn't even want to mink about what that would consist of—as long as it couldn't be lethal, I would (probably) survive.

"How say you?" Drake finished.

"I agree to your terms," I said with an attempt at a quelling look at those people who swarmed forward around Drake to show him support.

Which pretty much left me, Ophelia, and Jim alone.

"Thank you," Ophelia said, her eyes shiny with tears again. "Let me just get my things and we can go home."

She moved off through the crowd. Jim looked at me, its lips pursed. 'Think you're going to beat Drake?"

"Are you kidding? Even with the Eye of Lucifer, I couldn't beat him at checkers."

Jim thought about that for a minute as I continued to watch the crowd of people around Drake. "Kinda odd you challenging him, then, huh?"

"Not really. The purpose of the challenge is to draw the murderer out into the public eye. I have high hopes it will do just that."

Jim shook its furry black head. "He must have bonked the brains right out of your head, Aisling. In order to get Drake to turn himself in for the murders, you have to beat him."

"That would be true if Drake were guilty of the mur-ders," I said with a pinch on its shoulder for the bonking comment. "But since he's innocent, the point is moot. Come on, demon mine, Ophelia is waiting. We have miles to go before we sleep."

19

Jim and I came in from doing his before-bed walk to find Ophelia sitting at the tiny blue-and-white-tile kitchen table, sobbing over a teapot.

"Oh, Ophelia, don't," I said, feeling utterly helpless to stop her tears.

Jim stood in the doorway, sniffing. "Demon was here. Bafamal?"

"Yes, I summoned it to ask it questions about the mur-ders." I squatted down next to Ophelia. "Here, let me pour you a cup of this wonderful tea you made. Then we'll get you tucked into bed."

"It's not fair," she said soggily, clutching a damp nap-kin. "Perdy had so much to live for! Everyone liked her … everyone but Drake. He spurned her once he dis-covered she would not work magic for him. He threw her out. He's evil, Aisling, very evil. I know he's your mate, but you should know the truth about him before you com-mit yourself."

"I do know the truth about him. Why else would I challenge him so publicly?" I asked, positively oozing innocence.

Jim coughed a cough that started out a snicker. I stepped on one of its paws.

"You're so good to me," Ophelia sniffled. "You don't know what a comfort it's been to have you take up the banner of justice for Perdita. I don't have even half the . power she had. I wouldn't stand a chance against Drake, but you—you are a powerful Guardian, his mate, the one person he cannot destroy. You can defeat him and force him to admit to the murders." She shivered, rubbing her arms as if she were chilled. "He's so frightening, his eyes so dark and cold. I don't know how you stood being around him."

Drake? Cold? Dark? My steamy, sexy, bright-eyed bringer of flames? "Mmm. Well, you won't have him to worry about any longer. I suppose I really should start thinking of the future."

"The future?" she asked, accepting the cup of tea I poured for her.

"Yeah, well, I assume I'm going to have to stick around here once I take over as wyvern for the green dragons. Can a womanbe a wyvern? Would I be a wyverness?"

"Wyvernette?" Jim asked. "How about Wyvernina?"

I turned a gimlet eye to my demon. "Go to bed, Jim."

"Yeees," Ophelia said slowly as Jim left the room. "A woman can be a wyvern—the red dragons' wyvern is a woman—but I assumed you'd want to go home after it was all over."