Chapter 12

Noah and Gideon appeared moments before Kane reappeared in his living room. They had just enough time to focus on the room's only occupant before Legna and Elijah also appeared. Gideon quickly moved to his mate, supporting her weakened frame by holding her snugly to the length of his body, his fingertips gently worrying against her face. She had teleported him and Noah, had gone and fetched Elijah, and then had teleported them both to Kane's as well. Even with her growing power, it was still much for her to do in such a rapid-fire manner. Gideon helped her to be seated, picking up one of her hands as it trembled with fatigue and folding it between his own as they all looked at the Lycanthrope Queen.

She was in her third form. The Wereform. In this form she was the figure of her womanly self, coated in the silky, golden fur of the cat, with whiskers, pointed ears high on her golden head, oval pupils, claws, and twitching tail. She sat in her chair with her legs crossed, the afghan that was no longer needed folded back where it had been, her tail curled silkily around her calf.

She stood up when she saw Noah, however, giving him a respectful inclination of her head. Her golden eyes flicked to the others. She first studied Gideon's mate for a long, interested moment. She then moved on to the massive form of the blond giant standing very close to the King. She knew this one, she realized. She had never met him face-to-face, but he was legendary among her people. Elijah, the Demon King's Warrior Captain. To her people, Elijah the Butcher.

There was no mistaking the description. Tall, muscular, and blond, as if he were an incarnation of Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. There was also no mistaking the shrewd green eyes of a well-seasoned fighter. But it was the palpable mistrust he sent lancing in her direction that confirmed his identity to her. It was the exact feeling she would expect from a man who had spent centuries killing her kind in order to protect his own.

However, Siena's focus belonged on Noah, and she turned it there quickly.

"Noah, it is an honor to finally meet you."

"Siena." Noah bowed slightly, his eyes roaming her figure with minute note of every detail. He was clearly sizing up the woman who had single-handedly ended the war between their peoples. "I have long desired meeting you as well."

"Then we have been remiss, each waiting for the other to make the first invitation. I regret that this meeting comes under such tragic circumstances."

Noah nodded in appreciation for her sympathies. Elijah, meanwhile, had moved to the area where the attack had taken place. The warrior touched the drying stain of blood, scenting it to affirm to himself that it belonged to Corrine.

"We can't tell Bella. This could kill her," he remarked tightly. "Not until we know for sure in either direction what has become of Corrine."

"I have a feeling Bella is going to find out on her own soon enough," Noah remarked, his concern etched deeply across his brow. "These visions of hers …"

"I will return when we are finished here and induce sleep," Gideon said. "She will not be aware of anything in that state. Also, it will allow her to heal so that if we must deliver bad news to her, she will be stronger."

"We are not delivering bad news to anyone," Kane barked suddenly, his hands curled into vicious fists. "Corrine will be found and brought back to me if I have to search every corner of this planet myself. And Destiny had better help those who took her from me."

"In time," Noah agreed soothingly, a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "We all will see to that. But we must start with the basics. I should like to begin with an explanation for your presence here, Siena."

"Of course." Siena stood up, moving with pantherish grace to circle the scene of the crime. "If you would introduce me to your people, Noah, I would be happy to share my knowledge with them all."

"My apologies, Siena," Noah said. "You have met Kane, I imagine. This is my Warrior Captain, Elijah. You are already acquainted with Gideon, our medic, and his mate, my sister, Magdelegna."

"A Princess for your mate, then, Gideon? You did not mention that," the Queen noted, looking amused by the thought.

"No, Siena. Our royal house does not work in the same fashion as yours. Council chooses our royal leaders and only their offspring become Princes," Gideon explained. "But it is a title of respect only. There is no birthright to our throne."

"I see. A wise custom. I know many a fool sitting on a throne because of their inbred rights to it." Siena linked her hands behind her back, removing her gaze from the openly disturbed stare the warrior was giving her. "I will start at the beginning."

Siena spent a moment looking over the menacing presence of the blond behemoth to her left, then moved closer to the more receptive Demons gathered around. Her fearlessness unwittingly impressed itself on the warrior. He knew she was very aware of his hostility, and yet she made no outside sign of it affecting her in the least.

"After Gideon visited me," Siena began, "I personally arranged for my Elite personnel to assist in the investigation into this unpardonable crime against your Enforcer female. Several reported running into your very adept and thorough warrior." She extended an elegant hand in Elijah's direction. "However, as I explained to Gideon, we who are more frequently the prey of a human hunt have a more advanced intelligence of this self-serving network of mortals."

"Your assistance is generous," Noah remarked, "considering we sent Gideon to you with only our suspicions in tow."

"No matter," the Queen said, waving it off. "I would have made a similar choice, considering our history." The Queen's gold eyes flicked back to Elijah for a moment before returning to Noah's expectant expression. "My Elite returned a few days ago with reports so intriguing that I felt I needed to seek the truth of the matter with my own eyes. What I encountered was a militant group of unique collaboration. It consisted of both powerless and empowered humans."

"Wait a minute … you mean necromancers and hunters working together?" The idea was shocking to them all. How would two such diverse groups even find each other? What did it take to get two such prejudiced and vindictive factions to collaborate?

"To be more specific," Siena continued, "sorceresses and female hunters."

" Women ?" Elijah demanded.

"Women," she confirmed. "Exclusively women."

"Exclusively …" Noah shook his head in confusion. "I do not understand that I did not think gender would matter."

"Yet somehow it does," the Queen countered. "When my Elite General began to hear rumors about this group, she infiltrated it as quickly as she could. She has since come to realize it is a highly powerful and more complexly organized party than one would expect for such a recent insurgence of empowered magic-users. My own investigation has convinced me that they have been gathering since long before you first became aware of the return of magic-users. But I believe the specificity and coalescence of this female group only began recently. There still seemed to be a sense of newness to it Not too new, but just young enough to keep expectations very high. Something occurred to bring these women together, something very specific.

The magic of the necromancers is powerful. Let me assure you of that straight away. These are no amateurs. Though I always have to question just how expert any of them can be, considering their mortality. Still, my Elite related stories of power and spells the likes of which I had never before heard of. I believe it is only because my Elite General chose half-breed spies that they were lucky enough to go undetected amongst them."

"Half-breed?" Kane asked. As the youngest of them he was the least experienced in these details.

"Half pure Lycanthrope, half human," Elijah explained with quiet solemnity.

"I'm not sure I understand the difference."

"A half-bred Lycanthrope cannot change into Lycanthropic or animal form. Instead, they exist in the constant form of a human. They look human, smell human, and have an ease living between the human and Lycanthrope worlds that we full-blooded Lycanthropes are not easily capable of. The distinction is that a half-breed acquires all the senses and abilities of the animal form they would have been able to take had they been fully bred. For instance, a feline's ability to see in dim light, its sense of smell, retractable claws, and so on," Siena explained.

This ride on the fence between races allows them to go easily undetected. Even to magic," Elijah said.

The Queen's eyes went back to the warrior with interest.

"You know much about us." The Queen studied Elijah for a long minute more, the roam of her eyes slow and meticulous as they both understood what his detailed knowledge had once been used for. ‘The female half-breeds," she continued at last, "infiltrated the group under the guise of hunters. I promise you, this was no small feat, considering the overpowering stench such a throng of magic-users produces. But my General, Anya, quickly began to hear reports of an attack perpetrated against a female human who had lain with a Demon, although these women referred to them as a ‘male succubus and his human whore.' They were clearly aware that the human woman was impregnated with its ‘spawn.'

"It was easy to assume this was your Enforcer's mate they discussed. I risked possible detection and accompanied Anya to the next meeting. All I can say is that they are eerily well informed. They knew specifics about your people that even my father's spies and assassins were never able to discover over all our centuries of war. I assure you, the Elite spies are quite adept in their fields, but never have they known such intimate details as I heard from these women."

"I'm sure you undercredit them," Elijah remarked darkly, his sarcasm blunt.

Clearly the Demon warrior was not pleased by the fact that the Queen's resources had proven to be better than his own. He prided himself and his warriors on being the best at what they did. It sat ill on him to have been bested by, of all people, the Lycanthropes.

"So how does this investigation bring you to Kane's doorstep?" Noah asked.

"I was present when orders were given for a group to ‘begin their assignment.' Without knowing the nature of the assignment, I felt it would be wise to follow them. I did, and the rest is as I explained to Kane."

"But there is something missing," Legna spoke up suddenly. "You have seen something and have not realized its significance."

"That is possible," the Queen agreed, arching a brow of curiosity as she looked at Legna. This female Demon was a powerful woman. Siena could sense it quite strongly in spite of the fact that, out of the array of Demons before her, Legna appeared to be the least prone to animal instincts. "What is it you suspect?"

"Emotion. Strong emotion. This is not a random attack."

"No. It wouldn't be, would it?" Elijah said with sudden clarity. "Out of all of us, what is the one connection that Corrine has that no one else does?"

"Isabella. Damn," Noah hissed. "She is our Enforcer's sister."

"And accessibility," Elijah added. "If they know so much about us, it seems logical to assume they knew Corrine is in delay of gaining her Druidic powers. She is vulnerable, weak … and they knew she would be easy prey."

"Hmm," the Queen mused. "Perhaps this will make better sense to you, then. An agent reported to me that one of the group leaders had become incensed over the failure of the original attack. Though I did not see this myself, my Elite told me that to describe her as livid would have been too mild a terminology. She kept screaming about how they had failed to destroy the ‘Demon bastard' and his ‘whore vessel.'"

"Obviously she meant Bella and the baby," Noah remarked.

"I do not agree," Legna murmured. She got the attention of the room with the statement. She got to her feet, moving past Gideon's staying hand of protest, pacing as she forced herself to think. "The rage does not make sense. Understand, I am fully aware of the temperament fanatics such as these can reach, but psychologically speaking, rage of this manner indicates a very intimate connection."

Legna raised a hand to her temple, rubbing it as she tried to think. Gideon was watching her closely but remained silent. He could sense she was close to something and did not want to disturb her, even out of his concern for her weary state.

"Okay, let us look at this entire picture," she said aloud, even though it seemed she would not have even noticed if they had left the room. "The attack on Bella did not take on the nature of a random act of violence, or even an efficiently motivated one. If anyone had wanted Bella destroyed, they could have done it with a single shot from a distant hillside with a high-powered rifle. After all, humans have no trouble at all using such weaponry. Consider: What was the purpose in taking the risk of getting so close to her? Why add the variables of a stun gun that might malfunction or miss its target? If they wanted her dead, why not cut her throat and be done with it? Why the multiple wounds that would not be fatal unless untended over time? And then the brutal attack on the baby. Kicking? Punching? When, again, a single act of well-aimed violence would have sufficed?"

"Suffering," Gideon injected suddenly.

"Exactly. Someone wanted Bella to suffer before she died," Legna agreed. "And by doing that, they would have made Jacob suffer. They risked capture, injury, and death to do this thing. Fanatics or not, why would humans risk such personal threat? The only reason I can see is the vindictive motive of … of Jacob being the one to find Bella dead. And he would have, had I not come to visit her. I think the referral to ‘Demon bastard' was not a referral to the baby, but a referral to Jacob. Frankly, it sounds a lot like personally motivated revenge to me. And no revenge against Jacob would have been sweeter than murdering his beloved mate and their unborn child in such a way as to make it very clear to him that they had suffered torturously the entire time. It would have destroyed him."

"Revenge …" Noah's eyes lit up with disturbed awareness. "Ruth," he hissed.

"Yes," Gideon agreed. "It would explain so much. Including how it is that they suddenly know so much about us."

"Ruth …" Noah shook his head at the painful prospect of his realization. "She's unbearable, but a traitor?" he argued with himself.

"She blames Jacob for the pain her daughter now suffers due to the accidental loss of her Druid mate," Gideon added. "My guess is that it was Ruth herself who entered the house after Bella was unconscious. She knew full well that pain would nullify Bella's power absorption abilities. She attended the attack personally in order to …"

"To batter the unborn child," Elijah finished, "completing her revenge firsthand."

"Ruth, as a Mind Demon, must have figured out a way to mask the link between Jacob's and Bella's thoughts," Gideon put in. "I remember him saying he did not feel the trouble she was in until Legna arrived on the scene. Being familiar with that connection now, I find it is almost impossible to break, even when you want to. But Ruth could have that power."

"Isn't this too obvious?" Elijah complained. "Ruth is not stupid. She knows we would get to the bottom of this and begin to suspect anyone with an attitude against Bella and Jacob."

"Exactly. She is probably hoping we will discount her for her obvious hostility, providing her an excellent defense," Noah said. "But there is impetus for this most recent attack that would make Ruth as primary suspect make even more sense," Noah added gravely. "She was recently voted out of the ranks of Council."

"What? When did that happen?" Kane asked.

"The Council, sans Jacob and Isabella, voted three days ago. The vote was unanimous. We did not publicize it to spare Ruth as much embarrassment as we could. But I see now she would have even more motivation for rage and revenge against the Enforcers, if indeed it was she who orchestrated the attack."

Siena moved to stand before Noah, aware of the fact that Elijah was bristling with distrust as she did so. It was clear he didn't like her being so close to his monarch. The Queen ignored the brute's continuing hostility.

"I must warn you that this most recent abduction was not the only plan about to be executed by these women," Siena announced. ‘The human women are planning another course of retribution on what we must assume is your Enforcers. And this, Kane, is what leads me to believe your mate is not dead." She glanced at the young Demon with heartening encouragement. "If they had wanted to make a statement by killing her, they would have done so right here. This blood is really incidental. I think that they have kidnapped her. With Corrine in their custody, they have an intolerable leverage over you all. I do not know what use they expect to get out of it, but it cannot be anything good."

Siena took her turn at pacing thoughtfully before the gathering. "If we are to remove their leverage, we must rescue Corrine as soon as possible," she mused. "There is only one course of action to be taken, as I see it. If you will allow my assistance."

"By all means," Noah encouraged, holding up a silencing hand to Elijah, who made a sound of protest.

"We must search the premises of these female forces and try to locate Corrine. However, the only ones who have a hope of getting past their notice are half-breed females like Anya, myself, and … Magdelegna." She pointed to the mildly startled Mind Demon.

"Me?" Legna asked dumbly, surprised to even be considered for something that would definitely take her out of her comfort zone.

"You are a Mind Demon, yes? You can trick minds, alter perception, and toy with their heads in ways that will give us most excellent access." Siena couldn't help the impish urge to fling a sly look at the grumpy blond warrior, and with a wriggle of whiskers she said, "See? I know you, too."

"In that case, why can I not just teleport into the compound and find her myself?" Legna asked. "I can take images from your mind—"

"No. The compound is a honeycomb of underground caverns. I have no idea where she might be, and we could end up teleporting into the middle of a necromancer's tea party. I think the only way you would be able to find her is to get close enough to sense her thoughts and emotions. The only way this will happen will be through the so-called front door."

"I would sense her thoughts and emotions," Kane argued, looking every bit the frustrated husband.

"And you would be very obvious as the only man in the compound," Siena said dryly. "Since Anya and I are known there, we will not be suspect as we help Magdelegna to locate your mate. Once we find her, Magdelegna can teleport us all to safety."

"And I can mask our presence and our escape," Legna added.

"From Ruth?" Noah was shaking his head. "Legna, she practically invented what it means to be a female Mind Demon. She was the first, and she is the strongest."

"But Legna is no longer a typical female Mind Demon," Gideon spoke up. "She is developing uncommon power and abilities. You have seen this for yourself."

"Developing being the key word," Noah argued, his worry for Legna paramount in his mind. "If any of them are detected, we will not only lose any advantage we have, but we may potentially lose these other women as well."

"I doubt that," Gideon remarked. "True, these are powerful enemies, and not to be underestimated, but I have never known a necromancer able to prevent a teleport when the Demon was not controlled by a pentagram. Even Ruth is not capable of that."

"Then it is settled," Legna said. "We will seek Corrine in their stronghold. Once she is rescued, we can worry about the next attack they are planning."

"And if she is not being kept in that place?" Kane asked tensely.

"Why wouldn't she be?" Siena countered. "They have no reason to suspect we are on to them and their locale. And should that be the case, where better to find the information?"

"Then it is settled," Gideon agreed firmly. He was not pleased by the idea of Legna going into danger, but he was going to make sure he and several others were going to be close by should any of them need assistance. And he would be in her mind the entire time.

"Hardly. Legna is not exactly a low-profile member of our society," Noah pointed out. "Ruth would recognize her in a heartbeat, mental blocks or no. Every Councilor knows the face and form of the King's sister."

"I will alter her appearance sufficiently," Gideon said. "It is within my power."

"Excellent. How much time do you need to prepare?" Siena asked Gideon.

"Very little."

"But I need time to rest," Legna pointed out. "I have taxed myself."

"We can't afford that kind of time," Kane argued anxiously. He felt Corrine's absence keenly. His mind felt so hollow, but it was nothing compared to the fear of the unknown. What, he wondered, was happening to her? He couldn't bear the thoughts that began to race into his head and claw through his hollowed-out heart.

"He is right," Legna agreed. "Give me two hours. Some energy supply from Noah, a little healing from Gideon, and some meditation should refocus me sufficiently."

"Very well. I will be prepared as well." The Queen turned to Noah. "When you are finished aiding your sister, I should like a moment with you."

"By all means," Noah agreed, much to the displeasure of his Warrior Captain.

"I offer my help in this venture not only as a gesture of goodwill, but because I feel this feminine force is dangerous enough to warrant my personal scrutiny," Siena was explaining to Noah half an hour later. "What you do with the information about the Demon traitor is at your discretion, Noah. I know you have your own justice system. But I will warn you now that if in the future you plan to send further spies into this stronghold for yourself, we must keep each other well notified of our actions.

"I will have my Lycanthropes picking this group apart with brutal efficiency the moment we are able, and I would hate to see any Demon warrior accidentally injured because they were gathering intelligence for you and a miscommunication left us unaware of their innocent presence. There is a great need for us to exchange ambassadors. My court will welcome any Demon of your choosing."

Noah leaned back in his seat, absently turning the signet ring on his middle finger as he considered the offer for a long moment. It was not usual for Noah to show signs of perturbation, but it was clear he was more than a little worn out by all the attacks against those he loved.

"I have only one Demon I could entrust with such a task, but you will have to give Magdelegna time to decide before I can make that a definite promise to you," the King said quietly.

"An excellent choice," the Queen said after a long minute. "I do not know why I did not consider it myself. Especially since her mate is already quite a familiar face to my court. As for my part, I have a very special female in mind. She is named Myriad. She would be an excellent ambassador for your court not only because she is remarkably open-minded, fearless, and strong, but because she is not the sort who would come crying to me with easily bruised feelings. She, too, is a half-breed, which may help others become comfortable with her more quickly than perhaps a purebred could achieve."

"When this disturbance is resolved," Noah said, "send her to me. Legna will give you her own decision about becoming your ambassador after I request it of her." Noah rose to his feet. "I think I also should tell you that a part of our justice system, which you spoke of earlier, consists of an absolution for true acts of self-defense when they are called for." Noah crossed to a near window and pressed his fist to the glass. "I tell you this because there may come a call for you to take part in destroying this corrupted Demon female should she pose a threat to you or Legna, and I must have you understand that we will not seek atonement from you if you are forced to destroy her.

"I would be responsible if you hesitated because of my failure to tell you these things, Siena, and were injured or killed as a result. It was your ascension that stopped the war between our peoples, and I will not forget that this peace means as much to you as it does to me. I know that were I faced with a hostile Lycanthrope right now, I might hesitate to defend myself for fear of it rending our tenuous hold on this time of tolerance."

"I understand," Siena said softly, making no secret of her remarkable respect for his thorough forethought. "The information is happily received. However, I don't see attacks or battles as a part of this mission. This is an extremely large group. We would be outnumbered in a battle."

"We will not be far," Noah said. "Gideon, Elijah, and I will be monitoring you. We will back you up immediately if needed."

"And we will make all efforts not to cause trouble," Siena agreed. "There will be a time for battle. Unfortunately, it seems to be a recurring theme in history." Siena paused a long moment. "May I speak freely, Noah?"

Noah turned at the question, looking at the woman who was sliding a thoughtful hand over the spines of the books on one of the shelves of his personal library.

"By all means," he invited her.

Siena gave him a tiny smile and continued to meander the room as she spoke. Her movements, matched with her mellow speech patterns, were soothing in an enigmatic way. It seemed as though the only sound she made as she traveled was the soft brush of fur on fur. The lazy swing of her tail was practically hypnotic. Even in this hybrid form, she was an incredibly lovely creature.

"One does not need to be a telepath or an empath to know you are preoccupied with your sister's relationship with Gideon."

Siena stopped to pick up a glass globe that had been etched with maps of the world. The piece was clearly an antique of tremendous age and value. The borders of the countries were misrepresented, and other areas were missing completely.

"Yes. It is a complicated event."

"I see. I had thought Gideon was highly respected amongst your people."

"He is. Of course he is."

"Yes, he is quite old and quite empowered."

Siena rested the globe back into its display holder, turning it until the Russian territory was facing forward. Strangely, it amused the King. Lycanthrope history was deeply rooted in that land, the accent of which could be heard in the Queen's warm speech. Her action was almost like a subliminal need to leave a declaration of her presence behind. He supposed that living half of her existence as an animal was bound to leave her with unavoidable instincts, such as marking territory. His own people were affected with similar needs.

But Noah was actually more curious about her current line of questioning. He had never doubted Siena's intelligence or perceptive abilities, not to mention the strength it had taken to hand down a decree to her people only three days after her ascension to the throne that the war with the Demons was to end immediately.

Also, she had paid careful and quiet attention to Elijah during the meeting. Though she had said nothing, done nothing to indicate it, Noah had a feeling she knew that it had been Elijah who had led the team of warriors who had finally defeated her father thirteen years ago. The battle had been the last of the war, her father's resulting death giving Siena the key to her throne. Noah was forced to wonder what effect it would have on a woman like Siena to come face-to-face with her father's executioner.

"I was always curious," the Queen continued after a distinct silence, "as to how a Demon of such ability had managed to be captured by my father. I realize now, as I come to know your people, that you sent him to make that sacrifice."

"I sent him, but the idea was all Gideon's," Noah credited quietly.

Siena's gold eyes flicked up to meet his. Her eyes were incomprehensibly beautiful, but it was not nearly as startling a feature as her keen intellect. Noah was quite impressed but simply returned her gaze as he locked his hands behind his back.

"Gideon was the only Demon by both type and wisdom who could have done such a thing," Noah continued. "As a Demon of the Body, he has no natural abilities for escape, such as teleporting, so he gambled on the idea that your father would be pacified enough to let him remain imprisoned. Knowing this, your sire had no fear of Gideon slipping away with intelligences that might benefit us. It stood to reason he would thrive on the idea of the advantage holding Gideon over our heads might give him."

"My father was a bit of a fool," Siena remarked without humor. "He never bothered to find out that Gideon could astral project. It was when I discovered this that I realized you all could have had all the information you needed to destroy us in a genocidal fashion, but you were not acting on it. It was the beginning of the change in my perspective about your people."

"Gideon is a veteran of war and its ramifications. It has always been his highest priority to find wise and logical ways out of conflict. He put a great deal of faith in the reports of your remarkable intelligence and your outspoken displeasure with the warring ways of your father. Without these important factors, Gideon would never have suggested the assignment, not to mention embark on it himself."

"It was still a very dangerous chance to take."

"With your father away at battle, leaving you in charge of the court, we expected you might speak to your captive once or twice. It was our hope that with those slight opportunities, Gideon could find a common enough ground to begin the processes of understanding and tolerance between you. A mandatory factor when trying to achieve peace."

"Yes. I know. It was for the best. The five years Gideon spent at Our court made an impact, I believe, on both sides." Siena moved to run fingers over a nearby desk. "But I am forced to wonder something, Noah. It is clear from this information that you trust Gideon. Enough to trust him with the future of both our races. That you hold him in high regard and enormous esteem even on a personal level is also apparent." She turned that pinning gaze back on him. "Why would you be against having such a man as mate to your sister and a member of your family?"

"It is not so much that I do not trust him or do not want him—" Noah broke off and looked back out the window he had been gazing out of before the conversation had begun. "It is a complicated situation. There are things involved in this type of union that could be painful for my sister." Noah looked back to the Lycanthrope woman. "What brother of any substance would greet the idea of his sister's potential hurt with open arms?"

"One who did not love his sister as much as you clearly do," she agreed graciously. "It is almost … almost uncanny how alike we are after all. I was raised on stories of Demon savagery, told how uncouth and barbaric you were. Stories that included the Druidic Wars and a long list of other opinions from other races holding other grudges." Siena paused to shake her head, the motion of expressed regret accented by a twitch of her ears. "When I got to know Gideon and began to see the depth of your morals and the culture that surrounded them, I realized how untrue it was. It was wise of you to trust him with the task. You should not lose your wisdom now, Noah."

Noah drew in a deep breath, and then released it in a long sigh.

"You are correct, Siena. And I have said the same thing to myself many times. Perhaps, soon, I will actually begin to listen to myself." Noah gave her a charming smile and with it changed the focus of the conversation. "For the moment, I should like for us to complete the details of the ambassadorial exchange."

"I have been considering something else first," she announced. "I believe we should have a social gathering before the exchange of our diplomats. Perhaps it will relax everyone to begin the integration in the same casual style we began ours."

"An excellent idea. I propose Beltane. There will be weddings, a festival, and we will have sporting competitions."

"That sounds like an excellent idea. Perhaps I can suggest some of the things we do on Beltane to make it a truly blended occasion?"

"Of course. Please," Noah indicated two plush chairs that faced each other next to one of the shelves. "Let us discuss it."