Dax grabbed Alton’s arm and dragged him to one side. “What are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Alton shook his head, but he kept his eye on Ginny and Eddy. After what they’d just been through, he wasn’t letting Ginny out of his sight.

“Demons are thick in Sedona,” Alton said. “We needed some answers and I figured we’d better look for help, so I took Ginny with me to Lemuria.”

Dax frowned. “How’d that go?”

Alton grinned at him. Then he burst out laughing. Both women stopped hugging and looked his way. Ginny had a huge smile on her face. When Alton held his hand out, she reached for him and wrapped her fingers around his. He looked into her shining eyes and was immediately caught up in their depth and unexpected heat. He cleared his throat and squeezed her hand.

“Well,” he said, dragging out the word for emphasis, “I’m still a wanted man. Ginny is Lemurian. She’s immortal. She’s got her own sword, a different kind of crystal that shows the real demon beneath the demon mist. Other than that, it was just your typical trip to another dimension.”

“What? Ginny?” Eddy gaped at Ginny. “What do you mean, you’re Lemurian?”

Ginny merely shrugged and glanced at Alton.

Alton wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. “It appears Ginny is descended from Lemurian royalty, from a time when we still had a king and a queen. HellFire was the first to tell us. Then the Crone, an ancient woman I always thought was more myth than reality, presented Ginny with her own sword—along with the details of her Lemurian birthright.”

Eddy laughed out loud. “Ginny, you got some ’splainin’ to do.”

Ginny flashed her a bright grin, let go of Alton’s hand, and carefully withdrew DarkFire. “It was so weird,” she said, staring at the darkly glowing crystal blade. “As soon as we got to Lemuria, Alton was arrested, but his friend Taron took me with him. We all met up again in this huge underground plaza, and after HellFire cut through Alton’s chains, this really old woman walked through the crowd, and it was like Moses parting the Red Sea. She met us up on the dais and spoke a prophecy that she insisted was about my coming to Lemuria. Then she kissed me, walked away, and turned into dust.”

She grabbed Alton’s hand and squeezed his fingers. Shaking her head in disbelief, she said, “Next thing I knew, HellFire had birthed a twin, except my sword glows with this weird light and she’s definitely female.” She held the crystal sword out for Eddy and Dax. “Meet DarkFire. She carries the spirit of the old woman known as the Crone, whose real name was Daria. She was a woman warrior who fought in the Lemurian DemonWars.”

“Hello.” The sword’s voice was soft, almost melodic.

Eddy’s eyes opened wide. “Woman warrior? I didn’t think Lemurian women were soldiers.”

“Then who is the voice of DemonSlayer?”

Alton’s soft question seemed to catch Eddy by surprise. She reached back and touched the pommel of her sword, rising above the leather scabbard. “I hadn’t thought of that,” she said, stroking the smooth metal.

Dax grinned. He dipped his head, acknowledging Ginny’s sword. “It appears they were. Greetings, DarkFire.”

The sword pulsed in brilliant shades of lavender and purple.

“Ginny, this is so cool.” Eddy reached out and touched the crystal blade. “Hard to believe, but cool. It’s good to meet you, DarkFire. I had no idea there were women warriors in Lemuria.”

“Ginny will tell you my story. DemonSlayer will tell her own when the time is right. For now, beyond you, Edwina Marks, Ginny is the only woman warrior among our kind, the only one willing to take up the fight against demonkind.” The blade darkened. After a moment, Ginny returned it to her scabbard.

Eddy blinked. “How the hell did she know my name was Edwina?” Then she yawned and slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oops. Sorry…we’ve been up since yesterday. There was a nasty infestation in southern Oregon, but Ginny! I want to know everything! How did you find out about, well…everything? You’re coming back to Evergreen, right?”

Ginny glanced at Alton. He shook his head. “No,” he said. “Not yet. We have to see what’s happening in Sedona. There were hundreds of demons pouring through the portal from Bell Rock just before you arrived. There shouldn’t be any. I closed the portal there when I first arrived, so they must have opened a new one. Sedona’s full of vortexes that can power the gateways.”

Dax nodded. “Makes sense. We’ll try and join you once we check in with Ed and get some sleep. We’ve been fighting a small invasion north of here, but I think it’s under control.”

Alton grabbed his arm. “They’re changing, Dax. It’s like they have a sense of purpose. They massed and tried to get through the portal to Lemuria. If Ginny hadn’t stopped them, they might have made it.”

“At least we’ve got some Lemurian soldiers on our side.” Ginny glanced at Alton. “You tell them what happened. I’m still not sure.”

Alton nodded and quickly described the battle, Roland of Kronus and his sword’s amazing transformation from steel to crystal. “DarkFire sort of replicated herself,” he said.

“Sort of?” Dax frowned and glanced from Ginny to Alton.

“It was amazing,” Ginny said. “She created a sword for Roland, much larger than she is, out of his own sword. She turned his steel to crystal.”

“She said it holds the spirit of Hesta, Roland’s grandmother, who was also a woman warrior.” Alton shook his head. “Why didn’t we know there were women who fought for Lemuria? What happened to them? Roland said their story was known to the common folk. Why not the rest of us?”

Dax shrugged. “We need to find out. Did his sword speak?”

Alton shook his head. “Not yet. He still has to earn his sword’s respect in battle, I guess. But when he held his sword up for his men to swear loyalty to Lemuria, not to the council, the other three soldiers’ steel blades all turned to crystal.”

“Wow.” Eddy shook her head. “That just happened? Here?” She swept her hand wide, encompassing the cavern.

“Right here,” Alton said. “About two minutes before you guys showed up.”

“Well, crap.” Eddy grabbed Dax’s hand. “Our timing sucks.” She yawned and leaned close to her ex-demon lover.

Dax brushed her short hair back from her face and she snuggled against his shoulder. Even Alton could tell she was ready to fold from exhaustion. “We can catch up on all of this after you get some rest. Ginny’s got her cell phone with her.”

“Okay, ’cause I want details.” Eddy sighed and stared at the portal Alton had sealed just one week ago, the same gateway that had allowed so many demons into the tiny community of Evergreen. She seemed every bit as frustrated as she was tired.

“Did Dax tell you that the ones we fought in Oregon had taken on living animals as avatars?” Eddy clung even tighter to Dax’s arm. “They’re evolving even faster than last week. It’s as if something is pushing them, enabling them in ways we haven’t seen.”

Alton nodded. “We saw the same thing in Sedona. They’re taking on animal form there as well. Household pets and wild animals, though if the animal is caged, the demon goes in search of another host that’s still running free.”

“Wow.” Ginny barely whispered the word, but everyone immediately glanced her way. Ginny held up her hand. She’d removed all the bandages. “Look. It’s all healed. I had some really deep scratches and bites.”

Eddy grabbed her wrist and turned Ginny’s hand. Pink flesh against her dark skin left bright patterns from the healed wounds. “What happened to you?”

“Tom the demon-powered cat happened.” She shrugged, obviously fascinated by her healed hand. “My cousin’s cat was possessed and went crazy. I was helping Markus catch him and he—the cat, not Markus—attacked me. I had some pretty ugly bites and scratches, but I haven’t had time to see a doctor.” She looked at Alton. “How’d this heal so quickly?”

He ran his fingers over the newly healed flesh and smiled. At least this was some good news. “More proof you’re Lemurian. We heal fast. Broken bones take longer, unless Willow can still do her healing stuff from inside Bumper….” He glanced at Dax.

Dax shrugged. “Don’t know. Haven’t needed any healing since…well, since Willow and Bumper became more closely acquainted.”

Eddy laughed and grabbed his arm. “That’s a nice way of putting it, dear. We can discuss this later. I need sleep and we still have a long hike down the mountain to Dad’s Jeep.”

Ginny gave her a quick hug. “Call me after you catch up on your rest. Girl, we really need to talk.”

Eddy hugged her back and then turned and gave Alton a long, slow, assessing look. Laughing, she shook her head. “You’re not kidding,” she said. She hugged Alton, grabbed Dax by the arm, and whistled for the dog. “C’mon, BumperWillow. Time to go home.”

The three of them passed through the portal. Alton watched them leave. Then he held his sword high and searched the nooks and crannies and corners of the cavern. There was no demon sign, at least for now. Finally he glanced over his shoulder at Ginny. “You ready to go?”

She nodded, but she was still staring at her healed hand. “Ya know, the sword is really cool and I love the telepathic link, but for some reason, this just blows me away!”

Alton grabbed her arm and tugged her toward the portal to Sedona. “Well, let’s hope it blows you this way. I want to get back before dark.”

“Where are we going to stay?” Ginny planted her feet. “I don’t have all that much money that I can pay for hotels and meals in restaurants for very long.”

Alton reached into his pocket and pulled out a small leather pouch. He’d totally forgotten about it. “I grabbed this when we were in my rooms in Lemuria. Hold out your hand.”

Ginny spread her fingers wide. Alton dumped a small pile of diamonds into her palm.

“Holy shit. Talk about bling! Are those for real?” She picked one up with her free hand and turned it, catching the light from Alton’s sword in the diamond.

“Definitely real. We’ll sell a few as we need cash, but just a couple of those should be good for more than the time we’ll need to be in Sedona.”

Ginny carefully helped him pour the stones back into the bag. Then she burst out laughing. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“Oh, I hope so,” he said, tugging her hand and pulling her close. “Now let’s get to Sedona and find a place where we can get comfortable.”

“At least we can each afford to have our own rooms now, right?” She glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. He was certain he saw her lips twitching.

“I don’t think so,” he said. He tugged her close and they paused in front of the portal to Sedona. “It’s dangerous. I need to keep you close. Besides, we have to work on our telepathy.”

Ginny poked him in the back. “I’ve heard lots better lines than that, Alton.”

They were both laughing as they stepped into the tunnel.

The stench of demon was faint, but enough sulfur lingered that it was obvious demonkind had come this way. Alton held HellFire high and carefully checked the full length of the tunnel between the two vortexes—one in Mount Shasta, California, the other in Sedona, Arizona.

A thousand miles’ distance in Earth’s dimension, yet only a matter of a few yards when passing through interdimensional portals. “Look.” He held the sword close to the wall. “I didn’t even notice these before. I wonder where they go?”

“What are they?”

He shook his head, studying the pale wash of light and color in the stone. “Portals, but they’re very low energy. They don’t appear to draw much from the vortex, which means they probably don’t cross vast distances.”

“I know of at least four energy vortexes in Sedona.” Ginny stepped up close and stared at the wall. “According to my cousin Markus, they’re scattered all around the area.” She shook her head, laughing softly. “Of course, I always thought vortexes were fake—something to attract tourists. I never imagined they were real.” She gestured at the smaller portals. “Maybe these are just for moving around Sedona.” Then she touched the wall and gasped when her fingers disappeared into the rock. Immediately she yanked her hand back. “I will never get used to that. Never.”

“Four?” Alton walked back along the tunnel. “I only know of one other, at Cathedral Rock, though I’ve not used it before.” He flashed her a grin. “It’s powered by feminine energy as opposed to the masculine energy of Bell Rock.”

“Well, I don’t know if they’re boy vortexes or girl vortexes, but Markus told me there’s one out north of town in a place called Boynton Canyon, and another one in town, near the airport.”

Alton turned and stared at her. “Girl vortexes and boy vortexes?”

“You said masculine and feminine. What else would it mean?” She looked so serious, she almost got him.

Almost. Laughing, he turned away from the tunnel and grabbed Ginny’s hand. “Let’s go. We can come back and check on these tomorrow, after we’ve eaten and gotten some sleep. It’s been a long day.”

Ginny linked her fingers with his. “Agreed.” She skipped a step to catch up to his longer stride. Chagrined, he matched his steps more closely to hers when she punched his arm and added, “Then you can tell me more about little girl and boy vortexes…after we find a room.”

He couldn’t stand it. Alton stopped dead in his tracks, turned, and wrapped his arms around her. He drew in a deep breath, absorbing her scent and wondering if he could ever get enough of her. He nuzzled the top of her head and held her close. She molded her body to his as if they’d been perfectly designed to fit together. “Ginny?” he asked, breathing deep once again of her natural perfume. “What would I do without you?”

But he didn’t give her time to answer. Instead, he lowered his head as she tilted her chin and raised her lips to his. Once again, the connection was perfect, the fit as if they’d been designed for each other.

Her lips were full and soft and slightly moist. The way her fingers clutched at his biceps and slipped easily around his neck was the most amazing thing he’d felt in his life. All the reservations he’d had, the fact she was mortal and human and he a Lemurian of the ruling class no longer applied.

She was more royal than any son of Artigos could ever hope to claim. More beautiful than any woman he’d ever seen. The question now was, could she be interested in an exiled Lemurian warrior, one whose own father had publicly disowned him?

Not only was Ginny royal, she was immortal, descended of one of the women warriors of Lemuria, an unheralded group of heroes unlike anything he’d heard of in his long, long life.

She was also the one who broke the kiss, who took a step back and then sucked in one deep breath after another. “Okay. I think we really need to back off a bit and find something for dinner because I am starving. Then we need to find a decent room.” She pointed at the pocket where he’d stuck the pouch of diamonds. “No. Let’s change that request. Not just decent. I want gorgeous.”

She flashed him a sly grin, but with her lips moist and swollen from their kiss, it was more erotic than anything he could possibly imagine. “In fact,” she said, cocking one hip and planting her hand firmly on the perfect curve, “it appears you can afford the best, and after the day I’ve had, I can honestly say I’m worth it.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Feeling unbelievably lighthearted, considering the demon invasion going on just beyond the portal, Alton tugged Ginny along behind him as he stepped through the gateway and out onto the rocky side of Bell Rock. The sun was beginning to set and a fresh breeze lifted Alton’s long braids.

Ginny’s little Ford Focus sat all alone in the parking lot below them. The meditation group wasn’t here this evening, and the air was free of demon stench. Of course, the wind would have blown it away by now if the demons they’d battled earlier had come through this portal.

“What now?” Ginny stood beside him, clutching his hand tightly in hers.

“Now we find food and a place where we can stay for a few days, and we get some sleep. Then we need to go out and about and see what we’ve missed in the past hours.”

Ginny stared at the colorful sky where the sun had just disappeared behind dark cliffs. “Hard to believe it’s only been a few hours. In the span of one day, my entire life has changed.” She turned and studied Alton while the wind blew little dust devils through the shadows. He tried searching her thoughts, but her mind projected a blank wall to him.

She might not be that great at her newfound telepathy, but she’d certainly figured out how to keep her privacy barriers in place.

Alton grabbed Ginny’s hand and, with a light tug, drew her alongside for the walk back to the car.

 

It was dark by the time they pulled into a gorgeous resort in Boynton Canyon, northwest of Sedona. It wasn’t all that far from the vortex Ginny’d heard about, but at this point all she was interested in was a long, hot shower and a comfortable bed.

They’d grabbed a couple of tacos at a fast food place. After they ate, Alton found a jewelry shop owner willing to accept his story of wanting to sell a couple of diamonds he’d inherited. Of course, it had taken that weird power of his that compelled the jeweler into not asking too many questions.

Which, of course, made Ginny wonder if she’d inherited the same power, except she was too blasted tired to worry about it tonight. They’d walked away with a check for more money than Ginny’d ever seen at one time—more than she earned in an entire year as a 911 dispatcher—and it was still only a fraction of the value of the few gems Alton had traded. He didn’t seem to mind a bit that he’d gotten the short end of the deal. At this point, Ginny didn’t care either…she was hot and tired and dirty and just wanted a room, though it still felt weird, taking so much money from a man she barely knew.

She’d stopped at an ATM to deposit the jeweler’s check in her account. That was another thing. It was Alton’s money, but he’d just handed the check over like it was nothing. Of course, she was the one with the credit card and the bank account.

There was no such thing as banking on Lemuria. What was the need for personal wealth when everything was free? Still, it helped her relax a bit over swiping her card to pay for the beautiful little adobe house the resort called a casita that was going to cost them almost seven hundred dollars a night.

She paid less than that for a whole month’s rent on her duplex in Evergreen, where she even had a view of Mount Shasta out the kitchen window.

Here she looked out on towering red bluffs—or she would, the concierge assured them—once the sun came up in the morning.

They had one bedroom with two beds, a nice little kitchen, a sitting room, and two large bathrooms. There was a second bedroom available, but the door to it was locked. Ginny’d thought about renting the entire casita so they could each have their own room, but it seemed like a waste of money…they’d shared a room the night before without any problem.

Who was she kidding? She didn’t want Alton that far away.

She grabbed her bag and headed into the bathroom closest to the bedroom and closed and locked the door behind her. She needed to pee, she needed a shower, and she needed to think.

Not necessarily in that order.

When she joined Alton on the deck a little while later, she was clean and every bit as confused as she’d been while standing under the spray.

She’d at least come to one conclusion: There was no denying the attraction she felt to the tall, slim man sitting so comfortably in the semidarkness. For some reason her convoluted feelings for him made her angry, but even her anger confused her. Too many changes. Too much, too fast.

A couple of candles flickered on a small table beside the deck chair where he sat. He faced away from her as he gazed out across the desert. The light flickered off his blond hair and etched his strong features with light and shadow.

He wore his long white Lemurian robe and his hair hung free, still damp from his shower. He should have looked more feminine with his fair skin and flowing mane, with the soft fabric that molded his chest and shoulders and draped over his long legs, but she’d never seen a sexier, more masculine sight in her life.

He rested his chin on his big, bony knuckles and stared out into the darkness. His long, narrow feet were bare, with one ankle exposed beneath the hem of the soft robe. He reminded Ginny of a Grecian god contemplating the fate of the world.

The image almost made her laugh. In some ways, he was a god, and more likely than not he actually was contemplating the world’s fate. Immortal, pure of heart, brave and kind. The gods she’d read about could take a lesson or two from this man. Still, she wondered what he contemplated, staring so solemnly into the darkness?

She cast out a thought, still not quite certain how this new telepathy thing worked. Alton?

He spun around. “Ginny. I didn’t hear you.” Then he smiled at her, and the desire in his eyes took her breath.

She walked slowly across the deck. Even though she wore nothing fancier than a comfy old pair of cotton sleep pants and a soft cami top, Ginny grew more deeply aware of herself as a woman with each step she took. A desirable woman. A woman of power unlike anything she’d known before, and she wasn’t thinking entirely of her newfound immortality and her crystal sword.

No. This was also about the subtle strength that seemed to spring from her core. Her allure as a female of worth, of value. She walked with the knowledge this beautiful man—a man she liked and admired more every moment she was with him—wanted her. That simple fact strengthened and empowered her new reality.

Alton pulled a bottle of wine out of a bucket of ice, poured some into a bell-shaped glass, and handed it to her. It felt almost dreamlike to take the glass from him. A couple of hours ago she’d been fighting demons with a crystal sword deep inside the Earth. Now she stood on a small deck overlooking the Arizona desert and sipped chilled wine from a crystal goblet.

Definitely surrealistic. Alton patted the space beside him and she sat close, leaned back, and propped her feet on the deck railing in front of them.

The desert night stretched out before them—a blanket of black velvet scattered with diamonds. They sat together in silence, sipping their wine, staring into the night.

Alton slipped his arm over Ginny’s shoulders and she leaned close against him. “It feels so good to be clean,” she said. She sipped the icy pinot grigio he’d poured for her. “I reeked of sulfur. I’ve come to the conclusion there’s nothing more disgusting than smelling like dead demon. Yuck.”

Alton laughed. A coyote howled somewhere nearby. It was a nice, normal howl without any hint of banshee scream.

For some odd reason, the purity of the sound made her feel like crying. Ginny glanced at Alton. He was staring at her. “It’s nice to hear something that sounds so normal,” she said.

He nodded. “I wondered if that was a natural sound. We don’t have anything like it in Lemuria. What is it?”

“A coyote. The same kind of animal that was stalking me last night. The one that was possessed. That’s the way they’re supposed to sound.”

He nodded and took a sip of his wine. “We have no animals in Lemuria. Did you notice? No birds. No bees or butterflies or mosquitoes. Neither fish nor fowl,” he added with a melodramatic flair.

He sounded terribly sad.

“No pets? You don’t have dogs or cats?”

Alton shook his head. “We’ve given up so much to live as we do within the mountain, part of, yet apart from, the Earth that was once our home. I remember swimming with dolphins as a boy before our continent was destroyed. Watching birds against a blue sky. Catching frogs with Taron.”

“You and Taron have been friends for a long time, haven’t you?”

Alton nodded. “He was the only boy my age and we were the best of friends. Like brothers, as we are today. Our people have very few children. We are so long lived that we would quickly overpopulate our world if we could easily breed. Only a very small percentage of our women ever conceive, and then only once. There seems to be a natural law that allows conception only when someone has passed to the other side. It’s all about balance.”

“But is that really living?” She hadn’t noticed many women in that huge auditorium. A few, but they’d stayed in the shadows, much as Alton’s mother had. “What do your women do if they don’t have children to care for? I didn’t see any woman council members. Do women have jobs?”

Alton stared out into the darkness. “No. A woman’s job is to care for her man, to raise a child if she is blessed by the gods. We have many more men than women, so if a man is lucky enough to find a wife, he treasures her and protects her. She keeps his home a calm and peaceful place where he can find comfort in her warmth and her loving company.”

Ginny stared at him for a long, slow heartbeat. Was he serious? “You’re kidding me, right? Making a joke?”

He frowned. “Why would I joke about this? That is a woman’s place, to care for her man. To defer to him in all ways.”

“Well, crap!” She snorted her wine. Coughed. Embarrassed, she giggled and glanced away. When she looked back at Alton he stared seriously at her, obviously perplexed.

“I’m sure glad that’s not our way,” she said. She grabbed his hand and squeezed to make her point. “I’d go frickin’ nuts, Alton. Tell me why? Why did your women let this happen to them? They were once warriors. Brave soldiers. Equals. I carry a sword with the spirit of a female demon fighter. At one time, they fought beside their men. Why did they give up their equality? What happened to them?”

He shook his head, but at least he was smiling. “I have no idea, though I wouldn’t be surprised to learn my father had something to do with it. Women fighting in the DemonWars? That’s a part of our history I’ve never heard before, but your sword and Daria the Crone are proof the women warriors existed. My father is a terribly chauvinistic male who clings to power. He has surrounded himself with similar men on the council. It surprises me my mother’s spirit isn’t broken, but I can’t help but wonder what role he and the others on the Council of Nine might have played in subjugating women.”

“I bet DarkFire can tell me.” She started to rise. Alton stopped her with a soft hold on her wrist.

“Later. Sit with me. Enjoy the quiet. I imagine, sometime in the near future we’ll wish we had this moment back.”

Ginny sat. “You’re probably right.” She ran her fingertips along the side of his face. “Just don’t ever expect me to defer unless it’s something I would have wanted to do anyway.”

Alton laughed and grabbed her hand. Kissed her fingertips. “I was right the first time I saw you. I knew you were going to be trouble.”

Ginny glared at him, but she had to fight the twitch in her lips to keep from smiling. “Drink your wine, Alton.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

Alton lay awake in the bed beside Ginny’s and stared at the shadows a small nightlight cast against the ceiling. Ginny’d slept soundly for the past few hours. It had been an unspoken yet mutual agreement to choose separate beds. He’d sensed Ginny’s desire for him even as he’d struggled to bank the power of his own heavy arousal, but they were both exhausted, both overwhelmed by all that had happened over the past thirty hours. Tonight was not the night for any more excitement.

Ginny had gained a legacy. Alton had lost a father. He hadn’t allowed himself to think of his father’s proclamation today, but now, lying alone in the darkness, the words echoed hollowly in his mind.

Strike Alton’s name from the Artigos line. He has brought shame to our family. He is no longer my son.

How could any man of honor disown his own child? Granted, there’d been no love lost between the two of them; not that Alton hadn’t tried. He’d played by his father’s rules most of his life, and when that hadn’t garnered him any love or attention, he’d changed course and broken those same rules.

It never seemed to matter, one way or the other. Now, though, when he’d finally taken a position he could be proud of, his father had disowned him. It made no sense. None at all. What made even less sense was how much it hurt. He was a man grown. A good man who’d made a difficult choice to help save his world.

He shouldn’t be so easily affected by a father’s love—or lack of same—yet he was. He couldn’t believe how badly it hurt. He’d given up all that was dear to him, and for what? To be treated now as a common criminal. He needed to get past this foolish need for a father’s approval. It was never going to happen, and he might as well accept it.

The bed dipped. The covers lifted and Ginny’s sleep-warmed body snuggled against his. He tucked her close beside him and murmured, “What are you doing here? I thought you were asleep.”

She grumbled and rubbed her face against his bare chest. “I was, but you woke me up.”

“How? I’ve been quiet as a mouse.”

She pushed and he rolled over to his back. She rolled with him, sprawled across his body and wrapped her arms around him. He stroked her spine and she purred like a warm, sleepy kitten.

“You were not. You were thinking really loud. And besides, what do you know of mice? You told me you don’t have any animals in Lemuria.”

“Thinking loud?” He chuckled and nuzzled the soft skin where her slim throat dipped and curved toward her collarbone. “I didn’t mean to. And you’re right. We don’t have animals now, but I remember them. Remember? I told you we had them before our world sank into the sea.”

“Even mice?” She lifted her head and stared into his eyes, blinking owlishly.

He kissed her nose. “Even mice,” he said. “Ginny? You need to go back to your bed.”

She rested her cheek against his chest. “Why? You make a wonderful mattress.”

“And you make a perfect blanket, but if I hold you like this much longer, I’m going to make love to you. And if I do that, you’re going to be really angry with me tomorrow.”

“Why? Are you a really horrible lover?”

He chuckled and felt her slim body bounce against his. “No. I think I’m an adequate lover, but I know you don’t take sex lightly and neither do I. I don’t want you feeling any misgivings come morning.”