In fact, she gently steered them toward a particular section of the garden that could not be overlooked from the castle wall. She had often gone to the grotto to think, but tonight, she hoped it would live up to its ancient reputation as a trysting place. It was said the old King and his young bride had spent many hours in the grotto when they were first married, but nobody had paid much attention to it in years.

  The gardeners kept it clear, of course, but it was not one of Alric’s favorite spots, and he seldom went there. Since this section of the gardens was kept private, only for use by Alric or his trusted retainers, it had remained unused by all but Lilly the past several years.

  “This is lovely,” Luc said, stopping short at the entrance to the hidden grotto.

  Lilly rounded on him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Lovely and private,” she agreed, tugging him deeper into the hidden nook.

  The grotto had a small stone bench inside its sheltered cove. There was a small pool of water fed by a little cascade that had been there as long as the castle had. Nobody knew now whether some clever gardener had designed the pool or had simply taken advantage of a natural occurrence and planted around it. Either way, it was a beautiful spot, perfect for quiet reflection…or seduction.

  Lilly guided Luc to the bench, even as she kissed him, pushing on his shoulders to make him sit. She came down over him, straddling his lap and lavishing kisses on him. He began undressing her, with her wholehearted participation, and before too much longer, she was bare against him. He had only his pants left on, and she made short work of those, not bothering to take them off completely but just pushing them down so that the part she wanted was free.

  She gripped him, and he groaned. Not wanting to wait a second longer, she positioned herself over him and sank slowly down, unable to hold in the moan of pleasure that escaped her lips. Luc groaned when she sheathed him fully, and then, she looked deep into his eyes, and they both smiled.

  She was complete. They were whole. Together. As it should be.

  They began to move, rocking in a gentle rhythm, at first. The pleasure began to spin around them as their desire met and danced together in that secret place. The whirlwind caught them both and spun them upwards, toward a greater pleasure, and they went, willingly. Time seemed to stand still as their pace increased, their motions pushing them onwards, upwards, into a blissful place that they could only find together.

  When their climax hit, it was mutual and intense. Lilly clenched around him, hugging his shoulders tight as she clung to him, her touchstone in a tempest of delight. Luc cried out her name as he came, which touched her deeply in that part of her heart that was forever his and his alone.

  They sat like that, joined, replete, happy, for a long time after. Luc stroked Lilly’s spine with gentle motions.

  “I love you, Lilly,” he whispered as her heart soared with the same emotion. Words weren’t adequate to express such a big concept, but she gave them to him anyway.

  “I love you, too.”

  They kissed and made love all over again, this time, more slowly and with even greater pleasure. It seemed every time they were together, they touched new heights, and she wondered how she had ever been so blessed to find a lover—a life partner—like Luc. She might still worry about the future a bit, at times, but all that really mattered was this moment…and this man. The rest would take care of itself. Somehow.

  * * *

  Lord Orthan cursed his missed opportunity. Things had not been going right for days now. He’d lost contact with his ally, the Alchemist Osmian, and that bitch, Lilly, had brought back not only an elf, but a snow dragon. Orthan felt sure he could still win the day—after all, he still had his paid-for army—but things would be much more difficult if Alric had allies, and time to prepare.

  Orthan left the castle and made his way to his own mansion in the city. He had plans to make and messages to dispatch. Thankfully, though Osmian was out of touch, the tokens the Alchemist had given Orthan to hide his own activities seemed to be holding strong. He had secret things to do, and nobody must know that Orthan was preparing to go to war.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The next morning, Zallra was with Alric when Luc and Lilly answered the King’s summons. Lilly was shocked to see the remains of a breakfast tray and table clearly laid for two. Zallra’s eyes twinkled at Lilly when she caught the direction of her gaze, and Lilly felt her cheeks flush. Alric was her friend, but that didn’t mean she liked to contemplate his sex life.

  Zallra was good for him, it was clear, and more than that, Lilly really didn’t need to know. As long as the Jinn dragoness treated Alric with the love and respect he deserved, Lilly would be happy for them both.

  “Sir Luc,” Alric said. “And my dear Lilly.” He smiled gently at the mention of her name. “I have a task for you both, if Lady Shilayla would also indulge me.”

  Shilayla was already up and flying around the city, learning all the streets and lanes, or so she’d claimed when Lilly had asked. Shilayla was likely doing more than that, but reporting her observations only to Luc, as was proper for emissaries from another land. Lilly tried not to let it bother her, but after their adventures together, she felt a bit left out. Still, the time was coming when Luc and his heartmate would fly out of her life forever, and she had better get used to that idea.

  “We are at your disposal, King Alric,” Luc replied formally. His deep voice ran through her like a hot knife through butter, making her melt in the most inappropriate places when standing before the King.

  “Then, I would ask you to deliver a message on behalf of the Jinn spymaster, Lady Zallra and myself,” Alric went on. He gestured to Zallra, who retrieved a sealed scroll from a side table. She held it out to Luc, who moved forward to collect it. “We have ironed out a deal between my kingdom and the Jinn. The details are in that scroll, but what it boils down to is this: I’m offering to annex certain portions of the wasteland under my banner if the Jinn mercenary companies are willing to live there. They will have a mostly autonomous zone that they will police and defend, with aid from our troops and allies, when necessary. It has become clear that the wasteland would be better used as a buffer between the heart of my kingdom and outside forces. While I didn’t have the personnel to expand it on my own, by reaching a deal with the Jinn, it is not only possible, but preferable. The Jinn are settling all over the lands. Many have chosen to make their permanent homes in Draconia, but the fighting folk among the Jinn have long trained and worked for a time apart from their families. I’m proposing to give them a permanent base in the wasteland in exchange for their service in keeping it safe.”

  “It’s a fair deal,” Zallra said. “And, according to the local spymaster, it’s something that will serve the dominant Clans in this area well. It has the spymaster’s approval, and that of myself on behalf of the Black Dragon Clan, which rules over all the others, though ours is a looser sort of authority than Alric’s.”

  Lilly noted the familiar use of Alric’s first name and the way her friend and King responded to it. He held out his hand, and Zallra put hers into it. Clearly, there was a deep bond of affection between the two of them that had blossomed in a very short time. Lilly would not have believed in such a thing if her own heart hadn’t been snared by Luc so easily. Sometimes, the heart just went where it wanted, without counsel from the head.

  Luc held the scroll tightly. “I will deliver your message, King Alric. It is my honor to do so, and by your leave, I will also ask Shilayla to communicate your plan to my people. The wasteland isn’t so far from our own border, and this is something our Council of Elders should know.”

  “Of course,” Alric said at once. “Please do. I would have made a formal approach to your Council had there been time to do so. However, Lady Shilayla was listening while this was negotiated, and both she and Zallra agreed with it on behalf of the dragons.”

  Lilly’s eyebrows rose at that news. Shilayla had been doing a lot of things on her own on this trip, and she got the distinct impression from Luc that this was something new. Still, it was good to have her input. Lilly just worried that the fair folk under the Veil might object, somehow, farther down the line. They’d just have to cross that bridge when they came to it.

  Zallra went on to describe the Jinn encampments in the wasteland, describing the banners they were flying. She gave them detailed instructions on which banner they were to approach first and who they should speak to once on the ground.

  Luc and Lilly prepared for their journey and set off not long after breakfast. They weren’t traveling very far, as the dragon flies, and it wouldn’t take long to get where they were going. Just a couple of hours, at most, Shilayla assured them. Compared to their earlier travels, this was going to be an easy jaunt, or so Lilly thought.

  The first sign of trouble came when she saw dust clouds in the distance. They were a good distance away from the capital, nearing the northern border of Alric’s domain, and Lilly could clearly see the movement of dust near the ground. People were on the move.

  “The mercenaries are marching,” Shilayla reported in her silent way. “I can see many banners on the move toward the border. Yet, the ones I was told to look for by Lady Zallra are not among them.”

  “That’s a good sign,” Lilly said aloud, shouting to be heard over the wind of their passage. “Maybe the Jinn companies are awaiting instructions.”

  “I’m not sure what we can do to stop the larger part of the force, but we can at least accomplish our mission to deliver the King’s scroll,” Luc replied.

  “I will drop you at the Jinn banner Zallra described, then do what I can to discourage the marchers. There may be some ice dragons willing to help, if I ask them,” Shilayla said, surprising Lilly yet again with her words.

  “Ice dragons?” Lilly repeated, awed by the idea. Ice dragons were said to be among the largest of all dragons, and their mirrored hides were thought impervious to all but the most deadly weapons. They were truly creatures of legend, rarer even than snow dragons.

  “I met a few living in some of the caves I explored a few days ago,” Shilayla revealed. “They were nice, and all had a favorable opinion of your King.”

  “That’s good to know,” was all Lilly could say, shocked by the idea of ice dragons living so close and having any sort of opinion of Alric at all.

  As they drew closer and Luc was able to see what was happening on the ground, he grew more concerned than ever. The reports of the merc army were one thing, but seeing it in person was staggering. From what he had learned of Alric’s forces, they would not be enough to stand against this large a group of seasoned fighters. Not alone.

  He knew Shilayla had been in contact with other dragons under the Veil and had forwarded her report and impressions, but he had no way of knowing if they were sending help, or when they might arrive. Anytime now would be a good time, he thought wryly, even as Shilayla began circling over the stationary merc companies, looking for the banner Zallra had described.

  Luc saw it just as Shilayla began her descent, and within moments, they were on the ground, a circle of armed mercenaries around them, showing little fear and a great deal of interest. Luc hoped Zallra was right about their welcome, even as he slid down off of Shilayla’s back.

  The captain of the company—identified by a badge worn on his shoulder—stepped forward to greet him.

  “We have a message for you from Lady Zallra of the Black Dragon Clan, King Alric and the spymaster of his capital city.” Lilly stepped closer and held out the scroll.

  The merc captain seemed only a bit surprised, reaching out to take the scroll. “I am Captain Theros, High Commander of the Jinn Legion. Be welcome here while I consider this message.”

  “My dragon partner has duties aloft while we confer,” Luc said quietly, giving Shilayla the signal. She beat her wings a few times, and the circle of mercs backed up a few paces before she launched into the air.

  “Lieutenant Banya will show you where to wait and answer any questions you may have.” The High Commander paused a moment then winked in a devilish way. “Within reason, of course.”

  Luc bowed his head slightly, sending the man a return smile. “Of course.”

  Lieutenant Banya turned out to be a golden-haired woman who was tall, but also impossibly lithe. Luc looked twice at the woman who could easily have been mistaken for one of his own brethren. She didn’t look quite human, yet as he looked more closely, he could see that, if she was of fair folk stock, it was diluted by human blood at some point in her ancestry.

  “I am Banya,” she said shortly, her voice rougher than any fair folk’s more lyrical tones. “Follow me.”

  “I’m Lilly,” his companion offered, taking the lead while Luc followed the two women toward a table in what could easily pass for an inn’s courtyard.

  They sat, and at Banya’s gesture, food and drink were brought to the table for them all. Luc watched as the women spoke. He wasn’t surprised to learn that the Jinn already knew who Lilly was, who her father was, and what her mission to the North had been. The Jinn seemed to be one step ahead of everyone as far as intelligence went, and Luc would make a point of reporting this to the Council when he returned home. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to form some kind of alliance with these people if the community that lived under the Veil was going to forge new relationships with their neighbors.

  Before long, Captain Theros joined them at the table, the scroll in his hand. He sat at the head of the rectangular table, and Luc was aware of all the mercs in the vicinity stopping what they were doing to watch what would happen next.

  “It is a generous offer, made by King Alric,” Theros said once he had taken a sip of the very fine mead they had been served. “A very fine offer,” he repeated, then set down his tankard. “I have sent fast messengers to the other Jinn captains gathered here, but I suspect, given the involvement of both the local spymaster and the Black Dragon, we would be foolish not to accept these terms. I can already tell you that we will not march on Alric’s domain. It was never our intent to do so. We accepted money for the trip here from a shadow employer based to the south, but we have not been paid for any further action, and by the Mercenary Code, our obligation ended there. We are under no duty to go any farther, and we will not.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” Lilly said with genuine feeling that was easy to hear in her voice. “What we saw marching toward the border was bad enough. I am glad, for the sake of the kingdom, that you will not be adding your considerable force to their numbers.”

  Theros narrowed his gaze at her. “We will not march against Alric, but there may yet be more we could do to help the situation. Once the other captains hear this proposal, we will have our answer. I may be High Commander in battle, but when it comes to a decision this big, we all need to confer.”

  “Understood, Captain,” Luc said, catching the man’s eye as he stood. “Just don’t take too long. I’m not sure how well Alric’s Guard Corps will stand up against those mercs.”

  Luc felt Lilly’s censorious gaze, but he wouldn’t soften his words. Alric’s people were in trouble, and it was important that all the cards be laid on the table right now. Luc felt strongly that Alric needed the Jinn companies to come into the fight on his side, and Luc would do all he could to make certain that happened.

  Still, that would only serve to surround the mercs. They were going to need something else to win the day. Ideally, a few more dragons would help a lot, but Luc didn’t dare count on Shi’s ability to sway the notoriously reclusive ice dragons. If his own folk were here, that would be best, but again, Luc had no way of knowing if they had even left the protection of the Veil.

  Theros left them with Banya, and the mercs all around seemed to return to whatever it was they had been doing before their Captain had come among them. Luc listened to Banya and Lilly talk about the temporary town they’d built up around their encampment and finally just had to ask.

  “Lieutenant, forgive me if this is rude, but have you a fey ancestor or two?” Luc was prepared for an angry response but hadn’t counted on Banya’s laughter. There it was—the fey influence. This warrior woman’s laughter held the bubbling magic of the fair folk, and now, it was obvious to Luc that she was at least part fey.

  “Aye, you have the right of it,” Banya replied even as she chuckled. “My folk descend from those who left Gryffid’s island before he cloaked it in the mists of time.”

  “Gryphon Isle,” Luc said softly. “I have heard tales of the place, but it is mostly just legend.”

  “No longer,” Banya reported. “Gryffid brought his homeland back into our timeline several years ago, and there is now regular passage of both dragons and gryphons back and forth. Some of the fair folk have come ashore with their gryphon friends, as well. The sea dragons have also joined forces with the land dragons on the southern border of Draconia and Gryffid had built them a Lair, of sorts, on his island where they can come ashore, if they wish. I understand a young dragon and his knight live there now, representing King Roland and the alliance formed between the wizard and the royals of Draconia.”

  Luc was impressed by the knowledge this fey descendant shared. He thought once again that an alliance with the Jinn would certainly be well worth looking into and resolved to do all in his power to make the Council seek it. They talked more of the wizard and Banya’s people until Theros returned, a short while later. The High Commander was grinning.

  “We have an agreement. All the Jinn commanders have accepted the treaty and will act on it immediately.” Theros stood on the bench and motioned for everyone around him to listen. He got their instant attention, and Luc was impressed by the respect this Jinn captain commanded of his people. “My friends, King Alric is annexing these lands under his banner, but ceding the holding to us. Each Jinn company will be responsible for a part of this land, formerly known as wasteland, forming towns and communities here in the buffer zone between Alric’s original domain and the northern neighbors. We will police these towns, and our companies will have real homes.” A cheer went up from the assembled Jinn fighters that went on for a long moment. It was clear to Luc that the fighters were overwhelmingly in favor of the deal.