As Smoky’s mother settled back into the recliner, Lash looked up from her position on the floor. Vishana gazed down at her.
“We don’t often meet our shadowy kin, be they half- or full-blood. I knew that one of Camille’s sisters was engaged to half-blood black dragon. I assume you”—here she nodded at Shade—“are the gentleman in question?”
Shade laughed. “If gentleman be the correct word to describe me.” He gave her a short, but respectful, bow. “Lady Vishana, be welcome. May I present my sister, Lash? She is visiting with us for a while. She came—”
“I assume she came to get to know her future sister-in-law? For if I were your mother, I would send in a spy to scope out who was going to be marrying my son.” She flashed a brilliant grin at both dragons. “In fact, I did this, although Iampaatar did not know.”
Smoky started to protest but Vishana held up her hand. “Quiet. It is long past and you do not need to know all my secrets.” She turned to Lash. “As for you, girl. Stand. I am not the Empress, and while I am above your station, I am not one who demands supplication.”
And with those words, I began to get a clearer picture of the hierarchy of the dragon world. Camille didn’t talk much about it, and Smoky seldom mentioned his home, not surprising given what his father had done to Camille. But Vishana, she was elegance embodied in form, and now I saw that while she definitely was dragon through and through, she was also gracious.
Lash stood, smoothing the front of her gown. She hesitantly raised her head to look at Vishana. “Thank you.”
“Are you clutchmates with your brother?”
Lash shook her head. “No, I was in the second clutch. We are part Stradolan, so the clutches were small.”
Vishana nodded. “The shadow walkers are the only species who can interbreed with black dragons, so yes, I know of your other heritage. Which side holds more sway with you?”
Delilah shifted, and her gaze latched on to the interaction. I realized that she knew very little about her lover’s heritage. Dragons were cagey, even with their mates. Had she known anything we were hearing now, Camille and I would have already been privy to the information.
Lash swallowed, glancing at Shade. He nodded for her to answer.
“Unlike my brother, who followed more in the footsteps of our mother, I identify with the shadow walker part of myself. I work with my father. I’ve trained with him since I was little.”
Delilah glanced at Shade, then interrupted. “What does your father do?”
Lash tilted her head. “Hasn’t my brother told you? Our father is a judge. He sits on the Jury of the Damned.”
Camille and Delilah stared at her. I was right there with them.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Camille’s voice cut through the silence with a resounding trill.
“I’d like to know that myself.” Delilah stood and moved toward Shade. “You’ve never told me anything about your family.”
“Dragons are tight-lipped, my dear werecat.” Vishana leaned forward, leisurely resting her elbow on the arm of the recliner, and her chin on her hand. “I doubt if Iampaatar has told Camille as much as he perhaps should have.”
Lash looked crestfallen. “I didn’t realize…”
“This is not a problem.” Shade let out a sigh. “The only reason I haven’t said anything, Lash, is that I hate what Father does. You know this.”
Lash let out an exasperated sigh. “This again? Are you going to forever carry a grudge against him because of what he chooses to do?”
“What he does is what he is.” Shade’s normally tranquil expression took a leap south and he turned away. “Delilah, I think we have rounds to make on the property. Lady Vishana, Honorable Wing Liege, please grant me leave?”
Vishana stared at him thoughtfully, then nodded. “You are excused.”
Shade practically dragged Delilah out of the room. Lash watched them go, then turned back to us, flustered.
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to air any family laundry.”
“What’s the Jury of the Damned?” I got tired of standing and took a seat on one of the ottomans, crossing my legs.
“Why don’t you enlighten the girls?” Vishana looked as though she might be enjoying this little tiff. I wondered about her for a moment. But then again—she was dragon and that right there was explanation enough.
Lash looked like she wished she’d never opened up this can of worms, but it was too late to put the lid back on.
“The Jury of the Damned is a court in the Netherworld, where the restless spirits are judged and dealt with. The angry ghosts are taken to the Ocean of Anger and linked to it in ritual. This keeps their residual anger from spilling over into the rest of the Netherworld. The mourning ghosts are assigned a wailing spot. And so forth. Father sits on the jury as the lead Elder.” She shifted uncomfortably.
“Do the spirits have to obey the Jury?” I had a feeling she wasn’t being totally up front with us.
Lash rubbed her hand on the back of the chair. “Yes.”
“What happens if they don’t?” Camille asked.
“Yes, why don’t you tell us what your father is known for?” Vishana’s eyes flashed and the cat-chasing-the-mouse came out, full force.
“You already know?” Lash jerked her head up, fear clouding her eyes.
“Oh, most certainly I do. And trust me, it suits your brother’s reputation in the Dragon Reaches that he removes himself from the office. His connection with the Autumn Lord is acceptable but…”
Okay, that sounded like a threat. And if Smoky’s mother was threatening Shade’s sister, I wanted to know the reason for it.
After a long, awkward pause, Lash let out a long sigh. “Our father is known as the Enforcer. He punishes the ghosts who do not obey. I work for him—I’m learning to do what he does.”
Vanzir, who had been silently watching the scene, stepped forward. “You have the gift, don’t you? You can unleash pain on noncorporeal entities?”
Lash covered her face. “I inherited it. Shade did, too, but he chose to walk away from the family when Father wanted him to follow in his footsteps. Stradolans are able to wreak havoc on the spirit world—to administer pain, to trap and contain spirits. As I said, I took after my father and inherited his nature, while Shade followed in Mother’s footsteps.”
“So you punish the spirits who disobey.” Vishana stood then, rearing up to her full height. “You trap them, then torture them until they submit.”
The way she put it made Lash and her father sound like monsters. And I wasn’t sure they weren’t—but we knew nothing of the politics among the dead, and the Netherworld was as alien as the moon. I tried to reserve my judgment.
“Yes. Yes, we do. It is the way. It is the nature of the Netherworld. My father is honored for his talent and I choose to follow his path.” Lash stared at the silver dragon defiantly, but her bottom lip still trembled.
“Then own it, girl. Own it and stand behind it. As distasteful as I find the idea, claim it and be proud of what you do. If you apologize for it or attempt to conceal it, you will only arouse suspicion.” And as abruptly as she’d focused in on Lash, Vishana dismissed her with a wave of the hand. “Camille, where are the Knights?”
Camille cleared her throat, looking as startled as everyone else.
Smoky sprang into action. “Menolly, will you please bring Luke, Amber, and Venus here? Bring all their clothes, too.”
Relieved to be dismissed and given the chance to get out of what was an all-too-tense situation, I headed toward my lair. So Shade’s father was a torturer. Or rather… well… what would you call him? Shaking the whole mess from my mind for the time being, I scurried down the steps. Amber, Luke, and Venus were talking, and I motioned to them.
“The dragons are here. Bring all of your things with you.” I felt rather sorry for them. They had all been transplanted from Earthside to Otherworld, having to learn a whole new style of living, and now they were on their way to the Dragon Reaches. Only the gods knew what would be facing them there.
“Listen to me,” I said. “Dragons are presumptuous. They’re pompous, belligerent, arrogant, and obnoxious. One alone, hard enough to handle, even if you’re on his good side. Get a bunch of them together? Walk softly. Be polite. And for the sake of the gods, don’t make waves. Smoky’s mother is taking you in, and we rely on her goodwill. Don’t fuck it up. Got it? Oh, and be careful.”
Venus laughed. He sauntered over to me. The werepuma clapped me on the back. “Oh, Menolly. Don’t give us a second thought. We will survive and pull through this. And before long, my guess is that a new Queen will command us. And I have my suspicions as to who it will be.”
“Care to enlighten me?” I flashed him a crooked smile.
“Not at the moment, sweet-fangs. Not at the moment.”
And then, after an awkward good-bye to Amber and Luke, Amber gathered up her daughter, Jolina, and we headed upstairs.
The Wing Liege was standing at attention, straight shouldered, with knee-length hair the same color as Vishana’s. His eyes were the color of steel. He was dressed in a long, shimmering tunic the color of clouds against the water. A knotwork pattern bordered the hem, black lines weaving in on themselves along the edge of the material. Beneath the tunic, which was belted with a black leather belt and a silver buckle, he wore a pair of black pants and black leather boots. At his waist, a scabbard, worked in white leather, held what appeared to be a hefty short sword.
He crossed his arms across his chest as he stared at Luke and the others. “You will accompany us to the Dragon Reaches. Lady Vishana has agreed to house you in her apartments but this must be done quietly and no one else in the Dragon Realms must know. If word were to reach certain ears, there might be trouble. You will obey our commands, and you will make no decisions without consulting either Lady Vishana or myself.” He darted a glance at Venus. “That goes for you, too, you wily old shaman.”
Venus winked at him. “Understood.”
Vishana turned to Lash. “I give you an order. What you have just witnessed and heard here tonight, you will seal in silence. Never to speak of it. Do you understand me?” The threat was implied.
Lash nodded. “I do, Lady. I’m not even sure what I have seen.”
Camille stepped forward, curtseying to her mother-in-law. “Lady Vishana, I have a favor to ask of you.”
Vishana smiled, and her hair trailed out to touch Camille’s hand. “Yes, my dear? What do you need?”
Camille turned to me, then hung her head. “The war in Otherworld. Our friends are being slaughtered. Our father was killed. Can you help?”
The dragon’s smile slipped away and she let out a soft murmur. “I am truly sorrowed to hear this. Your family is our family. And we owe you much in return for what my former husband put you through. The Wing Liege and I will take this up in Council. I promise you, we will give it our full attention. Meanwhile…” She turned to Smoky. “There is another dragon in the area. You should be aware of this.”
At Smoky’s quizzical look, the Wing Liege chuckled. “She is a Blue… and should you meet her, be aware she is soil-bound for now—a punishment I’ve enacted on her. Keep your eyes open, in case you are to meet her. She goes by the name of Shimmer.”
“Is she dangerous?” Smoky frowned.
“No, but foolish at times. And headstrong. She is working off a debt, let us say.” And with that, he clicked his heels and nodded.
Vishana motioned to the guard. “Take the male Were. I will carry the woman and girl. Liege, if you would—the Shaman.” As the dragons moved into position, Amber, Luke, and Venus cautiously approached them. Vishana gently wrapped her hair around Amber and Jolina. The Wing Liege did the same to Venus, and the guard to Luke. Vishana raised one hand, palm facing out.
“Until next we meet. My son, take care of your family. Camille, take care of my son. Lash—do not be so quick to judge those not of your kind.” And then, in a flicker of light, the dragons shimmered slowly, growing brighter and brighter, and then—like lights being extinguished by the flick of a switch—vanished.
The room seemed empty. Lash had faded to the far wall, and now she eyed me cautiously. I could see the concern and—to some degree—ready hostility in her face.
While the others broke out in discussion, I segued my way over to her and leaned against the wall. “You seemed a little overwhelmed. I must admit, I don’t know much about the dragon hierarchy, but Vishana and the Wing Liege could intimidate anyone.”
Lash let out a snort. “That’s an understatement. Even in the Netherworld, the Silver Dragons hold sway over those of us with dragon blood. And in the Southlands, in the Dragon Reaches of fire and heat, the red and golden dragons still bow to the silvers. They are the imperial dragons, the most powerful. It has always been so, and so it will always be. It is tradition.”
Her voice fell on the last word softly, and by the soft glow in her eyes, I realized that Lash was dedicated to tradition and routine. She would accept her place and bow to Vishana because, in her mind, it was the correct thing to do.
“My sister loves Shade, you know. Passionately, fervently… with all her heart. She is dedicated to him, and he is to her. I hope you can accept this, because the Autumn Lord has brought them together and I doubt if anybody—sister or not—can separate them.” I wasn’t much for subtlety, but I had to make certain that Delilah was safe.