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Chapter 1

Ho for us Ho frohts surrounding the porch From the driveway, the three-story Victorian shimmered like a beacon, both on the physical and on the astral Flares of energy shot up like sunspots I leaned back in the car, sainst the deuarded the lawn and driveway, rising stark and white out of the banks piled high around the yard My herb garden hid under the creature, nestled underWinter had clai hit hard La Niña held sway, and ere all her toys At least it wasn’t Loki this tiht unnatural ao, until we’d dispatched his servant, a vae

But as cold as it was, this was nothing compared to the Northlands, froh reaches near the top of the world, the winds had raged starkly through the winter woodland, shaking the ti avalanches down the mountainsides

Up in the Northlands, life was harsh and often short, and fire became a lifeline The Northmen were as stoic as they sounded, and they partied hearty--there ers they faced

As Sh the woods, ranging higher and higher toward the lair of Howl, the Eleht sure we’d end up as Popsicles, frozen to the rocks

But the trip had been worth it Iris had coed a future for herself She stood clear and free, able to h hell, and now she, like me, faced a path that promised to s her up, to force her into a position she wasn’t sure she was ready to shoulder And tospiffy--well, beautiful--indigo tattoos that spiraled their way across her forehead, down her cheeks, and across her back Her goddess had ods seemed to like to brand us with divine ink

The car slowed to a stop and Delilah turned off the engine The weariness of the past few months welled up in my throat as I pushed open the door So much had happened, and yet so much still lay before us We were barely a week fro initiation into Aeval’s Court, where I would willingly hand ic and the ways of a priestess

As I let out a long breath and cliht and I pulled the elfin robe tighter aroundthe cloak of the Black Beast beneath that, but even with both, they couldn’t fend off the chill that had lodged itself in e to shake it off and feel the warain

"You okay?" Delilah wrapped her arm around my shoulders She’d picked us up at Grandmother Coyote’s portal and now all I wanted was a hot bath, a soft bed, and a lot of sleep As Sround, Roz slowly hoisted hiood sister," I said, leaning against her arht it would be It was cold--so cold And there were ice spiders--"

"Yuck" She wrinkled her nose "How’d it go? Did Iris"

I just shook my head "It’s her place to tell you about it, but, yes She’s still with us, and Vikkoood She survived and broke the curse But the Northlands are terrifying I’d hate to be trapped there It’s not a vacation home in the tropics, that’s for sure I don’t know if I’d have the strength to face the raw elements without a lot of help All I know is that I don’t want to visit again for a long, long time"

We headed toward the house just as Menolly ca in the chill night She was carryingat the door for you I just got a call froht around and head for the cars Sorry to do this to you, Camille, but you need to be there" She motioned toward my Lexus "Hurry up"

"I don’t want to hurry anywhere What the hell is going on?" My heart sank I was tired I didn’t want to fight goblins or ghosts

"De to talk to you He’s already ot him in a standoff Iris, you, Roz, and Vanzir stay with Morio and Maggie Shade and Trillian are on their way--there they are!"

Shade, Delilah’s new love, and Trillian--my alpha husband--rushed out of the house and claon, part Stradolan--a shadoalker Trillian was Svartan: one of the dark and Char Fae They both wore jeans and heavy jackets, and Trillian was carrying a serrated-edged shich he’d recently taken up training

"Dehtful Not" I didn’t bother asking if they knehy he wantedmy luck--I’d find out the hard way

Menolly whipped around, barking out orders "Delilah--you and Shade take your Jeep" She tossed o You drive Sain, weThere was nohad taken on an iear and--as Sas and plowed out of the driveway

Holiday shoppers abounded and I groaned, looking for a parking space as people rushed by with bags and boxes, shiny paper and bows gli under the streetlamps The Wayfarer Bar & Grill wasn’t exactly located in an area that pro Nirvana, but there were plenty of small boutiques ready to cater to the odd and unusual Like Hot ’n Bothered, the sex shop that had gone in next door On one hand, it had proved to be a bonanza of new clients for Menolly On the other, a lot of seedy guys ca for "dates"

We pulled into a parking place that miraculously opened up in front of the Wayfarer With a quick nod to the parking goddess, I forcedspot on one of Seattle’s city streets? Insanely hard to find at best But I see the the rest of my track record when it caood fortune cause for celebration

As Trillian opened the door forkiss "I ue action in while I could He felt warm in my arms, and smelled of apples and cinnaht, we’ll see about wiping away those longings" He brushed my hair back fro about you"

Sh for that later Come We have a situation to take care of And Trillian, I assure you, I took pains to make sure our wife didn’t miss you or the fox too terribly" He arched his eyebrows in a knoay, and two tendrils of his hair rose to wrap thelowered

I bit back a retort My three husbands were constantly zinging each other, each one striving for the top place in my heart, but I knew that beneath all the bluster and insults, they’d developed a healthy respect for one another None of them would ever admit it, but I suspected they even liked each other--at least a little Onchess, or Morio helping S asked

From the outside, the bar looked normal, but I could hear the commotion from the inside We trailed behind Menolly as she slah the doors She owned the Wayfarer Bar & Grill, and it was a hangout for Supes frorounds, as well as the first stop on the journey for a number of Otherworld visitors And now, the Wayfarer also sported seven rooms, a makeshift bed and breakfast