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  We could make love, he thought, his mind opening fully to the forbidden possibility. Without actually touching. Without breaking any taboos. But he rejected the idea almost immediately.

  If they used the Dream Gas to consummate their love it wouldn’t be real. Also, he would never be able to give her the Deep Touch unless he was actually physically touching her at the same time he used his Touch sense. And that was what Saber wanted more than anything else in the universe—the chance to take her and bond her to him forever. Any substitute, no matter how sweet, would be a pale shadow of what could be if they allowed themselves to come together.

  Before he could think any more about his forbidden desires, the scene moved on and he found he was holding a sobbing Lissa/Zali against his side.

  “I don’t want you to go,” she was crying. “It’s suicide! I know in my heart if you board a ship for Hrakaz we’ll never see each other again.”

  Saber felt his chest grow tight. The scene they were playing might be over a thousand years old but the dilemma their characters were experiencing ran strangely parallel to his own situation with Lissa.

  “I love you,” he whispered, wrapping her in his shimmering wings, trying to take away the hurt and pain he felt coursing through her. “I will always love you, my darling. Even unto death and beyond.”

  “Kall…” Lissa/Zali sobbed against him. “I know we knew this day would come but I didn’t expect it to be so soon. Didn’t expect to have to lose you like this. I thought…I always thought that in the end we’d be together.” She buried her face in his shoulder. “I can stand to die. I can even stand to send our son away and never seen him again. But I can’t bear the idea of being separated from you.”

  “It may be our fate to lose each other in this life,” Saber replied, stroking her hair. “But I swear to you, my Lyzel, I will find you in the next one and we will never be parted again.” Gently but firmly he extricated himself from her embrace. “I must go now—you know I must.”

  “I know.” She stepped back, her eyes overflowing with tears. “I love you so much, Kall. I’m so proud of what you’re doing. Of what you’re giving up.” She reached out and stroked the shining edge of one of his wings.

  Saber shook his head. “The loss of my wings is nothing compared to the loss of you, Zali.”

  “Don’t.” She shook her head. “Please, don’t. I can’t bear it.”

  “Goodbye.” Saber felt a lump in his throat. This was the final moment between them—the character he was playing wouldn’t be able to help his wife through her delivery. He was never going to see his unborn son or hold him in his arms. He was leaving the woman he loved more than his own life and he would never see her again. Gods, this was terrible. So sad he wanted to sob but he knew he couldn’t—he had to be strong. Had to do this awful thing no matter how painful it was because there was no other way.

  But what awful thing is he going to do? Saber wondered, as he stepped away from Lissa’s character. How is he going to stop the Hoard? It’s obvious he intends to board a ship to Hrakaz but what is he going to do once he gets there? There must be more to this scroll. It can’t be ending here—can it?

  As though in answer to his unspoken questions, the scene changed again and he found himself sitting on the bridge of a primitive looking space ship. He was lifting off the planet’s surface and there was a terrible, burning pain in his shoulders for some reason. Looking from side to side, he saw why—his wings were burning away to ash, their vast, iridescent feathers crisping and curling as though they had been touched by some unseen fire.

  Saber curled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth against the pain. “Goddess,” he prayed aloud. “Forgive me for abandoning your planet. But if this is the only way, then I must take it. If the only way to defeat the Hoard is to—”

  Suddenly the scene around him faded and Saber found himself back in the little room made of purple fabric. He was standing opposite Lissa, who was looking around in confusion.

  “What happened?” he demanded, turning to Greggor who was watching with a bored look on his face. “Why did it stop? We were just getting to the really important part!”

  “Sorry. That was the end of the scroll.” Greggor held up the ancient document.

  “Oh, no!” Lissa snatched the scroll from him and examined it closely, as though she could make the missing part appear by will alone. “What happened to the rest of the story?”

  “Hmm…” Greggor looked over her shoulder. “See this little annotation here?” He pointed at some printing so fine it could scarcely be read. “Says here that part two was sold.”

  “Sold? To who?” Saber growled.

  “Hmm…looks like…Lady P.” Greggor looked up. “Probably Lady Pope’nose. She also collects antiquities and historical documents.” He looked at Lissa. “Do you know her?”

  “We’ve met her all right.” Saber sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

  “That must be the recent acquisition she was talking about,” Lissa murmured.

  “Come to think of it, she did recently make some purchases from my mistress—very discreetly, of course. Selling off documents is a bit akin to selling off your children—at least to most of the older collectors.” Greggor sniffed. “I mean it can be done but you don’t want to advertise it or anything. But if she—”

  Just then a loud gooooonnnnng echoed through the air. It was a sound so loud Lissa put her hands over her ears and the fabric panels that made up their “room” vibrated.

  “What was that?” Saber demanded, when the note finally faded away.

  “That was my mistress letting everyone know the show is about to begin.” Greggor grabbed him and Lissa both by the arm and dragged them out of the historical drama area. “Come on, we don’t want to be late.”

  Saber gave one last look at the purple drapes that marked the historical documents room and promised himself they would get the second scroll from Lady Pope’nose. Although how they were going to get the important document away from such a horrible woman he had absolutely no idea.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “…and that’s the whole truth, Grandma. I’m with both of them because I love them both and they love me.” Kat took a deep breath and squeezed her men’s hands. Lock was standing by her right side and Deep was standing by her left. Both of them squeezed back and she felt a surge of protection and support coming through their bond.

  “I love you,” she sent to both of them. “No matter what she says, I promise that won’t change.”

  “We love you too, little Kat,” Deep rumbled in her mind.

  “My lady, nothing could change our love for you,” Lock assured her quietly but firmly.

  “Well!” Grandma stood suddenly and for a moment Kat was afraid she was going to storm out of the comfortably decorated living room with its neat but slightly faded floral print furniture.

  Instead, she came up to Kat and hugged her tight.

  “Grandma?” Kat was so surprised she didn’t know what to do. “I…uh…”

  “I’m so glad.” Her grandmother’s voice was muffled against her shoulder. “I’m just so glad you finally found the right one for you, Kat.” She pulled back and looked at Kat with a smile. “Or I guess, the right ones.”

  “You do realize I’m marrying both of them, right?” Kat looked at her closely, wanting to make sure what she was saying was sinking in. “I mean, as in a triple wedding?”

  “A wedding I’ll be proud to attend,” her grandmother promised, her faded blue eyes shining.

  Kat shook her head. “I don’t understand. I mean, I’ve been worried about telling you this for months. I put off the ceremony because I was so afraid you wouldn’t attend.”

  “Katrina Melissa O’Connor!” Her grandmother looked scandalized—which was exactly how Kat had imagined her looking when she broke the news. “How could you even think such a thing?” she demanded.

  “Well…because of the way you raised me.” Kat gave her a bewildered look. “I m