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.She shivered and pushedthe undermining thought away.Dawn, it was almost dawn.The stormcouldn't go on much longer.Old leaves and twigs blown in by the wind accumulated in a large pile,and it was the work of a moment for Roman to set the tinder alight."Come here," he said."You've got to get out of those wet clothes."Reluctantly, Lyris turned away from the door.It took only a moment to get out of their wet clothing, and squatting ontheir makeshift hearth, they set about getting warm.Cuddles first, butonce Lyris had stopped shaking, Roman began rummaging in hisbackpack, liberating the sandwiches and thermos of coffee he had insistedon bringing with them.He pulled the stone top off of the still and took a whiff of whatever wasbrewing inside."Whoooee! I don't know what the hell this is maybelighter fluid.But it's bound to warm us up.""I don't know if I should.""I'll carry you if he comes and you are too blotto to walk," Romanpromised.She sipped cautiously at their coffee, so he said, "Come on,honey.It will take the chill away.""If it doesn't make us blind.""I'll take the risk.Finish that coffee.Your lips are blue and that just isnot your best color.""Thanks a lot." But already, her shivering was abating.They dined on sandwiches, oddly content, and watched in silence astheir clothes steamed dry, the delicate vapors from the wet cloth and thefire's wild shadows dancing across the old stone walls in a bizarre tango.Slowly the gloom lifted and night ungraciously surrendered to Aurora'spale chariot.Dawn broke over the horizon and over their minds.As soonas the sun found a fingerhold on the sky, the hail ceased and the cruelclouds fled.So abrupt was the storm's departure that there could be nodoubt of its supernatural origins."Quede's gone nighty-night.Hell, he was so busy spitting at us, he musthave dropped in his tracks when the sun came over the hill.It's probablytoo much to hope he was standing on his porch when it happened.I'd loveto hear that he'd been crispy-crittered." Roman's voice was still a bitraspy.There was only so much that hot coffee and moonshine could do."But has Lobineau called it a night, too? I doubt we're so lucky," Lyris guessed, thinking of how close they were to the Goblin ChristianCommunity Center."Okay, don't look on the bright side." Roman sounded exasperated."I'm looking everywhere, but not seeing my way clearly anymore." Lyrisstared full into Roman's fatigued eyes.The dawn light was harsh andunromantic, but even in that moment, she spared a thought for how lovelyhe looked.His hair was parted in the middle and unconfined so that it fellabout his angular face like that of one of Raphael's angels.Of course,nothing else about him was even remotely angelic, but he still appealed toher."Roman, what are we doing here? This is crazy.""You're asking me?" His voice turned incredulous."I thought this wasyour party."Lyris half smiled at his returning energy.She shook her head."You'rethe reality check, remember? I have wild ideas and you're supposed toshoot them down.""I am?" He seemed amused."Wow.I've never been anybody's realitycheck before.I guess I haven't done a great job so far.""We're alive," she comforted."That means we're winning.""Do you ever get the feeling that we are being scripted into a bad horrormovie by some perverse godlike being?" His tone had returned to normal."All the time.I think his name is Jack.""You may be right."Lyris reached out suddenly.This time, when she touched him, there wasa sudden flash of magic and that dormant attraction between themsprang to life."Roman?""This is nuts," he said.But he knelt down beside her and laced a handthrough her hair."I know, but& " She leaned toward him, breathing in his scent, allowinghim to see the hunger in her eyes.With a soft growl, he rolled onto the floor, pulling her astride him tomake mad, passionate love.Roman stood up, and Lyris noticed the soot marks on his bottom andshoulder blades as he turned away to search for his clothes.She'd probablyhave a matching set from sitting on the dirty floor.Soon he said briskly: "Up and at 'em, honey.We'd better dress and get back to my place.I thinkwe need to have a word or two with Jack about hurrying up his gift,whatever it is.And then maybe it would be wise if we went to groundsomewhere for the rest of the day.""You think he knows about us, then?""Quede? Yeah.That storm felt kind of personal, and it followed us allthe way from the plantation.We can't ignore it much as I'd like to believethat everything is really okay." Roman pulled on his semidamp jeans."Of course.But I meant Lobineau.Does he know what we're doing andwhy? I wish we knew for sure.He's the joker in the deck, and I just can'tfigure him." Lyris stood and began dressing.Her clothes were drier butstill unpleasantly clammy."Well, he or someone knew enough to send that troll to Quede's placeto find us.And Lobineau's bound to suspect something bad has happenedwhen Mr.Muscles doesn't come back with our bodies tucked under hisarms.Maybe he'll blame Quede for the disappearance, but we can'tdepend on it.I think we better count Lobineau as being in the camp withthose who are pissed at us.""That would be just about everyone, wouldn't it?""Yeah, especially when I don't show up at the club tonight.Well, I wastired of stripping anyway." Roman looked out the door, using his eyes butalso inhaling carefully.Lyris could smell nothing but charred wood and battered, bleedingleaves.She tilted her head, listening, but there came nothing but the sameold metronome in her head, counting off the hours and minutes thatremained before Doomsday."Come on.I think we're clear," Roman called, picking up his backpackand stepping outside."We are lucky not to be bothered by daylight.A lotof feys are.""You know what frustrates me? Our visit to Toujours Perdrix was fornothing.We didn't learn a damn thing and we lost another night." Lyrisstepped out into the light and blinked her eyes."And now we have to gointo hiding and come up with another plan.Damn Lobineau, anyway.Ibet there was a lot more stuff he could have told us.""I have no doubt that he is damned, no matter what his religion,"Roman answered, starting toward the road.He added: "Of course, thatisn't completely true, you know.I mean, that we learned nothing.Lastnight was actually fairly instructive." "Instructive?""Yes.""I see.Are you convinced we know everything we need to know?" sheasked as she fell in behind him."No, but I'm convinced we know enough," Roman answered."Enough to what?"Roman waved a hand in a gesture that could have meant anything."Enough to know what we need to do.""Stop Quede before he drowns or fries us?" Lyris asked.Then shenodded to herself.Her tone was calm as she added; "But we can't send forhelp, can we? Last night means Quede is definitely on to us.He hasprobably mobilized what passes for the law around here.And we are onour own.""I don't think there'd be time to send out for help anyway.And there'sno guarantee anyone could get into the city now." Roman's voice wasequally calm."Quede won't shut down the borders with walls and guards,but you can bet he's screening everyone who goes in or out.He's probablyalso adopted a shoot-on-sight policy where any fey is concerned.He mayeven be rounding up those that work in the nightclubs another reasonnot to go into work.""So, we can't leave either." She nodded again, though Roman couldn'tsee her.His broad back was comforting.Most people ran away from factsthat threatened their comfort.But not Roman.He had seemingly reacheda place where thinking the unthinkable was an everyday event.He coulddo it over breakfast.He apparently even did it in his sleep.Maybe therewas more benefit to being a pooka than she had ever suspected
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