“As arrogant as they both are, they probably will,” Willow replied slowly, gazing into space. “Damon McMillan and Fiona St. Claire.”
I watched the names hit Hayley with the force of a baseball bat. Her eyes widened at the same time her mouth dropped. She shot a wild glance at me, then toward Willow.
“Cousin Damon,” she whispered, horrified. “Willow, is he your son?”
Willow smiled sadly. “Yes. Damon is my son.”
“Oh, no.” Hayley reached for Willow’s hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“We can’t choose our relatives, now can we?” Rare tears sparkled in Willow’s eyes. “He was always a wild child. Rebellious, believed the world owed him everything.”
“He always hated me,” I said quietly. “He always wanted what I had. While Willow did her best to raise him right, just as she had me, Damon rejected her teachings. Bonds of dragon loyalty never meant anything to him.”
“Where was his father?” Hayley asked.
“Gone,” Willow answered. “He liked managing a company, enjoyed living among humans. He and I still talk now and then, but we haven’t been together for nearly thirty years.”
“So, Damon thinks he can simply take what he wants, when he wants? Even through murder?”
“That’s about it,” I told her. “His ambitions were kept mostly in check until he and Fiona got together. She convincedhim that he’s better than me, can have my spot in the food chain if he can get rid of me.”
“That crime you mentioned,” Hayley said slowly, “the one that has Fiona going home in chains. May I ask what crime that was?”
I met Willow’s gaze, and she returned a slight nod.
“All right.” I breathed in deeply, thinking of how to formulate my answer. “In our dragon culture, we revere our gods and goddesses, one of whom is Lanokota. It’s a grave sin to worship the one we call Da’arvass. He craves blood sacrifice.”
“He is worse than the humans’ Satan,” Willow added. “Da’arvass has been shunned by the other deities for his lust for killing and blood. Fiona has offered her life to the service of this black god in exchange for unlimited power.”
“She sold her soul?” Hayley’s brows rose.
“That’s a good way of putting it,” Willow agreed. “The good gods will not shelter her, nor give her a place among them when she dies. She will pass into the dark halls and there linger in Da’arvass’s cruelty.”
“She didn’t demand eternal life or something like that?”
“She may have tried.” I chuckled. “But not even Da’arvass can grant that. Nor can any of our deities. Can yours?”
Hayley shrugged with a wry grin. “Don’t ask me, I never believed in any until this week.”
“Fiona hopes that a lifetime of unequaled power justifies her bargain,” Willow continued. “She doesn’t care that she will suffer an eternity of pain for that power.”
“If she achieves that goal,” I said, meeting Hayley’s eyes, “Fiona won’t be satisfied with ruling just us dragons. She’ll turn all dragons against humans in a war that will obliterate the earth.”
“No one will survive such a war,” Willow commented. “Not people, not dragons, perhaps not even the cockroaches will escape such destruction.”
“I have to admit, that’s quite a crime,” Hayley said. “And Damon is just going along with this mad plan?”
“I doubt Fiona told him about Da’arvass,” I replied. “He’s murderous and ambitious, but he’s not stupid enough to bow before Da’arvass.”
“I don’t know,” Willow added softly. “Hemightbe that stupid. He never paid any mind to Lanokota or the other gods.”
“Can she, Lanokota, and the other gods stop them?” Hayley asked. “I mean, they’re real and they make their wants and wishes known. Why don’t they step in? Blast Damon and Fiona with lightning?”
“Because they only interfere in the smallest of ways,” Willow explained. “They are subtle, not overt. For instance, Lanokota wanted you hale and healthy, and so gave me permission to aid your healing. She may speak to me as she wishes, or not. Just as the humans’ god answers prayers, or not, as he likes.”
“They like us to do the work for them,” I said with a grin. “They live off our sweat and tears. If the gods managed everything, then we’d become fat, dumb, and happy without lifting a finger.”
“That makes sense.”
