"What message?"

"My Lord?"

I dragged open a leaden eyelid, to see Stefan standing over me, Kaa'saht hovering nearby. "My Lord, it's time to go," He said quietly, his face grave.

I sighed, then lifted my head to look at the clock. Less than two hours of sleep; I wasn't going to be worth a damn, today. "All right," I levered myself to my feet with a grunt, slowly padded over to the nest to check on the kids. Ashadh was awake, albeit barely, and crooned sleepily as I gently touched his head. A certain tightness in my breast seemed to ease at that sound, and I felt the corners of my hard mouth trying to turn up into a gentle smile. "Gotta leave for a little bit," I said softly "but I'll be back soon, and we'll go play in the snow. All right?" Ashadh gave another croon, and sank back into sleep. I then checked on Dahiric, found both her and her elder sister still asleep.

Turning away, I gestured to the other two dragons and we headed out the front door and into the still-solid darkness. Once clear of the house, I allowed myself to expand to roughly pony-size, the sphere of the Lung materializing next to me. I grasped it, looked to Kaa'saht. "Don't let my kids out of your sight," I repeated needlessly.

Kaa'saht blinked, then bowed. "I will not, Lord Hasai."

I looked at him for a moment, then tucked the sphere between my jaws and held my hand out to Dithra's agent. <Ready, Stefan?> I sent.

Stefan looked at my offered hand for a long moment, then, visibly steeling himself, reached out and gripped it. "Ready, my Lord," he sighed.

I nodded, then closed my eyes and concentrated on the image of a huge stone Gothic affair of a house far away to the east. . . .

Snap.

Instantly we found ourselves exactly where I expected to be, standing on the pavement before Dithra's abode, the first tinges of dawn starting to touch the eastern sky. All four of my feet settled firmly upon the hard surface, but Stefan lurched and went down on one knee. I took the sphere out of my mouth, then turned my head and looked at him. "You all right?" I rumbled.

Eyes shut and his face quite pale, Stefan gave a short nod. "A few moments, my Lord. I'll be fine."

I studied him for a moment more, then decided that any offer of help would just embarrass the former Stasi agent even further. I nodded. "I'll be inside." Turning away, I sent the sphere back to its ancient resting place beneath a sandstone cliff, then once again endured the pain of my bones bending into different shapes. I gave a small shiver as icy clothing settled about my shoulders, then shook it off and went to see Dithra.

As always, the Lady met me in the foyer. "Dear Hasai, how are you this morning?" she smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"In dire need of a cup of coffee, my Lady," I chuckled tiredly, then paused, studying the Eldest. "You seem to be in an especially good mood today. Good news, I take it?"

"Indeed, young one, very good news," she replied, her smile broadening as we headed for the dining room, where T'ress awaited us with a full pot of coffee. "This very day, we shall begin our negotiations with the Naatahn clan." She paused, her eyes watching me expectantly.

I gave her a wry smile, gestured ignorance as I seated myself before an already-poured cup, the steam arising from it carrying an aroma that even my dull human senses could appreciate. "I'm sorry, my Lady, but . . ."

"'What is the Naatahn clan?'" Dithra smiled again, sipped her coffee, then tilted her head thoughtfully, searching for a simple way to explain dragon power-politics to the ignorant dunce sitting across the table from her. "It is a very large, very powerful faction," she said at last. "Several members of the current Council are represented by it. If we succeed in bringing it over to our side. . . ."

". . . .You'll bring the balance of power back into our favor?"

"Yes, you have it," Dithra smiled at her not-so dense pupil.

"To the point of toppling Ahnkar?"

Her smile faded slightly. "No; not yet, dear one, but it will paralyze both him and Ksstha, forcing them to rely upon their own resources rather than use the Council's. Soon, however, we will. . . . Stefan, what are you doing here?"

I blinked at Dithra's tone, lowered my cup and turned to see Stefan standing in the doorway. The agent frowned. "My Lady?" he began slowly "I received your message."

Dithra set down her own cup, then placed both hands, palm down, to either side of her place setting as if she were about to launch herself across the table at her agent. Seeing her expression, alarm bells were beginning to ring in my head. Loudly. "And what message was that?" she asked in a brittle voice.

The frown was fading from Stefan's face, slowly being replaced with an expression of alarm. "The . . . private message you had Kaa'saht relay to me, regarding my elders, my Lady. Did you not. . . ?"

Dithra came to her feet with such abruptness that a teaspoon went bouncing across the table, her movement very nearly as fast as my own. "I sent word of the Naatahn clan meeting with Kaa'saht; nothing more."

My head snapped around, my eyes meeting Stafan's. "Contact the site," I clipped. "We'll be in the main hall." Stefan nodded shortly and bolted from the room, and I moved to follow.

"Hasai! What occurs?" Dithra asked sharply.

Stupid dragon! my human half snarled, What the hell do you think? But I bit down on the retort and turned to face the ancient dragoness. "My Lady, it's possible that we've been betrayed," I replied, my voice surprisingly level. "There's no reason Kaa'saht would pass such a false message, unless he wanted both Stefan and I away from the site at the same time, and the only reason I can see for him wanting that is so he can have the opportunity to steal my children." With that, I spun on my heel and left the room, my pace not a run, but not far from it. Behind me, I heard Dithra snarl something in the language of the dragons, then come hurrying after me.

By the time Dithra and I reached the main hallway I was already back on all-fours. I summoned the sphere, and it snapped into existence by my right shoulders where I quickly grabbed it in my talons. Ten seconds later, Stefan came running into the room. "There is no answer," he hissed.

I snarled an oath and jammed the sphere between my jaws, my other hand reaching out to grip Stefan's arm while I tried to envision the ranch house.

"Hasai! Take me with you!"

My head whipped around, mane jangling as my eyes sought Dithra's. <No, my Lady, you must stay here> I returned. <You have the Naatahn ambassador to deal with, plus that young dragoness in the dining room who has heard far too much. If word gets out. . . .>

Dithra had started violently at the unexpected mode of communication but quickly recovered, her eyes a bit wide. "Yes, of course. Praise the Ancestors, at least one of us is thinking clearly." She made a quick, shooing gesture. "Go Hasai. Go!"

Snap.

Instantly, Dithra's hallway was replaced by the swirling gray chaos of the promised winter storm. Beside me Stefan lurched but kept his feet this time, while I felt my own sinking deeply into new-fallen snow. Commando weather. My human side was right, if not in the way I'd expected. Although it was less than thirty meters away, I had a moment's difficulty finding the ranch house in the tiny amount of predawn light that managed to penetrate the clouds boiling overhead. Finally, I spotted it and hurried toward it, Stefan stumbling along behind.

Something had already happened here; the front door was gone, it and most of the surrounding wood framing ripped away from the building, pieces scattered across the front porch. Through the ragged opening, a thread of black smoke drifted, to be immediately shredded to nothingness by the icy wind.