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she’s focused on following the discussion between the twoSelells.

“They’re no longer an issue, the sisters andtheir vamps,” Telman grins cynically, “Well, I thought they didwhat was smart and killed them but they’re in Tetra.”

There’s a short moment of thoughtfulsilence. We are all very comfortable as we sit to dine with eachother. I catch Na’ta studying my neck and when we lock eyes, sheturns quickly to face Telman.

“We’re going in for The Scepter of Gant,”she says to him.

“Is it because we have more firepower thistime?” he asks.

“Wait,” Chex says, sounding astonished bywhat he just heard. “What do you mean by ‘this time’? You two triedto take it before?”

“Of course” Na’ta breathes, sounding smug.Her top lip is curled in that way that agitates me. I know she’sabout to do something dangerous whenever she does that. “We heardthe Mtknv were raided, so we decided to…”

“Take it back,” Telman finishes for her.“But we almost got ourselves killed. We didn’t know they had theeye. They saw us - well me - coming.” He shows the same smug smileNa’ta is displaying. “So we’re going back in?”

Out of nowhere, Chex lets out the loudestlaugh. Whatever amuses him is not only a mystery to me, but toNa’ta and Telman as well.

“They must drive you nuts, Babe,” he says,rubbing his hand gently on my back. His touch feels divine. “He’sjust like her!”

I can only shrug because I can’t even beginto verbally convey how true that is. Just as Chex and Na’ta had ashaky beginning, so did Telman and I.

“I make her bat-shit crazy,” Telman laughsbefore taking one big bite of ci’ke. “But now she loves me, rightAd’ru?” He winks at me.

“Very much so, Telman,” I say with a smile.I think I’m blushing. We’ve come a long way and now I like him verymuch.

“I know you want me to keep my hands off ofyour sister, but it’s hard when she does that!” Chex’s eyes aregleaming as he gazes at me.

“Try,” Na’ta snaps. “And, while you’re atit, could you stop calling her ‘babe’? It’s just…” she pauses tothink of the right word, “…weird.”

“Na’ta - silence,” I say, commanding it fromher. “You respect what we have, as I respect what you have withTelman.” Chex squeezes my hand. I know it’s his way of thanking mefor finally defending our love to her.

She shrugs nonchalantly.

“Yeah Babe; Adore’s got a point,”Telman says, surprisingly in support of me. He normally lets ussquabble and pretends as if he’s not paying attention to us.

“Okay,” she snaps. “I get it.” She aims afinger at me. “But you better be there when I call you. It’s ourpact; remember that.”

“We’ll both be there,” Chex says, speakingbefore I can.

“And vice versa,” Telman adds.

“Good.” Chex kisses my knuckles. “Now thatwe got that out of the way, Telman,” - and I like how he pronounceshis name, like Telman is a word in a beautiful song -“You’ve got speed and I need you to carry me into Ol with thesetwo,” he says tilting his head in the direction of Na’ta andme.

“You got it,” Telman replies without debate.He’s so different from Na’ta in that regard. He doesn’t like toquarrel.

“One more thing: what about the bat peoplewho we’re feeding off of you? Where the hell did they comefrom?”

“The blood slugs?”

“Is that what they’re called?”

Telman glances at Na’ta. “That’s what wecall them. They’re from the swamps of Glooms, not Earth. You cantake one guess how they got here.”

“Exgesis,” Chex replies wearing a disgustedsnarl.

“The one and only. And as you saw, they likeblood. Vampire, human, or animal - it doesn’t matter. And they haveno cut off point. They’ll drink you dry and do it slow. It hurtslike hell.” He cringes, recalling the agony. “By the time you gotthere, I was in so much in pain that I just blacked out and beggeddeath to hurry up and get on with it.”

“That bastard,” Na’ta curses under herbreath. “He was going to kill you? That wasn’t part of ourdeal.”

Telman sniffs cynically. “Reefer brought mea message from Exgesis before he threw me in with the blood slugs.He said thanks for getting him what he wanted; the deal is offbecause we’re not making it easy for him.”

“What did he get that he wanted? Isn’t Giastill in Tetra?” Chex asks.

“Wait,” I close my eyes and sigh gravely.All eyes are on me, waiting for me to reveal what I’m thinking.“Your bargain was to release Gia. That happens if we enter Olthrough Tetra and, according to the Aarap and Magnificent Star,it’s our safest way in. But not only that, he knew you could getthe medallion and we would need it to get into the Tarantula!”

“He set this all up,” Chex says.

“So what to do we do?” I ask him. “Do wegive up on our quest?”

“Father said we’re supposed to get thescepter,” Na’ta reminds me.

“Well if Father said it…” Telman sayssarcastically.

Na’ta gives him a look. “Shit,” Na’tafinally hisses under her breath. “I have to contend with GiaScoralini again.” Her scowl intensifies and Telman turns away fromher.

“But you made the deal,” I remind her. “Youknew you would have to contend with her anyway.”

Now she turns her scowl to me. I’m notbacking down from her nasty look, but as the holder of the light, Ican’t help notice the sudden change in the atmosphere. I quicklyturn to look outside. “Look - the sun has fully risen,” I whisperin wonderment.

Suddenly it’s extremely bright out and thisroom is heating up. Then tinted glass automatically slides down theopened wall.

“This is a strange place,” Na’ta mutters,observing nearly blinding brightness beyond the glass.

“That’s why we work in the cities at night,”Magnificent Star says.

We all turn to see her standing on the widethreshold of this room.

“The hub is closed until after sundown. Makeyourselves comfortable here, but I advise you not to go out intothe city while the sun is up.”

I rise to my feet. “But we’re ready to gointo Dag. We can’t wait. You must open the gateway for us,” Iplead.

Chex stands up beside me. I believe it’s insupport.

Magnificent Star’s eyes dart back and forthbetween the two of us. “I’m sorry,” she says sadly, “We do notoperate