Sebastian

doorway. Four shaggy heads turned and stared at her. She held up four fingers. Four heads bobbed up and down.
    "How did she do that?" Jeb asked.
    "She won't make them omelets if they don't behave," Teaser replied, raising a hand to catch Lynnea's attention.
    When she turned and saw them, she darted between the tables, her face lit with delight, her hands reaching out to grasp Nadia's.
    "You're here!" Lynnea said. "I'm so glad!" Then the delight changed to concern. "Is everything all right at home?"
    "Everything's fine." Nadia gave Lynnea's hands a friendly squeeze before letting go and turning toward the basket. "I just wanted to bring you a few things. I would have left them at the cottage, but it seemed…
    unoccupied."
    "Oh. Yes. Sebastian thought it would be safer to stay here for a while. There's been a bit of trouble, you see, and—"
    "How'd you get here?" Teaser said, focusing on Jeb.
    "Took the bridge that crosses over in the woods behind the cottage," Jeb replied.
    "But how did you get here ?"
    "Walked."
    "What's wrong?" Nadia asked when Teaser started swearing and Lynnea looked upset.
    "Sebastians going to have a thing or two to say about that," Teaser muttered.

    "Why should Sebastian have anything to say about it?" Nadia said, irritated. If she dismissed the sculptures, shaggy demons, and the fact that it was middle-of-the-night dark instead of morning sunshine, she might very well have stepped into some squabble in her own village. And to her way of thinking, the only thing worse than getting caught between two sides of a family squabble was being one of the participants.
    "He'll have a lot to say about it, you being his auntie and all," Teaser said hotly. "Besides, he's the—"
    "Here now!" A round man with receding dark hair hurried over to the table. "Teaser, let our visitors sit down and have some refreshment before you start jawing at them. And, Lynnea, darling…" He tipped his head toward the bull demons. "There's an order waiting for your attention."
    "Yes, Philo, you're right," Lynnea said. Then she added in a rush, "Nadia, Jeb, please stay. I'll get you something to eat, and you can catch your breath. And Teaser? Don't be a moron." She wove through the tables and dashed into the building.
    "How does being concerned about Sebastian's auntie make me a moron?" Teaser shouted, causing all the people in the courtyard to turn in his direction.
    Siblings of the heart , Nadia thought, feeling the sting of sentimental tears. Lynnea was blooming here, changing from a frightened girl to a strong-minded woman. And the baffled, annoyed young man standing beside her was part of the reason for that change.
    "Aunt Nadia?"
    Turning, she felt her heart jolt when she saw Sebastian.
    He's changed.
    Maturity cloaked him like a new coat that needed time to become a comfortable fit. But it was more than that. There was a feeling of strength in him, of… power.
    "Justice Maker," Nadia said.
    His body tightened, as if bracing for a blow, while he inclined his head slightly to acknowledge the truth of what shed said.
    Wizard. Justice Maker. One was supposed to be the same as the other, but they weren't the same.
    Sebastians father, Koltak, was a wizard. But Koltak's brother, Peter, the husband of her heart and father of her children, had been a Justice Maker. She thought if Peter had survived, he would have understood Sebastian far better than Koltak ever could.
    "Is the Justice Maker embarrassed to give his aunt a hug in public?" Nadia asked, pleased to see Sebastian relax as he walked up to the table and enveloped her in warm, strong arms.
    Teaser snorted. "This is the Den. There's nothing you do in public that will embarrass us."
    Sebastian eased back but left an arm around Nadia's shoulders. "Jeb is the man who made that puzzle."
    "Is he?" Teasers eyes lit up. "I've had a couple of thoughts that could bring in a few coin."
    "Then why don't you take Jeb over to another table while I talk to Aunt Nadia," Sebastian said.
    Just that simply and quickly, Teaser led Jeb to another table, Nadia was seated with Sebastian, and a youth who didn't look old enough to know about the Den, let alone live there, took the carpetbag and basket, saying that Philo would tuck them out of the way. Before Nadia could catch her breath, Philo was filling the table with dishes of food, two glasses of wine, and two cups of koffee.
    "Looks like Philo wanted to give you a sampling of his specialties," Sebastian said. "There are Stuffed Tits,