Sebastian

Sebastian said quietly.
    "Later." She studied Lynnea, then smiled. "Sebastian has forgotten his manners. I'm his cousin Glorianna."
    "I'm pleased to meet you," Lynnea replied. "I'm Lynnea."
    "Glorianna—" Sebastian began.

    "Why don't you go out and get some air?" Glorianna suggested.
    He recognized a command when he heard one, and, cousin or not, only a fool would disobey Glorianna Belladonna. Despite that, he would have argued with her to give him a minute to explain, but the look in her eyes silenced the protest before he could make one. So he went outside and leaned a shoulder against the building as if nothing of importance were happening inside the shop.

    Glorianna watched Sebastian leave the shop. When she'd crossed over near his cottage, she'd felt a dissonance she knew was coming from Sebastian. It was as if the dark currents inside him had become glutted to the point of making some essential shift in his heart. Then, as she hurried to the Den to find him and figure out what was wrong, she realized there had been another shift—as if a festering wound were being drained, bringing the Dark and Light inside Sebastian back into balance.
    She didn't know what had caused the first change in Sebastian, but the second change had been produced by the woman standing in front of her.
    Which made no sense, she thought as she turned to look at Lynnea, who smiled timidly and stared at her with blue eyes shadowed by fear. This woman didn't belong in the Den, shouldn't have been able to cross over into this landscape. But she was here, and there was no dissonance because of her presence.
    Glorianna's breath hitched when she realized what she was looking at.
    Catalyst.
    An ordinary person, but because Lynnea was in a landscape she shouldn't have been able to reach, her presence would be like a pebble dropped into a pond, and the ripples would touch people in large ways or small. Would bring change. Would bring opportunities and choices.
    For the catalyst as well as the people around her.
    Which could explain why Sebastian was acting like a collie with one lamb to guard. And wasn't that interesting?
    It was also interesting that when she'd gone to check on a city in one of her landscapes recently, she'd followed an impulse and stopped at a shop that supplied cosmetics for ladies. The colors she'd picked for cheeks and eyes didn't suit her at all, but she'd been carrying them in the bottom of her pack since she bought them.
    The colors suited Lynnea perfectly.
    Glorianna glanced at the catsuit in Lynnea's hands, then glanced at the shop's door—and smiled.
    "Come on," she said, resting a hand on Lynnea's shoulder to lead the catalyst to the curtained dressing area. "Let's get you ready for a prowl in the Den."
     
     
    Sebastian stared at the door of Mr. Finch's shop.
     
    The heart had no secrets from Glorianna Belladonna. She'd know within a minute that Lynnea didn't belong in the Den. But would she look beyond that? She didn't know about his plan to give his little rabbit a chance to be strong and powerful. She didn't know he needed a few hours with a woman who made him feel so much it scared him.
    What was happening in the shop?
    Teaser loped across the street to join him.
    "Well, it's all set," Teaser said. "Although I'd keep this prowl to the main street if I were you. I spread the word, but that's no guarantee that all the incubi and succubi will go along with it."
    "They will if they want to remain in the Den," Sebastian growled. If he'd been using the wizard magic inside him unknowingly all these years to keep human visitors he didn't like from returning to the Den, could that magic also prevent a demon from returning? He'd test that out on the succubitch after he took Lynnea to the Landscapers' School. Assuming, of course, that Lynnea was still in the shop.
    Teaser gave him a wary look that swiftly gave way to the usual cocky, bouncy energy. There was a light in the incubus's eyes Sebastian hadn't seen in a long time. A tame prowl wasn't the kind of heat and action the incubi looked for, but it was something different, and the novelty of it was reason enough for Teaser's enthusiasm.
    "So," Teaser said, looking around and grinning, "where's the country mouse?"
    "In the shop. With Glorianna."
    The grin vanished. "Belladonna's here?"
    Before Sebastian could answer, the shop door opened, and Glorianna walked out. Alone.
    He pushed away from the building, wanting to shove her aside and run into the shop to see if