Sebastian

her. There's only one person left, Koltak, and you're the only person who can reach him."
    Stunned, Koltak stared at Harland. "Sebastian? What do you expect Sebastian to do against Belladonna?"
    Harland smiled a terrible smile. "Nothing."
    *
    "You don't have to stay," Lynnea said. "I'm just going to sit here for a while."
    "Uh-huh," Teaser replied, following her to a table at the back of Philo's courtyard. "Sebastian told me to stay with you." He flashed a cocky grin. "Besides, you won't tell me what you've got in the box."
    Lynnea sighed. She should have told him what was in the box the first time he'd asked. But she'd felt so flustered and guilty about doing something idle that her denials that the box held anything important had only sharpened the incubus's curiosity.
    Setting the box on the table, she chose the seat that put her back to the courtyard's wall and let her watch the courtyard and the street beyond. Let her watch for Sebastian's return.
    Philo came up to the table. "What'll you have?"
    "Ale for me," Teaser replied. He looked inquiringly at Lynnea.
    "I'll find something for the lady," Philo said when she hesitated. He tipped his head to one side. "What's in the box?"
    "She won't tell anyone," Teaser said.
    Lynnea huffed. "It's just a game a friend of Sebastian's auntie made." She opened the box and carefully poured out the pieces of thin wood. "It's called a puzzle. See? There's a picture painted on one side. You put all the pieces together in the correct way, and you get to see the picture."
    Teaser picked up a piece and studied it. "It's got bumps sticking out of it on two sides and round bites taken out of the other two."
    "That's part of the puzzle. The bumps of one piece fit into the openings of another."
    "Oh, I know that game."
    "Mind who you're talking to," Philo said sharply.
    "What?" Teaser looked at Lynnea. "Oh. Right."
    Lynnea kept her eyes on the puzzle pieces she was turning over so that the painted side was on top. "If I'm going to live in the Den, there's no reason why everyone should avoid talking about… sex stuff…
    when I'm around."
    Loooong pause.
    "I'll see what's in the kitchen," Philo said, hurrying away from the table.
    Feeling like an outsider, and resenting it, Lynnea concentrated on righting all the pieces so she could begin putting the puzzle together, aware that Teaser seemed to be concentrating equally hard.
    Finally Teaser said quietly, "You're different. That's why it feels all right to be a little bit naughty around you, but not bad, not… blatant."
    Pondering that, Lynnea fit two blue pieces together. Sky? Water? "Why?"
    "Dunno, exactly. No one like you has ever come to the Den before."
    She couldn't think of anything to say, so she nibbled on the food Philo brought to the table, focused on the puzzle—and waited for Sebastian.

    Tired and hungry, Sebastian thanked the demon cycle for its assistance, then scanned Philo's courtyard.
    He didn't see Lynnea, but one of the people crowded around the table in the back would be able to tell him where she and Teaser had gone.
    As he made his way to the back of the courtyard, he wondered if failure, in this case, equaled success.
    He hadn't seen any sign of rust-colored sand, hadn't spotted any pools of water that were located in places they didn't belong. He'd made note of any physical bridges, but he hadn't crossed over any of them—and wouldn't until he'd talked to Lee and found out which of them his cousin had created.
    At least he'd managed to find residents of some of the dark landscapes that bordered the Den and warn them about the creatures that might prey on them. They would spread the word among their own.
    He'd done all he could do for now, so it was time to take something for himself. He needed to feel the warmth of her presence, feel the sound of her voice wash over his skin. Just needed to be with her. That, in itself, was a wonder to him. He wanted sex. Of course he did. But that wasn't all he wanted, wasn't all he needed.
    She dreamed of him at night, and he found the lure of those dreams irresistible. But it was like being given a taste of a banquet, then having the door shut in his face before he could feast. Problem was, he had a nagging feeling that if he pushed the door open instead of waiting to be invited into her dreams, the very best of that banquet would disappear and he'd never quite know what he'd missed.
    But those were thoughts for another time. Right now, a full belly held more appeal than a