Read Holy Smokes for Free Online

when you were getting a clue, too.”
    “What’s wrong in my reasoning?” I asked Drake.
    “A challenge for lusus naturae is different from a challenge for control of the sept,” he answered, giving me a reassuring squeeze. “The latter must follow the terms of the challenge specifically. The former…” He shrugged. “There is a mortal saying that all is fair in love and war. I’m afraid that would apply to a lusus naturae challenge, as well.”
    “Well, hell,” I said, grinding my teeth just a little as I looked at Stephano. “What time is this conclave thing?”
    “Noon.” Stephano named a well-known hotel that was relatively close. “I will tell Fiat you will attend?”
    “Are you good on that time?” I asked Drake.
    Stephano interrupted before he could answer. “The green wyvern will not be allowed to attend.”
    “Sorry, I don’t go anywhere without Drake.”
    His gaze moved warily between Drake and me. “No dragon outside the sept is allowed at a conclave. It is not done.”
    “Is that kosher?” I asked Drake.
    His jaw tightened as he nodded. “Unfortunately, it is a law most septs adhere to—only members of the sept are al lowed to attend formal meetings.”
    “Well, the answer is simple then. I just won’t go.” I turned back to Stephano. “Please pass along my regrets to Fiat, and tell him it was a good try, but I wasn’t born yesterday. If he wants me at a meeting, he’ll have to make it a less formal function so that I can bring Drake.”
    The blue dragon smiled. For some reason it wasn’t a reassuring gesture. “Fiat assumed you would refuse, and instructed me to tell the green wyvern that if you do not attend the conclave, he will consider that an act of war and will reciprocate as necessary.”
    Drake stepped forward, his hands fisted, clearly bent on telling Stephano what Fiat could do with his threat.
    “Wait a minute,” I said quickly, moving between the two men. “This is stupid. The green dragons don’t have anything to do with my decision to not go to the conclave. Fiat can’t war with them because I don’t want to hang around with him.”
    Stephano’s smile changed to a smirk. “You live with the green wyvern. You bear his child. You are treated as a member of the sept. If you do not attend, it will clearly be due to influence by the sept, and thus Fiat will be within his rights to reclaim his mate by force.”
    I bit my lip as Drake said something to Pál and István in their native Hungarian. The two men closed ranks on Stephano, whose smirk, I was momentarily gratified to notice, took on a strained cast.
    “Now, just wait a second, guys. Nothing is going to be served by beating the crap out of the messenger. Let’s think this out.”
    “You will not go to the conclave,” Drake told me. “I will not allow you to go there unprotected.”
    I nodded. “I have no intention of putting myself in Fiat’s control, but at the same time, I’m not going to allow another war to be declared. We have enough on our hands with the red dragons. There has to be another way around the situation.”
    You are so foolish. You could end the situation so very easily.
    “Argh!” I yelled, startling everyone in the hall.
    “Ash,” Jim said.
    “I’m sorry. It was the voice. Man, I’m sick and tired of it yammering at me day and night. What I’d give to shut it up…”
    Everyone was looking at me oddly again. I cleared my throat and reminded myself that professional Guardians didn’t rant in front of others about the evil voices in their heads. “Sorry.”
    Jim sighed and said, “You’re not thinking.”
    I looked at it. It cocked its head. As a demon, Jim was bound by some silly rule that said it couldn’t come right out and tell me something helpful unless I asked for specific information, but it could—and often did—hint when I was missing something obvious.
    Obvious like…“Oh! Brilliant! Jim, you get two dog cookies when you go to bed tonight. Stephano, you