My eyes narrowed, and I didn’t try to camouflage the venom in my voice, “Get your hand off me before I remove it.”

Although his grip loosened, he didn’t release my arm. “Show some respect, you wretched little ...” He didn’t finish his sentence as Will was suddenly standing beside us, eyes blazing. He kept his words to himself but stared at Kyle – as if the two men were both considering their next move. When, after a full minute, no words were spoken, you could nearly cut the air with a knife and fork. Finally, Will’s eyes fell to Kyle’s hand, still wrapped around my forearm.

Kyle’s voice was full of hate, “She may belong to you, Will, but remember that I choose her fate.”

Will’s response was strong and commanding, “Kyle, I told you I would be willing to meet with you and discuss the debt owed to you. You choose nothing.”

Kyle’s grip tightened on my arm again, and I couldn’t imagine what was going though his mind, “I’m sure we’ll come up with something that is mutually beneficial.”

These two would have continued to talk about me like I wasn’t actually there if I’d let them. I wrenched my arm away from Kyle’s hand, put my back to Will and glared at Kyle while I spit out, “I owe you nothing. My mother made a choice more than two decades ago that you weren’t good enough for her. Get over it already.”

I could still feel the burn on my forearm from his grip as Kyle returned my glare. In a calm, hateful voice he said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

My adrenaline was coursing through my blood when I nearly shouted, “I know that if you had been half the man you pretend to be, you’d be my father. Instead you’re trying to intimidate me and my father – it’s not going to happen, Slick.”

The words were no sooner out of my mouth when I felt my feet lifted off the ground and wind against my face. I saw nothing but a blur of trees and bushes for five full seconds until I was gently put back on the ground. The sensation had been so foreign my senses couldn’t give me a good explanation of what had just happened. My feet were firmly back on the ground, my body upright, and two warm hands were on each of my shoulders. I looked up into the eyes of the person who had flown with me at ground level. It was the third time I’d seen those light blue eyes tonight: Drake stared down into mine. His hands on my shoulders were warm; he was close enough that I drank in his cologne. I recognized the scent immediately — Calvin Klein’s Eternity, the same fragrance I bought for Daniel. It was my favorite.

His eyes held me for longer than they should have: he must have realized when his gaze quickly dropped to the ground. Still furious at Kyle, I didn’t have much time to process what had just happened. “What did you do that for? Better yet, what did you just do? Where are we?”

“Camille...I’m sorry...I was listening.”

“And?”

“You aren’t accustomed to our ways. Your words might as well have been a sword. Kyle could have struck you down. I just moved you out of his way.”

“You moved me? How? Can you fly?”

He shook his head and chuckled, “No, I can’t fly. I ran, but it feels a little like flight, doesn’t it?”

“Where are we?”

Drake abruptly let go of my shoulders. He must have remembered the no touching policy. “A mile to the west of your home.”

“A mile?” I couldn’t shield the disbelief from my voice, “So you just snapped your fingers and we’re suddenly a mile away?”

Drake shook his head, “I didn’t snap my fingers. I just told you, I picked you up and ran.”

I couldn’t believe he had done that, and I wasn’t pleased that he had scooped me up while I was trying to make a point with Kyle Richardson. “Why would you do that? I was in the middle of a conversation.”

“I’m not sure. I was...I was worried what he might do to you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

Drake shook his head, “Not against a Centaur. We’re all warriors. I had to get you away from him.”

“But why?”

“Centaurs are unpredictable when they’re angry. I couldn’t let him lash out at you. I didn’t know if your father would be fast enough to stop Mr. Richardson.”

I knew Drake had the best of intentions. He believed I needed his protection and gave it to me willingly, twice. I hadn’t asked for his help either time. I didn’t even know I needed his help the second time. I couldn’t help but acknowledge that his fast action definitely kept me from being a bloody mess earlier, and maybe even a second time at the hand of Kyle Richardson. “Well, thanks.” I stretched up on my tip toes and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Drake took a step back from me and placed his palm over the side of his face, cradling it as if I’d just slapped him. His eyes looked like blue saucers as I made a mental note that it’s not okay to shake hands or kiss a betrothed Centaur’s cheek as a “thank you.” He didn’t need to say it; I could see how badly I’d offended him written all over his face.

Before he had the chance to chastise me for yet another “Camille misstep,” another blur to my right appeared: Brent with a worried look on his face. “Good save, Drake. But you’d better get back. You don’t want Bianca to find out you swooped in and saved Camille, twice. I’ve got her.” Drake nodded and took another step away from me. He glanced at me again; it looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind at the last second. I watched him lower his head and disappear into the night.

“Okay, Brent, what the hell is going on?”

“I think that’s pretty obvious. Dad was trying to work a deal with Kyle Richardson to come to terms on your blood debt, and you pretty much sliced the guy wide open and started shoving big fat salt pellets into his wounds. Good job, Camille.” His words were harsh but his tone was amused.

“So is Will ..., I mean, is Dad...pissed?”

“Shocked is probably a better description. I doubt you’ll be included in any of their discussions anymore.”

“Level with me, Brent. Is what my mom did that big of a deal?”

Brent’s humor drained in that instant. “Yes. Choosing a partner is sacred. You don’t get to choose and then change your mind. I think Mr. Richardson is a certifiable jackass, but your mom broke one of the seven tenants. It is fully within his right to collect a blood debt.”

“I keep hearing that, but humor me: what, exactly, is a blood debt?”

Brent motioned to a rock planted on the ground. I sat down while he squatted in the grass beside me. “A blood debt happens when someone in our society has been so incredibly wronged it affects their bloodline. In human terms it is closest to premeditated murder. If I had wronged another Centaur and owed a blood debt, it would literally be a death sentence for me. Lucky for you, there are so few female Centaurs in the world that no one would collect it against a woman. But your mom really did wrong Mr. Richardson. It was within his right to take the life of someone in her family.” If I had to pay a blood debt for my mom, could one of my brothers be forced to pay it? I shuddered at the thought.

“But, that was over twenty years ago. Why now?”

“I wish I knew, Camille. When Dad pulled us all together and told us the whole story, no one could believe that he hadn’t exacted his revenge when it all happened. Maybe he didn’t because your mom went into hiding or something. It doesn’t make sense. Reality is that Dad will do everything he can, but, ultimately, it’s up to Mr. Richardson.”

“But you just said he can’t kill me.”

Brent shook his head, “It’s a negotiation. I think Dad would promise him nearly anything not to lose you. If Mr. Richardson intended to carry out a death sentence, other herds would step in to protect you. It would mean war.”

“Isn’t there a statute of limitations or something? The person who owes the debt isn’t even alive anymore.” I caught myself speaking callously of my mother and felt a rush of her envelop me. Gretchen told me that my mother was still with me and that I could communicate with her. I turned away from Brent when I felt my mother’s presence. I yelled into the darkness, “Mom, you’d better have a plan because there is no stinkin’ way I’m going to owe that man a thing!”

I could smell my mother’s perfume. I felt warmth encompass me and saw the slightest outline of her face appear in front of me. She seemed to be saying something, but I couldn’t understand. It didn’t matter how hard I concentrated, I couldn’t make her image sharpen, and I wondered if maybe it was my imagination.

Brent started to say something, but I held my finger to my lips to quiet him. I concentrated on the outline of her face, hoping to bring her better into focus. I could see her figure desperately trying to tell me something, but still no sound. I shook my head at her, “I can’t hear you.”

Her outline began to diminish. I could still see her in the same spot but no longer with the vibrant colors from just seconds before. Brent held out his elbow, offering to escort me back. Since it was obvious that my psychic sensor was still malfunctioning, I decided to pump Brent for more information. We began a leisurely stroll back when he advised, “If you choose someone right away, Mr. Richardson won’t have a chance to force his son on you.”

Still reeling from having seen my mother’s ghost or spirit or whatever it was, I didn’t give Brent’s suggestion much weight. I was in my own little world when I realized he’d stopped walking and was staring at me. “Camille, did you hear me?”

Embarrassed at being lost in thought, I uttered, “Uh, what? No, I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening.”

“I said, if you choose someone soon, he won’t have a chance to make you marry his son. He would have to accept a cash payment.”

“Brent, I’m not ready to marry anyone, and I don’t care who says I have to. I’m for sure not picking someone I’ve never met who came out of the same gene pool as Kyle Richardson. For that matter, I’m not picking anyone. Maybe I want to be like my mom and just live on my own.”

We began walking again, and Brent’s strides remained constant. He didn’t seem deterred in the slightest that I had no intention of choosing someone quickly. After about ten minutes of walking at a normal pace, I could see the lights of the party coming back into view. Brent’s arm tensed and Bruce appeared out of thin air – I had to work on getting used to Centaur speed. Bruce was seriously nervous, “Camille, Mr. Richardson thinks you took off with the guy you’re going to take as your husband. He’s flaming mad. If you pick someone right now, Dad’s pretty sure he’ll leave and not return.”

“Have you all lost your minds? I can’t just throw a dart at a wall and pick some guy to be married to!”

“I get that it isn’t ideal, but if you don’t pick someone, you might get stuck with his son. What’s worse? Choosing a great guy you don’t know that well but who will treat you like a queen, or being forced to marry into the Richardson herd? C’mon, Camille, you met a bunch of guys tonight. Pick one, and I’ll go get him and bring him here. Then the two of you can give your announcement directly in front of Mr. Richardson.”

“That’ll never work.”

Bruce must have believed that I was somehow considering his stupid idea. “I’ll go get whatever guy you tell me to. The two of you can come back to the party as if you’d been planning this all day. You can have a super-long engagement if you want to.”

“What if during this super-long engagement I decide that I don’t like him, that he’s not the right guy for me?”

Brent and Bruce both froze. Both looked at each other, nearly dumbfounded with my question. Finally Bruce answered, “You aren’t serious?”

“It’s called dating. You’re supposed to test drive a few guys to make sure you pick the right model. Believe it or not – it’s a pretty normal concept. Try one on, if he isn’t right, you trade him in on a new model.”

Bruce looked at me and said, “Camille, I can’t tell if you have a warped sense of humor or if you’re being serious.”

“I didn’t ask to be whisked away from the conversation I was having with Kyle. That Drake guy just swooped in and took off with me. Did it ever occur to anyone that what I was saying was important? I didn’t ask to be rescued, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to marry a guy who I can put up with just to keep Kyle from forcing his son on me. When I find the right guy, it’ll be natural, it’ll be for love — it won’t be selection by the lesser of two evils.”

Another blur appeared out of nowhere. “There you guys are! Holy crap, do you know they’re tearing the place apart?” Beau had now joined us as well.

Shocked, I asked, “Who’s tearing the place apart?”

“Kyle Richardson thinks Dad’s hiding you. He’s already done a room-to-room search of the house and guest quarters. They’re searching the woods now.”

I felt my resolve growing ever stronger. “I guess I’d better pick up the pace. I’ll go back and I tell him he’s nutso again.”

Bruce was nearly pleading with his eyes when he said, “Camille...don’t.” We continued forward. I could feel Brent, Bruce and Beau getting more apprehensive with each stride.

As we approached the clearing to the back yard, I saw Hannah pacing under the canopy of trees. Bruce watched her with nothing but love in his eyes. The selfish part of me realized I’d tarnished her wedding whether that had been my intention or not. Trying to be more sensitive and realizing this was absolutely not the right time to throw a tantrum no matter how justified I felt, I said, “Bruce, I’m so sorry. I hope Hannah isn’t mad.”

Bruce stopped me in my tracks, put both hands on my shoulders and pulled me into a hug, “She’s upset, but not with you. None of this is your fault. We handle this as a family. She’s as much a part of our family now as you are, and she won’t stand for Richardson’s games any more than the rest of us.”

“You should go to her. Tell her I’m really sorry...and Bruce?” His dark eyes looked fully into mine, “Thanks for coming to look for me. It means a lot.”

He bobbed his head slightly, acknowledging me without making me feel like some girl who needed protecting. Brent slipped his arm around me, and Beau walked a few strides ahead of us. As the three of us came fully into view, I noticed that Bruce and Hannah were walking behind us, still in her wedding dress and he in his tux. Two blurs arrived on either side of Brent and me, Ben to my left and Bart to Brent’s right. The emotion of the moment was not lost on me. My five brothers and my new sister-in-law surrounded me as we walked the last few steps to the driveway.

The music quieted and a hush fell over the guests. Gretchen and Will stood on the porch while Kyle Richardson stood to their side. They watched as the seven of us made our last few steps in their direction. Just before we were at an arm’s distance from Mr. Richardson, I saw a silvery shimmering light come into focus, standing at his side. Gretchen’s eyes watched the shimmering figure, and she glanced my way to see if I could see it, too. I nodded to her my silent answer. I could feel the strength from the figure, the warmth that emanated from it. It was Mom.

I could see her, really see her, not just her outline as she stood tall beside Mr. Richardson. Whatever she had tried to tell me in the woods was no longer a priority for her. She wasn’t trying to say anything to me; she simply stood next to Mr. Richardson. She had always been protective of me, so I expected her to be glaring at him – she wasn’t. She seemed to be looking at him in an affectionate way. Why would she be looking at him like that? I was thrilled to see her; maybe she had just positioned herself there to give me strength, to let me know she was there for me.