Last night hadn't been quite as fun as Kerry had expected. The Curtain felt even worse out here, and there were sounds she didn't know or like. She had wanted to join Tremayne and Roxanne at their camp when it got dark, but it had gradually occurred to her that maybe they would be awfully angry at her, and she hadn't been able to summon the nerve to approach them.

Now, following at a safe distance, she chewed on her bottom lip and wished they'd get wherever they were going. If they still hadn't turned back to Sanctuary by tonight, she thought she might be brave enough then to catch up to them-because she didn't think she was brave enough to spend another night alone.

It was midafternoon when Merlin and Serena reached the gates of Sanctuary and braved the two Sentinels, Phaedra and Nola, who stared at Serena in astonishment.

"Yes, I'm a wizard," Serena said cheerfully, deciding to cut to the chase. "I hid my powers before because Merlin and I didn't know what the customs were like here. Does either of you have a problem with that?"

"Serena," Merlin murmured.

"Well, everybody seems to think they have a stake in our relationship, and it's beginning to annoy me."

"You two travel together?" Phaedra demanded in a shocked tone.

"If I had a nickel," Serena said with a sigh.

"What?"

"Never mind. Yes, we travel together. Look, you've already marked Merlin, and Roxanne was granted permission to admit him to her house, so-"

"Roxanne left Sanctuary yesterday," Phaedra said flatly.

"With the wizard Tremayne," Nola added.

"No, she didn't leave with him," Phaedra corrected scrupulously. "He was approaching Sanctuary when she left, and turned to accompany her."

Serena looked at Merlin. "That sounds hopeful."

"I'd say so."

They left the two uneasy Sentinels at the gate and continued into the city, where the stares they received ranged from covert to open-mouthed. The citizens of Sanctuary had barely grown accustomed to seeing male-female pairs of any kind; a pair consisting of a male and female wizard was a guaranteed traffic stopper, especially since they were the first to walk the streets of Sanctuary. An earthquake distracted attention from them momentarily, but since the city was left standing (Serena doubted a lesser tragedy than full destruction of Sanctuary would have succeeded as a permanent distraction), they were soon the center of attention once again.

"I say we take refuge in Roxanne's house, at least until you have to leave the city," Serena said. "She told me to make myself at home, and nobody here ever locks their doors, so we shouldn't have a problem."

"I agree." Merlin glanced around them as they walked, and added, "Do you realize we've been here two weeks?"

"It feels more like a lifetime." Serena led the way down the appropriate side street to Roxanne's house, and they found the front door unlocked, as expected. The interior was quiet and cool, and when the door was shut behind them, the sense of privacy was so welcome, k was almost overwhelming.

Serena unfastened her cloak and threw it over a chair, and watched as Merlin shrugged out of his coat. "When did you conjure up your staff? When we reached the city?"

He nodded, removing the staff from his belt and laying it gently on top of his coat. "Since Phaedra specifically asked me about it the first time we entered the city, I decided I'd better keep it with me whenever I'm in or near Sanctuary. I wouldn't do it if I felt I had a choice, though; I think the Curtain is distorting the crystal a bit."

"Yeah, Roxanne told me it warps glass and distorts mirrors after a while, so a crystal would be vulnerable. But it'd take years to mar a crystal, wouldn't it?"

"Probably. I just noticed a very slight change in mine, but since I don't use it for prophesy, I'm not going to worry very much about it."

Serena smiled. "You know, if you did use it for prophesy, you might be able to tell us how all this is going to turn out."

"That would be cheating."

She couldn't help laughing, and Merlin smiled back at the slight absurdity of his decision not to look into the future. "You know what I mean. I've explained to you my feelings about using prophesy as a crutch."

"I know, I know."

"We'll see the future when we get there."

"Right. When we step through the gate you made."

Merlin closed his eyes briefly. "Serena, you have an uncanny knack for making me feel like a fool."

She stepped closer and looked up at him with laughing eyes in a solemn face. "That's never my intention, I promise you."

He wanted to be a great deal closer to her, fool or no fool. He wanted to put his arms around her and hold her tight against him, and feel the warm silk of her mouth alive under his. He wanted her, more and more with every passing minute, feeling a hunger for her like nothing he'd ever known.

It hadn't been easy to act casual with her since their passionate embrace the day before, but Merlin had done his best because he still felt the conflict inside himself. It wasn't as strong as it had been-he thought he was finally beginning to make some headway in the clash between instinct and reason-but it existed, and he knew she would see or sense it if he touched her the way he wanted to.

He didn't know what he was going to say, but opened his mouth to say it, and before he could utter a word, they heard a sharp knock on the door.

Two female wizards, both Masters and their staffs tucked into their belts, nodded politely to Serena but kept their cold eyes fixed on Merlin. To Merlin the older of the two said in a brusque voice, "Leader wants to see you. Now."

Aonia came as a surprise to Merlin. Her power was considerable-he thought she was probably a seventh- or eighth-degree Master; and her temperament seemed, on first impression, oddly low-key for a woman who had single-handedly founded this city and banded the women of power into a defensive alliance.

"Is Seattle a pleasant place?" She was standing at a window, seemingly relaxed and certainly fairly confident, since they were alone in what appeared to be her office and she'd half turned her back to him.

Merlin hadn't been asked to sit, so he stood near her desk and watched her, all his senses probing. "Pleasant enough," he replied mildly. "By the way, do I address you as Leader or Antonia?"

"Whichever you wish. Is Merlin your single name, or do you prefer another?"

"Merlin will do."

She turned her head a bit to study him, a faint smile curving her lips. "Then tell me, Merlin, is it true that your… companion… Serena is a woman of power?"

He wasn't surprised that she knew; that news must have spread through the city like wildfire. "Yes, it's true. But if you're concerned that our unique relationship might disturb the status quo you've created here, let me reassure you. Serena and I won't be here much longer."

"No?"

"No. It's nearly time for us to leave."

Antonia turned to face him completely, and as she did, Merlin abruptly felt the full force of her power-and her sexuality. The hairs on the back of his neck actually quivered, and it took every ounce of concentration and willpower he had developed over a lifetime's study to enable him to stand there appearing casual.

Her eyes were strange, he decided, studying the pale blue intensity of them. Her hair was vibrant and silky, her skin milk white and flawless. Her lips were red and moist, parted slightly, erotically. Even shrouded in the shapeless garments of Atlantis, her body was ripe, full, more seductive than any other woman's could ever be. Even the way she stood was sexy, and he could almost feel her heat, smell her scent…

His heart thudding and senses swimming, Merlin belatedly realized what she was doing, and it was a shock. He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated fiercely on erecting barriers against her. She couldn't read his thoughts, he knew, but she was dearly adept at manipulating his emotions and stirring his senses, and he had the distinctly unpleasant sensation of having been violated.