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I don t wish him to come to his senses.
Okay, okay. But think of yourself. Perhaps you will see his role with more clarity. Somehow the both of you are
wrapped up with the fate of all of Lyask. You can t allow his asinine tirade to shake that. If you don t finish this
lovequest, Lyask will suffer. You can t let him push you around. It s your life too.
Dena sighed. It all came down to her people. Her father. Her Lyask. But how much more could she take before her
own heart was destroyed? If he could allow her to leave so easily now, how much more would it hurt in the future?
Come Dena, let me show you what I do for real fun.
Morosely Dena followed ShallaMai, who was again dressed as the purple-haired woman she had first met, to a huge
ballroom in the Red Dragon Casino where the patrons spent their time dancing. The music was loud but comforting to
the ears.
ShallaMai led her through the crowd to a table and ordered them some drinks. Gingerly, Dena took a sip from a fancy
glass filled with a bright-pink iced drink. Surprisingly, it was one of the tastiest concoctions she had tried since leaving
Lyask. She drained her glass, and before the waitress left ordered a second.
Whoa! Dena, take it easy. That s not water.
But it is wonderful, smells like zsuravbahrah.
I m just warning you. They are very potent.
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Starlit Destiny
Having no personal experience with alcohol, Dena didn t immediately recognize the heady warmth circling through
her body as having anything to do with the drink she had consumed. She had another. Then another.
You better stop guzzling those drinks, ShallaMai warned her again.
She had another when ShallaMai went to talk with some friends. She was having another when ShallaMai walked back
toward their table. Her foggy mind tried hard to concentrate on her friend. Wings? When had ShallaMai sprouted
wings?
The thought registered that maybe there was something to ShallaMai s warning. The pink ice was making it hard to
think straight. Hmm ... I ... I m seeing buttelfries. Two of them.
I d say! Let s go dance.
Can t....
You can t dance? You ve got to be kidding!
My, uh.... Dena s head wobbled over and she was forced to prop it up by resting her chin in the palm of one hand.
When that didn t work, she rested both elbows on the table and dropped her chin into her palms with a thud. I am
potented.
Oh, no you don t. We came here to dance, and that is what you re going to do. ShallaMai grabbed her hand and
pulled her to a private dressing room. There she helped Dena dress in her own set of wings.
Dena followed ShallaMai out onto a stage above the dance floor. Feeling very uninhibited, Dena found it easy to keep
up with the butterfly.
* * * *
Krys noticed the new dancer out of the corner of his eyes as he paid the waitress for his drink. The crowd was lively,
cheering Naciq s latest acquisition. The woman s hips were gyrating to the music, her arms flitting about, her long
black hair fanning about her as she twirled and faced the audience.
As he swung his barstool around, Krys jaw dropped. He dumped his drink over a short bald creature that was rippling
beneath him at the wrong moment. Krys was completely unaware of the ruckus that ensued; his eyes were riveted on
the stage.
Dena danced seductively, keeping up with the Red Dragon s most celebrated performer move for move. He shifted
uncomfortably in his seat as she threw her arms behind her, fanning the neon-edged wings she wore, emphasizing the
curve of her breasts, her slim waist, the flare of her hips.
Krys growled as he realized every man in the Bamboo Lounge had the same damn view. He flew across the room,
causing more commotion than the short bald creature as he tossed the customers that wouldn t move aside. He leapt
onto the stage and grasped Dena s waist. As he threw her over his shoulders, the Butterfly smiled and winked.
Hey! Dena mumbled drunkenly. What? Who's this? Her arms and legs stopped flailing about as he clamped one
hand over her upper thighs and secured her.
He could feel her hands start exploring his back; one hand patted him on the butt. Oh, Krys! I missed you.
I just bet you did.
The patrons booed as he wove through the crowd. A small contingency of security guards surrounded him. He shot
them a menacing look, but that wasn t what made them turn away. Curiously, it was the Butterfly. When she waved
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Starlit Destiny
them off, they obeyed.
I wanna fly. You see my wings? I m a flutterby too.
Krys didn t acknowledge her as the huge glass doors at the main entrance opened and he strode through the red
dragon s throat and into Centare Mall. The holographic flames shooting out of the dragon s mouth matched his mood.
Dena seemed to be aware of where they were, despite her intoxicated state. Don t leave without my pink ice. You
need it in the Jurate s food machine.
He didn t want to know what pink ice was. But he asked anyway. Is it what you were drinking? When he set her
down, she smiled at him and hiccupped. Then it definitely isn t going to be a selection in the food processor.
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