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chuckled and patted his chest. “And you dance like a fiend.”
    He grinned. “I rose to the skills of my partner. Come on, I will get you something to drink.”
    They were at the bar and she was drinking something that didn’t have any alcohol when Comyo came up to ask her for a turn.
    “I am sure that I can do better than Linz. He is old and decrepit.” Comyo winked.
    Linz chuckled. “Sure, pup. Watch this one, Camile. He can weld with his bare hands.”
    “Thank you for the warning.” She set her glass down and took Comyo’s extended hand for another turn around the floor.
    This music was wilder than before, but Comyo didn’t give way to every beat. He moved with her and twisted her around, spinning her until the music stopped and he trapped her against him. His kiss was slightly more savage, but he didn’t let her go until she responded to him.
    She heard a growl, and Comyo was pried off her. Mordem held her behind him, and he spoke to Comyo in low, whispered tones.
    Cam couldn’t hear what he said, but Comyo straightened, nodded and left the dance area, heading for the bar.
    Mordem turned to her, his silver-blue eyes bright. “Are you all right?”
    “I am fine. My lips are a little bruised, but everything is intact.”
    He placed his arm around her and began to sway with her as the music swelled again.
    “I am sorry. Comyo controls himself in every area of his life except for sex. When it comes to that point, his youth shows rather vividly.”
    As he spoke, he moved with the rest of the dancers with surprising grace.
    “Why are we dancing?”
    He grinned. “Because the music began and we were still in the centre of the space. It was only polite.”
    She moved with him as the music picked up the pace. As her third Guardian danced with her, she let herself feel nothing but his hands and the music.
    Music was what bound the stars together in her estimation. Every world had a beat that it followed and a rhythm that moved it through the universe. The music that each species created showed their relationship with the world beneath them. The Namkor were both organized and wild, and their music reflected it.
    Cam was sweaty and exhausted when Mordem pinned her to his body and kissed her. His kiss was soft, warm, and he cupped her head with his hand while he pressed his lips to hers.
    She went up on her toes to return his kiss, and she heard him growl as his tongue scraped across her lips.
    A sound rippled through the air around her, and she had to press on Mordem’s chest before he would let her go.
    Cam pulled her head away and stared toward the mountains. Light was glowing along the ground and rising into a soft mist about a foot off the ground.
    “What is that?” She whispered it, still held in his arms.
    “The Gift of Namkor. It rises tonight, and tomorrow, it chooses the recipients.” He nuzzled at her cheek and neck.
    She stared at the mist as it started to move toward them. “What is it doing?”
    “It is coming toward us, searching for those it will choose.” He chuckled in her ear. “I am immune to the search.”
    She turned toward him, and they were nose to nose. “I suppose I am safe with you.”
    Mordem smiled slowly. “I am a Guardian, after all.”
    A familiar voice punctured the haze she was in. “It seems that you are making friends, Camile.”
    She really wanted to throttle Dem at that moment.
    Cam turned her head and smiled at her employer. “I had to take on the socializing duties. The Namkor are definitely a social people.”
    She had her hands on Mordem’s chest and arm, respectively.
    “Well, I have finished my own socializing, and you need to resume your duties.” Dem was frowning at her.
    Cam sighed and looked up at Mordem. “I am afraid that duty calls.”
    He released her, and her body cooled rapidly from where they had been pressed together. She watched him lick his lips and turned back to her employer.
    She went from being a dance partner to an administrative