"He was not sure if you wished him to show you the rest of the house," Gryphon said. "I told him that you would not be interested in a tour once you returned, but he insisted upon waiting. He said he did not wish to risk offending you."

More like he wanted to find out what had happened in the forest so that he could report this to his Queen. He was Mona Louisa's spy as far as I was concerned, soon to return to her. I did not want him here.

"Lord Gryphon is right, Steward Horace. No tour tonight. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Very well, milady." Horace bowed his head, his eyes flickering from Amber's healed chest to me and back.

"Aquila, if you will please drive Horace to where he is staying," Gryphon said, telling me two things: One, that Horace wasn't staying in the house. Good. The other was that Gryphon didn't trust him either or he wouldn't have bothered to have Aquila escort him off the premises. All the other Monère had apparently walked, flown or whatever, back to their homes. So could have Horace.

The steward obediently followed Aquila out the door. Car doors opened and shut. An engine started and pulled away from the house.

"Are you injured?" Thaddeus asked softly.

My eyes softened when I looked at his young concerned face. He was sixteen, but looked much younger, thin and lanky, several inches shorter than my five foot eight. "I'm fine. Amber took care of me. But we both need to shower. Does anyone know where our rooms are?"

"Your suite is on the second floor in the west wing," Gryphon said. "But before you ascend, could you first look in upon Dontaine?"

"Dontaine's here?" I said with surprise. I hadn't bothered scanning the house with Gryphon, Chami, and the others here. I knew they would have ensured that the house was secure.

Gryphon shrugged. "There are no other healers. The one healer they had departed with Mona Louisa."