Surely, he had stumbled upon some form of heaven. At least, this was heaven according to one Valteria Morgan.

There were pretty boys everywhere. They flooded the lobby, dressed in gauzy nothings and bells that chimed softly when they moved and most of them had all kinds of interesting fragrances, heightened by the anticipation of sex in the air. And according to Kyo, all of these were 'just errand boys' like himself. Keys were kept locked up in the suites.

Be still, O beating heart!

The one who was most interesting to him, however, was the boy who'd been pressed closely to his side with the enchanting, musk-sweet fragrance. Kyo smelled more like a youko than a fresh-scrubbed human boy. He was a darling, touchingly uncertain, and even his looks alone were enough to make Ria swoon. When combined with his attitude, which made him think of a broken-winged bird, he wanted to tuck Kyo under his cape and keep walking past the Palace. His twin was in a situation, though, and his help was needed.

Once they were on the steps of the Palace, Kyo had extracted himself from under the wing of the dark cloak, murmuring a quiet thanks. He led Ria to the lobby desk with only a few minor distractions. First, Ria had to wrench his eyes away from the myriad pretty boys in the room. Were they *all* for sale? And if they were, how expensive were the Keys? Next, Ria found his attention locking on Kyo's bottom. The boy wore little more than a pair of nearly-translucent silk pants and a brief, brief tunic.

He glided to a halt behind the boy, resisting the urge to press himself against the shapely, youthful body. How old was Kyo? His libido was shrieking, *it doesn't matter!* If Val's voice were in his head, it would be snapping, *you're not going to do anything, so why bother asking?* Ria could sense that his twin was asleep, though, which was just as well - he was positively inundated in guilty thoughts.

"This Master has requested a room, and my services for the next few days," Kyo was saying in his quiet breathy voice.

"You?" The blond clerk looked up from his ledger, green eyes narrowing in disbelief. He was lovely but his youthful good looks were rapidly disappearing; puberty was many, many years behind him and it was plainly evident why he was behind the desk. There was a lot of dissipation and very little character in his face. "There are dozens of little gorgeous boys in the halls, Kyo, did you bother to show him any of them? You're just trying to get out of your duties for the next few days." His voice was petulant.

He might have continued but he was interrupted by a low growl, an eerie sound that prickled up hairs on the back of the neck.

"What is your name?" Ria demanded.

"Torrin," Kyo supplied, subdued voice infused with a note of glee.

"Torrin," Ria said softly, looming over the desk. He was tall and he used the height to his advantage now; the blond had to shrink back from the desk to meet his shadowed eyes. "A petty little pencil-pusher like yourself can't understand real charm when you see it...or perhaps you spent too many years on your back to properly master the right material when it comes along."

Torrin's mouth had fallen open; he shut it. He couldn't talk back but from the look on his face, he'd lost the desire. There was something about a masked, cloaked figure towering over him that made him think twice - this Master could be anyone. So no matter the insult, he had to swallow it.

"Wh-which room would you like, sir?" Torrin got out at last.

Ria put a hand on Kyo's shoulder, subtly prompting him.

"The Birch room," Kyo said at once, picking up his cue.

"The Birch-" Torrin's voice was slightly strangled. "He has the mon-I mean, I assume Sir has sufficient funds."

Ria looked down at him. It was a long way down. "Of course," he replied, tone cold.

"I simply need to collect a deposit, and the key to the Birch room is yours."

Ria forked over the cash, wincing slightly - it was almost all of the quid Val had given him, but hey, at least it wasn't his. Otherwise he'd make sure his big bro paid him back to the last farthing. Torrin had become almost cordial at the tendering of the large sum, although his pretty softening features possessed a sneer when he looked at Kyo.

As they turned to go, Ria patted Kyo's shoulder. "One moment, kitling." He turned back to the desk.

Torrin was already occupied in studiously cleaning his nails. From the derogatory comments and the tension vibrating through Kyo's slender little frame, Ria had divined the nature of their relationship. Being an errand boy, and not a cash crop like one of the Keys, it was probably an accepted standard.

"Torrin," Ria recalled the young man's attention.

"Sir?" Torrin replied, glancing up. Something in the masked face made him freeze, green eyes going glassy.

"If you lay a finger on him," Ria said pleasantly, "I'll break them all. Or if I'm feeling hungry, I'll cut them off."

Torrin blinked. From the expression on his face, Ria was believed. He wouldn't be surprised if the man wet himself.

He gripped Kyo's arm once he returned to his side. "Lead on, kitling."

Once they were out of the lobby, moving down opulent hallways hung with expensive tapestries, Kyo spoke up. His voice was low so Ria was grateful for sharp youko hearing.

"Why did you do that?"

Ria glanced down at the fiery head. The heavy bangs obscured his elfin face, so his expression was hidden by bright hair. "Because he doesn't have the right to treat you badly."

"The Palace says he does," Kyo replied, even softer.

"The Palace is wrong," Ria said firmly. He was stricken by a sudden thought. "Unless - you wanted..." He was upset all at once, picturing Kyo actually taking *pleasure* from that repulsive little aging party-boy.

"No!" Kyo cried out, horrified. "No, no! Never! I've never..." He shut up quickly.

"Never enjoyed it?" Ria queried, tone on the threshold of hearing.

"We shouldn't be talking like this," Kyo said helplessly. "Not in the halls."

"All right." Ria smoothed a hand over his shining hair, wanting to pet him, cuddle him to his side, reassure him that it was going to be all right. If Val hadn't already thought of getting this gorgeous little kitling out of the Palace along with his Key, then Ria would make sure he did. They couldn't leave this sensitive child here.

Kyo angled a puzzled golden eye at him, but continued to lead him through the halls.

"How old are you?" Ria asked him. It was a harmless enough question for a public forum.

"How old do you want me to be?" Kyo parried, voice suddenly seductive and lilting.

"Kyo, no," Ria said, appalled, squeezing his shoulder. "Don't be like that. I don't - just be yourself, okay?"

That puzzled golden eye searched his face again, then dropped. "I'm thirteen. I'll be fourteen in a few months."

He looked younger than his real age; that was peculiar. Most abuse victims grew up faster than their chronological age - somehow, Kyo had weathered this place and come through intact, if fragile. Maybe there was still hope in his heart.

They came to a door engraved with the relief of a birch tree, and Kyo stopped. "This is the Birch room, I guess?" Ria asked, squeezing and releasing the boy's shoulder.

Kyo nodded, golden eyes solemn.

Ria unlocked the door with the heavy key he'd been given. "Have you been here before?"

Kyo hesitated. "Once," he replied, expression tense. If he'd been a full-blood, his ears would have laid back. As it was, the downy tips were trembling slightly as they entered the room.

"Hey." Ria shut the door, and locked it from his side. "Hey, I'm not going to do anything to you. You don't have to worry about me, kitling. I'm one of the good guys."

Kyo's eyes filled. "Are you and Val really going to get me out of here?" There was disbelief in his tone.

Ah, good, Val had already promised him that much. "Of course," Ria said fiercely. "You think we youko go around making promises and then breaking them?"

A tear slipped free, then Kyo lowered his head, flame-colored hair curtaining his face. "My mother promised that we'd be free. She said my father was going to get us all out. And now she's dead, and I've been here ever since."

Ria looked at him, appalled. "What about...did you have a twin?" Full youko were always born in pairs, but half-youko weren't always the same case. Sometimes only a single kit was born; sometimes fraternal twins were born instead of identical.

"I think my father got Kino out," Kyo said, biting his lip. "At least, I don't think Kino is dead. I would feel it, wouldn't I?"

"Yes," Ria nodded his head firmly. He could feel his sleeping twin in the back of his head even now. It was a fuzzy sort of awareness, but there nonetheless. Damn, Val was exhausted.

He took a step towards Kyo, intending to comfort him, perhaps put an arm around him and cuddle the boy, maybe allow himself to stroke the downy tips of his ears. Then he caught a whiff of his own stench and his nose wrinkled. "Augh."

"What?" Kyo stared at him apprehensively, going on the alert in a second.

"I stink," Ria said ruefully. "I really do."

Kyo blinked up at him, then giggled with unexpected sweetness. "I'll run the bath for you, then order some food." His slender body darted from the room.

Ria sighed heavily and sat on the bed. *Val, twin, how can you expect me to keep my hands off the kitling?* he asked of his sleeping sib. There was, of course, no answer.

The red head poked tentatively around a white doorframe. "Your bath is ready."

Ria looked up and smiled. "Okay! I'll be right there." He started stripping his filthy clothes off.

*Especially when he has so much hurt that needs to be healed.*

Val's eyes popped open and the world swam into dizzy focus. Something smelled wonderful. He pushed himself up onto his elbows.

"Oh, you ordered food," he mumbled, catching sight of Willow cross-legged nearby, munching on something that resembled breakfast. He tried to sit up and winced. He was sore, and had a sudden appreciation for Willow's position during the past few days. "Ugh, how do you do it?"

Willow's crimson eyes glanced over him curiously, then he nodded in comprehension as the link between them made his meaning plain. "I'm used to being the bottom," he said matter-of-factly. "Compared with all of my past clients, you're a gentle ride in the park."

Val grimaced at him. "That is so very romantic, I can't even begin to tell you."

Willow laughed. It was the first time Val had heard the sound without any cynicism or ugliness involved. It was a sound he'd like to get used to.

He rolled onto his side and crawled across the sheets to the food. Willow had considerately brought the tray over to the bed, although if that adjective were brought up, he knew the boy would deny it. Him? Considerate? About as likely as expecting sweetness and light from him!

"So," Val said indistinctly as they munched on breakfast. "What do you do for fun around here?"

"Fun?" Willow put his sticky roll down and his face was shuttered. "What do you mean?" He could sense there was something the boy was hiding from him.

Val waved a hand, dropping crumbs everywhere. "Fun, you know, things to fill the time when you're not...ah...entertaining clients? You know, a pastime? A hobby?"

Willow snorted and looked away.

Val put his pastry down. "I know you do *something,* Willow, it's just a matter of time before I pester the secret out of you." He grinned at his most persistent and annoying.

Willow glanced up, startled, colorless braids falling in his eyes. "I..." All of a sudden he relented. He finished his roll in a few neat bites. "All right, I do have hobbies." He gave Val another considering glance, then hopped off the bed. Then began rooting under it.

"Ooh." Val was momentarily intrigued by the sight of that pale, round rear sticking out from under the bed, wiggling around with whatever vigorous exercise Willow was embarking on. He sighed and stuffed more food in his mouth. They were both depleted and needed a good, long rest - more than just a meal and a solid night's sleep - before they did any of *that* again.

Besides, he intended to spend a long, long time proving to Willow that they had plenty of time for *that.*

Willow emerged from under the bed, pulling a few square flat canvases with him. Val hauled himself to the edge of the bed. Paintings? Yes, they were - vibrant with color and, while somewhat shaky in the use of shading and the proportions were a little off here and there, the oil paintings were hauntingly beautiful, with a striking use of contrasting light and darkness.

"They let you paint?" Val raised a black brow.

"They let me paint," Willow snapped back. "I'm not a total slave here. They let me have my...amusements." The bitter tone was back.

Val immediately knew it had been the wrong thing to say. "They're amazing. Do you have more?"

Willow shook his head, gaze drifting down to his three canvases. "No, I just paint over the previous works."

"You WHAT!?" Val said, aghast. The thought of it, paintings layered over paintings, each in this lilting, haunting style - so many paintings, lost forever - it horrified him.

Willow tilted his head. "They're just paintings," he said defensively.

"But they're beautiful," Val countered, thinking at the same time this was something like what Willow had done with himself. Covered up all the sensitive beauty with an outwardly cynical veneer.

"Well, I'm going to have to leave them here anyway," Willow snapped, then his eyes jolted up to Val and he held his breath. One colorless lower lip was caught and frayed between pearly teeth.

Val held his breath, too. He smiled slowly, like extending a tentative hand of welcome. "We can get you more canvases. And paint."

Willow shoved them aside, averting his eyes. Val sensed the need in him to hurry past a sensitive spot. "I do woodcarving, too." He reached under the bed and jostled free a few ripped, battered paperbacks.

"What's this?" Val snatched up a book before Willow could stop him.

"Don't!" Willow growled, lunging at him.

"Whoops!" Val threw himself back, somersaulting awkwardly and nearly pinching his luxuriant black tail. He kept a grip on the paperback.

Willow made a noise and reached for the book again, while Val held it out of range. "Oh, I *have* to get a look at your reading material, Will."

Willow blinked at him and he sensed the boy had never had a nickname before. The novelty distracted him long enough for Val to thumb through a few pages.

Golden eyes blinked into stoic scarlet ones. "This is a trashy romance book," Val informed Willow, as if he wouldn't know.

Willow glared at him. "Yeah, it is," he replied, sitting down cross-legged on the floor in a sulking sort of pose. "So what?"

Val flicked through a few more pages, tail twitching.

Willow growled something and messed around with his paintings, stacking them and then shoving them back under the bed.

"Tripe," Val pronounced at last, depositing the battered book face-down on the rumpled bedsheets. "Complete and utter tripe. How do you-"

Willow's face pinched. "It's romantic tripe," he replied, surly.

"Romantic!" Val gave his Bonded a playful grin. "And here I thought you didn't have an ounce of it! I've been over every square inch of your body and I didn't find any romantic spots..."

A grudging smile was tugging at Willow's mouth. "Well, maybe you missed a few."

"Was that a joke?" Val clutched at his heart. "Did my grim little man-child Bonded actually make a joke?"

"Do you want to see my woodcarvings, or not?" Willow glowered, but Val didn't sense any true displeasure.

"Oh, I definitely do." Val resumed his position on the floor near the pale boy.

He reached under the bed and something else fell from the secret cache. Something that definitely wasn't wood. Something that was rather brown and silky-haired and much-loved and battered, missing a beady black eye, one ear nearly torn off, stuffing oozing from a few minor wounds.

Val stared at it. He bit down on his tongue. "What's his name?" he asked, fighting to keep his tone casual.

The white-haired boy lowered his head and picked the stuffed animal up and murmured something.

Val's big velvety ears twitched. "What did you say?"

Willow looked as if his face hurt. "Pookie."

"Are you serious?" Val hooted. "You have a teddy bear named Pookie?"

Willow's mouth tightened and he gave Val a vicious glare. "You want to make something of it?" he snapped.

Val held up his hands in a defensive position, grinning. "I think Pookie is a very nice name. Just right for a sturdy well-loved fellow like him."

A pale brow twitched at that, but Willow said nothing. He stuffed the bear underneath the bed again, fingers caressing its shaggy ears, then turned a resolute crimson gaze on Val. "The bear comes with me, or I don't come at all."

Nodding solemnly, Val suppressed the urge to reach out and hug Willow. Things were still too new between them to permit simple gestures of comfort, however badly needed. "I think we can manage to break out one small stuffed toy of here along with you," was all he said.

After that, the boy showed him his woodcarvings. They were a little cruder than the paintings, but still showed a lot of patience and effort that he wouldn't have thought to attribute to his slight Bonded. Perhaps it was merely by virtue of being a slave held here in this lavish prison that he'd learned such patience; it didn't seem like a normal part of Willow's temperament.

They finished breakfast and Willow took care of the dishes. There was a chute somewhat like the one for the laundry where a dumbwaiter resided, not large enough to carry even Willow's slight frame, but enough for a tray of dishes and cutlery.

When Willow adjoined to the bathroom, Val sent his thoughts towards the lazy orange beacon of his brother's mind.

*You made it here safely, I assume,* Val connected with Ria's thoughts, absorbing small details of his situation. *Bathed, ate, slept...* Suspicious, he poked around.

*Yes, it's quite lovely here,* Ria answered happily, trying to keep something shielded from him. *A true boylover's heaven. There are so many pretty ones...*

*RIA!* Val yelped, loud with shock. *What is Kyo doing in your bed!?*

*Sleeping,* Ria said defensively, stroking a hand over the bright red head nestled on one of his thighs. *He's just sleeping, Val.*

*I can see that,* Val answered dryly, *but what are you doing in bed WITH him?*

*Well, there IS only one bed, twinsib,* Ria pointed out. *What kind of a place do you think this is? And I am NOT sleeping on the floor.*

*All that I can understand, but why are you touching him?*

*He had a nightmare.* And there was something strangely tender in his sending.

Val grimaced. He had intended to keep his sex-crazy brother away from Kyo, but Kyo's own suggestion had put the two in direct contact for the next few days. He should have known Ria wouldn't be able to keep his hands off...

*I am NOT going to molest him,* Ria said sharply. *He's had quite enough of that here.* That said in a growling undertone.

*All right,* Val acceded. *I trust you. I think. As soon as he's awake, have him show you here - masked and cloaked.*

*Yes, big brother.*

That was meek enough to make him worry.

When he opened his eyes, they focused lazily on Willow, standing by the bed with a strange look on his face.

"Ria," he said by way of explanation.

"I...know," Willow said slowly, then swallowed. "I could feel it. I think I could. In my head...a voice that sounded like yours, but different." Willow frowned, trying to analyze it.

"Well, he is my brother," Val rejoined, "however I might like to deny it."

Willow's brows slanted together. "Why would you want to? And I can feel that's not what you mean, anyhow." He put a hand to his temple as if discovering the mental connection for the first time. Over the past few days he had been continually astonished and sometimes irritable at feeling the link there. And sometimes, Val pondered with a sensuous smile, Willow had renewed it himself, unconsciously but voluntarily.

"We tease each other," Val replied. "We're brothers. That's what we do. We don't mean any of it, really, and there's affection in it. It's a way of showing our feelings for each other without being terribly mushy."

White brows lifted, twin silvery crescents. "Is that why you never believe me when I tell you I hate you?"

Val grinned mischievously and pounced on the boy, gathering him onto the bed and into his arms. "Exactly."

Heavy red-gold lashes trembled as the half-youko's eyes slitted, a kind of prelude to consciousness. Then the boy started up from Ria's lap with a little cry of dismay, disengaging the hand that had been playing idly with thick red hair.

"I'm sorry - I didn't mean to fall asleep!" Kyo cried, falling into a submissive sort of huddle on the bed.

Ria was taken aback by the violent reaction to such a small thing. "Kyo - I meant for you to fall asleep; I took a good long one myself. We can't plan for anything unless we've rested properly."

The tension coiled in that young face dissolved at such a laid-back reply. "You're not going to punish me?" Kyo said timidly.

"You haven't done anything," Ria replied forthrightly, suppressing any number of alternate responses. *Do you want me to?* *No, but I can think of plenty of other things...* "Besides, I'm here to help Val get his Bonded out; I'm not here to take advantage of you. No matter what the setting is. And I'm not leaving unless we take you with us, too."

Kyo's solemn little face lit up with a delightful smile.

"Speaking of that, would you show me to Val's rooms? We should be brainstorming for this little escapade," Ria grinned wickedly. He was much anticipating this - stealing Willow out from under the Palace's nose would eclipse any of their father Tsuyoshi's thefts.

The smile dimmed as if someone had thrown a switch. "Yes," Kyo nodded. Ria could read the worry in his expression.

"Hey," he said, tousling the red-gold strands. "Don't worry about things. We're the best, and we were trained by the best," he said, thinking of his fathers. He bit his lip to prevent a smirk. "And the only time I get caught is when I'm in bed." Which meant, unfortunately, that Val had pegged it - he should try to stay out of Kyo's pants until they were free and clear of Austen. And Ria would try to make sure Kyo wanted to stick with him long enough for it to happen...

Kyo looked up at him with wide eyes. "In...bed?"

Ria grimaced, bit his tongue, and cursed his idle mouth. "Well, I have a habit of getting myself into sticky situations," he confided with a grin. "Sometimes my chosen partners are too young, or their parents are powerful and object to a dalliance with a youko, or...well, actually, most of them fall in those two categories." He gave the boy a guilty but unrepentant smile.

The half-youko bit his lip, looked down at his hands, and fiddled with a lock of red-gold hair. "I suppose I don't fit in those categories?"

Ria chuckled, out of startlement more than anything else. "Well, you are awfully young..." He paused, and looked at the boy. After a moment Kyo glanced up and met his eyes. A wave of color swept over his cheeks.

*He wants me!* Ria's heart leapt.

"But I'm not your chosen..." Kyo faltered, shut his mouth with a snap, and flushed again. "Shall I go get your cloak?"

Ria looked at him. This time, he *really* looked at the half-youko, and his own reactions to him. He'd slept with a lot of younger men and boys, both human and youko and even the occasional half-youko, but he'd never reacted this strongly before. And in this case, he hadn't even slept with the man-child! Perhaps he'd been searching for his Bonded all this time, but after all this time he may have found that one...

"Kyo," Ria lifted his hand, unable to let the boy go without saying anything.

Kyo glanced back, ears twitching slightly. One golden eye sought his from beneath heavy bangs.

What could he say? Not many of the boys he'd had before approached Kyo's type...but all of a sudden, none of that mattered. Ria was only realizing it himself. This boy, this timid half-youko, was everything and all. He was the only type Ria hadn't stumbled across, and maybe, if he was lucky, the only boy he truly wanted.

"Kyo, after this...when we're out of Austen..." He stumbled. Did he even have the right to say 'we' concerning Kyo? "You and I..."

"I'll get your cloak," Kyo interrupted, smiling brilliantly. He cocked his red-gold head, then added shyly, "I'd like to see what happens, when we're out of Austen." As he scurried towards the cloak, he glanced over his shoulder.

"With you."

Ria grinned, and he suspected the foolish expression was with him all the way to the Willow suite.

Val seized his twin in a rough hug. "Little sex fiend, you. I wasn't sure you'd make it."

"You doubted it?" Ria laughed, grabbing him in a way that made Kyo's eyes go round.

Willow lounged on the bed, taking neither of them seriously. He had the advantage of his Bond with Val, so he knew all their horseplay was just that. His crimson eyes were intent, though, first moving over the twins and their joyful, tactile reunion, then turning towards Kyo and scrutinizing the half-youko from head to foot.

It was the first time while Willow had a Master that he had entertained visitors whose express purpose wasn't to screw and torture him into a bloody heap. Rather a nice change, he thought, and the very presence of Ria and Kyo in this suite was moving him towards an acceptance of the possibility he might finally leave the Palace after all this time.

This was the first time Kyo had entered the Willow suite - actually, it was the first time he'd been in a Key suite, period. From up close, Willow decided the little half-youko didn't seem nearly so irritating and repellent. Kyo was as thin as he was, maybe a little shorter - the whole made for a slender, leggy creature with large youko-gold eyes and a wealth of silky red hair. Oh, he was pretty; there was no doubt of that. Every creature in the Palace was gorgeous or exotic in some way.

What had mostly irritated him concerning Kyo, Willow decided, was the fact that Willow had been trapped here while Kyo was free to roam the Palace. What Val had made him realize (rubbed in his face, more like it) was that Kyo only had a different form of prison, and just as much abuse.

"All right," Val said finally, plopping himself on the bed to the tune of soft chinking and jingling from the chains. He and Ria made identical grimaces of distaste, looked at each other, and laughed.

Willow's attention had returned to the youko with those words. It perturbed him, the way he felt when he looked at Val, or when Val paid attention to him, or merely when alien thoughts brushed up against his mind, wrapping him in those unaccustomed feelings. He thought he recognized some of them from a long time ago.

Val looked directly at him and gave him a deliberate wink. *Get used to it.*

That was exactly it! Willow's face reddened with embarrassment or anger; he wasn't quite sure.

"Have you got a plan, twinsib?" Ria asked, tone amused, dragging a stilted sofa near the bed. He had approached the bed at first, then his nostrils had flared and he had changed direction.

*That's because we've been doing the deed nonstop, and the scent still clings to the mattress,* Val explained in his head. *Even though he's my brother, it's a territorial thing - he won't come near the bed because it's been marked so thoroughly.*

Willow inclined his head towards the youko - his youko - and his lip curled. *Stop that!* Get out of my head, he ordered silently.

"I have a tentative plan," Val replied, bright eyes twinkling at Willow. "I'm open to suggestions."

Willow turned his head again and ignored him. He scrutinized Ria instead.

It was strange to see a youko who resembled Val so closely, but was definitely not his Bonded. (Willow had begun to use the term very grudgingly in his own head.) Ria's face was more open and expressive, his face a trifle thinner, his hair longer - his flowed past his shoulders, while Val's was trimmed neatly to shoulder-length.

Ria was patting the couch beside him in an obvious invitation. Kyo blinked, on the verge of curling his legs beneath him and sitting on the floor. He hesitated, glanced at Val and Willow, and padded over on bare feet.

Willow was astounded. He'd heard the Palace gossip. Kyo made the rounds, but it was more because he was chosen than because he made any choices of his own. After awhile, Kyo learned to trade on the favors he received to survive. But none of the most clandestine gossip had ever whispered about Kyo making any voluntary reciprocation.

Maybe it would take a full youko to undo the damage done to this little half.

Meanwhile, Willow had sensed the surge of anger from Val. Surely Val would realize... then he heard disjointed, but clearly upset words passing from Val to someone else, and saw Ria wince.

The pale boy sighed. They weren't going to go *anywhere* if the two youko, the driving force of this escape, were going to sit around and mindspeak at each other, accusing on one side, defensive on the other. He sat up, reached over, and grabbed Val's hand. *Hard.*

"Ouch!" Val yelped, the force of his anger redirected from his brother. "What the hell-"

"Shut up!" Willow replied, quiet but fierce. He glared over at Ria to reinforce that, but the other youko looked more bemused than angry. Kyo sat and looked hopelessly bewildered, with no idea he was the subject of a raging battle.

"We're here to plan," he said acidly, "not to discuss Ria Morgan's sex life. Whether or not Kyo is a part of that is up to Kyo." He turned his head and glared at Val again; Val's expression had altered to an imitation of a landed fish.

Kyo was blushing furiously.

"Plus," Willow continued, tone wry, "I don't think even your brother is stupid enough to start screwing around when we have to get out of here, and soon. So can we cut through the bullshit and start planning?"

"Hey!" Ria had protested faintly, but didn't refute anything.

"Yes, sir," Val murmured, lifting his hand and kissing it. The mild reply would have worried him if he couldn't sense the sudden attitude change behind it.

Val leaned forward and outlined his plan.

Ria pointed out a few flaws and made some counter-suggestions. He had, Willow noted, curled his luxuriant black tail around Kyo's waist. It was a very possessive pose and reminded him of a few things he wanted to try; he filed it away for later reference.

"That's all very well and good," Willow said at last, "but how are you two geniuses planning on getting my tattoos off? They're a full-body advertisement that I'm a slave wandering around, hoping no one notices I've gotten loose."

Ria's and Val's lips curled up in identical smiles.

"Didn't you tell him?" Ria said cryptically.

"I did," Val replied. "At least, I know I mentioned it. He must have forgotten."

Willow glared from one infuriating youko to the other, but neither seemed ready to enlighten him.

Delmar Briggs pointed a thick finger at the captain of his guards, black eyes beady with displeasure. "It's your fault Valirion Morgan slipped past your security and got into the house," he rumbled, free hand absently drifting down to adjust the metal codpiece he'd begun wearing shortly after the incident.

The guard was sweating, his nondescript face pale. He'd failed his duties and Briggs might come up with any manner of punishment, the least of which would be death.

"Sir, you didn't sound the alarm when he *did* get in," was all he could say, choking slightly. "We didn't realize security had been breached..."

"It's your JOB to know!" Briggs roared, shaking his finger as if it were a deadly weapon. The captain certainly eyed it as if it was. Briggs' heavy face flushed slightly. "Besides, he dropped his cloak and he was wearing damned near nothing under it. How was I s'posed to know he was going to try and cut my balls off with a knife throw?"

The captain had an answer to that which he prudently kept to himself. He also had his suspicions that the knife-throw had been very precisely aimed, and likewise was not going to mention it.

"I'll give you one more chance," Briggs said abruptly.

The captain managed to contain his quivering sigh of relief.

"Find me a way into the Palace where he's hiding out. I'm going to have Morgan, whether or not he likes it," Briggs glowered, heavy face even more revolting as the fleshy lines fell into a crafty, lustful expression. "So you get me into that Palace, so that I can get him."

The captain quailed. This was the form of his punishment, and it was not going to be pretty.

He felt sorry for that poor bastard Morgan, when Briggs finally caught up with him.