She continued in her quiet corner and watched the women circling the newcomer. The sleeper. He was beginning to look frustrated by the attentions and his gaze was darting around until it alighted on her. A slow smile crossed his features and he moved out of the clutch of women to make his way to her.

Councilwoman Ratha intercepted him and he stopped for a moment to speak to her. He jerked his head toward her and when the Councilwoman turned to look, a blush flared over Livin's features. She was not used to being subjected to this kind of scrutiny. Ratha had the nerve to try and hold him back as he continued along his predetermined path. He shook her off and stopped immediately in front of Livin.

He extended his hand for a greeting and she looked at it for a long moment before she took it. "Livin Hael. I..." she was unable to continue as her emergency pager went off. With her right hand engaged, her left fished her pager out of her bodice. The message chilled her. "I am sorry, I have to leave." She tried to free her hand, but he was having none of it.

"You cannot leave, the doors are bolted until midnight. Where do you need to go? I will take you." He flexed his wings and scooped her into his arms without another word. She clutched his neck as he bent his knees and launched skyward from a standing position. Holy hells. She had heard of a standing launch, but most males couldn't manage it. It took tremendous strength.

"I need to get to Cleath forest. There is a wildfire that I need to attend to." She pressed her lips against his ear to speak and closed her eyes at the shudder that went through both of them at the contact.

"We will be there within the hour. Trust me?" His voice was in her ear and she shuddered at the heat that caressed her.

"I don't know you, but I trust you." They were the last words that she spoke in a normal tone as he hurled her upward and let her go.

She was falling, the ground was getting closer and closer and a scream was frozen in her chest. She summoned what air she could to slow her fall, but was terrified that it would not be enough.

I would never let you fall.

She could swear that she heard a voice, but when her body was caught in midair by a taloned fist, she shook with the ramifications. He really was a sleeper. He could shift.

A deep bronze head turned to fix her with one swirling gold eye. I am and I can. I dreamed of you.

She had dreamed of him, too, but thought that it had been residue of her history class. He carefully placed her on his neck and she clutched at him desperately, closing her eyes against the rising wind and hiding herself from the fear that his sentence had engendered in her.