It was several weeks before Aidan could bear to bring up the subject of his trip again, but he had to, because he had to tell Flame about the demon's servant, and what he had said.

He still had a hard time believing it, but she seemed to have truly forgiven him completely. The mention of Shauna sent a flicker of sadness through her eyes, but she sat next to him and put her arm around him as he spoke, and her smile for him was as warm as ever. When he finished, she said, "I'm not sure if we can believe this or not. But... it at least shows that Asmodeus is following you around, if at a distance, that he knows about those things. And if he has caused those problems..." she went silent.

He sighed. "It means we can't trust anyone. He could be influencing anybody we meet."

Flame shook her head. "Not necessarily. Think about who he's influenced. An evil vampire, a crazed and also evil man, and his own follower. If he really wanted to get at us, why not influence Belak, or Corinne?"

Aidan blinked. "That's a good question."

"Maybe he can't influence people who don't give him the opportunity. If he can only influence those who are already evil..."

Aidan nodded. "It still means that we can't trust strangers though."

She sighed. "Yes. I guess we can be very glad that I chose to make my home so far from settled lands. If we lived in Snowcap, or on one of the southern cities..." She shook her head. "As it is he's had only those three chances to reach you. And he's failed every time."

Aidan looked at her, and his eyes were dark with pain and sorrow. "Not that last time..."

Flame hugged him closer. "Yes, he did fail. That man said you'd damned yourself, but it's not damnation if you're forgiven and you move on, is it? Let it go, Aidan. It hurt us both, but it's in the past."

He leaned against her. "You're a better person than I am, Flame. I'm not sure I can let it go. You may have forgiven me, but it's hard for me to forgive myself. But I'll try."

Time passed. They made fewer trips to Coppertop and Snowcap, and were more wary when they did, but there was no further sign of the demon. Months slid by and if Aidan wasn't quite able to forgive himself and move on, he was at least able to put it aside and get on with his life. It was not quite a year later, and he had managed to put it almost completely out of his mind, when the letter arrived. He didn't recognize the address on it, and the handwriting was unfamiliar too. He opened it and read.

Dear Aidan,
I realize you may not find this to be good news, but it is good news to me, and I thought you should know about it. I'm trying to think how to lead up to this, but nothing comes to mind, so I'll just say it. You have a son. His name is Damien. I wasn't sure when I was pregnant, but when he was born there was no doubt. He has wings, and I haven't been with any aerians but you. I know you don't care much for me, and you may care for him even less, but I can't help but hope that you will want to visit us someday. He ought to at least meet his father.
With love,
Shauna

Aidan sat down suddenly, feeling like his legs might not hold him up any longer. Flame came out of the bedroom and noticed his shocked expression. "Aidan? What is it?"

Wordlessly he handed the letter to her. She slowly scanned the page. Her eyes went wide. Then she sat down on the couch next to Aidan and put her arm around him. "This doesn't change anything I've said, you know."

He nodded, relaxing a little. He hadn't really thought it would, but there was some irrational part of him that had been worried. "I know. But it does change some things."

"Are you going to go visit them?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Not right now. But eventually..."

"Then I'll come with you when you do," said Flame.

Aidan blinked. He hadn't even thought of that. But somehow the thought of having her there made it easier to imagine seeing Shauna again. He smiled at her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She squeezed his shoulders and smiled at him. He leaned against her, feeling again that incredible gratitude and amazement, even stronger now, that someone as wonderful as she would want to be with him.

"I love you," he said softly. "So very much. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"I love you too," she said, and she kissed him tenderly. He turned to her and put his arms around her and kissed her back. He might have done more, but he could hear the twins playing in their room, and Littlespark was in the kitchen. But it was already growing late, and once they were asleep... He smiled at Flame, and she smiled back with a twinkle in her eye that suggested her thoughts were following his. "Shall I write you a rain check, love?"

He laughed. "Yes, do that."

Later, when the children were all asleep, Aidan and Flame lay together in their bed. He was curled up behind her, his arms around her, holding her close. She sighed happily and pressed back against him. He kissed her shoulder softly. She reached back and caressed his cheek. Then she brushed her hair away from the side of her neck and tilted her head aside in unmistakable invitation.

Aidan hesitated. He had never taken her blood that often, sometimes months passed without that renewing of their special bond. But this time it had been nearly a year. Though he knew she had forgiven him, he still had not fully forgiven himself. He knew he needed to let go of it, to move on, but his guilt remained, because there was one very small part of him that didn't regret it. And paradoxically the fact that part of him didn't feel guilty made him feel guiltier than ever. So he had been afraid. Afraid not so much of what he might feel from her, but of what she might feel from him, that she might sense that part, might know that he had enjoyed it, even though he wished that he could go back, could undo what he'd done. He wanted to say that he wished it with all his heart, but he didn't. He could still remember, if he let himself, the taste of her blood, the touch of her mind, and of her body, and it had been good, very good That part of him not only didn't regret it, it wanted it, craved it, and would do the same again. All that was in his mind, somewhere, and to let Flame touch him, read his heart... he hadn't been able to bring himself to do it.

She hadn't said anything about it, and until now she hadn't done anything to push him either. But apparently she was tired of waiting. And he realized that if now, after so long, he still couldn't put it out of his mind, then he would never be able to. It would always be there, somewhere, however deeply buried. If he was going to wait until it had vanished completely then he would be waiting forever. So, feeling terribly afraid, but feeling also how much he loved his wife, how much he wanted to be with her, to take care of her, to show her his love, he kissed her shoulder again, and then trailed his kisses to the side of her neck.

She made a soft sound of pleasure as he kissed her over the point where her pulse raced close beneath her skin. Then, careful but quick, he bit down, his sharp fangs breaking through her skin, her blood welling up into his mouth.

He had nearly forgotten what it was like, the rush and thrill of taking her blood, the warmth of her heart touching his. She reached out to him without reservations, loving him as fully as ever. He felt the warm glow of her love and his fear fell away. She loved him as she always had, and he... If it was possible, he loved her even more. He had felt what it would be like, for a short terrible time, to lose her. He literally couldn't live without her, and he wanted nothing more now than to be with her forever. He held her close as he slowly took of her blood, of her life that she gave freely to him, and her love flooded through him, as his love flooded through her, and together they reached a place where Aidan felt almost like he would burst from it, it was so wonderfully intense. He drew back from her neck then, and kissed away the tiny trickle of blood that came from the marks he'd left.

"I love you," she said softly. "I love you so very much."

"I love you too," he replied in a voice that trembled with emotion. "I love you more than life, more than anything."

They couldn't stay at that peak forever, and gradually Aidan sensed that Flame was growing sleepy. She had had a long and busy day. He kissed her neck again, and she made a drowsy little sound of contentment. Soon she was asleep in his arms. He closed his eyes and spread one wing over them both. He held her for a long time before falling asleep, and thought, turning things over once more in his mind. As he did so he realized that the little part of him that had not regretted, that had remembered and wanted Shauna, was silent now. Here was his true love, the only woman he could ever want or need. Why should he ever think of anyone else?

When at last he drifted off his sleep was deep and peaceful and his dreams had no one else in them but Flame Song.