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Gah!

How, oh Lady Moon, how do I get myself into these things?

Okay, probably because I ignore or don't listen to wiser people who warn me. Hey! Nobody is perfect.

Then again, there I sat, with a cooing baby in my arms, all tingly in some places only Carson had managed to do to me before, and completely at a loss about what to do next.

“Mother?” I did managed to get out in a little voice that sounded kind of like a squeak much to my embarrassment. “Did you say mother?”

“I seem to remember one of us saying that, yes.” Amaranth smiled at me.

“I couldn't be her mother.” I shot back. “I haven't been a — girl, for a month yet!”

“True enough in that sense.” The woman smiled at me so serenely it was almost infuriating. “You did not carry this child under your heart, or know the pains of her birth.

“But not all mothers gave birth to their children, dear.” She shrugged. “Many women have taken a child like this to themselves and become the mother that child needs.”

“What does that mean...” I trailed off and looked at the baby I was still holding (okay cuddling by then) and asked. “Are you telling me she's an orphan or something like that?”

“Yes.” Sigleah nodded. “Her parents were great ones, but fell by treachery. We owed them our lives from another time and this is taking care of that debt.”

Oh boy. Someone powerful enough that Dragons could owe them their lives was something I just couldn't get my head around there. Especially since their baby was the one I was supposed to start mothering and all that. Sheesh.

“I don't know how to be a mother.” I argued, but that sounded weak even to me.

“You seem to be doing fine just now.” Sigleah noted with a grin as he watched me and the baby.

“You'll do it as you've done everything since your transformation, child.” Amaranth gently told me, though I could see her eyes glinting with humor. “Like every other new parent you'll 'make it up as you go along' and do your best for the child.”

“I'm only sixteen!”

“In the past, even in your culture,” Sigleah answered, “Sixteen means that you are a woman and no longer a child. Younger women than you have given birth, and nurtured their children.”

“But...”

“No buts, Coyote.” Amaranth told me. “This child was meant for you and you were meant for her. It is yours to make sure that she grows up with love, and learns to consider others when it is her turn to find power.”

“Power?” I almost squeaked out but not quite as I looked at the innocent in my arms.

“Indeed, dear.” Amaranth nodded then lifted an eyebrow in question. “What, you think that Artemis — Lady Moon, would saddle her beloved Coyote with a mundane child in this situation?”

“How would I know?” I grumbled, then pulled my gaze away from the baby. “Why is everyone calling me Coyote? As if it's a name and not what I am?”

“It is both, Cindy Harper.” Sigleah answered quietly. “You are a coyote, but you are also Coyote. I'd suggest you look into native myths from this country's southwest so you will understand.”

“You are the Trickster, dear.” Amaranth smiled at me. “The one who delights in confounding her enemies and others in ways they never expected. You have watched cartoons with Bugs Bunny in them haven't you?”

“Yes.” I nodded then gave her an outraged look. “You're comparing me to Bugs Bunny? A cartoon character?”

“That has been Coyote's manifestation in your culture up to now.” Sigleah chuckled. “You are the Trickster, the subtle one who never quite does what your adversaries expect. Watching you tease these Hunters has been most entertaining, by the way.”

“Oh.” I let out a sigh at that one. I'd almost forgotten that they had told me they had been watching what I had been doing. “But one of them nearly killed me.”

“And died in the attempt.” Sigleah answered. “You have many talents, Cindy Harper, as you will discover in time. Being able to handle silver, while not insignificant, isn't among the most important ones, either.”

I admit it, I answered that one with a very unladylike comment. Which had both of them chuckling.

“Now.” Sigleah told me. “It is time for us to take you and your daughter home.”

“What?”

“Our kind don't often meddle in the affairs of either humans or Unseen.” Amaranth told me. “When we do it draws attention from beings you would call gods, and that seldom ends well when it happens.

“Your Lady Moon asked this much of us.” She went on. “To protect the child until you found us, and her. Our duty is discharged with this, other than getting you and the child home safely. Any more from us would endanger too many and too much. Despite some myths, our kind do not glory in death and destruction, dear one. We are teachers, nurturers, and protectors when that is required. We have done that here, and now the time for us to go is near.”

“But...”

“You have our true names, young one.” Sigleah told me very seriously. “Guard them well, but you can call us if there is need. We will come.”

“True names?” I have to admit that I gave then a blank look at that one.

“The name that tells all of what one is.” He simply told me. “When someone knows your true name, the one whispered into your ear by your mother, they hold power over you.”

“Be wise with that knowledge, little one.” Amaranth told me. “Calling us is no small matter and will have consequences if you do.”

Urk. These two seemed to be telling me that I had to key to actually make them do what I wanted them to. And I knew, somehow, that doing that could be a terrible crime.

“I won't tell anyone.” I quietly answered, then looked down at the baby I was still holding. “What is hers? Her true name?”

“That is for you to give her.” Amaranth said with a smile. “Once you really feel what she is. Evangeline was for convenience, her use name, or what others will call her, is also for you to do.”

Baby names. I had to look at names for a girl. Sheesh. I had to actually name a baby? Twice?

“Aeovel.” I whispered to the child. “That means joy.”

Now how did I know that?

I can't tell you, it just was there when I looked for it. The name was old, very old, and from a language I was sure no scholar had ever heard of.

The two dragons were watching and nodded.

“You have found what your daughter is.” Amaranth gave me an approving look and smile. “You just told her the name that will be hers for eternity.”

“Eternity?” I was appalled at saddling a child with a name they could never get rid of.

“Such are true names, Coyote.” Sigleah nodded with approval evident in his expression as well.

“I called her...”

“That is between you and the child.” Amaranth stopped me from blurting it out. “Hold it closely, guard it to protect your daughter, and teach her to keep it from others.”

“Uhh... okay.” I answered while hating myself for the uncertainty in that answer. I was usually so glib, but something told me that the name I had just whispered to that baby would be important in times to come, very important. “I won't tell anyone else.”

“Good.” Amaranth nodded and smiled at me. “Your first act as her mother and your attitude about that is a wise one.”

Wise. Me? The one who had sneaked into the Hunter camp and nearly gotten killed for that? The one who had sneaked out of the house twice in the dead of night and actually taunted the very dangerous Hunters each time? Nope, wise wasn't one of the things that came to mind there. Maybe wise ass would fit better.

But you know what? That felt right.

Oh, Lady Moon! I'm a damned trouble magnet. I just know it!

Thank you sooo much.

“So what are you going to name her?” Amaranth, Nancy for a use name she'd told me, questioned.

“Linda.” I answered in kind of a fog.

“It means beautiful.” Sigleah nodded. “Good choice.”

“How am I going to explain this one to my — parents?” I asked remembering that I was now the adopted daughter of Patrick and Cecily Harper.

“Our last act here will be that explanation.” Amaranth, oops, Nancy, told me.

Use names, by the way, are easy. I found that out by asking. Go figure. I just straight out asked.

A use name can change with your mood, or circumstance, just don't do it too often is all. People get a little weird if you change your name every week.

Sigleah, Carl, helped me into their SUV. A nice royal blue Lexus. Being a Dragon obviously has its perks, and handed little Linda to me.

“What about the Hunters?” I asked as I saw the really out of place black SUV just down the block.

“They won't interfere.” Amaranth told me while looking at the vehicle with something like contempt in her eyes. “The won't even know we've left. They will be watching an empty house for a few days before they figure out that no one is there now.”

“They won't follow us?”

“No.” Sighleah answered then added. “If they somehow penetrate the illusion and do so, they will not live to regret it.”

Oh, that was comforting. Actually, it really was. But these two were scary. Really scary.

And I had their true names, which meant I could call them anytime I pleased.

Oh, crap.

I am so not ready to hold that kind of power over anyone.

“That, dear one.” Amaranth — Nancy smiled at me. “Is why we told you that. You look at things, you consider, you balance gain against cost. Your are worthy to hold our true names.”

“What is mine?” I wondered out loud.

“Your mother will give it to you.” She answered and somehow I knew the mother she was talking about wasn't Cecily Harper. “She knows it but has yet to tell you.

“Artemis, Diana, Lady Moon will tell you.” She assured me.

“Uhh, okay.” I just got quiet then and hugged the baby, Linda, a little closer.

As we got closer to home I knew the easy stuff was over.

What was I going to tell Au... Mom and Dad?

“Hey Mom, hey Daddy! Look what I found! Can I keep her? I promise I'll feed her and clean up after her!”

Oh this was going to be lots of fun.

Not.

How in the world was I going to explain little Linda to them?

I'd been a girl for all of just about two weeks and I already had a baby to take care of?

Crap, they'd never let me do anything now.

* * * *

It was scary. The guards at the gate didn't even flinch as we drove through. I was getting a lot of ideas of just how dangerous it could be to mess with dragons there. Those guards stopped and questioned just about anyone who wanted to come to the house if they weren't there regularly.

But they just looked, started to move forward, then stopped and waved us through.

Trust me, I was really going to work to keep Amaranth and Sigleah on my good side. I sure didn't want them hunting me for any reason other than to help me. Anything else would be life threatening.

And those gate guards were coyotes.

Again, trust me. Never, ever, piss off a dragon.

You could end up dead before you even realized you'd done anything wrong.

Fortunately, from what I'd gotten from my dragons (okay that's just a bit over the top, I admit) I knew that dragons rarely killed either mundanes or unseen. And even then, only if their own survival was threatened and there was no other way to handle the problem.

Dragons really are nice people.

No one to mess with, but nice people.

They even helped Saint George after he'd lucked out and killed one of them. Though the one he'd killed had been a rogue.

And let me tell you, with what I knew now, I knew that Knight had been extremely gifted and lucky.

But on with the real problem here...

“Hi Mom.” I said as I walked into the house.

“Hello, Cindy...” She stopped when she saw what I was holding in my arms.

“Just what is this?” She questioned.

“As far as I can tell, she's my baby.” I answered quietly and with a little sigh.

“Your baby?” She shook her head as if shaking off a really good strike in the dojo ring, and favored me with that gimlet stare that had terrified me since I had been old enough to understand what it was.

“Please, allow me to explain.” Amaranth moved into the room and somehow, calming feelings filled the place.

“This better be damned good.” Mom answered.

“Oh it is, dear lady, it is.” Amaranth answered.

“She is a sweet little thing.” My former aunt, now my mother, said as she tickled Linda.

I wanted to reach over and take the baby away from her, but restrained myself. “I can't have a baby, I just can't.”

You have the capability of giving birth to one now.” Mom told me simply. “And this one is your child even if you didn't carry her for nine months. I feel the bond. You gave her the name that is true, didn't you?”

“I —.”

“You did.” She nodded and shard a smile with me and the baby. “Linda is now your child, but we can make that a bit easier for you here.”

“How?” I was choking, with all that being a mother and the other stuff.

“Patrick and I will adopt her.” She said, then gave me a long, hard look. “But you will care for her.”

“Sheesh!” I answered. “I couldn't not care for her!”

“We know that love.” She serenely answered. “This child may not have come from you, but the mother/child bond is very clear to see when one looks.”

“What does that mean?”

“Simple.” Cecily — Mom, answered. “You are this child's mother. What else is there to say?”

“But there are really bad people, with bad things they can use, who are trying to get to her.” I countered.

“You're family, Cindy.” She simply told me. “So is your child.”

Oh shit.

I'd just pulled the whole clan into what was looking to be a war.

Oh Lady Moon.

The females of the clan were going to get involved in this, even if some of them could die.

Aunt Cecily, Mom, was their Alpha.

“We do not abandon our own.” Uncle Patrick — Dad now — told me.

Wonderful. The whole coyote clan would fight and die for me, and a baby I'd just met.

Even if she did feel like my very own daughter already.

And you know what?

I was grateful to each and every one of them for that.

Despite internal differences, we are family.

And family sticks together.

And Linda was such a cute little girl.

My breasts ached whenever I looked at her.

And I just wanted to hold her, protect her, and love her.

* * * *

Gah!

I haven't been a girl for a month yet.

But I already had a baby girl depending on me.

Go on, try to tell me that life is fair.

I'll rip your face off and feed it to you if you do.

But I'd rip off more than a face if someone tried to hurt my little Linda.

I knew she was a kind of unseen I'd never heard of, and that she would grow up to be very powerful. But that was in the future, not now.

She was a baby.

My baby.

Oh, Lady Moon, give me strength.

Hunters, with a Grail, were after her.

And if I had one thing, one little thing to do with that, it would be to make them pay, horribly, for the presumption of threatening my baby.

Grail or not, they were NOT going to harm Linda, or take her.

I would see to that personally.

Just how I'd manage to do that?

I'd make it up as I go along.

But they wouldn't have my daughter and any of them who tried would die.

My daughter?

Okay, I had to make one major adjustment there. But yes, Linda (Joy) really was my daughter even if I hadn't carried her under my heart and given birth to her.

And woe, terrible woe, to anyone, anything, that threatened her.

Threaten my baby and I'll kill you.

Simple as that.

And I knew I could do that, too.

What, Lady Moon, Artemis, Diana, has happened to me here?

What have you done to me?

More to the point. Why did you do it to me?