In the Beginning... (35 page)

“What is it?” He pulled the door back so the
two men could step into the office. Whatever business they’d come
on didn’t need to be advertised in the populate Healers’ Hall.

“The girls’ grandfather has been brought in.
We thought you would want to know.” Aodhan’s words were grim. “We
found him destroying files. Some of those files contained even
more…detailed…research. Worse than what we’d seen before.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.
I trust he’s in the Central Hall?” The reality of what was about to
happen sat heavily on his shoulders. The bastard was a monster and
a murderer—but he was his
Rajni
’s grandfather. How was she to
feel about what the inevitable end would be? How was he to tell
her?

Aodhan nodded. “He’s
currently with his son. And
Dhan
Emily and the wolf Rand. Rydere has asked that you
be there since your House has been the most grievously affected.”
Cormac remembered every one of the faces of the people who’d been
lost from his House to Leo Taniss. Of the 1827 dead/presumed
missing at the Taniss hands, 623 had come from the Jareth lines.
More than any of the other nine Houses.

His brother-in-law’s face popped into his
mind. Iavius had been a blonde giant with a ready laughter and a
poet’s spirit. He’d suited Kindara well.

Cormac had buried his friend
next to Iavius’s seventeen year old sister.
She’d
been allowed to slowly bleed to
death, while Leo Taniss watched. No, despite Taniss being his
Jocelyn’s grandfather, the man could not be spared. Justice would
not be deprived this day.

“I will be there.” He looked at his woman,
knowing she didn’t understand the language of the Dardaptoans that
Aodhan and Theo had deliberately spoken. “Have you told your
females?”

Both men nodded. Theo was the one who spoke.
“They knew it was coming. It was hard, family loyalty is strong
within their lines.”

“Give me a few minutes. And
Theo? I want copies of the new research. Can you have Thaddeus take
a look—remove anything that may upset my
Rajni
to see?” Theo’s younger brother
was a healer of notable worth, third only to Barlaam and

Kindara. Cormac trusted him with the task.
“She will want it for her work.”

Theo nodded. “We expected such.”

Aodhan’s frown had Cormac tensing. “What is
it?”

“We found particular files you may be
interested in, yourself.” Aodhan handed him an innocuous looking
file.

“What do you mean?” Cormac started to open
the package. Aodhan’s hand stopped him.

“Not with her here. It pertains to her.”
Aodhan’s distaste was clear for Cormac to hear. “Just read the file
when you get a chance.”

Cormac nodded. “I’ll see to
it. Tell
Dahr
Rydere I will meet him in the Central Hall in fifteen
minutes.”

He needed to explain to his woman what would
happen to her grandfather first. The Dardaptoan justice system
moved differently than the one she was used to. And her grandfather
was about to be at the center of it; and every Family House would
be represented in the tribunal. But mostly the Jareth House.

As
equa
—or female head of the family—her
presence at her grandfather’s trial would be necessary. She would
be forced to see and hear everything the old bastard had
done.

The file he clutched burned into his hand,
but he headed his friends’ warnings.

He waited until the other
men had left before turning to her again.
Jocelyn.

What did they say? What’s in the file?

Never mind the file,
now.
He dropped the envelope offhandedly to
the desk, hoping she would forget about its presence.
We have something to discuss.

What is it? Is it my sister? My dad? Kindara
or Jierra?

No. It’s not that.
He wrapped his hands around her hips and lifted
her back on to the desktop.
Your
grandfather has been found.

Josey didn’t know what to think, what to say.
She didn’t even know what she felt. She’d made a decision to accept
the life Cormac led, accept her place within his family. She’d even
made a decision to take what this supposed goddess had given her,
and enjoy the damned vampire man physically.

But knowing her grandfather
was going to be tried and probably
executed
for what he had done sickened
her.

It made his crimes seem so
much more real.
Is he here? Is someone with
him?

Cormac’s face
tightened.
Yes. Your cousins Emily and
Rand. Your father. Why?

Because.
Josey hopped off the desk, sudden anger having her grabbing
the envelope from the surface. She ripped into it,
knowing
it contained
information about her family, about her grandfather. His hand
crumbled the envelope, holding her fingers beneath his palm.
Because I have so many questions for the
bastard!

Like what?

His tone was sympathetic and that made her
even angrier. She didn’t want his sympathy. It wasn’t realistic
that he’d feel sympathy for the granddaughter of the man who’d
killed hundreds of his people. He should hate her, should want to
hurt her. Should despise her.

Like why? Why in the hell
would he do the things he did? Was it worth it? What made him the
monster he became? It’s his fault all of this happened! If it
hadn’t been for him,
none
of this would have happened…and I…I…

His eyes clouded and he
pulled her closer.
Had it not been for your
grandfather, you would never have learned of this world, would
never have been hurt. Would never have come to me.
I didn’t
come
to you, you took me from my home. There’s a
difference.

And she
still
didn’t know how she felt about
that. She looked away from him.
You need to
go. I know that’s why they were here. They want you with them. The
Four Musketeers. Protectors of their People, kidnappers of Taniss
women. You have things to do. And I…need some time to
think

.

He was halfway to the
Central Hall before he realized he’d forgotten the envelope. He
cursed and spun on his heels. It was already too late; he could
feel her upset in his head.
I’m
coming.

No! Don’t. I don’t want you here!

He had no difficulty feeling the tears that
clogged her heart and mind. He quickened his pace. Instead of
turning left to head back to her office he took a right.

He knew where she was going,
almost as soon as she did.
Jocelyn, wait
for me!

Just for once leave me alone!

He stormed through their suite and out the
glass doors into the gardens. She was easy to spot, her platinum
hair glowing in the lowering light of the day as she stood staring
at the fountain near the far edge of the garden.

As she stood in the exact
spot where he’d found her near dead. Her arms were wrapped around
her stomach, a stack of papers clenched in one hand. Some of the
sheets floated on the top of the water. The Border collie barked at
the floating sheets, then dove into the fountain. The animal would
be a shivering mess when she emerged. He didn’t care. All that
mattered was what he saw on his
Rajni
’s face. The pain he didn’t
understand.

Jocelyn. Tell me. What is
it?
His hands settled on her shoulders and
he pulled her close.
Tell me,
Rajni.

My
grandfather—
She stopped, looked up at him
with eyes that blazed a combination of anger and hurt. And
confusion.
Here.

She pushed the sheets that
remained in her hand at him. He took them and scanned it quickly.
He didn’t get the significance.
I’m not
sure I understand.

What’s so confusing about it? My grandfather
is the reason I am deaf! It’s all right there!

Tell me. Tell me how.
Everything.
He lifted her into his arms and
up. She wrapped her legs around his hips instinctively, and he
wondered briefly if she always would. How many times had he carried
her thusly since the day he’d brought her to his home? He couldn’t
remember, couldn’t count. He carried her over to a stone bench and
sank down to its surface.
Jocelyn.
How?

I was so sick, and he was a
doctor. My mother called him. He gave me a shot—I remember that.
According to this file, it contained an older version of Palitren.
A-Palitren. It caused my fever to continue to rise. That damaged my
hearing. He gave me the shot and just
watched
what it did to me. And took
notes!

I see.
Cormac had never felt such anger, such disgust as he did in
that moment. He shoved those feelings down; she didn’t need that
right now. She needed his…love and comfort. And he would give her
that.

Why did the knowledge of what that bastard
had done to her shock him still? He’d lost family to Leo Taniss and
his henchmen. Lost friends, colleagues, and even people he’d only
met once or twice. Most had died in barbarically horrific ways. But
why did this one act sicken him?

Because Leo Taniss should have at least
protected his family. Should have loved and cared for the little
girl she had been. Should not have used her for a guinea pig. He
wondered if the wolf knew. Had he known all along, or was someone
about to tell him?

Cormac wanted that privilege. If her father
had known about the experimentation on his daughter and allowed the
old bastard to live, Cormac held him just as responsible. And would
rip him apart for not protecting his daughter. He might just do it
anyway.

He must have been silent for
too long. She jerked back from him, though she remained on his
lap.
Don’t you get it? I’m a freak because
of him! Because of what he did when I was a kid! How could he do
that? I was his grandchild, he should have—

Protected you. He should have protected you.
Not used you as a guinea pig. I know that. You know that. But he
didn’t care, Jocelyn. He just didn’t care.

No, he doesn’t. And I know
that, in here.
She pointed to her
head.

But in here is a different
story.
Cormac pushed the blonde hair he
loved so much off her forehead.
We need to
check the rest of your cousins. If he experimented on you, he may
have on them as well.

What if he did? What if what
he gave us
allowed
us to become Dardaptoan? What if this bond is not real, but is
caused by a chemical reaction. A reaction to something he gave me?
What if it’s not real?

It matters not
how
you became my mate,
only that you are. And you are real.
We
are real. Don’t ever say we aren’t
again! I don’t care the cost, Jocelyn. All that matters to me is
that I have you now. Can you not understand that? I want you. No
other. Nothing else matters to me but my mate. You. I want
you!
No other words from him had ever been
truer. She had to understand that. He couldn’t even begin to
contemplate a future without her in it. Couldn’t stand the thought
of waking up to a bed without her curled in the center against his
heat.

He couldn’t contemplate it and he wouldn’t.
He would never lose her. It would kill him if he did.

He meant it. Josey had no
difficulty seeing that. She wrapped her arms around him and clung,
wanting—
needing—
the
comfort he offered. He was the center of her world, the center of
all that was suddenly real and right. Her grandfather and what he’d
done suddenly didn’t matter. She could do nothing to change her
deafness. It was only a small part of who she was. It didn’t matter
that her grandfather was a monster who deserved whatever punishment
he got. What mattered was she had Cormac, and he cared for her.
Wanted her. Even protected her in his own way.

And she needed him. Now. She
pressed her lips against his.
Kiss me.
Now.

Not like this. Not just to help you mask
pain or hurt.

It’s not like that. Not anymore.

His body stilled beneath her
hands.
Then what? Tell me what you want,
female.

Josey swallowed once, then
looked into his gold eyes. What she was about to say would change
everything between them and she wanted to see his face when she
said it.
I want you to kiss me. To carry me
into the bedroom and show me about being your Rajni.

Do you mean that?
His eyes were serious, half-fearful, half-hopeful.
Vulnerable. Had he ever been vulnerable with her before? She didn’t
think so.

Josey nodded. Her breath
caught in the back of her throat. She blinked once. Twice. Nodded
again. His hands tightened on the flesh of her hips, and he pulled
her closer. She doubted he even knew he’d done it.
Please.

Cormac did just that before she could change
her mind. He scooped her into his arms and carried her passed the
fountains that depicted the battle between the Lupoiux god and the
goddess Kennera. Passed the spot where she’d lain after her own
attack at the Lupoiux hands.