Demon's Quest (30 page)

"Little one," Nefrigar appeared at my elbow—I'd been combing out my hair as I talked with Teeg.

"Honey blue?" I looked up at him. When we were like this, he was nearly twice my height.

"Reah, as a gift to my love, I will place a shield around your words and thoughts. No other will be able to tap them or employ spells to eavesdrop, unless you wish it."

I was still staring at him. Someone had told me when I woke what Lara'Kayan meant—Nefrigar had been calling me
forever love
in Neaborian, a nearly dead language.

"Thank you," I sighed, wishing that gift had come sooner than it did.

"I wish it had come sooner as well," Nefrigar smiled sadly. "I did not lock myself out, but then neither I nor any Larentii will ever seek to harm you with your own thoughts and words."

I nodded, staring at the floor. I still didn't understand why Wylend chose to damage me in this way. What had he hoped to gain by it? Wyatt had paid the price for all this, and that made me sad and angry at the same time.

"I must go; send mindspeech if you need me," Nefrigar's large blue fingers tilted my chin up. "I love you," he said, his bright blue eyes gazing into mine with what looked like worry before he disappeared.

"Come with me, Reah," Teeg said softly at my back. I nodded and went to find something suitable to wear.

* * *

Lissa had offered her palace as a neutral space for the funeral, after Amara had come to her. I was just learning that Amara, Griffin's mate for millennia uncounted, had left Teeg's grandfather after Wyatt's death. She wasn't speaking to Griffin or to Wylend. I was with her regarding Wylend. I'd never met Griffin, but he'd been pushing Wyatt, too. It was all a waste—Wyatt was a good healer. I knew that.

"Here—we'll sit with Mom and Dad," Teeg steered me toward a row of comfortable chairs set up in the circular rotunda of Lissa's palace. Flowers were everywhere near a spot at the front, and a podium had been placed there. The chairs in the center aisle at the front were empty—the immediate family would come in last.

I looked down our row while Teeg sent mindspeech that the dark-haired, beautiful woman sitting beside Lissa was Amara, Wyatt's mother. Lissa had an arm around her shoulders and was trying to console her. Drew sat on Amara's other side, Drake next to him. Gavin and Tony sat on Lissa's other side.

I was seeing too, a few that I had only seen a time or two—Lissa's daughter Nissa and her two mates, Toff and Trikleer. Toff was not only a modified Winged Vampire, but also a Grey House Wizard, as was Trik. Behind us were Lissa's other mates. Rylend would come in with Wylend and Erland, I was sure. I hoped I hadn't damaged Ry's relationship with Wylend, just by saying that he'd be the better King.

Wyatt hadn't wanted to be King at all, he'd said so himself when I'd first met him. I'd tried to get him to discuss his wishes with Lissa at the time, but he'd never done it. We were back to the missed opportunities that Aurelius and I had discussed. I missed Auri and wished he were with me, on my other side.

Perhaps Tory would come instead, so I could lean on his strength. Teeg squeezed my hand when Kiarra appeared next to a piano near the front. I hadn't know before then that she sang. Gavril explained that this was what she'd done before becoming one of the Saa Thalarr. The language was from old Earth, and Gavril had to interpret for me, but it was beautiful. The title, he said, was
Time To Say Good-bye
.

* * *

Corolan's face was pale as he walked into the antechamber to collect Wylend, Erland and the others. A full contingent of Karathian royalty had come from Wylend's court. He'd seen Reah come in on Gavril's arm. This wasn't going to turn out well.

"What's wrong?" Rylend hissed. He'd been watching his grandfather, his uncle Griffin and all the others, trying to anticipate what might be needed and working toward making things happen to ensure everything went as smoothly as possible. He'd already sent two home who'd shown up inebriated.

"Reah's here," Corolan muttered.

"Please, no," Ry moaned, leaning against the thick double doors leading into the rotunda. "I can't seem to talk my fool brother out of this stupidity yet and we both know how much effect my power has on a stubborn High Demon. There's no way she'll miss this." Rylend rubbed the knot between his eyes.

"This will ruin everything," Corolan muttered.

"What's wrong?" Erland walked up to his son.

"Reah's here."

"Could things possibly be worse?" Erland sighed. "Wylend has plans to go to Tory in the next few days and tell him that he didn't give the whole truth in this matter. Now, even if we can convince Torevik, there's no way to explain this to Reah. She'll never come back to Karathia."

"We haven't told Mom either, and you know what that could mean," Ry looked at his father.

"Son, we'll consider that problem when we get there," Erland sighed.

* * *

Kiarra was finishing a second song when Wylend, Erland, Corolan and a contingent from Karathia filed in and filled the center row of chairs. Someone was also moving past Teeg and me to sit in the empty chairs between us and Gavin. If Teeg hadn't gripped my hand—hard—I'd have skipped away. Tory was there, pulling a beautiful, dark-haired woman behind him. She was nearly six feet tall, in Aurelius' measurements, and looked perfect. Tory, for effect, kissed her before he helped her into a seat next to him. My mouth was open in shock, I'm sure. Teeg's jaw was working furiously, but he didn't say anything, he merely gripped my fingers tighter, refusing to allow me to leave.

Once everyone was seated, Merrill walked to the podium. Amara and Lissa had asked him to speak. I kept swallowing painfully, trying to hold back the tears that threatened. I was pregnant with Tory's twins, and he was doing this. Jealousy or not, this wasn't the time to flaunt a mistress. I had multiple mates; he was entitled as well. But my hand went to my belly. The last time we'd been in bed had resulted in my pregnancy. Was this his way of telling me what he truly thought of fatherhood? If so, he'd lied to me. He'd said he was ready.

I barely listened to Merrill's words. Wise words, I'm sure—he was an old vampire and had seen much during his lifetime. Amara sobbed quietly now and then. My eyes kept returning to Tory and the woman at his side. Solicitously, she held his hand in hers. I wanted to sob, too, just not for the same reason as everyone else. I did come back to the present, however, when Pheligar took Merrill's place.

Everyone in the crowd was watching—I mean, how often did you see a Larentii appear at a funeral to speak? "We do not do this often," Pheligar announced in his deep, mellow voice. "But it was requested this time, by someone higher than I. I agreed. Here are the images." I was shocked when three-dimensional images appeared in front of all of us—I recognized this scene just as well as Gavril did beside me. He stiffened. He was twelve and looking over a fence at the bus track below while snowflakes fell around us in Targis. And there I was, talking to Wyatt. The tears came, then.

"I wish I were twelve again," Wyatt said, nodding toward a young Gavril.

"Whatever for?" I asked. I'd been nineteen then. So young, and without Tory's claiming marks on my neck.

"I didn't have all this looming over my head," Wyatt muttered. "Em-pah keeps telling me what I need to do to take his place one day."

"You don't want that, do you?" My younger self asked.

"No," Wyatt replied. "I want to be a healer, like my mother. But Em-pah won't even listen to me. He just keeps pushing me in the direction he thinks I should go."

Amara sobbed when Wyatt admitted that he wanted to be a healer, like her. Wyatt's and my conversation went on, until I said, "Wyatt, if you don't tell him soon," meaning Wylend, "you may regret that decision." Pheligar ended the images there. I was grateful; I'd suggested afterward that Wyatt go talk with Lissa, his half-sister. He hadn't ever done that, and he probably hadn't fully expressed himself to Wylend. His body now lay in state before us, dressed richly and placed inside an elaborately carved box.

I wished I hadn't been a part of that transmission—things were bad enough between Wylend and me. I figured that as soon as I repaired Karathia's core, I'd be banished again. It was just as well, I would never come to Wylend again. He'd invaded my privacy and used my private words against me. I couldn't have a mate who was constantly policing my thoughts and conversations, searching for any sort of slight or insult. Wylend and I were finished.

Kiarra sang once more before Merrill invited everyone for refreshments inside the Council Chambers. Wyatt would be buried the following day on Karathia in a private ceremony. Only family would attend that. "Reah, come." Teeg stood and led me away before Tory could brush past us again, hauling the beautiful woman along with him.

"I don't want to go to the Council Chambers," I was wiping tears away one-handed as Teeg pulled me after him.

"You see those journalists and cameras, Reah?" Teeg muttered, dragging me toward the huge hall where the Vampire Council met, "We have to present as good an image to them as we can. They won't be inside the chamber itself, so hold your head up and let's get there with as much dignity as we can."

I wanted to argue with him, but I didn't. Perhaps I should have—mentally, of course. Wouldn't do to let the news-vids have a field day with Teeg and me, speculating whether we were on the outs or not, when it was Tory and me, and Wylend and me, who would have made the juicy news.

Teeg kept me against the back wall, shielding me from the cameras pointed at this guest or that as attendees filed into the chamber. When the door was shut, Teeg breathed a sigh of relief but still kept his hands on me so I couldn't get away.

I saw Tory in the distance, talking easily with this guest or that, his arm draped comfortably around the black-haired woman's waist. I said nothing, letting my gaze drop to my shoes. I'd worn a black dress with a matching beaded jacket and low-heeled black shoes. Tiny jet earrings were in my ears—I didn't want to stand out or draw attention. Not so with Tory's companion—she'd gone for both. A strapless gown with a wrap in such a deep red as to be nearly black, and heels that would have caused me to teeter precariously. She was used to wearing them that high, I could tell.

"Well, Reah, I guess I'm not too immature after all," Tory drawled, forcing me to jerk my head up. How had he come to be in front of us so quickly? And what was he saying? I blinked stupidly at him and the woman standing beside him. "Oh, this is Darletta, my wife," Tory introduced the brunette. We'd never married, Tory and I. He'd never asked—he'd just stuck his teeth in my neck while in his smaller Thifilathi.

"Tory," Teeg was growling and his eyes were going red. I looked from one brother to the other.

"Torevik Rath, you idiot!" Lissa was there and hissing in a heartbeat. "We didn't tell you, because Lendill said you were on a sensitive mission. Reah is pregnant with your twins, and this is how you choose to come home?"

Another tear slipped out and Teeg couldn't hold me this time; I skipped away.

Chapter 14
 

Gavin placed compulsion on Darletta, who was now humming distractedly in a corner. Erland had come to attempt to explain Wylend's part in this, but it wasn't coming out very well.

"You mean to tell me you married her without a prenuptial? That you were getting back at Reah because she said you were too young the first time?" Lissa's hair was a mess. This was the last thing she'd expected at her half-brother's funeral.

"Mom, Wylend sent me mindspeech."

"And it didn't bother you that Wylend was listening to private thoughts and conversations? That he didn't give you the full conversation I was having with Reah?" Gavril's fangs still threatened. His eyes were red and had been from the beginning.

"Young one, I am very close to removing your claiming marks from Reah's neck," Kifirin appeared, smoke billowing from his nostrils. Tory's eyes widened. And then he turned, going immediately to his smaller Thifilathi, who cringed and fell to his knees before the Lord of the Dark Realm. The howl that came from his throat was mournful and nearly earsplitting. Darletta looked up briefly, before turning away again. She would remember none of what she was seeing—Gavin had made sure of that. Gardevik, coming from a meeting in Jaydevik's court, glared at his son, who knelt before Kifirin.

"You have shamed the High Demon race; The Wise Ones say that Reah's twins will be daughters. Where will their father be, Torevik Rath? You married that creature," Garde jerked his head toward Darletta. "Now, you are stuck with her. Only one kind of woman will marry someone after a first meeting. She knows who you are, and more importantly, who your mother is. You are bound to this marriage, child, and all because of an angry fit."

"Turn back," Kifirin commanded. "Leave my sight, or I will find another High Demon for Reah. And take your wife with you."

* * *

"I don't want to bring this to him right now." Erland spoke softly to Corolan and Garek. "Things are bad enough as it is."

"It would have been better if he hadn't done this. What possessed him?"

"He felt slighted. You know how he gets at times when he's in a female cycle."

"He has snits in male cycles, too," Garek pointed out.