In the Beginning... (59 page)

For all except your grandfather. He will be
jailed as soon as he is brought here.” “What about the rest of the
people on the properties we own? We have staff that we care about.
Claudette and Abel and...”

“Your cousin and uncle are making
accommodations for them. You also need to face the possibility that
the threat may be internal.”

She dressed twice as quickly as he did, then
darted into the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair. She peeked
out the door at him as he spoke. “Our people have been with us for
years. Do you think that if there was someone with that kind of
hatred for us, Rand, Uncle Jason, or even Rathan would not have
detected it? Jade certainly would have. She’s got some sort of
people radar.”

“The demon would have. Even
the wolves, maybe.” Aodhan pulled his
vestis
over his head as he answered.
He stood and joined her in the bathroom. “But someone, somewhere
has been organizing this attack against your family. Is it
coincidence that a pack of Lupoiux were near your family’s
properties at the same time that the Dardaptoan
Equa
of Houses was threatened? Or are
the two somehow related?”

She sat the brush down on the granite
counter and looked at him in the mirror. “There’s a traitor among
your Kind and someone wants my entire family dead. At the exact
same time that we found each other. That adds up for me.”

“The two are related. We just need to figure
out how.”

“We need to see who would
have the greatest reason to want my family
especially my female family members
dead. Who would gain the most? Because I doubt it’s about
ascending to some Dardaptoan throne. It sounds more like revenge to
me.”

“Someone who wants revenge against the
Taniss family, who would attack the women and children, too. It
must be a pretty sophisticated grudge.”

“Someone who feels we wronged them
completely. Who would that be?”

Aodhan ran it through his mind. “One
thousand eight hundred eighty-seven people were killed by your
grandfather’s hands or by his people. Each of those victims had a
family, who may hold a pretty significant grudge.”

“We’ll never find them. Not if we have to go
through every victim’s family looking.”

“So we start with the ones who had firsthand
experience with your grandfather or Albert Boltier.”

“
Ick
. That man is a sick bastard,
through and through. I’ve never liked him.” Mallory turned and
leaned against the bathroom counter. “So who first? Who suffered
the most at Grandfather’s hands?”

“Other than Kindara and Jierra, who we know
have nothing to do with this threat, that leaves only one name.”
And Aodhan was far from eager to name him.

“Who?”

“Nalik Black. Kindara’s brother-in-law.
Nalik was with Kindara and lost his brother and sister to your
grandfather. Your grandfather and Boltier personally tortured Nalik
repeatedly, then forced him to watch as his young sister bled to
death. It isn’t pretty what was done to him, Mallory. And something
inside of him is fractured.”

“Fractured enough to put a hit out on
twenty-something people, including a twelve-year-old boy?”

“I don’t like to think so. But I think we
should start there.”

“Ok. Where do we find this Nalik? And does
he know that you are with me, or that the others are also with
Tanisses?”

“I don’t know if he knows about the Taniss
females. That could have been what pushed him over the edge. And
we’ll need to speak with the rest of his family to find out where
he is. That is something I had best do without you, kitten. His
mother...she is not well. Not since she lost Iavius and
Erastine.”

His
Rajni
nodded. “I can understand that.
Would she even know where he was?”

“Yes. He is the
Equan
of the Black House.
He is still required to help rule his people. A Dardaptoan does not
step away from that responsibility for anything.”

“Then we can speak with him sometime
today?”

“We will. But you will promise me that you
will stay safe. I will take you with me, if I get your word.”

“I promise. You know I don’t
want to get hurt any more than you want me to. I’m not going to do
anything stupid or dangerous, but when the need arises, I
will
defend
myself.”

“I know. And that is all I ask of you.”

“And you’ll make the same promise? You won’t
go out looking for trouble?”

“That is kind of my job
description, but I can promise to be careful. I want to come home
to you,
Rajni
. You
are a greater draw than any battle ever could be.”

He left her with Cormac’s
female after their discussion with
Dahr
Rydere and his
Rajni
. He,
Dahr
Rydere, and Cormac
would interview the Black House personally. Aodhan wasn’t looking
forward to it. These people were his friends, especially Nalik.
They had played together as boys, and had traveled to the New World
together more than five hundred years ago. Two hundred years later,
Nalik’s brother, mother, and father had joined them. Aodhan
considered Nalik family, nearly as close as Aureliana. The thought
that Nalik might have ordered the massive destruction of his
female’s family sickened him, though Aodhan understood Nalik’s
thirst for revenge. Nalick’s family had been shattered that
day.

Nalik’s mother Sarisha met
them at the door to the Black House. She appeared elderly, pain and
grief
and Aodhan suspected
madness
aging her more
than a Dardaptoan usually aged. Aodhan had great sympathy for her,
for what and who she had lost. Her
Rajni
Petr stood at her side,
faithfully guarding her.

“Come in. Sit down.” The elder male nodded
toward the black couch in the sitting area. Aodhan frowned as he
studied it. It was worn, more than it should have been. The entire
suite was shabby. Filthy, with a layer of dust and dirt visible.
“What is this about?”

“We come in search of Nalik.”

“The boy is gone. Haven’t seen him in
months. Three or four. He’s working on a new project that has him
fired up.” Sarisha’s tone was cold, indifferent. Aodhan wondered at
it. “Don’t know what. And these damned servants will not tell
me.”

The servants in question were one lone girl,
less than fifty in age, standing at attention in the corner of the
room. Aodhan didn’t recognize her. She looked unhealthy, underfed,
even neglected. She refused to meet his eyes.

“What do you want?” Sarisha asked, sinking
down into a threadbare and filthy chair.

“Nalik. How do we contact
him if he is not here?” Rydere spoke to her using the tone of
the
Dahr
. She dared
not show him disrespect.

“Ask Cerian. Has a bit of a crush on him,
she does.” She nodded in the servant’s direction. The girl, whom
Aodhan assumed was Cerian, flushed. “Not that anything will ever
come of it, of course. Son of mine is useless that way and is her
damned cousin, even.”

“Regardless of your personal feelings on
your son, madam, he is the Head of your House and you will show
him, and me, the respect that title deserves. Now, Cerian, if you
will join me in the hallway, I have some questions for you.” Aodhan
gave no one an option. And no one would dare defy him. Not with
Rydere next to him. All feared the three of them when they were
together.

The servant girl kept her
eyes lowered as she followed him and Rydere into the hallway.
Respectfully, or because of fear? Aodhan wondered. Cormac stayed
inside with the parents of his dead brother-in-law. “Girl, tell me.
Where is the
Equa
n
of this House?”

“He is near Ft. Collins. He spends much time
there. I don’t know what he does there. I can get you the address.
He doesn’t know I have it. I found it in his papers when I was
cleaning.” She practically whispered the words, her gaze darting
back toward the suite door. “If she knew, I would be in
trouble.”

“How long has he been gone?” Aodhan
asked.

“This time? Four weeks. He
was home the day after the new
Rajnis
arrived and everyone was
celebrating.” She looked guilty for telling them, and Aodhan felt a
rush of pity for her.

“And before that?” Rydere’s tone told Aodhan
he too noticed how pitiful the girl was.

“Four months. He’s rarely
here, my
Dahr
. I
think it depresses him to be reminded of Erastine. Her mother kept
her room just like she left it. And she makes us go in there with
her all the time.” She covered her mouth, a look of intense guilt
hitting her face.

Aodhan knew he’d get no more from her.
“Cerian, if you wish it, I can find you a position within my own
House. You are not required to stay here. You know that,
right?”

She lowered her head. “But she has been so
good to me. She took me in when my parents died twenty years ago.
I’m all they have.”

“I see.” And Aodhan did. The years of
neglect that she had no doubt been subjected to had left an
impression on her. He’d revised his estimation of her age, putting
her at no more than thirty-five. Young. He would have to do his
best to get her out of Sarisha’s hands. “When you change your mind,
you come to me.”

She stared at him a moment, then swallowed.
“Thank you...You need to know...I shouldn’t tell...it’s
disloyal...”

“Cerian, nothing you tell
your
Dahr
is
disloyal. Not to tell me would be worse.” Rydere wrapped his hands
around the girl’s shoulders, and held her until she looked up at
him.

“They hate them. All of
them. Anyone with the name Taniss. Sarisha was so angry when you
brought home your
Rajnis
. She fought and fought with Nalik. Told him he’d failed her
and failed his brother and sister. It was horrible!” She shivered.
“I don’t know what Nalik did after that.”

“Thank you.” Rydere and Aodhan said
together. Aodhan continued. “Sarisha will be angry with you if you
tell her what we’ve discussed. Can you keep it quiet?”

“Yes. They do not talk to me. Any of them.
But they are all the family I have left...”

“Thank you. I will not forget your help.”
Rydere bowed to her, the highest sign of respect a Dardaptoan could
receive.

The three men walked back to the Green Room
via the garden, quietly discussing what they had learned. Cormac
put it best when he summed it up. “I hate to think on it, but it
does not look good for Nalik. But with what happened to him and
living with Sarisha, I can almost understand it.”

Aodhan nodded. “Yes. Any but
our
Rajnis’
family,
and it would almost be acceptable.”

“If he’s the one responsible.” Rydere cursed
after he said it. “If he is.”

“We’ll need to go to Ft. Collins to collect
him. I’ll do it,” Cormac’s tone was grim. Aodhan did not envy him
the task. “It might come easiest from me.”

“Good luck. I’ve figured out why the address
Cerian gave us looks so familiar.” Aodhan crumbled the small piece
of paper in his hand.

“Why?” Rydere asked as they
rounded the damned grotto where Cormac’s
Rajni
was attacked.

“Because it’s the address of the Taniss
Industries lab that Leo Taniss built fifteen years ago.”

“What in the nine hells is Nalik doing
there?”

That was what Aodhan wanted answered, as
well.

Mallory wanted to talk to him the moment she
saw him enter the lobby with Rydere and Cormac but with the arrival
of her entire family and half the household staff, she couldn’t.
She did manage to catch his eye and jerk her head. He understood
the message, and quickly left the other two men and joined her.

“Daddy.
This
is Aodhan.” She got a perverse
thrill at seeing Aodhan’s eyes widen and the nerves hit his face.
The man was close to six hundred years old, and her
father
made him
nervous?

“Nice to meet you, Mr.
Taniss.” Aodhan held out his hand and shook her father’s without
hesitation. Had he really gotten over the
all Tanisses are bad
mentality, just
because of her? She thought so, and that pleased her. “Mallory, I
take it everyone here is part of your family?”

She knew he knew they were.
She’d seen the complete dossiers he’d had on every member of her
family. But if he wanted to play it off that he
hadn’t
kidnapped her, she’d let him.
For now. “Of course.”

“I don’t understand what is going on,
Mallory.” Her father’s words were stern, but the hold he had on her
was firm. Mallory fought the urge to snuggle into his chest like
she had as a child. “What did your brother mean when he said we
weren’t safe at any of the properties anymore? And where are your
sisters?”

“They are both upstairs. Becca was injured
yesterday, Daddy. A car wreck,” Mallory lied to him with barely a
second thought. “She’s a bit bruised. Mickey is taking care of her
for now.”

“And you? What are you doing here in this
town? And why did you just disappear for close to a month? Rand
said it was business? What kind of business takes my daughters away
in the middle of the night?”