As if there were a struggle for the pistol lying between both bodies.
"Are you going to stay there until the guards arrive, or are you coming with us?" Opal held out a hand.
I scrambled out of my cage as fast as a human can move.
* * *
Palace Dungeon, Kifirin
Lexsi
I'd never seen this part of the palace before. Of course I wouldn't. I'd only visited here when I was very small and this would have frightened me.
It frightened me now.
These cages were built to hold High Demons, who were not only powerful, but able to skip away in normal circumstances.
Someone even more powerful had built these cages. Lord Weth sat inside one of them. To me, the walls pulsed with malevolence, as if it were leeching from the floor and spreading upward.
I didn't like it at all.
What would keep it from traveling farther upward and infecting the rest of the palace?
Kory behaved as if he didn't feel it at all.
Zaria, though, wore the deepest frown as we stood outside Lord Nedevik's cell.
"Kordevik?" Lord Weth approached the cell bars to stare at his son.
"Pap, we have to get you out of here," Kory told him.
"Is it that bad outside, that you had to leave what you were doing?" Nedevik asked. "Hello, Lexsi. You look lovely."
"Hi, Pap," I offered a shy smile. I was meeting one of my heroes, and it made me self-conscious.
"She called me Pap," Nedevik grinned at Kory. "I'll give her a hug for that."
"Lexsi, do your misting trick to get him out," Zaria brought me back to the present.
"Oh. Yeah." I went to mist, while Nedevik's eyes widened in surprise. Somehow, the dungeon hadn't been prepared for this and had no defense against my misting talent. In only four heartbeats, I'd gathered Nedevik inside my mist and transported him outside the cell, where I set him gently on the rock floor.
I got my hug immediately.
Before he let me go, however, the dungeon became much more crowded. I almost panicked, thinking we'd been found out by Jayd's troops, but that wasn't the case.
Kory's mother and hundreds of his brothers had arrived.
With Li'Neruh Rath.
* * *
Zaria
You're going to need them, Li'Neruh Rath said.
I was afraid of that, I returned.
I'm not surprised that you've felt it coming, he said.
I was hoping it wouldn't, but things seldom go how we want them to, I observed.
True.
Where are we going to put them?
Where nobody thinks to look, Li'Neruh shrugged.
While we conversed in silence, Kory, his parents and too many brothers to count crowded around Lexsi, all speaking at the same time. I'd been forced to shield the dungeon, just so they wouldn't be heard and bring the palace guards running.
Tamp and Klancy stood next to me, so I included them in the mindspoken conversation.
I'll send some to Avendor, Li'Neruh went on. The rest will go with you.
You know Jayd will charge Lord Weth with treason when he disappears. Along with the rest of his family, I said.
Jayd has forgotten his place, Li'Neruh blew smoke. What is it Earthlings say about shooting one's self in the foot?
I get that, all right, I agreed. Thanks for the help.
For you, I will move mountains. Li'Neruh disappeared.
Wow. If I needed mountains moved, I could do it myself. However, the sentiment didn't escape me.
He'd offered help.
We might need it.
* * *
New Zealand Waters
Opal
"Morwin, I hope you won't mind having a roommate," I said, after knocking on Morwin's cabin door.
"Hello, I'm Jamie, recently deceased. Twice," Jamie held out his hand to Morwin.
I hadn't expected humor so soon after he'd almost been killed, but I laughed anyway. Because it was true and funny at the same time. By all accounts, Jamie Rome was dead and Berke Gillson was also dead.
"Good one," I patted Jamie's shoulder.
"Where's your trunk?" Morwin asked, after standing aside to allow Jamie to walk in.
"He's traveling light. I'll find something," I offered.
"Thanks. This orange shit pisses me off," Jamie mumbled and pulled at the collar of his jumpsuit.
"Don't worry. Get in the shower and I'll be back before you're done," I said and shut the door behind me.
* * *
Kordevik
"It's called a cattle station. This was for sale. The Hiboux family just bought it, they merely don't know that yet," Zaria answered my question.
Zaria had set us down in the middle of nowhere, Western Australia, disappeared for ten minutes and then reappeared, telling us that my family was going to stay here.
On five thousand square miles of a cattle station.
"Congratulations, Lord Weth, you're a temporary grazier," Zaria handed a wad of keys to my father. "The house and outbuildings are just over that rise," she pointed eastward.
"Do we have cattle, too?"
"Not at the moment. Those went to a different buyer. Make yourselves at home. Send mindspeech if you need something."
"Baby?" I looked at Lexsi, silently asking her if she wanted to stay with my family or go back to the ship.
"Can we visit?" she asked. Lexsi wanted to go back to the ship. She felt overwhelmed by hundreds of brothers-in-law; I could feel it.
"We'll be back," I hugged my father.
"Not to worry—we have settling in to do," he said.
* * *
V'ili
Laurel was spitting profanity at Daris, for allowing Berke's death.
"It was a fucking vampire, who appeared right behind him and had his head off before I could lay any spell," Daris hissed back.
"Then, instead of killing the fucking vampire, you turned tail and ran." Laurel wasn't done, yet.
"Shut up," I held up a hand and laid obsession on Laurel. "We didn't break you out of prison to attack us over Berke's death. He was worthless to us, anyway. We need someone to fetch, carry and clean. After Deris lays a disguise on you and Dervil, you will serve us willingly."
"Very good," Morgett wandered in. "The news programs are already saying they escaped—except for James Rome and Berke Gillson, who were found dead in Berke's cell. Too bad they'll never know that their identities were switched."
"I hope you know how to cook," I narrowed my gaze at Laurel. "It won't go well for you if we find you're useless, too."
"I want Deris to burn her," Daris crowed.
"Not yet, my darling girl," Morgett told her. "She will serve us until we tire of her."
"He's ready for you," Deris appeared with Dervil, who now wore a disguise and several burn marks on his body.
"You will serve us," I said to Dervil, although I wanted more than anything to tell Deris to go fuck himself.
Chapter 8
Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis
Lissa
"Except for Wendevik and a handful of others, the entire Weth clan has disappeared," I told Glinda. "That includes Nedevik and his wife."
"Where did they go? Has Jayd accused them of treason?" Glinda whispered. She'd gone pale when I delivered the news received from one of Rigo's spies.
"They're safe," I said. "I can't reveal their whereabouts just yet."
"Are my daughters safe?" Glinda's blue eyes held a great deal of concern.
"They've been sent to the Southern Continent, away from the violence in Veshtul."
"I haven't had the courage to send mindspeech." Glinda closed her eyes and sighed. It pained her to make that admission.
"Send mindspeech. Tell them they're welcome here. Husbands, too, unless they want to wage war or kiss Jayd's ass."
"That's the Queen I should have been," Glinda had tears in her eyes when she looked up at me. "I should have stood strong. Stood toe to toe with Jayd and Gard
e when I thought they were wrong. You see how that turned out. All this time, Veshtul was a powder keg waiting to explode and I had no idea."
"I think the humanoids were tired of being treated like second or third-class citizens," I said.
"Like they treated the comesuli."
"I didn't say that, but it doesn't mean I disagree. Comesuli serve on the Council, here. They have laws specific to them that protect them from vampire predation. We can't go easy on those who violate the laws. Vampires are too strong and can be too dangerous to do otherwise."
"Like High Demons are strong and can be dangerous."
"Yes. Being strong or powerful is one thing. Using those things to harm or take advantage of weaker beings makes you a bully, at the very least. Highly dangerous at the worst."
"I should have come to you in the past." Glinda sighed again. "Perhaps I wouldn't have been set aside by the Saa Thalarr, and be more than I am, now. I chose the easy path. The non-committal one."
"It's not easy to argue with someone day after day," I pointed out. "It will wear you down before you know it. Eventually, you'll just let things go to keep the peace."
"Until the peace is broken by riots and burning."
"Yeah."
"What am I going to do?" Glinda begged.
"Let's think about this," I said. "It's a convoluted mess, and there won't be easy answers."
* * *
Larentii Archives
Nefrigar, Chief Archivist
"There's something there—some sort of malevolence. It has echoes of Liron and Acrimus in it," Corinnelar explained.
On the Larentii homeworld, she is Corinnelar. Everywhere else, she is called Zaria. I see her as my daughter in all ways.
"When do you suppose this happened?" Valegar asked.
"Less than thirty years, I think," she replied. "I've gone back forty, and the same thing isn't there."
"Perhaps laid there during the time of Kifirin's death, when none were watching the planet closely?" I guessed.
"They were busy elsewhere," Corinnelar said. "Neck deep in the god wars at the time. Nobody would think of watching the High Demon world during that short time-span."
"So a sickness was planted beneath the dungeons?" Valegar asked.
"It looks that way. I think it has slowly seeped through the palace and affected all those who live there."
"Can it be eliminated?" I asked. "In the opinion of the Vhanaraszh?"
"I think it can be, by Changing What Was for the palace and its inhabitants," she appeared thoughtful. "The real damage is already done, though. The humanoids of Kifirin will never again trust the royal house of Rath."
"Understandable," Valegar agreed.
"Papa Neff," Corinnelar turned to me.
"What is it, daughter?" The nickname she'd given me made me smile.
"Is there a copy of the Metal Library in the Archives?"
"No, Daughter. The Metal Library is sentient, alive and constantly changing. We cannot keep such here."
"But if it chose to stay here?"
"That is a different thing. I have my doubts it would choose this."
"I want to ask where it came from," she whispered and dropped her eyes. "But I'm afraid to know the answer."
"There is a tale," I said, reaching out to touch her face gently. "That before all, it was. That it is the parent of all, before the beginning. Within it is dark and light. It holds the story of every creature, including the ones that evolved from others. Or so the tale says."
"Why did it choose Earth, then?" she asked.
"I believe it is because the Three were born there after they chose to be born, so they could fight in the god wars."
"So it could watch over them?"
"I don't think so. I think it was prepared to destroy everything, if the rogues triumphed."
"Nobody knows this, do they?" Corinnelar whispered.
"It is only speculation on my part," I replied. "I cannot verify it."
"I have to digest all this," she said. "Thank you."
"You are welcome, Daughter. Visit me whenever you wish. I hope to have better answers to other questions in the future."
* * *
Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis
Lissa
"Would you like tea?" My hands shook as I lifted the delicate teapot to pour Zaria a cup.
"Yeah." She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her forehead. The news she'd brought had infuriated me—that Acrimus and Liron had left a nasty gift behind on Kifirin after Kifirin himself was killed.
Bree brought him back later by Changing What Was, but there was a period of time when the planet Kifirin was unguarded.
"So whatever this is has affected those who live in the palace?"
"I believe so. Those who spend a lot of time there—servants and such—have been affected, too. I believe some of them may be leading the charge where the riots are concerned. If I'm right, it exploits your weaknesses and turns them into your faults," Zaria added.
"So Glinda became weaker and less assertive, and Jayd became more controlling and elitist—right along with his older brother, Garde."
"High Demons before humans," Zaria agreed.
"This is so fucked up. Can you fix this?" I sounded as if I were begging, and realized I was. Garde and I had allowed a fissure to develop into a wide crevasse between us. He seldom came to visit nowadays.
Torevik, our son, had gone to stay on Campiaa for the past ten years. He had a cabin in the mountains there, and used it as his primary residence. I'd wondered about that, but failed to consider his reasons for leaving Veshtul behind.
"I can Change What Was, but it won't make this whole thing go away," Zaria said. "The humans will still distrust High Demons—at least the ones in power and those who've attacked them. In addition, those humanoids who've committed crimes need to be brought to trial, and given a fair trial, too."
"So there are crimes on both sides?" I wasn't really surprised.
"Yes. Looting, burning, assaults—you name it. The RAA could have shut that down, but Jayd pulled out of the Alliance before that could happen."
"Kifirin is essentially engaged in a civil war right now," Zaria confirmed my thoughts on the matter. "With things the way they are; I'm worried the High Demon unrest will spill onto other worlds."
"Because that's what Acrimus and Liron wanted."
"I'm worried that one of those assholes leaked the information on the Metal Library to the Ra'Ak three centuries ago, too," she said.
"What part can it play in all this?" I asked.
"Trust me, neither of us really wants an answer to that."
"We ask that you wait to Change What Was—for another three weeks," Kifirin and Li'Neruh Rath appeared together.
"I can do that—I wasn't intending to do anything about it right away," Zaria nodded to both. Kifirin took the chair next to mine; Li'Neruh chose the one beside Zaria. I poured more tea while Kifirin and Li'Neruh considered what to say to us.
* * *
New Zealand Waters
Lexsi
Kory and I stood on an upper deck as we floated through Milford Sound. We'd already gone through two other sounds, but this one was the most beautiful, in my opinion. Nearby, Anita and Watson snapped photographs with their cell phones.
Jamie, who'd wandered onto the deck, sat on a deck chair looking lost. Opal had brought a suitcase filled with clothes from San Rafael for him, so he'd be comfortable, at least.
I had no idea how she and Kell had worked out his presence on the ship, but Jamie now wore a sea pass around his neck so he could eat and drink while on board.
I went to sit beside him.
"I'm a man without a country, now," he sighed as I settled onto a deck chair. "I don't really exist anymore."
I leaned over to read the name on his sea pass; Chuck Kent was printed there. "You've had time to think about this, huh?" I asked.
"Yeah. It hit a few hours ago."
"If you don't want to stay here, Gran will l
et you live on Le-Ath Veronis."
"Who's your Gran?" he asked.
"The Queen."
"My brother's on Avendor."
"I grew up on Avendor. My mother and uncle live there."
"My mother lives there, too. At SouthStar, last I heard. She looks younger than I do—or at least younger than I used to look."
"My mother and uncle own EastStar, and Mom says everybody at SouthStar grows younger until they get back to their prime."
"Strange. And wonderful, at the same time. Sometimes I dream about gishi fruit," he added.
"Me, too. It's like slices of heaven. Every year, during harvest, I'd almost make myself sick eating so much of it. It costs a fortune, too, and Mom and Uncle Edward never said a thing about how much I gobbled up."
"The privilege of growing it," Jamie smiled for perhaps the first time in days.
"I didn't realize how privileged I was until I went to school on Wyyld," I said. "Gishi fruit in the market during season was so pricey I felt embarrassed to buy it. Some of my classmates certainly couldn't afford it. When I told Mom, she made arrangements to have several crates delivered to the school, courtesy of an anonymous benefactor."
"Did they guess it was your family?"
"No. The school I went to is for children of diplomats, Kings, Queens, Presidents and such, to learn Alliance Policy and Procedure. There, we were known only by our first names, or, if the first name could be recognized, by a nickname. Nobody had a title during those three years. Ildevar Wyyld, Founder of the Reth Alliance, created it so those who'd come to power one day would have a strong foundation to work from, rather than floundering when it was thrown at them unexpectedly."
"How did you get the background to become a reporter, then?"
"We took extensive courses in handling the media," I shrugged. "It came from that."
"That makes sense, I suppose."
"It helped a lot. I guess the media is pretty much the same, no matter where you are."
"I wouldn't know, I've barely been off the planet," Jamie said. "You've made me feel better, though. Like I could have a place somewhere else."
"When I get to go home, you can come with me," I said. "If you want. I think you could start a media dynasty somewhere else."
"It's what I know," he agreed. "Maybe I could get Jayson to help."
A Demon's Due: Latter Day Demons, Book 3 Page 10
