"This is amazing," Chef Harding moaned with pleasure as he tasted his portion.
"I am happy with this," I agreed—the recipe had been bubbling in my head for a while—I just hadn't found the time to try it. We had a menu planned around the fish before all was said and done. Norian, Lissa and Lendill walked into the kitchen right then and I was proud of myself—I didn't slam plates down or grumble as I served the Director and his second-in-command.
"I'm immune to poisons, so you'll have to kill me a different way," Norian's half-grin was a little on the wry side. Lendill said nothing at all.
"Permission to speak freely, Director?" I asked, gazing steadily at Norian Keef.
"Permission granted."
"I wouldn't stoop to killing you," I snapped. "You're not worth spending the rest of my life in prison over, or dying on one of the worlds that still hands out the death penalty. Vice-Director," I pointed an angry glare at Lendill Schaff, "I hope your life is never in danger. I might have second thoughts about saving that tight ass of yours." Skipping to get to Aurelius had been easy—I don't know why I hadn't thought of doing it before. I skipped away now; it was a simple feat to accomplish.
* * *
"Bel?" The light was dim inside his cell but bright in the hallway just outside it, making it difficult to identify the wizard. Bel was sitting on a cot shoved against the back wall, his gaze locked on the white wall opposite his cage. His expression was a hopeless one—he didn't expect to get away from his Alliance prison.
"Reah? Thank the gods—they wouldn't give me any information on you. We thought you were dead." Bel stood and walked toward the bars, staring at me as if I were a ghost.
"No, just almost there for a while," I shrugged.
"Reah, this isn't what it looks like," Bel said, holding out his hand to me. He was careful not to brush against the bars of his cage.
"I was hoping it wasn't," I said, grasping his fingers in mine. "But I have to tell you, it doesn't look so good from the Alliance standpoint."
"I know. Reah, you have no idea how bad things are. The High Commander is in charge of things on Mandil, now. The Prince Royal is little more than a figurehead. Has been for a while." Bel shook his head in dismay at his own statement. "We didn't realize until later that three of the Prince's wizards aren't Mandili—they came from somewhere else. They were hired by the High Commander, and everything the Prince said or did was funneled straight to that stinking pile of—well. The High Commander paid the desert villages to raise drakus seed alongside their citrus crops. It was easy enough to accomplish." Bel squeezed my fingers and let them go.
"The Prince came to the Rangers shortly before you came to us, Reah. He asked us to place ourselves under the High Commander's authority, to spy on his activities. If it hadn't been for the drakus seed, the High Commander would have ordered the outlying villages to empty and come to Crown City long ago, when the demons first attacked. He wasn't willing to let all that go—he just hadn't calculated on the strength or the tenacity of the enemy we faced. He didn't know what they were. He sent us and those other two cohorts to the desert outposts to protect the locals and their drug crop. Those fool wizards the Prince has don't have much in the way of protection against spawn. The High Commander almost destroyed Mandil."
"Bel, are you telling me you were undercover? The whole time?"
"Reah, please believe me. We'll die over this—they're sending us back to Tulgalan for judgment, didn't you know? One of those kids who died was the son of a High Council member. They'll sentence us to Evensun for that reason alone. Leave it to the High Commander to recruit shit for brains Nods Whitlin."
"You're telling the truth, I'd know if you weren't," I said. He was telling the truth. I'd been able to tell truth from a lie since I was six. I'd known Marzi was telling me the truth when she'd whispered her poison in my ear. "But what were you going to do? I mean, there had to be some sort of plan, didn't there? After you reported back to the Prince?" At that moment, I was desperately hoping there was a plan.
"Reah, we—the Rangers—were hoping to take the High Commander's wizards down, as soon as we figured out what they were doing and who they were selling to. We don't have any contacts with the Alliance—all we have is a shaky treaty to leave each other alone and a few wizards who are still loyal to the crown. I don't know if our ability will be enough—we've missed Lin and Jorvis. More than you can ever know. We miss you, too, Reah. I don't know what it was that we saw that night; I only know that without it, we would all be dead."
Both of us gasped and turned as we heard footsteps coming down the hall. "Go, Reah," Bel hissed. "You don't need to be caught here!" I took Bel's advice and skipped away.
* * *
"Can we believe this?" Lendill Schaff held up the small chip from the hidden camera, wiggling it suggestively at Norian.
"I think we can," Norian grinned. "Reah gets us what we want and we didn't even have to do anything for it."
"Except act like assholes," Lendill muttered, handing the chip over.
"Yeah—we have a lot of begging and scraping to do after we get this cleared up."
"If we get it cleared up. The more drakus seed that gets out, the more deaths it leaves in its wake. If this becomes widespread, the entire Alliance could fall. The Alliance worlds are looking to the ASD and the Alliance armies to deal with this. It has become too large a problem much too quickly, and we have too little intelligence to kill it swiftly. The member worlds will break away and try to handle the problem themselves if it looks like we can't." Norian rubbed his forehead—he felt a headache coming on. "Ever since those fools on Campiaa decided to form their own Alliance by accepting every black-hearted planet in the known universes, we've been under attack. If we can't get this cleaned up soon, the Reth Alliance could die a painful death. They're trying to break us up, Lendill. Any way they can."
"Then I have a suggestion," Lendill smiled.
"What's that?" Norian was willing to listen to anything at this point.
"We're sending the prisoners to Tulgalan in three days. Let's stage a breakout along the way and attribute it to those rogues we have in custody. Let's arrange for a quick death for our shooter, too. He killed all those kids—not the Rangers." Lendill had come to think of the captive wizards in those terms—Bel and Reah both had referred to them that way. "If we let them go, perhaps the Rangers can finish their assignment. Or at least disrupt the flow of drakus seed from Mandil."
"Let's send ours back to Mandil with them—Ry and Tory both, in addition to Reah," Norian nodded in enthusiastic agreement. "The Rangers already know Reah, that won't be a stretch, and we'll say that our three were captured in the bust on Tulgalan—that they were rival dealers and such. Maybe our three, combined with the Rangers who work for the Mandili Prince, can successfully bring down the High Commander and his rogue wizards. Then the drakus seed farms on Mandil can be destroyed." Norian liked the idea. Very much. "You think we can pull this off, Lendill?"
"I'm all for giving it a try. How much danger do you think ours will be in?"
"Some, but remember, Tory and Ry can transport themselves away at any time. Reah, too, unless I miss my guess. How did she get into the dungeon otherwise?" Norian grinned mischievously. "We only have to convince the Rangers to cooperate. If we offer them freedom and the opportunity to complete the assignment for their Prince, I think they'll leap at the chance."
"I'll call them in for a meeting," Lendill agreed.
* * *
"We have a change of plans—you'll be going farther undercover than you've ever been before," Lendill paced as he made the announcement. "You'll have a new destination, too."
"Where is that?" Ry asked. He wasn't huddled against Tory; I was. He wasn't terrified of Vice-Director Lendill Schaff; I was. Ry, Tory and I took up the sofa in Queen Lissa's study as we listened to Lendill Schaff and Norian Keef.
"We'll tell you in a moment," Lendill assured us. Norian was seated behind Lissa's desk, his fingers steepled. He was wat
ching all three of us—very carefully. Some sort of plot was going on here; I just didn't know what it might be. "First, I want to show you some images recorded yesterday." Lendill held up a tiny chip.
I stared openmouthed as the entire conversation between Bel and me played on the vidscreen that popped out of a credenza behind Lissa's desk. Norian had moved aside so we could get the full picture. Why had I been so stupid? Why? I wanted to bang my head against the low, wood table in front of Tory, Ry and me. Tory moved his arm until his fingers were covering my forehead—he'd read my thoughts and was taking preventive measures. I'm sure I presented a lovely picture for both Lendill and Norian—my gaping mouth coupled with Tory's hand.
"Reah, you should learn that we have cameras everywhere—even if Lissa is unaware," Norian chuckled. Well, it was fine sport I'm sure, making fun of my stupidity and inexperience.
"We're not making fun of you," Lendill pointed out. "If you'd realized there were cameras, we wouldn't be in possession of vital information, now would we?" He was smiling. That smile twisted my heart and made me feel ill. He tapped a button on Lissa's desk, making the vidscreen go blank and slide back inside the credenza.
"Now," Lendill went on, "all three of you are officially under arrest."
Chapter 3
Vidscreens had been brought and hung on the walls opposite our cells. We got a very clear image of Tory, Ry and me, all being led away in cuffs toward the dungeon. A reporter was telling everyone in the Alliance how we'd been a part of the drakus seed fiasco on Tulgalan, which had nearly destroyed Taritha Village. They'd even recorded an interview with a tearful Silva. "I knew something was wrong with them," she wept. "They killed my Danthus."
A lie was in her words, and I figured it was an attempt to draw attention to herself, somehow. It made me feel ill.
"Don't let it get to you," Bel's cell was on my right. He, Hish and Max had all been brought into Lissa's office after cuffs were placed on Ry, Tory and me. All of us had been made aware of Director Keef's plan before being hauled down to the dungeon, in full view of Nods, whose cell was located just off the stairs. He had plenty of guards around him, too. I wondered if he knew that most of them were vampires.
"Did you tell?" Nods was standing at the bars of his cell and shouting at Bel as he'd walked past, his head down, his wrists cuffed.
"We can't get anything out of these," Lendill had snarled at Nods, who'd backed away in fear. "Maybe we'll have more luck with you—looks like you have your voice back, now."
Nods had appeared guilty and frightened, giving me the idea that he hadn't said anything until then. He glared at me, too. "So, trying to take our business away, huh?" He'd accused. Somebody had already been talking within his hearing. Norian had plotted this with a master's hand; I had to give him that. Nods would be sent back to Tulgalan to face justice. At first, they'd thought to kill him, but then thought it better if he made the journey to Tulgalan to stand trial. He was the shooter, after all. The rest of us were merely accused as accomplices. Evensun waited for Nods—I had little doubt of that.
Now, I sat in my cell and watched what everyone else in the Alliance was watching—the newsfeeds concerning how Ry, Tory and I had been engaged in a drug turf war, trying to take down a rival for the drakus seed trade. Seven people had died as a result, including Danthus. I was sorry about him—he'd seemed level-headed, whereas his brother Inis hadn't. Inis had survived, somehow. Is that the way it went, more often than not? I shook my head.
"Baby, don't let them hurt you." Tory's cell was on my left. Karzac had been down once already, complaining in a language I didn't understand the entire time. Norian and Lendill had watched while Karzac looked me over, putting his hands on me to ease aches and pains.
"She'll be ready to travel tomorrow, but that's all," Karzac looked as if he wanted to punch Norian as he walked out my cell door.
"Your concern is noted, healer," Norian sounded snippy. Karzac then proceeded to hold a lengthy conversation with Norian, still in a language I didn't understand. Norian looked well and truly chastised when Karzac was finished and stalking away.
"I've offended the healer," Norian muttered, before he and Lendill followed Karzac.
"Reah, come here, baby." Tory was holding his hand through the bars between our cages. I walked over and sat down next to him. He was barely able to kiss my forehead between the bars. "It'll be all right," he soothed.
* * *
"I send you after information, and I see this on the vids instead?" Wylend Arden looked as if he were about to tear his luxurious private suite apart. Erland watched the King of Karathia pace.
"My son is part of this too, I'll have you know," Erland pointed out. "As is Gardevik's. I can assure you, I couldn't see for the smoke billowing from Garde's nostrils when he learned of this. All I can say is that Norian Keef and his Vice-Director will be very dead men if this does not turn out in a satisfactory manner."
"I will be there before you, and they will suffer before they die," Wylend agreed.
* * *
"Reah, promise you will come back to me. Promise." Aurelius was stroking my face. He'd folded aboard the Alliance ship, run by ASD operatives—all of whom were trusted by Norian and Lendill. I didn't know how far to extend that trust if I were honest with myself.
"Auri, I will do everything I can to come back to you. I promise that," I said. I had no idea if any of us were going to live through this.
"I love you," Aurelius whispered and then disappeared before either of us could weep over the parting. I was shaking afterward.
"Very nice. Now get in your cell," the ASD agent snapped. He'd been watching us the whole time. Norian had given official permission, as he'd called it, for a visit before I was hauled off to Tulgalan. Meekly I entered my tiny cell and the door was shut and locked behind me. If I hadn't known that I could skip away from my cell, my claustrophobic Thifilatha would likely have been beating the door down.
I had no way to gauge time as we traveled—I was sealed off from the others inside the cell—there was barely enough room for the narrow bed and the food dispenser in the wall. No room to walk, pace or worry. No windows, either, so no way to communicate with my fellow prisoners. Except Ry and Tory had mindspeech.
Don't fret, avilepha. Tory's voice came; he was talking in my head quickly.
Reah, it will be fine—you'll see. Ry was now weighing in.
Oh sure, you've done this a hundred times, probably, I said right back to them. Not that it would do any good.
Reah? Did you just say something? Tory sounded shocked.
Did you hear me? I was shocked, too.
I heard you. Ry's mindspeech was thick with disbelief.
Holy crap. I used one of Gavril's favorite phrases. I hadn't been allowed to see Gavril—I'd been handed a comp-vid and we'd said good-bye that way. Gavril had been about to have a meltdown, as was I. He said much the same thing Aurelius had, asking me to promise to come back. It was so hard, saying that good-bye. Now I tried something else. Bel, can you hear me?
Reah? Shock was a mild word—astonished might have been closer to the mark. You have mindspeech, Reah? He thought to ask the second question.
It seems so, I answered. What about Hish and Max?
Not all the wizards have it—Delvin has it too. Hish and Max don't.
Where is Delvin?
Keeping the High Commander happy with his shielding tricks, Bel muttered mentally.
Poor Delvin. I thought Hish was the only one who could shield.
Hish is much better at it—Delvin's shields are weaker and he can only protect himself and one or two others. The High Commander is only worried about his own skin.
So Delvin is good enough for that and Hish can risk his life elsewhere?
Yes.
You know the High Commander is a coward.
Reah, don't say that to anyone other than to me or Delvin. And then only mentally. Understand?
That sounded worrisome. Did Bel suspect some of his own Rangers
? I was going to have to talk to Tory and Ry about that. I did. Immediately and at length. I told them about all the Ranger wizards who still lived, and what their talents were.
* * *
"Where are you going?" Wald asked. Edan was shrugging into his heavy coat; it was snowing outside. Edan's half-brother Wald didn't want to open the restaurant alone that evening.
"To the nearest constabulary station," Edan grumbled. He'd seen the vids, just as everyone else had. The name didn't fit, but he'd know that face anywhere. Reah had managed to get herself into too much trouble. It sounded as if she'd found a bad crowd after she'd been sent to who knew where by the idiot who worked for the Governor of the Realm. Edan had no desire to claim a daughter as his mother demanded. This was his excuse—he was ready to hand fabricated information to the constabulary and the ASD—that would absolve him of any responsibility where Reah was concerned. She was nothing to him, and he'd see to it that Addah Desh could never lay claim to her talents, either.
"Edan, there's someone here to see you," his assistant cook, Mardin, showed a man into Edan's office.
"I don't have time," Edan snapped, smoothing out the collar of his coat. He backed up quickly when an ASD badge was shoved in his face.
* * *
"Well, Edan, you managed to drag me into your little mistake, didn't you?" Marzi Desh hissed at her son.
"As if you didn't force me into it," Edan snapped back. The two had been left in an interviewing room together. Lendill was smiling as he watched the vid-recorder. They were about to give him everything he wanted and he wouldn't be forced to ask a single question. The rest of the family could be kept quiet if Lendill promised to keep this out of the news. He had an interview set up with Addah Desh the following afternoon.
* * *
It's time, Reah. I'd fallen asleep but Tory's voice in my head woke me.
Demon Revealed (High Demon Series #2) Page 4
