"That sounds really good," I nodded at their assessment. "Get whatever you need from my personal account."
Winkler stayed with me while I signed papers, answered communications and did everything else that needed to be done. Garde, Aurelius and Aryn had taken over the Council meetings in my absence and they were still handling things. I only had a few things in front of me that had been tabled—they were waiting for me to get back to handle those things. Nothing urgent, actually, they just wanted my input.
"Do you feel like a field trip?" I asked Winkler after the last bit had been handled. I knew there was much more, but Heathe and Grant had been instructed not to tire me out.
"If you'll have lunch with me and take a nap afterward," Winkler agreed.
"Sounds good. Let's go visit the Green Fae." Winkler's black eyes looked at me carefully before he nodded. He was the one to fold us there, too. We stood on the edge of the Green Fae village, beneath a large tree that had been a sapling a month or two before and watched as the Green Fae went about their business. We caught sight of Redbird once; she was carrying a basket of fruit while little Toff trotted along behind her. I sighed.
"Raona." Corent walked over and stood beside us.
"How are you, Corent?" I asked.
"Very well, as are the others. Toff is growing, as you saw." I could only nod; I didn't trust my voice to answer.
"We are all watching over him—that is the way of our people. He is talking a bit, now, as you might imagine. And learning to eat with utensils."
"That's good," I managed to say without choking up. "Does he need anything? Clothing or something?"
"We are well supplied; trade is going very well with the comesuli," Corent informed me. "We appreciate the gift of tools you sent." I was back to nodding again. Corent's hair was changing color, from light to dark blue as the leaves shifted and swayed over our heads in the mid-day breeze. Winkler put his arms around me. I leaned into his warmth.
"This is one of your mates?" Corent looked up at Winkler, who had a good eight inches on Corent.
"Yes, this is my wolf mate," I said.
"Werewolf?"
"Yes."
"I have never seen one before."
Winkler changed, right on the spot. He didn't have to disrobe any longer—with the abilities bestowed by the Saa Thalarr, it was no longer necessary. I ruffled the fur around Winkler's ears as he stood with me. Corent was quite surprised.
"He hunts on the full moon?" Le-Ath Veronis had only one moon. Harifa Edus had six. That's where Winkler and the other wolves of the Saa Thalarr usually went when they wanted a run. I had a feeling they watched as the werewolves there hunted, brought down game and challenged one another. It was the way things happened with werewolves.
"He usually goes to Harifa Edus. Do you know about that?"
"No. What is it?"
"Harifa Edus was the original werewolf planet, and it was uninhabited for a very long time. We have been working to repopulate it. Winkler visits at least once a month, during one of the six full moons."
"You did this—repopulating that world. Didn't you?"
"That was one of my goals, yes," I nodded.
"We thought we were taking from a selfish Karathian," Corent sighed. "A being who might deserve to have his child taken away. If we had known that the child we took was nothing of the kind," Corent didn't finish his statement.
"What's done is done," I couldn't stop the tears this time. I was embarrassed when one dripped onto my blouse before I could wipe it away. Winkler was back to himself quickly.
"Please excuse us," he nodded to Corent and folded me back to the palace.
* * *
"What did the Queen have to say?" Tiearan walked over to Corent.
"She wanted to see Toff, even from a distance. She was crying there at the end, so her werewolf mate took her away."
* * *
Jenderlin, the newly elevated crown prince of Cloudsong, sat inside the crown prince's suite while his father paced incessantly. Jenderlin wanted to halt his father with a word, but he had no words. Nothing would assuage his father's guilt over sending his brother out to a waiting ambush. Nothing. Jenderlin had always known that his father doted on Brandelin, his older brother. Jenderlin had always been the weaker of the two, in his father's eyes. Not even good enough to train in the military, although Jenderlin had read all the historical accounts of battles won and lost and had studied strategy, in addition to his other lessons.
Now, instead of advising his brother as his father planned when Brandelin took the throne, Jenderlin would take the high seat instead and he was frightened at the prospect. He had no desire to plot the course of Cloudsong's future. A welcome knock came on the door.
"Come," King Kenderlin growled. Kenderlin's master of the guard entered, hauling a prisoner along, his fist gripping the back of the captive's collar.
"I have news, albeit unwilling news," the master of the guard's growl eclipsed that of the king. "News that will explain your son's death." Kenderlin nearly gaped at the two who'd entered his study, but recovered his composure swiftly.
"Perhaps you should explain, then," Kenderlin sat behind Jenderlin's desk and glared at the prisoner.
Chapter 4
"Melida, we are very pleased to have you here." Glendes nodded at the new arrival. "Marid, thank you for bringing her." Glendes gave another nod to Melida's father. Marid was Chief of the Belancour Wizards and quite powerful. "We have everything arranged," Glendes continued, "The union will take place tonight before dinner, with the celebrations afterward."
"I wish to meet your grandson's other mate." Melida, dark-haired and pretty, looked about her as if she were weighing the worth of Glendes' study. Glendes looked slightly uncomfortable at Melida's question.
"That is not an option—Lissa has released Shadow from his union with her. You may be his only mate from this point on, unless he can convince her to return, somehow."
"I heard she was highly placed." Marid commented dryly.
"We were not at liberty to reveal that before, due to her position. It would have been improper of us at the time. Since she has released Shadow and we are no longer obligated to her or she to us, then I feel we can provide that information," Glendes replied smoothly.
"Who was she? Have I destroyed anything important?" Melida's question sounded insincere. Glendes wanted to release a sigh. As Eldest of Grey House, he was a good judge of character, having lived so long. Melida had a mercenary streak about her and Glendes didn't like it.
"A queen," Glendes shoved his thoughts aside and replied as smoothly as he could. "The Queen of Le-Ath Veronis. I will not lie to you—Shadow is most upset over this. Perhaps you may find a way to divert him from his anger and obsession." Glendes hoped desperately that Melida's beauty and any charms she might possess would serve to distract Shadow. His work was off and he remained uncommunicative.
"You expect me to divert him?" Melida snorted. "That was never my intention and not what you led me to believe when we reviewed your offer. I was to provide heirs only. I have no desire to become close to anyone. Ever again."
"You say the union has been completely dissolved—between the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis and your grandson?" Marid's gaze was intent on Glendes' face. Glendes wondered why Marid seemed so interested in Shadow's union with Lissa.
"It was never bound by written contract—it was spoken only and the Queen severed the spoken contract when she returned Shadow's ring. There is no hold on her—by any of us. She was free to go if she chose and that is what she did." Glendes attempted to read Marid's expression, but Marid was quite old and had learned long ago to hide his true intentions and interests behind a mask when it was prudent to do so.
Raffian had stood at his father's shoulder the entire time, listening. He, too, wondered why Marid was so interested in Lissa's contract—or lack of one—with Grey House. Glendes was handling this, however, so Raffian didn't ask.
"Come, Shadow and his grandmother are waiting in
my suite," Glendes urged Marid and Melida from his study. "I'd like you to meet them."
* * *
Garde and Erland had called a meeting of the Inner Circle, so I had to be there. It would be the first time we met without Shadow. Well, there were plenty of firsts ahead of me if I measured them in that way. We met in the library, as we usually did. Rigo, Thurlow and even Norian Keef grumbled when they discovered they weren't included. Norian Keef had moved into a suite at the palace and then proceeded to act as if he belonged there. Well, he was going to belong—for the next thirty years or so. I had to get used to that.
"We have a proposal." Erland was the one who spoke first. Garde sat beside him around the conference table. Even my two Larentii folded in at the last minute. Roff was resting his wings, allowing them to droop over the arms of his chair, the tips of soft brown leather touching the floor. Karzac was sitting on Erland's other side and it looked as if he were in on this, too—whatever it was.
"What's the proposal?" I leaned back in my chair to watch my mates. Kifirin was the only one absent, but that was the case much of the time.
"We want you to have children," Karzac said. "And there is a way to do this, if you consent."
Well, if anybody wanted to get my attention, that might be the way to do it. "What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Surrogate mothers," Gardevik chimed in. "The Larentii here tell us that they can manipulate a donor egg with your DNA, making it your egg. Erland and I have already secured willing surrogates and their fees will be paid if you consent. We can put them up at the beach house during their pregnancy. The children will be yours and ours, avilepha."
I was stunned. Completely. "Are you sure?" I squeaked. "The babies will be mine, with my genes and everything? Not the surrogate's or the egg donor's?"
"They will be, little mate," Connegar said, smiling at me. Okay, those blue eyes smiling at me were something to see. "We will extract a bit of your DNA and place it in the egg—afterward, it will match yours completely. Ferrigar has approved this—he says it is deserved."
"You'll get two babies, fathered by Erland and Gardevik first," Karzac had already talked to the Larentii, I could tell. "Then, if you want others, the rest of us will be happy to find surrogates and donate sperm."
"Karzac, do not kid me about this," I was standing suddenly, feeling numb. Was this true? They could do this?
"We can and will do this, if you say yes," Reemagar was smiling now, too. Both my Larentii smiling at the same time? Wow.
"Then I say yes. When can we do this?" I was so excited suddenly I was nearly vibrating.
"We will do this in two days—we will bring the surrogates then," Erland was considering coming across the table, I think, just so we could embrace. I misted to him instead.
"You're sure they don't mind?" I kissed Erland and asked questions in between.
"Love, they are very willing and the money will be well spent," Erland replied.
"Will they replace Toff in your heart?" Roff was now behind Erland.
"Honey," I started crying, then. "If I could get Toff back right this minute, I would. Nothing is ever going to fill that hole in my heart." I was kissing my winged vampire, then, and crying at the same time.
"I did not mean to upset you," I think Roff was crying with me. I could only hope that one day Toff would come back to us. I think we both clung to that hope.
"Honey, we have a right to be upset." I had my arms and my legs wrapped around Roff, and the others disappeared from the room like mist on a bright sunny day.
* * *
"Director, we have evidence that Black Mist may have scouted the planet." Vice Director Lendill Schaff had contacted Norian via comp-vid, and now they were discussing a new turn of events. "I know you wanted to investigate Trell first, but that can wait. This is more important."
Norian thought so, too. "We knew they would attempt to relocate eventually; I was hoping they'd head for Campiaa. Our spies there have been watching for them for months."
"Even those criminals wouldn't appreciate Black Mist living among them," Lendill Schaff replied. He and Norian had argued at length about placing spies on Campiaa. "Darthin is perfect for them—Black Mist prefers longer nights and shorter days for some reason. Campiaa is much too sunny."
"Do you think they intend to destroy the population on Darthin?"
"I have no idea, but they appear to be working their way through the capital city of Darthough. Murders and other crimes have certainly risen, and before this, Darthough had very little crime."
"Well, the Liaison will be available for travel in two days. We will attempt to join you there. I hope to find a reason for this and stop it before it is too late." Norian broke the communication with Lendill and sat back in his chair. He liked his office very much—Lissa had given him a better one than the closet he'd originally had. The space was quite large and had original art on the walls and a nice rug on the floor. He could spend thirty years using this office with no trouble.
* * *
"Lissa, why wouldn't you allow us in?" Thurlow actually sounded hurt. I didn't know what to do with that. Rigo looked crushed.
"Look, it was private, all right? Besides, it's not like you both couldn't hear what was going on anyway." I went to Rigo and brushed a lock of dark hair away from his face. "It'll work out. You'll see," I told him.
"Sit with me," he begged.
"All right. Where do you want to sit?"
"Come to dinner with me at New Fangled," he suggested.
"You're saying you're hungry?" I asked. I think I was smiling foolishly at him. After Thurlow had done whatever it was he'd done for Rigo—he could eat just as I could, although he still drank blood substitute most of the time.
"I could eat." Rigo was smiling, too.
"You know I've only been there once," I said, taking his arm. "And I only had blood substitute. What do they have on the menu that's good?" I folded Rigo to New Fangled.
"I am still getting used to the fact that many of your mates can transport themselves in this manner," Rigo smiled and put his arm around me as we walked through New Fangled's doors.
* * *
"My heir was actually my brother's son—my nephew," Rigo told me later over a plate of spaghetti. "My queen died in childbirth and I had no other wife. A very old vampire came to me as I was aging and voiced his worries regarding Argovarnus' penchant for self-absorption. I agreed with him and he offered vampirism as a solution, so I might guide my nephew's steps. At first I refused, but as Argo continued in his excess and his mistreatment of the population, I had no choice."
Rigo sipped his glass of wine, smiled at me and when I remained silent, he continued. "I hid myself away after my turning, only giving suggestions wrapped in compulsion, to this one or that. Until Halimel came along. He welcomed my advice and ruled wisely. Hal was my first turn. Then Rondival came, Alrenardo after that, and finally Brinelodus and Yandiveri. We formed a vampire army, too—when it was necessary to repel several takeover attempts. We became the Order of the Night Flower upon Hraede—my five vampire children and I. We often wished we could turn females, but after three failures, we no longer made the attempt. We became a living myth to the monarchs who had neither the ability nor the desire to rule wisely, and trusted advisors to the ones who had Hraede's best interests at heart. Over the years, too, we developed our poisons—the ones we used when there was no other way to eliminate evil."
I watched Rigo as he talked—he toyed with his wineglass while he told his story. "That's what happened to Satris, isn't it?" I asked.
"Tiessa, he would have been put to death here, had he not slipped through our grasp under the guise of diplomatic immunity. Therefore, two of your mates and I made sure that his sentence was carried out, by alternative means."
"I know. He took money from Solar Red and then refused to do or say anything when he knew those monsters were killing his people." I didn't add that he was responsible for Davan's death, in addition to the attempt on my l
ife.
"Someone else will take his place in a few weeks. I hope they rule with a wiser head."
"I hope there's someone in line for the throne who has a wiser head," I grumped.
"Tiessa, that is not for you to worry about." Rigo lifted my chin in his fingers. He'd insisted we sit together in the small booth against the wall and he leaned down to kiss me. "Someday, love, you and I will be mated. I am content to wait, but do not shut me out again, I beg you," he whispered against my mouth.
* * *
"You mean you're going to lift the specimen away without going through the usual?" I couldn't bring myself to say masturbation out loud. Connegar, Reemagar, Karzac, Jeff, Joey, Franklin and Gilfraith were all there, to either help or observe.
"I will do this—we have the donated eggs already; we took DNA samples from you and the eggs have been prepared. Now we only need sperm from Erland and Gardevik," Connegar smiled. Garde and Erland were both inside the master suite of the beach house on the light half. The two surrogates were in a bedroom down the hall—as soon as the sperm was obtained and the eggs fertilized, they would be placed with Larentii power and know-how into the wombs of the surrogates. Things were happening so fast, now.
I really didn't see anything—the specimens were taken amid blinding light, somehow combined with the eggs that Connegar Pulled in from somewhere and then Connegar and the healers folded into the bedroom next door for a few minutes. I didn't even have time to pace before they were all back. "We have a successful transfer and impregnation on both surrogates," Connegar was smiling.
"Wow, honey, that's spectacular," I said, giving him a hug.
"You might repay us by spending some time together," Connegar suggested.
"Right now, you can have anything you want," I smiled back at him.
We did spend some time together—about four hours—before Norian Keef came looking for me.
"We have trouble on Darthin—my agents believe the capital city of Darthough is being infiltrated by Black Mist. This may be the vanguard for a complete takeover. That's how they took Phraxes years ago." Norian had such hope in his eyes—hope that I'd take him and see what we could discover on Darthin. His fingers itched to clutch the throats of criminals, I just knew it. And, if he could corner Black Mist, he'd like it even better.
Blood Redemption (Blood Destiny #9) Page 6
