High Demon 3 - Demon's King

by Connie Suttle

  Wylend—he was smooth and charming on the outside. Tough as steel on the inside, and once he chose to love someone, that love was fierce and consuming. He loved me, even though he held it back when he took me to dinners or brought me in on his arm at a ball he was holding at his palace. If any money-hungry woman saw Wylend's palace, they'd have pushed for marriage right away. I was content to wait with Wylend until I was free of the ASD.

  Karathia still wasn't a member of the Alliance. Well, the Reth Alliance, anyway. Wylend never said, but he was watching the Alliance Teeg was putting together very carefully. Eventually, Karathia would be forced to make a decision. Even I knew that—it simmered around Wylend most of the time, although he didn't think I'd guessed at it.

  Wylend had been King of Karathia for six thousand years—had inherited the throne from his father after taking down the warlocks who'd attempted a coup by murdering his father, the former King. Wylend was a powerful warlock and he surrounded himself with powerful warlocks he could trust. Erland Morphis, Ry's father, was one of those and perhaps the best and strongest that Wylend had around him. Ry had inherited his father's abilities plus some, unless I missed my guess. After all, Queen Lissa, who rumor had it was a goddess, was mated to Kifirin the god and was Ry's mother.

  "I thought about you the whole time I was building this place," Teeg moved my hair aside to place a kiss on my neck. "The kitchen was built with you in mind. Not too big, not too small, with cabinets and things that you can reach easily. I wasn't thinking when I put Arvil's together. You have to have a step-stool to reach the upper shelves."

  "Teeg, what are you doing?" I turned to face him. "The ASD is searching for me and for Gavril. You have to know that. They'll go crazy if they learn you have both of us." I didn't add that Wylend would likely send anybody he had (and that was a lot of warlocks) if he learned that Teeg held me and his great-grandson hostage. Wylend was Lissa's grandfather. Erland was one of Lissa's mates. If that wasn't a double whammy (one of Lissa's terms) against Teeg, then I was a lion snake shapeshifter.

  "Reah, where bags?" Nenzi walked in, carrying Teeg's bag and mine.

  "Nenzi, you don't have to carry my stuff around, I can do that." I went to take my bag from his hand. I gave him a hug when he smiled and dropped Teeg's bag on the floor. Farzi came in carrying Teeg's other bag. Teeg had two cases—I'd fit my things into one. That was the reverse of how things usually were, but the ASD had taught me to economize.

  "We'll take it from here," Teeg smiled at the reptanoids. Farzi pulled Nenzi out of the bedroom.

  "They've loved you since they met you, I think," Teeg sighed. "Arvil never knew that they'd have killed him if he'd tried to hurt you in any way."

  "They're like my family," I said, walking toward the wall of windows to stare at the cityscape surrounding us. I realized as I said it that I'd handed Teeg another weapon against me.

  "I know that," Teeg said, dropping his hands on my shoulders. "I'll never hurt them, Reah. They've been hurt enough in the past. When you offered them love, it was the first time that had been given to them. They soaked it up like a sponge. Nenzi talks about you often. He missed you the most, I think. Now that you're back and he can touch you anytime he wants, he's the happiest lion snake shapeshifter in existence, I think."

  "Farzi is more reserved, but I think its shyness," I said. I'd watched him—he always closed his eyes in pleasure when I hugged him or stroked his scales while he was lion snake.

  "They love being touched while they're lion snake," Teeg agreed. "It's confirmation that they're not repulsive in that form. That someone loves them, despite what they look like."

  "I'm sure they didn't get that growing up," I said. "And that's a shame."

  "Well, are you dressed to go hunting with me?" Teeg moved away.

  "Hunting where?"

  "Up in those mountains." Teeg pointed toward a mountain range I could barely see in the distance. I saw snowcapped peaks, but that was all I could see through the windows of Teeg's top floor apartment. I imagined the apartment took up the entire floor, but I wasn't going to ask.

  "I'm not dressed for that." I turned to pull my bag off the floor.

  "I'll do that. Jes says no heavy lifting for another eight-day, at least." Teeg lifted my bag easily and dumped it on the bed. I found my black leathers with the jacket quickly and walked into the bathroom to change.

  The bathroom was almost as large as the bedroom and held a spa tub that could accommodate at least ten people. A separate bathing tub only half as large, plus a spacious shower took up one wall. A lengthy vanity with three sinks took up the opposite wall, and the closet took up the rest of the space. "Were you thinking of me when you put in three sinks?" I asked, coming out later with my leathers on.

  "No, I was thinking of me. My baths all have two sinks and I use both of them. The third one here is for you."

  "That's nice," I muttered.

  * * *

  "Generally, a power-seeker's talent extends about two clicks." Astralan was explaining things to me as we stood inside a tiny cave of sorts on the side of a mountain. We were staring down the mountain for more than two clicks. A compound had been constructed there, but it was mostly covered in snow. Useful if you were a wizard or warlock who could fold in and out. Reaching the buildings below would be next to impossible unless you flew, and then you'd have to be able to spot it from above. That would be an impossible task, since it was probably blocked by spells.

  "I can't get you any closer than this—they'll either sense me or I'll set off the power-spotting spell," Astralan added.

  "You don't know if they're home?" I stared at Teeg incredulously.

  "Reah, it isn't as if we can give them a call on their communicator," Teeg said grimly, staring down at the compound. The clear air around us shimmered as a wind blew across the face of the mountain, stirring up the freshly fallen powder snow on the surface. The snow was blinding in the morning light, so I was thankful we stood inside the darkness of the tiny cave. I shivered, but not from the cold. What was Teeg going to ask me to do?

  "Astralan, we'll take it from here." Teeg nodded to the warlock, who nodded back and disappeared.

  "You've got them eating out of your hand, now," I muttered. Teeg hmmphed at my statement.

  "Reah, they're people. Powerful people, but still people. Did you think only the lion snakes needed somebody to care about them? Money isn't everything, you know."

  "Fine. Those warlock brothers are now brother-priests."

  "Reah, they'll never be brother-priests." I knew that—brother-priests gave away all their possessions to the poor and then lived among them. They funneled donations to those most in need, helped them keep their housing repaired, scoured cities in search of funds, clothing, food—anything else they could find. Their brown robes let everyone know who they were, in addition to the tattoos on their foreheads. "But they have become decent people. They only needed a nudge here and there to push them in the right direction."

  "I suppose they don't fry anyone anymore either," I grumped.

  "They only do that when necessary. When is the last time you killed someone who deserved it?"

  "About six moon-turns ago. A murderer who was taking children." He'd tried to attack me when I found him. He died swiftly. "Did you find my knife when you found me?" I asked. Thinking about my last kill had brought it back to mind.

  "Yes, and I have it locked safely away. Nice work—Grey House unless I miss my guess."

  "Difik," I muttered. Teeg laughed.

  "Now, we're going down the side of this mountain," Teeg informed me after his mirthful episode had passed. "You're going to turn and carry me."

  Staring at Teeg in horror, I huddled against the cave wall at my back. He must have learned of my Thifilatha from my records. If I turned Thifilatha, my clothing would be burned away. If I undressed first, I'd be naked and freezing.

  "I know you're still recovering, baby, but this is important. You'll only be cold for a few ticks, I promise. I t
hink the heat from your Thifilatha will melt snow as we go down. I'll carry your clothing—you know your heat won't harm anything that you will it not to harm. That means me, in case you haven't figured that out. Remember, I hold Gavril. If I don't come back, Gavril doesn't live either." Teeg knew I could turn and he was threatening Gavril again. I stalled a little.

  "Teeg, the sun is too bright—my eyes are watering just from looking at it from here."

  "I have this," he drew out a wide, loosely woven black cloth. "I'll tie it around your eyes when you kneel down after the change. You can see through this and it'll protect your eyes while we travel."

  "You've thought of everything," I muttered sarcastically.

  "That's how I stay alive," Teeg countered. "Take off your clothes, Reah. Let's get started."

  Undressing in subfreezing temperatures was certainly topping my list of things I never wanted to do again. I think my skin was blue in the time it took to remove my top and pants and I was moving as quickly as I could. "Hurry, baby," Teeg urged. He didn't need to, I was already hurrying as fast as possible. I had to step outside the cave to turn, otherwise I would have destroyed it when the change came. At least the cold no longer hurt me when I changed, rising to eighteen hands tall in the bright morning sunlight upon a snow covered mountain.

  "Kneel down!" Teeg was shouting as I attempted to shade my eyes against the glare. I realized eventually that he was shouting at me—the wind was telling me things as I listened to it. I had to huddle in melting snow while Teeg tied the blindfold around my eyes. It was just as he'd said—I could see through the loose weave of the cloth and it did make the brightness bearable. Lifting Teeg afterward, we strode down the mountain as snow sizzled and melted around each step I took.

  "Hurry, baby." I was shivering again while trying to dress damp skin in tight leather. It wasn't going very well. We stood on what looked to be a back porch area behind the compound—a concrete deck with a short concrete wall around it and a low, overhanging ceiling. I'd had to stop outside it and turn, forcing Teeg to haul me over a snow bank and onto the concrete floor. Teeg had to help dress me; my fingers were freezing after five ticks.

  Our target didn't expect an attack from this side of the house, and certainly not in the form it came. Who knew if they even suspected High Demons were real? Jes had thought they were myth. He'd asked me many questions while he'd worked at getting my strength and agility back. Some I'd answered, some I hadn't.

  Teeg had an electronic card in his pocket. All he had to do was swipe it around the locked door leading onto the concrete patio and there was a beep before the door opened for us. I knew to be quiet as we walked inside—Teeg held a ranos pistol in his hand as we cautiously made our way through a storage room. He walked ahead of me—barely—as we made our way through the entire compound, room by room, building by building. The compound consisted of a five-sided collection of buildings with a central roof covering all of it. The roof was constructed of reinforced steel and built to withstand the snow that might fall upon it. A slow-melter worked to keep the snow at a manageable level and also provided water for the compound—we found the control box for it and the rest of the compound inside one room in the second building. The entire place was empty. Teeg holstered his pistol.

  "Now what?" I asked.

  "We make ourselves at home until they come back." Teeg was grinning. I just shook my head at him—it sounded like colossal foolishness to me.

  "And what do you intend to do if we can't handle what shows up?" I had my hands placed strategically on my hips.

  "I have this," he pulled the transmitter that made my skipping and mindspeech useless from an inside jacket pocket.

  "How many pockets does that thing have?" I reached a hand toward him.

  "Nope, you don't get to explore right now," he grinned, pulling the transmitter beyond my reach. "Let's see what they have to eat in the kitchen."

  The kitchen and six bedrooms were all inside the same building—the fourth one we'd explored. All were connected through a tunnel that ran underneath. At least the inside of the compound was warm enough. Teeg said the snow outside helped insulate everything. Sunlight collector poles painted white covered the top of the compound, too. We hadn't seen those until we'd gotten very close. Everything was solar-powered. I found food in a freezer and prepared a meal. I was tiring, though, and cleaning up the kitchen afterward took the last of my strength.

  "Lie down, baby." Teeg led me to a comfortable sofa in the media room. Our rogue warlocks hadn't denied themselves any comforts.

  "This was Zellar's hideout, wasn't it?" I asked as I curled up on the sofa.

  "We think so, yes," Teeg nodded. "Sleep for a while, Reah. I'll wake you if our residents show up." Teeg leaned in to kiss my forehead as he knelt next to the sofa. He was rubbing my belly gently as I fell asleep.

  * * *

  "Erland." Wylend looked up from the message he'd received to watch his best and strongest ally's face as he handed the news to him.

  "My King?" Erland decided to go formal.

  "Erland, I want you to look at this message I received. I can't trace it to the source—it has been blocked. Tell me what you think." Erland accepted the comp-vid from the King of Karathia.

  King Wylend, greetings, the message began. I am contacting you to arrange a meeting. As you know, I am forming an alliance, which many are calling the Campiaan Alliance. It is my hope that you will consider joining. I think many things can be arranged to our mutual benefit. I am attempting to make this alliance a mirror of the Reth Alliance, but as you likely know, it will be a long road. So far, I am making slow but steady progress. Things are gradually coming in line with the placement of laws and such. I will contact you again soon to learn your feelings on this. I know you have been doing research already. The message was signed Teeg San Gerxon.

  "So he knows we've been snooping," Erland handed the comp-vid back to Wylend.

  "I would know," Wylend agreed. "Is there anything new on Reah or Gavril?"

  "Nothing since we got word that two bodies were hauled away from that hotel—one in pieces, the other still intact. The word I got from the ASD source was that the second was still breathing when they hauled it out—it was held inside a stasis gurney."

  "Then Reah may still live." Wylend set the comp-vid aside.

  "Gardevik seems to think his son would know if she'd died—his Thifilathi would be grieving if she had. So far, Tory's Thifilathi is fine."

  "Then I might wish for such a barometer," Wylend sighed. "Did I make a mistake waiting? Erland, tell me I was not the greatest fool you've ever seen."

  "My King, you are not a fool. Reah herself saw the sense in this, I think. How many potential captors might have gone looking for her before this, if they learned you were mated? This was wisest, Wylend. She has nothing to give them now. Not where you're concerned."

  "What are they doing to her—if they have her?" Wylend's eyes watered.

  "My King, we will find her and she will be whole." Erland went to hold Wylend's head against his chest.

  * * *

  "Mom, what did Kifirin say to you? About Gavril?" Tory couldn't stand it any longer—he had to know. He'd been hit twice—first with Gavril's disappearance and then with Reah's. His Thifilathi knew Reah still lived, but in his humanoid form, Tory fretted and worried.

  Lissa lifted her head from signing her name on the comp-vid with a stylus. She looked haggard—Tory saw the dark smudges beneath her eyes.

  "He says we'll see Gavril again one day, but he will not be the same." His mother's words stunned Tory; he sat down heavily on one of the chairs Lissa kept at the front of her desk.

  "How? How will he not be the same? Are they hurting him? What are they doing to him?"

  "Baby, I don't know," Lissa let her head drop onto her desk. "Kifirin won't tell me and my superiors tell me I can't interfere." She raised her eyes to look at Tory's face. "We have to wait. That's what Graegar says."

  "You talked to Graegar?" Tory
breathed a sigh. Graegar was one of the five Larentii Wise Ones. They held their doings secret most of the time. Their abilities, too, were a closely guarded secret by all the Larentii race. All Tory had was whispered conjecture and speculation.

  "I talked to Graegar and Garegar." Garegar was Graegar's son and also a Wise One. Seldom did two appear at once in the same place and they were always accompanied by their protectors. "Garegar agreed with his father." It was Lissa's turn to sigh deeply. "We wait. This has hurt Gavin more than I can say."

  "Mom, he never expected to have a child. Now, somebody has taken the one he did get. With you."

  "Yes. Connegar and Reemagar are watching both of us. If they didn't place the healing sleep, we wouldn't sleep at all, I don't think."

  * * *

  "See, if you dovetail the joints, they fit together better and you don't need nails." Gavril watched as Dormas finished cutting the pieces of a cabinet drawer. The one who'd taken him had set him down in Dormas' large shop. Dormas was now the one who held him captive. Gavril had been warned; that Reah could die if he didn't do as he was told. Therefore, he stayed with Dormas and learned carpentry.

  Dormas had every tool imaginable, modern and powered, but he was teaching Gavril how to do everything by hand first. That's how Dormas had learned. He only worked at night—he owned a very large construction firm on Mharbool. Mharbool had a thriving vampire population—they worked at night, allowing the humanoids to work the days. Dormas was five thousand turns a vampire and had learned all his skills by working with his hands. He still enjoyed his work, though he currently built high rises rather than simple huts.

  At first, Gavril had found it difficult to stay awake at night—he'd been used to doing everything during the day and sleeping at night. Now he was getting better at staying awake until dawn. It was still close, though, and Gavril was blinking sleepily as Dormas snapped the two dovetailed pieces together.

  "Time for bed," Dormas smiled at Gavril, tousling his hair. "Come, we'll get you a light snack before we sleep." Gavril followed Dormas out of the workshop.