"What's going on?" Jes had taken a chance and walked into the mansion.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Norian went for Jes' throat as chaos erupted around them.
* * *
Farzi, Nenzi and their brothers stood quietly against the wall in Reah's room, weeping as the Larentii worked diligently to save Reah's life. Her tiny child was dead already—Teeg had tried to tell them what had happened but broke down in the middle of it.
Nenzi didn't understand any of it—someone had attacked their Reah with power, killing her baby and attempting to kill her too? And then, when the two women and the man appeared inside Reah's room, blasting the walls away, the Larentii sealed the fate of one of the female attackers, reducing her to particles as Nenzi turned to lion snake and sunk his fangs into the arm of the other. He recognized her immediately, as had his brothers.
Ardalin screamed as she stabbed Nenzi with a knife before dropping to the floor, dying from his poison. Nidris tried, using the power he'd gained, to reach the small woman lying on the bed. He hadn't counted on finding Larentii there, ready to separate his particles. Those he'd never have the power to overcome. Nidris cut his losses and folded away, leaving Ardalin dead on the floor, a lion snake bleeding out next to her, Yebri's atoms scattered somewhere and Jes held in a chokehold by Norian Keef.
"Don't let him die, it will kill Reah," Gavril shouted, struggling to get to Nenzi. Renegar, seeing the wisdom in Gavril's shouted command, knelt next to the bleeding snake and placed his hand over the wound.
Chapter 11
"You hired this as your personal physician?" Norian shouted in disbelief at Gavril. Jes sat in a chair, his wrists and ankles enclosed in zapcuffs. Jes couldn't escape—if he tried, Norian could send a killing jolt through the cuffs and Jes would die in mid-step.
"You seem to know him, why don't you tell me who he is," Gavril snapped
"Does the name Gergi Jarveston mean anything to you?" Norian paced in front of Jes' chair.
"The one who helped Marzi and Edan Desh kill Reah's mother?" Gavril's statement had Jes jerking his head up. He'd never heard the name of the child that had been born—he'd only seen her as a tiny baby when he'd handed the drug to Marzi—the drug that could cause hemorrhaging in a new mother. No names had been given—the money offered had precluded the need for information.
"That's the one," Norian snapped. Norian was in the foulest of moods and he had a headache. Not that he thought anyone would take pity on him and heal it—he was responsible for the death of Reah's daughter. Gardevik and the High Demon King hadn't been informed as yet and Norian didn't want to be anywhere near them when they learned of it. Reah's daughter was hope to them. Now, with Reah and Tory practically estranged, they might not get another child from that union and it could very likely be a boy if they did. Lissa and the others weren't going to forgive this. As it was, the Larentii were still working on Reah, pouring energy into her. According to Karzac, she'd been so close to death when Tory broke contact with Nidris' draining that only a blink later she would have died.
Tory had been placed in a healing sleep—Pheligar had forced him to return to his humanoid form and Karzac had been ready to place the sleep. Tory's Thifilathi had known, even if Tory hadn't—the baby was dead the moment he'd lifted her off the ground. Now, Jes was listening intently—Reah had been harmed? How had that happened? He ventured to ask the question.
"How-how is she?" He stuttered getting the words out.
"You don't know? I'm surprised—didn't you and Ardalin mastermind this?" Gavril shouted. He'd seen Ardalin's body—carried out of the room and tossed in the hall outside Reah's suite. Nenzi had killed her, as she'd stabbed the reptanoid. If Renegar hadn't saved him, Nenzi would also be dead.
"Ardalin wanted you," Jes snarled, lowering his gaze. "I only wanted Reah. Nidris promised to deliver if I could get him close enough. What happened to Yebri?"
"She thought to attack a Larentii," Gavril snapped. "It was the last thing she thought to do." Jes jerked back in fear; he'd never seen Teeg so angry. In fact, Teeg's eyes were red and were those—Jes huddled against the back of his chair.
"Didn't expect this, did you," Gavril hissed in Jes' face. "I was born vampire, you piece of shit. And if I'd listened to Reah, I'd have gotten rid of you long ago. Something wasn't right with you and she knew it. I just wasn't paying attention. And not only am I vampire, I'm a King Vampire. Do you know what that means?" Gavril's face was so close to Jes' now that Jes had wet himself; he was so frightened.
"N-no," Jes whispered.
"It means I can tell you to kill yourself—and you'd do it. I can tell you to kill yourself in the worst possible way and smile while you do it. Shall I do that, Jes?"
"Gavril, should I leave the room?" Norian asked.
"I say no—my son needs to get himself back in hand." Gavin Montegue stood inside the doorway, watching as his son threatened Gergi Jarveston, known to those in the Campiaan Alliance as Jes Wurfl, physician to Teeg San Gerxon.
"Dad, don't interfere," Gavril muttered.
"Son, the one thing that kept what little humanity I had left from slipping away is that I never toyed with my kills. If you're going to kill him, then do it swiftly and mercifully. I have a suggestion, however."
"What's that?" Gavril turned to look at his father.
"You may need additional information from him. Keep him alive—at least for a while. That's what the Council on old Earth used to do—hold onto them while the members considered and questioned. Then a sentence was passed. I don't think Norian will mind if we haul him to Le-Ath Veronis and let him sit in the dungeon for a while."
"I don't care what you do with the scum. He's managed to ruin any relationship I have left with Lissa. She won't be speaking to me after this and Garde will come for my head." Norian's future—from his perspective, anyway—looked extremely bleak.
"The Larentii are done and Karzac's hooking up an IV and feeding tube," Ry poked his head inside the door. "Bro, I was afraid I'd see that one's intestines draped around the room," Ry jerked his head toward Jes.
"You almost did," Gavril muttered angrily. "Dad talked me out of it."
"Thanks, Dad," Ry nodded to Gavin. Gavin and Aurelius had treated all three boys as their own during their childhood. All of them looked up to both former vampires.
"Has Wylend been informed?" Gavin asked Ry.
"He's here now, with Dad," Ry said. "They're watching Karzac work."
"Who's Karzac?" Jes spoke out of turn again.
"A healer's healer," Gavin answered Jes' question. "You aren't worthy to wipe his boots." Gavril, Ry and Gavin walked out of the room, leaving Norian to glare at Jes.
* * *
"When he woke after Renegar healed his stab wound, he almost went crazy until we allowed him into the bed with her," Karzac mumbled, slipping the IV into Reah's hand. Nenzi slept peacefully next to Reah's unconscious body. "He lost some blood, so we did a quick transfusion after the healing. Jeff, Merrill and Kiarra's son, came for that," Karzac added.
"Farzi see this," Farzi nodded. He and six other reptanoids still stood against the wall, watching everything that went on with Reah. Farzi and two of his brothers had donated the blood used in Nenzi's transfusion.
"How are we going to tell her?" Ry asked. "Aurelius said she wanted to give the baby everything she didn't have as a child. How are we going to tell her it's dead now?"
"There isn't an easy way," Wylend stepped out of the shadows on the other side of Reah's bed. "And I think she'll know, the moment we allow her to wake."
"This is my fault," Gavril sighed. "Karzac, can you remove the chip without hurting her?"
"I already have. You were so afraid she'd get away from you. Now, I think it doesn't matter anymore, does it, young one?" Karzac held the tiny chip out to Gavril, who took it and crushed it in his fingers. "If she'd gotten away from you, her child might still live."
"Karzac, don't bludgeon me with facts I already know," Gavril sighed.
"Knowing and understanding may be very different. Did not Master Morwin teach you that? I will return in an hour or so to check on Reah. And as I understand it, Director Keef still does not have Tulgalan's core repaired." Karzac brushed angrily past Gavril on his way out the door.
"It's still leaking power," Astralan walked in with Stellan and Galaxsan.
"When will they wake Tory?" Gavin asked.
"No idea. If he goes Thifilathi again, who's going to stop him? If we call Garde, he'll turn, too. And if Jayd comes along, I don't want to see what will happen with three rampaging Thifilathi." Erland came to stand next to Wylend, placing an arm around Wylend's shoulders.
* * *
"Lissa, do you think I haven't called myself every kind of fool?" Norian's face was haggard. He'd sent mindspeech to Lissa, asking for the Falchani to come and haul the prisoners to Le-Ath Veronis' dungeon. She'd come with them, staying behind after they'd left with Jes and the Hazlan family. Norian had agents looking for Nidris, but they couldn't find any traces of him. More than likely, he'd already abandoned the planet.
"This will kill Garde. And we haven't even taken Denevik into consideration."
"Bloody, fucking hell," Norian muttered. "She asked me to wait until the baby came, right at the last. I yelled and told her to get on with it."
"Norian, tell me you've never had innocent blood on your hands." Lissa watched him closely.
"Not like this," Norian raked a hand through his hair. "Not ever like this."
* * *
"Kifirin, you need to be there when I tell them that Reah's baby died when she tried to repair Tulgalan's core." Lissa hugged herself as she paced in front of the one who'd created the Dark Realm. She'd sent mindspeech and he'd finally answered. Lissa was shocked by the keening that came from Kifirin as he slumped on the sofa inside her study.
* * *
"As near as I can tell, he tapped into the core while Reah was transferring the power from Tulgalan's sun. He must have startled her when she felt him siphoning away the power she was feeding in—she lost the contact and he was siphoning her energy instead. It killed the baby quickly and then took almost everything she had before Tory pulled her away."
"How are we to tell them?" Lissa knew what Glinda was asking. Garde and Jayd had already begun their search through the lists of male High Demons, seeking potential mates for Reah's child. Now, there would be no tiny female for a High Demon to cherish. No promise that the High Demon race might flourish again.
"Karzac says that if all goes well, Reah can become pregnant again in the future." Lissa was offering what solace she could.
"Lissa, I've tried so many times to become pregnant again. And I keep trying. As have my daughters. Nothing is happening. We needed the child now, to give the race hope. Now, that is destroyed. I don't know how Jayd and Garde will react. Denevik—he has already purchased a crib."
"Oh, Lord." Lissa rubbed her forehead with shaking fingers. "And Aurelius is out again—he won't know until he gets back."
"And what about Reah—has she wakened?"
"Karzac is keeping her in a healing sleep—he doesn't think she's ready, yet."
"What's going on—I tried to get to our son and I'm told he's in a healing sleep?" Garde appeared and was already breathing smoke.
"Garde, something terrible has happened," Lissa stood to give him the news.
* * *
"Half the palace in Veshtul is in ruins, now." Cheedas handed a cup of tea to Drake. Drew was busily sipping his tea already.
"I heard Garde went crazy." Drake nodded his thanks to the vampire who'd once been chief cook in Lissa's kitchen.
"Jayd, too. Glinda couldn't get him calmed down. Lissa called for Kifirin, but he went into mourning and disappeared after hearing the news. Denevik—I hear he was seen walking the edge of Baetrah."
"Oh, no. Reah doesn't need to hear that her grandfather killed himself on top of everything else." Drew set his cup on the island.
"He didn't. He's back at the palace, looking at the ruin that Jayd and Garde made of the place."
"Cheedas, have they wakened Tory yet?"
"That I can't tell you. I only know what I do because Lissa came and talked to me. I babied her a little. She needed it."
"What is Reah going to need? She didn't want to do this until after the baby came. That's what I heard. And I think Norian is going into hiding. If he wants to live, that is." Drew shook his head over the whole mess.
* * *
Gardevik Rath stood in what was left of his suite inside the High Demon palace as a cold rain beat against his skin. He was naked—hadn't bothered to dress after his Thifilathi had spent its anger. Veshtul seemed dull and gray in the early spring rain upon Kifirin. Garde sat on the chilled marble floor and watched while the rain pounded the city below. Jayd, also naked, walked up and sat beside his brother.
* * *
"Gavril, we're just as guilty. We did this, just as much as Norian did. We pushed her. Belittled her when she wouldn't do what we thought she ought to." Tory didn't say it, but the unspoken matter of the implanted chip was between them. Tory had wakened to find his father sitting on the side of his bed. Tory had wept in his father's arms. His Thifilathi had known, even when Tory hadn't—just what the baby meant. Now, Garde listened while the brothers talked. Ry had also come, but he listened with Garde. Erland had asked him to bring information to Wylend, who worried about Reah and how the others might treat her as a result of the tragedy.
"What do we do now? She'll push both of us away." Gavril stood, rubbing his forehead. He had the worst headache.
"Young one, I gave you what you wanted. And now, all may be lost." Kifirin appeared in a brief flash of light.
"It wasn't supposed to be this way," Gavril cursed under his breath. "She was supposed to be mine—I was supposed to help her."
Kifirin turned his dark eyes upon Gavril. "Everything you requested was granted. However, there was something in the granting that I did not consider. I will ponder this." Kifirin disappeared swiftly.
"Speaking in riddles," Garde muttered.
"Have Farzi and the others had anything to eat? They won't leave Reah's suite. Thank the stars the Larentii put it together again before they left." Ry said.
"Let's get them something for dinner," Gavril stood. "Maybe it'll take my mind off the guilt."
* * *
"Little girl, as much as I'd like to keep you sleeping peacefully for a while longer, you must wake and talk with us." Karzac's words were the first I heard upon waking after. After the world had fallen upon me, that is. My daughter was dead—I'd known exactly when the cruel viper tapping into the core had drained her life away and then attempted to take mine as well. I had no recollection of how the link had been broken but it must have been—I was still here and my child wasn't. I felt empty, cold and abandoned as I opened my eyes, trying to bring Karzac's face into focus.
"You know already." Karzac's statement was flat.
"I know." I nodded, my voice and my throat as dry as dust.
"Here—only a little," Karzac held a cup to my lips. "We still have the IV in your hand and the feeding tube is still there," he added as I slurped ice water. It may have been the best water I'd ever had, mostly because it was the most welcome.
"There are several who wish to come and grovel," Karzac said gently, taking the cup away.
"I don't want to see them," I muttered, picking at the blanket that covered my narrow bed. I'd been transferred to one built for medical patients, I discovered.
"Who would you like to see?"
"Farzi and Nenzi. And their brothers. Wylend maybe. Aurelius, if he's in." I wanted to weep in Aurelius' arms, if I were honest. He would soothe me with foreign words I didn't understand and that was perfectly fine right then. I wiped a tear off my face. Karzac burst that bubble immediately.
"Aurelius is out, little girl. I will bring the brothers in and see if Wylend is available." He patted my hand and smiled gently. "Tomorrow, I will see ab
out removing all these things." The lines and tubes hooked up to me were checked carefully. Mindspeech must have been sent—Farzi, Nenzi and the others crept into my room. I held my arms out and I was hugged quickly by all of them. Karzac stole away while I wept on Nenzi's shoulder.
* * *
"She said she didn't want to see any of you—the shapeshifters are consoling her," Karzac wasn't accepting arguments from Gavril, Tory or Lendill. "And I have sent for Wylend—she asked for him as well."
"If she worked for him, she wouldn't want to see him either," Lendill's voice held bitterness. "And what are we to do about Tulgalan? Power still drains from it." Lendill cursed in a language Karzac hadn't heard before. He had to Look to understand it.
"Reah may surprise you, Vice-Director." Karzac folded away.
* * *
I was napping later—just the brief waking had worn me out—when Wylend and Erland appeared. Two others were with them.
"Reah, darling, this is Corolan," Wylend introduced me to the tall man with wide shoulders, blond hair and an easy smile. Seating himself on the edge of my bed, Wylend motioned for Corolan to approach. "He is one of my trusted loves," Wylend went on as Corolan nodded to me.
"May I touch?" He held out a hand. Wylend nodded encouragingly, so I did as well. I thought he'd take my hand. Corolan leaned down and brushed his lips against my temple. "We will care for you," he whispered. "There is no need to fear."
"And this is Garek," Wylend introduced the darker haired man. Shorter and stockier than Corolan, Garek also leaned in to kiss my forehead. He stroked my cheek with a careful finger before stepping away. I blinked up at both of them, unsure what to do.
"You don't have to do anything, Reah. We know you are struggling now. I just wanted to reassure you," Wylend took my hand in his. "It is my hope that when you are well enough you will consent to come to Karathia and stay with me for a while. You will be cared for, I promise."
"I'll think about it," I sighed, closing my eyes. Already, I was weary again. I'd asked Karzac what they'd done with my daughter. He'd explained gently that there were only clots and a bloody discharge—Nidris' attack had destroyed her. There would be no body to bury or to mourn. The Larentii had cleaned out what remained inside my body afterward. It made me want to weep that my daughter hadn't been substantial enough—she'd been as ephemeral as a dream.
High Demon 3 - Demon's King Page 18
