"Which family?" The High Demon male asked. He still hadn't introduced himself.
"What other family do I have? The one on Tulgalan, of course. And if Addah Desh wants his name back, he can have it. I'll keep the one they gave me on Mandil. At least some of the people there seemed to actually care about me."
"You could have your grandfather's name. It hasn't been used in more than fifteen hundred years," the man said. "My name is Gardevik—Gardevik Rath. I am Prime Minister for Jaydevik Rath, King of Kifirin. His wife, Queen Glindarok, is your great-aunt. Her brother, Denevik, fathered your mother. We understand that she is dead. We are investigating her death, or at least Norian Keef is. There may have been nefarious intentions involved. Regardless, your grandfather's last name was Lith. You are only one of three members left alive who belong to that house."
"If my mother was killed, then I'd look at Marzi and Edan Desh first," I muttered sarcastically. Many things were coming clear for me now.
"I believe that's exactly who Norian is investigating," Lissa told me. She was holding something back, I could tell, but I didn't remark on it. I was here as her guest, I figured, and it wouldn't do to insult my hostess.
"Please talk to Aurelius," Lissa went on.
"How can he want to talk to me, when I look like this?" Holding my arms out hurt, so I dropped them after a few ticks.
"He knows what else you are and that you won't always look like this. Besides, there are things he needs to tell you," Lissa said. Perhaps if I'd met the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis under other circumstances, we might have been friends quickly. I didn't think that was possible. "Norian will come and speak with you soon. About your family on Tulgalan and your status as a member of the Alliance military. He'll sort that out for you. I think you have options, Reah Desh. Please consider all of them carefully. In the meantime, if you don't want that huge haunch of beef over there, we can probably find something else for you to eat."
"If you have a kitchen, I'll make it myself. I haven't gotten any good food since I cooked last time."
"That might be difficult with these hands." The Larentii gave me a beautiful smile. I hadn't realized they could or would smile.
"You are teasing me?" I watched his face. It was fascinating.
"Yes. Young one, you may cook again soon. I do not recommend it now, you are very weak and your body is healing. Your wings are most damaged and we want them to be healed and functional again. That is why you must wait to return to your normal size."
"I have wings?" I didn't know until then.
"I will not touch them—have someone else spread them for you when you are well and turn again. They are an iridescent gold, much like the rest of your scales and skin." The Larentii was giving me an encouraging look.
"I want a bath." I'd never been so forward before. Where had that come from?
"You have never been treated as a person in your own right before," the Larentii nodded at me after reading my thoughts. "You may have a bath if Lissa will consent to have her pool cleaned afterward."
"But the water may sting her skin," Lissa actually looked concerned.
"I will remove the chemicals and put in oatmeal—it will do her good," the Larentii replied. "I am Reemagar. Not to be confused with Renegar. He and I are not related. We are named after our mothers, whose names were similar. Renegar's mother still lives. Mine died when I was born. Like yours, little one. We were both motherless when we came into the world."
"I hope your childhood was a good one," I said before thinking.
"My father was and still is very kind and loving. He watches over me, as any Larentii parent will."
"Reah?" I stiffened when I heard his voice. What had they said his name was? I still thought of him as Aris.
"Aris, I was about to have a bath." I turned to look at him over a shoulder. Maybe he would take a look at me and walk away. As he should. He looked the same—dark-gold hair that swept his shoulders, making him lion-like in his appearance. He had the same wide shoulders, appearing tall and strong. Just the sight of him squeezed my heart.
"Reah, please talk to me. That's all I ask. I want to explain so many things to you." Golden-brown eyes begged me to understand.
"Aris, what can we have?" I turned away from him, looking out over the ocean again. "I still have five turns of service owed to the Alliance. I have no idea what they'll think about all this. I have family on Tulgalan from whom I wish to separate. They have nothing for me and never have had anything for me. If they want me back, it will be for my cooking skills only. I lost any hope of having their love when I was four."
"Reah, we are connected, you and I." Aris came to stand beside me. The Larentii and the others faded away. I still wondered how they did that. It made me desire that skill. "And my name is Aurelius. Most likely, you haven't studied old Earth. That is where I am from. I am more than four thousand years old and was a vampire before accepting a position as spawn hunter for the Saa Thalarr. That is how I walk in daylight and eat normal food. I still retain my vampire abilities." Lengthy claws slid from his fingers. I watched this in fascination, placing my much larger hand next to his. My talons were long, but his claws were longer.
"They are very sharp and will even cut through metal," Aris said. "I want you to call me Aurelius, or Auri. I still hold hope that you will say it with love in your voice someday." I watched as his claws slid back, leaving normal nails behind. "We are not so different, Reah," he coaxed. "Give us a chance. Come, Reemagar is sending mindspeech—the pool is ready for your bath. You let me bathe you once, when you were too exhausted to prevent it. Let me help you again. Gardevik say that if you choose not to burn someone, you can withhold that power within you. You have no idea how beautiful you are, love."
"I'm not." I didn't look at him. I ached. I felt as if I would be ill. Too many emotions warred with one another.
"Reah, come. Please." He would have helped me up if I hadn't been more than twice his height at the moment. Standing with difficulty, I wobbled toward the back of the massive home. It was lovely, as any home belonging to a Queen might be. Marble floors, plaster walls, sculpture, paintings—it put the Tulgalan Governor's home to shame. Aurelius led me; I followed unsteadily behind him until we found Reemagar standing beside a large pool in the back. Oatmeal powder had been mixed in the water, making it a cloudy color. Reemagar used power to lower me into the water; I was too weak to climb in on my own.
"My love, don't fall asleep in the water," Aurelius warned after a while. The warmth of the water lulled me and I closed my eyes.
"I will lift her out." Was that someone else's voice? I didn't care; I was nearly asleep. I was laid on a soft bed and covered carefully.
Sleep my love came into my head. Those words weren't needed; I was asleep already.
Chapter 11
I awoke in a normal size bed for the first time in days, still feeling weak and achy. "You'll feel that way for a few days still; you must eat and get your strength back to heal properly." Turning my head, I looked into the green-gold eyes of a man I hadn't seen before. "I have seen you," he gave a half-smile. "You have been unconscious while I have seen you. I am Karzac, healer for the Saa Thalarr and spawn hunters. I am one of Lissa's seventeen mates." He had light-brown hair, was nearly six blocks tall and seemed competent.
"I should be competent," he pulled the thoughts straight from my head. "I have been a physician for more than fifteen thousand years. Before that, I was a physician on Refizan."
"You're Refizani?" My eyebrows lifted in surprise. "My father always bragged about his Refizani gardener."
"Many of my race make good gardeners. We have other talents," he was smiling again. "Someone will come and help you bathe. We are expecting you at the breakfast table this morning and Aurelius and I will be watching to make sure you eat. You don't have to eat much—we will be feeding you every two hours or so. Small meals so you won't become ill."
"I don't know if I can get up."
"I know." He reached out and placed
his hands on me. I felt better after that. He took my hand and helped me off the bed. I discovered that someone had dressed me in a pretty nightdress. Aurelius walked into the room as I contemplated who it might have been. I almost shrank away from him as he lifted me in his arms. Karzac left us, closing the bedroom door behind him.
"You're not afraid of me now, are you?" Aurelius kissed my forehead. I almost fell asleep again in the tub, he was so careful bathing me. "Love, stay with me," he murmured, kissing my palms. I was carried down long corridors later, after Aurelius dressed me in soft trousers and a matching tunic of deep green. I had no idea where he'd gotten the clothing. Warm socks covered my feet. "There is no need for shoes just yet," he'd told me.
Shocked best described how I reacted at the number of people sitting at the Queen's table. Nearly all of them male, I noticed. One other female was there, besides the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis. She had white hair like mine, only it was quite long, hanging past her waist. Her eyes were blue where mine were green. Gardevik was there—I recognized him from before. He sat next to another man who looked very much like him. The woman with the white hair drew my attention again when she hissed out a breath and stood.
"Jayd, she looks like my mother!"
I must have been staring at her—I didn't look like anyone except my mother; someone had let that slip when I was little.
"Reah, this is your great-aunt Glindarok, Queen of Kifirin." Lissa made the announcement as if she were used to telling people daily that they were related to royalty. It had been mentioned before, but it hadn't felt real. This was real. She'd said I looked like her mother.
"Does your lady mother still live?" I asked. Merely asking a question wearied me.
"No. My mother is dead. Nearly fifteen hundred years dead." Her words were a blow to both of us. I had hoped to meet someone who looked like me. Perhaps it was the hope of seeing my own mother, finally. I had never seen an image of her—those had been destroyed or hidden.
"Love, sit here." Aurelius lowered me beside a high-backed chair covered in gold-patterned fabric. After settling me in the chair, he sat beside me.
Karzac was there near the head of the table, watching me as promised. A plate of food was set in front of me—soft-cooked eggs with toast and fruit. The others were getting other things. I knew it was because I'd been ill that I was getting what I was—the meat dish might have been too spicy for a weak stomach.
I couldn't eat much and observed as a child sitting next to Lissa ate properly under his father's watchful gaze. He looked to be twelve or thirteen, had dark hair and eyes and seemed to be tall for his age.
"That is Gavril, Gavin and Lissa's child," Aurelius whispered near my ear. I was doing my best to eat while feeling weary. This was my first meal since leaving Mandil.
"Aurelius, are Bel and the others all right?" I turned my gaze to his face. It was a good face—a handsome face—framed by the dark-gold hair that made me think of him as a lion of a man. Well, vampire, I suppose.
"Bel and the remaining wizards are well," Aurelius smiled at me. "You saved Mandil, my love, and the Rangers. I think they would be grateful, if they knew what they were truly seeing that night."
"I won't get to see them again, will I?" That upset me.
"Love, all of them saw you turn. They've had no dealings with High Demons—or vampires. Neither of us might be welcomed back to Mandil, though I think Bel and the Rangers might be happy to see us."
I stared at my plate. The first real friends I'd ever had and I'd never see them again.
"Reah, others will come." Aurelius rubbed my back gently.
"Aurelius, do you have the answer to everything?" I stood on shaky legs, intending to walk away. Where, exactly, I had no idea—I wasn't sure where I was in the first place.
"Reah, I do not mean to upset you like this." Aurelius was beside me suddenly—he had vampire speed and I had nothing at all at the moment, including a destination. I was at his mercy and it was best I remember that.
"Our apologies," Aurelius turned to the others. "Reah is not feeling well." He was right about that at least—I didn't feel well at all. I wanted to curl in a ball and weep. I'd never see Bel, Delvin, Hish or any of the others. They'd counted me as one of their own and I'd felt as if I'd belonged with them there at the end. Here, I stood on unsteady ground. Slapped right back to the Alliance, which I was sure would come calling soon to let me know how things stood between it and me. On Mandil, my family had become what they should be—ghosts that I wasn't forced to deal with any longer. Now, their specters were back and I'd have to deal with them, too. Aurelius? Where did he fit? He kept telling me we were connected; calling me his love. What was that supposed to mean? Nobody had ever loved me before. Nobody.
"Reah, I can't fix everything overnight," Aurelius lifted me up once we were outside the dining hall. "You must give me time. I wish to know you better, and you must know me better as well. Bring your troubles to me and we will work them out together. I promise." His golden-brown eyes looked into mine with concern.
"Aurelius, how can I tell you things like that? It's embarrassing," I muttered, burying my head against his shoulder.
"You can keep your head against my shoulder and tell me anything. You will learn that it is extremely difficult to embarrass, shame or surprise an old vampire." Was he smiling as he kissed the top of my head? It felt like it. Perhaps I was imagining things. "Come, love," he added, "I will take you to the light half of the planet where they grow the fruits and vegetables. You will see where much of the food comes from for Le-Ath Veronis."
* * *
"Jaydevik, I must return to Kifirin." Glinda's hands shook as she pushed her chair away from the table and stood.
"My love?" Jayd was beside her in seconds, taking her hands in his.
"It is too much. Like seeing my mother again, only this one will never be," Glinda couldn't finish, a sob escaped her. "Jayd, I know she's kin, but this is too hard."
"My apologies." Jayd said and skipped Glinda away.
* * *
We appeared in a grove of trees. Until then, I hadn't realized that Aurelius might take me anywhere on a whim, just by disappearing from one place and reappearing in another. "We call it folding space," he said softly as he settled me in the middle of an apple orchard. "Corent, how are you?" Aurelius said to the male who approached us. I stared in shock as the one called Corent walked toward us, his hair turning from a sea green to a deep blue in only a few ticks.
"Corent is of the Green Fae," Aurelius had an arm around my waist, helping to keep me upright without being obvious about it. "Corent can grow fruit trees in less than a third of the time it would normally take and his apples, peaches and pears are the best I've ever tasted," Aurelius held out his other hand to Corent, who smiled and took it.
"The ripening season will come soon," Corent was smiling at me, too. I could only stare as his hair turned yet another color—a medium blue this time.
"A storm is coming and the weather is somewhat unstable. My hair reflects this," Corent's smile was bigger. "I inherited this from my mother. She always knew what the weather would be. I know because of my hair."
"That must be most useful in growing crops," I said.
"It is. Would you like to see the berries? They are nearly ripe."
Spring must have arrived on Le-Ath Veronis—berries ripened in the spring and I always looked forward to seeing fresh berries come into the kitchen. They were a joy to work with and I loved to eat the fruit fresh from the vine, although Desh's customers preferred it in pastries or other concoctions.
"We will come," Aurelius was smiling down at me now. His eyes crinkled in a comforting way when he smiled. I decided I liked that. We walked behind Corent for a little way, Aurelius taking most of my weight with only an arm about me.
"These are the oxberry vines," Corent swept an arm out. "I have managed to grow them here when before, only Kifirin produced the best ones." I drew in a breath. Oxberries. They were next to impossible to get an
d the price if they were available was exorbitant. I'd only gotten to taste them once or twice while Edan wasn't looking. Mostly I made a special pastry with them, with a flavored cream and the berries nestled inside. The customers at Desh's number two had swooned and happily paid an exorbitant price for that pastry. I wondered if Edan had tried to reproduce it since I'd been gone. Just the thought of Edan made me frown.
"Reah, what troubles you?"
"Edan."
"Why did your thoughts turn to him?"
"I used to make an expensive dessert with oxberries—when we could get them," I mumbled. "Edan took the credit."
"As I understand, your brother took all the credit, when it should have been given to you," Aurelius brought me around to face him, his hand cupping my cheek. "You need never bow to your brother again, Reah. I will not allow him to harm you. If he wishes to die, he can raise his hand against you. I will make sure it does not fall."
"Aurelius, how can you say that?" He was talking of killing Edan Desh.
"We are allowed to protect our mates. I will protect my mate fiercely," Aurelius promised. "All you have to do is agree to become my mate and that protection will come."
"Aurelius," I sighed. He was moving too fast. I felt dizzy.
"My love, I will not push. Please know that. I will wait until you are comfortable with this. Know also that my kind can feel no jealousy. That is how the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis has so many mates. They cannot feel the bite of jealousy so many others might experience under the same circumstances. It is removed from us when we become what we are."
Why was he telling me that—that he couldn't be jealous? I had no other suitors and hadn't seen anyone that I wanted in that position. It was foolishness. "Reah, you never know what tomorrow may bring." His eyes were crinkling again. "I think I should take you back before the healer comes for my head."
"Thank you for showing me the oxberry vines," I turned to Corent. "I have only gotten to taste oxberries twice in my life, and they were worth the theft." Aurelius folded me away after my admission.
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