Demon's Dream (High Demon Series #6) (20 page)

"Zen, I smell bread baking," Perdil turned wide eyes on Zendeval. Zen, lost in his own thoughts, blinked at Perdil in surprise.

"Dwarf, I believe your mind is tricking you," Zen sighed. He'd dreamed about bread, too. Among other things. Mostly, though, he dreamed of Reah. He woke with clenched hands and shortened breaths, most mornings, dreaming he still held her small body close against his. He knew now just how thin she was. How weak from the illness. But he'd been controlled. If Perdil had been the one to shoot that foul and cursed thing into his neck, the dwarf would be dead already. Instead, his cousin Nedrizif had done it himself. Zen sighed, and then drew in a breath. Perdil's arm was grasped in Zen's fist quickly. "Dwarf, perhaps your mind isn't playing tricks after all."

* * *

"I don't want to go forward with this unless we're sure we have the right woman," Andelis of Roorthi complained.

"You've seen her, the image is exact," Tevan of Shillverr pointed out. The image was indeed displayed on a very large vid-screen inside Cynthin of Xordthe's private office. Cynthin, smiling and examining her freshly manicured nails, had drawn these two in. If it could be proved that this insane woman, whose face was plastered on vid-screens across both Alliances, was Teeg San Gerxon's wife, it would only be a matter of time before Teeg San Gerxon's power was undermined and someone else could step in and take over the Campiaan Alliance.

Teeg presided over the Council of Campiaan Alliance Worlds, but Cynthin had designs on that seat. Oh, she'd promise Tevan and Andelis a sharing of power, but it would be hers when push came to shove. All they had to do was contact the media, which was still running vids depicting all the crazy and outrageous things Teeg San Gerxon's wife believed about herself.

"I think we should contact San Gerxon first, and give him the opportunity to step aside quietly, without this being made public," Andelis suggested.

"And miss all the fun and the publicity we'll get out of this?" Cynthin snorted delicately. She fully intended to make as much of this as she could; her position within the Campiaan Alliance was relatively weak. Xordthe wasn't at the forefront of industrialization, had nothing that stood out as an export and had been under the influence of unsavory characters before the Campiaan Alliance offered membership.

Cynthin had stepped on a few heads and even more toes to get to the presidency, which she'd held for three years of a five-year term. Things might not go so well for her during the next election, so she was looking to move herself into an even better position. During her tenure in office, the economy hadn't improved and relations with most of their planetary neighbors had deteriorated. The President of Shillverr and the Crown Prince of Roorthi were her only friends, because she'd taken both of them as lovers.

"Then where do you intend to take this? Which media outlet?"

"Oh, I'm going to the network that produces that Temporary Insanity show. I know they're fighting a legal battle with the Reth Alliance over patient rights violations, but we'll just take the information given and make our own complaints. They'll run it, simply to get back at the ASD."

"You're sure this will work? San Gerxon has a lot of firepower at his back." Tevan shivered. Teeg San Gerxon had four very powerful Karathian warlocks working as security, as well as others rumored to be employed as his personal protection. Tevan hadn't been there personally when the initial votes had been cast to form the Campiaan Alliance, but word had it that the founder had something incredible at his disposal if needed. One of the other members who'd been at the signing described it as a tall, golden creature with wings who'd fought off the Strands and their allies. Tevan's source said that if the creature hadn't been there, the Campiaan Alliance would have died in infancy.

"Can he use that firepower against us?" Cynthin smiled slyly. "If the media is watching his every move, how can he?"

"But none of us were there when the Alliance was born. There are plenty of others who might make a case for replacing San Gerxon," Andelis argued. "I've only held this position since Father handed the responsibility to me. Tevan has held his presidency for two years and you for three," he nodded to Cynthin.

"Don't worry your handsome head about it," Cynthin crooned. "We'll use the media. This will work, have no doubt. I'm placing the call this afternoon, and I'll forward the images we have to them if they bite. Never fear, this will be all over both Alliances in two days."

Chapter 9
 

"How is everything going?" Edward walked into our temporary ice-cream plant. I smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Everything is great and the new freezers you got are amazing," I said. "The ice cream is kept at the perfect temperature."

"I have transport coming tomorrow morning to take it to my distributor," Edward said. "The ad campaign is scheduled to start tomorrow, too. I hope people will ask for it before it even gets to the stores."

"You amaze me," I said. He did. I'd never seen follow-through like this before. Everything Edward promised, he delivered. And then some. I'd seen the vid-ads. They were great.

"Then I'm ahead of the game," he leaned down to kiss me. I had three assistants working with me, mostly to monitor the equipment, load the containers of ice cream into the freezers and clean the equipment when we were done for the day. Edward and Kevis refused to allow me to work more than four clicks per day. Edward had hired my assistants, and they were very good and quite dedicated. "And our new facility is coming along. Want to come see?" He took my hand and led me out the door.

The new building was going to be four times the size of the temporary one, with more equipment and more employees when it was finished. "I can't wait for this to be ready," I said, looking at storage areas and stainless prep tables covered in heavy, plastic sheeting.

"You're going to be wealthy, Reah. Are you prepared for that?" Edward put an arm around my shoulders as we looked over the half-finished building.

"I've never been that," I sighed. "I don't know what to say."

"Say we'll have our date soon. I'm looking forward to it."

"We'll do it soon," I leaned back to gaze at him.

"Good." I got another kiss.

* * *

"Mr. Marolla, I hope we're close to finishing this project," Lendill stood inside the investigative journalist's office. "I've had word from an insider that the network that ran that piece of shit in the beginning has allied with three from the Campiaan Alliance who seem bent on replacing Teeg San Gerxon. Now, I don't know if you're familiar with the Campiaan Alliance, but my sources are convinced that it will die and go back to what it was, a collection of lawless worlds, if Teeg doesn’t keep a firm hand on it. I'm not willing to go back to fighting criminals from those worlds. We need to release this two days after those three and the network have had plenty of time to spew their lies. Then we'll present our information and see what happens," Lendill said.

Hild Marolla, respected investigative journalist, smiled at Lendill Schaff. "Vice-Director, we're editing the last interview now. The information provided by Dr. Kevis Halivar has been most helpful in building this story. I can certainly release this piece two days after the others have managed to hang themselves. I must admit, I've never seen anything like this. Please express my gratitude to Dr. Halivar and Deonus Wyyld for their cooperation."

"There's something else for you to add," Teeg San Gerxon appeared, Astralan and Stellan at his side. Teeg held a comp-vid containing information and images in his hand. "It's all there," he said. "And what you see may shock you even more than you have been already, but it's the truth. I think it's time that a few eyes were opened."

"What did you bring?" Lendill asked. Teeg turned the comp-vid so Lendill could see. A single image graced the screen. "Ah," Lendill sighed.

* * *

"Nedrizif was Bandelif's son," Yidrizin pointed to the hand-copied records. Zendeval stared at the huge book that bore names of Greater Demons going back hundreds of thousands of years. Yidrizin, acting Prime Minister for Nrath (what was left of it, anyway), showed Zen and Perdil through the royal archives.

"I don't remember this place," Zen looked around him in awe. The treasury was there, the crown and crown jewels were also there inside the archives.

"You wouldn't, you were only a child when you were hauled away by those foul creatures," Yidrizin grumbled. "They convinced your father, the King, that greater things awaited him if he'd just follow them off-world. A foolish mistake, as it turned out. No disrespect meant, of course."

"None taken, I realize fully what kind of mistake it was." Zen had seen a handful of women inside the castle when the guards had brought him and Perdil in for an audience with Yidrizin. "Tell me about the females," he said.

"All we have are inside these walls and mated," Yidrizin stated sadly. "Six we have, and all have grown weary of childbearing."

"I was told that we were the only remaining Greater Demons," Zen sighed. "And now I learn this is not true."

"No, it was true when you heard it," Yidi replied. "I was visited by the god shortly after you were dropped here. This is in your past, Zendeval Rjjn. Twenty-five thousand years into your past. Kifirin said that you had much to atone for, and that twenty-five thousand years might do that. He also said that you would give the race hope, where there was none before. Likely the reason we died off before," Yidi remarked thoughtfully. "Now, Kifirin has promised a new day, if you work with us and tell us of the outside world as you knew it. Perhaps it will bring that hope to us."

"What I would most like to know is how you handle the moonrush when it comes," Zen said. It had cost him Reah. He realized that.

"Moonrush? That is an archaic concept," Yidi snorted in derision. "Here, follow me. I will show you how that should be handled. There is no need to terrify the women or cause them pain." Zen, with a wide-eyed and puzzled Perdil following close behind, walked with Yidrizin to the palace kitchens.

"This," Yidi held up a flask, "is moonwine. It is taken the day before a full moon. It eliminates the blood change that occurs in Greater Demons, forcing the moonrush, as you call it. Early in our history, females died because of it. The god came and gave this to us. The wine is formed from the darkberries grown here, with a few other herbs added. It is barbaric to subject the females to moonrush, and we cannot afford to lose any of them. They are too precious. The code says it and we know it to be true. The only purpose moonrush might serve is to fight off enemies. None come here, now. We are an abandoned world."

"How will I get my Reah back now?" Zen moaned to Perdil.

"Reah?" Yidi was curious.

"One taken during moonrush," Perdil jerked his head at Zendeval. "She became ill afterward. That is a very long tale."

"If she became ill, then she could bear your children," Yidi said.

"Out of his reach," Perdil shrugged as Zen moaned again. "By twenty-five thousand years, as you say." Perdil bowed to Yidi. "And the god called her High Demon."

"Stars and the god save us," Yidrizin dropped to his knees.

* * *

"Reah, this will only last for a day or two," Kevis assured me as I was led into the media room at Edward's manor. "I promise," he added, settling me on a comfortable sofa before the huge vid-screen. He, Lendill, Teeg and Astralan had come to get me from the ice-cream plant.

Edward had gone to the southern grove earlier in the day to check on the harvest there. He walked in now, looking angry. Something was up; I was just waiting to see what it was. I was settled on the sofa between Edward and Teeg, both of whom held one of my hands as Lendill touched the remote control, bringing the vid-screen to life.

"This was recorded earlier," Teeg muttered beside me. I didn't recognize the woman speaking, or the two men behind her. It didn't take long to determine what they were attempting to do, however.

"This woman," Cynthin Gerg, President of Xordthe, said, pointing to two photographs of me, side by side, "is married to Teeg San Gerxon. Now, I don't know how you feel about this, but she is clearly delusional, making these outrageous claims." One of the photographs showed me on Teeg's arm at some ball or other, unnecessary event for the Campiaan Alliance. The other was an unedited photograph from that foul reality program to which Ceerah and Jalan had sold my private records.

"While I have sympathy for any patient whose rights have been violated," Cynthin went on with fake emotion, "I cannot ignore how dangerous or distracting this might be to the founding Alliance member. It is, in my opinion, in all our best interests if he steps aside for now until this matter is resolved."

The program then went back to a journalist that not only called for Teeg to step aside but to leave Campiaan government altogether, due to the severity of my condition. The more I watched, the angrier I became. Everything I'd said to Kevis Halivar had been true. Ceerah and her fellow conspirator had done this—not only to me but to Teeg as well.

"Divorce me," I said to Teeg the moment the recording ended. "That will get them off your back and things will be normal for you." I tried to rise, but Edward and Teeg wouldn't release my hands.

"Let me go," I said as calmly as I could. At that moment, I'd have given anything to be anywhere else and anyone else. This was as bad as the attack and intended rape. Perhaps worse. Before, I'd been violated by a single man. Now I was being violated by every member of two Alliances. Had I ever had hopes of walking freely in daylight without people pointing or shying away? The last remnant of that hope skittered beyond my reach.