Demon's Dream (High Demon Series #6) (26 page)

"Wow," I said, repeating one of Teeg's favorite phrases. Edward's patio was crowded with people, and his staff was moving among them, serving drinks and finger food. Even Farzi and Nenzi were there, with Teeg and Ry. Dragon and Crane had come, with Kiarra, Merrill and Adam. Glendes Grey of Grey House was also present, along with Lissa and her Grey House mate, Shadow Grey. I seldom saw him, so that was a surprise. Crorver Ride and Erbrin Dondl walked in with Edward. I think the crowd shocked them as well.

"We want to make an offer on your groves," Merrill was brokering this deal, looked like, with Adam Chessman right behind him.

"You don't have enough money," Erbrin snapped.

"Hear us out, first, and then decide whether we have enough," Merrill smiled. "Now, I know your family is fighting among themselves already, positioning for a better portion of what you'll leave behind when you die," he said to Crorver, who was aging. "While you have everything sorted out in a will, I can guarantee that your heirs will fight over the money anyway and ignore the groves, letting them go to waste while they destroy one another. Is that what you've built these groves up for? To let them die while your heirs fight over the proceeds? Be honest, do they care about the trees?"

I watched Merrill, blinking in amazement. This man was a shark when it came to business. He turned to Erbrin Dondl next. "Your trees need better care than they're getting. You can't seem to hire the employees you need at the price you want to pay. They let the sprinklers go untouched for days, while some trees drown in leaking lines and the rest dry up. Your shipments have dwindled for three turns running; I checked those figures myself. Perhaps if you'd turn your attention to working your fields instead of destroying your neighbor's trees with imported reptiles, your profits would rise again."

"That was not me!" Erbrin insisted.

"No? I have records here, showing that you paid a ship to make the delivery. The Campiaan Security Detail is looking into illegal animal smuggling against the ship's captain now. Predagators are not allowed in any portion of either Alliance where they are not native already. That smuggling trail will lead right to you and the fine is five hundred thousand credits per predagator, plus months of prison time. I understand one hundred of those creatures were shipped, according to the logs. How much does that come to in time and credits?" The corner of Merrill's mouth twitched. If I were ever in a business deal again, I wanted him with me.

"Now," Adam began, standing with Merrill, "Our offer is more than generous. One trillion each, plus fifty carats of uncut Tiralian crystal. Credits are much easier to distribute to the family than gishi fruit groves, are they not?" Adam smiled at Crorver. "With the pending debt and probable jail time, during which your groves might be overrun by jungle, I'd say this is the best of all possible solutions. We will return the predagators to their original habitat and all will be well. If the CSD cannot find the reptiles, they cannot bring charges. Is that not so?"

Crorver cursed while Erbrin just looked frightened. Merrill was correct; smuggling illegal animals carried a sentence up to a full turn per animal. Erbrin might not live long enough to serve out his sentence. Crorver was pushing two hundred; Erbrin had to be at least one hundred fifty. Their life expectancy was at best two hundred fifteen or so.

"And what if we file coercion charges?" Crorver growled.

"Go ahead. I just pointed out facts to you. There is no coercion. Go back to your groves. Go ahead. The CSD is already on its way, though. Did you both invest in these creatures, or only one of you?"

Crorver gave Erbrin an evil look. "Get rid of the creatures and we'll talk," he said and stalked away.

* * *

"Unbelievable," I said. Nearly a hundred predagators were snapping and hissing at one another inside an enclosure only clicks later. Crorver and Erbrin were back to survey the animals. "Two were killed by snakes," Merrill said. "The bodies are inside the barn if you wish to see them," he added.

"How did you capture them so quickly?" Erbrin whispered.

"You need to ask?" Astralan and Stellan lifted their arms and predagators rose in the air.

"Warlocks," Crorver nodded. "I should have known. The amount is generous. I spoke with my solicitors, they say the property is worth close to that amount, and fifty carats of uncut Tiralian crystal is worth the land by itself. We'll have the records prepared and we'll sign tomorrow if you want. The family wants this as well," Crorver added.

"My solicitors say to do the deal and leave Avendor," Erbrin grumbled. "While I still can."

"Sounds good," Merrill said. "We'll meet you here tomorrow."

"They're almost cute," I watched as predagators sunned themselves. Someone had installed a sprinkler inside their pen and they seemed happy.

"And dangerous," Edward put an arm around me. "I have to tell you, those two over there managed to do the impossible, I think," he smiled down at me. He meant Merrill and Adam. I agreed completely.

* * *

"Wow." The field we met the Copper Ra'Ak in looked like a carnival. Beautifully colored tents littered the wide expanse of grass. Maldak came and bowed over my hand. While a kiss might adversely affect someone else, it wouldn't do harm to a High Demon. Nevertheless, he did not place his mouth on me. Nefrigar and Pheligar flanked me, with Youon and Kyler, Lissa's niece, walking beside Pheligar. On Nefrigar's other side strode Kiarra, Adam, Merrill and Belen. Maldak had others of his people beneath the open tent, as did we. Many of the Saa Thalarr had come, as had Lissa and most of her mates. Ildevar was still unwilling to reveal himself or the twenty members of the Grand Alliance Council, preferring to err on the side of caution. I didn't blame him a bit. The three that surprised me by coming were Jayd, Garde and Glinda. I had High Demon backup if I needed it.

"Bright One," Maldak bowed to Belen next. And last of all, in a rush of wind, Kifirin appeared.

"High Lord," Maldak also bowed to him. Maldak had two others with him at the table as we looked over treaties, argued over this point or that and by the end of the day had a tentative peace agreement hammered out and signed.

One of the agreements we had was that Black and Copper Ra'Ak would pursue the last of the rogues and their spawn, and request help from the Saa Thalarr if needed. I didn't know how many rogues were out there and they weren't sure, either. They did promise to let Kyler know, who would then contact the Saa Thalarr if help were needed. I thought it a very good system. Belen folded all of us to Adam's ancestral home, and I had no idea of the celebrating that would occur once we arrived.

I was kissed and hugged by dozens of people as they laughed and uncorked champagne. I got a huge kiss from Franklin, Shane and Tomas, plus Celestan and Galaxsan, who were with their new mates as often as possible. I'd never seen them smile so much. Things had changed so much for them—from when they were doing Arvil's bidding to now. Teeg had changed things enough for them that the Saa Thalarr considered them fit mates.

Teeg brought Edward and the others, with enough gishi fruit ice cream for everybody. "Reah, we sign the papers on those other groves tomorrow, but we need experienced supervision," Merrill and Adam came to me. "Some of ours have volunteered to come but we want you to teach them what they need to know. Since we now have a reduced workload, they'll be available to do the work."

"Frank looks so much like you," I smiled at Merrill.

"He was the son of my heart before he was reborn. Now he is truly my son," Merrill smiled back.

"If I ever find myself in need of a business negotiator, I will pay for your services," I said. "That may have been the most impressive thing I've ever seen when you took on Crorver and Erbrin."

"That was nothing," Merrill blew the whole thing off. "Come, dance with us." I went a careful round with Merrill first, who smiled and twirled me gently before handing me off to Adam. Then Edward cut in.

"Reah, I want to take you home and sit in the pool with you, since we can't do the hot tub," he grinned.

"Can we get away?" I asked.

"I think so, as long as we tell a few people." A few people were notified and Nefrigar folded us to EastStar.

"No suits," Edward whispered, undressing me in a secluded spot near the pool. Fruit and tropical trees were everywhere around the pool and a small portion of it was very private, with a waterfall making soothing sounds as it emptied nearby. How had I missed Edward being naked before? He was a beautiful man and he didn't hide his desire. "We won't unless you want it," he sighed against my mouth.

"Just take it slow, all right?" I asked, leaning my head into the hollow between his neck and shoulder.

"I would take forever if I could love you at the end of it," he murmured against my mouth. "I love you. Since the moment you walked into my life, I knew. Someone told me long ago that the woman I would love would come to me in the most unusual of circumstances, and that I would recognize her immediately. That's how it was, Reah. I looked at you and I knew. Like lightning striking or something. Now, let's talk about these breasts. And how perfect they are." He lowered his head and showed me what he thought of them. The rest followed naturally and I wanted him as much as he wanted me at the end of it. I think I was tugging on his hair and begging him to move faster at the last. He smiled, kissed me and obliged nicely.

* * *

"Now, all of you know that Reah is more than capable of taking care of herself," Belen announced as the party was winding down. "But it is time for us to step forward and announce how much we care for her. The day will come very soon when she will need protection. I want to ask all who are willing to show up. I wish to show any enemies, present and future, just what it is they will deal with should they come against her. Ever. You will know the time. Until then," Belen nodded to all and disappeared.

* * *

"This goes against everything that is in us," Reldill complained. Naldill didn't care. The loss of his power, which was something he sorely missed, would not be taken without revenge of some sort. "Surely you can do as those fool warlocks, and gain power from it," Naldill hissed. "Do it! Tap the core. See what happens."

* * *

"Cynthin, did you think your little grab for power would go unanswered?" Her Council stood as she walked into the meeting. Her second-in-command had called the meeting, with a majority backing him up. She'd been forced to appear. "You have embarrassed Xordthe and made us into the laughingstock you thought to make of that girl and Teeg San Gerxon. Did you think to put yourself in his place, or at least higher than you are now? We here all agree that you couldn't form a quorum in the Council, let alone keep the Campiaan Alliance together. You know that if we have a unanimous vote of all three hundred members of this Council, you may be removed from office. Here is the vote, Cynthin." He handed the comp-vid to the president of Xordthe. "These numbers have been forwarded to all media outlets. They will report this on the late news. I imagine you might be bombarded with the usual requests for interviews. Get your tissues ready or get out of the city, Cynthin. Your pretty face will not get you far with the people now." Cynthin stared at the unanimous vote to remove her from the presidency. A general election would be held within the next moon-turn, to elect a president to complete her current term. Cynthin flung the comp-vid at her former second-in-command and stalked from the Council chamber.

* * *

"The only reason you are still enjoying your position is that you are my only son and I have no other choice, Andelis," his father the King, shot Andelis of Roorthi a severe look. "While your part is not great in this, it has opened the royal house to ridicule. We are being hounded by the media and our own subjects because we followed Cynthin of Xordthe blindly. Or you did, since I leave the dealings with the Campiaan Alliance to you. From today, that will no longer be true. I am sending my trusted First Advisor to those gatherings instead. For a period of five turns, you will smile and nod and take hands at factory openings and the like. You will rebuild this image you have tarnished. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father." Andelis bowed low to the King.

"Good. Leave me. I am quite angry."

"Yes, Father." Andelis walked backward a respectful distance before turning on his heel and scurrying away.

* * *

"I feel like the biggest fool." Tevan of Shillverr rubbed his forehead, attempting to relieve the headache. Three scientists sat in his private office. All of them had come, presenting him with the evidence that the core had indeed been tapped more than twenty years earlier, then also presented the most damning evidence of all; recorded satellite images, showing the golden creature seating herself on the grass in a remote location before beginning to glow. The recordings from the satellite were quite clear, once they'd known what to look for. The numbers after that date showed the core energy levels nearly normal and rising. The ASD Director had not fabricated any part of his story.

"We did not know to look for this; we thought nature had reset itself somehow. We now know that help was provided, unasked for and unappreciated. I think we should rectify that now."

"But how?" Tevan asked, turning troubled eyes to his scientists.

"Under the Campiaan Alliance, we are allowed to operate without fear of the criminal element. Before, we were tortured by those who ruled here if we did not cooperate with them in their scheming to overcome this one or that. We are a free people, now. You have not harmed us. In fact, we appreciate the funding you helped to pass. This will enable Shillverr to create new technology that will place us among the best of both Alliances. This area in the photograph is still empty. We suggest a memorial to the one who saved Shillverr and her citizens."