Demon's Revenge (High Demon Series #5) (30 page)

During that time, anyone who could fold space shunted work crews here and there, removing the remnants of the controlling devices placed inside informational systems and bringing them back online after three difficult and grueling days. Ildevar Wyyld and Teeg San Gerxon took to the vid waves immediately after, reassuring both Alliances that everything was now under control. They explained how the pirates had managed to take control, albeit briefly, but now, steps would be taken so that no system might be taken over like that again.

* * *

"Think you convinced 'em, bro?" Tory cast a worried glance at Gavril. The two-click announcement, followed by a brief press conference, had worn him out. Still, there was no word on Reah. Gavril had even attempted to contact Nefrigar, but the Larentii wasn't answering his mental pleas for help.

"There's a lot to do and many will not understand how we let this happen," Gavril raked fingers through his hair. "I don't understand how we let this happen. We were trying to treat the various symptoms, and not seeing clearly the underlying cancer. I understand Wylend's timing, now."

"Wylend? What does he have to do with this?"

"I think Griffin warned him that something terrible might come, and he wouldn't be prepared to handle it. Not without Ry at his side or in charge. I think those rogue warlocks were in league with these other fucks. This went farther than most people imagined." Gavril paced inside his private study. Dee was in his office, fielding calls and making reassurances across the Campiaan Alliance. Others were doing the same for Ildevar Wyyld and the Grand Alliance Council.

"Meanwhile, Reah is still missing."

"Yeah. I have no idea where to look for her, and frankly, we all have our hands full here. There's no time or resources to search for her now."

"What do you think really happened? On Cloudsong? Norian and Lendill say the ASD swooped in and saved the day. We both know Reah was there. What happened, bro?"

"I don't think Lendill and Norian know the whole of it," Ry folded in. "Dad's watching over the flocks," he held up a hand. "We need to find Reah. You know she and I," he tapped his chest.

"Yeah, Lendill told us," Tory grumbled.

"Now you know," Ry said.

"How did you deal with that, all those years?" Gavril offered Ry a pointed look.

"Kept my mouth shut and my eyes looking elsewhere," Ry replied readily. "When Great-Grampa was out of the picture, that made it easier, but I had to wait for the right opportunity. After watching live sex shows on Stellar Winds, I couldn't help myself."

Tory ducked his head to hide the snicker. Gavril and Ry heard it anyway.

"How much of that w {ucharge. I tere you exposed to?" Gavril turned a knowing glance on Tory.

"Plenty, I think," Tory shook his head, as if attempting to clear it. "My memory of the past twenty-five years is a little spotty, bro. I have bits and pieces. Darletta made me watch. Lots of times. I don't know how I managed to not turn and go after her."

"Controllers," Gavril gave the one-word reply.

* * *

"Others may have been involved, but that information died with Nedrizif," Norian muttered angrily. He paced inside Lendill's office on Le-Ath Veronis. Lissa had accused Norian of being a bear instead of a lion snake and thrown him out of her study moments earlier. Norian was more than frustrated. He wanted all these criminals in his hand, so he could clench his fist and squeeze the life from their bodies.

Reah, too, was still missing, so no information could be had from her. She likely didn't know the names either—she'd had minimal contact with Nedrizif and Zendeval Rjjn was little more than a drone. The controller had been removed from his neck and he'd blinked in shock at Norian and Lendill afterward. His memories of recent events were just as bad as Tory's had been. No useful information had come from him or Perdil, the Liffelithi Dwarf.

Dantel Schuul and his daughter, Darletta, sang like birds, however, once the vampires placed compulsion. Those two, plus Faldin Bierla, Zendeval Rjjn, Perdil the Dwarf, Matiss Meldrim and Gescht Prekisule, cooled their heels in Lissa's dungeon. They wouldn't be walking out with their lives—Norian had provided information to journalists, telling both Alliances that the ones responsible had been killed in the ASD raid on Cloudsong. Ildevar had been advised, as had Gavril. Both had given their blessing for the pending executions.

"How did the controllers do against vampires?" Lendill thought to ask.

"Only the youngest of them experienced any effects at all," Norian sighed. "Those less than a hundred years of age. I think it has to do with the immunity they build against compulsion, except by an older vampire," he added. "I've been afraid to talk to Lissa about that; she's mad enough to spit over the fact that somebody got to a few of her people as it is. Most of those were former comesuli, so that made it worse. They're vampire children, in her eyes. I think Dantel Schuul and that thing he calls an engineer are lucky to still be among the living at this point."

"Faldin Bierla. We don't have any official records past twenty years ago; the ones we found in the system are forged. He's managed to conceal his past successfully, and he's the only prisoner that vampire compulsion doesn't work on. Unfortunate for us, I know, but I don't think he knows any more than Dantel does, and we got everything from Schuul that we could." Lendill shook his head in confusion.

"Lissa says that any man who isn't susceptible to compulsion will make a King Vampire if he's turned. Can you imagine that thing as a vampire?" Norian flung up a hand. "That was his technology. Dantel admitted it. Faldin Bierla brought the idea to Dantel, and he envisioned controlling everything with it. Un-fucking-believable," Norian cursed.

"I imagine that those not under the control of Schuul and his associates would have become small, renegade islands, constantly threatened by Schuul and his technology," Nefrigar folded in and sat leisurely on a corner of Lendill's desk. "I have placed new records in the archives concerning this near-catastrophe. We have been quite busy, lately, {usy demy sons and I, getting all of it sorted and cataloged. Had you visited the archives when invited, we might have pointed you toward the section containing information on this forbidden technology."

"Fuck," Lendill mumbled tiredly, rubbing his forehead. "Where is Reah?"

"Safe. On Tulgalan. Did anyone think to check her home there? Her uncle Fes has been taking meals to her. You didn't think to contact him, either. Did you? He is a kindly soul, more so now that his father is out of the picture. Fes was always frightened that Addah and Marzi would harm his mother and the others, so he bent under Addah's commands for a very long while. Now, he is his own man and runs a very good restaurant. He hasn't forgotten what Reah did for him, either. He is repaying a little of that debt. Reah is not feeling the best, as you might imagine. I have visited her several times. She allows my touch, but barely. Being bitten and made ill during an attempted rape, witnessing mass rape, and then the events upon Cloudsong have taken a terrible toll."

"The attack, followed by the illness and the attempted takeover," Norian nodded. "We may have to offer help."

"She may refuse it, out of hand," Nefrigar sighed. "But the need is there, I will not deny it. I would advise all who know her to tread carefully in the next few days."

"We need a report from her," Lendill grumped. "I'll go chase her down."

"Do not chase. Approach. Cautiously," Nefrigar warned.

"Fine." Lendill stood and lifted his jacket. Winter had come to Tulgalan. Again.

* * *

"No, I want this cut," I was about to become impatient with the butcher. Again. Was I invisible? Did he think I wouldn't recognize the best cuts of meat? Was he looking to sell inferior stock to one who likely didn't know the difference?

"Sell her that one or Desh's will stop doing business with you," Fes was at my back, a hand on my shoulder, steadying me. "This is my niece, by the way, so when she returns to your shop, I expect the best to be laid out for her at the beginning."

"Thanks, Fes," I whispered, putting an arm around his waist and hugging him briefly. "What are you doing here?"

"We need a little extra for dinner tonight—we have a party coming in from off-planet. You wouldn't like to come and help me with that, would you?"

"Maybe." I felt numb, weak, and more than a little stressed, still. Memories crowded my mind often—of hundreds of innocents—all controlled by Nedrizif and Dantel Schuul, hurling fragile, emaciated and nearly naked bodies at my Thifilatha.

I'd watched them burn—countless numbers of them. They'd had no choice and neither had I. If I'd turned off that part of me for more than a tick, then the weapons the others fired at me might have harmed me or my unborn child. I'd made a horrible choice; one I'd have to learn to live with. Still, their screams invaded my sleep at times and I woke, hyperventilating every time.

"Fes, how many are expected?" I asked.

"Just four, I think, but it's a special group. Come with me, now. I'll cook that for you," he nodded at the package the butcher packed up and handed to me, "and then we'll plot out our meals for the evening."

Fes did cook for {didandeme. Sliced the cut of beef thin, barely sautéed it and then covered it with a wonderful sauce, serving it up with pasta and a green salad. "Fes, this is so good," I sighed, pushing a nearly empty plate away. He knew I was pregnant with Teeg's child—I'd told him right away when I'd called to tell him I was in Targis, Tulgalan's capital city.

The house in Targis was empty—Erland and the others had made sure Ilvan and Radolf didn't make off with any of the furniture or collectibles. Fes had shown up there as soon as I'd contacted him, a covered plate of food in hand. He'd sat with me, too, while I told him about the baby and some of the other things. I didn't want to talk about the mass rape or most of the other stuff, but he did know I'd been held in a cage until we'd gotten to the sale site. He'd shaken his head and held me while I cried on his shoulder.

"Let's do some shellfish," I said. "With a bit of sauce, risotto and vegetables," I suggested. "And we can do steak—what you did for my lunch would be perfect," I smiled at Fes. I was happiest when I was cooking or planning meals.

"How about a pork dish, too?" Fes had a gleam in his eye.

"Yes. Definitely. Let's do a pork roast, and stuff it." We set to work right away, because the pork roast had to cook for several clicks. It was done perfectly and right on time for the guests to arrive.

"We'll be going in together, with the food," Fes said. "They want it served family style." Fes and I walked in behind the servers, carrying trays of food to set on the table. I should have known—Lissa, Gavin, Lendill and Norian had come.

"Nefrigar told us," Lendill pulled me down beside him. "We need a report, breah-mul. I know this may be hard, but we need it anyway. And if you want, Norian and I can send someone to talk with you."

"Q'and Ribalo? No thank you," I snapped. He was currently on tap for ASD agents and I didn't like it. Or him.

"Reah, we need the report. Ildevar is asking for it," Norian said.

"Then I'll do it, but only because Ildevar wants it," I said.

"Come home with me," Lendill begged softly when the meal was nearly over. Fes and I had sat down and eaten with Lendill and the others. Fes silently raised his glass to me halfway through—the food was excellent.

"I'm not ready for that," I said. "I'll get the report filed. When are you planning to do something with your prisoners?"

"In two days. Ildevar and four members of the Grand Alliance Council want to be there. As does Teeg. We want this finalized," Norian made the reply.

"Leave Zendeval and Perdil," I said. "I want to talk to them first."

"Then we'll do that. For you," Lendill agreed. "Come at two bells. That will give you some time before Ildevar comes in at three."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Fes was worried.

"No, Uncle. It's bad enough that I have to see them again," I said. "These people are terrible."

"You will not repeat anything about any of them," Gavin laid compulsion. Fes wouldn't have said anything anyway, but he nodded his understanding.

* * *

"Reah, do you {;Reut he want to spend the night with mother and me?" Fes asked after our guests left.

"No. Tell Farla thank you, but I need some time alone," I patted Fes' arm. "Do you want me to skip you home so you don't have to drive or take the bus?"

"That would be nice," Fes smiled. He didn't get skipped much, but he seemed to enjoy going from one place to another almost instantly. I skipped him home, gave him a peck on the cheek and waited for him to go inside the massive Desh complex before skipping to my own rather large and mostly empty home nearby.

"Reah, at least let me put my hands on our child." Teeg was waiting in the kitchen, somewhat impatiently. I didn't understand why he didn't join the others at dinner, but soon learned why that was. "We've been clobbered with frantic calls and angry messages," he said, rubbing his forehead. I knew he had a headache and sent a message to Nefrigar. My Larentii showed up immediately and removed Teeg's headache. At least he felt better afterward.

"Now, about the baby," Teeg said as soon as Nefrigar left us alone. Someone had told him—likely it was Lendill.