High Demon 3 - Demon's King (15 page)

"Well, she can keep on hoping. If I find her, well, we'll take care of that." Teeg ended the call. I could have told him Ardalin might cause trouble. Her eyes and expression said as much the day he sent her out the door. Teeg got up and walked through the house, heading for the door, raking a hand through his dark hair as he stalked away.

"Reah, not be upset," Nenzi whispered. I suppose my shocked expression had worried the reptanoids.

"Eat," Lenden said gently, tapping my plate. I went back to my food.

* * *

"Will this do?" Teeg, Lenden, Astralan and Jes had brought me to a small clearing about three clicks away from the house. Once again, I could feel the wrongness around me. I'd have to undress to turn again—I could only do this as Thifilatha.

"This will do, but I need to see the stars overhead," I told him, pulling off my light jacket. Lenden took it from me and waited while I handed him the rest of my clothing. It embarrassed me to have him and the others watch, but what else was I supposed to do? I might do a lot worse if it meant I'd get to see Gavril.

Lenden muttered an oath in a language I didn't recognize when I turned. Tory and his father, Gardevik Rath, had told me how unusual my skin color was while I was Thifilatha. It was gold; skin, scales, talons, even. My hair was still white and my eyes still green. Everything else was golden in color. Settling myself on the dry grass in the clearing, I lifted my head and selected the star from which I could
Pull
energy. Taking deep breaths to calm myself and prepare for what was to come, I coaxed the power away from the star.

* * *

"I felt it—the core's energy filling in and then getting sealed off," Astralan's voice held wonder, even as Lenden and Jes attempted to wake Reah. Still in Thifilatha, just as before, she lay sprawled across the dead grass in the clearing while Lenden called her name, begging her to wake.

"I hope it's easier for her to handle this time," Teeg muttered to the eldest of his warlocks.

"Same here; the longer we wait, the worse it gets," Astralan agreed. "Do we have everything set up for the meeting in twelve days?"

"Yes. And I have the writ from Karathia, releasing the criminal status for you and your brothers. You're free men, as of this moment. Of course, they say if you break the laws again, you'll be hunted, just as you were before."

"Won't be doing that unless you ask," Astralan said. "And it will only be if
you
ask."

"Let's hope it never comes to that," Teeg sighed. "Come on; let's go see if we have better luck than those two." Teeg walked toward Reah's Thifilatha.

* * *

"I wish there was some way to get you changed back without having to leave you out on that cold ground for such a long time," Jes grumbled as he examined me the following morning. They'd brought me home just before dawn—it had taken clicks to wake me and get me to turn. I'd been sick again, just as before, so they let me heave outside before bringing me home and cleaning me up.

Somebody washed me—I was asleep through all of it so I couldn't really say who. Jusef had prepared a jumble complete with the usual vitamins. My hand shook as I tried to suck some of it through the straw, so Nenzi was there, helping me hold the glass. Teeg had disappeared for a while—I hadn't seen him since I'd gotten back. I'd been unconscious most of that time, so he could have shared the bed and I wouldn't have known.

"Nenzi," I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes in weariness.

"Rest, Reah," he whispered. "This keep." He set the glass on the bedside table.

"We will watch, make sure she drinks," Farzi crawled onto the bed with me. Jes didn't want to argue with any of the reptanoids. Before I fell asleep, I heard him close the bedroom door behind him as he left.

"We will keep Reah," Farzi said softly. I let sleep take me.

* * *

"That's all I know," Yiri whimpered. "She said somebody else helped with the money." Teeg paced in front of Yiri inside a holding cell.

"Where is she?" Teeg demanded for the third time.

"If I knew, I'd tell you. She did this to us," Yiri shivered under Teeg's unforgiving stare. "She only said she wanted to hurt you, because you hurt her. I don't know what the other one wanted."

"He doesn't know anything," Teeg growled in frustration. "Dee, see if he has any records anywhere. We'll punish to the fullest extent."

"Already done," Teeg's dark-haired assistant handed over the comp-vid he'd been holding.

"So, you and your brother are wanted for arson by the Alliance?" Teeg's smile spread slowly across his face.

"Don't send us there. Please."

"Well, you and your brother should have considered this before you accepted the job, don't you think?" Teeg's voice was almost pleasant. Almost.

"Should have had better sense than to attack Teeg San Gerxon," Astralan snapped. "Are you as brainless as I think you are?"

"Probably more so," Dee said cheerfully. "Shall we pack them up for your trip?"

"Sure. We'll take a cage full," Teeg said.

* * *

"We need to put the bloom back in your cheeks, pretty girl," Jes was back and fussing again. Why did he upset me so much? I couldn't really put a finger on it. Farzi and Nenzi helped me to the solarium and I was paging through a book on the comp-reader I'd been given. Nothing seemed to hold my interest and I felt listless at best. Jusef brought a jumble for me and set it down on the tiny table next to my chaise.

Teeg had been gone for two days without a word. More than anything, I wanted to skip away. Tory, Aurelius and Lendill would treat me so much better than this. The only thing that kept me from storming out of Teeg's apartment in a fit was the promise of the visit with Gavril.

"Jusef, you make wonderful jumbles, but I don't know if I can drink this," I rubbed my stomach as I gave him an imploring look.

"Just try—perhaps you'll feel better after a few sips," he coaxed, his bushy eyebrows wiggling. It made me think of Morwin for a moment and I smiled.

"There it is—the first smile in days," Jusef sounded happy.

"Is she feeling better?" Lenden came out to check.

"We're trying," Jusef said. Jes moved away and I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Little squirrel, start drinking that thing for Em-pah. All right?" Lenden tapped the glass I held. He put an arm around me while I sipped.

* * *

"Do you think this is shielded enough?" Garde allowed a tiny bit of sarcasm to coat his words. Erland laughed. "I know it doesn't affect you in the least, but Wylend and I want to make sure this visit isn't a trap of some kind. Admit it—we'll have some very important people in this room."

"Important to us if no one else," Garde agreed.

"They won't get out of here unless we allow it," Erland added. "If Teeg brings the brothers Starr, well, they'd better mind their manners."

"Those reptanoids could cause some damage if they come," Garde reminded the warlock.

"Already thought of that. We have spells that will activate if they turn. They'll be trussed up in a black net. You don't get out of that until we let you out."

"Warlock, you frighten me at times."

"Not just a pretty face anymore, am I?"

"Haven't ever thought of you in those terms," Garde slapped Erland on the back, nearly knocking him over.

"Perhaps I should allow those Falchani to teach me bladework," Erland straightened with difficulty. "I might be able to match you physically in that way."

"Warlock, why are you worried about that? We are what we are. We each have our strengths."

"What about weaknesses?" Erland turned back to Gardevik Rath.

"Do we have any?" Garde laughed. Erland barely moved away in time to avoid a second slap to the back.

* * *

"You've tapped into the core. Did I not warn you against that? What are you intending to do, destroy everything?" Fardris glared at his oldest son, Nidris. "I allowed you to stay with us and this is how you repay our hospitality. By starting the drain on Tulgalan's core. We like it here. Your idiocy means we have to move in less than ten years."

"Zellar said it was all right to only tap a little here and there," Nidris whined.

"Have you been living in a cave the past fifty years? Nidris, he's killed countless worlds. All dead now—drained lifeless and entire populations killed off because he engaged in forbidden sorcery. Why do you think it's forbidden if it's harmless? If you want a case in point, go directly to Cloudsong. That world is wasted, now. Zellar did that. I should never have listened to that liar. He's the one who convinced me that Wylend and his handful of cronies didn't have enough power to stand against us when we took the throne away from Warlend. Only he was wrong. Yet you, against my wishes, went searching for him. If I'd known that's what you intended, I'd have killed you myself. I lost three children because of Zellar. Now, there's a price on all our heads." Fardris' chest was heaving, he was so angry. Tulgalan, his new home, was now doomed because of his own son.

Nidris stared at his father. He'd never seen Fardris Hazlan so upset before. Had Zellar lied to him and the others? He knew most of them were dead—Yebri, who remained on Xordthe, had told him. Yebri had sounded frightened when she'd passed the news on to him—only she and Nidris were still alive. Yebri had already curtailed the draining of the core on Xordthe—she'd said the same thing that Fardris was saying—that Zellar had lied to all of them. Now, Xordthe would die, as Tulgalan would die. Nidris shivered. He would murder if it gained him something, but countless millions and no gain—even he worried over that. Nidris was glad he'd sold Zellar to the Alliance and to the others hunting the old rogue. Nidris had thought to set himself up in Zellar's place. Now, he only wanted to remain hidden until he could feel safe again.

"Father, let us move from here, then," Nidris suggested.

"No. I have a place here and money coming in. We'll work for another five years and then leave. Tulgalan will certainly be feeling the effects by then and more money might be made. The Alliance will get as many off-world as possible, but there are always those who will not wish to come to the attention of the Alliance. We will transport them away and fill our coffers at the same time. Perhaps we can go outside the Alliance when we leave here—surely Teeg San Gerxon will have turned his attention elsewhere by that time."

"I'm thankful he can't reach us here," Nidris agreed. "The Alliance doesn't know to hunt us—we should be safe."

* * *

I wasn't about to tell Teeg how shaky I felt when we landed on Xordthe. A meeting with Gavril would be mine if I could get through this. I only hoped that I'd have enough strength to give Chash a hug when the meeting did come. I was desperate to feel better so I could, in Teeg's words, "heal the planet" the following day.

"Baby, if there was any other way," Teeg pulled me against him that night. He hadn't attempted to have sex—I was too drained and weary and he was too worried about something. Several mornings I'd wakened to his touch—he'd stroke my cheek as if he could coax color into it, somehow. The few times I'd bothered to look in a mirror, I'd appeared washed out and worn, so I stopped looking. I only dressed in the comfortable fleece outfits Teeg had purchased for me, wrapping up in an extra jacket or blanket whenever I could. I constantly felt cold, even in warm places.

"You said that before," I mumbled a response to Teeg's statement, closing my eyes. His arms were warm and tight around me as he kissed the spot behind my ear—the one that in better times would nearly send me into a climax.

"Reah, if things were different, you have no idea what I'd do," he whispered gently. I fell asleep with his breath tickling my ear.

* * *

"I think this is the place where the tapping occurred—Astralan and I want to see if it will be easier to do this at that precise location," Teeg said as he led me to another clearing. This one hadn't been cleared until recently—a house and surrounding courtyard had been destroyed so I could sit on the bare patch of ground and pull star energy to Xordthe. Piles of rock, lumber and most of a roof surrounded me as I began removing my clothing, barely listening to what Teeg had to say. Lenden took my clothes just as before, but Jes was hovering. Farzi and Nenzi were trying to keep him back while I undressed and turned.

"Reah," Teeg stood below me as I settled into a cross-legged position in full Thifilatha. I turned my attention to what he had to say. "Reah," he repeated, "please don't hurt yourself. Or—well. Just don't hurt yourself. All right?"

"Teeg, move away," I sighed. "Let's get this over with." I turned my head toward the night sky and selected a star.

* * *

"We should have thought of this before," Teeg raked a hand through his hair. Reah woke in half the time it had previously taken. She'd been ill again, true, but not nearly as long. A direct route to the tapped core had turned out to be the best solution. Reah slept now—Lenden, Jes and Jusef had managed to get something into her stomach after settling her in bed. Farzi and Nenzi had slid onto the bed on either side as lion snakes. They were worried about Reah too, they just weren't vocal about it. Lenden had been casting questioning looks at Teeg for several days now. He didn't like it any more than Teeg did.