The rebuke was clear for her to hear and it had her ire returning to replace her surprise. “I make my own decisions, demon. Don’t forget that.”
“Dammit, woman, it’s not safe here anymore!”
Dhar Rydere interrupted before she could reply. “Malickus, care to explain why you have my young cousin with you?”
“Cousin? More like a traitor to your kind.” The demon held Jambu with a hand wrapped around the back of the boy’s neck. He shook him effortlessly. “Found him in negotiations of a sort with the Redd Gothan pack.”
Rydere’s face darkened, his anger rising just like Kindara’s surprise. “What type of negotiations?”
“Seems the boy here paid these Lupoiux to attack a blonde woman, wearing white, tied with a green sash, in the gardens of your hotel.” The demon forced Jambu to his knees in front of Kindara, Rydere, and
Cormac, then shoved him into a supplicant position. “I want to know who that woman was.”
“Josey,” Cormac growled the words as he reached for Jambu. Rydere held out a hand to stop him.
“I don’t believe so.” Rathan was shaking his head as he spoke. “Because apparently the Lupoiux were paid a deposit five weeks ago. So the intended target was not Josey.”
“But she was of Cormac’s House, high enough to wear white. There’s only two,” Rydere said as the sound of the helicopter starting up just outside the building filled the small room. “Jambu? Anything you want to add in your defense?”
Cormac yanked Jambu from the demon’s hand, shaking the smaller male viciously. “You threatened my family? My sister or my niece? Tell me now and I won’t rip out your throat and leave you here for those Lupoiux to eat your damned carcass.”
“Enough, Cormac.” Rydere pulled his cousin from Cormac’s hands. “Now isn’t the time. He’ll stand trial as soon as possible. In the meantime, we need to evacuate now.”
“My House tribunal?” Cormac wasn’t satisfied and everyone knew it. Kindara wasn’t surprised—her brother was the head of their House and he was extremely protective of his only close relatives—her, Jierra, and now Josey.
“Mostly yours, and some of mine will make the council. My Rajni was attacked that day, too.” Rydere shot a glare at his cousin as he pulled Emily closer to his chest. “I will not ever forget that.”
Jambu was pale and silent as he stared at their king and Cormac. Kindara almost felt sorry for him. Why had he done this? He and Jierra had been playmates all their childhood, had gone to school together-including the community college that all recent Dardaptoan graduates attended. What had made him betray them all?
Cold howls split the air around them, drowning out the helicopters’ blades. It told them their time was up.
Rydere gave the signal and Cormac pulled Kindara in front of him. “Don’t stop until you and Ji are inside the bird, understand?”
Kindara nodded. She might hate to fly—especially in the flimsy helicopters—but it was the lesser of the two evils. She and Jierra went toward the helicopter seconds after Mallory and Emily, all surrounded by the male Dardaptoans. A hand grabbed Kindara’s and pulled her a step quicker. It was the demon. He lifted her the distance into the helicopter, passing her to Barlaam, who waited inside. Jierra was lifted next. Then the rest of the remaining men, Dardaptoan and Lupoiux.
They’d arrive in Dardanos in just over an hour, then she could put this strange ordeal behind her and get back to the goals that consumed her.
And have Barlaam do a thorough examination to determine if what the demon had said was real. Her hand dropped to cover her stomach as she worried that it was. Weren’t demons potently fertile? What was she to do with a half-demon babe? If it were male, he would be mostly demon just like its father. His father. And if it was a girl, she would be Dardaptoan like her. Like Jierra. A rush of warmth hit her as she looked at the daughter she’d raised from only four weeks old. She’d been a beautiful babe and a beautiful child. So sweet and kind, a joy to all around her. If there was a demon spawn, it would be ok if it was a girl. And even if it was a boy, she would find a way to manage somehow.
But she doubted she’d ever be able to forgive the demon for the way he continued to take choices away from her.
****
Rathan would have preferred to flash to the Dardaptoan stronghold of Dardanos. But that would mean leaving his female and her daughter in the belly of that dangerous vehicle. He would not do that. He settled into the seat to the left of Kindara, eyes on the males riding with them.
He would have none threaten his plans, and that included her brother and king. The king held tiny Emily close and Rathan remembered she too had an intense fear of flying. Probably due to the loss of her mother in a small engine crash when the girl was in her early teens. Mallory’s mate held the traitor Jambu with one foot on the boy’s neck. Jambu lay quietly in the center aisle of the helicopter, seemingly resigned to his fate. Mallory sat next to her giant and beside young Jade—who kept darting furtive glances to the Dardaptoan called Barlaam. What was all that about?
Jade’s father sat with Rand near the back of the helicopter, heads close in deep discussion. Rand’s little mate sat beside her mother, quiet and subdued. Poor little creature—her life had changed so dramatically in the last three days only to be capped off with an apparent friend paying people to kill her—or her mother.
Rathan leaned toward her mother. “Pet, how is your daughter managing? Is she well?”
Kindara sighed, turned her head to look at her daughter. Her hand dropped away from her stomach and she placed it on her daughter’s knee for reassurance. “She’s had her spirit shaken. Jambu was her friend, a close one. Plus everything that’s happened...I’ve sheltered her, demon. Wanted to keep as much of the world’s ugliness away from her. And now this...”
“Once again, I am sorry for my part in your—and her—suffering. I hope you can forgive me.” “Somehow I doubt I ever will.”
Chapter Thirteen
The helicopters were met by a host of Dardaptoans, including young Josey and Mickey. Even Josey’s dog—a little Border collie named Freedom—sat waiting for the helicopters to empty their contents.
Rathan lifted his female down from the bowels of the vehicle, then watched as she approached Josey, giving her a quick inspection. Josey smiled her sweet, shy smile and said something with her hands that Mickey quickly translated. Kindara stepped back after giving a nod. Then Kindara motioned to the group debarking behind her. “And Josey, there are some people who’ve been anxious to see you for themselves.”
Jason looked up at that moment and saw his oldest daughter. His youngest let out a squeal and bounded the fifty feet separating her from her sister. Even the dog barked a happy greeting. Jason rushed to his daughter and scooped her close, then pulled Jade into a three-way hug; the obvious love he felt for his children clear for all to see. Rathan could only hope he felt the same for his own spawn. Rand hugged his own younger sister before setting her aside.
Rathan took a moment to study the place his female called home. It was a large, grand structure and he knew it masqueraded as a luxury hotel. In truth, it housed all the Dardaptoan governmental offices and most of the members of the royal houses.
As far as Rathan could remember, each Dardaptoan tribe had close to ten royal families, headed by one family, one king. All Dardaptoan families were denoted by the color of the sashes the individual members wore. A Dardaptoan wearing white was royalty, within the House they represented.
Josey wore the green that Rathan remembered Kindara and her daughter wearing. Mickey wore a sash the color of the richest red wine, her sister Mallory the color of turquoise. It was easy to pick out Mickey’s Rajni; he wore the same wine sash and stood close to her. She reached for him as her brother spoke to her, weaving her fingers through the Dardaptoan male’s. It told Rathan volumes, to see the normally reserved Mickey touching a male.
The king spoke, gave some instructions before leading the group into the building. The inte
rior was as luxurious as Rathan expected and decorated in whites and oranges of King Rydere’s House; it was equally as opulent as his own palace beneath the earth’s surface. He was hit by an unexpected wave of homesickness that he ruthlessly pushed aside. He would be in his palace soon enough, but with his female by his side. Securing her and his spawn was more important than any momentary emotional lapses on Rathan’s part.
Just inside what Rathan suspected was considered the hotel’s lobby the Dardaptoan king stopped and faced the rest of the party. He bowed slightly. “For those of you who are related to my Rajni, we will have rooms arranged for you on the family floor—for the rest of your men, Taniss, I suggest rooms on the second. They are your rooms for as long as you visit—and it is an open-ended invitation.”
His Rajni stepped to his side, drawing attention her way. Now she seemed comfortable with the attention, whereas before Rathan knew—from brushing her mind in dreams—attention had made her extremely nervous. But she’d always managed to do what her family required of her as heir. He strongly suspected the Dardaptoan king would make her happy and that pleased him greatly. Emily nodded to two female servants dressed in pale yellow tunics that had hovered unobtrusively at the group’s edge since they’d entered. “We’re arranging a celebratory dinner to be served at seven, Uncle Jason. Rand. We’ll send someone to bring you to the family dining room a few minutes before. Until then, while we wait for your rooms to be readied, maybe you’d like a tour? Kindara, Josey, Barlaam, and I have some things to discuss so we can’t join you—but Mickey and Mal can. They can answer any of your questions, I think. If not, Aodhan’s sister may be able to.” She motioned to the tall woman who’d met them just inside the lobby. She was a pretty woman with the same chestnut hair as her brother. She looked so much sturdier than Rathan’s female. He frowned again.
Would he ever shake this all-consuming worry? “Aureliana?”
“Of course.”
Rathan didn’t want to be parted from his mate, but what option did he have? He would cooperate with these Dardaptoans until he had the time to confront her privately.
****
Barlaam stared at her, and Kindara could see the answer in his eyes. She dropped her chin to rest on her chest before she spoke. “It’s true, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Barlaam wrapped strong hands around her upper arms and pulled her closer. Kindara dropped her head to his broad chest, hugging him tightly. This was her best friend, her partner in the quest to find cures for their people. Nobody understood her like her fellow healer. “Kinney, did he...force you? Use some demon chemical or hormone against you?”
“Was it willing, you mean?”
“Was it? He’s a damned incubus, after all.”
“At the time, it was willing. I can’t even say that it wasn’t; he got what he wanted and I got what I demanded. Goddesses, Barlaam, what am I supposed to do? How the hell am I supposed to tell Cormac or Jierra about this?” She worried the problem for a moment before another occurred to her. “Is...Is the babe ok? I mean, I’ve never heard of a Dardaptoan and demon babe before.”
“The babe will be strong and healthy because its father is demon. It’s your wellbeing that will be the most precarious, Kinney. You know that.” Barlaam frowned. “You might need more than just bagged blood from here on out. And you’ll need to rest more than what you do. You’ll need some supplements, as well.”
“He gave me his blood.” Kindara resisted the urge to lick her lips as she remembered how the damned demon had tasted. “Will demon blood effect anything? Negative or positive?”
“I’ve never studied demon blood, Kinney. I just don’t know. If I had some to test, compare with ours, I’d maybe be able to answer that.”
“Oh, you’ll get plenty of demon blood because I’m going to go drain him dry. Right now.”
Chapter Fourteen
He would much rather be with his woman than touring the hotel. But she had needed the time from him, he had had no difficulty understanding or seeing that. He’d give her that time, for when she realized that he was in the right of it, she would have little time away from him. A proper demon woman would know that her place was beside her demon’s side, especially while carrying his spawn.
He must keep her safe.
“Where does Kindara sleep?” His question was bold and it earned him surprised looks from all but Rand and Jason. They knew him well enough to know that if he didn’t receive a satisfactory answer, he would simply find her rooms himself. Nothing would keep him from her side.
“I doubt that she would want me sharing that information with you.” Aureliana, their chestnut-haired host, eyed Rathan with a considering glint in yellow eyes. One feminine hand rested lightly on the hilt of a sword as she looked at him. This was a woman warrior, but it mattered little to Rathan. Kindara was his; they could not keep him from her. “She’s extremely private, and I’ve made it one of my jobs to preserve that privacy.”
“I will find her myself, then. Thank you for your time.” He nodded politely to her and smiled at Mal and the rest of the Taniss women who had accompanied their group. He flashed, his woman in his mind as his ultimate destination.
****
She took the back way, past the indoor pool where Jierra and Jambu used to spend so much of their time while in high school. Jambu’s treachery would still have to be dealt with, but Kindara felt the medical needs and research of her people must ultimately come first.
How was she to reconcile a babe’s needs with her peoples? Could she do it? When Ji was young, Kindara was focused on her exclusively. Had needed to be to heal from her loss. But now the stakes for the Dardaptoan race was so much larger. Would it be fair—could she be fair to a babe in the midst of trying to save her people?
Damn him. And damn herself for not even considering...
Had she ever heard of a half demon half Dardaptoan babe before? They weren’t even of the same worlds, demons and Dardaptoans. Demons lived in what she understood to be a completely other realm created by gods far different than the ones who’d created her peoples, the Kinds of her worlds. Yes, humans inhabited her world, but they came after. Were transplanted after the waters of Eiophon came down. Humans attributed the flood to their Noah, but Kindara knew it was the god who’d created the Lupoiux wreaking havoc with their world. Demons followed the humans to this world occasionally—so Cormac had said— usually for nefarious reasons. No Dardaptoan and demon had cross mated that Kindara had ever heard.
Lucky her to be the first.
A pop behind her had her spinning to face the bastard who’d ruined her careful plans. “You!”
He grinned, sending his eyes flashing flame. Kindara could actually smell the heat of him. “Me. I’ve come for you, pet.”
“To do what? Ruin another plan I’ve made?”
“To determine what it is we are to do. For you, for our spawn. Rathan the Second will be a great leader someday.”
It took every ounce of her willpower to refrain from thunking him on his thick head. “Iustis will be a great healer. If it’s a boy. If it’s a girl, I don’t know what I will call her.”
“Of course it will not be female. Most firstborn Malickus spawn are male. We will have daughters later. At least one daughter would be nice. If you can safely carry more spawn.” He stepped closer, sending her retreating. She stopped only when she felt the cold of the wall behind her. He loomed in front of her, his silk-clad chest brushing her bare arms where she’d crossed them in front of herself. “We have all the time in the world to discuss it. Come, I think you’ve been on your feet long enough for today, don’t you?” “I am not going anywhere with you.”
“What if I simply took you again? I vowed to get you home safely. I’ve done that. Nothing says I cannot take you again.” His words slipped against the skin of her neck and Kindara fought not to react. She had admitted to herself earlier that she did find him attractive. Almost as much as she had Iavius. “And again, and again. As many times each night and da
y as you want me to.”
Disloyalty had her hating herself. Hating him so much more. Of course she would find him attractive, his kind was designed to lure women physically. But she should be stronger than that. Her hands flattened against his chest. She tried to push, but he was as hard as granite against her. “Back off, demon!”
“Or what?” Sharp teeth grazed her along her chin. “You’ll deny me—us—this? I don’t think you can. I know you enjoyed what we did as much as I. You’re a healthy and beautiful female. You have needs as much as any other female does. Why should I not be good enough to fulfill your needs? I am a king, after all. Who better? I can give you everything you want, pet. And will do so happily. It is my right as your lover.”
“You coerced me under conditions that were false.” Tears of anger had her words choking out. “How does that give you rights over me? You consider me less than real, more like property. You want, you take. How is that right?”
Confusion covered his face when he pulled back slightly. “Of course I consider you real. That’s a ridiculous assumption. Don’t you understand? I would die for you and our spawn. Willingly. And I would give you all that I can. And that is a considerable amount. How can that be so wrong? A demon woman would kill for what I am offering—”
“But that’s just it. I’m no demon woman and you are no Dardaptoan. And this should never have come to be.”
****
“But it has. I never intended to spawn with you. But I am not displeased that it is you who carry my first spawn.” Rathan ran his knuckles over the skin of her cheek. She lowered her eyes from him and tried to turn away. He wouldn’t let her. “We can make the best of this, pet. Make a family for our spawn. Follow the Fates in this…Do we not owe it to him...or her?”
“How? I have a purpose for my people. One I will not give up, even for a babe. Especially for a babe! Do you know how many of our women are taken by blood loss during childbirth? Or strange infections that weaken our bodies afterward? Making it difficult to nurse our babes—who often are lost to starvation in the months past birth? It is my task, my calling, to find a way to stop this!”
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