Anita's mindspeech had reached me the moment she and Watson pulled Morwin and Chloe away from the mall; mindspeech from Ilya and Tamp followed quickly, after they managed to get Rose and the rest of her family out of Adelaide.
We hadn't gone back to the boat; I'd transported all of us to Auckland, New Zealand. I'd determined that Morgett and his idiot Ra'Ak followers had no idea Morwin was in Adelaide, else they'd have zoned in on him immediately rather than stopping for a quick bite, first.
Regardless, Morwin wanted to go back. I'd blinked at him before Pulling in a ranos pistol and folding space to Rundle Mall with the Amterean.
Once it was over, I removed every speck of blood, bodies and Ra'Ak dust before separating its particles and sending Kory, Morwin and the others to Auckland. Opal would see to them in the interim; I had something to do.
* * *
Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis
Jheri Rath
The comesuli gossip. It's what they do best. That's how I found out about what Mom wanted to do. If she abdicated, then Daddy would no longer have a right to the throne.
And to abdicate in favor of Reah?
That was blasphemy, in my opinion. Reah had no more right to the throne than the average High Demon. She wasn't special—just like her mother hadn't been special. Her grandmother, who was humanoid, wasn't anything special, either.
I'd seen Reah with dirt under her fingernails, working like a commoner in the gishi fruit groves. No High Demon female would ever stoop to that. Reah was only a quarter High Demon, anyway, no matter what she could do. Torevik, her mate, was only half High Demon to Reah's quarter-blood.
Jhase and I were pure High Demons. We deserved the throne before anyone else. We were descended from the King and Queen, whereas Reah wasn't. Denevik Lith, Reah's grandfather, had never had any claim to the throne, although he was Mom's only living brother.
I stood on the balcony outside my suite in Lissa's palace. I wanted things to stay as they were, with Daddy on the throne until the day came when he wanted to leave it, instead of being forced to do so.
Then he would choose either me or Jhase to rule, and the proper husband would become King.
Mother was wrong. My sister and I could rule Kifirin easily. Comesuli gossip said her opinion of us as potential rulers was low. I hated her for that.
Daddy, I sent, tell me where you are. I'm coming home.
* * *
Lissa
I'd sealed High Demons out, not High Demons in. We learned at dinner that evening that Jheri was missing.
She'd waited until just before dinner to inform her twin sister, Jhase, that she'd gone back to Kifirin to fight alongside her father.
To my knowledge, she'd never become Thifilatha and had never had combat training, so I had no idea how she planned to do that.
Jhase was almost inconsolable when she heard from her sister; at least she recognized the foolishness of it. Jheri was eaten with jealousy after she'd heard palace gossip, naming Reah as the next Queen of Kifirin.
I wanted to scream at my entire palace staff over that stupidity.
Gossip and idle rumors could kill; it had happened in the past. Glinda became so pale when she heard of Jheri's defection that she became ill. I had to call Karzac to keep the vomiting under control and place her in a healing sleep.
I could see the concern on Karzac's face, however. He'd delivered Jhase and Jheri. I doubted Jheri had a clue how much danger she was in by skipping back to her father and uncle.
I hoped she wouldn't learn it the hard way.
* * *
Targis, Tulgalan
Zaria
"Who's there?" Denevik Lith's voice through the door-com sounded rough. I'd rang his doorbell, so to speak, and he certainly wasn't expecting guests.
"A Larentii is here to see you," I told him.
"Fuck off," he snapped. I waited a few seconds.
"I will be there momentarily," Jusef, his Amterean manservant, answered. I suppose Denevik had a right to be grumpy; his wife, Breszca, had been dead less than a year. She, a natural-born citizen of Tulgalan and humanoid, wasn't immortal.
Denevik, the last living male of the House of Lith, was. For years, he and Breszca had attempted to have a second child together. Those efforts had failed. She was now gone and Denevik had eternity to miss her.
Raedah, Reah's mother, was Denevik and Breszca's only child, and she'd died long ago at the hands of a jealous co-wife. One of Reah's daughters from her first set of twins was named after Raedah.
Jusef opened the door and blinked at me. He started to shut it again; I didn't look like a Larentii. That's when I pulled myself to my full height, my skin becoming the familiar blue of any Larentii.
The door stopped, then opened wider.
Just like Jusef's eyes.
"What the hell are you doing, Jusef?" Denevik demanded as he walked up behind the dwarf. He stopped short when he caught sight of what stood outside his door.
"Hello, Denevik," I said. "I told you I was Larentii."
* * *
Auckland, New Zealand
Lexsi
"I'm not as good at this as Zaria," Opal frowned at the wound in my arm. At least it was clean, now, and not seeping blood.
Kory hovered, making sure I was taken care of, although Opal and I attempted to shoo him away. He needed food and rest after taking on Morgett's horde.
Some of the attack had been recorded; I figured Zaria left the first part of the recordings there in order to explain missing people who'd become Ra'Ak dinner. The rest had gone fuzzy and then blank, just before our arrival.
Australians, understandably, were in a panic, as news stations everywhere picked up the images and broadcast them to waiting audiences.
Opal had power; I was beginning to understand how much as she sealed the wound, leaving a dark-pink pucker behind. "Zaria will fix the rest," Opal sighed and leaned away to examine her work.
"It looks fine," I shrugged off her concern. "I'm just worried about panicky people right now."
"I know. Zaria may have allowed those images to remain," she said. "I may know why, too. I guess we'll find out for sure soon."
"Why?" I couldn't help asking.
"You'll see," Opal brushed off my question. "Wherever she is right now, she's making plans to save all our asses, because I have to tell you, with what's going on here and on Kifirin, things aren't looking so good."
"What's happening on Kifirin?" I whispered, catching Opal's hand as she turned away.
"I can't tell you, sweetheart," she said. "It's too much. Concentrate on what we have to deal with here, all right?"
* * *
Campiaa
Teeg San Gerxon
Tybus and I sat in my office, studying the two who sat across from us. I knew Denevik—from years earlier. Hadn't seen much of Reah's grandfather since then, but knew he lived on Tulgalan with his humanoid wife.
Until recently, when she'd died.
Tybus was more patient that I—it was one of the major differences between us, although we looked like identical twins. Between us, we kept the Campiaan Alliance on a steady, even keel, although only a few knew that there were two of us instead of one.
"Tell me," Tybus asked, steepling his fingers.
"Well, you know Kifirin recently pulled out of the Reth Alliance," Zaria began.
"We know that," I replied. "What does that have to do with the Campiaan Alliance?"
"If you want your Alliance to remain intact," Denevik blew smoke in our direction, "then I suggest you listen carefully to what Zaria has to say."
* * *
Southern Continent, Kifirin
Jheri
I'd called myself a fool—dozens of times. All I could do was sit and weep inside my prison; my own father had placed me there after Uncle Garde shot something into the back of my neck.
It hurt.
He'd complained, too, that they only had three of the devices and no way to get more of them.
I
couldn't skip away or send mindspeech—the device was preventing it. I had no defense against the two High Demons that I no longer recognized.
When I heard them talking about killing Rylend Morphis, the King of Karathia, rather than taking him hostage, I realized what my words to my father had brought about. They were going to murder somebody who'd had nothing to do with any of this, merely to get back at my mother and Queen Lissa.
Mom, I struggled to send mindspeech again for perhaps the hundredth time. I'm sorry. Tell Ry to watch out, Daddy wants to kill him.
Like before, the message only rattled inside my skull before dissipating.
Food was shoved under the door on a dirty plate—the servants were either dead or had deserted. I didn't blame them; I wanted to do the same. Anything to get me away from these two, because they'd gone crazy. Nothing was normal about them, now.
When they'd discussed which High Demon to pass me off to; they'd levied a death sentence against my husband, calling him a deserter. I'd wedged myself into a corner afterward and wept.
Tears were still falling when Uncle Denevik appeared inside my cell, accompanied by Teeg San Gerxon, although I knew him as Gavril Montegue.
"Let's get you out of here, baby," Denevik crooned as he lifted me off the floor. "I'll have someone remove that shit from your neck, don't you worry."
* * *
Campiaa
Zaria
"Did he say how many of these he had?" I asked as light formed around my fingers and I Pulled the controller painlessly from Jheri's neck.
"They said three," Jheri brushed tears away before staring at the tiny controller in my hand.
I sent its sparks flying while she watched.
"I hope you know why Reah was Li'Neruh Rath's choice for Queen," I told her, my voice stern.
"He chose her?"
"He did, and your mother recognized the sense in it. Know how often Reah saved the Reth Alliance? Do you know how her daughter, Lexsi spent her afternoon?"
"No." I could still see tendrils of jealousy in Jheri's eyes as she answered.
"Reah saved the Alliance too many times to count. As you know, she can become Thifilatha. Her youngest, Lexsi, fought and killed Copper Ra'Ak—as Thifilatha," I replied. "I can provide images, if you'd like."
Jheri's eyes widened. "She can change? I thought only Mom and Reah," she sputtered.
"Reah and Lexsi have risked their lives to save others—and to save the timeline," I lectured. "Have you done any of those things?"
"No." Her voice was so soft I almost didn't hear it.
"Little girl, Zaria told us where you were and sent Teeg and me after you, because she knew you'd be raped if we didn't come for you. You've stirred up a hornet's nest with your father and uncle, though."
"I know," Jheri confessed. "I'm so sorry, Uncle Denny."
"Don't cry, baby, that's over," Denevik pulled her to his chest and kissed the top of her head. "Uncle Denny's here," he soothed.
"What shall we do about Karathia?" Tybus' voice was soft as he pulled me away. We left Denevik behind to comfort his niece while Tybus and I walked away to discuss the future in Teeg's private study.
"I sent mindspeech to Mom," Teeg said as I took a seat. "She's telling Glinda now that Jheri has been rescued."
"Good," I said and leaned back in the offered chair.
"How do we protect my brother?" Teeg asked immediately.
"Well, it will depend on whether I can approach allies in the past," I said. "I may have to convince someone before I can ask them to help, too," I grumped.
"Who will you have to convince?" Tybus wanted to know.
"One of the Powers That Be," I closed my eyes with weariness. "But what I really want to do is punch him in the mouth."
* * *
Kent, England—Earth
Kiarra
"Franklin, Jeffrey, what are these wet swimsuits doing in the middle of the floor?" I demanded.
They'd come straight from the pool, left their swimsuits to soak the carpet in their bedroom and headed into the shower before coming downstairs for dinner.
The television was on in their shared bedroom, too, blaring far too loud for my taste. "We bring you breaking news from Adelaide, Australia," the evening program was interrupted by a journalist.
I turned swiftly, intending to turn the set off. My hand froze as I reached for the remote tossed carelessly on the end of Franklin's bed. Images of Ra'Ak and High Demons slithered and strode along a wide, brick walkway at a popular mall in Adelaide. One of the Ra'Ak snatched up a fleeing human, gulping the man down like an afternoon snack.
My breath had caught in my throat; in seconds I'd sent screaming mindspeech to Adam, Merrill, Pheligar and anyone else who might be listening.
Chapter 11
Queen's Palace, Le-Ath Veronis
Lissa
"She told you that? Are you sure it's true?" Glinda's blue eyes begged me to say it was a lie. Zaria wasn't lying about this—I knew it in my gut. Garde and Jayd had not only shot a controller into her neck, but had discussed giving her away to another High Demon.
I wanted to kill him for the controller alone. I knew what damage it had done to Torevik. Somehow, Jayd had kept three he'd found somewhere, and still had two of them, if Jheri were correct.
She'd witnessed the terrifying truth of what her father had become, too, and we'd done our best to keep that from her and the other girls.
They knew, now. Gavril had come after his meeting with Zaria was over. What he had to tell me wasn't pretty, either. Jheri was now asleep in one of Gavril's guest suites, while Tybus and a multitude of guards watched over her.
Her husband would go with Gavril when he returned to Campiaa. Jhase and Wendevik were set to go with him, too.
I considered sending all the girls to Avendor, but that would be their decision. After they discussed it with Glinda.
I contacted Reah, too, although Gavril had already done so. Her daughters were caught up in this mess, whether they still considered her their mother or not.
I fumed, too, over Jheri's mindspeech to Jhase before skipping to Kifirin. She'd belittled Reah, when Reah had saved Kifirin. Dirt under her nails? I ground my teeth about that.
Maybe those girls should help with Reah and Edward's next harvest, then be forced to study the economics of Kifirin—before and after money from Reah's groves started coming in.
If Jheri had no idea who'd actually fed and clothed her at the time, then she needed to update her lessons.
Back then, Kifirin was on the brink of bankruptcy, and King Daddy Jayd had taken the lion's share of the gishi fruit profits to refill the treasury and pay off planetary debt.
"Calm down, your eyes are red," Zaria appeared beside me.
She looked exhausted.
"Come with me," I said.
"Huh?"
"You're going to eat while you sit in sunlight, and then you're going to sleep for a while. Don't make me call Valegar or Kalenegar, because I will."
"Fine. Lead the way."
* * *
Kent, England
Adam Chessman
Kiarra sent mindspeech to Thorsten. As yet, he hadn't answered. Pheligar came, though, and was just as puzzled by the appearance of Ra'Ak as the rest of us.
Usually, the Larentii knew before anyone else that Ra'Ak had invaded the planet. These arrived with no warning to anyone.
How had we been blinded to this?
Somehow, too, all traces of these Ra'Ak and the High Demons accompanying them had disappeared.
That spelled power to me.
Much power.
Perhaps more than Thorsten held. Kiarra had Looked, then informed us that the attacking Ra'Ak and High Demons had been killed.
She hadn't said how or why, and I wondered at that, too.
A handful of Saa Thalarr were currently on assignment. Two were recovering from Ra'Ak poison from recent assignments. The rest could be reached and brought in if Kiarra found it necessary, although she was
generally required to discuss things with Thorsten, first.
"Thorsten will not be joining us," Belen appeared in a flash of light.
Here was Thorsten's superior, and I blinked at the brightness he brought with him.
"Belen?" Kiarra stood to greet him. "Why isn't Thorsten answering?"
"Because," Belen smiled and I'd never seen him do that, "My mate wants to punch him in the mouth."
I had no idea that Belen had a mate, but I wished to befriend anyone who wanted to punch Thorsten.
"You will meet her," Belen turned toward me as his smile widened. "She will be most happy to call you a friend."
* * *
Auckland, New Zealand
Kordevik
"The rest of the cruise has been cancelled, and the cruise line is attempting to get the passengers sent home as quickly as possible after the debacle in Adelaide," Opal informed me. "I've been in contact with Colonel Hunter back home; they're beefing up border security, but I've told him he probably doesn't need to worry at the moment, since Morgett has focused on Australia."
Lexsi was asleep in the adjoining hotel room; I'd closed the connecting door so Opal and I could talk without disturbing her. She'd fallen asleep on my shoulder the moment we finished a take-out dinner.
"Wanna bet Morgett has more Ra'Ak and High Demons waiting in the wings?" I breathed smoke as I said the words.
"Not taking that bet; every time we show up, he brings more. I worry that outright war is brewing, with Australia as the killing ground."
"It pisses me off that Morgett doesn't show up himself. I want to squeeze his throat until he dusts," I growled.
"He's a coward at heart," Opal said. "So far, everything he's sent against you has died. He has no desire to take you on unless he has the upper hand."
"You think he has enough Ra'Ak and rogue High Demons to take on my brothers and me?"
"I don't have an answer for that," Opal said. "I wish I did."
"I wish I could go back and watch Morwin shooting the enemy," I sighed. "Ranos pistols will even kill High Demons, if you're close enough."
"Zaria may be able to replay the images for you," Opal said. "For now, you ought to rest. It's been a long day."
"Yeah. I'll go lie down with Lexsi."
A Demon's Due: Latter Day Demons, Book 3 Page 14