I'd heard some of the news vids—they were blaming the fire on a huge gas explosion, with no explanation as to the cause. If Celestan and his brother had found a way to do that so that fingers wouldn't be pointed in their direction, I had to marvel at their efficiency. Just because Zephili belonged to the Alliance didn't mean they couldn't have crime or uprisings. I was surprised that Lendill hadn't sent anyone in to investigate. Or perhaps he had and left me out of that loop.
* * *
"They knew where to hit this, didn't they?" Lendill examined the crater that formerly housed the hub where natural gas was pumped in and then sent through smaller pipelines into an older housing district. This one still had natural gas lines instead of the upgraded solar power relays. The pipes were insulated well—they should have been impervious to anything short of a very large bomb blast. Of course, nobody had factored in powerful warlocks when the thing had been designed.
"Yes." Norian crunched over blackened rubble. Surprisingly, only fifteen people died in the explosion and subsequent fires. But we'll hold off on the true cause of all this until we finish this with San Gerxon and the Hardlows, he added mentally. We'll just say our findings are inconclusive and we're still investigating.
Lendill nodded, not sending a reply. He considered sending mindspeech to Reah but held back. His last communication with her hadn't gone very well. Had he known it, Reah was less than half a tick away from him at that very moment.
* * *
"We worry about two fields," Farzi informed me as we selected fruits and vegetables to buy for the plantation.
"Why?" I turned to him while sniffing a melon. I could always tell the ripe ones if I did that.
"They dry out—plants look brown though we water often," he said.
"You don't know why it's happening?" I placed the melon in a basket Nenzi held out.
"We have not the explanation." Farzi was eyeing the potatoes. I gathered several large ones and added those to the basket.
"I'll bake these for you," I promised, getting a smile from Farzi. We picked up butter and plenty of sour cream, all the vegetables and fruit we needed, plus several kinds of meats. The only thing truly missing here was good, fresh fish. Frozen could be had readily, but what they passed off as fresh fish wasn't. I bought some frozen shrimp, though. It was probably a good idea to keep Arvil as happy as we could and the soup he liked might be a good start.
"Can I come to the fields with you tomorrow?" I asked Farzi. He seemed to be Arvil's expert on growing crops.
"Of course," Farzi seemed pleased that I'd asked. I wanted to see these plants for myself. Perhaps there was some sort of blight, insect or animal that was responsible. If nature could give a helping hand in taking out the drakus seed crop, all the better.
"Farzi, what do you know about what we're growing?" The time had come to find out.
"Powerful drug. Should not be used," Farzi muttered. "Arvil wants, so we do. He give me home on Urdolus after first successful crop. I hope then he leave us there to live. Not to be," Farzi sighed. "Now, all gone."
"I'm sorry you lost your home, Farzi," I hugged him. We'd lost more than that. Xiri had died there, as had Arvil's remaining family.
We were unloading our purchases into the kitchen later when I learned that Arvil had been folded to Campiaa to take care of business. Astralan, who'd moved Arvil, Ry and Tory to Campiaa, had brought Teeg back with him as Arvil's replacement.
You didn't even give me a warning? I sent mindspeech to Tory. I could feel his mental shrug.
No time, it just happened, Tory replied. Teeg stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a huge grin on his face as I cut off the mindspeech with Tory. Honestly, multiple mates definitely had its downside.
Farzi, Nenzi and my other reptanoid bodyguards stood aside as Teeg swept me up in his arms and kissed me breathless. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my head against his shoulder. Farzi and Nenzi would have to sleep in the rooms with their brothers while Teeg was there.
Chapter 13
"This steak sauce is exceptional." Stellan was fond of steak, it appeared. I'd found some thick cuts at the market that looked fresh and tender, so we were serving those with a sauce and Farzi's baked potatoes, plus a green vegetable and a nice dessert.
"I'm glad you like it," I said, cutting into my steak. I'd cooked a smaller portion for myself. Teeg was busy eating—I think his mind was on what he intended to do as soon as he could get me away from the table.
* * *
"Planning to get me drunk?" I asked. Teeg held a bottle of wine and two glasses in his hands when he slipped into my bedroom later. I think the kitchen had been cleaned in record time. I'd showered and dressed in my nicest lingerie while I waited for Teeg to have a brief meeting with the Hardlows and their warlocks.
"Absolutely," Teeg gave me a heart-stopping grin. "This is nice," he trailed a finger along the black lace covering my breasts.
"You picked it out."
"I have exceptional taste." We didn't even open the wine; it wasn't needed. Teeg's hands are strong and firm and he takes his time at first until he makes me crazy. After a certain point, I want him so badly that he could do anything he wanted with me and it would be all right, including nipping my inner thighs. That gave me a climax, all by itself.
"I know what my Reah wants," Teeg whispered against my mouth as his body slid over mine. He did. As much or more than Aurelius or Tory.
* * *
Teeg had to worry with Wilffox, Wilffin and the warlocks while Farzi, Nenzi and the others took me to the drakus seed fields the following morning. "See?" Farzi lifted a branch of one of the drakus plants. The leaves were dry and brittle, as if they hadn't been watered. Except they had. In fact, the ground was still damp from the watering earlier.
"None of the other fields are like this?" I peered into the distance—it would take half a click just to walk to the opposite end of this field.
"One more on other side," Farzi pointed in front of us. I started walking through the field with Nenzi, Farzi and six other reptanoids following me. It wasn't particularly hot this early in the morning, but the farther I walked along, the hotter I felt until I thought my insides would melt. What did this mean? I stopped still and looked at Farzi. "Farzi, do you feel hot right now?" I asked, my voice sounding breathless.
"No, our Reah. Are you not well?" Farzi came and put a hand to my forehead. "Your forehead does not feel like fever."
"I don't feel like a fever either—not there, anyway," I said. "I feel it, here." I pointed to my chest. "There's no pain," I was holding Farzi off; I think he was about to fling me inside Nenzi's hovercar and rush me back to the plantation. "It just feels really warm." More than anything, I wanted to contact Gavril and ask him what he thought. Bouncing ideas around with him often led to better conclusions. He never looked at me as if I were crazy when I said something, and this was definitely sounding crazy.
"I want to walk a little farther," I said. Farzi didn't want me to; I could see that right away. He didn't argue with me, moving along beside me silently as I strode farther and farther into a field of drakus seed that stretched as far as the eye could see. I knew immediately when I reached the warmest spot in the field. The plants were almost completely brown around me, but even without that visual confirmation, I would have known. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the heat itself.
"Our Reah, are you well?" Farzi eventually reached me from where I'd gone.
"Farzi," I smiled at him, curling my hand around his neck and drawing him close.
"Reah, I say again, are you well?"
"Yes, Farzi, I am well," I assured him. "Now, you said before that you knew I was different when you met me."
"Yes. We not know how, but we know." Nenzi had come up beside me to give me a hug.
"Then I ask you not to be frightened when I show you what I am. I promise that I also recognize my friends and enemies when I turn."
"I'll be big," I warned before undressing and concentrating on the tu
rn. I sat on the ground to make the change so I wouldn't tower over my friends.
Eight faces were turned upward as my larger Thifilatha loomed over them, even sitting down. "Our Reah," Nenzi was breathless as he gazed at me in wonder.
"I won't hurt you," I promised. "Ever," I added, smiling down at him.
"Stretch out wings?" That was Hirzi asking. I stretched out my wings. The sun glinted off the gold of my scales and the membranes of my jointed wings.
"What is our Reah?" Yanzi knelt down before me.
"High Demon," I said. "Those things that come and attack us are not demons. They are the young of a monster. I would know if they were demons." I concentrated on turning back to myself. Nenzi helped me dress. "Were you afraid?" I asked him.
"No," he said. "Our Reah is a queen."
"No, Nenzi. I'm not a queen," I shook my head. "But I thank you for the compliment."
"Your skin scaled—like ours." Farzi seemed happy about that.
"Yes it is." I smiled at him.
"We are kin." Perzi wanted that more than anything, I think.
"We are kin," I tapped his chest. "Here, if nowhere else."
* * *
"What did you learn?" Teeg asked as soon as we walked into the kitchen. He'd been waiting on us. I barely had time to put lunch together.
"Some of the plants in two fields look like they're dying, as if they're not getting enough water," I said. "But they are. The fields around those two are doing fine. The ground is damp and still the plants are brown."
"Only two fields, not a lot to worry about unless it spreads," Teeg brushed it off. I left it at that. I didn't tell him about my other feelings regarding the dying fields I'd wandered through earlier. I hadn't even told Farzi and the others what I was thinking. That was a secret I was holding onto as long as I could.
* * *
Berthias Tayde swallowed hard as the Director and Vice-Director of the ASD watched him squirm in his seat. "So," Norian Keef finally said, "you weren't aware that drakus seed was about to be funneled through your station?"
"N-no. Not at all," Berthias was shaking his head violently. Berthias knew if he were convicted of transporting drakus seed, he'd never see freedom again. They'd pulled Berthias in first, but Windelin was waiting outside, chained to a steel bar. Nothing would get either of them out of this.
"But you admit to allowing the poppy drug to go through, in addition to a few other illegal items, such as wizard's charms, stolen artifacts and such?"
"Y-yes."
"So, you thought that was all right, did you, allowing illegal substances to spread across the Alliance?" Norian's arms were crossed angrily over his chest.
"I th-thought it was harmless."
"Poppy drug harmless?" Lendill Schaff asked.
"W-well, mostly harmless."
"Ah. And how much were you paid to think it was mostly harmless?"
"Not enough." Berthias wished he'd never heard of Grish or any of his heirs.
"The first truth he's given us so far," Lendill observed.
"What are you going to do with me? Or Windelin? He has a family."
"Not anymore," Lendill pointed out.
"Unless," Norian stroked his chin a little, watching Berthias with a speculative expression on his face.
"Unless what?" Berthias pleaded. "Please tell me there's a way out of this."
"Well, a lighter sentence might be arranged, as long as you do everything we say." Lendill grinned nastily at Berthias.
* * *
"Reah?" Astralan walked into the kitchen as I was preparing breakfast.
"Lord Astralan?" The honorific made him smile. He was handsome when he smiled, but I wasn't going to say that. I didn't know what to think about the warlocks most of the time. After all, Celestan and Galaxsan had gone to the city nearby and placed a well-aimed power blast at a natural-gas junction, killing fifteen people. Maybe they'd hit most of the traitors Delvin rounded up for his revolt, but I had no way to determine whether that was true or not. Either way, I didn't understand it.
"Reah, it's too bad Arvil found you first. Wilffox would have paid you whatever you asked if you'd come to work for him."
Wanting to ask him if that's what it took—a really big payday to do what he did, I just stared at the warlock for a few moments instead. "Well, what is it they say about being in the wrong place at the wrong time?" I shrugged.
"Or the right one at the right time." Astralan was still smiling.
"I suppose it's all a matter of perspective," I said. "What do you want for breakfast?" Breakfast had turned into an informal affair, with people wandering in whenever they rose for the day. I was thankful the servants had their own quarters and took care of their own meals.
"Astralan." Teeg walked in, nodding to the warlock.
"I'm glad you're here, Teeg—I was thinking about going to the slopes somewhere. Want to come along?"
"That sounds good. Reah?"
I looked at Teeg before heaving a sigh. I didn't want to leave the reptanoids alone. Not with the Hardlows and any one of their warlocks.
"I can tell by looking at you that you won't even consider it," Teeg said.
"You should go, I know you like snowboarding," I said. "I need to get some things done around here."
"She won't go without Farzi and the others," Teeg said, making me want to throw the stack of hotcakes I'd just placed on the bar at him.
"Bring them," Astralan was laughing now.
"Only if they want to come," I had my hands on my hips. That made him laugh harder. That's how we ended up on a ski slope somewhere, Teeg, Astralan, Stellan, all eight reptanoids and me.
"I never do anything like this before," Farzi was watching Teeg go down the slope on his board. The two warlocks had skis and they were adept at going down the hill.
"I've only done it once before and I fell more often than I stayed on my feet," I said. "But you're really quick and limber—I think you can do this," I encouraged Farzi. The poor man had probably never had fun in his life. I'd seen him smile only a few times since I'd met him. Nenzi and the others, too. Actually, Nenzi was watching all the other skiers and snowboarders in fascination.
"Just watch your ankles—that's what gave me the most trouble," I said. Farzi nodded, hopped his skis to the edge like an expert and then dropped over it. I watched in amazement as Farzi went down the hill—he didn't fall once and before he got to the bottom, he looked like a professional. Well, something to be said for snake shapeshifters, I suppose. Nenzi and the others followed Farzi down, with almost the same results. They were all good, right from the start. I was learning all over again and Teeg was laughing after I fell the second time just before I reached the bottom.
"Very funny," I smacked him on the arm when I got up and slid the last few blocks down.
Before the day was out, Farzi and his brothers were all talking about buying ski equipment. They knew there was an artificial slope on Campiaa and they wanted to do this again. I just shook my head in wonder. Teeg got my neck in the crook of his elbow and was pulling me close to kiss the top of my head when I turned my equipment in.
* * *
"I'm glad you had fun," I was laughing at Nenzi; he was talking as fast as he could while helping me carry plates to the dining hall.
When we arrived, Teeg was talking with someone on his comp-vid. It was Arvil, asking Teeg to help him deal with a situation. Someone had killed Arvil's assistant and things were looking grim on Campiaa for the moment. I think my heart stilled momentarily and Nenzi stopped talking in midsentence. Stellan was planning to take Teeg away immediately, and then stay on Campiaa in case Teeg and Arvil needed someone with power. Somehow, I got the idea that Arvil's four remaining wizards were implicated in all of this. I should have known better, thinking that they'd be too frightened to do anything after Delvin and Carthin were killed.
"Reah, everything will be fine, sweetheart." Teeg rose from his seat, as did Stellan when Teeg finished talking with Arvil. Both of them disappe
ared right before my eyes.
"Reah, sit down and eat," Astralan ordered as soon as his brother had taken Teeg away. Nenzi gave me a swift look and he and I sat down to eat. The reptanoids and I were stuck on Zephili with Wilffox and Wilffin Hardlow, plus three of their four warlocks. I had no idea how that was going to end, which left me frightened and feeling cold.
* * *
Vice-Director, Tory and I are on Campiaa with Arvil San Gerxon. Teeg, Reah's other mate is here too, since those four idiot wizards belonging to Arvil killed his assistant and tried to get into Arvil's main command-computer. Tory got one of them when he tried to come after us; the other three got away. Ry was sending mindspeech to Lendill after a very busy and stressful afternoon.
Where are the other three wizards and where is Reah? Lendill's voice seemed more concerned than usual.
We think the other three are holed up in one of Arvil's casinos down the street—the situation is somewhat grim I believe, since they're holding guests hostage. When Teeg gets here, we're supposed to go down there and take care of this. Reah is still on Zephili with the Hardlows and three of their warlocks.
Reah is with the Hardlows? Alone?
Yes.
I'll send mindspeech to her. Lendill cut off communication with Ry.
What did he say, bro? Tory was fretting over Reah, that's why Ry had contacted Lendill to begin with. Ry and Tory both were belting on an assortment of weapons, preparing to go with Arvil and his army of guards to do battle with Arvil's three remaining wizards.
He said he'd send mindspeech to Reah. Come on, bro, Teeg just got here with Stellan. Ry led the way out of his and Tory's quarters.
* * *
"If you'll provide the distraction; none of these can carry themselves away, they don't hold the skills," Stellan said to those gathered around the kitchen island in Arvil's palace, "then I can get in there and take care of them while they're looking elsewhere."
Demon Revealed (High Demon Series #2) Page 20