Rierdane touched it with one finger, then touched the prince’s plastic cup and straw.
“Thanks.”
He watched approvingly as Cass held the straw to the prince’s lips and stood patiently while he took a few painful sips. It pained him mightily to see his charge so weak, but he was grateful Cass seemed to take it all in stride. She bustled around the room, throwing things away and straightening the prince’s bed clothes when he shivered. She kissed him repeatedly, then she washed her hands and sat at his bed side with his hand in hers.
“Sleep, baby,” she told Eyoen.
Rierdane was shocked when the prince did exactly that.
“Where is Eyoen’s father, Ree?”
He liked his simple human nickname, but he scowled at the woman who uttered it. “I cannot tell you that, miss.” Though the King was at this moment ensconced in her bed fast asleep, a shield of invisibility shrouding his presence from all who might enter.
“Why not?”
“It’s a royal matter.”
“Like a safety thing?”
He nodded stiffly.
“He can stay at my place if he wants to. Or I can find him a hotel.”
“Thank you, miss. I shall inform the King of your generosity, but that won’t be necessary.”
The King’s location would remain a secret while he was on this planet. No one must know that he’d left Cyanus. He shouldn’t have, but the King would never not come to attend his son in his hour of need.
“Does the King approve of me, Ree?”
Rierdane hesitated, unsure what truth to tell, or how much.
“Just give it to me straight, man,” Cass said impatiently. “Does he approve of our relationship?”
“Yes and no.”
Cass waited. “Is that all you’re gonna say?”
Rierdane shrugged. “It is not my place to have this conversation with you, miss.”
“Are you my friend, Ree?”
He frowned. “Of course I am, miss.”
“Then you should call me Cass, and you shouldn’t retreat behind this wall of formality just because I asked you a difficult question. Eyoen and I are together now. I need to get along with you, but I value honesty above all else. Can you be honest with me?”
“As much as I can,” he hesitated. “Cass.”
“Good enough. Now, as much as you can, I want you to tell me what the hell is going on. I know you’re demons, and your customs are different from those here on Earth, but from all I know about Cyanus, your idea of family is stronger than ours here. I don’t get why Eyoen’s father isn’t right here on the other side of this bed.”
Rierdane sighed. How to tell her what she needed to know without breaking the King’s confidence?
Tell her why my son is really here on Earth. Not just because he loves her, but because I need him safe.
Rierdane jumped a little, startled when the King’s voice sounded in his head. You want me to tell her of the threat?
Yes, but no details. Just that it exists, Eyoen must be protected, and that he does not know.
As you wish, my King.
It would also be helpful if you prepped her mind for the visit home. As soon as my son is strong enough to leave the human hospital we must take him to the healers on Cyanus. I cannot bear to see him this way.
Of course, my King. It will be done.
Rierdane felt the King’s spirit dissipate. He turned to Cass who was looking at him strangely.
“Are you alright?”
“My apologies, miss. I did not mean to be rude. I was talking to the King. He has given me permission to tell you the situation.”
Cass eyes opened wide as he began to talk, and Rierdane could tell that most of what he said was difficult for her to believe. She had absolutely no experience with this sort of thing, and he liked that she listened and did not interrupt once. She opened her mouth a few times to ask questions but subsided when he made no effort to pause in the telling.
“Lemme get this straight. Your star is in danger. This enemy, Unjel, has been systematically killing off Cyani guardsmen for the past several months, all in suspicious circumstances, but nothing that can be proven. The King believes that a battle is coming, one that will bring the situation to a head and decide the fate of not only Cyanus, but you, him, Eyoen and his entire family.”
He had fudged on the state of the battle, omitting the skirmishes the King and his elders had already fought, and barely won. “That is correct.”
“The King also thinks that when the shit comes down Eyoen will be the one to save the day. But he has no idea how this thing will play out because nothing is certain. Because Eyoen is the runt of his litter,” she paused saying this, and Rierdane knew it was because here on Earth the term litter only applied to animals. “He granted Eyoen this pass to come to Earth to be with me, as a kind of love gift, in case everyone dies. And everyone may die because if he loses control of the star the King will kill his entire family before he allows them to be enslaved and abused as prisoners of war.”
“Excellent summation, Miss, er, Cass.”
Cass sat blinking at him for several minutes, processing all that he’d said. “Well, shit.” she whispered. Whatever she’d been expecting, intergalactic battles and lost kingdoms had not been it. Her reality suddenly seemed like a sci-fi movie. Cass had never liked sci-fi.
Her eyes narrowed on Rierdane. She suspected he was keeping something from her. She recalled the man she’d seen standing over Eyoen’s bed, the man she now knew was the King of Cyanus. Tall, with black hair and yellow gold eyes, he’d looked enough like her unconscious lover to keep her from immediately screaming for security.
But if she was honest that wasn’t the only thing that kept her from calling for help. There was such a look of anguish on the man’s harsh face. As tall and powerful as the man had been, his worry had been palpable, his confusion, his anger reached out to her in one look that couldn’t have lasted more than a second before he vanished. But that look said everything she needed to know; he would die before hurting Eyoen.
At first, she’d wondered if she was hallucinating. It had been several hours by that point. With Eyoen’s surgery, her intense worry and fear, the late hour, the drinking, her nerves were shot, and she was tired. She’d just come back into Eyoen’s room from sending her friends home and talking Natty down from the ledge.
He’d beaten himself up something terribly for inviting them out in the first place. He couldn’t believe something like this had happened at their favorite bar, in their neighborhood, and he was awash with guilt. Cass had spent more time than she wanted to convincing him that he had nothing to do with the crime in the city. Although she was planning to call the manager of the Knickerbocker and ask him or her what the hell was on their mind leaving the front door unmanned at that time of the night. The Knick was in a high rent neighborhood, but it was still the city.
“He doesn’t look old enough to be Eyoen’s father,” was all she said now.
“We age differently, miss. Much slower than you do here on Earth.”
“Hmmm. I remember Eyoen telling me that. Well, Ree. That’s a helluva story. It’s gonna take a bit for that sucker to sink in, I think. Is that it?”
“That’s all I can divulge at this time.”
“And the King won’t come to meet me.”
“He can’t, Miss. It’s too dangerous for him to be exposed. No one should even know that he is here at all. I’m counting on your discretion.”
She waved that away. “I have no one to tell even if I wanted to. Who the hell would believe that my boyfriend is a prince, a demon, and that his father, the King of a star in another galaxy, just slipped through space by means unknown to check on his son who is deathly allergic to steel? If it wasn’t happening to me, I wouldn’t believe it. Are you sure he’s not avoiding me because I’m black or a singer or a non demon?”
Rierdane looked confused.
“I had a Puerto Rican boyfriend once. He took
me home to meet his family, and his parents wouldn’t even come out to meet me. We ended up having dinner at his older brother’s house.”
His brow cleared. “No, miss. None of your Earthly discrimination applies to this. There are many interspecies couples on Cyanus, and your color is beautiful, most unusual, and we prize difference on Cyanus. It is not something we would hold against you.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
He inclined his head in acknowledgement. “You should rest, miss. You can trust me to watch over the prince while he sleeps.”
He could feel that Cass was tired. She eyed one of the more comfortably padded chairs. But even as she rose to move toward it, Rierdane poofed in a large cot. He’d even altered the furniture to make room for it. The thing was piled high with incredibly soft looking linens in the exact same shade of blue as Eyoen’s skin.
“Thanks, Ree.” She gave Eyoen’s sleeping lips one last kiss before she crawled into her impromptu bed and fell fast asleep.
When she awoke the next morning, she was on the ceiling. Her mouth fell open. The ceiling was a hand span away. She reached up and touched it to convince herself that she wasn’t still sleeping. She looked around and found Rierdane was floating, literally floating beside her floating bed. He shook his head, one finger in front of his lips.
Peering cautiously over the side of the bed, Cass saw the nurse who was tending to Eyoen and nodded. Good grief. Magic. She wondered if she’d ever get used to it.
Eventually the woman left and Eyoen opened his eyes and winked at her as her makeshift bed floated to the ground. She disembarked, rolled her eyes, and kissed his brow.
“Good morning. How do you feel?”
“Like shit,” he laughed shakily. “This human frailness is more than a notion.”
Cass laughed. She always got a kick out of it when he used phrases he’d heard her or Priti say.
“We will be leaving in less than 48 hours, sire.”
Eyoen scowled. “I can’t wait, but I honestly don’t know if I’ll be up to it. I’m too weak to even remove this bloody catheter. My magic seems to have deserted me.”
“Don’t fret, sire. Your father will take care of everything. And your magic is still there, it’s just taking all your energy to purge your system of the steel residue.”
“Ree said your father’s gonna take you home, Eyoen.”
His eyes found hers immediately. “Come with me.”
Her eyes brightened then dimmed. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I gotta work, baby. I got commitments. This little time off I was taking is almost over. I’m scheduled to go into the studio next week, and I haven’t done anywhere near the amount of work I need to do to prep. I also have some promo stuff to work for this ad thing Lucky hooked up. I got an appearance in Japan for a commercial, and I’m supposed to go to New York to talk to these chemists about a skin care deal.”
“You’ll only be gone like 72-96 hours tops.”
“Huh?”
“Time moves differently on the star,” Rierdane explained. “You could stay on the star for weeks and it will be as though one day has passed.”
“Really? So it would be like no one even knew I was gone?”
“Exactly,” Eyoen said, grasping her hand. “It would be like you were out of touch for a few days. Will you come home with me to meet my family?”
“Are you sure I’ll be able to come home when I want to?”
Eyoen laughed. “Of course. Do you think we’ll hold you hostage?”
She shrugged. “No, but I have a tight schedule, and it’s not like I’ll be able to hop into a cab and come home under my own steam. What if the Cyani people take one look at me and decide to drop me into a zoo for observation?”
Rierdane and Eyoen chuckled. “Do you think I would allow that, my dear? You will be an honored guest. I can’t deny that people will stare, but it will be because they’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you.”
“And because you come from Earth and have such dark skin,” Rierdane supplied helpfully.
“Great,” she said, sarcastically. “It sounds just like home.”
Eyoen yawned.
“You need to rest,” Cass told him.
He pouted, and she laughed and nipped his bottom lip.
“Now that I know you’re not gonna check out on me. I’m gonna go home and clean up, see what’s jumped off, and then come back, okay?”
“Stay home and sleep,” Eyoen ordered, but spoiled his directive by yawning again.
“Thanks to Ree, I slept for several hours in a very comfortable bed. I feel fine. I’ll be back soon,” she said, and kissed his brow.
“Watch over her,” Eyoen told Rierdane, and scowled when his servant did not obey.
Knowing the King had probably given Rierdane orders to guard his son’s bedside, Cass waved his words away. “I’m fine. It’s broad daylight, and I can walk home from here. I need to stretch my legs anyway.” She bussed him one more time on the lips, waved at Rierdane and promised, “I’ll see you in a few hours,” on her way out.
Cass sighed and rubbed her face as she rode down in the elevator. She breathed deep once she was out of the hospital, enjoying air not tinged with antiseptic and the scent of medicine, gauze and the underlying smell of sickness.
With a sigh she turned toward home. Her phone rang.
“Hullo?”
“Where you at?”
Priti.
“Just left the hospital.”
“How is he?”
“Better. Still weak. It’s bad.”
“He gon’ make it though right?”
“Yeah. Thank God.”
“Everybody want you.”
Cass sighed. “It figures. Alright. Give it to me.”
“Well, Natty and everybody been callin’ to see about Yoe. I told them he was out of surgery and in recovery. Lucky said the people from New York called to confirm your meeting on the –”
And so it went. Cass was home before she knew it, having talked on the phone the entire way. It was kind of a relief to immerse herself in business. It took her mind off of Eyoen in that hospital bed, looking so weak and helpless and completely unlike himself.
She rubbed her belly as she let herself in. She needed to take a shower, change, and grab some food. She’d call everybody from last night on the way back to the hospital to update them on Eyoen’s status.
“You hungry?” Priti asked.
“I could eat. How my baby doing?”
“I’m fine,” Boyd said, on his way past.
Cass rolled her eyes, and patted her godchild/Priti’s belly.
When she got out of the shower there was an egg sandwich and a glass of orange juice sitting on her nightstand. She ate it while she looked through yesterday’s mail. She scribbled a few instructions for Priti, then got up to get fresh clothes. She yawned as she set out clean jeans and a white silk tank.
Maybe she would lie down for a minute. Take a little cat nap. She fell asleep thinking she should set her alarm to wake her up in 30 minutes.
When Cass woke the sun was starting to sink low in the sky.
“Shit!” She jumped into her clothes and flew out the door.
She walked into Eyoen’s hospital apologetic grin in place. “I’m sorry, baby. I laid my head down for a minute and –”
Rierdane was looking worried, and Eyoen was flushed with fever. When Rierdane stepped away, Eyoen’s human color faded into his natural blue, and she realized he could no longer hold it on his own.
Her heart stuttered in fear, but her voice was calm when she said, “Not feelin’ too good, baby?”
He shook his head and chuffed out a shaky breath. “No, my dear. In fact, I’ve never felt worse in my life.”
Cass immediately filled a bowl with barely warm water and began to wipe him down with it. He shuddered, moving into the cloth.
“Thank you,” he whispered, sounding so grateful she scowled.
“You don’t ha
ve to thank me, lover. You should know by now that I’ll do anything for you. I’m just sorry I didn’t get here sooner to take care of you.” She shot Rierdane a look. “Next time, I don’t give a shit if I’m sleep you call and wake me up, got it?”
He nodded, wringing his hands.
“You could have done this for him,” she chastised the servant.
“Yes, but it’s not the cool water that’s making him feel better.”
Cass dumped the rag into the old water and moved away from the bed to get fresh when Eyoen cried out.
“No,” he rasped. “Don’t, leave me,” he begged.
Cass shoved the bowl at Rierdane and rushed back to him. “I’m not going anywhere, lover. I’m right here.”
He shuddered, but seemed to breathe easier once her hand was touching his brow.
A moment later Rierdane set fresh water on the bed table, and she began to sponge him down again.
“It’s your touch, miss. That’s what’s making him feel better. This fever that’s got him, it eases in your presence.”
Cass scowled. “I don’t get it.”
“Mated,” Eyoen whispered, arching into her touch as she soothed his neck with the wet cloth.
Rierdane nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid you are. The bonding process has already started.”
“He mentioned something about that to me once,” she admitted. “We never got far into it. Tell me what it means exactly.”
“When two demons, er, people mate on Cyanus, it means your life forces mingle. It may be why you slept so long once you left him. He’s run down, so you would be too. I suppose because his system is already compromised, his symptoms took the form of the fever.”
“Fevers are common with this type of injury.”
“For humans,” Rierdane told her. “Not demons. This type of injury is practically unheard of on the star.”
“Keep going,” she said impatiently.
“Well, when your life forces mingle you begin to share each others’ characteristics.”
“You mean he can sing and play the guitar now?”
“Not exactly. But he will know more about music, his affinity for it will grow. As the connection between you strengthens he may be able to read music or pick up how to play an instrument more quickly.”
How to Love a Blue Demon Page 20