"We harmed a Larentii's mate," Perdil sighed. "We would never have gotten away with that, would we?" He turned to Zendeval, who was staring at me.
"If I had my say, you'd be dead with the others," Teeg growled at Zendeval. Perdil only then realized he was talking to a vampire.
"Oh, I'd kill you, too, and not in any nice way," Lendill agreed. "I had cameras on Reah's skin, you bastard," he pointed at Zendeval. "I saw what you did to her. You were lucky, you know. Reah could have torn both of you apart. I begged her not to, so we could get the others and find their base of operation. That was before I learned she was pregnant. If I'd known that then, I'd have come to kill you myself."
"You were pregnant during moonrush." Zendeval heaved a weary sigh.
"I may still kill you, if Kifirin doesn't get you away from here soon." Ry appeared in a flash of light. He looked the part of a King. He was dressed so finely, I couldn't help but be proud of him.
"Reah, I am sorry," Zendeval sighed. "I know it is far too late to say it, but it is truth. If I had known—so many things. Yet I did not. I realize I was controlled, but I had a bit of will. I should have acted differently. Should have worked harder to do so. Never forget what I told you there at the last on Stellar Winds. It is the truth. Will always be the truth. You have no fond memories of me, but I have them of you." Zendeval turned away from me.
"I was willing to spend everything I had for you," Perdil muttered. "To save you from Dantel Schuul."
"Perdil, that does not absolve you," I said.
"I know."
"Reah, come," Nefrigar lifted me and folded away.
"This is Nrath. As you see, you will have to make your own way, Demon." Kifirin swept an arm out. They'd landed in a clearing, with trees surrounding them and mountains in the distance. It was nearing twilight, Zendeval saw.
"You thought to have the one you'd seen—the one who destroyed your cousins and left the throne to you, didn't you?" Kifirin stared at Perdil. "Only you intended to control her, like the others. Know you that Reah's request is the only reason you live now, Dwarf," Kifirin blew smoke as he stared at Perdil. "Lissa is the one you had your eye on. I saw you watching her in the dungeons. She is my mate, and I would have separated your atoms and you would never have been reborn had you attempted to take her." Kifirin disappeared.
"Now what?" Perdil sighed as he looked up at Zen.
"Do you know how to hunt?" Zen asked, staring at open fields and forest in the distance.
"No."
"Then you'd best learn, I think."
"Where do you think Nefrigar took her?" Tory asked.
"He can bend time; it could be anywhere and anywhen," Gavril grumbled. "And why wasn't I told about the illness? About how much danger my child was in?"
"I could say nearly the same thing," Tory grumbled. "I have six daughters, and none of them know me. I have no idea how they were raised or what their lives have been like these past years."
"I think a lot of flowers and some well thought-out gifts, along with kneeling and groveling are in order for Reah," Ry said, accepting a dish of ice cream from a Niff's employee. "And Reah knows how to make gishi fruit ice cream. If she wants to make a fortune, that's the way to do it, I think."
"You'll inherit all of Schuul Enterprises; the courts will make that decision when they learn you were controlled all that time," Thurlow appeared suddenly behind the brothers and placed his order at the counter. Gavril got his dish of ice cream, as did Tory.
"Really? What should I do with Stellar Winds?"
"You'd better sell it. I don't think Reah will be happy if you keep it."
"Yeah. Probably true."
"I wanted to see you," Ry held me against him, hard, making it difficult to tell him that I'd missed him. He'd sent mindspeech two days after Nefrigar took me away from the dungeons on Le-Ath Veronis. I'd met Ry at his palace on Karathia. It was pleasant to think that—Ry's palace. "We have almost everybody on board and convinced," he grinned as he held me away from him.
"Of course diplomacy, coupled with the most incredible power Karathia has ever seen hasn't hurt much either," Erland appeared at our side. "Reah, how are you? And this little bump here?" He patteduotower my belly.
"The little bump is fine according to the Larentii. Nefrigar took me to Dee's last night. Fes sent someone over there to cook until I can find someone else. Thanks for sending Ilvan and Radolf on their way."
"We put the money they still had into the account for the restaurant," Erland said. "And made sure all the taxes and such had been paid. It's there if you need it." I thanked Erland again for the time and trouble he'd gone to just to do that for me.
"It was no problem," Erland assured me with a smile.
"Reah, Tory wants to talk to you," Ry pulled me into his arms again. "We all know why he had holes in his memory and stayed away for twenty-five years. Sweetheart, tell me you won't hold that against him."
"I'm trying to come to terms with it, but you can't turn off twenty-five years of feelings, Ry. I felt betrayed and abandoned. Tell me what I should do about it? And my daughters? They don't even know him."
"He knows that. Do you think he's not being tortured over it? Reah, Tory wasn't the only one to ignore you all that time. Or treat you badly."
"I know." I stepped away from him and rubbed the ache between my eyes. I had no idea why my mates had ignored me and my circumstances all that time. My life was in upheaval, and it was all I could do to hold onto my sanity at the moment. I was trying—really hard—for Ry's sake. He'd always been the same with me, throughout those years. I couldn't fault him as I could the others.
"I was going to have lunch with Mom and Dad," Ry said, nodding toward Erland. "I think we can leave Karathia long enough for lunch. Come with me, baby."
"All right." Ry took my hand, gave me a dazzling smile and folded me to Le-Ath Veronis.
More people were there for lunch than Mom and Dad, I discovered. Tables were set out in Lissa's solarium on the light half of the planet. Tory was talking to Teeg next to a clump of potted palms. Farzi and Nenzi had come with Teeg. Astralan and Stellan were there to guard Teeg—as usual. Lendill folded in with Norian. Both went straight to Lissa, who was speaking with Amara. Somehow, Amara had been invited. I was shocked when Aurelius and Lok folded in from somewhere. I hadn't seen either of them for months. They went to talk with Teeg and Tory. Was I invisible? It seemed that way.
"I'm leaving," I told Ry, who still stood beside me.
"No, baby, stay with me," he pulled me against his side and lifted my hand to kiss it. "We have to plan our wedding sometime soon, sweetheart. I hear that my great-great-grandmother's crown is inside the treasury, waiting for you."
"Are you sure that's what you want?" I gazed up at him. He was such a beautiful man.
"More than anything. Reah, you will be the Queen Karathia deserves."
"Did you forget that you promised to come visit when you finished with your assignment?" Kaldill Schaff stood before me, a glass of wine in his hand. I wished I could have wine right then. None of my other mates had come to speak with me.
"The meal is ready," Cheedas walked in. Well, he'd been Lissa's cook before he was made vampire. It seemed he'd taken his old job back. Ry had informed me that Ilvan and Radolf were currently on Surnath, looking for work. I hoped they were happy, now. I was happy they were far theemeaway, to be honest. Ry pulled me toward the table and I was seated between him and Erland.
"Fruit juice," Ry grinned and handed the glass to me. You know I'd be getting drunk right now if I could, I sent to him, making him smile. Stay with me, baby, he replied.
"Sorry we're late," Ildevar Wyyld appeared with Willem Drifft. They took seats at the head of the table near Lissa, Gavin, Garde and several other mates. Teeg sat next to his father, Gavin, while Tory sat next to Garde. I had no parents at the table. Somehow, that felt like a blow.
Edan recognized me as his daughter, but he was always doing work somewhere, providing free medical assistance where it was most needed. I shouldn't feel envious of that, but I did. And my grandfather? Most of the time I had no idea where he was, either working as liaison for both Alliances or spending time with his wife, who was also my biological grandmother. I watched Lok, Lendill and Aurelius; they sat together on the opposite side of the table. Lok and Aurelius hadn't even bothered to let me know their assignments were over.
"Food may be served now." Kifirin appeared and sat at the end of the table opposite Lissa. He was the self-proclaimed King of Le-Ath Veronis, although he didn't show up often, according to Teeg and the others. I'd seen too much of him, in my opinion. And every time I saw him, it brought something new and nasty in my direction. Delicate bowls of soup were served by a bevy of servants. I fumed a little and felt queasy at the same time. I wasn't sure I could eat without losing whatever I'd eaten quickly.
"I'd like to propose a toast," Willem stood and raised his glass at the table. All eyes were on him, now. "I want to toast Reah, for throwing most of the known universes into total chaos," he said, holding his glass toward me. If he wanted to embarrass me, he'd succeeded. I'm sure many crimes were committed during the blackout. I just hadn't known what else to do to stop the Schuuls and their partners from controlling everything. And I wanted to skip away in the worst way possible. Is that why I was there? So people could point out the many flaws in my hastily formed plan? Ry gripped my fingers under the table.
"I'm not done, Reah," Willem went on. "If you hadn't done exactly what you did, we'd all be under the yoke of a few people who had nothing less on their minds than complete domination of everything. The worlds would have died, Reah. Just as another world with the same technology died long ago. The controllers could command war and anger. They could not control love. Their numbers became smaller and smaller, and the population became angrier and angrier until they killed each other or themselves. A day or three of chaos is worth the resulting command over our lives again. I honor you, Reah. You kept the Alliances alive, although you suffered to make it so. To Reah," he drank from his glass. Everyone else at the table did so as well. I wished the floor would open up and swallow me.
