"Their rights first?" Jayd asked as he, Glinda and Garde moved closer.
"You are looking at potential vampires. They are vampire young in that respect and I have it on good authority that Roff and Giff are winged Infilathi and will make winged vampires. I want to see that for myself. How would you treat your children, Raoni?" I gave Jayd a hard look.
"We have laws protecting our children," Glinda said. "We should have understood what the commons meant to your race."
"Avilepha, we should go," Kifirin said. I nodded. No sense getting the High Demon King all riled up—it could affect the way Roff, Giff and the others were treated.
"Sorry we barged in on you like this," I apologized. "Kifirin offered me the chance to see Roff and I couldn't turn it down."
"You came only to see me?" Roff asked.
"I came mostly to see you. And Giff, and little Toff. I hope I get to see you again soon." I gave Roff another kiss before Kifirin folded me away.
* * *
"Roff, I think you're special to the Vampire Queen," Glinda gave him a hug.
"I cannot believe it," Roff said. "Why did she pick me?"
"Why wouldn't she pick you?" Garde patted Roff on the shoulder.
"Perhaps we should take Toff to the kitchens, he looks hungry," Giff said.
"Do you think so?" Roff lifted his youngest child out of his oldest child's arms. "Let us go feed Toff, then," Roff agreed, smiling as they walked out of Glinda's suite.
"In less than half a click, this story is going to be all over Veshtul," Jayd moaned.
"Stop whining," Glinda slapped Jayd's stomach with the back of her hand.
* * *
"The Queen gave the rapture? Truly?" Those words were spoken from one comesula to the next until it was all over Veshtul, just as Jayd said.
* * *
Kifirin spent the night with me, but left early in the morning after kissing me while I was still asleep. Just as well, I had things to do. More gates waited and I got another five, for a total of fifty-four nesting pairs. Flakkar were just filthy and foul and if I'd had more time and energy, I'd have Looked to find where they came from and what their natural enemies were. I might have also gone Looking to find how they'd gotten there to begin with, but that would have to wait. People were dying in the meantime and I could only do so many things at once.
My nap came next and when I came out of my suite later to find a snack, Karzac was sitting at the island having a cup of tea.
"Hey, Karzac, I haven't seen you in a while," I said, unable to resist rubbing his back.
"I have been giving inoculations on Ooblerik," Karzac sighed. "Jeff and I volunteered to help the indigent population there. This does not violate the noninterference rules since we only use normal abilities for this."
"How's it going, then?" I poured some juice and sat beside him with my glass.
"We are currently in the middle of what should be classified as a jungle," Karzac replied. "Conditions are deplorable and many children are ill already. A border war is also threatening, so time may be short."
"That sounds awful," I said. "Why are they trying to wage war if people are sick? That makes no sense at all. Seems to me you're putting your life and the lives of your soldiers in danger if you send them into an epidemic."
"I think this as well, but often dictators and despots only think of the ground to be gained, the revenge to be had or the notoriety to be earned. They care nothing for the lives of the people." His words made me think of the High Demons who made a pact with the Ra'Ak, but I didn't voice those thoughts aloud.
"When are you going back?" I asked.
"When I finish my tea," he said and emptied his cup."Please be careful," I said, patting his shoulder as he stood.
"I will," he replied and folded away.
I was still sitting there sipping my juice when something happened, and if I'd thought my skin itched before when something terrible was about to happen, well, it was on fire now and all I could think about was Karzac. I didn't even take time to Look or worry about folding where I wanted to go, I just did it. I flung myself out and found myself in the middle of the jungle Karzac had described, with an army advancing toward a village and firing weapons as they marched in. The village was in chaos while people screamed and ran away from the encroaching troops. Children wept as parents shouted their names—the adults were frantically attempting to get the young and the old ones away while others fought off the invaders. Karzac was there, too—I just knew it. I had a choice to make and I made it quickly.
People are frightened when they're turned to mist and they don't know what is happening or how it happened, but it couldn't be helped. I'd chosen to take them out of harm's way instead of gathering up the enemy forces right then. Karzac and Jeff were both in the group I gathered, with sixty villagers, including their children. I dropped them off two miles away, and they were still screaming and crying when they materialized. I'll be back; I sent to Karzac and headed toward the advancing army.
Weapons misted out of hands and I dropped them into the nearby river before going back for the soldiers. I figured I could find where they came from easily; I had the resources, now. It didn't take long to gather them up, although a few had scattered in fear. There was one more thing I collected before heading toward their village and the schmuck who'd sent them.
The soldiers were dropped (not gently) in front of the despot's home, all screaming and shouting, and when the despot himself came out to see what had happened, I left the last gift with him. The young man's body dropped right on the despot's head after I released it. The body had been ravaged by the disease and hadn't been dead long. The despot went down under the dropped weight and he was cursing and flinging the body away as I misted over his head, flying toward Karzac and the others.
The medical personnel were still trying to calm the villagers when I arrived. I did my best to appear behind a stand of trees before going to help if I could.
"Lissa, if you can place compulsion, now would be a good time," Karzac was desperate when I reached his and Jeff's side. I nodded; Karzac, Jeff and the others were dealing with mass hysteria.
"All will be well," I said to the small group they were tending. Cries and screams ceased immediately. I went to the next group, doing the same thing until everyone had been calmed. I turned to the volunteers next and told them they'd gotten advanced warning and managed to get the people to safety. They all nodded at the suggestion.
"Is it safe to take them back?" Karzac asked when I was done.
"For now; I dumped weapons in the river and then dumped soldiers in the despot's village," I said. "And I dumped a dead body on top of the despot. I hope it was still contagious."
"Did he touch it?" Karzac asked.
"He had to—I dropped it right on him," I replied.
"Good," Karzac nodded. "It takes two weeks for the virus to incubate and he hasn't been immunized. He thinks the gods are sending the disease."
"Maybe they did—for him, anyway," I grinned at Karzac. "Do you need help getting everybody back home?"
"We have it covered," Jeff came over to talk. "It's better if they don't remember you." He was definitely Merrill's son, but he didn't look as much like Merrill as Franklin did. I sighed.
"You're probably right," I agreed and folded away. I did a victory dance when I reached the villa again—I could fold without even thinking about it! How cool was that?
* * *
"Radomir, I haven't seen you lately," I said when I went back to the kitchen after my little side-trip. I wanted a glass of water; Radomir was sitting at the island having a sandwich.
"Lissa, I have been with Mack and Justin at the beach house on Kiarra's private planet. It is quite nice there at the moment. Warm, sunny days with little rain. You should go there sometime."
"Mike said something about that," I hedged. I sure didn't want to go if Merrill was going to be there.
* * *
Radomir watched Lissa closely. He'd spoken with Flavio and Wlodek. He'd heard all the stories, now, about the Council, as well as Gavin and Tony. Somehow, they'd all remembered Lissa. An unseen hand had delivered the memories, and now all were clamoring to see the little Queen. Wlodek had warned him, however. He'd said Lissa might bolt if she learned the Council was asking to see her. Radomir didn't know what to do.
* * *
"Is this what you wanted?" Flavio handed the small card to Gavin.
"Thank you, Honored One," Gavin reached out to take the card—it was an old driver's license, something made obsolete by the introduction of ID chips. Specifically, it was Lissa's driver's license; the forged one she'd gotten when she'd first been made vampire. Gavin had kept it in his wallet since he'd taken her to the Council; hadn't been able to part with it until it, like his memories of Lissa, had disappeared. The photograph of Lissa was a good one; she'd been smiling in it. More than likely, the one who'd created the ID had said something to amuse her. Gavin had so seldom accomplished that.
"We're trying to get her to a Council meeting; I could use her help," Flavio muttered. "We have those two we're holding and if she knows who sired them," Flavio didn't finish his statement. So many times over the years, that talent would have helped them in their decisions. Now they had her back—but would she consent to come?
"The meeting is tomorrow night, Honored One," Gavin pointed out.
"And I'm working on this," Flavio rubbed his forehead. Gone were the days when they could command that she come. Not only was she a Queen that they could no longer threaten, but she was protected. Flavio didn't want to think what the Larentii alone would do to them if they tried to coerce Lissa. And Wlodek worried that Lissa would simply disappear if she heard the Council was seeking her.