"Reah, you shouldn't worry about that right now, don’t you think? I'll let you know in a few days."
"All right." At the moment, I was glad he'd consented to allow me to bathe. Farzi and Nenzi walked in while Karzac was finishing up. I had a reptanoid on either side as they helped me wobble into the bathroom. A plastic stool was already inside the shower, waiting for me.
"I heard you took Ardalin out and she stabbed you." I pulled Nenzi's head down for a hug as he and Farzi prepared to give me a bath.
"Nenzi would do it again," he declared, giving me a smile.
"I love you both," I said. "As well as your brothers. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"We feel same," Farzi nodded. He got a hug too. The bath exhausted me, so Nenzi carried me to the bed and Farzi pulled back the sheet and blankets—someone had come to put fresh linens down. Both of them climbed into bed as lion snakes and I snuggled between them, drifting off to sleep.
"Their skin is smooth and their patterns are beautiful," I explained to Ry, who'd come in to tell me that dinner was waiting. He was surprised to find Farzi and Nenzi in my bed—both had lifted up and spread their hoods when he suddenly appeared inside the room. I stroked Farzi's and Nenzi's scales, trying to calm them down.
"We've set up a chair for you at the table," Ry said, eyeing both snakes. The reptanoids changed and helped me off the bed before dressing and coming with me.
"Couldn't someone at least add a little seasoning to the broth?" I complained at the bland taste of my dinner.
"But you have delicious gelatin for dessert," Lendill attempted to get me interested in a decidedly uninteresting dessert. All were present at the table except Wylend and Aurelius. The gelatin was supposed to be a redberry flavor. I would have preferred the redberry fruit instead of that.
"Eat it, baby," Tory coaxed. I wanted to snap at him. I didn't.
"Reah need her strength," Farzi tapped my bowl. I was sitting between him and Nenzi. Nenzi was smiling encouragingly. I sipped more of the broth.
"Please tell me we can leave this place behind soon," I mumbled, forcing myself to dip another spoonful of broth.
"Karzac says we can move you tomorrow. Mom already has a room set up for you at the palace," Teeg said. He was calling Lissa what Gavril had always called her. Perhaps she recognized him as her son—I didn't.
"Reah, I have to return to Campiaa tomorrow. I'll leave Farzi and Nenzi with you if they want to stay. I need the rest of them to come with me," Teeg said.
"We stay with Reah," Farzi said. Nenzi nodded. I rubbed Nenzi's back gratefully.
"Reah, I'm only going to carry you to bed," Tory looked hurt when I jerked away from him after dinner was over. Somebody had cooked for us—an Alliance recruit or ASD operative—I didn't ask. She was silent throughout the meal and nobody thought to introduce her. I'm sure she was just another nameless, faceless entity to Director Keef—somebody he'd use and cast aside as it suited him.
"Farzi and Nenzi can get me back," I huffed. Truthfully, I was running out of energy, but I didn't want Tory to know that.
"Reah, I'd get on my knees and beg if it would do any good." Tory looked ready to drop to his knees right then. I didn't argue further when he lifted me and carried me to bed.
"Baby—I'm really sorry," Tory was covering me with a blanket while Farzi and Nenzi watched. "Please don't shut me out. I promise I'll be better next time—the Thifilathi knocked some sense into me—when it was too late. We'll try again, baby, if you'll allow it." I wanted to jerk away from him again. I didn't. I just didn't answer him. Some other, stronger woman might have forgiven him. I couldn't. Not right then. "Do you need something to help you sleep, baby?" Tory asked. "I can get somebody here if you do."
"No. I'll be fine." I turned over in the bed so I wouldn't have to look at him. He waited for several minutes before walking out and closing the door.
"Beloved—we'll take you to Le-Ath Veronis if you'll wake now." Lendill touched my face. "Breakfast is waiting just as soon as you're ready."
A frown was all Lendill got from me—Farzi and Nenzi helped me dress. I was ready to get away from Tulgalan. For now. Surprisingly, Renegar had come to transport all of us. He put his hands carefully on me, checking to see how I was healing.
"Ren, I'm all right," I muttered.
"Little one, your body is healing." He didn't say anything else but his eyes held concern. If anyone would know how things truly were, the Larentii probably would. He didn't comment further than that and I was grateful.
Farzi and Nenzi had packed our things—Teeg was coming with us but only for a short while—he was expected on Campiaa before the day was out to make preparations for the upcoming meeting. I had no desire for the Campiaan Alliance to fail—quite the opposite, actually. As long as a standard set of laws were set up and adhered to, I didn't think it a bad thing. Teeg, though, would have his hands full as the founder. He neither needed nor had time for a mate. Just as well—I didn't know how I felt about him, anyway. Perhaps he'd been Gavril once. He would never be that again. Not for me.
Renegar folded all of us to the palace, where Lissa and Gavin waited. Lissa hugged Teeg and Tory. I slipped my arm through Nenzi's and he and Farzi helped me down the hall to my room—it had once belonged to Aurelius when he'd stayed there.
Chapter 12
"Son, she barely speaks to anyone." Garde was attempting to get Tory out of his depression over Reah.
"Dad, she won't talk about the baby. At all. She just turns her back on me and waits for me to leave."
"Torevik, this has been traumatic for her. And for all of us. Give it time." Garde was worried about his son and Reah. He was also angry that Kifirin had chosen to leave as quickly as he'd gotten the news. Perhaps the god was abandoning all of them, now. A tendril of smoke curled from Garde's nostrils. He was thankful Tory had his head down and didn't see it.
"Reah, come with me to meet my father. Please." Lendill had said the same thing for the past six days. Begging me to go with him somewhere—he never said where—to meet his father. I ignored him as best I could. I was mixing cake batter in Lissa's kitchen—Karzac had said I could get up and around if I didn't tire myself. Therefore, I decided to make a cake. Lendill was interrupting. Farzi and Nenzi sat at the huge island, watching me cook and listening to yet another exchange between Lendill and me.
"No, Lendill. What do you think that will accomplish?" I blinked at him helplessly, stopping in mid-stir, the large bowl held in the crook of one arm and the wooden spoon held in my other hand. Wylend had indeed gone to the meetings that Teeg was holding, although he'd offered to take me to Karathia and allow his servants and staff to care for me. I'd declined. He hadn't pushed it. Now that I'd officially been discharged by the ASD, Lendill had become relentless. I wasn't having any of it. What did he think we might have after he'd repeatedly forced me to do his and Director Keef's bidding, though it had harmed me and ultimately killed my daughter?
"Reah, breah-mul, don't do this to us. I beg you."
"I'm not your breath. Only your breath is your breath," I muttered.
"I will ask you again tomorrow. I promise." Lendill stalked out of the kitchen. Did he think to wear me down? Tory thought the same thing. Had tried to put his hands and his lips on the claiming marks on my neck. I'd walked away from him. Every time. Sighing, I pulled the cake pan over and poured the batter in.
"Reah, the cake is exceptional," Drake said. I'd still not gotten to travel to Falchan, I remembered as I studied him. He and his brother Drew sat together at the long table during dinner. The staff was serving my cake as dessert, as I'd intended. A trip to Falchan might never happen now. Not if things went as I planned. Later, inside my bedroom, Farzi and Nenzi wore worried expressions as I tossed clothing into a small traveling bag. I hefted a knife into my bag—I'd used it as a backup. It wasn't the black-bladed one Glinda had given me—Teeg still had that one. This was standard ASD issue. It would have to do. A small, sealed box filled with non-identifying credit chips was tossed into the bag next. Farzi and Nenzi already had their bags packed. I offered to send them to Campiaa but they'd refused, telling me instead that they'd inform everyone else of my plans if I didn't take them with me. Therefore, they were coming with me. I was zipping the small bag closed when Kifirin appeared in my bedroom.
"Get out," I snapped at him. He'd brought me to this. Taken Gavril away and made him a monster. Told him to form the Campiaan Alliance and Teeg had done his best for this one; all else be damned. Right then, I didn't care that he was the god. If he wanted to reduce me to cinders with a look, then he was welcome to do so. I was weary of the constant emotional pain of losing the baby. Tired of the others thinking that everything would be just fine and I could have another baby somewhere down the road. Right then, I didn't think I wanted any of them.
"I have something to say first," Kifirin said, his voice echoing through the room.
"Then say it and get out." I jerked my bag off the bed. I was ready to go. Farzi and Nenzi stared at Kifirin—he had stars in his eyes.
"I owe you," Kifirin said. "Tell me what you want and if it is within my power, it shall be given to you."
"I don't want anything from you," I almost shouted, remembering at the last that Lissa's palace was packed with vampires, who could hear an eyelash drop from one end to the other.
"When I granted Gavril's request, I failed to consider your part in this. You were forced into it, having made no request of your own. And it led to disaster, as should not have been. I did not see this. You were promised to me long ago, by the one who formed the darkness in me. I was once light, like the others. I accepted the darkness to create the balance."