Demon’s Dream (High Demon #6)(29)
Author: Connie Suttle

"I intend to see that she suffers in this one," Lendill hissed.

"And Reah can’t even despise her father now," Kevis sighed helplessly. "She can’t work through the anger, ever, because she can’t be angry with a man who is no longer the one who fathered her. He wears the same likeness and she is powerless against that."

"It was a failed experiment," Kifirin admitted quietly. "I thought to give her a parent. That wasn’t the one she needed. I also wasn’t the one she needed."

"It’s too late to take him back now. He’s an important member of Karzac’s team," Lissa pointed out.

"I know this," Kifirin said. "But his life will not be extended, as I thought to do at first. He will have to understand that."

Kevis left them all standing there, discussing the current Edan Desh. Approaching Reah’s bed, he held out a hand. "Pretty girl," he whispered, touching her face, feeding her the slightest bit of healing power and repairing the damage a steel ladle had done to a small head.

"Not too much, just enough," Belen whispered at Kevis’ side. Kevis nodded and went to the ankle after treating what could have been permanent brain injury. Bits of bone in the ankle fused together, reforming until there was only a clean break left. "Very good," Belen said, pulling Kevis away.

"We will go now," Belen announced, landing them inside Lissa’s palace library. "Perhaps you should serve refreshments?" Belen told Lissa before folding away.

"Garde, you’re not welcome here," Lissa snapped at him.

"Oh, he has sliced his own hand," Kifirin said. "Don’t tell him to leave, avilepha. Or me, either. We will both bear the weight of our treatment of Reah."

"I’m going to a jewelry store," Aurelius moved away. "I’ll get something to eat while I’m out."

"I’m coming with you," Gavril said. Lok, too, came along. Farzi and Nenzi, who’d mostly remained silent and troubled during the entire ordeal, nodded and slipped behind Gavril. Tory, Lendill and Ry, not to be left behind, joined the group.

Chapter 7

"Too gaudy." Lok shook his head at the huge diamond ring presented to him. "The cost isn’t an issue," he assured the sales assistant, a bright young man who was hoping for his largest commission ever. Eight men stood inside the jewelry store, all determined to buy something.

"Something smaller and more tasteful," Ry agreed. "Reah won’t wear anything that huge. She’ll just use it the next time somebody needs medical treatment."

"At least she had something to use. I don’t mind that a child’s life was saved through the sale of a necklace," Aurelius said. "But I want to get a replacement. Today."

"This," Farzi and Nenzi were in total agreement. The gold and platinum had been etched in a snake scale pattern on the bracelet and necklace. It wasn’t too thick, either, and both knew the set would be striking on Reah.

"Where are our rings?" Lendill asked Gavril.

"I have them at the palace," Gavril replied. "In her jewelry box. I was waiting to make sure she wanted them before returning them."

"Gav, she could have sold your ring by itself and had any life she wanted. You know the first things she asked that thieving woman about were her rings." Rylend referred to the woman Garde had hired to take Reah’s place in the groves. The woman, with her husband, had taken Reah’s things and burned what they thought to be trash. Those things had been important to Reah; she wouldn’t have kept them if they weren’t.

"You’re right," Gavril pinched the space between eyebrows. He had all of Reah’s rings inside her jewelry box at the palace in Campiaa City. "And she needs clothing and shoes and anything else she wants. We should take her to one of those places that sell cooking knives and utensils. That woman on Kifirin took those, too."

"She won’t go out in public. Not after that f**king nurse screwed her. Twice. I can’t believe it’s the same woman who cut her hair and then sold that recording to a reality show. That one should have been locked away long ago."

"Norian is going back through her employment records, to see if any other incidents happened around her. We’ll get to the bottom of this," Lendill said. "What do you think of this?" He held up an emerald necklace. It looked like delicate filigree, with an emerald drop.

"Perfect for her eyes," Gavril said. "Are there earrings to match?" He and Ry went to look.

* * *

"I don’t believe this." Gavril stood, stunned at the sight of Reah sleeping peacefully against Astralan on the hammock. Astralan grinned cheekily at Gavril before placing a kiss against Reah’s forehead, waking her.

* * *

"Huh?" I looked up at Astralan, who gave me a gentle smile.

"Time to wake, I imagine, your mates are here."

"Oh." I turned to blink at Teeg, Lendill, Ry, Lok, Tory, Aurelius, Farzi and Nenzi.

"Have a nice nap?" I shrank away from Teeg; he didn’t look happy.

"Baby, don’t." Teeg held out a hand. "I should have seen it coming a long time ago. Astralan, don’t make me shorten your name by mistreating Reah."

"As if I would. And you’ll have other competition, too, I think. Edward Pendley asked her to marry him this afternoon. I think she’s settled for a date first."

"What were you doing with Edward Pendley?"

"Working on my future, I hope," I said.

"Gishi fruit ice cream," Astralan grinned and then employed power to get both of us out of the hammock. "She’s going back in two days to look at what he’s done with a temporary building and make some samples to take to vendors. They’ll buy, no matter how much it costs. That’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten."

"Reah, come here, sweetheart," Teeg pulled one of my hands to his lips and placed a gentle kiss there. "We picked up a few things while we were out. You need to come see."

The kitchen island was covered in jewelry. I stood, shocked, staring at all of it.

"This for you, love of our hearts," Farzi smiled.

"Farzi," I sniffled, wrapping my arms around his neck.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Karzac stood in the doorway to the bedroom Kevis kept at the villa.

"Righting a wrong, I hope," Kevis replied, tossing a few things into a bag. "I’ll be back tomorrow if everything goes well."

"You’re not getting into trouble, are you?" Karzac lifted an eyebrow.

"Trouble? Me?" Kevis folded away.

* * *

"These cartons are nice," I held one up. The container was gold on the outside, with black and silver lettering. The cartons would have to be nice to convince a customer to spend at least one hundred seventy-five credits on it.