Demon’s Dream (High Demon #6)(67)
Author: Connie Suttle

"That my middle name should have been Belarok. I’m ready to go, now." I walked out of Jayd’s study, Teeg and Edward running to catch up to me.

* * *

"Jayd, we have to get her back," Glinda ran out the door. Their guests had already gone, though. Likely, Teeg had folded them away.

"You’re saying that this is your mother, reborn?"

"My father said that," Glinda was weeping again. "This is awful." She picked up the blue crystals and placed them in the bag. "Reah won’t ever return to us, and nobody could find these. Nobody."

* * *

The swing rocked gently as I sat on the deck outside my suite, staring across the groves of gishi fruit trees. The harvest was in and we were processing the last of the ice cream. It would take two months before another harvest of fruit would be ready. Orders were already placed for the ice cream we estimated would come from that harvest.

Adam, Merrill and the other new owners of NorthStar Groves had already agreed to provide us with their blemished fruit. Kevis came out to sit beside me, holding a cup of coffee. He didn’t say anything, he merely sighed and sipped. My comp-vid vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to read the message. Shocked could only describe a little of what I felt, when I read the message and then saw who’d sent it.

"Would you like to come with me?" I looked at Kevis.

"I’ll come, too." Edward appeared from nowhere.

"Good," I said, and skipped both of them away.

* * *

"Where are we?" Kevis craned his neck, looking around. A palace stood before us and tall, shapely buildings lined the street leading to it. The street was built of carefully placed stones, so closely matched and fitted that not even a blade of grass grew between them. The buildings and the palace were fashioned of gray stone that glittered in the early afternoon sunlight.

"This is Nrath," I said. "The Greater Demons’ world." I walked purposely toward the palace. Edward and Kevis, exchanging troubled looks over my head, followed closely, unsure what to expect.

"Lady," guards bowed low as they opened the heavy, carved doors to the palace. "The master waits inside," they added, straightening up.

Zendeval Rjjn had his back turned to me when I walked in, his head bowed as if in thought. "Reah, I beg you not to be cruel," he whispered as I came to a stop ten feet away.

"How far into the past did Kifirin take you?" I asked.

"Twenty-five thousand years," he sighed. "I was fortunate that a few Greater Demons survived at that time. We have struggled to build with what we had, and it has taken that long to fashion the roughest comp-vid you could imagine. The Alliance satellites functioned very well, however, and boosted the weak signal we were able to produce. I wanted to warn you," he turned. He was weeping.

"I thank you for that," I said. "I knew they were out there, but I didn’t know how badly they wanted me dead." I held up my own comp-vid, displaying his message.

"I tried to kill them when they came here. The moment those evil ones said your name, I ordered my guards to attack. We couldn’t move swiftly enough and they escaped with minor injuries. I did what I could to protect you, Reah, as little as that turned out to be."

"At least your mind is your own, now." I turned away from Zendeval and glared at Perdil. "I wasn’t aware that Liffelithi dwarves lived so long."

"We are nearly immortal, but the ways of our race usually ensure that our lives are cut short—in some disagreement or other," he nodded to me. "I’ve learned a few things, Lady Demon, and Zen has pounded respect into my head, I think."

"Reah, please sit with me. Share tea or something. I wish to speak with you," Zendeval begged.

"Fine," I huffed a sigh.

"Reah, this is the one who attacked you," Kevis hissed.

"I know. We’ll hear what he has to say."

Yidrizin, Zendeval’s Prime Minister, sat with us at a beautiful table inside a small sitting room. Perdil had been sent away, grumbling.

"Reah, we don’t go through moonrush any longer. There’s a wine we make that prevents it," Zendeval began as soon as tea had been brought by a servant. The servant bowed respectfully and disappeared from the room.

"Too bad you didn’t know about that sooner," I said.

"Yes. You were harmed. If I’d been in my right mind, it wouldn’t have happened. Not like that. Every day for the past twenty-five thousand years has been torture for me, because I loved you every tick of every day, and there was nothing I could do about it." His face was filled with pain and worry. He was dressed well for all that, his hair neatly trimmed and combed back, his hands fine and the nails cared for.

"And what would you do, now that I’m here?" I asked.

"Get on my knees and beg you to be my Queen," he brushed another tear away. "I know what your answer will be, but I will hate myself more if I do not try." And right there, in front of his Prime Minister, Kevis and Edward, he knelt down, bowed his head to the floor and asked me to marry him.

"You know I have many mates already," I said. Zendeval was still huddled on the floor.

"I do not care. I am begging, Reah. I will never make you ill again. Or harm you. I will guard your life with mine. Always. That is as it should be. As it should have been before," he lifted his head, his dark eyes pleading—begging me not to reject him.

"Edward?" I turned to Edward, who sighed.

"Reah, he means it," Edward said. I nodded. I knew the truth in Zendeval’s words as well.

"After this child is born, the King of Karathia expects me to marry him in a formal ceremony," I said. "And I will offer that privilege to any of my mates who have not yet taken that step. If you desire to be there and take the vows, I will not prevent it," I said, standing up. "Someone will come for you, if you do not change your mind. Here," I handed my comp-vid over. "Use this, if you wish to communicate with me between now and then. I have another comp-vid at home."

Zendeval’s smile was blinding as he stood. "Reah," his hand shook as he reached out to touch my face. I worried my lip nervously as I gazed at him. "Do not be frightened of me, my love. Ever."

"Leave Perdil behind," I said, skipping Edward and Kevis away with me.

* * *

"She will never forgive me," Perdil moaned.

"But she will marry me," Zen slapped the dwarf on the back. "Who knows what will come after that?"

* * *

"What are those creatures?" Cynthin stared at several Copper Ra’Ak wandering through the clearing.