Demon’s Quest (High Demon #4)(59)
Author: Connie Suttle

"We haven’t told Mom either, and you know what that could mean," Ry looked at his father.

"Son, we’ll consider that problem when we get there," Erland sighed.

Kiarra was finishing a second song when Wylend, Erland, Corolan and a contingent from Karathia filed in and filled the center row of chairs. Someone was also moving past Teeg and me to sit in the empty chairs between us and Gavin. If Teeg hadn’t gripped my hand—hard—I’d have skipped away. Tory was there, pulling a beautiful, dark-haired woman behind him. She was nearly six feet tall, in Aurelius’ measurements, and looked perfect. Tory, for effect, kissed her before he helped her into a seat next to him. My mouth was open in shock, I’m sure. Teeg’s jaw was working furiously, but he didn’t say anything, he merely gripped my fingers tighter, refusing to allow me to leave.

Once everyone was seated, Merrill walked to the podium. Amara and Lissa had asked him to speak. I kept swallowing painfully, trying to hold back the tears that threatened. I was pregnant with Tory’s twins, and he was doing this. Jealousy or not, this wasn’t the time to flaunt a mistress. I had multiple mates; he was entitled as well. But my hand went to my belly. The last time we’d been in bed had resulted in my pregnancy. Was this his way of telling me what he truly thought of fatherhood? If so, he’d lied to me. He’d said he was ready.

I barely listened to Merrill’s words. Wise words, I’m sure—he was an old vampire and had seen much during his lifetime. Amara sobbed quietly now and then. My eyes kept returning to Tory and the woman at his side. Solicitously, she held his hand in hers. I wanted to sob, too, just not for the same reason as everyone else. I did come back to the present, however, when Pheligar took Merrill’s place.

Everyone in the crowd was watching—I mean, how often did you see a Larentii appear at a funeral to speak? "We do not do this often," Pheligar announced in his deep, mellow voice. "But it was requested this time, by someone higher than I. I agreed. Here are the images." I was shocked when three-dimensional images appeared in front of all of us—I recognized this scene just as well as Gavril did beside me. He stiffened. He was twelve and looking over a fence at the bus track below while snowflakes fell around us in Targis. And there I was, talking to Wyatt. The tears came, then.

"I wish I were twelve again," Wyatt said, nodding toward a young Gavril.

"Whatever for?" I asked. I’d been nineteen then. So young, and without Tory’s claiming marks on my neck.

"I didn’t have all this looming over my head," Wyatt muttered. "Em-pah keeps telling me what I need to do to take his place one day."

"You don’t want that, do you?" My younger self asked.

"No," Wyatt replied. "I want to be a healer, like my mother. But Em-pah won’t even listen to me. He just keeps pushing me in the direction he thinks I should go."

Amara sobbed when Wyatt admitted that he wanted to be a healer, like her. Wyatt’s and my conversation went on, until I said, "Wyatt, if you don’t tell him soon," meaning Wylend, "you may regret that decision." Pheligar ended the images there. I was grateful; I’d suggested afterward that Wyatt go talk with Lissa, his half-sister. He hadn’t ever done that, and he probably hadn’t fully expressed himself to Wylend. His body now lay in state before us, dressed richly and placed inside an elaborately carved box.

I wished I hadn’t been a part of that transmission—things were bad enough between Wylend and me. I figured that as soon as I repaired Karathia’s core, I’d be banished again. It was just as well, I would never come to Wylend again. He’d invaded my privacy and used my private words against me. I couldn’t have a mate who was constantly policing my thoughts and conversations, searching for any sort of slight or insult. Wylend and I were finished.

Kiarra sang once more before Merrill invited everyone for refreshments inside the Council Chambers. Wyatt would be buried the following day on Karathia in a private ceremony. Only family would attend that. "Reah, come." Teeg stood and led me away before Tory could brush past us again, hauling the beautiful woman along with him.

"I don’t want to go to the Council Chambers," I was wiping tears away one-handed as Teeg pulled me after him.

"You see those journalists and cameras, Reah?" Teeg muttered, dragging me toward the huge hall where the Vampire Council met, "We have to present as good an image to them as we can. They won’t be inside the chamber itself, so hold your head up and let’s get there with as much dignity as we can."

I wanted to argue with him, but I didn’t. Perhaps I should have—mentally, of course. Wouldn’t do to let the news-vids have a field day with Teeg and me, speculating whether we were on the outs or not, when it was Tory and me, and Wylend and me, who would have made the juicy news.

Teeg kept me against the back wall, shielding me from the cameras pointed at this guest or that as attendees filed into the chamber. When the door was shut, Teeg breathed a sigh of relief but still kept his hands on me so I couldn’t get away.

I saw Tory in the distance, talking easily with this guest or that, his arm draped comfortably around the black-haired woman’s waist. I said nothing, letting my gaze drop to my shoes. I’d worn a black dress with a matching beaded jacket and low-heeled black shoes. Tiny jet earrings were in my ears—I didn’t want to stand out or draw attention. Not so with Tory’s companion—she’d gone for both. A strapless gown with a wrap in such a deep red as to be nearly black, and heels that would have caused me to teeter precariously. She was used to wearing them that high, I could tell.

"Well, Reah, I guess I’m not too immature after all," Tory drawled, forcing me to jerk my head up. How had he come to be in front of us so quickly? And what was he saying? I blinked stupidly at him and the woman standing beside him. "Oh, this is Darletta, my wife," Tory introduced the brunette. We’d never married, Tory and I. He’d never asked—he’d just stuck his teeth in my neck while in his smaller Thifilathi.

"Tory," Teeg was growling and his eyes were going red. I looked from one brother to the other.

"Torevik Rath, you idiot!" Lissa was there and hissing in a heartbeat. "We didn’t tell you, because Lendill said you were on a sensitive mission. Reah is pregnant with your twins, and this is how you choose to come home?"

Another tear slipped out and Teeg couldn’t hold me this time; I skipped away.

Chapter 14

Gavin placed compulsion on Darletta, who was now humming distractedly in a corner. Erland had come to attempt to explain Wylend’s part in this, but it wasn’t coming out very well.