Blood Royal (Page 32)

"I am from the High Demon’s planet," Roff smiled. "Before that, my kind were native to Le-Ath Veronis."

"Come on," Winkler said, smiling.

"It’s true," I grumbled. "Le-Ath Veronis means Heart of the Vampire, according to my sources."

"There was a werewolf planet, too," Roff said. "Although I do not know its name."

"It is empty now, just as Le-Ath Veronis is," Kifirin was there suddenly, examining an abstract sculpture on the small kitchen island. He really did have an ear tuned to certain words. We’d said Le-Ath Veronis and Kifirin appeared from nowhere. He was prepared for Earth, too, dressed in jeans, a yellow polo and nice boots. Kifirin’s dark hair was neatly styled and his lips curved slightly as he turned the small sculpture in his hands.

Winkler was out of his chair in a blink at Kifirin’s sudden appearance. "Where the f**k did you come from?" he demanded.

"I cannot give information regarding where I came from originally, it has no name," Kifirin replied with a shrug. "Recently, I came from the planet named after me. The werewolf planet was named Harifa Edus. In the language spoken there, it meant Hunter’s Eyes." Kifirin set the sculpture down, his dark eyes focusing on Winkler instead. "There were six moons orbiting Harifa Edus; therefore there were six nights to hunt every month, which lasted twenty days."

"Geez, Winkler, that was werewolf heaven," I said. Winkler was still giving Kifirin the eye. He warily sat down again when he saw that neither Gavin nor I were upset at Kifirin’s presence.

Kifirin came to sit beside me, so Gavin had to settle for a nearby chair. "Avilepha, you are correct—I am listening for certain things—always. For now, you are upset because the ephu has taken the lives of your kin?" He placed an arm around me. Roff moved over a little to give Kifirin more room.

"Ephu?" Gavin asked.

"Evil one; devil perhaps," Kifirin offered. "One who brings harm intentionally? I came to see if Lissa wished to travel with me tonight, to steer her thoughts away from these things."

"Where?" I asked.

"I would like to take you to see the High Demons’ planet," he smiled down at me. Honestly, that smile could induce orgasms. "We will not be gone long. In Earth time, that is."

"Good. I was feeling depressed and homesick, maybe this will take my mind off that," I said.

"That is as I’d hoped," Kifirin nodded and folded me away.

Twilight was falling on the High Demons’ planet; Kifirin set me down in the middle of a street in the market district. "This is Veshtul, the capital city on Kifirin," Kifirin informed me.

"The planet really is named after you?" I asked. He smiled his angelic smile at me and nodded.

"I will make it so you will temporarily understand the language here," he said.

There were comesuli everywhere, locking up their shops for the evening, calling out to one another about evening plans or shouting for children who’d rather continue playing with friends. I looked around me; it seemed such a peaceful place. The streets were paved with square bricks in many colors; the shop fronts were just as colorful, with none being more than three stories high. Even in the last light of day, it was something to see.

"If you wish to buy, you must do so now," a dark-haired comesula was ready to close his shop door.

"This is where they sell the best oxberry wine," Kifirin told me softly. "We wish to buy two bottles," he called out. The comesula came back with two bottles of wine and Kifirin handed over two gold coins. The comesula thanked him and trotted back inside his shop, closing the door for the evening.

"That is Roff’s son, Toff," Kifirin said. I drew in a breath.

"Really? And you waited until now to tell me?" I hadn’t gotten a scent off the comesula, but I hadn’t questioned it—until now.

"He cannot know what you are," Kifirin said. "And I shielded his scent so you would not recognize him and give that knowledge away. I have brought you here while Roff and Giff are also here. I took them from a month in the future," Kifirin explained. "Things would become complicated if they saw you now."

"You are too weird for words," I said.

"It depends upon the language you use," Kifirin chuckled. "High Demons often use my name when they curse. Every bit of my anatomy has been described in erroneous detail when they are angry."

Kifirin carried the wine in the crook of his left elbow, while draping the other arm over my shoulder. "We will walk to the palace," he announced. We walked to the palace. I didn’t see it until we came to the end of a street and made a right turn. There it was, shining in the moonlight. The street we’d turned on was broad and led straight to the palace steps. The place was huge and beautifully designed, with many pillars leading up wide steps, and there were domes and spires everywhere, all of it lit and shining in the twilight. It looked like something from a fairy tale or a science fiction story.

"The one who designed this palace was vampire," Kifirin explained. "He was brought from Le-Ath Veronis to draw up the plans and oversee its construction. Sadly, the High Demons forgot over the years that the vampires helped them many times in the past. They failed to provide assistance to any of the Dark Worlds when it was sorely needed."

"Yet here they are, enjoying a good life, while the rest of the dark worlds lie wasted," I sighed.

"True," Kifirin acknowledged. "I am taking you to meet someone inside the palace. I cannot introduce you to the Raona and Raoni; I cannot have them remembering you."

As information goes, that was certainly cryptic, but I didn’t argue with Kifirin. I was feeling too calm and happy to be able to walk leisurely down a street in such a beautiful city, toward a palace designed by a vampire. "What was his name? The vampire that designed the palace?" I asked.

"Tybus," Kifirin said. "He was quite talented." I nodded in silent agreement.

The steps that led to the palace were many and wide, fashioned of pale marble with blue and gold veins running through it. The whole thing was beautiful beyond words. "You like this?" Kifirin asked.

"It’s amazing," I said. Someone must have emptied the entire planet of that marble; it had taken so much of it to build the steps and the columns at the front of the palace.

"They nearly did use all of it," Kifirin agreed, reading my thoughts. We walked into the palace through wide doors that led through a huge, oval entry. Guards were stationed outside those doors and I got their scent. It was something I’d never smelled before, but I would know it from now on. The guards paid no attention to us; it was as if they hadn’t even seen us. Kifirin smiled.