Blood War (Page 2)

"I know it is against our code to kill, Father Tiearan, but many among our Vionnu allies have offered to take up weapons, although their hearts are not in it."

"They have no training for such," Tiearan huffed. "It would be as slaughtering innocent children. The Pelipu has spread his lies and now his followers believe it is our intent to bed their virgin daughters and produce demon children until all of Vionn is consumed."

"They will torture us, before we die by their hand," Corent’s voice held sadness.

"Rindil has accepted money from the Temple already, and has begun building an army. The Pelipu will send seasoned troops to add to Rindil’s. What do they think we will do against so many? We have no weapons and no desire to use them, should we have any." Tiearan focused on Corent’s face. "I am grieved that things have come to this, child," he said.

Corent gazed back at Tiearan. Tiearan was quite old, although he looked very young. Tiearan had the long, pale-gold hair of the Briar clan; Corent’s hair was a light blue-green, which often turned a deep blue if he stood in the sun long enough. His mother always told him that his hair reflected water and sky, depending on whether he was in sun or shade.

"What shall we do, then, father Tiearan?" Corent and every half-Fae child had grown up with their Green Fae mothers teaching them to call the older males father. And the older males treated the children as if they were theirs, teaching them small things, smiling often and handing out praise when it was deserved. Corent had known that love from the beginning. He was now in danger of losing that, in addition to his life.

"Child," Tiearan sighed, "we are sick inside our hearts. We wish to leave, but we cannot take our half-Fae children off this world with us."

"Do you regret our births?" Corent asked, studying Tiearan’s expression.

"We do not regret our children, only what may happen to them."

"Shall we merely sit back while they take us, then?"

Tiearan watched Corent. Corent’s face reflected his mother’s—Rain of the River clan. She was worried for her half-Fae son. Rain was the one who’d offered a suggestion and now most of the elders were considering it. They had gone as far as to approach a Karathian Warlock on a nearby world, but he was one of the mercenaries who traveled beyond Karathia’s orbit and asked an exorbitant price, which the Greens couldn’t pay.

The Green Fae seldom dealt in gold or precious gems; they dealt mostly in trade—for metal objects and other goods, which they did not manufacture and had little desire to do so. What little they had in the way of riches (as calculated by the Vionnu) was garnered through trading. They traded away what others considered wealth for nails, hinges, glass bottles, corks, and other items that were needed. Most of the gold they received was paid to the crown as taxes.

"We have come up with an idea," Tiearan finally said. Corent’s attention was immediate. "I have not told you before, child, about some of the worlds outside our own. A world lies a few Flashings away where there are real magic wielders," Tiearan snorted. "And the Pelipu worries about us."

* * *

Winkler was having a second helping of ribs and grinning at me. "Do I have a bedroom at the palace, now?" he teased.

"Honey, I think you can have just about anything you want," I replied, smiling like an idiot at my wolf. We’d been talking nonstop ever since he’d folded in. The wolf I’d seen in a carved box at his funeral had been made to look and smell exactly like him. It just hadn’t been him, and he’d smiled and kissed me—several times—as I wiped tears away and described the service.

I saw so much in his eyes, so many years that he’d experienced that I had no part in. We had so much catching up to do—and time enough, now, to do it. Even Gavin and Tony were having a decent conversation with Winkler—they’d seen him now and then while he’d still been the Dallas Packmaster.

"Lissa, I’d like to ask a favor," Kiarra sat nearby, with Merrill and Adam right behind her.

"What do you need?" I asked, watching as she brushed nearly white hair back from her face and smiled tentatively at me.

"We might want to borrow Gavin and Tony sometimes, if that’s okay. They have good experience with things like this, and we might need their help."

"Help with what?" Gavin and Tony were both interested, but Tony was the one to ask.

"With Ra’Ak spawn. These rogue Ra’Ak won’t be following the rules and it’s a sure bet they’ll be making spawn as quickly as possible. The vampires we have can scent them just as well as the werewolves, so it’s easy for them to locate spawn. With their enhanced speed, vampires have the easiest time killing them, too. If Gavin and Tony consent to freelance for us, we’ll give them Folding and Looking capability."

"You can do that?" Tony was very interested now.

"We can do that, but you have to follow the rules as far as using those gifts go," Kiarra smiled at him.

"I’m in," Tony declared.

"If Lissa agrees." Gavin’s response was more circumspect.

"I agree, if you want to," I nodded at both of them. "I don’t have a problem with it."

"I’ll come next week, then, and we’ll take care of it." Kiarra was happy, I could tell. We folded home not long after that, Winkler pulled me into my bedroom and proceeded to lock everybody else out.

"I’ve waited forever for this, and the good news is that I won’t poison you if I nip a little," he grinned at me just before he lowered his head and gave me the best kiss ever.

A woman told me long ago that werewolves were possessive in bed. I thought she was only talking about her werewolf. She wasn’t. Winkler not only had me clawing on his back and moaning his name, he had me tucked against him and was nipping my shoulder if I tried to move while he napped afterward.

* * *

"So, what’s the big brouhaha Council meeting about this morning?" Winkler asked. I was watching him dress the following morning and keeping my mouth shut while I did it—it’s never attractive for the Queen to drool. Yeah, I would have watched Winkler all day. If I could have. Muscles rippled in his arms as he pulled on a dress shirt.

"Oh, I’m supposed to talk now," I mentally pulled myself away from Winkler’s physique.

"Yeah," he grinned.

"Well, we’re pulling in all the vamps who have female vampire mates, just to make sure the female mate in question wants to be with the vampire and isn’t under compulsion or duress. The idea is to make sure the mates aren’t being mistreated."

"I thought the bond had to be renewed every hundred years."