Demon’s Quest (High Demon #4)(62)
Author: Connie Suttle

"I’m not disagreeing with the action, but he could have waited a few days," Lissa agreed reluctantly. "Wylend should have waited, too, don’t you think? Before going straight to Tory with only a half-truth, knowing it would likely set him off."

"Lissa, he’s under a lot of pressure," Erland took Lissa’s arm and led her out of the kitchen. "He was faced with joining either the Reth or Campiaan Alliance or doing business with the pirates and cutthroats of Giffel, Deandrus or their newly-acquired world of Lidrith. You know what would happen if we didn’t join one or the other—warlocks and witches hired out to pirates and assassins, just to keep the trade flowing. Wylend has held strong through thousands of years, and now he’s being forced to change. He imagined a slight, that’s true, but he’s worried that Karathia will be viewed as only one among many, and not nearly as important as it once was."

"Then why hasn’t he spoken to Gavril about this? Gavril sees Karathia as the cornerstone of the Campiaan Alliance," Lissa said.

"Wylend sees Gavril as a young great-grandchild, who doesn’t have near the experience that he does at ruling," Erland sighed.

"Do you think Gavril doesn’t have enough sense to ask if he finds himself in a difficult situation?"

"Gavril may be one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met," Erland admitted.

"And Wylend doesn’t see that?"

"Wylend is afraid to admit it," Erland said.

"Erland, there’s something else Wylend doesn’t see." Lissa said.

"And that is?"

"That Reah was correct—Rylend would have been the King Karathia deserved."

"Reah, we got another hit on our warlock and his Ra’Ak." Lendill slid his comp-vid over so I could take a look. Lok was there with Farzi and Nenzi—Teeg had gone home with Astralan and Stellan. He had work to do.

"Hon, I think it’s the crazy Ra’Ak and their slave warlock now. I don’t think Zellar ever thought he’d find himself in this position." I set plates of food on the island. Lok watched me, his eyes never missing anything, although he didn’t speak.

"Norian and I think you’re right—I can’t imagine that he ever thought he might be in charge of those monsters." Lendill bit into his breakfast roll. I scrolled through Lendill’s information—three young men had disappeared on Horxx. What was a bit unusual was the oldest one had been twenty.

"Do you think he’s going for older bodies, attempting to get himself out of this mess?" I asked.

"It’s a possibility," Lendill nodded. "If he caught the Ra’Ak not looking, did a quick shift and then released or folded the prisoners away, they’d be scrambling after all of them, not realizing that the one left behind at the hideout wasn’t him."

"And he could slip away if there were enough to go after," I saw where Lendill was going with this. "Do you think we ought to watch for a greater number of disappearances?"

"Yes." Lendill turned to his food before it got cold.

I didn’t say what else I was thinking—that even if we did find more missing young men than normal, we still wouldn’t have the warlock’s location, and if his plan succeeded, then we’d have two targets to hunt instead of one. "Has your father ever gone hunting Ra’Ak—or a warlock before?" I asked Lendill, tearing a chunk off my roll and stuffing it in my mouth.

"He might be able to track a warlock if he had something that belonged to him; something that he wore or something—That’s how my father found you," Lendill ducked his head, smiling guiltily.

"But we’ve never found anything of his." Lok pointed out. He’d been doing his research. He was right, up to a point.

"Lendill, does your father freak or gag easily?" I asked.

"My father could be a Larentii if he were taller and blue," Lendill snorted.

"I’ll take that as a no," I said. "Do we know what they did with those bodies on Bardelus?" I asked. "I mean, Zellar lived in those bodies—at least for a few days. Can your father work with that?"

Kaldill Schaff walked around the body lying on the frigid, steel table. At least the corpse was cold and didn’t smell so terribly bad at the moment. Lendill watched his father carefully—Norian stood beside Lendill, staring in a fascinated manner—Norian had never seen an Elf work. Kaldill murmured words that Norian failed to understand; he assumed that they were in the Elvish tongue that Lendill used occasionally, mostly to curse.

"I have the signature," Kaldill sighed, looking at both Lendill and Norian. "It may take a day or two, at the least, but I will track him after that."

"Good. We’ll have people ready to go as soon as we get a lock on this. Lissa will come, as will Garde, Reah, Denevik and Gavril. Lendill and I will come as well," Norian nodded his thanks to Kaldill Schaff.

"I do this for my child and his mate," Kaldill nodded at Lendill. "Someday, perhaps my son will know of his worth to his race."

"Thank you, father," Lendill breathed a respectful sigh to his one remaining parent.

"I will send the information the moment I have it." Kaldill Schaff disappeared.

"This will work? How reliable is this?" Norian turned to his oldest friend.

"You can bet everything you have on it," Lendill replied.

"Have you heard from Tory?" Gavin dropped his shirt on the bed. He’d always dressed well as a vampire—Aurelius had instilled in him the necessity of looking his best at all times. The only times he’d dressed otherwise in the past were when he’d been undercover for the Council and different dress was required.

"No, honey. And Gavril and Ry are pissed. They can’t even get an answer from him. I don’t understand this." Lissa rubbed her forehead.

"I fail to understand it as well. Reah will bear his children. He will not get any with that woman."

"Gavin, I don’t think she’s mature enough to be called a woman. Did you hear her chatter? I have no interest in who her neighbors are, or that their son drinks too much."

"I wanted to place another compulsion not to speak," Gavin grumbled in complete agreement.

"Garde told him under no circumstances could he reveal the Thifilathi to her—it’s just too dangerous. I can see Darletta announcing that to the entire Alliance. Jayd will have a cow if that happens." Lissa removed her earrings and set them on her dressing table.

"Jayd is right to hide what Kifirin truly is. Just as Ildevar Wyyld hides his otherness from the Alliance. Some things are better kept hidden." Gavin sat on the edge of the bed and removed his pants.