chapter 10
Vampires lean over their mates when they sleep. That act provides protection for those they love. It is instinctual to cover their mate as much as possible, because vampires are vulnerable during the day. Gavril had explained it to me once, long ago. Aurelius did it. Teeg also. I knew that one of my vampires was in the bed with me when I woke. His body was huddled over mine, careful not to place any weight on it.
"Awake?" Teeg's voice.
"Mmm," I mumbled. Queasiness made its presence known. Teeg had me out of the bed and in the adjoining bathroom in a blink. He must have sent mindspeech; at least half a dozen people appeared, including Kevis, Lok, Aurelius and Edward.
"Breathe slowly, Reah," Kevis had my head as low as it would go. My face was washed when I stopped heaving and I was hauled straight to the kitchen and given something to drink.
"Better?" Aurelius held me on his lap, brushing hair away from my face as I drank the juice I'd been given. A bowl of hot cereal was placed in front of me next, with fruit and brown sugar mixed in.
"Here we go," Auri held my hand steady when it shook trying to get the spoon to my mouth.
"I'll get my people started on ice cream and be right back," Edward said. There wasn't any way I could do it, feeling as badly as I did. Teeg got a communication on his comp-vid, so he stepped out of the kitchen to take the call. Lendill showed up and accepted a cup of coffee while he watched me eat. All of them were watching me eat.
Plates of food appeared for them shortly after, and Edward came back, sitting down and eating with the rest. Edward's four supervisors also came in for a meeting. Keedan grinned at me while he had breakfast. Edward and his supervisors talked about spraying the groves after the harvest.
"Insects are afraid of High Demons in Thifilatha or Thifilathi, that's how I kept Kifirin's groves naturally insect-free," I said after eating as much of my breakfast as I could. Aurelius was rubbing my belly absently while he listened to the others.
"Really?" Keedan gave me a smile.
"Are you teasing me or questioning my methods?" I asked.
"Both," he said. "Little girl, I'm living for the day when you show me what I saw last night on the vids."
"That didn't scare you?" I asked, my skepticism showing.
"Just turned out badly for the evil ones," he grinned. "I saw you standing in the doorway, keeping the rabble away from those girls. Have you seen the morning news?" He pushed a comp-vid toward me.
"I was busy heaving in the bathroom," I said. Aurelius, using a little power, pulled the comp-vid toward me. "He did that," I pointed to Auri. I still sat on his lap, after all. I tapped the comp-vid and found all sorts of responses to the news program the evening before. The best one, however, was from Xordthe. People were crowding outside Cynthin Gerg's Presidential palace, with vid signs. Some were downright nasty, calling her a bitch and other unkind names, but my favorite was the large sign held up by a group of people that said Reah Nilvas saved the planet. What have you done for Xordthe, Cynthin?
I laughed as the aud proclaimed that those people were scientists who'd seen the weakening core firsthand. They were puzzled when it magically healed itself. Except that it hadn't healed itself. I'd done it. Local media were interviewing some of those scientists, who did indeed have official numbers in hand and gladly showed anyone who wanted to see.
"Reah, I have a group of Council members assembled outside my palace, demanding to see you," Teeg walked back in with a sigh.
"What for?" I asked. Aurelius wrapped his arms around me when I shivered.
"They want to know that you're all right."
An hour later, I was showered, dressed and transported to Teeg's palace on Campiaa. Teeg had shifted the Council members to one of the smaller ballrooms inside the San Gerxon Casino. Astralan, leaning down to give me a kiss, transported us over. Stellan, Celestan and Galaxsan were already there, providing security. I didn't know it would turn into a press conference. Someone had brought Hild Marolla in as well.
"Sit here, baby," Teeg settled me onto a seat at the center of a long table. The crowd inside the ballroom was growing.
Do not fear, my love, I have shields in place, Nefrigar sent to me. He was standing in shadow at the end of the table. I think he had himself shielded and was visible only to those he chose. And when I looked, I found four more Larentii standing in the corners of the room. They were protecting me, at Nefrigar's direction. I was also being recorded as Teeg sat next to me.
"Was that true, what I was shown?" Hild Marolla started the questioning. "Can you really heal planetary cores?"
"I've done it several times," I nodded at his question. "I've been back to Thiskil recently and there are a few weeds and plants growing, but it's still mostly dead. I wish there was something else I could do to hurry the process, but it's going to take time. The others, like Xordthe, had been tapped recently when I healed them, and Xordthe had only been tapped from one place. That made it easier to repair."
"Some planets were tapped in multiple places?" A scientist from a respected journal had come to ask questions.
"Yes. Tulgalan was one of those. The energy I poured into it was leaking out the other site, so it was more difficult to repair."
"This energy, where does it come from?" The scientist asked.
"From a renewable source that constantly puts out energy," I said. "It's stellar energy. I act as a conduit and siphon it to the damaged core before sealing it up. Isn't that where all the energy came from in the beginning? That power should be natural, and I've been assured it's the best way to heal the cores." Nefrigar had smiled when he'd told me that.
"On the original vid," someone else said, "shown on Temporary Insanity, the doctor asked about a suicide attempt. Would you care to explain that?"
"No," I said.
"But you did try it, according to the vid, by a volcano, is that correct?"
"I contemplated it. I didn't try it. Trying it implies that I went through with it, or attempted to do so. I was talked away from the edge." I squinted to see the one speaking. "Step forward, please," I said. The man walked toward the front. "Your name?" I asked. "And affiliation?"
"Seve Dibolus, from network ninety-one," he hung his head.
"And what do you intend to do with this information?" I asked. He was from the network that produced Temporary Insanity. The others in the room recognized that fact immediately and there was some grumbling.
"We just want to get to the truth of the matter," he said.
"Lie," I said. "Try again."
"We wanted to publish a retraction on the program," he said.
"Another lie. Why not tell the truth for a change?" I said.
"We want as much information as we can get to form our defense against the allegations that we broke the laws," he whined.
"Truth," I sighed. "Come here. Sit beside me," I patted the empty chair to my left. Teeg still sat on my right. "Now, what else do we have? I warn you that I was heaving this morning due to the pregnancy, so I don't think I can go on much longer today. Ask your questions now."
"How badly has this whole incident hurt you?" Hild Marolla asked. His question made me sigh.
"This is beyond awful," I said. "I have no hope of going out in public anonymously. Or taking my child out in public. While others might find that attractive, to me it is upsetting."
"Tell them the story about the rats." Kevis walked in and sat next to Teeg.
"Are you crazy?" I looked at him. The crowd found that funny.
"Come on. Tell them."
"I was chasing Thaddis Grund through the sewers on Ooklar," I said. "Are you familiar with him?" Most of the people in the crowd nodded. Thaddis was a crime kingpin from that portion of the Reth Alliance. He'd eluded the ASD for decades, until Lendill sent me after him. That's what I said. "The Vice-Director of the ASD sent me to Ooklar after Thaddis blew up a bank in the capital city. He had escape routes throughout the city, and all of those escape routes ran through the archaic sewer system. It has since been upgraded," I said.
"I thought I'd trapped him until he used a remote to open a hidden portal into the sewers. While the heavy steel cover would have foiled any humanoid, I turned Thifilatha and jerked it off to follow him. Once I turn, my clothing is destroyed. So rather than turn back and chase him naked as a humanoid, I remained Thifilatha."
Chuckles came at the thought of chasing a ruthless criminal through the sewers while nude. "Rodents and insects are frightened when they see or scent any High Demon in Thifilatha. The rats in the sewers, and there were many of those," I put heavy emphasis on the word many, "were running before me in an attempt to escape. Thaddis, still running ahead of me, was overtaken by thousands of rats, and in their attempt to flee what they considered a larger predator, they knocked Thaddis down and ran over his back, squeaking at the top of their little rat lungs. Thaddis was an easy capture, after that. I believe he might be the only criminal actually brought down by rodents."
The crowd was really laughing now. I smiled at them. Even Seve, sitting next to me, was snickering.
"What are you doing now?" someone else asked. "I see the doctor, there. Is he treating you?"
"As much as I can," Kevis commented dryly. "She lets me know when we're done for the day." That also brought laughter from the crowd.
"So, Doctor, in your professional opinion, is Ms. Nilvas dangerous?"
"If she were, I'd be a goner," he said. "I've pried into private matters so much and gotten her angry enough at me that I'd have been toast if she were dangerous. She still hasn't forgiven me for the nurse betrayal. Reah calls Ceerah nurse nasty, but that's the extent of her violence. Does that sound dangerous to you?"
"I called Ceerah Kade worse when I learned she was involved in the drakus seed trade," someone in the back stood. "My son died of drakus seed."
"Then I am sorry for your loss," I said. "I burned those fields on Birimera, when Arvil San Gerxon was growing that filth," I added.
"And yet you're married to his heir," the man nodded in Teeg's direction.
"A long story. Teeg was never involved in any of that. In fact, Teeg was Arvil's construction contractor. When Arvil's brother and cousins died, courtesy of the RAA, by the way, Arvil went looking for a replacement heir. Teeg was the only trustworthy person he could find. He ran the casinos here on Campiaa, and honestly, I might add, while Arvil was bent on destroying the Reth Alliance with drakus seed. Arvil was staying on Birimera while the fields grew. That's where we took him down. Teeg, as you know, decided that the Campiaan Alliance was a good idea and ran with it. You see that the Reth Alliance has allied with it, after all. They recognize the value of it and actually went over their constitution and rules before reaching out a hand."
"You were a building contractor?" someone asked Teeg.
Teeg almost blushed. Almost. "I have architecture and engineering degrees," he said. "I'm used to building things. The Campiaan Alliance was no exception."
"Do you still do construction?" Hild Marolla smiled.
"I know when they aren't installing my wife's new kitchen cabinets properly," he grinned.
"Did you buy new cabinets for me?" I blinked at Teeg in surprise.
"I did." His smile was directed at me, now.
"What do the countertops look like?"
"A honey-brown granite, with flecks of gold," he said.
"I love that color," I sighed. The crowd laughed.
Teeg shooed everybody away shortly after that, sending them to another room where they were served drinks and a complimentary meal. Hild Marolla was brought to San Gerxon Palace, though.
"I just wanted to meet you in person," he held out a hand. I took it.
"These are the new cabinets?" He glanced around the kitchen.
"I'm seeing them for the first time, too," I said. "Want to try them out?" Teeg offered Hild a seat at the wide, kitchen island, Astralan and his brothers sat down, too, and I made crepes for all of them.
"I don't lie about food, either," I said, when Hild Marolla said the crepes were the best he'd ever tasted. He sipped gourmet coffee with his meal and seemed satisfied. "And I do have a Master Cook's license on Tulgalan," I added.
"So, you really are related to the Desh family," he said.
"You did a piece on that, years ago," I told him. "You were looking for me after you did the exposé of Breszca Loffus. I'm her granddaughter, but I barely know her. She's married to my grandfather, now."
"Why couldn't I get into your records?" The journalist asked.
"The ASD had them locked up," I replied. "Want more coffee?"
* * *
Vid from my unplanned press conference spread like wildfire across both Alliances. People were calling for Cynthin's resignation, as well as that of the other two who'd backed her accusations and then demanded that Teeg step down. I didn't know how all of it would end, but for the moment, at least they weren't dragging my name through the muck.
Then the ice cream started selling. People stood in lines outside ice cream shops, waiting to pay thirty-five Alliance credits for a single scoop on a cone. Reporters went out to interview customers about the gishi fruit ice cream, all while money poured in. The recipe was protected by patent quickly and EastStar Groves wallowed in a tsunami of fame for creating the best and most expensive ice cream. I'd told Edward to leave my name out of it and keep the ice cream under the EastStar Groves label. It worked out very well and we got the new plant open quickly.
* * *
"Beg her to come look at the groves," Glinda said. "They're not thriving and the fruit is smaller than it should be." She sat in Jayd's private study, watching her High Demon husband closely.
"Are they watering properly? Is someone checking to make sure the sprinklers are all working? What the hell are those people we hired doing?" Jayd rose to pace. "And now that gishi fruit ice cream is selling everywhere and making a ton of money, we can't get our hands on the recipe."
"Because Reah patented it through the Campiaan Alliance," Tory skipped in looking dejected. Glinda had sent mindspeech to him earlier. He'd finally shown up to see what his aunt wanted.
"This is Reah's. I shouldn't be surprised," Jayd muttered.
"Edward Pendley, who owns EastStar Groves, has already asked her to marry him," Tory grumbled.
"You could ask her," Jayd pointed out.
"You think I haven't thought of that? If I ask now, she'll react with suspicion and rightfully so. She has no reason to trust anything I say."
"Will she come look at the groves, at least? I'll pay," Jayd offered.
"I'll ask," Tory sighed, "but she'll likely throw it in my face." Tory skipped away.
* * *
"Torevik." I acknowledged his presence while monitoring ice-cream makers inside the new building. The facility was everything I wanted it to be. Our ice cream was selling before it was made and Edward was negotiating with the owner of SouthStar for blemished fruit. He was offering top credit for their less than perfect gishi fruit. Edward's employees inspected the fruit before it was purchased; he had a knack for choosing the right people for those things.
"Reah, the groves on Kifirin aren't doing very well. Jayd has offered to pay if you'll come to the Southern Continent and take a look."
"What's wrong with them?" Edward, who was there and watching me work, asked.
"We don't know. The Crown was never involved with the groves. They depended on Reah to do everything."
"And now they pay the price," Edward said. "Reah, let's go take a look," he sighed.
"Edward, you're not obligated," I pointed out.
"I know. But the trees are being mistreated. I feel it. Let's go look." Less than a click later, we were walking through the Kifirini groves that I knew so well with Jayd, Glinda, Lissa and Garde. I wanted to snarl at Garde but held it back. Astralan, alerted by Teeg no doubt, showed up as well.
"These sprinkler lines are broken, see?" I pointed out where the soil was saturated with water, keeping the roots too wet surrounding the break. "And these past that point aren't getting water at all. Aren't they walking the groves?" I asked. "What are they doing?"
"No idea," Jayd raked a hand through his hair. Glinda seemed very upset.
"Let's find out," there was a light in Lissa's eyes. We folded to my old cottage, which had been enlarged, I discovered. What we found inside it had Gardevik raging. I thought he would tear the house apart. The new grove manager was running a gambling establishment. I saw many of the disabled inside, playing for coveted items.
"I think you're under arrest," Lissa informed the manager pleasantly.
* * *
"Now what do we do?" Garde held his head in his hands later as we all sat inside Jayd's study.
"I have a suggestion," I said. "But Lissa might not like it."
"What will I not like?" She looked at me curiously.
"Bring Corent," I said. "At least two days a week. He's a gentle soul, but if you mistreat the trees, I think you might be surprised at the temper that will cause. And he can heal the ones that have been over or under watered."
"Corent?" Edward looked at me.
"Green Fae," I said. "He takes care of the apple trees and such on Le-Ath Veronis. He's the last of his family."
"I'll lend him out for two days each week," Lissa agreed. "But you'll pay him fairly," she poked Garde in the chest. He almost fell back. Lissa was vampire, after all, and she held the strength of a Queen.
"Right now, I'm willing to do almost anything to get the groves back on track," Jayd agreed.
"Good," I said. "I need to get back to making ice cream."
"You're making the gishi fruit ice cream?" Garde stared at me.
"Yes. I'm making the gishi fruit ice cream. Why?"
"Kifirin said I'd cut my own hand. He was right."
"Too late now," I said. "I was going to ask Jayd for funds to build a plant here when the debts were paid. That won't be happening, now. Edward is handing half his profits to me. He offered all of the profits, but that was too much. Would I still be walking barefoot through your groves, dressed in rags if things hadn't gone as they did?" I asked Garde. "You'd have kept me like that forever, wouldn't you? Was it all because I was only a quarter-blood? Is that what it was?" My emotions were welling up again. They were a major downside to being pregnant. "How much do you hate me, Gardevik Rath? How much?" I was weeping by that time.
"Reah, can't you see there is nothing left in him? I don't think he feels." Edward took my hand, nodded to all present and Astralan folded us to Avendor.
* * *
"Garde, what happened to you?" Lissa demanded. "Surely you know better than this."
"He was first-born," Jayd sighed, dropping onto his desk chair inside his study. "He took the heat from Father for the rest of us. Father always blamed us and our mother for either not being daughters or not having daughters. He knew the race was dying even then, our father did. And he was angry because he couldn't do anything about it."
"So, you're really angry because Denevik went out and made a daughter with a humanoid, is that it? And then his daughter had a quarter-blood-daughter. Are you blaming Reah for all of this, Garde?" Lissa looked up at him.
"It was so easy for her," Garde turned away. "So easy to have daughters. I lashed out at her. Our parents are dead. Mother dropped into Baetrah because she couldn't handle the pressure any longer. Father, not realizing how much he actually depended upon our mother, followed closely behind her. I did wrong. Placed blame. Let my prejudices show. Lendevik was right to keep me from the Kingship. I was helpless to keep Kifirin from bankruptcy, and that little slip of a girl comes in and creates solvency out of nothing. I am supposed to be the one to do that. I should have found a way out of that mess. I didn't, so I did my best to persecute the one who did."
"This is so f*cked up," Lissa tossed up a hand in resignation.
* * *
"Reah, you can't help that other people make mistakes. They may not always intend for the consequences to be so devastating. You have to take care of yourself, first." Edward and I swung lazily in the covered swing outside his suite. He'd dried my tears earlier. Astralan lounged on a chair nearby, watching me closely.
"I know," I said. Kevis came out and took a chair next to Astralan. The doctor was waiting with one of his sessions, no doubt. "I wish I could get drunk right now," I added.
"You'd be swigging straight from the wine bottle, wouldn't you?" Edward teased, grinning at me.
"I'm that desperate," I nodded.
"Most people get medication, Reah," Kevis said. "But you're pregnant and High Demon. The levels of the drugs you would require would be too hazardous to the child. We can't risk it," he added.
"I know," I agreed. Edward held me tighter against him. Kevis pulled me away after a while, herding Edward and Astralan away. I'd have stayed and napped on one shoulder or the other if he hadn't.
"Reah, what happened earlier?" Kevis asked as he settled onto the swing with me, comp-vid in hand.
"I don't know. It's easy to blame it on the pregnancy," I said, leaning back and staring at the underside of the canvas canopy.
"I believe that's part of it," he agreed. "Perhaps not all."
"You don't ever get to choose your family," I breathed deeply of the fresh air rising above the gishi fruit groves. "And like it or not, I'm connected to Glinda and Jayd and Garde. Glinda is my great-aunt, whether I want that or not. She's never deliberately mistreated me, but when Garde handed my girls to her, she never questioned. She just took what she wanted."
"Was she a bad parent?"
"No. Not in that sense, no."
"But they didn't see their real mother when they should have. Gardevik feels inadequate, I think, and he passed the anger he felt in your direction. He wanted to make you suffer, perhaps, for doing what he wasn't capable of doing alone. I think he was a loner for a very long time. Kept to himself for a very long time."
"I had nothing to do with that," I pointed out.
"I know. I'm just trying to sort out why he is the way he is."
"Good luck on that," I said.
"Reah, he has made you suffer. I want to get to the bottom of that. I'm hoping to put a stop to it."
"Then you're more of an optimist than I am."
"I think you've seen too much of the terrible side of life. You haven't had many of the good things. Why don't you come with me for a little while this afternoon? We can get into the pool at the villa. You can sleep there if you're tired. I know you are," he said. "I can feel it. How about a massage? I think Rik is available."
"Rik. He has such nice hands." I smiled at the memory of one other time when the tall Falchani had given me a massage.
"You've gotten one from him before?"
"Yeah. It was wonderful."
"Then we'll get another. We can set it up on a regular basis, if you want. It'll be good for you. He even has a special pillow so we won't squash Garwin Wyatt."
"We can't squash Wyatt," I agreed. "We love him."
"We do," Kevis grinned.
* * *
"Just relax," Rik told me later as I lay face down on a table. What little belly I had was encased in a special pillow, hollowed out to surround Garwin Wyatt. Rik's hands moved gently over my body. Kevis had undressed me using the power he inherited from his parents and he watched as Rik put his hands on me. When he finished with the back and turned me over, I felt like softened clay. Rik paid such special attention to the baby when he rubbed my belly, I fell asleep.
* * *
I'll take her. Kevis lifted Reah from Rik's arms. He'd carefully wrapped the sheet around Reah without waking her.
She's like a bird with hollow, fragile bones, Rik sighed. She needs to eat more.
I know. Kevis floated Reah onto the bed to keep from waking her. His and Rik's conversation had been mindspeech only. I'm warming the air around her. I hope she doesn't wake up.
Later, Kevis sat in the kitchen, having a cup of tea with Rik when his mother walked in.
"How are you, Gracie?" Rik gave her a smile.
"I'm good. How's Reah?" She looked at Kevis.
"Sleeping."
"Ren says she's exhausted but refuses to just sit down and rest most of the time."
"Kifirin," Kevis said. "She only had a few workers and half of those were disabled, so she pushed herself for years. I think she's afraid that if she stops completely, something terrible will happen."
"If she had stopped on Kifirin, they'd be bankrupt," Dragon wandered in with his twin brother, Crane. "Lissa says that they made the last payment on their loans a few days ago. They're in the clear unless they go into debt again. If they can manage those gishi fruit groves as well as Reah did, then they're on their way toward industrialization."
"They certainly need to get away from that feudal system they have," Crane agreed, setting about making tea for himself and his brother. "Falchan doesn't have much in the way of technology, but the people are allowed to own land and open their own shops and restaurants. On Kifirin, the Crown owns nearly everything."
"They certainly owned Reah," Kevis leaned his head into his arms. "I don't think they'll see this baby unless they come to her."
"What have Jayd and Glinda done for her? Anything?" Devin asked. She and Grace shared eleven mates, including Dragon, Crane and Karzac.
"I don't know that they've offered anything. Certainly not money," Kevis muttered. "But Lendill says that the ASD is very close to confiscating all the funds the pirates and their cronies put together. Reah will have half of that."
"How much is it?" Dragon asked, accepting a cup of tea from Crane.
"The last I heard, trillions," Kevis said. "Reah will never have to depend upon another male for money. Ever."
"Is Reah asleep?" Lok, Aurelius and Renegar folded in.
"Yes. Is anything wrong?"
"Someone is asking to see her," Aurelius said. Kiarra, Adam, Merrill and Pheligar folded in. Someone, likely Dragon, had sent mindspeech.
"Why are they asking to speak with Reah?" Kiarra was puzzled.
"I do not know," Renegar replied. "But they are requesting an audience with her. This is mystifying."
"Who is asking to see Reah?" Kevis rose from his seat at the island.
"The Copper Ra'Ak Prince," Renegar replied.