Demon's Dream (High Demon 6)

"You're sure? And her name is Lissa?"

"I am, and yes, her name is Lissa." I gave him an encouraging smile. "Besides, this is keeping me away from a counseling session with the good Doctor Halivar." I couldn't help but feel gleeful over that. "Are you hungry?" I dragged Edward with me until we reached the kitchen.

"This is wonderful," Edward sighed after eating nearly all the crepe I'd served him.

"I have a Master Cook's license," I reminded him.

"You said that. Now I believe it," he said. I heard footsteps and voices approaching and was prepared to make more crepes when several things happened. Lissa drew in a breath when she saw Edward. Flavio, Head of the Vampire Council, stared in shock and Edward blinked at the third member of their party before whispering, "Winkler?"

* * *

Winkler was grinning like a fool and slapping Edward on the back for some reason, and Lissa was just staring.

"So. I get to explain how we're related and all." She studied Edward for several seconds.

"Can you get him home? He owns EastStar Groves on Avendor. I ought to get back to Campiaa before the herd calls out the dogs." I watched as several emotions crossed Lissa's face. She hadn't expected this, I could tell.

"Reah, you really should let them know where you're going when you leave," Lissa did a little sighing of her own.

"I know. But nowadays they tend to piss me off." I'd borrowed that phrase from her.

"I know this is hard for you." Lissa brushed a stray strand of hair away from my forehead.

"After all these years, I just feel numb. I don't know if I love any of them. I can't feel anything."

"Honey, that will go away. It'll take some time, I know, after what happened to you on Stellar Winds. Don't give up on them. Kifirin was wrong to do what he did."

"Why did he do that? Why?" I was about to break down.

"We'll take her." Teeg, Lok and Aurelius had come. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go home," Teeg lifted me this time.

"I'll make sure Mr. Pendley gets home," Lissa called out before someone folded me away.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

"I'm your great-uncle?" Edward Pendley stared at me. He was younger than I, but as immortals, that wasn't surprising.

"And you have family still living. Someday, if you're up to it, I'll make introductions." I was struggling to come to terms with this—Ashe had a half-brother. If I knew Ashe at all (and I didn't know him well—he kept to himself) he probably knew all about this. His—and Edward's—biological mother, my great-grandmother, actually, was still alive, as was my half-Elemaiyan grandmother. I still hadn't told them we were kin. It made me sigh—I wasn't sure I was up to that, even now.

"I see I have a lot of catching up to do," Edward shook his head. Winkler and I sat in Edward's private study at EastStar, talking about how things had gone since Edward had left Earth. My werewolf and I had taken Edward home after he explained that he couldn't be gone for long from EastStar. Edward couldn't believe he had other relatives still living, either. His mostly-human father was still alive, but couldn't pass the boundary of SouthStar. I did (and didn't) want to ask about that. "Tell me about Reah," Edward pleaded. I considered where to begin.

* * *

I jerked awake with a gasp, just as I normally did nowadays. "Nothing here to hurt you," Kevis Halivar soothed. I wanted to accuse him of lying. Danger was everywhere, including with his nurses, who were now under arrest. He'd attempted to talk with me as soon as Teeg brought me back and dumped me on a chair by the pool next to the good doctor. Instead of answering questions, somehow I'd fallen asleep.

"Zendeval Rjjn appeared benign, too, until he did what he did."

"Reah, you are in a safe place. Nobody is here to harm you."

"I don't know why you're here," I huffed. "Go back to that expensive clinic and treat the rich and famous."

"You don't think you're as important as they are?"

"Most of them are decidedly unimportant," I snapped. "But try telling them and their fame and fortune that."

"While the one who saved them and both Alliances sits here and tells me to go back to them," Kevis murmured softly.

"They all think I'm crazy," I said. "Thanks to your nurses and a not so law-abiding reality show."

"You and I know better."

"Like that's so important and all. I can't even go to the corner store and get ice cream without somebody pointing and either laughing or screaming."

"You think so? Let's test that theory," Kevis said, standing up. "Let's go out for ice cream."

Nenzi drove us with Tory, Lok and Aurelius along for the ride. Nenzi stood very close to me, too, as I walked into a popular ice-cream shop in Campiaa City to order a dish of ice cream. Sure enough, two mothers saw me and moved their children away while the young man behind the counter gulped and stared.

"Point taken," Kevis said as we walked out again, ice cream in hand.

"Teeg will have to get another wife," I said, licking my spoon.

"Reah, he will not stand for that sort of talk," Aurelius chided. "That is his child, you are his wife. That is the end of this discussion."

"You saw those women back there," I said, turning to look at him as we climbed into our vehicle. Nenzi had a very nice hover-limo. I was happy for him; the vehicle was quite luxurious. "They were afraid to let their children get near me," I added.

"Reah, that will die down in time," Kevis said.

"When? Will I be able to take my own child out and not have people shy away?"

"People have short memories," Lok said.

"Oh, and the Falchani speaks," I tossed up a hand.

"Reah, they are angry too, because they were forced to forget you," Kevis said.

"Oh, so you're on board with the whole Kifirin thing now, are you?"

"I've been informed," he said.

Nenzi unloaded us at the front drive to the plantation before pulling away. I felt a sting in my left shoulder and that's the last thing I remembered for a while.

Chapter 4

"An ancient weapon." Gavril tossed the bullet onto the table in front of the others.

"I haven't seen one of these for a very long time," Aurelius picked up the piece of copper-encased lead and examined it closely. Norian and Lendill had agents all over the plantation, but there was no sign of the shooter.

"Someone wants to kill Reah," Gavril said flatly.