"Dee, I think she might have loved you if I'd thought it safe to make introductions. Now, we may never get that chance."
"You have yet to introduce me to your parents." Dee didn't meet Teeg's eyes.
"I know; I don't want to upset any of you over this. I think of you as a father, too, but I don't want to upset Dad. He didn't have a hand in any of this and doesn't deserve anything less than my love and respect."
"I don't want to replace him."
"Dee, there's room for both of you. You did for me what Dad couldn't at the time. There's no need for you to be anything except my second father."
"Some have two fathers, others have no father at all," Dormas sighed, thinking of Reah.
"There's nothing we can do about that."
"Child, what will you do if she doesn't come back?"
"I don't know, Dee. I just don't know."
* * *
The rain had stopped by morning, so the three of us scrounged for our breakfast before packing everything up. I knew where we had to go—it had come to me in a dream. Another gift from Kifirin, if you could call what he'd done a gift. "Where we go, Reah?" Nenzi asked. I stood on tiptoe and kissed him, making him smile.
"To Reliff. Have you ever been there?" I smiled back at him.
"No. Not remember that one," Nenzi shook his head.
"Then let's go. And after we're done with that one, we'll make a trip to Cloudsong."
"No, Reah, that one long dead," Farzi was trying to steer me away from it. Cloudsong was one of the first worlds drained by Zellar. Nothing lived or grew on it, now. I'd do that one during the day—I still remembered the daystar's reaction to the healing on Tulgalan, before Nidris had interrupted. He had much to pay for, my daughter's life not the least of that.
* * *
"Edan, what makes you think I want to hear from you?" Ilvan hadn't been difficult to locate—he worked for the government on Tulgalan, inspecting restaurants and eateries in Targis and three other cities. He'd known going in what was expected, since he'd worked in a restaurant before.
"Ilvan, I just wanted to apologize. For past mistakes. I know you left the business and the family because of what I did. I just want to take responsibility. For everything. I think Addah would welcome you back if you wanted to return—he grumbles about the pastry Aldah prepares."
The mention of Aldah's name made Ilvan mutter. Aldah, Addah's third son, was Fes' full brother and thick with Fes on everything. Fes covered for Aldah's lack of skill much of the time. Farla's two sons stood to inherit much of what Addah had built. "Reah could put both Fes and Aldah in the dirt," Ilvan said angrily. Addah had never noticed Ilvan. It had always been Fes and Edan. Until Edan was convicted and sent to prison. Now, Fes and Aldah were the ones Addah spoke with. Ilvan never said it, but he was grateful that Marzi had only birthed Edan.
"I know."
"Is that why you called? To see if I knew where Reah is? I don't. I think she probably wouldn't want to see any one of us. I saw the advertisement for the Star Gazer. I heard from someone I know there that Reah is intended to the King of Karathia."
"That isn't why I called. I wouldn't mind seeing Reah, just to say I'm sorry, but she likely won't accept my apology any more than you will."
"Edan, if you're trying to wriggle into Wylend Arden's good graces, don't. I don't believe he's held his throne by being weak as a warlock."
"Also not the reason I called. Ilvan, I don't need anything from you or Father or the King of Karathia. What I truly want is forgiveness. From you and from Reah. I'm a different man, Ilvan. I hope you come to believe that, someday."
"I'll tell you what—if Reah ever forgives you, then I will, Edan. And you likely know that will never happen." Ilvan ended communication with his brother.
* * *
"This Reliff?" Farzi asked after I'd landed us in a park outside the capital city of Beedaris.
"This is Reliff," I nodded, pulling two credit chip bracelets from my bag and handing them to Farzi and Nenzi. "Just in case," I said. Both nodded their understanding. I wasn't familiar with Reliff and wasn't willing to pull out my comp-vid to do research. My comp-vid was ASD issue and likely had a beacon chip embedded. I wasn't going to turn it on, just in case. "Come on, let's see if we can find a room for the night." We walked through the park, eventually finding the nearest hoverbus port.
* * *
"I can disrupt the meeting," Nidris smiled at Lersen Strand. His cousins, Darsen, Ansen and Morsen were there, nodding at Nidris.
"And what if we want more than disruption?" Morsen smiled.
"Whatever you want," Nidris replied. He'd never tapped the core on Campiaa. It could provide all the power he'd need to take down the fledgling Campiaan Alliance.
"We want Campiaa for ourselves," Lersen interrupted Nidris' thoughts. "The Casinos—all of it. Give us Campiaa and the rest will follow. I think we can promise you anything you want, after that."
Nidris agreed. What did it matter that Campiaa would die within a decade or two? Other worlds waited, and Nidris had no desire to work for the Strands more than a handful of years. He wanted to hunt the female High Demon. Still desired to have her under his command. Unlimited power awaited if she were his.
* * *
"Corolan, Garek, I want you to search for Reah. Bring her back to me," Wylend read through political requests for audience day. He'd finish with those before traveling to Campiaa. It would assist Gavril in building the Campiaan Alliance if Karathia was a strong ally. Wylend had made up his mind. The Reth Alliance might frown upon some of Wylend's methods for tracking and dealing with prisoners. Gavril's Alliance made allowances for those things.
"Who will protect you while you are upon Campiaa?" Corolan didn't mind searching for Reah, he merely wanted to keep Wylend safe at the same time.
"Erland, Rylend and Wyatt are coming with me," Wylend signed the request for a hearing after reading it. "Plus my personal guards."
"All right," Corolan sighed. With the Starr warlocks employed by Gavril, that should be sufficient spellpower to guard both Wylend and the founder of the Campiaan Alliance. "Are you sure Wyatt is a good choice? Having you both in the same place?"
"He needs the experience," Wylend muttered. "His head has been elsewhere, lately. Ry is more than dependable. Perhaps some of his focus will attach itself to my heir."
"As you say," Corolan nodded. "We'll work on this from our end before striking out blind."