The clanging of swords greeted me the moment I set foot inside the house. It frightened me at first, so I crept toward the large solarium on the eastern side of the mansion. There I found Lok, sparring with Drake while Drew watched from the side, offering smiling advice now and then.
"Don't you know when to stop?" I skipped to Drew's side and watched Lok and Drake attempt to beat each other into submission.
Drew grinned at me. "We wondered where you went, little girl," he said, before shouting at Lok to keep his elbows in.
"I've been here and there," I replied, unwilling to share my hiding place with anyone.
"Everybody's worried sick," the smile disappeared.
"Wylend isn't," I pointed out.
"Wylend's being a jackass," Drew said, keeping his eyes on Lok and his brother. "Where were you tonight? You smell like an entire restaurant."
"I was at Desh's number one, keeping the family from going bankrupt," I said. "Addah didn't share some of his best recipes, so I went to show Fes and the others how to make them. It seemed to go well."
"So, with Addah and the original Edan out of the picture, the family gets along?" Another smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. He and Drake were more than handsome, and reinforced my Falchani fantasy. I'd just have to find a Falchani someday. One who didn't mind if I were shorter, with white hair. I could hold my own against anybody with the blades.
"You're forgetting Aldah and Marzi," I said. "You remember Marzi, don't you—you know, the bitch who tried to kill me?"
"Yeah. Definitely forgot about her. So, without those four, the family likes each other?"
"I think they get along," I said. "Enough that they won't kill each other."
"Reah, how tired are you?" Drake asked as he and Lok clanged swords.
"Tired," I said.
"Then you won't kill Lok too bad. Drew, hand her your blades." Drew was grinning as he placed both his practice blades in my hands.
"But I wanted a bath and a long sleep," I protested as Drew shoved me into the sparring square.
"Get a touch on Lok and that'll happen," Drake laughed.
Lok glared at me, as if I were a bug to be squashed or something. "I'll let you attack first," I said, nodding at the enigmatic Falchani. I was seeing his tattoos for the first time—they were red dragons very much like Dragon's. He was covered in a light sheen of sweat and still looked good enough to eat, his long braid swinging down his back. His eyes narrowed at me. I watched him, keeping my wrists loose, preparing for his attack.
He'd gone to the Dragon school of warfare, I decided, as he came after me as fast as he could. I blocked three of his blows before getting a touch in.
"What the f**k?" Lok stared at me in disbelief. At least they'd practiced with dull metal blades—I'd had the point of one of mine at Lok's throat.
"High Demon, dude," Drew snickered. "Don't ever expect to move faster than one of them. Glinda can put you in the dirt, too."
"Here." I handed Drew's practice blades back to him. "I want a bath and a bed. And if you tell Teeg where I am, I'll kick your ass."
"He'll kick my ass if I don't tell him," Drew called after me. I gave him a rude gesture and continued on my way.
"Reah, I didn't tell Wylend. Mom says that he listened in on our conversation using an eavesdropping spell because he was in a snit."
"And how did your mother find out about that?" I pulled the warm cloth off my eyes and stared up at Teeg. I was soaking in a tub of warm water, and was falling asleep when Teeg showed up.
"Uncle Erland told her. He said he had an argument with Wylend afterward. Corolan disappeared and Radolf has renounced his Karathian citizenship in front of witnesses."
"Then I'm glad Wylend banished me. Listening to our private conversation and convicting me of treason because of it? That's the ultimate in jerkdom." I'd used a phrase Chash was fond of, once upon a time. "And you probably shouldn't be seen with me, or he'll cancel his membership in your Alliance."
"Don't care," Teeg dipped his hand in my bathwater, brushing my left nipple with a knuckle.
"Teeg, you can't let sex force you to commit a major mistake—you need Karathia in your Alliance."
"And Karathia may need us, too. Have you thought about that? If he hadn't come on board, he was in danger of becoming isolated. Karathia would be locked into trading with only non-Alliance worlds, and that leaves pirates and Giffelithi Dwarves. He'd be paying through the nose for anything not produced on Karathia. And nowadays, that's a lot."
"Well, gee, maybe he can get one of those dwarf women to marry him," I snapped. Yeah, I wasn't in a good mood where Wylend was concerned.
"Erland seems to think he was just angry and went overboard. He'll come to his senses."
"Well, too bad it's too late where I'm concerned." I moved to get out of the tub.
"No, sweetheart, I didn't mean to upset you or interrupt your bath. Drew told me you spent the day cooking for Desh's, so they wouldn't go belly up."
"And I told Drew that if he told you where I was, I'd kick his ass. He's got an ass-kicking coming his way."
"Baby, don't," Teeg made my ni**les peak just by stroking a finger across each one. There are times when I'd like to shout at my traitorous body. Teeg knew what to do, every time, to make it respond to him. Had Chash known when he was seventeen that this was the way it would be? I slid down in the water, just from the thought.
"Come on; don't try to drown yourself now." Teeg pulled me up again, getting the sleeve of his expensive silk shirt wet.
"I need to get out before I fall asleep," I said. Teeg pulled me out of the water. Then dried me off with a huge towel. Kissed me while drying my hair, rubbed his erection against my belly, removed his clothing, settled me on the granite sink and made me come—twice. And he didn't even have to bite to do it.
"You're sleeping with me," he said softly. I thought we'd sleep there at the house. Teeg had other ideas, folding me to his bedroom on Campiaa.
"You need to go see Mom," Teeg informed me the following morning, after making love again. "While I'd like to stay in bed all day, I have meetings. Go see Mom. Promise me." He put a finger against my lips before leaning down to kiss them.
"And what am I supposed to tell her? Does she have meetings, too?"
"I already sent mindspeech—there is a meeting and they're waiting for you now."