"You cooked for a governor?" Stellan asked.
"The Governor of the Realm on Tulgalan. Do you know who Addah Desh is?" Ardalin perked up at the mention of that name. She knew if the others didn't.
"I know he owns the best restaurants on Tulgalan," Stellan was smiling at me.
"My birth name was Reah Desh. Addah Desh is my grandfather. I thought he was my father for the longest time, but as it turns out, my oldest brother raped my mother and then he and his mother arranged for my mother to be killed when I was born. My older brother turned out to be my father. Is that fucked up or what?" I was telling Teeg my family history if he hadn't gotten that from hacking into my records as he said he did.
"Addah sent me to Edan when I was eight because he had DNA tests run, proving that Edan was my father. Edan, who should never be allowed to have children, beat me from the moment I arrived. He broke several bones and sent me to the hospital many times when I was between the age of eight and seventeen. When the Alliance conscription notice came, I was more than happy to get away from my abusive family. By that time, I'd made Desh's number two famous for my cooking, though Edan took all the credit. Too bad that all went straight to hell the moment I left. Ardalin, these eggs are awful. If you don't serve good food, it's your own damn fault." I slid off my barstool and hobbled out of the kitchen.
* * *
"Now, that sounded like a master cook talking." Celestan guffawed. Jes was staring after Reah, wondering if he ought to follow her.
"Ardalin, I think you just got insulted by the best cook I've ever seen, and I've been from one end of the universes to the other," Galaxsan pushed his plate toward the gaping woman. "If you'd tried, she wouldn't have said a word. Reah doesn't miss. Not while shooting or while watching people. If you were interested, you might have learned from her. Too late for that now."
"Then I quit," Ardalin ripped off her apron. Secretly she was hoping Teeg would call her back. He didn't. She stalked out.
"Make sure she gets out of the gate and tell the guards not to let her back in," Astralan was already on his communicator.
"She served eggs with bits of shell on Reah's plate; I saw her picking it out," Jes offered.
"Fuck," Teeg rubbed his face with both hands.
"I'd like to learn from anybody whose last name is Desh," the assistant said timidly. Teeg lowered his hands to look at the man.
"Her last name isn't Desh anymore—she had it legally changed to Nilvas. And since she's still married to me, her last name is officially the same as mine." Teeg stood. "I'll take your offer to her and see what she says."
* * *
I hadn't gone back to my suite—I'd gone to the pool at the back of the house instead. I'd had to lean against the wall and rest a time or two—Teeg's palace, formerly Arvil San Gerxon's, was huge. Now I sat on a chaise, trying to get my breath back from so much exertion. That's where Teeg, Jes and the warlocks found me.
"Ardalin quit," Teeg said, sitting on the chaise next to mine. The sun was already bright overhead; I had to shade my eyes to look at Teeg.
"I'm sorry if I cost you your cook."
"You didn't—she did this to herself. If she hadn't quit, I would have fired her."
"You should have done it long ago if her food is that bad."
"Would it mean anything to you if I told you I was punishing myself by keeping her?"
"Teeg, that makes absolutely no sense at all." I turned my head; the light was easier on my eyes that way. I was dressed in pajamas and a robe—that's all I had to wear. I didn't like wandering around the house like that, but I didn't have a choice.
"Think about it, Reah. Ardalin's assistant wants to learn anything he can from you. As soon as you can sit up and give him directions, he'd appreciate it. As would the rest of us, I think. Five turns of bad food is enough."
"Where are you keeping Gavril?"
"Reah, don't ask about that. He's safe at the moment and he has no complaints."
"Will you take a message to him?" I was afraid I'd choke up."I'll relay a message."
"Tell him I love him and I'll do whatever I can to keep him safe."
"Reah, I," Teeg stood, looking uncomfortable. "Get on with your exercises. I have things to do." He walked away from me, the warlocks right behind him.
* * *
"We'll get clothing for you," Jes had worked with me all morning out by the pool. I walked. I stretched. I lifted small weights. He let me rest between sessions. Teeg had told him to push me. Jes was pushing. I ached all over by the time he was finished.
"You can get in the spa naked—I'll send someone out for clothing this afternoon," Jes said. He might have hoped I'd crawl into the hot water naked. I wasn't going to do that. Too many guards and servants wandered through while we were working. I was so stiff as I made my way back to my suite I almost didn't make it through my bath. My breathing was labored as I flopped onto the bed. I was thankful someone had come through to make it up.
"I hear you made Ardalin quit." Someone walked into my room unannounced as I lay on the bed, my good arm thrown across my eyes. Lowering my arm, I stared at another woman. A housekeeper, by the look of things. She had two large pillows in her arms.
"I did. She served eggshells with my eggs for breakfast."
"Then I thank you. Whenever she is mad at anyone, she makes them suffer. I am glad she's gone. Would you like more pillows?" She held the pillows out to me.
"Sure." I rose stiffly and the pillows were stuffed behind my back. "What's your name?" I asked.
"Laree. I've worked for Master Teeg ever since he took over." She was telling me the truth. Teeg hadn't been able to take that talent away from me. I didn't think he could control the demon in me either. If he didn't know I could turn, he might get a nasty surprise if I knew Gavril was all right and I could get to him.
"Well, Laree," I nodded at the woman, "Thank you for the pillows—they make things easier for me."
"You are welcome. Now, maybe we'll have decent food in this place." She walked out of my suite.
Chapter 3
"Don't let it boil, just simmer gently as you stir," I said, watching as Marc made a sauce to go over the eggs. "You'll ruin it if you let it boil. There—see, it's thickening properly. Now, take it off the fire." Marc removed the pan from the heat and set it aside. The eggs were now ready to prepare. We poached eggs, shaved ham, added a bit of this and that, then served breakfast right after the rolls came out of the oven.
"Oh, my goodness." I'd invited Laree to breakfast in the kitchen—the others got served in the dining room. Laree liked what she was eating, I could tell. I'd sat on a stool while I supervised Marc's cooking. He was smiling broadly as the compliments came in.
"Time to get into shape," Jes walked into the kitchen. I wanted to grumble and go back to bed. I was still stiff and sore from the day before. Farzi, Nenzi and the others had shown up for breakfast—I think they didn't care for Ardalin either, and appeared as soon as they heard she was gone. Nenzi offered to carry me to the pool area, but Jes told him I needed to stretch my muscles and build my stamina. I walked with Farzi and Nenzi on either side. Teeg didn't follow. Well, he'd told me the day before he had things to do. Perhaps he was out kidnapping more children.
"Here, this is berries, juice, protein and a vitamin mix. It'll help." Jes handed me a glass around midmorning after torturing me for two clicks. This drink was much the same as the one Ardalin had brought to me, except it tasted better.
"Marc made it." Jes grinned when I asked.
"Then Ardalin should have let Marc do all the cooking," I grumbled, drinking my concoction. "What does he call this, anyway?"
"Teeg calls them smoothies. Don't ask me where the word came from. We always called them jumbles."
"I've heard that term before. Made a few of them, too, as I recall. Mostly mixed with alcohol for customers."
"No alcohol for you—boss' orders. He says the alcohol will slow the healing down." Jes gestured toward the weights and other equipment scattered across the flagstones surrounding the pool. Someone had brought in a treadmill and I was now walking on it until Jes said I could get off. "He says he wants to go out next eight-day. He says you can still be a little weak for the first job or two." Jes was looking away from me, his eyes unfocused for a little while. "You need to get them." He turned back to face me. "Get them, Reah. For me and all the people on my world who didn't make it."
* * *
"Need help?" I gimped past Teeg as he stood inside the door that led to the pool. I elbowed him in the ribs at his question and kept hobbling along. "Not bad—that blow would almost be effective," he grinned at me. I shot a dark look his way and kept going. I'd worked harder after Jes said what he did. His entire world dead, because Zellar destroyed it. Now, Zellar's trained vipers were out there, possibly doing the same so they could draw power to themselves.
"Reah? Reah?" Everything was dimming around me so I'd stopped walking, attempting to get my vision to clear. "Baby, don't. Don't pass out on me, sweetheart." Teeg's voice was muted. I don't know if I did faint or just nearly so, but I came back to myself in the kitchen while Teeg and Marc were trying to get me to drink more jumble.
"Just take a sip, baby. Show me you're all right." My cheek was resting against Teeg's shoulder as he held the glass to my lips. "Come on," he coaxed softly. "Take a drink, baby." I swallowed some of the protein-laced juice concoction. "That's right, drink more." He wasn't satisfied until I'd finished half the glass, handing it to Marc before pulling me tighter against him. My face was buried in the hollow between his neck and shoulder. Teeg's fingers sifted through my hair, massaging the back of my head and neck. "Need a cold compress, baby? Will that make it better?" I didn't answer but Jes, who was fussing impatiently nearby (he was the physician, after all) handed one over.