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.I turned around and stalked out the door, Teeg right behind me."Reah, where are you going?" Teeg grabbed my arm."Anywhere but here.All I have to do is make it to the shuttle station.Tell Arvil I said no, thank you." I jerked my arm out of Teeg's grasp."Reah!" Teeg was almost running after me, hauling me off the floor while I flailed against him.I think a few blows actually landed on his chest and shoulders as he carried me back to the bedroom.After tossing me onto the pillows scattered across the top of the bed, Teeg growled and turned away from me.I attempted to slide off the bed, but he caught me and threw me right back."Reah, listen to me!" Teeg was nearly shouting.Too angry to say anything that made any sense at all, I folded my arms stiffly across my chest and refused to look at Teeg."Reah, I shouldn't have told you that, but maybe it's better to hear it from me instead of getting blindsided by it when you're working at one of Arvil's casinos.People here gossip, Reah, and they gamble.The two go hand-in-hand, most of the time.They get bored with the regular games, so they'll bet on anything.""So they all think I'm going to bed with Arvil.Or the Hardlows." I was shaking now, I was so angry and upset."Reah, they're even betting that you're sleeping with your new guards." Those words hit too close to the truth.Tory and I hadn't coupled—we'd only had direct contact during the claiming and that had been unwilling on my part.Now, though, Tory and I—well, we were mated just as much as Aurelius and I were.I loved him, just as I loved Aurelius and Teeg.Multiple mates were recognized by the Alliance.I didn't know what the rules were on Campiaa and didn't want to ask Teeg—if he were fishing for information, I wasn't about to hand it to him.I did give him what I had, though."I'm not sleeping with my guards." And I wasn't.Not yet, anyway, and it would only be one of them if I did.My voice was now sullen."I know you're not," Teeg dropped onto the bed next to me."Reah, I don't care if you sleep with someone else, as long as you love them and they aren't taking advantage of you.I just want to protect you, sweetheart.Gods, you're so young." He pulled me against him."If I'm too young, why did you marry me?""Now see, you're already learning to twist my words." He lifted my face for a quick kiss."You're not too young for me to love you." His mouth quirked into a grin."Sounds like contempt to me." I struggled to escape his grip."Reah, hush." Teeg's arms tightened about me."Trust me, there is nothing I have for you except love.I wish there was some way I could get that message through so you'd understand it.""Sure." I struggled in his arms again.Teeg was strong—more so than he looked, and he looked quite strong.There were things that he still didn't know about me.Things that I didn't know how to tell him, if the time ever came when I could tell him."Shhhh," Teeg gathered both my hands in one of his, kissing them before holding them against me to keep me still."Now is a perfect moment, Reah.We're together, and nobody is asking us to do anything.You're safe in my arms, my love." The teardrop fell before I could stop it or wipe it away.Safe? Even in Teeg's arms I didn't feel safe.I didn't feel safe anywhere.Not as long as I belonged to the ASD.Vice-Director Lendill Schaff would use me as much as he could, even when I didn't have the background or experience to be where I was, doing what I was.I shuddered and wept.* * *Alcohol didn't have as much of an effect on Teeg as it might on others.He sat at the kitchen island and drank anyway."Mind if I join you?" Tory walked into the kitchen."Glasses are over there," Teeg jerked his head toward a cabinet.Tory pulled one out and sat down nearby.Teeg poured out the bourbon.Tory downed his glass in one swallow.Teeg poured more bourbon."Any advice on how to deal with women?" Teeg asked, topping off his glass."None," Tory replied, downing his second glass.* * *"We'll be back before you know it," Arvil blustered.I don't know why he even bothered.Heaving a frustrated sigh, I turned away from Teeg, knowing I'd probably start crying again if I looked at him.Ry and Tory flanked me as Astralan and his brothers prepared to fold the rest of us to Zephili.Folding is always so fast, and I knew as soon as my feet landed on a polished wood floor that it might be a while before I got to see Teeg again.I had my comp-vid communicator in my bags, but that was small consolation.Avilepha, I will be with you, Tory reassured me.I knew that, but how closely would Arvil be watching us? A servant came and bowed to Arvil and the Hardlows.The rest of us barely got a glance.He was small, pale-skinned and dressed in white linen, this servant.He was also dangerously close to blending with the wall color."I am Master Grish's private assistant," he informed us."Master Grish is waiting—please follow me." Farzi was beside me, Nenzi on the other side while Ry and Tory came behind.I didn't miss the frown that tugged at Farzi's mouth as we followed Grish's assistant.Were the others prepared for Grish? I know I wasn't, but I was hidden behind taller people, so the widening of my eyes wasn't seen.Grish was pale, ancient and shrunken.Every bit of exposed skin was wrinkled beyond imagining.Staring was rude, so I turned to Farzi.His face was set in a frown—he didn't like Grish at all.If Farzi had problems with this one, it was probably a good idea to be wary.I also saw why Grish hadn't come to greet us himself—he sat on a wheeled chair with a high back.It was motorized and heavy—I couldn't see his personal assistant pushing Grish around in it.Wispy strands of colorless hair were combed away from Grish's face, and he appeared cadaverous to me.A monkey-like creature sat on the arm of Grish's chair, and the creature operated the controls, moving Grish's chair from one place to another."So, Arvil San Gerxon, you bring your business partners with you? Don't think I fail to recognize Wilffox and Wilffin Hardlow," Grish spoke."If you think I will charge less for the use of my fields because they present a danger to me, then think again.You are on my world and I am not without resources." Grish's voice was breathless with the effort to speak and his eyes were nearly lost in his face, they were so sunken.Those eyes darted back and forth, now, watching Arvil and the Hardlows closely.He should have been watching the warlocks instead.The moment three more men folded into the room, attempting to throw some wizardry or other around us, Astralan and Stellan had them fried to a crisp.They screamed as they died; I watched in helpless horror as their bodies turned to ash and disintegrated before us.Nenzi and Farzi each gripped one of my arms as I struggled to hold back a scream.Arvil and the others barely spared a blink as Grish's wizards died quickly.At least Astralan and Stellan had enough power to kill swiftly."Don't send threats against us—I assure you we've survived for a very long time with the help of our warlocks," Wilffox informed a cowering Grish."Now, we can have a civilized meeting and perhaps come to some arrangement, or we can fry you where you sit and take what we want instead.Personally, I have no desire to run Zephili—I just need the use of your fields for a few full turns [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]