Blood Rebellion (Blood Destiny #7) (27 page)

"There, that looks better." He was still going through my hair with his fingers, drying it with some sort of spell. It was curling in his hands. "Do you know how much women pay to get hair this color?" He was smiling at me as he worked.

"No," I said, leaning my head against his shoulder. His fingers were doing something to me. Relaxing me. Soothing me. Making me sleep.

Chapter 12
 

The air was cool, the covers warm and the arms around me even warmer. Someone was nuzzling my neck and then the sensitive spot behind my ear, gently moving my hair away to brush gentle kisses there. I was struggling to get my brain engaged so my sense of smell would tell me who was doing this to me. Treating me so gently, as if he knew every sensitive spot on my body.

"I know where they all are, because they are the same for me, every other hundred years," Erland murmured against my ear.

"Erland, what are we doing in bed together?" I slapped a hand over my face.

"What I've wanted to do for a very long time, my love. I want to love you. I want to fuck you. And then fuck you again, more than likely." He moved my hand, flashed me a beautiful smile and then leaned in to kiss me. Yeah, he hadn't bothered to dress me the night before. I should have known he was weaving some sort of warlocky spell. I'd fallen asleep while he worked on my hair and I'd slept right through his getting me into bed.

"Erland, what is poking," I reached down to—
oh, Lord
.

"Lissa, I told you I wanted you. You count me among your mates yet you keep putting me off. Tell me why that is?" He was back to nuzzling, stroking and rubbing insistent parts of his body against me. I reached up to run a hand through thick, black hair. He smiled against my mouth and pulled the sheet away from my breasts.

I suppose that if you were male but went through a female phase every other hundred years; you probably would know what to do. Erland sure as hell did. Top to bottom, he knew. And he was gentle in all the places that required it and vigorous in all the places that needed it. I hadn't had sex in more than five months and he took full advantage of that fact. He was quite proud that he made me come twice before doing so himself.

* * *

"Erland, you look smugly satisfied." Wylend observed as a servant poured fresh orange juice for him at the breakfast table. Erland had herded me off to breakfast as soon as I was cleaned up and dressed. I should have known my grandfather would know all about what was going on. I wanted to slap a hand over my face but that would be an all-out admission of guilt. Erland got me seated at the table, then sat down on Wylend's other side. There was no way to misinterpret the huge smile he was wearing.

We got breakfast before Wylend gave us his news. "I had Gart brought in late last night," he beamed over that fact. "And he conveniently admitted to everything." Erland wasn't the only one smugly satisfied this morning. I listened in fascination; I wanted to hear everything Wylend had to say. "We were able to track his path from Beliphar," Wylend chuckled. "It was an easy capture." Wylend busied himself with breakfast for a moment.

"So knowing where he'd been made it easy?" I asked.

"It's a simple spell, if we know where they've been in the past few months. Longer than that and the spell scent dissipates," Erland nodded.

"And we were very motivated. It's a serious violation of Karathian law to have anything to do with the Ra'Ak, or any of their spawn." Wylend grinned. "In any form," he added.

"Wylend has been itching to take Gart down for a very long time," Erland explained, buttering a croissant. I didn't tell him the thing was loaded with butter already. "We've suspected his hand in so many things, but couldn't catch him in the act, as you might say."

"But now you have him." I was biting into my own croissant, without the extra butter.

"He'll be sentenced next week, during the Council meeting," Wylend sounded gleeful.

"You've found him guilty already?"

"
Commanded admission
," Erland grinned. "But before we can do that, we have to know exactly what they're guilty of. It can't be suspicion only. We wrap the facts with power and slam it into them. The truth pops right out." Erland stuffed half a buttered croissant into his mouth.

"That sounds sort of cool," I said, admiringly.

"What was really cool, as you put it, was getting the initial information from my granddaughter," Wylend gave me a wonderful smile.

"And the sex was even better," Erland remarked casually. "Fantastic. Orgasmic. Incredible."

"Another croissant, honey?" I held one out to him on the tip of a lengthy claw.

"Absolutely." He pulled the roll off the end of my claw and laughed.

* * *

"Who knows how many there are?" Belen spoke with Kiarra in his office. It wasn't really an office—not in the traditional sense, anyway. It was a floor, one wall, a bookshelf, a desk and two chairs, all floating amidst fluffy white clouds.

"How did this get past us, all this time?" Kiarra shook her head, perplexed over the news.

"I wouldn't object, normally, since they keep their humanoid shape—the transferred DNA increases speed and endurance." Belen heaved a sigh. "But the sad truth is, once they're infected, they can no longer reproduce in the traditional sense. They can only turn others; they will have no young after the turning. And they die sooner, after the turn. I estimate forty years is the longest that any of them will survive. This has built-in obsolescence for all the humanoid races, if it is allowed to spread unchecked. Lissa can scent them, and the rest of you must create an alternative method of finding them. The wolves and vampires may be able to track them by scent as well."

"I already sent Kyler to destroy everything left on Beliphar," Kiarra nodded, pacing. "Lissa was wise to pick up the uninfected ones and then destroy the starships so the others couldn't get off-world."

"Yes, she was. But this cancer is spreading elsewhere among the worlds of light. The Saa Thalarr must pull together and go out searching for these creatures. It is my command. The Larentii Liaisons have been recalled and they will assist with this. I am asking you to coordinate, Kiarra." Belen wanted to pace while in corporeal form. "And since Grace is pregnant, I may choose a temporary replacement for her."

"Any help will be appreciated," Kiarra agreed.

* * *

"This should get them through the next six months; they can begin to plant their own crops by that time." Weldon and I had bought necessities for the werewolves on Harifa Edus; shoes, jeans, coats, hats—plus all sorts of supplies, including flour, sugar, oats, dried meats, canned vegetables and manual can openers. Daniel, Mack, David and Martin were all there with us. Erland wanted to come but Wylend asked him to do a few things for him instead, so he'd stayed on Karathia.

"We have to do this quickly; Kiarra wants to have a big pow-wow when we get back," Weldon sighed. He folded the supplies and the rest of us to Harifa Edus. We unloaded everything, talked about the canned goods and supplies and told the werewolves we'd check on them again soon. They'd already butchered some game, so things were going as well as could be expected.

"Where are you going now, little girl?" Weldon flipped my braid.

"Home, I guess," I sighed. "I'll go face the music. I figure Gavin is going to start shouting and cursing the moment I get back."

"Well, it's been six months."

"I know. Grace and Amara should be ready to pop soon," I muttered.

"Lissa, we don't always get what we want. Do we?" Weldon pulled me against him and kissed the top of my head.

"Yeah. You're right," I nodded against him and folded away.

* * *

"That's the only vampire I ever called Pack," Weldon sighed when Lissa folded away.

"I remember—I signed her certificate," Martin grinned. "Come on; let's go see what the big news is about."

* * *

I'd been going about during daylight for the past six months. Landing on the central dome of the palace on Le-Ath Veronis was a bit of a shock—it was twilight there constantly. I was still mist when I caught the movement, not far from where I'd landed. I would have gasped, if I could have. He was more than beautiful. I'd said long ago that Roff would be a winged vampire and that I wanted to see it for myself. I was seeing it for myself. His wingspan was at least twelve feet, stretched out.

I could also see how the rumor had gotten started of vampires becoming bats—his wings resembled those of a huge bat, only they were beautiful—the color of soft brown leather. Roff's skin was darker, too, and his black hair was slightly longer than he'd kept it before. He was now more than six feet tall, incredible to look upon and didn't remember a thing about me. I didn't materialize until he leapt away from the roof, allowing his wings to lift him in an updraft. He glided away for a long while, flapping lazily as if he enjoyed his flight. I sighed at the beauty he'd become and sighed again for myself, because he was no longer mine.

* * *

"I'm going out looking for her." Gavin cut into his steak so viciously I was surprised his knife didn't go right through the plate. His claws certainly would have, if he'd used those. I'd misted into the dining room, just as dinner was being served.

"And where are you going to look?" Shadow asked. He didn't sound happy either. Drake and Drew weren't saying anything—they were eating and not talking, which was out of character for them. Tony was prepared to go with Gavin, I could tell. Gabron was missing. I had no idea where he might be and I was still upset with him anyway.

"You don't have to go anywhere, Gavin. I'm right here," I said, materializing at my place at the head of the table.

Gavin handed me a dark look. "Lissa, it will be in your best interest if you sit down right now and eat. If we ask you questions, I would appreciate answers." Drake or Drew must have sent mindspeech to Garde and Karzac, because they were both there in a blink. I wanted to tell Karzac to go back to Grace, but I didn't. I sat down, just as Gavin said, and food was brought.

"Where have you been?" Gavin growled.

"Earth, Harifa Edus, Earth, Beliphar, Earth, Karathia, Harifa Edus, Kifirin," I was trying to remember if I'd left anything out.

"Lissa, I am extremely angry at this moment," Gavin said, stabbing his fork into a chunk of steak.

"I know that," I said, staring at my plate. I wasn't hungry anymore. I guess it was too much to ask for them to be glad to see me, and I was depressed about seeing Roff and knowing he wouldn't recognize me.

"Baby, eat," Tony urged.

"Lissa, just a word or mindspeech once in a while would have gone a long way," Karzac weighed in.

"I know."

"Lissa, we were imagining that you were dead or someplace terrible, needing our help and we were helpless to find you."

"I know."

"Lissa, please do not do that to us again. I don't think we can survive that."

"I know."

"Lissa, you have wounded me."

"I know."

"Lissa!" Grant came into the room at a run, lifted me from my chair and spun me around, hugging me and laughing. Well, at least somebody was glad to see me.

"I missed you so much," Grant beamed as he set me down.

"I missed you, too, hon," I patted his face. "Is there a stack of fan mail a mile high?"

"You wouldn't believe what I have piled up. You have to come see it."

"Lissa will come see it later," Gavin snarled. Grant gave me a frightened look and left the dining room quietly. "Lissa, what do you have to say for yourself?" Gavin broke open a crusty roll.

"Well, I don't have much to say for myself. I didn't mean to make you suffer and I sure didn't mean to make you angry. That's always such a pleasant experience for me. I might have come back sooner, but I learned that Roff doesn't have any idea who I am. Doesn't remember me in the tiniest bit. How do you think that makes me feel, Gavin? And I still have a mate out there somewhere, I assume, whose employee thought I'd look a lot better with a stake through my heart. Have I gotten an apology over that? Has Roff? Because he stood in front of me and took that blow—for me. And somebody let that witch into my palace to begin with. Explain that to me, Gavin. Who dropped that ball? If she could get in, then anybody can just waltz right in here and do me in, or anybody else, for that matter. I was promised that those tours were foolproof. Except they weren't. Were they?" I slapped my napkin on the table. "I'm not hungry," I snapped and walked out.

* * *

"That's been building for a while," Tony said softly.

"Six months," Drake agreed.

"We failed to do our job." Gavin stood. "Where do you suppose she is, now?"

"I hope she is in her suite. I'll take food and try to get her to eat if she is." Shadow stood and went to pull Lissa's plate off the table.

"I'll come with you." Karzac rose from his seat.

"We're coming." Drake and Drew stood.

"You're not leaving me behind," Garde said.

* * *

"Lissa, we brought your food." The door to my suite opened and nearly all my mates trooped inside. I was sitting on my bed, my knees to my chest. Yes, I was sulking. I was fine, flying through the universes, but the moment I got home things went straight to hell in a hurry.