Awakening the Demon's Queen (10 page)

“
Dhar
Rydere, Aodhan, and their Rajnis, as well as four guards and
Barlaam. Just in case he was needed.”

“
He should be with Josey.
You should be with Josey.”

“
Josey and her cousin are
well guarded with Theo. And she is doing well. You know I wouldn’t
have left her otherwise.”

Before anything else could be said the rest
of the Dardaptoan party arrived, and Rathan was thrilled to see
Rand’s twin and his oldest cousin both looking healthy and alive.
Mallory walked beside a tall male with hair the color of chestnut
and a menacing air about him that said he’d seen much in his
centuries of living. He was larger than the average Dardaptoan and
probably topped out near six foot ten. His possessive attitude was
clear for all the males to see.

The Dardaptoan
king—or
Dhar
—was
only slightly shorter and towered over the tiny Emily. She was the
smallest of all the Taniss’s Rathan had met and barely passed five
feet, though Rathan knew she possessed a will of iron. The king
kept one hand around her waist as he led her toward the
house.

Rand ignored the Dardaptoans as he approached
his sister and pulled her close before doing the same to Emily.
Rathan knew the wolf was closer to those two females than his other
relatives as they were all the same age.

A feminine squeal from behind Rathan had him
jerking around to see Jade rushing out the door. She didn’t stop
until she’d thrown her arms around Mallory and Emily. “I thought
you were dead! Where’s my sister, where’s Mickey? Tell me what
happened, tell me!”

Rathan saw his female’s brother staring at
the young girl in confusion. Kindara explained who the girl was and
the man nodded. This one was mated to Josey; Rathan couldn’t quite
see it. Then he remembered what else Kindara had said. This
Dardaptoan read minds. He and Rand must be careful having this one
around.

“
Kindara, you and your
daughter need to go inside. It is cold out here.” Rathan kept his
tone commanding, letting the brother know that he was a male of
importance who had a right to order his sister around.

His female stiffened, shot him a look of
Dardaptoan orange fury. “I’ll wait until my brother and my king
tell me what I should or shouldn’t do. I’m not your concern
anymore. Or ever again.”

Rathan took a step closer and bent down to
whisper in her ear. “You know that isn’t true; do you really want
me to get into what concern you are in front of all these people
right now? You know I have no objection to stating my claim
publicly. Is that how you want it?” He trailed a finger over the
skin just below her ear. She shivered.

“
I want you to drop dead,
then rot in hell.” She whispered the words after turning her head
to look at him.

“
I can’t oblige on that one,
pet. How would I take care of you and the...” He lowered his words
meaningfully. “You must face it. You need me now.”

“
I don’t ever need someone
like you. Once I’m out of here, I’m going to forget you even
exist.”

“
Good thing for me that you
won’t be leaving, isn’t it?”

****

Rathan didn’t know what he expected the
negotiations to be like, but they weren’t like anything he’d
imagined. Mallory and Jade brought everyone sandwiches and tea
while Emily settled beside Kindara and they got involved in a long
discussion about Kindara’s research.

It was more about socializing than returning
missing women to their families. At least for the women. The
Dardaptoan king, Kindara’s brother, and Mallory’s Rajni and another
male accompanied Rand and Rathan into the dining room, where they
sat in stony silence for several long moments.

Mistrust was a heavy cloud above them all.
The silence continued until Rathan jumped from his chair and began
pacing. “Are we to sit here all day, then? While they are having
happy hour?”

“
What do you suggest then,
demon?” the brother asked, his eyes hard and cold as they followed
Rathan’s movements. Did he think Rathan was afraid of him? Rathan
would be happy to prove otherwise, if needed.

“
Are we in agreement that
the situations have changed since our initial actions were taken?
On both sides?”

“
How have things changed for
Kindara and Ji?” The brother’s tone darkened, but Rathan didn’t
miss the worry in the man’s eyes. He loved his sister and niece and
that had some of Rathan’s own hostility reducing. Still, this man
was the one she said would take her from him. That made him the
biggest threat to Rathan’s future. “Kindara and her daughter can
tell you, if they choose. I was speaking mostly of Emily and her
cousins.”

“
Emily is perfectly happy to
remain with me.” The Dardaptoan king was an imposing man, but he
did little to threaten Rathan. The king of Demonkin had been around
much longer. “What is your stake in this again, demon?”

“
I am tied to the Taniss
family through oaths. Other than that...I am Rathan Malickus, King
of Demonkin. Rand has my backing and my people’s support for
whatever he may need.” Including a war, though Rathan hoped it
would not come to that. A war with his female’s people would not
help in his political plans.

“
I see,” the Dardaptoan king
said. “So what we need to discuss is how we are going to resolve
things so that our mates are settled and happy, while still
addressing the wrongs that have been committed.”

“
What wrongs?” Rand’s words
were almost a growl. “You took part of my family, we took some of
yours.”

The Dardaptoan king sat back with a cold
smile on his face. “I’m talking about your grandfather. We want
him.”

“
No.” Rand stood and paced
in front of the large table. “We’re not turning over a
eighty-year-old man to be tortured by your people.”

Chapter Eleven

Kindara paced around the small sitting room
where Emily had lead them earlier. “What is there to negotiate? We
go home. You two choose to go or stay. Pretty simple, right?”

“
With the men in my family,
especially Rand, it’s never that simple. Rydere wants my
grandfather.” Emily slid a mug of tea into Kindara’s hands. “I
don’t know if Rand will agree.”

“
Do you agree?” Kindara
asked the smaller woman. She and Emily had grown closer as Kindara
would check on the wounds inflicted to the king after the Lupoiux
attack. They understood each other, and as Emily made greater
inroads in taking over the duties that had been Kindara’s as the
highest ranking female, Kindara suspected they’d become much
closer.

“
I say tie him up with a bow
and hand him over for what he’s done.” Mallory ran a hand over
Jierra’s shoulder. “Never did like the old bastard.”

“
I agree with you there,”
Emily said. “But I’m sure Rand will want something of equal value
for his side, our side, their side. Dammit—who’s side am I supposed
to be on again?”

“
Good question.” Mallory
looked over her shoulder toward the room the men occupied. “Anybody
else think this is totally ridiculous and archaic, and that if
anyone needs to be negotiating our future it’s us?”

“
Exactly my thoughts.” Emily
smiled a grim smile. “I say we storm the battlements and demand
what we want. Who would know better? Kinney, you in?”

“
Of course.” Finally, it was
action. “But I will warn you, I’ve never seen a group of more
hardheaded male idiots in four hundred years.”

“
Then it’s time they were
brought down a bit.” Mallory led the way.

****

The door opened and three determined women
entered, stopping the argument in progress.

Rathan’s attention jerked toward his female
as she stood between the two Taniss women. It wasn’t hard to see
the determination on their pretty faces.

The three Dardaptoan males and their king
stood, bowing respectfully, first toward Emily then Kindara and
Mallory. The king took his queen’s hand and pulled her to his side
of the table. The Dardaptoan on the king’s left immediately moved
to let Emily have his seat.

“
We’ve decided that we have
just as much at stake in this joke as you...gentlemen.” Mallory
took a seat beside the giant Dardaptoan, smirking at him. Rathan
hid a smile, knowing Rand’s fiery twin probably gave the male quite
a bit of trouble. “So, what’s been decided?”

“
Mal—” Rand
started.

“
Can it. You’re on my list
right now.” Mallory shot a glare at her brother. “Kidnapping
women?
Really
,
Rand? Ji was probably terrified. How could you do that?”

“
Now’s not the time,” the
giant Dardaptoan took Mallory’s hand and pulled it to his mouth. He
brushed a kiss across her palm. She quieted, and that surprised
Rathan. Mallory was as fiery as her hair most days.

Emily drummed her fingers against the table
after her mate assisted her to her seat. “Here’s what we were
thinking. The new facility for Taniss Industries...instead of
Aspen, we want it in Dardano. Mallory will oversee it, along with
Uncle Jason, if he’s willing. I want to expand the laboratory and
research sections. The Dardaptoan people need medications and that
will take research. I would like Kindara to help with that—if she’s
willing.”

Kindara nodded. “Of course. In any way I
can.”

“
Wonderful.” Emily smiled.
“Josey is already making plans. She has a list of personnel she
wants to bring from Denver.”

“
Human?” The king’s
reluctance was clear for all to hear.

“
Those that we can trust,”
Emily said. “No more than four, but they are our top people.
Including Dr. Macgregor—Josey’s partner. Anna will help
immensely.”

“
You’re staying with them?”
Rand asked, his eyes on his sister.

Mallory and Emily both nodded. “Yes, it’s
where we belong now.”

“
I see.” The wolf stood and
began pacing again. “So everything’s settled then? You’re just
leaving with them?”

“
Yes.” Emily’s voice was
firm. “And Kindara and her daughter. This petty ‘kidnapping the
women for revenge’ stops with us. As for Grandfather...”

Rand released a growl before speaking that
had the Dardaptoan males shifting protectively in front of the
three females. “First we want proof of what he is accused of. He’s
eighty years old! I’m not just turning him over, no matter how much
we all despise the old bastard.”

Kindara pushed her chair
back, a hiss escaping as she stared at the wolf. “You want to see
proof of what that monster did? Let’s start with these...” She held
up her wrists for everyone to see the scars. She spun, pulling the
borrowed tee shirt up to her shoulders, revealing the stripes
across her back that thirty years hadn’t faded. Thirty decades
probably wouldn’t fade them—at least from Rathan’s memory. “Or
maybe these will convince you? Or the videos
Dhar
Rydere has of that bastard and Al
Boltier torturing my sister-in-law until she bled to death? She
was
seventeen
years
old. Or those of my Rajni as he died watching me being tortured by
your grandfather? He held us for three weeks before my brother and
Aodhan found us. Found me because I was the only one left! It’s all
there, every last minute of it. I’m sure we can arrange for your
viewing pleasure. We won’t even mention the videos of what he did
to Jierra, when she was only a babe!”

Her voice wobbled but her posture was
determined as she turned back to face the wolf. “Do you think we’ve
fabricated this?”

Mallory stood and wrapped an arm around the
smaller woman before Rathan could move. Rathan could easily see how
she trembled. “Rand is just being stubborn, Kinney. He’s not seen
the pictures that Emily and I have.” She shot a glare at her twin.
“He’s not seen the things Grandfather has done. But he will trust
that Emily and I have seen enough to be one hundred ten percent
convinced that turning him over to be dealt with is the right thing
to do.”

Rathan looked at his friend. The wolf stood,
pale and shocked as he stared at Kindara. The room went quiet,
until Rand nodded. “He’s at the Fort Collins’ home. I want a
promise that he won’t be tortured or killed. I’ll send some of my
people to collect him.”

“
We are a civilized race.”
The king nodded as he spoke. “Our justice system far exceeds the
human one. As much as we despise the bastard, we won’t be putting
him to death. But he’s killed over a thousand of our people. Our
people demand and deserve justice...Kindara more than
most.”

Rathan stood and approached his female, hands
reaching to pull her to him and away from Mallory. She shuddered
against him, then surprised him by burrowing her face into his
chest. Did she even realize it was he who held her? Rathan didn’t
know, nor did he care. He pulled her into his lap as he sank back
to his chair, whispering soothing words of comfort and ignoring
those around them.

His eyes met the brother’s, not surprised to
see a challenge and anger in the man’s expression. Rathan smirked.
The Dardaptoan would learn soon enough that he was now the male
responsible for Kindara.

“
So it’s decided then? No
more kidnapping, or plots of revenge against either our family or
against Rydere’s people?” Emily pulled everyone’s attention away
from Kindara. She focused on Rand. “This is what we—Mal, Josey,
Mickey, and I—want. But we don’t want to lose our family, either.
And this fight, it’s not between anyone but Grandfather and the
people he’s wronged. We’ll be leaving in the morning for Dardano.
You’re welcome to visit with us. Explain to my father and everyone
else that we are fine, and where to find us.”