Awakening the Demon's Queen (22 page)

“
My brother is king. He does
what he wants, where he wants.” Ren shrugged the threatening stares
off. “He said bring his woman to her brother. I assume one of you
is he?”

Cormac pulled Kindara to stand behind him.
She didn’t resist, just continued to stare at the place she’d last
seen the demon. “I am her brother. Why is the demon not with her?
Where is young Bronwen? Belnus? What has happened to Aureliana? I
suggest you explain yourself, demon. Or you will soon feel my
sword.”

Cormac’s hand clutched the hilt of the black
jewel encrusted sword that marked him as being of the ancient band
of demon hunters.

Renakletos obviously recognized what the
sword symbolized. “Were it not for my brother’s words against it, I
would be running you through with that sword, Predatoi. But my
brother and king ordered me to ensure Lady Kindara’s safety. I will
gladly do that with my life.”

Aureliana sighed from her perch in the
warrior demon’s arms. “Enough of this. No one is going to kill
anyone here. Aod, Cormac, the demon king’s castle was under attack.
Little Cerridwen here is the king’s current heir. The giant here is
her father and the demon king’s brother. In case you all have not
figured it out.”

“
And Bronwen?” Theo asked
from his position next to Kindara. He was stroking her hair, the
gesture meant to soothe. The seer knew what she felt, Kindara
understood that. “Where is my sister?”

“
She has been taken by the
Lothicano Warrior King. My brother will be negotiating to get her
back. Belnus is still in my brother’s castle. I am afraid I cannot
say for certain his condition, though he was well last I saw
him.”

“
So if your brother’s castle
is under attack how can he successfully retrieve my sister?” Theo
asked, though Kindara suspected he knew exactly where and how
Bronwen was. He did not seem as upset as Kindara had expected,
meaning he’d probably had a vision of his sister. She found that
oddly reassuring. Now if he could just assure her that the demon
was safe…

“
Rathan is king. High king.
He will not fail.” Renakletos tightened his arms when Aureliana
squirmed from obvious impatience.

Kindara looked at Auri’s oldest brother.
Aodhan studied the warrior demon, his expression one of wariness
and suspicion. But he did not seem poised to attack. But if the
demon continued to hold Auri, Kindara knew that would not last.

“
Can we please take this
inside? I need to sit down. It has been a long few days. We will
explain everything.”

****

Kindara’s face burned into his mind. She had
not wanted to leave him and that--more than anything--gave him a
sense of triumph. His woman wanted him.

But that was not important now. He had to
isolate the traitor amongst his people. Nothing, no one, threatened
Rathan’s family.

He strode down the crumbling hallway with
clear purpose.

Rolfun, head guard of Rathan’s men, met him
inside the great hall. “Sire, it’s the Lothicano Warrior King, here
demanding the return of his twin.”

“
I will speak with him.
There will be no war between warriors and demons today.” The
warrior king would return Danae and young Bronwen, and Rathan would
not declare war. It was as simple as that. “Send out a ‘party’ to
meet him. Tell him I will speak with him in the great hall in two
hours. In the meantime, I want to speak with Agmendias. It is high
time he reaffirmed his loyalty. Or faced the consequences of his
actions. I have no time to waste on these trivial matters.
Go.”

***

Kindara ignored the conversation around her.
Auri was settled on the settee despite her brother’s protest that
she be taken to her rooms and examined. Auri had countered with the
fact that the top healer of the people was the one responsible for
sewing her up—and it wouldn’t get any better than that. All of her
arguments were made from the big warrior demon’s hold.

Kindara kept quiet, her mind consumed with
worry for the damned demon. His brother seemed remarkably
unconcerned, but hadn’t the demon said he didn’t trust his
brother?

So why had he sent him with her?

Cormac echoed her questions. “Why did the
demon Rathan not return with you?”

“
He has matters of state to
address. He sent me to guard his female and spawn.”

Kindara focused on his words and jerked her
attention toward her brother. Had he caught what Renakletos had
said?

His darkening face told her he had.
“Kindara?”

“
We will talk in my suite,
brother.”

This was not something open for public
discussion. The babe…the babe was the most important part of her
world now. It had to be. And she was not sorry for his
existence.

“
We will.”

The king’s eyes showed the
smallest hint of surprise. In four hundred years of ruling,
Dhar
Rydere had seen many
things. She doubted this babe made that much of an impact on him.
Dhar Rydere patted her shoulder. “Kinney, what of Bronwen?
Belnus?”

“
Belnus was slightly injured
upon arrival in Relaklonos. But he was recovering nicely. When the
demon’s castle was attacked, he was too far away to return with
us.”

“
So is there significant
threat to his life?” Rydere asked the warrior demon.

“
No. The attack was mild and
more a political statement than anything. They attacked our oldest
wing of the castle that we were needing refurbished anyway. As a
face saving measure.”

“
So why the big hurry to
return Kindara and Aureliana that you would leave without
Belnus—the guard we assigned to go with Kindara?” Aodhan settled at
his sister’s side, one hand on her shoulder to hold her still. “Do
not mess with us.”

“
Because my first blood duty
is to protect my brother’s female and his heirs. Currently, my
daughter Cerridwen is the heir presumptive. The spawn’s birth will
change that. They both must be kept safe. Even though the attack
was presumed to be mild and insignificant, my brother felt it more
prudent to remove his female and heirs from the castle until the
threat is neutralized. And until the traitor in my brother’s court
has been eliminated. My brother will return for his female when the
time is right.”

“
And when will that be?”
Cormac asked. “I have much to discuss with this demon
king.”

“
No, brother. You do not.
Rathan will be coming for me and the babe.” Kindara paused as all
eyes turned toward her. Auri’s alone were supportive and
reassuring. “And when he does, you will not interfere. And…and…I
will be going with him.”

Chapter
Twenty-Five

She bled to be with him. Ached for him nearly
as much as she had in the days after Iavius. Only the knowledge
that Rathan still lived lessened her pain.

Three weeks. She had heard nothing from him
in three weeks. She’d kept herself busy with the medical tomes
she’d managed to bring through the portal with her, but she’d read
the six texts completely. Now she needed him. She’d tried telling
herself it was so that she could return to Relaklonos and finish
her research.

But that was just a lie. She missed the
arrogant demonic idiot. Missed the feel of his touch, the light in
his eyes when he looked at her. The tenderness on his face when he
spoke of their babe.

Their babe had passed his first month in her
womb and Barlaam had assured her the babe—and it was definitely a
boy—was strong and growing beautifully.

He and Jierra were her solace. Her daughter
was thrilled with the babe within her mother, though she made
little mention of the babes she herself carried.

But damn him and the goddess herself, Kindara
wanted the demon there to reassure her the babe was well, to hold
her when the November chill froze Kindara to the very marrow of her
being, to be…her mate.

They were not Rajnis; Kindara had no doubts
that Iavius was the mate the goddess had picked for her many, many
centuries ago, but she knew she needed the demon now. Wanted him
and would do what she had to in order to be with him.

She stood, setting the medical book she’d
been reading aside. She’d find her brother and the demon’s and
inform them of her plans. She’d been away from the demon long
enough and that ended today.

Cormac sat curled up in the king’s recreation
room, his Rajni asleep in his lap. Josey still suffered bouts of
weakness that were near debilitating; Cormac stayed near her to
ensure all her needs were immediately met. Yet Kindara knew that
the ties between the two were still strained. She ached for her
brother, and Josey, too.

Cormac looked up when Kindara closed the door
behind her. “Kinney.”

“
Cormac. I need to speak
with you and the warrior demon Renakletos.”

Cormac sat his mate gently on the sofa
cushion then stood. His face was darker than usual as he looked at
her. “This is about that demon of yours, is it not?”

“
Stop reading my mind. You
know I hate it when you do that.”

Cormac had inherited that gift from their
great-great-grandfather and he used it whenever it suited him. They
had had many arguments through the years about him feeling the urge
to take a walk through her mind whenever he wanted. But it had
saved her life thirty years ago; he’d found her then through the
agonized screams she’d felt within her mind after Iavius’s death.
Cormac had tracked her and the only other survivor with his
gifts.

She had resented him for so long; a part of
her had hated him for not letting her die there beside Iavius and
his young sister. That resentment had colored their relationship
for these last thirty years.

It was time that ended. Had he not found her
when he did she would not have had the joy of raising her daughter,
or have the hope for the future she had now.

“
I love you, big brother.”
Kindara wrapped her arms around him, snuggled her face into his
chest. “But…”

“
But you have to do this.”
He finished for her, and for once she didn’t challenge him for
walking through her thoughts. “I don’t have to like it.”

“
But you have to accept it.”
Kindara pulled back and looked into the dark eyes so like their
father’s had been. “I love him, and I love the babe. I will not
lose them.”

“
I will see to it that you
don’t.” Cormac’s vow was fierce, and Kindara saw the remembered
pain on his face.

He had cared for Iavius, too. Had grieved for
the babe she’d lost. Though two hundred years existed between their
ages, they had always been close. They had no other siblings and
their parents had been gone three hundred years.

Kindara and he were incredibly close; she
knew he loved her. That love would have him accepting the
demon.

Now she just had to get back to her damned
demon.

Chapter
Twenty-Six

“
Mama?”

Jierra had not called her that in twenty
years, and Kindara’s heart hurt at the need for reassurance buried
in her child’s one word. Kindara set the jacket she held aside and
faced the girl standing in her doorway. “Baby?”

“
You’re really going?”
Jierra stepped into the room and pulled the door closed behind her.
Kindara watched her daughter for a moment as the girl pushed some
of the clothing spread over Kindara’s bed aside and sank down onto
the foot. “Going back to him?”

“
Yes. I’m going. I belong
with him now.” And though she held great resolve and belief in what
she was about to do, she did not want to leave her daughter without
the girl understanding that she would be just a simple portal
away.

“
Do you think you’ll be
happy with him? Even though it’s different than anything from
before?”

Was it about Rathan Jierra was asking, or
about the damned wolf that still prowled the halls of the resort?
“Ji...Have you talked to him?”

Jierra’s shoulders tightened and she wrapped
her arms around her stomach. “No. And I’m not going to. He’s
arrogant and rude and I hate him.”

“
I’m sorry, baby. I don’t
know how the goddess could do that to you. You deserve a mate who
loves you for the special person that you are. Maybe...maybe
someday he’ll see that.”

Jierra lowered her eyes. “I doubt it. I just
want him to go away.”

“
He’s not. Not with two of
his sisters right here. Not with them--goddess help us--bringing a
branch of Taniss Industries here to Dardano. You will have to see
him. And what of the babes? Has he mentioned anything about
them?”

Fear flashed into Ji’s eyes. A panic that
Kindara had seen there before. Kindara barely heard Ji’s whispered
reply. “Yes.”

“
What did he say?” When her
daughter refused to look up at her, Kindara tilted Ji’s chin up
until their eyes met. “Ji?”

“
That...that if I didn’t do
what he wanted, he’d take the babes and raise them himself.”
Jierra’s hands still covered the spot where those babes rested. “At
his house. I’d never get to see them. He’s not taking my
babes!”

Kindara closed her eyes as the fury filled
her. Her grandbabes would not be raised among a herd of Tanisses.
Or Lupoiux, for that matter. “He’s a fool if he thinks any of our
people will allow him to do that. What did he want you to do?”

“
Go with him back there. To
live in a house on his grandfather’s property. Not even his house.
He doesn’t want me. He doesn’t really want the babes. He just
thinks we belong to him.”