bedeviled & beyond 05 - bedeviled & besmirched (17 page)

Gerch frowned, his beady black eyes almost disappearing beneath his forehead. “I am certain.” I shook my head and started toward my office. Bob and Ralph met me halfway across the foyer. Darma had been sitting in the foyer and jumped up when I arrived.

“What’s the plan?” Ralph asked.

“Can you send everything you have on the Diamon case to my information unit? I’m going to put it next to the Betty Davis files and see if I can figure out what’s going on. Today’s events seemed to tie these cases to what’s happening to me.”

At Bob’s questioning look I told him, “I’ll fill you in once I have all the files.”

Five minutes later we were standing in front of all the information we had on the two women, holographically spread out across the long wall in my office. It was like looking for a needle-thin laser beam in a light storm.

“What kind of demon did you find in Betty Davis’ home?” Ralph asked me.

“Just your typical, third circle of Hell grunt.”

“The kind the Royal Courts use for heavy labor?” Gerch glared at Bob but he didn’t back down.

“That would definitely tie the demon attack to you and Dialle,” Darma offered.

I nodded. Resting my butt on the edge of my desk, I said, “The biggest wild card we have is the Puka. What in Hades would they be doing here and what do they have to do with the Diamons and Mx. Davis?”

We all thought about that for a minute and then Gerch offered, “There’s a meeting of the Dark Council coming up. I wonder if it could have something to do with that?”

I turned to him and blinked.

Bob and Ralph blinked too.

“Holy Him!” Ralph muttered. “I’d almost forgotten about that.”

“There could definitely be a connection. Is it possible Mx. Diamon’s husband is the Puka King?”

I sneered. “Living in a sky home like an everyday Joe Martian? Doubtful.”

“Or genius,” Bob offered.

We all looked at him. “Who would think a gnarly, old human couple was special in any way? They might have been safer in that form than if they’d surrounded themselves in guards and retained their true forms.”

“If he’s the king, what does that make the female with him?” Gerch asked.

“I’m gonna take a stab in the dark here, but...queen?” Both of my eyebrows lifted in mockery of the red devil.

“There is no Puka Queen.” If he’d had an eyebrow it would have lifted. Instead his brow perked upward.

“The Puka are an all-male society, Astra.” Ralph shook his head in disgust at her ignorance. “Did you completely skip your mythology classes in school?”

Darma snorted.

I was getting pretty frunkin’ tired of that question. Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared at one and all. “Yeah, pretty much I did. So impale me on a sword. I’m an idiot.” I expelled a frustrated breath as Gerch pursed his lips and Bob and Ralph looked away, their eyes sparking with suspicious light.

“Now that we have that out of the way...” Darma said with a grin.

Gerch coughed.

I glared at my sister and she laughed.

Sensing my growing anger, Bob placed an arm across my shoulders. “They’re just teasing, Astra. Ice out.”

I took a deep breath and forced my mind back to business. “All male, huh? I guess the Puka can take female forms as well as male?”

“It would seem so,” Gerch responded.

“Does the king have a significant other?” I looked at Gerch.

He nodded. “I believe so, yes.”

Bob frowned. “Good leverage if you needed it.”

“But why take the Puka King?” Ralph asked.

We all turned to Gerch for the answer.

“The King of the Puka is set to be crowned Council Sovereign next week. As you may know, Sovereigns rule the council for one hundred years and then the next in line is crowned.”

“Who’s the next in line?”

Gerch’s beady gaze slipped away.

My stomach twisted. I was afraid I knew the answer to my own question. “Gerch?”

He crossed massive red arms over his chest, refusing to answer.

“It’s Dialle isn’t it?”

The massive soldier kept his gaze determinedly from mine, telling me everything I needed to know. I sighed, trying another tack. “What happens if the Sovereign-to-be is gacked?”

Ralph choked and Bob laughed.

“Very sensitive, Astra.” Darma shook her head.

I grinned. “Just answer the question.”

Gerch’s heavy jaw tightened. I could almost see his large, white teeth gnashing together. “The next in line takes the spot.”

“And if that person is also...gacked?” Ralph slid a laughing gaze toward me.

“That depends. Rule isn’t tied to an individual, but the individual’s court. If a king is usurped, the usurper would have a chance at becoming Sovereign.”

“Only a chance? It isn’t guaranteed.” A gray area. I hated those.

“No. The usurper would need a strong case to prove that he could hold the court he stole.”

“So the Puka could come up with a backup king?” Ralph looked confused.

“Not until they know for sure that he’s dead. And even then it’s unlikely. The Puka ascend to the throne through blood alone. The next in line for the current king is only five years old. Too young by most courts’ standards.”

“Most? I wonder who would seat a ruler younger than five?” Bob snorted.

Apparently Gerch didn’t recognize the concept of the rhetorical question. “Martians are considered adults at one year of age. Like dogs and dragons. Their leader ascends at age one and a half.”

Silence throbbed through my office for a beat as everyone digested the idea of an eighteen-month-old ruler.

“Alrighty then,” I finally said. “So we have a why, possibly a when, we need a who.” I expelled air forcefully. “And we need to figure out what killing me has to do with all of it.”

“Maybe it’s not connected.”

I glanced at Gerch. “It is. The poison proves that.”

Bob frowned. “What poison?”

I filled them in on Dialle’s poisoning and our subsequent discussion with the pain-loving witch.

“So, if the oils were taken from this witch at the Court of Dialle the Second, it would seem our culprit resides at the court. And Dialle being next in line makes it look really bad, Astra.” Ralph slid a look toward Gerch as the loyal soldier growled low in his throat.

“Stop it, Gerch. If you can’t handle the truth go back to court. I didn’t invite you here anyway.”

He glared at me but fell silent.

“Besides, I know it isn’t Dialle. If it’s someone at the court, my money’s on Milc.”

Gerch’s beady eyes widened. “You think the advocate is attempting to usurp the king?”

I shrugged. “It’s possible.” Chewing my fingernail, I thought about another possibility. I didn’t even want to mention it. The thing was already such a huge cluster frunk. But if we were going to get to the bottom of it I knew we had to look at all options. “There is one other very remote concern. At more than one of the sites we’ve visited, Slayer’s read the magic signature of someone from his past. Someone he doesn’t trust who, though he and I haven’t had time to discuss it in detail, seems to scare him. It’s possible this woman is involved somehow. When we know more about her maybe we’ll have a better idea what’s going on.”

“Does he know how to find her?” Ralph looked worried. I knew from working with him over the past couple of years that he didn’t believe in coincidence. He often said, “Coincidence is just facts that haven’t been explained yet.”

I shook my head. “I have him searching for her now. I’ll let you know what we find.”

“So where do we go now?” Gerch’s heavy brow had lowered over his beady black eyes. I knew he dreaded what I would do next.

My grin probably didn’t make him feel any better. “To speak to the Devil’s advocate.”

~SC~

We returned to Dialle’s quarters and I sent Gerch to find Milc and bring him to me. Despite Dialle’s reaction if he woke and saw him, I called Slayer. I wasn’t going to take any chances in case the advocate decided to use his questionable powers on my body again.

When he arrived, I told Slayer to blast the advocate’s face into his ass if I started to hump his leg, or looked even slightly happy.

Slayer’s grin told me I wouldn’t have any trouble on that score.

I was happy to note that Astis was no longer with Dialle. He was sleeping but his skin was a warm, natural gold again and his chest rose and fell in even breaths. My own breath came more easily as I saw that he appeared to be recovering.

Even the claw marks on his side looked as if they were starting to heal.

I reached out and skimmed a shiny lock of midnight black hair off his cheek, tucking it behind his ear.

“You love him.” Slayer sounded surprised.

I blinked away tears and swallowed a lump the size of my fist. Shaking my head in denial, I straightened away from the bed. “I care about him, yes. Love...that’s something I can’t afford. Especially with a Royal.”

“Yet you are his queen.”

I shrugged. “It’s a political arrangement, nothing more. Dialle needs a queen to keep his court healthy. I fill the spot and he helps me...with my Settling and other things.”

“Very cynical.”

My laugh was slightly more watery than I’d hoped. “Don’t tell me the big bad, dragon slayer believes in happily ever after?”

Slayer looked at me with deep sadness and maybe even a little pity. “I do, actually. Just not for me. I went that route once and it didn’t work out so well for me.” He looked so sad that I wondered if he was thinking about Crisanne, the halfling he’d told me about.

“Then you know exactly how I feel.”

He shrugged. “Before the advocate arrives, there’s something I need to tell you...”

The doors opened and Milc strode in, closely followed by Gerch.

“Hold that thought,” I told Slayer.

Milc stopped in front of me and slanted Slayer a glance. “What is this creature doing here...my queen?”

Slayer leaned against a sturdy chair and crossed well-muscled arms over his chest, sliding an arrogant gaze over Milc.

“He’s not your concern. I need to ask you a few questions.”

Milc inclined his head, fixing an intense, black gaze on me. “I’m always at your service, my queen.”

The words held so much innuendo I felt the need to clarify. “The only service I need from you is the truth.”

He inclined his head again.

“What do you know about the Puka King?”

Milc held my gaze for a moment before responding. “I know he will be crowned Council Sovereign in a few days.”

He gave no sign that he knew the king was missing. Despite that, I knew he was lying. “At the meeting of the Dark Council?”

“Yes. Surely you were aware of that also, my queen. Have your advisors not provided background on the event?”

I did a mental head slap. Oh yeah, all that crap I trashed from my information unit as soon as it hit. “Humor me. I want your perspective.”

His dark gaze flashed briefly before becoming hooded again. “As you wish.”

“Tell me what happens if the Puka King can’t be crowned.”

“That wouldn’t happen.”

“Milc!”

He expelled air. “I do not have time for fantasies. I must find the person responsible for the attacks on you and the king.”

I gave him an evil smile. “How’s that going for you?”

He frowned. “Not well. It appears that many hate you. If I were to go by that alone I would be arresting half the court.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Only half? I’m pleasantly surprised.”

“Do not be. The other half hates you too, but they wish to find your secrets before ridding the court of your stain.”

Power rose in the room in a thick wave as we glared at each other. The hairs on my arms stood up with it, and the temperature in the room rose noticeably.

“Don’t make me go to King Dialle with your subordination. Let’s try this again. Tell me what happens if the Puka King cannot be crowned.”

“As next in line, King Dialle would be crowned in his stead.”

“And if something happened to Dialle?”

Milc stared at me for a long moment. He didn’t blink. I watched him carefully and noted the exact moment he got my inference.

“Has something happened to the Puka King?”

“It’s possible. He’s disappeared.”

“And you believe King Dialle was poisoned to ensure someone else’s spot as Sovereign?”

“You tell me.”

He flung his hands up in a fit of piqué, flames dancing around him on the air. “How in Hades would I know, you imbecile? This is your fantasy, not mine.”

I pulled my power forward and Slayer did the same. The room was so drenched with power at that point I could barely breathe.

I lifted my hands, power sizzling in my palms, and my devil came up in a big way. I pictured Milc ripping into hundreds of tiny little pieces as I pounded him with my magic. A red haze slipped before my gaze and my muscles clenched in anticipation. I let the power slide, sending it to my fingertips, ready to fling. I could almost taste the pleasure of blasting him into the next room. Unfortunately for me I never got the chance. A powerful, husky voice boomed through the magic, vibrating on the air and reverberating around the room.

“Milc!”

All eyes turned to the owner of the sexy baritone. Dialle sat upright in the bed, his face dark with rage and his silky black hair lifting off his shoulders on a power induced wave. His hands were lifted, the fingers clenched in tight fists, and power snapped around them. “You will prostrate yourself before the queen and apologize. Now!”

His voice throbbed across the waves of magic, emphasized by them rather than dimmed, and rattled the very walls of the large room.

I felt its vibration in my bones. I glanced at Slayer and he nodded, shimmering away while Dialle’s attention was focused on his advocate. I’d have to get his report later.

Like a marionette on knotted string, Milc jerked downward, no doubt impelled by Dialle’s magic, and banged to the floor on his knees. His voice came to me muffled and sounded as if it were delivered through gritted teeth. “You have my heartfelt apologies, my queen.”

Dialle surged from the bed on a roar and lifted his hands, opening them to emit double streams of pure, black power from the palms.