Out Of The Darkness (18 page)

He felt the tension that hit the girl
’s
Rajni
. So Rydere still did not trust him, then? Damn him. The girl was thanking him profusely.

He
’d never seen her this way, and from the surprise on several of the
dhar’s
family—and hers—they hadn’t either. He set her aside from him and bowed. “It was no trouble. Now, your
Rajni
awaits.”

Women and tears made him damned uncomfortable.

Rydere just pissed him off. Cassandra was wiping her own eyes, and the sight of her tears had him feeling weak and useless, though he knew they were happy tears.

Rydere held out his hand in the traditional warrior greeting of their people. Nalik took it in the same spirit that it was offered. He looked at the leader of their tribe and nodded. They
would
hash it out later, he was going to make sure of it. “
Dhar
Rydere.”

“
Equan
Black. My family’s thanks are greatly with you for your service to our Cass.”

“It was
my
honor.”

Ritual words had always set ill on his tongue. But this time, he meant it. And had to bite his words back from adding on that it was his right to protect her.

She wouldn’t be ready for that, though he most definitely was.

Jushua stepped through the crowd; Nalik could sense the other male behind
him. The goddess and Wolf were moving behind Rydere, as well.

Nalik tensed. He knew it would fall to him to make the appropriate introductions, and he did not wish to even speak to the goddess.

She disgusted him too much.

Rydere stepped back, and the goddess stepped forward, coming to stand next to Rydere
’s small
Rajni
. The goddess had one of her twin babes strapped to her chest in much the same manner as Theo’s female. This babe was a bit older than the Sebastos, and watched the world from black eyes like its father’s.

Seeing yet another babe made him wonder…

He shook that thought from his mind—they would not be having babes until he knew it was safe for her to do so.

And until these wars that were approaching were ended. He would not have babes only to lose them or her to war or the goddess
’s curse.

He bowed to the goddess, as was expected of him, but stopped short of the full reverent position. When he stood, her gaze was on him, on the scar that dissected his cheek, and filled with
an emotion he struggled to identify quickly. Horror. Pain. Sadness. All were there.

But no regret, no shame. None of what he felt
should
be there.

Cassandra stepped up to
his
side. He was finally able to breathe again, just having her there.

“
Equan
Black, I am glad to see you and Cassandra are unharmed.”

“It was but a few days of uncertainty,
daharana
. But it brought with it unexpected benefit in the form of new allies for our people. For the Demonkin and Lupoiux, as well.” He held out a hand toward Jushua and Eaudne, expecting them to make the same bow of greeting.

Instead they were both frozen, staring at the goddess with shock written all over them.

The goddess was staring in return, her arms wrapped tightly over the babe she carried. Her Wolf stood behind her, their other offspring in his arms.

“Mama?”

The goddess’s whispered question had everyone around them close enough to hear—mostly Rydere’s relations and the Demon King—falling silent and stepping back a few steps. They formed a barrier around the goddess.

Eaudne held out a hand. “Kennera…”

“Mama!” The goddess started to rush forward, but the Wolf grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back against his chest. The goddess fought his hold. “Mama! Eiophon! Let me go!”

“No. You know not if this is true.” Her mate was firm and his grip had to be bruising. But if what he suddenly suspected was true, Nalik could understand the Wolf
’s position. “Questions first.”

Jushua pulled his mother back, placed his body between hers and the goddess. “Who are you?”

“Who are you? Where did you come from?” The Wolf passed the babe in his arms off to the
dhar’s
female. He moved to challenged Jushua’s stance.

There was silence for a moment. Nalik studied both the goddess and the Evelanedeans. They were all blond, though Eaudne
’s hair was much darker. Eaudne and Kennera were of similar height and build. The eyes on all were the same—Dardaptoan eyes, of course.

They could be related based on physical characteristics, but
all
Dardaptoans were similar in build and height; very rarely were there major differences, except for Dardaptoans who had other Kinds mixed in their ancestry.

The way the Wolf and Jushua were measuring each other did not sit well for the negotiations and Nalik wondered at what each thought.

Rydere and the demon king were standing back, not interfering. The tension continued to grow until Nalik could sense it becoming too great in intensity.

Someone would have to act soon.

He stepped between the two equally large men. They were all three of a height and build. And though the other two were far older, and once far more powerful, he knew that thanks to Taniss’s frankensteining,
he
was now just as strong.

“Think you both have questions of each other. I am sure there is a room of privacy for such discussion.” He looked
at Kindara’s demon. “King Rathan, would we be trouble of you if we requested such?”

The Wolf turned his attention to Nalik. “Speak you now for everyone, Dardaptoan Black?” The emphasis on Dardaptoan had Nalik believing the Wolf god sensed the changes in Nalik and was intrigued.

He would have questions for Nalik later, no doubt.

Rathan nodded. “We have a small conference room. You will not be disturbed.”

“Very well, then. Mother…” Jushua nodded toward the demon king.

“Oh, very well. I think this is beyond compare with foolishness. I know what mine own heart is telling me. Stubbornness of all males, aside.” Eaudne tilted her head in Nalik
’s direction. She held out her arm to him, surprising him. “Come, dear Nalik, for talks of these sort will need a man of logic to mediate.”

He wanted to back away, but how could he? He had placed himself in the path of those around him, and now they
looked to him as a person of import. It would be foolishness to step back now.

Chapter 34

Cass watched Nalik lead the small group of people into an adjoining room, before turning toward her sister. The room begin to buzz around them, speculation heard from every direction. Not all of it was good, or even flattering to Nalik.

That had her teeth gritting, and her holding on to her temper with a thread. Aureliana stepped up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. The larger woman leaned down and whispered in Cass
’s ear. “Nalik is far stronger than even he knows. This is part of what he was made to do. Do not worry for him so. Let’s take your sister and the babes out of the main hall while we wait for Nalik and the others to return.”

“They all fear him so, and are so horrible. It
’s not fair to him—it has to hurt him.”

Aureliana wrapped her arm around Cass
’s shoulders, surprising her. She hadn’t spent much time with Mallory’s sister-in-law; definitely not enough for Aureliana to know what Cass was thinking. “It does hurt him, but he will end up ok.”

How could anyone? “He
’s so…”

“Intense? That
’s always been Nalik. Come, we’ll go with your sister and take these babes in the sitting room; Ren’s sister is there with her young babe, and Rathan and Kinney’s. Mine is getting fussy.”

Cass had barely noticed the baby Aureliana carried. She and Rathan
’s brother had adopted the baby a few months ago. He was beautiful—all the babies were beautiful. Except…this one and Rathan’s both had tiny horns on the top of their heads. Aureliana smiled, and held out the bundle. “You can hold him, if you wish. He loves being right in the middle of everything.”

Cass took him; she didn
’t know what else to do, and getting out of this hall with all these people, some of them downright hateful and nasty, was definitely appealing. She followed Aureliana, aware of Emily walking on the woman’s other side.

Where was Rydere? He hadn
’t left with Nalik—that group had just contained Jushua, Eaudne, the goddess and her husband.

Rathan
’s wife waited inside the sitting room, nursing their son. Rathan’s sister and Theo’s were in there, as well. Aureliana settled on the couch, and Cass took the empty rocker.

“What did we miss?” Rathan
’s sister Danae asked. She didn’t seem all that concerned.

“Lots of drama. Apparently, the visitors Cass here brought back from Evelanedea are related to the goddess of our people. And the Wolf god isn
’t very happy about it.” Aureliana laughed. “And poor Nalik is caught right in the middle of it.”

Kindara laughed softly. “I bet he hated that. Nalik is not a diplomat. Any more than my brother is.”

“But Jushua trusts him, and likes him.” Cass felt compelled to point out. Why did she feel so defensive on Nalik’s behalf? Was it because of what he’d tried to do, claiming her? Did a part of her think he was right?

Was
she
destined to be his mate? Whether she wanted to or not? How could her life go that way without her being at least
willing
to make those choices? She would probably never understand it.

Bronwen, Theo
’s younger sister, looked up at Cass. She couldn’t see her, though; Bronwen was almost completely blind, like Theo. “Theo thinks it was an evolutionary thing, like how the Lupoiux need to claim their mates quickly. Apparently Dardaptoans were just stronger when they were mated pairs.”

“Did I say it out loud?” Surely she hadn
’t?

“You didn
’t need to. I can sometimes pick up random thoughts. I’m sorry, that was rude of me.”

“So you know what Nalik thinks?”

Kindara burped her small baby, then looked at Cass. “What exactly does Nalik think about what?”

Cass tried to study the other woman without staring.
This
was Nalik’s sister-in-law. She was with him when he was hurt. She was his family, yet had Cass ever seen them interacting at all? She didn’t think so. “He…”

Aureliana took her baby out of Cass
’s arms. “You can tell us, Cass. We can probably help you. And those of us here care for Nalik, quite a lot. He’s my cousin and was once one of my closest friends. He also had a hand in raising Bronie. And we all care about you.”

“Cass?” It was Em. Cass had actually forgotten her sister was there, too. “What happened between you and Nalik Black? Did he do something that upset you?”

“He thinks he and I are supposed to be together.”

“He
what
?” Em sounded horrified, and that had Cass’s defenses rising. Did her sister even know Nalik?

But then again, did Cass?

“If he thinks it, it’s probably true,” Bronwen said. “Though
he’s
made it a year without saying something before. That’s remarkable.”

“Is it?” Aureliana asked, staring at the blind woman. “Somehow I don
’t believe it is. I made it nine months without getting with my demon. It was hard, and it hurt, but I had good reason. Perhaps Nalik thinks he did, as well?”

“But if you were his
Rajni
and he waited this long, why would he say something
now
?” Her sister sounded hopeful now. Cass forced herself not to be irritated with Emily, although it was difficult. “Maybe he doesn’t mean it and he’s just trying to cause trouble.”

Cass spun on her sister. “Why would he do that?”

Em took a step back, surprise on her face. “I don’t trust him, Cass. And neither does Rydere. Someone in the tribe betrayed Rydere, remember?”

“And he thinks it was Nalik. But it wasn
’t. I know it wasn’t.” And she did. She had no doubt he meant what he’d said. “It wasn’t
him.
”

“Are you sure he
’s not tricking you somehow?”

“Nalik wouldn
’t do that.” It was Kindara who spoke, surprising Cass. “Nalik has a sense of honor and loyalty that runs so incredibly deep. And honesty. He’s probably one of the best men I’ve known. I have not agreed with Cormac when he supposed that it was Nalik, even though I can see where the evidence would point to him. And he lost so much thirty years ago—more than anyone else—that a lot of our people wonder why he
hasn’t
blamed Rydere.”