Out Of The Darkness (26 page)

The goddess words continued to play in her head over and over, as the day stretched on.

Every Kind had its evil.

Was that evil coming for her?

Maybe the trip to Thrun would distract her from waiting for him to return. It would be at least a few days, hadn’t he said that?

Thrun was more beautiful then she
’d expected, mostly white stone with black accents. Plants were everywhere—most that she couldn’t identify.

There was even a capitol building, where whoever oversaw the city could live. It was three times as large as any of the holdings of her family, and was at least half the size of the Dardanos hotel. The furnishings were overly large for the Rhacshas, making them just the right size for her and the other women with her. Once the building was cleaned and sanitized properly, those who led and guided the new Relaklonos Dardaptoans would live very comfortably.

Aureliana and her demon
Rajni
stayed close to Cass at all times. Aureliana joked with her and hovered over her. But Cass didn’t mind; something about Mallory’s sister-in-law felt right to her.

Eaudne hovered over Cass, too. Even at Thrun. Strange, but it was nice.
Reminded her of Claudette, even. Their housekeeper had pampered Cass sometimes, too. Was Eaudne looking at Cass and seeing Rajna? Like she had obviously looked at Nalik and saw Kilan?

The seventh hour after Nalik had left, Cass was feeling quiet comfortable in the capitol building of Thrun. Enough that she was making her way through the main quarters of what had once been the palatial suite of the
Rhaschas minor king, according to Rathan, who was wondering around the building with Kindara somewhere. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but it was where she’d ended up.

Once she entered the room with its white marble-like floor and walls, speckled with black jewels, with its bathroom with white marble tub and large green plants vining along trellises she knew that this was where Nalik and she would live when in this city. It was absolutely beautiful.

There was a side door that led to a private, enclosed garden. It was perfect.

She heard someone behind her and she turned to see Eaudne and Aureliana. They were smiling softly.

Eaudne held out her hands and Cass took them. “We found it yesterday, child. We took one look and new that this was where you and your male would be happy.”

“We do not know that Nalik will want to live in Thrun. Or whether the people will follow him as you seem to think.” She gave lip service to the precautions, but she knew in her heart that what they said was going to happen. It was just a matter of time. Yet it was becoming a fact for everyone so quickly. Did it always work that way with
Rajni
s? “Someone else may end up living here, and we stay at the castle—”

The palace shook around them. Cass screamed, a little. Eaudne pulled on her hand and they both followed Aureliana out of the room and down the hall toward the main staircase. She could hear Ren, Aureliana
’s demon husband, bellowing Aureliana’s name. He was close, then. He flashed to their side, appearing out of nowhere. She’d seen Rathan do that a time or two. This time she was glad to see the man, even if he was completely purple. He grabbed Aureliana and pulled her to him. “Earthquake.”

Cass remembered the last earthquake she
’d been in. It was not something she ever wanted to repeat. “Do they happen around here often?”

“Only when someone with powerful magic is screwing with things that he ought not be. Come, we are returning to the castle. I will not have you out here and vulnerable,” the big demon said, ushering them all outside where nothing could fall on them.

Cass fully agreed.

“Keep the human between us. She is the one most vulnerable.” The demon had his sword drawn. Was he planning to fight an earthquake with a sword nearly as big as Cass?

What was she thinking? She couldn’t live in the world of demons. She couldn’t. There was no way she would ever understand this place, or be able to ever live by his side. Especially if he was supposed to become the leader of more than four hundred thousand people. That was just insane!

“Why is he so nervous of an earthquake?”

“Apparently it’s forbidden to use such strong powers in this area because of the faulty geology. It could cause much of the structure to collapse. It’s been banned for millennia.” Aureliana was calmer than Cass could ever hope to be. “That someone is using magic in this area cannot be good.”

“You don
’t think they’re aiming at the castle, do you? Are the others safe?”

“They are well,” Eaudne said, as she began emanating a bright yellow light. “Whoever is doing this is seeking one specific target.”

“Who?”

“You, baby, you.” Eaudne encased her in the light. Aureliana pressed close on the other side, a blue glow surrounding her. “They want you. And we will ensure that they do not get you.”

“Why would they want
me
?”

“Probably because of that outfit you wear. You will always be a target, Cass. You must remember that.” Aureliana wrapped her arm around Cass
’s shoulder, her other hand gripping her sword. The demon was in front of Aureliana, ready to defend them all. “I can take you out of here, Cass, and leave the sorcerer or whatever it is to Eaudne and Ren. Will you come with me?”

Cass nodded.

The glow turned a bright green. Aureliana stepped into it, pulling on Cass’s hand.

Cass followed.

Chapter 4
8

Nalik’s first meeting with his father-in-law went about as how he’d expected it to go. The man studied him and Nalik knew he was found lacking. Aodhan and the Lupoiux Taniss alpha arrived with the two eldest Taniss brothers fifteen minutes after Nalik and Rydere met in the remains of the gardens.

One look at Cassandra
’s father told Nalik that the man had been informed of Nalik’s claim upon his youngest child.

“You are far too old for Cass. She
’s…”

“Stronger than she looks. There
’s an inner strength about your daughter that I shall not ever underestimate. But it runs parallel to a vulnerability that weakens me every time I see it. I shall take care of her, and I shall ensure she is happy.”

“Nothing I say will make much difference in this, will it?” Rydere had told Nalik that Taniss
’s oldest son knew exactly what Rydere was—what all of the occupants of the hotel were. Or had been. It had been a chance that Nalik wasn’t so sure he’d have taken himself, but it had worked out well for Rydere and Taniss. They had a mutual respect between them that Nalik had to say he admired. But could he blame the other man for not thinking Nalik was as worthy as Rydere? Truth was, that he
wasn’t.
“You believe your goddess gave you my daughter and that is it.”

“No; that isn
’t just it. If Cassandra wishes it,
she
can refuse me. I will not go far away from her side, for her own protection, but I will not force a relationship on her. It would kill me to do so, but I will see her happy, no matter what.”

“She needs plants. Quiet. Flowers.”

“She is Druid. She’ll have what she needs. No matter where we are, she will have her plants. I will see to it.”

“I did not know what my father did to her. I was stupid.  I never knew what he was doing. I know that cannot erase what was done to your people, but know that if we had known, my brothers and I would have stopped him.”

Nalik had to respect how the other man looked him straight in the eye and didn’t make excuses for what had occurred. “We will not speak of it again. It was your father, not you. Not your daughter, either.”

“She
’s my baby.” Confusion and grief were in Taniss’s words now. “I do not want to lose her just yet. But I have not had her for over a year now. I know that in my head. But in my heart, she’s the little girl who begged me for a flower when she was three. I can’t stop seeing that.”

“Come with us.” Nalik wanted that for her in that moment so strongly he was half tempted to just take the man, consenting or not. “Live with your daughters. Know that they are happy and well taken care of. Loved. Now is the time for new beginnings. One can be there for you, as well.”

Taniss stared at him for the longest moment. “My housekeeper is retiring. Returning to Oregon to be with her children and grandchildren. She wanted me to go with her. To continue our relationship out there.”

“And?” Rydere asked. It was the first he
’d said since Nalik had started speaking. “Are you?”

“I chose not to. There are things she
does not know about me.” Grief was in the other man’s eyes now, and it puzzled Nalik. “I am not human. Not anymore. I am not aging; not that I can tell. I do not know what I am.”

“Why didn
’t you say something, Mitchell? I could have had Barlaam help you.” Rydere clapped a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“And admit that my father did something to
me,
when I was a full grown adult? A man in my thirties? And say what? I have been searching for answers for a year now, ever since I found out that he’d done things to the girls. To Mitch and Royce and some of my other nephews. Ever since I realized that old bastard had fathered
on average
two children per year for the last forty? I have siblings out there, some probably still in diapers, who he has mutated for his own sick purposes. I need to find them. I can’t go with you permanently until all of those kids are found.  My bother Randall searches, as well.”

“But you can go for a little while,” Nalik said, putting a hand on his father-in-law
’s opposite shoulder. “Build your life with your daughters in whatever worlds they end up in. I can help you search for your siblings from the demon world. Come, be with
your
children when they need you most and bring these innocent victims of your father to a world where they can be safe. We will offer them haven, safety. And even family.”

The man
’s eyes narrowed. “Why do the girls need me so badly now?  What is going on?”

“War. It comes for us all. And to keep them safe we are keeping them out of
this
world.”

Taniss finally agreed to accompany them; Aodhan
’s father-in-law agreed as well. Two of his three daughters were in the demon realm—and one of his grandchildren. He and his two brothers stepped outside the ruined hotel to make some phone calls.

Rydere led the men toward the center of the main hall. It had been engraved with Dardaptoan symbols centuries ago, and those symbols—though ash covered and scorched—still remained. And held power; power that most knew nothing about.

Only the
dhar
and the
Equan
of each House knew what lay beneath each of the eleven markings. Each House was represented under a design, plus the one for the dhar and all of their tribe. It was under these markings that the true relics of each House rested.

Nalik wasn
’t entirely certain why they were there—or why the Taniss males were close enough to walk in on what they were doing at any moment. This was the very heart of the city, of the tribe. Of who they were; and it should be kept as private as it had been for the last four hundred years. What was Rydere thinking?

“I spoke with Theo and Cormac before we came.” Rydere dusted a pile of ash off the circle that symbolized his family crest. In the center was carved a stylized sun with sword. It could only be opened with the key that Rydere carried, plus two of the ten others. Ten keys possessed by the ten
Equan.
“We feel that taking these back to whatever worlds we end up in will best preserve our people.”

“And the rest?” There were six others who needed a say in this, though those six were not considered part of Rydere
’s ruling council. Nalik wasn’t even certain he still was. “What say they?”

“They have given us leave to act in their stead.” Rydere pulled the stone door of the city
’s main crypt back. Inside was a small pouch filled with a perfect sphere, more fragile than glass, yet more durable than any stone on Gaia. And it burned—the eyes and hands would feel the sting of touching it for days.

It was a part of what the goddess had used to fashion the eighteen tribes of Dardaptoans. The Dardanos was just one of those tribes. To this day it stood as the largest, though it was the youngest.

The whole idea of seeing that ball of energy had Nalik edgy. Every Dardaptoan soul originated with a portion of that energy. Touching it was not something to be taken lightly. “What are you doing?”

“Kennera has asked that each
dhar
return these to her for safe keeping. I thought now should be the time ours was retrieved.” Rydere slipped the bag into his tunic and secured it against his chest. “Aodhan is my strongest warrior; Nalik, my oldest and closest friend, though we have lost a portion of that these last three decades. Two men I trust with everything I have. Even Theo and Cormac know not that this was what I needed to retrieve today.”