The Trouble with Demons (47 page)

I raised my tankard in salute. “Noticed that many times.”

“And before Talon enrolled in the college, Tamnais Nathrach dropped by my office for a talk. Likewise, a grown man—a very well-grown man. And since they’re both big boys, they don’t need anyone to protect them from their choices—especially the woman it seems they’ve set their sights on.”

“No one’s set their sights on me.”

“I study demons, Raine. But deep down, I’m a hunter. I recognize my own kind. Mychael and Tamnais are hunters to their core.” She smiled slowly. “From what you tell me, and from what I’ve heard on my own, they’ve deemed you worthy of pursuit.” Her dark eyes twinkled. “Girl, you’d better watch your back. Though you might have more fun if you didn’t.”

“Sora, I’m trouble to
my
core. I don’t want them to die because of me.”

“Because you love them, or at least that’s the direction you’re heading. If you won’t say it, I will.”

“I don’t know what I—”

“Yes, you do. You’re just too stubborn—or afraid—to admit it yet.”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to; we both knew what that answer would be.

“Your not wanting them to die because of you won’t change how they feel,” she said. “The only thing you have to decide is what you’re going to do about it. Personally, when a class twelve demon finally catches me with no spells, no trap, and no hope in hell, I don’t want to have any regrets. How about you?”

I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees, letting my tankard dangle loosely from my hand, and stared down at the deck. As paladin, Mychael faced death every day. As a former member of the Mal’Salin family, Tam knew that death was hot on his heels right now. Both of them lived their lives like that, and they enjoyed living. I knew for a fact that Tam didn’t let anything get in the way of his having a good time. Yes, knowing me could get them both killed; it could get us all killed. But if they could live like that, so could I.

I raised my head—slowly this time—and grinned up at Sora. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”

Sora shrugged. “It happens from time to time. Though I can’t blame you for tying one on; you’ve literally been to Hell and back.”

I sat up straight and looked out over the harbor. The sun was lower in the sky. It’d be setting in about an hour; it looked as if it was going to be a beauty, and I was going to be sitting right here to enjoy it.

“I can’t let what might or might not happen keep me from living my life,” I said. “And I have no right whatsoever to tell anyone else how to live theirs—or how to feel. I won’t let Carnades and men like him ruin however long any of us have left.” I looked down in my mug; it was about half full. I set down beside me. “I’m done. I need what wits I’ve got left intact.” I sighed and grimaced. “I’ve got some thinking to do, but first I’ve got a rock to destroy.”

“Beautiful women getting drunk,” Phaelan said from behind me. “Mind if I join you?”

“Pull up another keg, Captain,” Sora told him. “This one’s about empty.”

“Is my cousin regaling you with stories about her exploits with the demon queen?”

Sora stretched her legs out, crossing them at the ankles. “I haven’t heard that one.”

I shot Phaelan an exasperated look. “Because there’s nothing to tell.”

“Nothing to tell? It was the best part of the whole day. Well, next to what I got to do.” He lowered his voice and grinned slowly. “But that’s highly classified information.” He winked at Sora. “Mine was more satisfying, but what Raine did trumped it for sheer entertainment value.”

I snorted. “For you.”

“Let’s let the professor decide. Raine started a catfight with the demon queen,” Phaelan said gleefully.

Soras’s brown eyes went wide. “A
what
?” Then she started to laugh. “Please tell me he’s kidding.”

“Afraid not.”

Phaelan chortled. “Two beautiful women, one of them naked, both rolling around on the ground. What’s not to enjoy?”

“That was insane,” Sora told me, incredulous.

I shrugged. “I know; but sometimes insanity works.”

“You won?”

“Not really.”

“You’re here; she’s not.”

“Uh, that was Tam’s doing.” I made a slashing motion across my throat. “With one of the Guardians’ green demon blades.”

“That’d certainly do it. But
you
attacked
her
?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“With her bare hands,” Phaelan chimed in.

“Hey, I had a reason. I had to get the Scythe.”

Sora’s brow furrowed. “I don’t think I’ve read or heard of anyone attacking the queen of demons before.”

“She did seem kind of surprised,” I admitted.

Phaelan draped an arm around my shoulders. “When word of this gets around, do you have any idea how this is going to enhance the family reputation? The one who isn’t even in the family business kicked the demon queen’s shapely ass.”

I raised a brow. “Shapely?”

It was Phaelan’s turn to shrug. “Call ’em as I see ’em. And thanks to you, I got to see everything.” His grin turned seven times wicked. “And with all that rolling around, I got to see everything at least twice. I’ve never been more proud to call you my cousin.”

I felt a presence brush my skin like fingertips. I stood, Phaelan’s voice fading into the background. I knew he was there before I could see him. I walked over to the railing and looked down at the dock.

Tam was standing alone, no dark mage hit squad, just him. His cloak blew back to reveal leathers and at least one blade at his hip. I was sure there were more. No battle braid contained his hair. It was down and blowing in the evening breeze. Sora was right; I had some damned fine taste in men.

Phaelan stepped up behind me.

“Permission to come on board, Captain Benares?” Tam asked formally.

Phaelan blew his breath out through his nose. He wasn’t going to like it, but he was going to do it—for me. “Permission and welcome,” he called out.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

He smiled faintly. “Who am I to judge?”

Sora nodded in greeting to Tam and then went to join Vegard and Arlyn. Tam sat on the bench next to me. I leaned back against the mainmast.

Tam glanced down at the keg. “You’ve been drinking.”

“Extensively.”

“May I ask why?”

“You can’t guess?”

Tam didn’t say a word as his dark eyes gazed out over the harbor. “Piaras’s ceremony went well?” That was one thing you could always count on with a goblin—when a topic wasn’t to their liking, they’d change it.

“It was perfect,” I told him.

“I’m glad; he deserves it. I would have liked to have been there, but . . .”

“The three of us together in a room full of Conclave mages isn’t the best idea right now,” I finished for him.

I didn’t need to say out loud who was the third one of “us.” Heck, with our umi’atsu bond, Tam and I didn’t have to talk out loud at all. But to use the bond would be to acknowledge it. Until we could do something about breaking that bond, denial was working just fine for me.

“People could see us here,” Tam said.

“I don’t give a damn who sees us.”

“You might tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll deal with it—and with them—tomorrow.
You
came here alone,” I said accusingly. “Anyone could have seen you, or worse.” I stopped and cringed. Way to go Raine. The demons probably ate his dark mage school buddies; he doesn’t have any guards anymore, and you just—

“Four of them are recovering at Sirens,” Tam said, plucking my thoughts like grapes. “The rest stayed there to protect them and Talon.” His face was set like stone. “If anyone had attacked me on my way here, they would have paid dearly for the privilege.”

I didn’t doubt that.

“Raine,” Tam said quietly. “Dark magic will always be a part of who I am.”

“I know. Even if I could pound the Saghred into dust right now, what it’s given me will always be with me, too.”

We sat for a while without speaking, in an awkward yet companionable silence. The
Fortune
rocked gently beneath us as the tide came in.

Tam shifted slightly and laid his hand on the mast’s smooth wood. “Remember the last time we were here together?”

Like I could have forgotten. Now there was a good-bye a woman could remember. When I’d left Mermeia, and Tam had stayed, he’d come down to the
Fortune
to see me off. Tam’s idea of saying good-bye had been slamming me against the mainmast and kissing me passionately enough to curl my toes.

“I didn’t want you to forget me,” he said.

“No chance of that, with or without that kiss.”

More than a kiss joined us now.

Tam’s voice was a bare whisper. “Raine, if there was no Saghred, no umi’atsu bond, no Carnades or anyone like him . . . would there be any chance for the two of us, knowing what I am, what I’ve done?”

“Tam, I don’t know everything you’ve done, only what you’ve told me. And I’m getting the impression that it’s just the tip of a very big iceberg.”

“If you knew, you might not want to see me again.”

One corner of my lips curled in a tiny smile. “Don’t be too sure. I’m a Benares. Our standards of proper behavior are a little different from everyone else’s.” I pushed at my mug with the toe of my boot. “You’ve changed since then.” I didn’t look at him, but kept my eyes on the ale sloshing in the mug. “And you’re doing the best you can to stay that way, and you’re confronting your past as it comes at you. You have to be strong to do that, and brave. I admire you for both.”

Tam laughed once, without humor. “Neither one has been easy.” He paused. “And my best might not be good enough.”

I nodded. “Especially with me around.”

“You have always been a delectable temptation.” Tam’s voice caressed the words like dark silk.

A delicious shiver ran down my spine. Tam was no spellsinger, but his voice could do all kinds of things that had nothing to do with magic and everything to do with seduction. And attraction. Don’t forget attraction, Raine. Like a moth to a flame.

“And the Saghred’s power makes me that much more desirable,” I said bluntly.

“Raine, I don’t want the Saghred. I want you.”

There it was.

“For the foreseeable future, we’re a package deal,” I said, my throat tight. “Wanting me will get you killed; the Saghred will get you damned. You can’t have one without the other.”

“Then I’ll take both.” His voice had a raw edge. It wasn’t Tam’s black magic talking; it was all Tam. I could almost feel his need, his desire to take what he wanted and damn the consequences.

Tam’s hand was between us, and I reached down and took it. With our bond, I could feel the blood surging through his veins, quickening at my touch. Tam wanted to touch me; he wanted to take me in his arms and make it all go away.

I didn’t look at him. “Mychael’s asked A’Zahra Nuru for help.”

“I know. I suggested it.” He sat in silence, until the tension was as thick as the mast at our backs. “Raine, I want to share an umi’atsu bond with you, but not if it would harm you. With the Saghred connecting us, it would do more than harm, it could destroy you. I won’t risk that.”

I looked up sharply. “You’re going to risk separating us?” And risk losing your magic and your life. I didn’t have to say it; we both knew it.

Tam nodded once. “It has to be done.”

“Maybe that’s a risk we don’t have to take.”

He looked at me. “What do you mean?”

I told him my plans for finding a way to destroy the Saghred.

“Those are long odds, Raine.”

“I’ve seen worse. You’re a gambling man. How about it?”

“The rock has the best cards,” he countered, but I could see a trace of a smile and a peek of fang.

I met his smile and raised him a grin. “Then we’ll cheat.”

Tam squeezed my hand. “Then deal me in. But we’d better play our hand quick. There are new players coming to the table.” He took a deep breath, slowly let it out, and didn’t say anything for a couple of heartbeats. That didn’t bode well. “Imala Kalis is on the island,” he said quietly.

“Who—”

“She’s the chief of goblin intelligence.” Tam hesitated. “She was in the Assembly after we’d closed the Hellgate.”

“The one you saw?”

Tam nodded.

And the one he’d lied about.

“How much trouble will she be?” I asked.

“Possibly more than we can handle.”

“I take it that you know her.”

“I do.”

Tam didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t really want to know how well Tam knew her. He had been the goblin queen’s magical enforcer; Imala Kalis was the chief of goblin intelligence. I imagine they’d worked together. Very closely together.

My ale and my stomach suddenly didn’t agree with each other. “Okay, so the chief of goblin intelligence saw what we did. What will she do about it?”

“Nothing, for now. Imala doesn’t believe in wasting good information. She will wait until revealing it is the most advantageous for her.”

“What a sweetheart. Has she contacted you?”

“Not yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”

I thought of Markus Sevelien telling Carnades to sit tight. Markus horded information like a miser horded gold. But unlike a miser, Markus didn’t keep what he horded; he used it. And like Imala Kalis, he used it when it would have maximum effect.

“I have a source in the goblin embassy,” Tam said. “I received one report, but I haven’t heard from him since.”

He calmly stated it as fact, not what it probably was—his source was dead or worse.

“I’ve heard that Rudra Muralin is in the embassy,” I said.

“He is.”

I scowled in frustration. “Muralin kidnapped Carnades when he was the acting archmagus and we
still
can’t touch him. Diplomatic immunity sucks.”

“And to go in after him would be an act of war.”