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"Alone."
"Yes. Alone. This began with an obsession with me, so it's mine to deal with. But I need to know you're safe. Ineed that, Jaenelle. Please."
She stared at him a long time. Then she drew her hand away from his and pushed her chair back. "Very well, Prince. I'll go back to the Hall, and you do what you have to do. But once that's done, you and I will talk." She walked away from the table.
"Jaenelle." He waited until she turned to face him. "This has nothing to do with the Jewels you wear."
"If I still wore Ebony, would you ask me to go back to the Hall?"
"Yes. Because this is mine to do."
"We'll talk, Prince," she said after giving him a long, thoughtful look. Then she left the dining room.
Lucivar winced. "She's never cheerful in the morning. You know that."
"I know." He also knew that this "talk" would determine whether or not he still wore a wedding ring.
Lucivar cleared his throat. "So. When were you going to tell me that you and Jaenelle were already married?"
He suddenly felt awkward, and that surprised him. So he kept his eyes on his cup. "We just wanted to get married."
"I understand that. The celebration coming is more for everyone else than the two of you." Lucivar paused. "But if you'd asked, I would have been there."
"For Jaenelle," Daemon said.
"For Jaenelle," Lucivar agreed. "And for you."
Daemon looked up and met Lucivar s eyes…and saw things he hadn't been sure he'd ever see again. Love. Understanding. Acceptance.
And for you.Those three words healed the last of the rift between them.
"Thank you," Daemon said, his voice husky.
Lucivar reached across the table. Daemon locked hands with his brother. They didn't say anything. They didn't need to.
Finally, reluctantly, Daemon eased back. "I'd like you to take Jaenelle to the Hall. I'll ask Father to come to the Hall to free you up in case there's more than one battlefield. I don't think it will come to that, but…"
Lucivar nodded. "I'll contact Marian and ask her to come to the Hall to keep Jaenelle company." He waited a beat. "What about Surreal?"
"I'll find Surreal."
Lucivar pushed away from the table. "In that case, let's get this done."
3
Daemon waited until Lucivar and Jaenelle were on their way to the Hall before trying to contact Surreal. The staff had cleaned off the dining room table and brought him a fresh cup and another pot of coffee.
Pouring a cup, he sent a call on a Gray psychic thread, aimed toward a mind he knew well. *Surreal?*
*What?*
The surly tone relieved him enough to make him smile. *Are you all right?*
*I'm… fine.*
*Where are you?*
*Country house. Don't think it's that far away from Amdarh.*
*Are you sure you're all right? You sound breathless.*
*Damn… ax… is dull.*
Daemon raised an eyebrow. *Do I want to know what you're doing with an ax?*
*Have you had breakfast?*
*I've eaten.*
*Then you don't want to know.*
He sipped his coffee while he considered how to respond to that.
*In a few hours, I might have some information for you,* Surreal said.
*I know who's behind the rumors.*
*Well… shit.* A pause. *Guess I'll finish this anyway.*
*Do you need help?*
*Do you?*
*No.*
*Then I'll take care of my business, and you take care of yours. I'll be back in Amdarh late tonight.*
Taking a last sip of coffee, Daemon left the dining room. Since Surreal didn't need his help, he'd take care of the next errand.
4
After he and Saetan had settled in comfortable chairs in one of the Keep's smaller sitting rooms, Daemon got to the point.
"I have business to take care of in Amdarh. Until it's done, I would appreciate it if you would stay at the Hall…at least for part of the time."
"To protect Jaenelle?" Saetan asked softly.
Daemon nodded.
"What about Lucivar?"
"He'll be there. So will Kaelas and Ladvarian. But…"
"But?"
Daemon looked into his father's golden eyes. "But they aren't you."
Saetan inclined his head. "Understood."
No questions about his business, no comment about why an Arcerian cat and an Eyrien Warlord Prince wouldn't be sufficient protection. There was no need. He was, after all, his father's mirror.
"Anything else?"
Daemon hesitated. Who else could he ask? "I…There was something I wanted to say to Jaenelle… in the Old Tongue. But it didn't come out as I intended."
Saetan raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"
Daemon hesitated, then said the words.
" 'I eat cow brains'?" Saetan burst out laughing.
Since there was nothing else he could do, he sat back to wait out his father's amusement. So he waited. And waited. And waited.
Finally, he sighed. It could have been worse. There could have been witnesses. No matter what else was said about him, he didnot want to be known as the man who had reduced the High Lord of Hell to giggles.
"I'm sorry," Saetan gasped. Calling in a handkerchief, he wiped his eyes. "I can imagine the response to that."
"I'm sure you can," Daemon said dryly.
With effort, Saetan regained his composure. "So, what were you trying to say?"
Daemon took a deep breath, let it out slowly…and told him.
Great. Wonderful. He'd not only made the High Lord giggle, he'd made the man blush.
"I see." Saetan cleared his throat. "I'm… not sure thatcan be said in the Old Tongue. Let me think about it and see if I can come up with something that would let Jaenelle know she…"
"Is everything," Daemon finished quietly. "She is everything."
Saetan smiled. "Yes. She is everything."
Fourteen
1
Shivering, Lektra called in a shawl and wrapped it around herself. So cold. So terribly cold. But no one else seemed to notice except Roxie, who had retreated to her room.
Tavey was dead. Viciously murdered. Lady Zhara's Master of the Guard had come earlier that morning to tell her the body had been found…and to ask questions. Even through her shock and dismay, she'd realized the Master didn't care who had killed Tavey. After all, there was no law against murder among the Blood. No, he'd come to the town house as a courtesy…and to find out if Tavey's death foreshadowed a danger to his Queen.
She couldn't tell him what he wanted to know, and she wasn't about to tell him anything else. What could she say? She didn't actuallyknow Tavey had talked to Daemon. And why would her beautiful love kill a man who was offering him a way out of an unwanted marriage? Besides, Daemon had been trained to be a lover, not a warrior.
