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"Let's get back to the le'meruh thing," I sighed. I might have to go back to Evensun and sort out a few murderers. Later.
"I don't know that there were any with the talent left on the Dark side," Narissa went on. "The Ra'Ak, though; they're full of stories about how some of their own will come for them and make them Ra'Ak again."
"Is she saying that the Ra'Ak took or were handed the Dark Elemaiya with le'meruh, and they were made Ra'Ak?" Kiarra had been silent, listening carefully up to that point. Now she was thinking the same thing I was thinking.
"All I know is that they disappeared. It makes sense, though, and Rabis may have known about it, but I do not know where he is, either." Narissa was looking hopefully at the table. Cleo went to get another plate of food. A glass of milk and some coffee were provided, too.
"Thank you, I haven't had coffee in a long time," Narissa sipped it, first.
"Sounds like we need to find Rabis," Kiarra muttered. I was in complete agreement. We talked for a little while longer, but my grandmother didn't know anything else of value.
"They'll kill me when I get back," Narissa whined when Griffin moved to take her.
"I know what to do with her," I sighed. Well, the Green Birth Fae owed me, so I set up fifty acres near the Green Birth settlement for my grandmother. I think everybody who'd been at Conner's came along, just to see what I intended to do. Adam put up the house and I placed a shield around it. Narissa couldn't get past a certain point, and nobody could come in past a certain point. Food and other things might be left on the perimeter for an exchange, but that was all. Narissa was in a prison of sorts, albeit a comfortable one.
"I expect you to hand over regular reports," I informed Tiearan, who now stood among us. "Make sure she has food and clothing. If she needs anything else, let me know and I'll make a decision."
"We will do this to discharge part of our debt," he agreed.
"Let me know if she mistreats anyone," I added. Tiearan nodded.
* * *
"Where should we start looking for Rabis?" Kiarra blew out a sigh. We were in my private meeting room, which we seldom used. At least it held all of us, although not everybody got a seat at the table. Even the Spawn Hunters were there this time, and Drake, Drew, Gavin and Tony were giving me looks, letting me know that they'd been left out. Well, I'd grovel in a little while. When this started, I didn't know that it was going to be anything except a conversation with Kiarra and possibly her mates. Now it was something quite different.
"Can the Saa Thalarr still use the gates?" Tony asked.
"Yeah—they were only closed to the Elemaiya and the Ra'Ak," I said. "Who else uses them besides that?"
"Just us and some of the Wizard clans," Griffin replied. "I know Glendes uses them at times—it's easier than folding to some places."
"Well, we probably need to scatter to find Rabis, then," I sighed. "There are a bazillion gates and he may be near one of them, hoping it will become useful again, someday."
"That makes sense," Griffin agreed.
You don't have time to search through all the gates, filtered into my mind. Well, there he was again, and this time he was sending mindspeech. And then the vision came, so clear I felt I could reach out and touch the leaves of the trees he was showing me.
"I have to go," I said and disappeared amid shouts from those around me.
Chapter 12
"Le-Ath Veronis is closed against us." Ringolar watched his four remaining Ra'Ak brothers closely. "We can't set foot on the planet, but it is common knowledge that the Reth Alliance Conclave will be held in less than a month. Viregruz agrees that we should go there, my brothers, and avenge ourselves."
"We can kill many birds with a single strike at that affair," Dalstone agreed. "Shall we go disguised?"
"That would be perfect," Ringolar chuckled. "They think to take us—we will show them otherwise."
"But we did not see how our brother died," Farthis argued. "We only saw the darkness when he left us. The cameras attached to his optic nerves ceased to function, suddenly."
"He was distracted and attacked from behind. That is easy enough to determine," Ringolar scoffed. "You always worry, brother."
"There is a way to harm Le-Ath Veronis, without setting foot on the planet," Levecus said. Of the brothers, he was the quietest.
"How is that?" Ringolar turned to him.
"Imagine this," Levecus began, and as he outlined the plan, Ringolar smiled.
* * *
I looked from one to the other. Rabis wasn't nearly as tall as the one who stood beside me. We'd come to a small clearing, surrounded by trees that bore knobs of fruit. At the time, I didn't bother to Look to see what kind of trees they were; I was focused on Rabis and what he might tell me. I also shoved aside what Rabis' scent told me—that could wait.
"I was hoping to meet you eventually," Rabis nodded respectfully. His hair was darker—a reddish-brown. His youthful appearance belied his age, too—he was older by far than my grandmother and looked younger. "Would you like to sit?" he asked. "The grass here is soft enough."
We sat. Rabis studied me for long moments, as if he were struggling to see past an invisible shield. The taller one sitting beside me turned away to hide a smile.
"You want to know about le'meruh," Rabis finally announced. He seemed satisfied with me somehow, as if I passed his scrutiny in some way.
"Mostly I want to know about Dark Elemaiya with the talent, who may now be turned Ra'Ak."
"Ah. The seven brothers," Rabis nodded. "And the seventh one, who is not Ra'Ak, may be the worst of the lot. He is the seventh son of a seventh son, and among the Dark half of the race, that is not a good thing."
"That's comforting news," I muttered sarcastically. I wondered, too, what in the nine levels of hell, as Gavin was so fond of saying, might be worse than a Ra'Ak.
"They are plotting against you," Rabis added.
"Tell me something I don't know," I sighed.
"Le'meruh is a terrible weapon in the wrong hands," Rabis began. "It can only be removed by the one who placed it, or by the death of the one who placed it."
My skin began to itch immediately.
* * *
"Will you give this to her?" Griffin held the small box out to Radomir. Radomir had to Look to see what it contained.
"Ah." Radomir wasn't sure he wanted to be the messenger in this instance, but was afraid it might not get to Lissa, otherwise. Radomir knew, too, that Merrill had been approached by Griffin for this errand, and Merrill had refused. A rift had occurred between Merrill and Griffin, and many among the Saa Thalarr worried that the long friendship had ended permanently.
