pulled away by Griffin after Devlin and some of Xenides' get had been captured at the Council's Annual Meeting. Devlin had handed information to Xenides, because he was jealous of Tony after René turned him.
"I wish you could have been at that Council meeting, love. Devlin and seven others stood before Wlodek for judgment that night. We'd learned of your death only days earlier, and many of us were half-mad with grief. This was before we were made to forget you. It was not a good time for the vampire race as a whole. Wlodek asked me if I wanted to draw out Devlin's death. Sebastian was always the one who'd done that before. I thought about it. Considered it. In the end, I did his beheading as swiftly as I'd done all the others. He did not suffer, though he deserved the suffering."
"Did he feel any remorse for causing René's death?"
"He blamed others for that and not himself," Gavin grumbled.
"What about Cecil and Nestor?"
"Nestor was killed by one of the humans who hunted us years later. While going through his and Cecil's records after their deaths, we found that they had collaborated with Saxom many times and brought wealth to themselves through his machinations. Cecil tried to kill Flavio after he took Wlodek's position. Kyler killed Cecil, I believe, when he attempted to eliminate Flavio, who was newly mated to her. Cecil had become more than wealthy through the centuries by selling weapons to terrorists. He also had his eye on the Honored One's place in the Council, and made careful plans to take it. Cecil gathered vampires sympathetic to his efforts in the attempted coup, in exchange for seats on the Council. Earth's vampires owe Kyler for eliminating that threat."
"I tried to tell Merrill there was something wrong with him," I muttered.
"And we all should have paid attention. We did not know, cara. We failed to realize that you would not say something like that unless it was important. We know better, now. Did you know that Fox foresaw what you did to the Elemaiya? Merrill told me this, not long ago after Anthony and I were given the abilities by Kiarra."
"I haven't heard that before," I mumbled and snuggled closer against Gavin.
"Fox it was who snatched the Khos'Mirai away from the Ra'Ak in the beginning, to ransom her father and brother, whom the Bright Elemaiya had kidnapped. When she brought the Khos-Mirai back to them, she learned they'd allowed her father to die while they held him and her brother captive. Fox pronounced their doom at that moment. She told them that one day the most unlikely one of all would stand before them and bring justice."
"Yeah, too bad they didn't pay attention. They just went right out and signed up with their Dark cousins. And the Ra'Ak, too."
"I know." Gavin leaned in to give me a kiss. A really good kiss.
"Honey, you've always tasted as good as you smell to me," I stroked his cheek.
"I remember the first time I kissed you—I couldn't stop myself from biting. I am sorry for the compulsion after—very sorry, cara."
"Kiss me again and we won't talk about that," I said. Gavin complied.
* * *
"Here is a list of available surrogates." Erland set a microcomputer in front of Garde. "Poradina has two friends on this list, so it wouldn't be a bad thing if they were together in this. The money would be well spent, too. I've already spoken with Poradina—she's willing to have in-vitro fertilization. I just need to track those Larentii down."
"You may stop searching; we are here and we know what you want," Connegar folded in with Reemagar. "The Wise Ones called us in and they support this decision completely. Therefore, we will willingly redesign the donor eggs with integrated DNA from Lissa. The egg will be hers in all respects when we finish."
"I think you just made my millennia," Erland smiled.
"Graegar says to choose this one," Reemagar pointed out a name on the list that Garde was staring at on the microcomputer.
"Evaline? That's one of Poradina's friends," Erland
"I wish you could have been at that Council meeting, love. Devlin and seven others stood before Wlodek for judgment that night. We'd learned of your death only days earlier, and many of us were half-mad with grief. This was before we were made to forget you. It was not a good time for the vampire race as a whole. Wlodek asked me if I wanted to draw out Devlin's death. Sebastian was always the one who'd done that before. I thought about it. Considered it. In the end, I did his beheading as swiftly as I'd done all the others. He did not suffer, though he deserved the suffering."
"Did he feel any remorse for causing René's death?"
"He blamed others for that and not himself," Gavin grumbled.
"What about Cecil and Nestor?"
"Nestor was killed by one of the humans who hunted us years later. While going through his and Cecil's records after their deaths, we found that they had collaborated with Saxom many times and brought wealth to themselves through his machinations. Cecil tried to kill Flavio after he took Wlodek's position. Kyler killed Cecil, I believe, when he attempted to eliminate Flavio, who was newly mated to her. Cecil had become more than wealthy through the centuries by selling weapons to terrorists. He also had his eye on the Honored One's place in the Council, and made careful plans to take it. Cecil gathered vampires sympathetic to his efforts in the attempted coup, in exchange for seats on the Council. Earth's vampires owe Kyler for eliminating that threat."
"I tried to tell Merrill there was something wrong with him," I muttered.
"And we all should have paid attention. We did not know, cara. We failed to realize that you would not say something like that unless it was important. We know better, now. Did you know that Fox foresaw what you did to the Elemaiya? Merrill told me this, not long ago after Anthony and I were given the abilities by Kiarra."
"I haven't heard that before," I mumbled and snuggled closer against Gavin.
"Fox it was who snatched the Khos'Mirai away from the Ra'Ak in the beginning, to ransom her father and brother, whom the Bright Elemaiya had kidnapped. When she brought the Khos-Mirai back to them, she learned they'd allowed her father to die while they held him and her brother captive. Fox pronounced their doom at that moment. She told them that one day the most unlikely one of all would stand before them and bring justice."
"Yeah, too bad they didn't pay attention. They just went right out and signed up with their Dark cousins. And the Ra'Ak, too."
"I know." Gavin leaned in to give me a kiss. A really good kiss.
"Honey, you've always tasted as good as you smell to me," I stroked his cheek.
"I remember the first time I kissed you—I couldn't stop myself from biting. I am sorry for the compulsion after—very sorry, cara."
"Kiss me again and we won't talk about that," I said. Gavin complied.
* * *
"Here is a list of available surrogates." Erland set a microcomputer in front of Garde. "Poradina has two friends on this list, so it wouldn't be a bad thing if they were together in this. The money would be well spent, too. I've already spoken with Poradina—she's willing to have in-vitro fertilization. I just need to track those Larentii down."
"You may stop searching; we are here and we know what you want," Connegar folded in with Reemagar. "The Wise Ones called us in and they support this decision completely. Therefore, we will willingly redesign the donor eggs with integrated DNA from Lissa. The egg will be hers in all respects when we finish."
"I think you just made my millennia," Erland smiled.
"Graegar says to choose this one," Reemagar pointed out a name on the list that Garde was staring at on the microcomputer.
"Evaline? That's one of Poradina's friends," Erland
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