the second building. The entire place was empty. Teeg holstered his pistol.
"Now what?" I asked.
"We make ourselves at home until they come back." Teeg was grinning. I just shook my head at him—it sounded like colossal foolishness to me.
"And what do you intend to do if we can't handle what shows up?" I had my hands placed strategically on my hips.
"I have this," he pulled the transmitter that made my skipping and mindspeech useless from an inside jacket pocket.
"How many pockets does that thing have?" I reached a hand toward him.
"Nope, you don't get to explore right now," he grinned, pulling the transmitter beyond my reach. "Let's see what they have to eat in the kitchen."
The kitchen and six bedrooms were all inside the same building—the fourth one we'd explored. All were connected through a tunnel that ran underneath. At least the inside of the compound was warm enough. Teeg said the snow outside helped insulate everything. Sunlight collector poles painted white covered the top of the compound, too. We hadn't seen those until we'd gotten very close. Everything was solar-powered. I found food in a freezer and prepared a meal. I was tiring, though, and cleaning up the kitchen afterward took the last of my strength.
"Lie down, baby." Teeg led me to a comfortable sofa in the media room. Our rogue warlocks hadn't denied themselves any comforts.
"This was Zellar's hideout, wasn't it?" I asked as I curled up on the sofa.
"We think so, yes," Teeg nodded. "Sleep for a while, Reah. I'll wake you if our residents show up." Teeg leaned in to kiss my forehead as he knelt next to the sofa. He was rubbing my belly gently as I fell asleep.
* * *
"Erland." Wylend looked up from the message he'd received to watch his best and strongest ally's face as he handed the news to him.
"My King?" Erland decided to go formal.
"Erland, I want you to look at this message I received. I can't trace it to the source—it has been blocked. Tell me what you think." Erland accepted the comp-vid from the King of Karathia.
King Wylend, greetings , the message began. I am contacting you to arrange a meeting. As you know, I am forming an alliance, which many are calling the Campiaan Alliance. It is my hope that you will consider joining. I think many things can be arranged to our mutual benefit. I am attempting to make this alliance a mirror of the Reth Alliance, but as you likely know, it will be a long road. So far, I am making slow but steady progress. Things are gradually coming in line with the placement of laws and such. I will contact you again soon to learn your feelings on this . I know you have been doing research already . The message was signed Teeg San Gerxon .
"So he knows we've been snooping," Erland handed the comp-vid back to Wylend.
"I would know," Wylend agreed. "Is there anything new on Reah or Gavril?"
"Nothing since we got word that two bodies were hauled away from that hotel—one in pieces, the other still intact. The word I got from the ASD source was that the second was still breathing when they hauled it out—it was held inside a stasis gurney."
"Then Reah may still live." Wylend set the comp-vid aside.
"Gardevik seems to think his son would know if she'd died—his Thifilathi would be grieving if she had. So far, Tory's Thifilathi is fine."
"Then I might wish for such a barometer," Wylend sighed. "Did I make a mistake waiting? Erland, tell me I was not the greatest fool you've ever seen."
"My King, you are not a fool. Reah herself saw the sense in this, I think. How many potential captors might have gone looking for her before this, if they learned you were mated? This was wisest, Wylend. She has nothing to give them now. Not where you're concerned."
"What are they doing to her—if they have her?" Wylend's eyes watered.
"My King, we will find her and she will be whole." Erland went to hold Wylend's head against his chest.
* * *
"Mom, what did Kifirin say to you? About Gavril?" Tory couldn't stand it any
"Now what?" I asked.
"We make ourselves at home until they come back." Teeg was grinning. I just shook my head at him—it sounded like colossal foolishness to me.
"And what do you intend to do if we can't handle what shows up?" I had my hands placed strategically on my hips.
"I have this," he pulled the transmitter that made my skipping and mindspeech useless from an inside jacket pocket.
"How many pockets does that thing have?" I reached a hand toward him.
"Nope, you don't get to explore right now," he grinned, pulling the transmitter beyond my reach. "Let's see what they have to eat in the kitchen."
The kitchen and six bedrooms were all inside the same building—the fourth one we'd explored. All were connected through a tunnel that ran underneath. At least the inside of the compound was warm enough. Teeg said the snow outside helped insulate everything. Sunlight collector poles painted white covered the top of the compound, too. We hadn't seen those until we'd gotten very close. Everything was solar-powered. I found food in a freezer and prepared a meal. I was tiring, though, and cleaning up the kitchen afterward took the last of my strength.
"Lie down, baby." Teeg led me to a comfortable sofa in the media room. Our rogue warlocks hadn't denied themselves any comforts.
"This was Zellar's hideout, wasn't it?" I asked as I curled up on the sofa.
"We think so, yes," Teeg nodded. "Sleep for a while, Reah. I'll wake you if our residents show up." Teeg leaned in to kiss my forehead as he knelt next to the sofa. He was rubbing my belly gently as I fell asleep.
* * *
"Erland." Wylend looked up from the message he'd received to watch his best and strongest ally's face as he handed the news to him.
"My King?" Erland decided to go formal.
"Erland, I want you to look at this message I received. I can't trace it to the source—it has been blocked. Tell me what you think." Erland accepted the comp-vid from the King of Karathia.
King Wylend, greetings , the message began. I am contacting you to arrange a meeting. As you know, I am forming an alliance, which many are calling the Campiaan Alliance. It is my hope that you will consider joining. I think many things can be arranged to our mutual benefit. I am attempting to make this alliance a mirror of the Reth Alliance, but as you likely know, it will be a long road. So far, I am making slow but steady progress. Things are gradually coming in line with the placement of laws and such. I will contact you again soon to learn your feelings on this . I know you have been doing research already . The message was signed Teeg San Gerxon .
"So he knows we've been snooping," Erland handed the comp-vid back to Wylend.
"I would know," Wylend agreed. "Is there anything new on Reah or Gavril?"
"Nothing since we got word that two bodies were hauled away from that hotel—one in pieces, the other still intact. The word I got from the ASD source was that the second was still breathing when they hauled it out—it was held inside a stasis gurney."
"Then Reah may still live." Wylend set the comp-vid aside.
"Gardevik seems to think his son would know if she'd died—his Thifilathi would be grieving if she had. So far, Tory's Thifilathi is fine."
"Then I might wish for such a barometer," Wylend sighed. "Did I make a mistake waiting? Erland, tell me I was not the greatest fool you've ever seen."
"My King, you are not a fool. Reah herself saw the sense in this, I think. How many potential captors might have gone looking for her before this, if they learned you were mated? This was wisest, Wylend. She has nothing to give them now. Not where you're concerned."
"What are they doing to her—if they have her?" Wylend's eyes watered.
"My King, we will find her and she will be whole." Erland went to hold Wylend's head against his chest.
* * *
"Mom, what did Kifirin say to you? About Gavril?" Tory couldn't stand it any
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