I thought that leaning on Norian might give Lendill ideas, so I didn't. We walked seven blocks to a restaurant and I got something similar to roast chicken in a gravy sauce. The food was good and Lendill ate what I couldn't finish. I was nearly too tired to change into my PJs and brush my teeth when we got back, but I managed. I left my body behind the minute the light was out and stayed energy for almost four hours before returning. I wasn't the least surprised to find Norian's lion snake draped over and around my torso the following morning.
* * *
"Look, I'm not sure what the others would think if they found you in my bed like this," I muttered, stroking his large, triangular head carefully. Norian opened a slitted eye and stared pitifully at me, as if he were afraid I'd chase him off or something. In the Reth Alliance, there are three varieties of snakes that can blink their eyes. Lion snakes are one of those varieties. Norian continued to blink at me, and I didn't know whether he was trying to wake up or convince me to let him lie there a few minutes longer. "Don't turn those sad, snake eyes on me," I lifted the part of him that was weighing me down and set it aside. "Come on," I patted his gray and black patterned scales, "don't we have work to do?"
Norian plopped onto the floor and crawled toward his cubicle, reappearing a few minutes later in humanoid form, dressed and ready to go. "Where would the vampires be, if they were in the city?" he asked as we left headquarters behind.
"They could be anywhere, as long as they were convinced they were safe and away from sunlight," I said. "We used to stay in hotels; we just had to make sure the staff wouldn't disturb us during the day. We'd stop breathing once we went into the rejuvenating sleep, and we had to make certain we wouldn't be in danger of exposure to sunlight."
Norian had his communicator out quickly, talking to someone just as fast and asking if any hotel guests had requested they not be disturbed during the short, Darthinian days. We had a list of six hotels in very little time and were on our way to the nearest one in five minutes. Norian also had agents on their way to other hotels, vampire cuffs in hand. Together, we hauled in eight unconscious vampires and ten humans. Norian wanted them all taken to an underground facility, so that's where we ended up. When night fell, I sent mindspeech to Gavin and he, Tony, Aryn and Rigo all showed up to question rogues.
The vampires didn't want to talk, but none of them were stronger or older than Rigo and Aryn. They were talking as soon as compulsion was laid and Norian had Lendill and several others recording all of it.
* * *
"This is the contract your deceased son-in-law signed with us," Kenderlin, monarch of Cloudsong pushed a copy of the contract across the table toward Marid. "As you well know, when the safety of a Cloudsong monarch is concerned, if there is evidence of treachery or treason on the part of the wizard's family, then the head of the family must offer his life in exchange, if the death of the ruling monarch or his heir occurs as a result of the treason. We require your life, Marid of Belancour. You signed this contract with us, as did your son-in-law, before he came to protect Brandelin. We have evidence that Findal, your daughter's husband, threw in his lot with Black Mist in order to kill my son and secure the throne for the opposition."
"Under normal circumstances, if your evidence holds up in court, you might have required my life. But since you are no longer in possession of all the facts, then your ignorance may be excused," Marid pushed the contract back toward Kenderlin. "My daughter was recently taken to wed by Shadow Grey of Grey House, and all debts were signed over to them as part of the marriage contract. Glendes Grey is now considered the head of the family in question. Feel free to present your claim for the life of the head of household to Glendes Grey himself."
"Is this the truth?" King Kenderlin's Prime Minister and his legal counselor both stared at Marid.
"Oh, yes. I can provide a copy of the marriage contract for you quickly, should you desire to pursue the matter."
"Was Grey House made aware that something of this nature might be presented to them?" Kenderlin thought to ask. Grey House was extremely powerful and they might not have been made aware of the circumstances.
"I was not even aware myself, so how could they be?" Marid huffed indignantly. "You will be forced to provide unquestionable evidence, before Grey House will submit to any demands."
"Send a copy of the marriage contract immediately," Kenderlin's legal counsel, an ancient and graying stork of a man, demanded. Marid nodded and stood, prepared to leave immediately.
"We cannot demand Glendes' life—Grey House had no part of this," Kenderlin's Prime Minister hissed as soon as Marid was out of hearing range.
"But we can demand payment, and that payment will be substantial," a slow smile spread across legal counsel's face.
* * *
"This was just delivered by courier." Cleo dropped the box in front of her father, Glendes of Grey House. "It's addressed to you and Shadow, from Kenderlin of Cloudsong."
"What is it? Some of Findal's effects after the attack?" Glendes was busy putting the monthly accounts together at his desk and barely spared a glance at the package.
"That might be the logical thing to assume, but I don't think that's it, Daddy. I have a feeling you should open this right away."
"Are you going to stand there until I do?" Glendes looked up at the youngest of his twin daughters.
"I think I should, Daddy. Kyler said to."
"The same Kyler who refused to come to the last family dinner?"
"That's the one," Cleo nodded.
"Fine," Glendes grumbled and reached for the package.
* * *
"It's probably the sire-child bond—nobody can get past that," Tony attempted to explain to Norian why the information regarding the bombs and who'd ordered them set wasn't coming. I watched Norian from my seat next to Rigo. He'd settled beside me after his bout of questioning vampires was over and now held my hand in his, refusing to let go.
"Tiessa, you should have brought me with you; I can help with this," Rigo told me softly as Norian asked other questions that Tony was doing his best to answer.
"I know, honey," I replied, squeezing his fingers. All we'd gotten from the captured vampires was that the bombs were scheduled to be detonated in two days. I had no idea what the leader or leaders of Black Mist intended to do when their bombs didn't explode according to schedule. Alliance bomb squads had been dispatched to Tykl to disarm what I'd dropped off there.