"Lissy, they didn't handle this very well. If they were going to do this, they should have done it at the beginning, instead of blind-siding you with it two years later." That was Tony talking, and he was voicing my concern over the whole thing. Why wouldn't they say something right away? I didn't understand at all.
"You have a lot to discuss with your, uh, mates," Grant rolled up the map we'd spread across my desk. "Heathe and I will get to work on this project, and report back to you later." Grant and Heathe sidled out the door, which allowed someone else to walk in—someone I didn't recognize. Gavin rubbed the space between his eyebrows—his signal that this wasn't in the plans.
"There you are," the new arrival announced. "I have been waiting weeks and had assurances that I would be notified as soon as you were up and around, yet here you are, holding a meeting and I come across it by accident." His fists were on his hips in angry indignation.
I stared at him, most likely openmouthed. Nervous energy radiated off him, otherwise he might be quite pleasant. He was around five-ten or so, with medium-brown hair, green eyes and a nice nose. Actually, his nose was his nicest feature. That didn't mean I knew a single thing about him, including his name.
"I'm sorry, have we been introduced?" I asked, as politely as I could.
"No! We have not been introduced. In fact, I've been informed that your health was not sufficient for you to meet with me. Please explain the miraculous recovery."
"You expect me to explain myself to you?" I'd been leaning against my desk, but that brought me upright in a hurry. Garde was already blowing smoke and scowling at the new guy.
"Look, I really don't have time for explanations," new guy growled. "All I know is that Solar Red is disguising itself as a legitimate religion on Twylec and people are dying. Since their Queen was killed on Nemizan by those monsters, her cousin has been trying to run that world, but word is he's dying, too. That doesn't include the rumors that Satris and the former Queen accepted money to allow Solar Red to set up shop, or any number of other things that have come to my attention. And that is only the barest tip of that mountain. There are dozens of other reports, and I have to sit here, with my staff and my agents, waiting for you to get off your ass and give permission for me to do something about it." New guy wasn't mincing words. I wasn't about to mince anything, either, except for a few Solar Red, maybe.
"You say Solar Red is on Twylec?" I'd expected as much, but then I hadn't been conscious since the Conclave, except for the past two days, that is. "Come on, then." I misted to him, grabbed his arm and folded him straight to Twylec. If Kifirin hadn't given me some of his strength, I'd never have been able to do what I did.
New guy got tossed onto the floor of Solar Red's huge new temple in the capital city of Rolanthis, and then he watched while I went to mist and blew the whole thing up around him, allowing huge blocks of marble, brick, stone and other building materials to rain down on four hundred Solar Red priests. Sure, they tried to run, but the building collapsed too fast. It was such a tragedy that the murderous ass**les were all crushed to death.
When I was satisfied the priests were dead, I destroyed the floor surrounding new guy. He found himself standing on a small island of tile near the center, with the dungeons beneath the temple exposed. New guy wobbled to keep his balance as he stared into the dark depths of Solar Red's torture chambers. As usual, their victims were imprisoned there. I gathered new guy into my mist and we pulled all the victims into my mist as well, delivering them to the nearest medical facility afterward.
Doctors and other personnel were running and shouting as thirty former prisoners were dropped off in their emergency department. New guy was then folded back to Le-Ath Veronis; I landed him in the same spot where he'd stood only minutes before. I'd just used up everything that Kifirin had given me and almost dropped in the floor when I rematerialized.
"There, you stupid schmuck. I hope that's all you wanted to do today, because my energy just ran out," I breathed. I must have fainted after that, because I don't remember anything past that statement.
* * *
"If you did not represent the Alliance, I would have you locked in a cell downstairs." Gavin gripped Norian Keef's shirtfront tightly and hissed the threat in Norian's face.
"I didn't expect her to do anything like that," Norian's voice was only a whisper, but it held a reverence that even he didn't recognize.
"She doesn't have the strength to go haring about, yet," Karzac appeared, causing Norian's eyebrows to rise even further than they had already. "If Kifirin hadn't transferred some of his energy to her, she wouldn't have been able to stand upright. Yet you guilt her into going after Solar Red priests before her body is capable of doing so. You disgust me," Karzac growled.
"I didn't know how weak she was," Norian was having trouble breathing—Gavin's grip was quite strong.
Drake and Drew had Lissa—well, Drake held Lissa and Drew was trying to bring her back to consciousness while the others crowded around. Thurlow was doing his best to get to her, for some reason.
"Gavin, you'll strangle him if you don't let go." Winkler attempted to get Gavin's attention. It worked—once Norian began to turn a deep shade of blue. Norian gasped for breath and struggled to draw air into his lungs the moment Gavin released him.
"Maybe you ought to go to the kitchens and get a cup of tea, or a stiff brandy," Winkler suggested, baring his teeth and growling. The werewolf was threatening and Winkler was about to give Norian a head start before turning. Norian nodded, straightened his clothing and walked out of Lissa's study with as much dignity as he could muster.
"Let's take Lissa to her suite," Karzac ordered, and someone folded them away.
* * *
"What happened?" Roff was frightened when he saw the knot of people surrounding Lissa's bed.
"I believe she went to Twylec and blew up the Solar Red temple," Thurlow said softly. He and Rigo were still on the perimeter of the large group of males surrounding Lissa's bed. "It took all the energy she had, and she wouldn't have had that if Kifirin hadn't given it to her. She was upset earlier over the thing with the Grey House Wizards, and now this. She wasn't in any shape to do this. Not now, anyway."
"What happened with Grey House?" Roff hadn't heard.
"Nothing good—for Lissa, anyway," Rigo muttered. He thought the entire episode was cruel and thoughtless.
"Perhaps you should tell me." Roff led both of them to the hall outside Lissa's suite.