Belen came to stand before Griffin. "I am still passing judgment upon you," he informed Griffin. "From this time forward, you will be unable to Look into Wyatt's future. You are blinded to his life path. I do this in retribution for your treatment of Lissa and Roff. As for Toff, you must find a way to compensate him. I will be watching and waiting to make sure this is accomplished. If you have not discovered it for yourself, yet, know now that your daughter will sacrifice herself before she will sacrifice any other. But you should know that about her already. As any father should." Belen folded away.
* * *
"Lissa, where are we?" Roff hadn't ever been to the cemetery where Don's body was buried. He'd been close by—in Oklahoma City, but never here.
"This is where my first husband was buried," I said, leading him toward Don's grave. I was shocked to find not only that my name was listed on the other side of the double headstone, but a date of death as well; it corresponded to the day Griffin had taken me into the future. I learned that Winkler, Weldon and Bill Jenkins had done this. On my side, too, was an inscription—part of a quote from Theodore Roosevelt. It read, Far better is it to dare mighty things.
"My father was buried on Kifirin," Roff said, tucking his wings tightly against his body as we stared at the gravesite. After three hundred years, the stone was worn but the inscriptions could still be read.
"Would you like to go there?" I asked, turning to Roff. "Where is your father buried?"
"I took his ashes to Baetrah, when I was pregnant with Toff," Roff said softly. "He died shortly before my two-month came. I decided to visit the volcano then, leave his ashes there and ask Kifirin to take us to Le-Ath Veronis."
The two-month that Roff spoke of was the two months that every comesula was granted at the end of their pregnancy, so they wouldn't have to work before their child came. They were subsidized by the crown on Kifirin, if necessary—one of the few benefits they actually received.
"Well, let's go, then, but first let's get some flowers." We found a flower shop on Kifirin and I Pulled in a few gold coins to pay for the bouquet Roff selected. I then folded Roff to Baetrah an Hafei, the city below the volcano on Kifirin. We were joined by Kifirin as we began the long walk up the volcano's side.
"Here to ask the god for a favor?" He was smiling at me.
"Hi, honey. We're here to leave these flowers for Roff's father," I said.
"Then I will come with you," he said. We walked up a well-worn path that switched back often to make the climb easier. "Roff, did you make this climb while you were pregnant?" The path was quite steep in places.
"I did. Many pregnant comesuli came, to ask Kifirin for favors of this kind or that," Roff smiled. "Mine was granted."
"Lissa had much more to do with that than I," Kifirin said. We reached the top after a while. Baetrah was mostly dormant at the moment, with only a bit of steam and smoke coming from the center of the large caldera.
"Where would you like to drop these, Roff?" I asked, pointing to the flowers in his arms.
"In the center, there, if possible," he said.
"Of course it's possible," I told him, and turned us both to mist. We allowed the flowers to drop away beneath us once we were over the right spot, and watched as a tiny tongue of flame consumed them when they fell. Roff and I misted back to Kifirin's side after that.
"Do you have a wish, Avilepha?" Kifirin folded his arms around me.
"Nothing that can be granted," I sighed.
* * *
"You're telling me that one of those three scum is related to the royal family on Twylec?" Garde was angry and let everybody know it. Aurelius wasn't pleased; neither was Flavio, Gavin or the others. One of the three humanoids they'd captured at the casino—the ones behind the attack at New Hesperia—was a cousin to the Queen of Twylec and she demanded that he be returned to her. After being given diplomatic immunity, of course.
"We have a confession, and she's still asking for this?" Tony fumed. Gavin was stone-faced and angry. Drake and Drew were having a furious mental conversation with their father. Winkler sat at the opposite end of the conference table from Gardevik—if the High Demon went Thifilathi, Winkler didn't want to be anywhere near it. He was all for providing some sort of accident in the dungeon, but as a member of the Saa Thalarr, he couldn't be involved.
"What is the Alliance's stance on this?" Aryn had come and was now asking Thurlow for a ruling.
"It is never a good idea to damage relationships between worlds," Thurlow's words were ambiguous. "The Five-Year Conclave is approaching and we have not had the opportunity to gather allies. As the newest member of the Alliance, Le-Ath Veronis is in the minority and vulnerable."
"Fuck the Conclave," Garde growled.
"The Conclave is next month. Perhaps other arrangements may be made." Rigo had been patiently standing in a corner, listening to the debate.
"What other arrangements?" Gavin had been keeping his eye on Rigo. The vampire took his word seriously.
"It will involve some trust on your part. We will make arrangements to ship him to Twylec, with the royal blessing. And then," Rigo paused for a moment, "nature will take its course."
Garde stared at the vampire. Lissa had told him that Rigo, once Rigovarnus I, was eleven thousand years old and a King on Hraede before the turn. Now, he and five other vampires watched over the crown on Hraede, providing careful guidance and subtle interference when necessary. Hraede was stable and prosperous as a result—notoriously so.
"I am inclined to offer that trust," Gavin nodded to Rigo. Garde almost stopped in his tracks—Gavin would never trust lightly. Ever.
"Then I will go with Gavin's judgment and trust," Garde nodded.
"We trust this will not go straight to the Alliance?" Drake and Drew folded to either side of Thurlow, pointing their question at him. He was obligated, after all, to send regular reports to the Defense Minister.
"I hope I can earn your trust as well," he said. "My allegiance is with the Queen."
"Very good," Drake said. "Do not betray that trust, or place Lissa in danger."
"No fear, young Falchani," Thurlow replied with a nod.
"Do you need help?" Erland sidled up to Rigo.
"Perhaps, Warlock," Rigo smiled slightly at Erland. "I haven't failed to notice from the vid feeds that some of the enemy either disappeared recently or were found dead by an unseen hand."