"I'm getting all this down, Aunt Lissa," Kyler was off in the corner, acting as my chief of staff. She was recording the entire meeting on a handheld computer device. "And we're already being swamped with requests from Alliance vampires who wish to relocate here."
"I know it's not good for the environment, but can I get hard copies on all those requests?" I sat up taller in my chair so I could see my niece in the corner.
"I'll have them ready for you tomorrow," Kyler grinned. My nieces weren't gorgeous or anything.
"The Wolf contingent wants in on this." Weldon, Martin and Mack all appeared. Wlodek scooted over so Weldon could take a seat. Flavio moved things around so Martin and Mack could sit down. If anybody else showed up, I wasn't sure where we could put them. Of course, others showed up. Lynx, Will and Russell appeared as if they'd been called.
"All right, if there's more mindspeech to send out, do it now, so we'll know how many chairs to bring in," I said. I went to the door this time, motioning for Roff to remain seated. The room was extremely crowded now—even Glendes Grey, Eldest of Grey House, had come with Shadow, and I think every one of the Saa Thalarr were there, with their healers and Spawn Hunters.
Karzac and Grace had come together. I made sure a comfortable seat was brought for Grace. She wasn't showing yet, but she was pregnant. Conner had arrived with Lynx, Russell and Will. Griffin and Amara had also squeezed in and sat next to Erland and Wylend. This was going to be the multicultural venture to end all multicultural ventures and I still had my doubts over the whole thing.
* * *
"I am wiped." I let my head fall onto the tabletop when the room cleared out. Everybody had an assignment. Karzac, Joey, Franklin, Shane and Jeff had all volunteered to get the health facilities completed and coordinated—there would have to be some on the light side, too, if the plans went through. The usual application had to be sent to the Reth Alliance, just to get their approval on all of it.
"Lissa, we came to stay for a few days; I hope you don't mind." Frank sat on the chair next to mine.
"Frankie, didn't your dad pass my message along?" I sat up and looked at him.
"He said something about your naming a suite after me or something." He winked at me.
"You lunatic," I swatted at him. "I'll have your name on the door, spelled out in Tiralian crystal if you'll stay as much as you can."
"Then we will. I hear the food's decent, even for a vampire planet."
"Oh, crap—we forgot about that," I slapped my forehead. "Gamblers like to eat almost as much as they like to gamble. We have to import chefs."
"Don't worry about it—we can put out the word when the time comes. I think you'll have more applications than you can possibly imagine." Frank put an arm around me.
"Thanks, Frank," I sighed.
* * *
"Lissa?" I was getting dressed when I heard his voice. Well, it was time, I guess.
"What, hon?" I walked out of my bathroom and found Karzac and Grace inside my suite. "Are you all right, Grace?" I asked, first thing. "That meeting was long—do you need to lie down or anything?" She looked fine, her honey-blonde hair was swept back from her face and she was dressed in jeans and a silk print blouse. As I'd never been pregnant, I had no point of reference as to how tired she might be.
"No, I'm not even two months, yet. Don't you start, too."
"Who's starting?" I forced a smile. Grace didn't answer; she just pointed a thumb at Karzac.
"Well, that's his baby." I was trying to get earrings into my ears and that was always a problem if I wasn't standing in front of a mirror while I did it.
"Let me help," Karzac came over and took the earrings from my hand. He had a wire slipped into my right ear in no time and then did the other ear for me.
"Thanks," I looked up at him. His mouth quirked into a crooked grin.
"We know this is hard for you," Grace said, coming forward. "More than a little, according to Dragon."
"I'm dealing," I said. "Karzac deserves a child, if anybody does. Amara's pregnant, too, did you know?"
"What?" Grace had just gotten juicy news.
"Yep. I smelled it this morning. Griffin is about to dance on the roof, I think."
"Oh, my gosh—two at the same time. Maybe we can school them together." Grace was already thinking about all this.
"Talk to Amara—I think she's in heaven, right now."
"Lissa," Karzac's hand cupped my cheek.
"Don't." I pulled away. "You guys go on—I'm sure they're waiting dinner on me." I made a shooing motion. They walked out the door of my suite, closing it softly behind them. The tears that hadn't come before came now; I dropped to the floor and sobbed.
* * *
"Someone else needs to go," Karzac's face looked haggard when he and Grace made their way into the dining room.
"What's wrong?" Shadow and Tony were both standing at the same time.
"She's crying," Grace said. "We didn't want to upset her. It didn't work."
"I will go." Roff was out of his seat quickly.
"I will do this." Connegar appeared in a brief flash of light and just as rapidly disappeared again.
* * *
"Little Rose, come here." Those were Connegar's first words to me as he lifted me off the floor. Giff had dressed me in expensive blue silk for dinner, since so many people had stayed to eat with us. I probably wasn't doing it any good by lying in the floor and crying all over it.
"I'll get over this," I wiped my face with the heel of a hand.
"My love, I will not say you should not weep. This is difficult for you, I know."
"Amara is pregnant because of you, Lissa." Kifirin appeared in my room; I caught his scent before I heard his voice.
"What did I do?" I sniffled. Connegar caused a handkerchief to appear in his hand and he offered it to me so I could dry things up a little.
"You told her she deserved a child. There was Power in your words. Perhaps you did not realize it at the time; nevertheless, it is so. She became pregnant right away."
"Great." I leaned my head against Connegar's chest. He'd settled on the bed and was holding me against him. Kifirin strode into my field of vision but his face was enigmatic as he studied me.
"Avilepha, do not upset yourself further. Come to dinner with me. I will take my seat and we will entertain our guests." Kifirin held his hand out to me.