"It's hot. Let's get in the pool," Franklin lifted me up, and just like that, every stitch of clothing I wore disappeared. As did his. We were floating around in the pool in no time. The water was nice, actually. Farzi, Nenzi and their six brothers showed up and dropped into the pool as lion snakes.
"Honey Snake," I reached out to stroke Farzi's head.
"You can tell them apart?" Franklin didn't know what to think about eight snakes swimming around him.
"By the patterns," I nodded. "They're all different. See, this is Nenzi," he lifted his head and I kissed him between the eyes. "And here's Chazi," I pointed out the slight differences in his pattern. "Bekzi, Hirzi, Yanzi, Perzi and Darzi," I pointed all of them out. Nenzi curled around my neck. "Sweet man," I stroked his scales.
"A party?" Teeg walked out, immediately dropped his clothing and slipped into the water.
"Damn." Joey and Norton came out of the house, drinks in hand. They were impressed by the snakes and the males in the pool.
"Holy shit." Kevis chose that moment to come back.
"Aw, come on. I'm in here," Frank said.
"Baby," Teeg moved Nenzi aside and hugged me against him. "Put your arms around my neck. Come on." I worried my lower lip while staring into his dark eyes. "Come on," he coaxed softly. "Yeah, that's right," my arms went around his neck. "How's our baby doing?" A hand slipped between us, stroking my belly. And then he pulled my head against his shoulder.
"There's nothing to worry about, unless you attack one of them or Reah," Astralan slapped Kevis on the back and shucked his clothing too. Astralan didn't have a thing to be ashamed of, sliding into the water easily. "Just right," he sighed with pleasure.
"I will join you." Nefrigar, whom I hadn't seen for days, appeared in the water and sat in a corner. His head was far above the water in the four-foot depth on one end.
"Kiss me, baby. Tell me you still care about me," Teeg murmured against my ear.
"Teeg," I hugged him tighter.
"That's good, sweetheart," he sighed. I was glad the reptanoids had built a huge pool after a while. Everybody was in the water. Mathilde came out with trays of drinks, didn't even blink and went back for more.
"Bro, can I get a turn?" Tory was behind us, tapping Teeg on the back.
"This looks like fun," Ry, Erland and Corolan appeared. Was I prepared to see Erland naked? I guess. Ry got every bit of his good looks from his father.
"Come on, baby, come to your High Demon," Tory sighed, sliding me away from Teeg. Except for Nefrigar, Tory was the tallest one there. Tory held me, but I had difficulty meeting his gaze. He tilted my head up. "Do you know how sorry I am?" Tory said softly. "I can't believe what kind of fool I was." He tilted his head and kissed me.
I should have remembered about the linking. I should have. I hadn't had a High Demon lover for twenty-five years and I'd forgotten that until the moment we came into contact. His desire linked right into mine. It didn't matter whether I wanted him to start with. Tory's rush of fire heated my blood. What he wanted, I wanted. And he wanted everything. Right away. "Don't be scared, don't be scared," he whispered against my mouth. Was he going to do this, right in front of everybody? He skipped us away at the last possible moment, landing us in a bed, somewhere.
"Won't hurt, I promise," his body pushed against mine. I only had a moment to be frightened before we were one. It didn't hurt. Didn't burn or sting. His body was treating mine gently, with careful strokes. Instead of bites, I received kisses. Whatever he could reach was kissed and teased and caressed. "Love you, Reah. Love you. Love you. Love you."
"It's the linking," Gavril blew out a sigh. "All he has to do is touch her and it activates."
"Linking? Have I heard this before?" Kevis asked. He'd finally gotten into the pool with everyone else. Dee had come and was now coaxing Mathilde into the water.
"Once a High Demon puts his teeth in a High Demon female's neck, the next time forms the linking. His desire is hers and vice versa. Hard to stop, once it's started."
"Your brother told you this?"
"Uh, not exactly. I was a curious child," Gavril admitted.
"Uh-huh. Care to talk about that?" Kevis asked.
"I'm not having a session with a naked man," Gavril groused.
"Point taken," Kevis sipped his drink and grinned.
"I'm much older, guaranteed," Dee pulled Mathilde along, her nicely plump form an enticement to the old vampire.
Gavril grinned. "Time to get out," he said quietly. Kevis agreed. Everyone slipped out and quietly made an exit.
"That is a fool's errand," Maldak, the Copper Ra'Ak Prince glared at the ones standing before him. Both claimed to be Elvish Princes. "We have no power against one of that kind," Maldak continued. "I will not even consider it."
"But we will pay very well. Offer sacrifices, if you want."
"Faugh. You think to tempt me with that?" Maldak snorted. "We can get our own. We do not need such brought to us. Leave now and you keep your lives."
"Come, Naldill," Reldill grasped his brother's arm. "We'll find another way." Maldak's eyes narrowed as he watched the two elves disappear. He'd known about the rogue attack upon the Saa Thalarr. Had it on good authority that a High Demon had come and destroyed all thirty-six rogue Copper Ra'Ak. Just as well. It saved Maldak the trouble of killing them himself.
"Reah, baby, are you hungry?" Tory traced a finger down my cheek. I huddled farther into his warmth. Why were the men always so warm? Unless there was a heat wave, I felt cold most of the time.
"Cold, avilepha?" I was gathered closer. I still hadn't opened my eyes. Tory was practically reading my mind. "Do you feel all right? How's the baby?" A hand, warm, splayed on my belly. "Come on; let's get you fed before you feel nauseous." I was lifted off the bed, carried into the shower and finally forced to open my eyes when the spray of warm water hit my skin.
"See, those pretty eyes can open," Tory smiled at me.
"Where are we?" Tory grabbed the soap and began working over my body, not answering my question for a moment.
"The palace in Lissia," he finally said. "My suite." It must have been updated since I'd visited last, but that had been more than twenty-five years earlier. Of course it had been updated since then.
"Great. Now your mom and everybody else will know." I pushed wet hair back from my face. I hoped at that point that I could get it trimmed soon. The length was almost too long for me to handle.
"Know what?"
"That we—you know."
"Is that a crime? Reah, we're mated."
"Since when?" I turned away from him.
"Don't go back on me now," Tory turned me around and blinked concerned, dark eyes into mine.
"Tory, we were mated long ago. I don't know what we are now. You never married me, if you'll recall."
"I know. Baby, that was long ago and I've learned my lesson at least ten times since then. Can't we let it go? We were good last night. You wanted it as much as I did."
"I don't know what I want anymore. Not as far as we're concerned."
"You have to sort this out with Kevis. I know that. Whatever it is. He'll help you."
"And then what? I can just forget about the last twenty-five years?"
"Look, I know that's not possible. I was hoping we could set that aside and go on from here." He raked wet hands through his dark hair in frustration.
"Tory," I dropped my face in my hands. Here he was still not offering to marry me. Not taking responsibility. What did he want from me? Confessions of undying love? I wasn't sure I was capable of that. Not in my present state.
"Can we agree to a truce, at least? Until we figure this out? Tell me you didn't enjoy what happened between us. I wish I hadn't been so thickheaded about all that. Darletta couldn't even come close to what we have."
"You had to bring her into it, didn't you?" I skipped angrily away.
"Don't ask." I walked furiously past Kevis, naked, wet and angry. Turning on the taps in the shower, I stepped inside, intent upon finishing what I'd started on Le-Ath Veronis.
"What happened?" Kevis was inside the bathroom, asking questions while I was cleaning up. Well, he'd seen all of me before, why would this be any different? Why didn't I just walk around naked all the time? I slapped the soap onto the shelf and scrubbed my skin.
"Torevik Rath, that's what," I muttered. "He proceeded to tell me that the sex he had with me was better than the sex he had with Darletta. Like I wanted to hear that."
"Perhaps he thought to pay you a compliment."
"Bringing up sex with the woman you married to the one you didn't isn't a good idea in my book," I grabbed the shampoo bottle and squeezed out a generous portion. "I don't care how good he thinks the compliment is. Want to go into the outside world with me while I get my hair trimmed today?" I snapped.
"Reah, I will go anywhere with you, but we'll look for a place where you won't be harassed."
"Good luck on finding that," I huffed.
"We'll find something, I promise."
Mathilde was smiling and humming as she placed breakfast in front of us. Teeg had an eyebrow lifted but didn't say anything when I sat between him and Kevis at the table. Farzi and Nenzi watched too, but remained silent. Joey, Norton, Franklin, Celestan and Galaxsan ate quietly. Astralan stole a look in my direction occasionally but didn't interrupt my meal. Lok and Aurelius weren't there. I wondered where they were but didn't send mindspeech or ask the three healers.
