Shalador's Lady

Something pained and sad flickered in Daemon’s eyes. “I used to have a few businesses in Dena Nehele. It helped some people defy Dorothea’s bitches for a little while longer.”



But the land fell anyway. How many places did you help hold on a little while longer? No wonder Lucivar said you can’t come to Dena Nehele the way he can. There’s no place in Terreille you can go that doesn’t hold bitter memories, is there?



“We could use your help again,” Gray said quietly. “In return for fixing up the buildings and providing the merchandise, since that’s one of the things we don’t have, the elders in Eyota have agreed to give you the buildings and the land they’re on for a hundred years. That may not sound like a long time to you, but it’s a long time for us.”



Daemon looked away, and Gray got the impression that Sadi was trying to decide about something more important than a couple of buildings and some merchandise.



Then Daemon rose and came around the desk. “Let’s go down the road and spend some time in Halaway. It’s a small village and some of the shops there should give us all a reference point.”



“Okay,” Gray said as he and Ranon stood up and followed Daemon to the door.



A quick knock. The door opened.



Daemon froze midstep. His nostrils flared as Jaenelle walked into the room—and the gold eyes that now looked at Gray and Ranon held a barely controlled savagery.



“Daemon,” Jaenelle said softly.



Daemon stared at the two men and snarled.



“Prince.”



Those gold eyes focused on her.



She, in turn, smiled at Gray and Ranon.



*Mother Night, Gray, I can smell moon’s blood,* Ranon said. *We have to get out of this room before he kills us.*



*How?*



Ranon gave no answer, since moving toward the door meant moving toward Jaenelle, and that would be a lethal mistake.



Then two other males entered the room and stopped on either side of Jaenelle at the same time Daemon stepped closer to her.



Still smiling at Gray and Ranon, Jaenelle said, “I believe you know my little brother, Ladvarian.”



Gray hadn’t met the Red-Jeweled Sceltie Warlord when Ladvarian and Khardeen came to Eyota, but he nodded anyway.



She hooked an arm around her other companion’s neck. “And this pretty kitty is Prince Kaelas.”



The “pretty kitty” was a white, huge Warlord Prince who wore a Red Jewel—and wasn’t half as terrifying as Daemon at that moment.



“You have some business to take care of this afternoon?” Jaenelle released Kaelas and turned toward Daemon.



“It can be postponed,” he said in a croon that produced a chill down Gray’s spine.



“There’s no reason for that,” Jaenelle replied. “At this moment, Beale and Holt are in my private garden, arranging a lounge chair in the shady spot, Mrs. Beale is making a pitcher of that fruit punch I enjoy drinking in warm weather, Ladvarian and Kaelas are going to keep me company, and . . .” She called in a book and held it up between them. “I have Fiona’s new Tracker and Shadow novel to read.”



Daemon studied his wife through narrowed eyes. “In other words, you have no use for me this afternoon.”



“No use at all.”



The words could have been cutting to a man in love, but not when they were accompanied by the look in Jaenelle’s gorgeous eyes as she smiled at Daemon and gave his face a brief caress.



A code, Gray thought. Like the one he and Cassie had.



“You’ll bring our guests back for dinner,” Jaenelle said.



Daemon hesitated. “As my Lady wishes.”



*He doesn’t want us anywhere near her, but he won’t hesitate to hurt us if we decline her invitation,* Ranon said.



*Did you read the section in the Protocol book that covers this situation? * Gray asked.



*Yes. Thank the Darkness.*



“Gentlemen,” Jaenelle said before she left the room with Ladvarian and Kaelas.



“Shall we go?” Daemon asked.



He didn’t wait for an answer, so they followed him out of the Hall.



Daemon stopped at the edge of Halaway and waited for his companions to catch up. Gray and Ranon had been trailing after him since he’d walked out of the Hall and headed for the village on foot. He had needed the movement, had needed to burn off some of the temper. When Saetan had contacted him to find out if he was willing to host Gray and Ranon, he’d warned his father that Jaenelle’s moontime was close and he might not respond well to male visitors.



Jaenelle had decided that the visit shouldn’t be postponed.



Daemon frowned. Gray and Ranon immediately stopped walking.



He sighed. “It’s all right. I’m steady now and won’t eviscerate you for being in the same room as my wife.” But in the moment before Jaenelle had said “Prince” in a tone he recognized as a command, he had considered it.



Ah, well. At least he could tell Saetan that two of Cassidy’s court had paid attention to the additional notes about how Warlord Princes reacted to the scent of moon’s blood and how to avoid provoking an attack.



“You could have told us not to come,” Gray said when he reached Daemon.



“My Lady decided otherwise,” Daemon replied.



“So . . . no choice.”



“None. But if it makes you feel any better, Ladvarian and Kaelas didn’t object to your presence today. Since those two didn’t see you as a threat to the Lady, I can keep my temper leashed.”



“What kind of cat is Kaelas?” Ranon asked.



“Arcerian,” Daemon replied. “In fact, he’s the Warlord Prince of Arceria. All eight hundred pounds of him.”



“Mother Night.”



He liked these men, and while he wanted them to be careful during their stay at the Hall, he saw no reason to frighten them. So unless it became necessary, he wouldn’t tell them what a Red-Jeweled Warlord Prince of Kaelas’s size, speed, and strength could do to a human body when he got pissed off.



“Let’s take a look at the village,” Daemon said.



It was a small, healthy village, prosperous enough to take care of itself and the people within its boundaries.



Daemon noted the way that the males who were simply going about their business went on alert at the sight of strangers—and relaxed when they realized the strangers were with him. He noted how the village guards came trotting past to get a look at the strangersdespite Gray and Ranon being with him.



“Does this village often see trouble?” Ranon asked when Gray stopped at a bookshop window and stared at the display, damn near vibrating with excitement.



“No,” Daemon replied. “Considering its proximity to the Hall, if trouble starts here and the Queen’s court can’t handle it, I will.”



“But all the males are ready to defend.”



“It is our nature, Ranon.”



The shop door opened and Sylvia walked out. She wore a sleeveless shirt tucked into a pair of knee-length trousers and sandals. Her short black hair looked deliberately mussed enough to be called sassy, and there wasn’t a single thing besides her psychic scent that would give anyone a clue that she was the Queen of Halaway.



Daemon moved to join Gray, who had turned away from the window and given Sylvia a quick, assessing look before smiling brightly.



“Good afternoon, Lady,” Gray said.



Sylvia narrowed her gold eyes. “You look familiar, but not.”



“May I introduce Prince Jared Blaed Grayhaven and Prince Ranon,” Daemon said. “They’re here visiting from Dena Nehele. Gentlemen, this is Lady Sylvia.”



Gray frowned at him. “You didn’t introduce her as a Queen.”



Proof enough that Gray was far more perceptive than his cousin when it came to recognizing caste.



He glanced at Sylvia, who gave him a tiny nod. “You’re right. I didn’t. Lady Sylvia rules Halaway and prefers to be informal in her home village unless formality is required.”



Gray beamed at Sylvia. “That’s the way Cassie wants things to be in Eyota. The Shaladorans are pretty comfortable with that because they’re used to their Queens living among them, so I think she’s happier living where we do now than she was when we were in Grayhaven.”



Hell’s fire, Daemon thought as he looked at Sylvia’s slightly stunned expression and swallowed the urge to laugh. The earnest young Warlord Prince who had asked him for a loan had changed into a two-legged puppy.



“I met someone else named Grayhaven recently,” Sylvia said.



“Jared Blaed and Theran are cousins,” Daemon said.



Sylvia’s smile had sharp edges. “And how is Theran getting along with Vae?”



“Oh, Vae lives with Cassie and me now,” Gray said. “So does Khollie, but that’s because Ranon and Shira live in the Queen’s Residence with us.”



“Well, that must make story time easier for all of you, since the humans can take turns.”



“Story time?”



Ah, no, Sylvia,Daemon thought. But he wasn’t going to stop her.



“You don’t know about story time?” Sylvia asked, widening her eyes. When Gray shook his head, she opened the bookshop door and called to someone inside. “Do you have any copies ofUnicorn to the Rescue orSceltie Saves the Day ?” She turned back to Gray. “How many Scelties live with you?”



“There are thirteen in our village,” Gray said, looking back at Daemon.



Finally figured out something is going on, haven’t you, boyo?Of course, it was much too late todo anything about it, but it was always good for a man to recognize when he was in trouble.



“What?” Sylvia leaned into the shop, then back out. “Oh, good. They also have a couple of copies ofDragon and the Dangerous Deed. ”



“I don’t think . . .” Ranon began.



“A gift,” Sylvia said. “Enjoy your visit, gentlemen. Prince Sadi.”



Daemon watched her hurry away and duck into a shop a couple of doors down from the bookshop. He huffed out a breath. “While we’re in the shop, there are a few other books you might find entertaining.” The Tracker and Shadow books were adventures or mysteries for most readers, but anyone who dealt with a Sceltie also found them instructional.