Read Online High Demon 3 - Demon's King by Connie Suttle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Connie Suttle
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both used it for sleeping. I was tired of wiping myself off with a wet cloth—Teeg didn't want either of us caught in the shower if our targets showed up.
"They'll be along." I don't know how he knew that, but he seemed sure of himself. I started to call him the all-seeing, all-knowing, but I didn't. That had been a joke between Chash and me and I was holding my memories of Chash close to my chest. I still had hope that I might see him again someday.
Teeg wanted to make love too, but if we couldn't take a shower, we couldn't do that . I pointed that fact out to him. Twice. Our quarry showed up while he was sleeping on the third day and chaos erupted.
* * *
"That's what Kifirin said? That we'd see him again but he wouldn't be the same? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Ry raked a hand through his hair in exasperation. Tory had waited until Ry returned from an assignment to share the information.
"No idea. Want to hunt Kifirin down and ask him?"
"Kifirin? No. He still scares the bejeezus out of me." Neither Ry nor Tory had any idea what bejeezus meant, but they'd adopted the phrase from their mother, who'd employed it often.
"Me, too," Tory agreed. "So I guess we won't be asking Kifirin any questions."
"What does your dad say?" Ry looked at his brother.
"He's not willing to go to Kifirin either. He says that when Kifirin doesn't want to tell you something, he won't. He talks in riddles when he does answer and you sure as hell don't want to ask him for any favors."
"Why would you not ask for favors? I hear the comesuli went to Baetrah all the time to ask for something." Ry frowned at Tory.
"Yes, but they weren't asking directly . That's what Dad says. You ask for something directly from Kifirin, well, he remembers. Forever."
"So?" Ry still didn't see where the conversation was headed.
"So he points out to you at a later date just what sort of mistake it was to ask for what you asked for. And then he still remembers past that. Like it's an unforgivable sin or something."
"Well, we should have known. He is Lord of the Dark Realm. Not like the light side, where people ask for things constantly with no fear of retribution."
"Opposites," Tory nodded. "That's the way they were made, to balance."
* * *
It might have been perfect, made sense and allowed us to do what we came to do if all three of them had arrived closer to each other. Instead, they landed in three separate spots inside the media room, forcing Teeg to shoot one warlock before he could cast a spell. Then Teeg was standing beside me, an arm around my waist as spells were launched at us by the other two warlocks, creating blasts, fire and explosions. They were flinging them at us blindly, too—Zellar hadn't taught them to remain calm in this sort of emergency. Part of the roof was blown away over our heads, causing snow, water, wood and bits of metal to rain down around us. Teeg pulled both of us down and jerked me out of the way at the last tick.
"Move forward, Reah!" Teeg shouted as more blasts came, causing momentary deafness. I crept forward, Teeg glued to my side. He still gripped the pistol in his hand, but the two remaining warlocks had raised powerful shields. The shots might not penetrate. If they didn't, they'd likely ricochet, which could hit either Teeg or me. Teeg waited for me to get close enough to the warlocks to neutralize their spells. Then he could shoot them. I wanted my knife—I didn't have it. I knew how close I had to get before my natural shield prevented the spells from activating. A sphere around fourteen hands in every direction. Chunks of the ceiling landed on our heads, causing me to duck. Teeg went with me. We shuffled forward.
Furniture started flying. While we were immune to the spell itself, we weren't impervious to the airborne furniture once it had been set in motion. Teeg was hit with a lamp table. His "oof" as it struck him hard on the right shoulder made me attempt to pull him behind me. He refused my effort
"They'll be along." I don't know how he knew that, but he seemed sure of himself. I started to call him the all-seeing, all-knowing, but I didn't. That had been a joke between Chash and me and I was holding my memories of Chash close to my chest. I still had hope that I might see him again someday.
Teeg wanted to make love too, but if we couldn't take a shower, we couldn't do that . I pointed that fact out to him. Twice. Our quarry showed up while he was sleeping on the third day and chaos erupted.
* * *
"That's what Kifirin said? That we'd see him again but he wouldn't be the same? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Ry raked a hand through his hair in exasperation. Tory had waited until Ry returned from an assignment to share the information.
"No idea. Want to hunt Kifirin down and ask him?"
"Kifirin? No. He still scares the bejeezus out of me." Neither Ry nor Tory had any idea what bejeezus meant, but they'd adopted the phrase from their mother, who'd employed it often.
"Me, too," Tory agreed. "So I guess we won't be asking Kifirin any questions."
"What does your dad say?" Ry looked at his brother.
"He's not willing to go to Kifirin either. He says that when Kifirin doesn't want to tell you something, he won't. He talks in riddles when he does answer and you sure as hell don't want to ask him for any favors."
"Why would you not ask for favors? I hear the comesuli went to Baetrah all the time to ask for something." Ry frowned at Tory.
"Yes, but they weren't asking directly . That's what Dad says. You ask for something directly from Kifirin, well, he remembers. Forever."
"So?" Ry still didn't see where the conversation was headed.
"So he points out to you at a later date just what sort of mistake it was to ask for what you asked for. And then he still remembers past that. Like it's an unforgivable sin or something."
"Well, we should have known. He is Lord of the Dark Realm. Not like the light side, where people ask for things constantly with no fear of retribution."
"Opposites," Tory nodded. "That's the way they were made, to balance."
* * *
It might have been perfect, made sense and allowed us to do what we came to do if all three of them had arrived closer to each other. Instead, they landed in three separate spots inside the media room, forcing Teeg to shoot one warlock before he could cast a spell. Then Teeg was standing beside me, an arm around my waist as spells were launched at us by the other two warlocks, creating blasts, fire and explosions. They were flinging them at us blindly, too—Zellar hadn't taught them to remain calm in this sort of emergency. Part of the roof was blown away over our heads, causing snow, water, wood and bits of metal to rain down around us. Teeg pulled both of us down and jerked me out of the way at the last tick.
"Move forward, Reah!" Teeg shouted as more blasts came, causing momentary deafness. I crept forward, Teeg glued to my side. He still gripped the pistol in his hand, but the two remaining warlocks had raised powerful shields. The shots might not penetrate. If they didn't, they'd likely ricochet, which could hit either Teeg or me. Teeg waited for me to get close enough to the warlocks to neutralize their spells. Then he could shoot them. I wanted my knife—I didn't have it. I knew how close I had to get before my natural shield prevented the spells from activating. A sphere around fourteen hands in every direction. Chunks of the ceiling landed on our heads, causing me to duck. Teeg went with me. We shuffled forward.
Furniture started flying. While we were immune to the spell itself, we weren't impervious to the airborne furniture once it had been set in motion. Teeg was hit with a lamp table. His "oof" as it struck him hard on the right shoulder made me attempt to pull him behind me. He refused my effort
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