Blood Double (God Wars #1)(27)

"Look, I'm sorry about that. She looked so promising. How did I know Leela could put up such a good front?"

"Worst two dates of my life."

"I know."

"Look, I have to go. I'll take you to dinner when I get back. We'll talk about this latest woman wonder."

"Yeah. Have fun."

"Always, bro."

"Is that sarcasm?"

"Probably. Bye."

*

Breanne's Journal

I met Rylend Morphis on that day. He was beautiful, just like his father. I hadn't seen it in Teeg, but Rylend was mated to the same woman as his brother—Reah. She'd stayed away from me the night I'd seen her—deliberately, I think.

Rylend took a seat in the Council Chamber; the meeting was over at a decent hour and then he and his father approached Gavin. Either Rylend or his father provided a sound shield; I couldn't hear the conversation they held with my sire. I understood quickly, however, what they wanted. I was to go with them.

"We'll get you back in a few hours," Erland Morphis promised as his son, the King of Karathia, focused on my eyes.

"You can look away if you want. Most people do," I told him.

"Dad says you can see through anyone." He was just as baldly honest as I was.

"Yes. For the most part," I agreed.

"Who have you been unable to read?" He was curious.

"I've read everyone, until recently," I said. "I can't read Sheriff Trevor, Kooper Griff or Stellan Starr. I can read Stellan's brothers, though, so it's almost the same thing."

"Frightening," Rylend shook his head. "What are you thinking at this moment? Normally I can detect the thoughts of just about anyone who doesn't have shielding ability. I can't detect yours."

"I was thinking how lucky Reah is, to have you," I replied honestly. "Teeg has mistreated her, and he doesn't deserve to kiss her shoes."

"Great gods," Rylend breathed, staring at me. "I'll keep that to myself."

"I don't care if you tell your brother," I said. "He ordered someone to punch me in the face, and then I was fool enough to save his life. And mine," I added. After thinking about it, I realized I could have ended everything in the tunnel on Campiaa, if I'd just kept my warning to myself.

"Little beauty, never regret that," Erland Morphis took my hand and tucked it through his arm. "Teeg has had many troubles and he can be too rough at times."

Yes, I wanted to say he was exactly like his father. I didn't. Instead, I said nothing and allowed Erland Morphis and his son, the King of Karathia, to fold space.

*

"So, this is the one, then?" Two men waited in the King's private study when Erland landed us there. I knew immediately who they were, and it made me tremble. One was the former King of Karathia, Wylend Arden. The other was Wylend's only son, Brenten Arden. He was also Lissa's father, I saw that immediately, and there I stood, still wearing Lissa's face. Ry had worked a spell to see past it, but these two didn't bother. I didn't say that—or several other things I read in Brenten's face. Holding back an almost hysterical moan at what I saw, I turned away from the one many called Griffin.

"Mind you, I've never seen one. The last one died in my grandfather's time," Wylend Arden sighed. "I can't say, one way or the other, you know."

"Breanne, tell him. Tell him what he is," Erland urged. I blinked at Erland. He wanted something from this meeting. I wasn't sure what that might be.

"Former King of Karathia. Abdicated before an uprising. Twenty-seven thousand, eight hundred eighty-six years old. Took the throne from usurpers after the death of his father in a coup against the throne. Currently in a female phase. Would you like me to continue?" I asked. "I warn you, many of the things I haven't said may be embarrassing or damaging."

"No, that's enough." Wylend Arden, looking much like his son Griffin with light-brown hair and hazel eyes, stopped me with a wave of his hand. He was tall, too, just as Griffin was—nearly six-six. Rylend, his great-grandson, bore no resemblance to the former King of Karathia. Ry gave a nod to me—he was King and ultimately in charge of whether I continued. I was grateful he didn't ask me to go on.

"What do you know about your heritage?" Griffin asked. I did my best not to shiver. "My mother was serving a prison sentence when I was born. She gave me up for adoption. She had no idea who my father was."

"It doesn't matter; she's not a Q'elindi, I'm certain of it. She has strong mind-reading ability or something. Perhaps some empathic talent as well. A Q'elindi would not stand there and cower as this one does. And she wears no veil. All the Q'elindis wore veils unless they wanted to read someone. Otherwise, the gift was too painful to baldly face everyone like that," Wylend Arden was certain in his judgment.

I didn't point out that he'd made some very great mistakes in his past, along with a stumblingly terrible misjudgment that cost him love. Briefly, I thought about telling him it would take centuries before anyone would come to love him. I didn't.

"I'm sure you know best," I said and turned to Erland. "I'd like to go back to Le-Ath Veronis now."

"Are you sure you don't want a meal first?" he asked. I wanted to say yes. I wanted to say please give me decent food—vegetarian food—that tasted good and nourished me. I didn't. Shaking my head, I carefully examined the Queen's shoes that covered my feet. I wanted to get away from Wylend Arden and his only son as quickly as possible. Sighing deeply, Erland Morphis transported me home.