Blood Double (God Wars #1)(77)
"Not even yours, you sadistic *," I snapped and folded space to get away from him and his murderous thoughts.
*
Casino City never sleeps. Yeah, they used to say that about Las Vegas, too. And New York. Probably a lot of other places as well. It didn't matter—I wasn't planning to return to the palace and prostitute myself again. I was done. The minute I'd seen murder mirrored in Gavin and Teeg's faces, that was it for me. They wouldn't come looking—I was nothing except a substitute for a wife and mother. It hadn't been my choice, either—somebody else had made that decision.
It didn't matter; I still had unfinished business in Casino City, but once I settled that, who knows where I might go? Erithia Cordan was on my shit list, as was Rathik Erwin and anybody else she'd pulled into her little obsession-laced sphere. First on my agenda, however, was something to eat. I could mist, and every stinking casino in Casino City had restaurants. Maybe karma would kick in somewhere for me stealing food, but I'd just saved Gavin Montegue and his brat. Maybe the two would even out somewhere.
Regardless, I went to the Chessman. It belonged to Adam, and he was my surrogate sire. Maybe he'd forgive the theft. I'd tell him about it, if I ever saw him again.
*
Erithia's fury was endless, and Riis of Tyriss' body, minus the head, lay at her feet. He'd been closest and suffered the weight of her wrath when she saw the vids from Campiaa. Teeg San Gerxon was spouting assurances to the Campiaan Alliance, explaining that he'd left CSD Headquarters only moments before it was destroyed by rogue mercenaries. Several of those mercenaries were shown in an inset, being led toward cells in the Campiaa City lock-up.
"Q'And Ribalo was freed before the destruction of CSD Headquarters," a journalist announced. "Founder San Gerxon has declared a state of emergency, and all transport off Campiaa has been delayed."
"Cayetes, I swear I will smile over your corpse for exposing us," Erithia hissed, displaying sharp, needle-thin teeth. "I will pour salt on your heart and eat it raw." Kicking Riis's body out of her way, she stalked toward the door. "Rathik," she snapped, "convene the others. I must hold a meeting. Quickly! Quickly!"
*
Breanne's Journal
Breanne? Mindspeech came from Corent. I'd finished my veggie flatbread pizza atop the Chessman, where I could watch the street below.
Corent? What is it? There'd been concern in his mindspeech, and it made me want to weep. Somebody cared, and I had no idea why that was.
I just wanted to make sure you are well, he replied. The palace is in turmoil for some reason—I can feel it.
No surprise—Gavin and Teeg just survived what should have killed them, I sent. I didn't add that I'd saved their behinds. I probably shouldn't have. Both of them wanted to kill me now, and I wasn't really sure of the reason. I'd seen something in both of them I hadn't seen before, though. A cloud on their minds might best describe it, but as I hadn't seen that sort of thing before, I was at a loss as to what to really name it. It was as if they'd waited for me to reveal myself somehow, and now they were prompted to act on the knowledge they'd gained.
You can come to the groves if you don't feel safe, Corent offered.
Thank you. I'll consider it, I said. I have something to do, first, I added. I didn't want Corent to know he might be in danger if he offered sanctuary to me. He'd been good to me from the beginning, and I wasn't about to make him suffer because of that.
You'll be welcome here anytime, he said.
Thank you, I replied.
*
Lissa's Journal
Gavin, what the hell are you doing? I sent.
Lissa? He sounded so shocked.
I leave for a while and what do you do? I continued. I hear you've tortured the one Belen and I chose to sit in for me.
Lissa? Gavin definitely needed to work on his vocabulary.
Look, send mindspeech when you get back to the palace, I snapped. We'll have a discussion the moment I get there, I added and cut off mindspeech.
*
"Dad?" Gavril sounded worried as he gazed at Gavin.
"I just got mindspeech from your mother," Gavin's dark eyes turned toward his son. "She's not happy. Says I tortured Breanne."
"What?" Gavril was now concerned. "She knew about her?"
"Looks that way. Says she and Belen chose Breanne to sit in for her while she was gone. Son, this makes no sense." Gavin rubbed the back of his neck, displaying his discomfort. "Your mother says to let her know when I get back to the palace—it appears she wants to meet me there when I return. I believe she wants to yell about my treatment of the girl and honestly, I wanted to kill Breanne earlier."
"So did I. A part of me still does."
"Precisely."
*
"You will let me know the moment the Queen returns to the palace," Cheedas instructed his employees. "No matter what time."
"Of course," Cheedas' comesula assistant nodded to the palace's chief cook. "I'll let the others know to come to one of us with that information."
"Good. Go to bed, I'll speak with you later."
"Yes, Master Cook Cheedas."
*
Breanne's Journal
I walked the main street of Casino City, crowds of people brushing past me as they hurried from one Casino to another, hoping the next one would hold better luck and a happier time for them. I wanted to tell them that most of those casinos would hold neither.