1/Terreille

Word had spread quickly about what had happened in the audience hall. Everyone in the district knew who had been living among them. And now, people who had talked to him a few days ago as Warlord Vrede avoided eye contact with Prince DeSade. If anyone did meet his gaze, they looked at him in fear. It stung more than Alex cared to admit, and certainly more than he'd expected.

The past few days reminded Alex of the lie he'd been living. Easy to have believed it…until they saw beneath the mask. Definitely for the best that Tarine had insisted he stay at the Queen's Residence. Although at times, it wasn't much better here. The Queen's Steward, Lord Braetyn had been helpful enough with getting a suite in the new wing, but it was obvious the man wasn't at all comfortable around him.

As for the ladies of the Court, Alex wasn't quite so dismayed that they kept their distance. The only one he spoke to was Tarine, and she was very guarded around him. The others all found some reason not to be around if Alex was nearby. Thank the Darkness. He hadn't been this close to a Court since leaving Meredith's hall. If anyone would have corned him, his rage in the audience hall would have paled in comparison.

That had all been two days ago, and since then, he'd not been able to work up the courage to talk to Lilith. At least not privately. They occasionally spoke during formal dinner conversations. During the day, he found excuses not to seek her out. Alex was even pathetically grateful when he knew that Lilith was busy with Tarine.

She wasn't busy now. Alex knew for a fact that she was just relaxing in the residential gardens. So if he was going to talk to her, this would be the time for it. He let out a breath and headed outside. Lilith was reading on a bench, but Alex expected that she sensed him coming. As he drew nearer, she turned a page.

"Good afternoon, Prince," Lilith said without ever looking up. "Come to see the work Tarine and her coven have put into the gardens this spring?"

Alex looked around, and admitted that they were beautiful. He'd never seen anything like them in the parts of Draega Meredith had sent him. It was mid-summer, and each bed was a fantastic array of color and blooms. Most of the flowers he'd never seen outside of book illustrations. He shook his head, though. Focus.

"They're very nice. But that's not why I'm here."

"I see."

Get this out before you lose your nerve, he told himself. If they didn't talk about it now, he very well might.

"Lilith, about what happened-"

Her head snapped up from the book, piercing him with a chilling stare.

"We're not discussing that, Prince."

The air around them cooled to match the ice in her tone. Daunted, Alex hesitated before he tried again.

"I'd really like to explain-"

"There's nothing to explain," Lilith cut in for the second time. "Let's not make it any worse by dwelling on it. So unless there is anything else you're here to discuss, this conversation is over."

The steel in Lilith's voice confirmed any doubts he might have had about how she felt. She wasn't just upset over what happened- that was rage he'd heard. And since he wasn't sure just what she might unleash if he pressed her any further, Alex gave up.

For today. One day he swore he was going to get through what he needed to say to her. But right now, he might as well get to the other thing he wanted to talk about.

"Actually, there is."

"And that is?"

"I'd like to go home. To my family," he added. "That is, if you're still willing to take me to them."

Lilith thought quietly for a minute or two. She closed the book and set it on the bench beside her. Thank the Darkness, the air around them thawed again. Of course, that didn't mean that she was going to give him the answer he wanted. But Alex held out hope, anyway.

"I can do that. If that's what you want."

"I don't know what I'll find there, but I think it's time I went."

"Well, it's going to be an adventure for everyone, that's for certain," Lilith replied. She tilted her head to the side. "I suppose I ought to go find Tarine and tell her that we're headed out."

"Now?"

"You've got something else keeping you here, Prince?"

"No, I'm just surprised that you're so quick to leave."

Lilith sighed, running fingers through her hair as she stood. She vanished the book and skirted around him.

"In truth, I've been done with what I came here to do since yesterday. Tarine doesn't need me as much as the others do, so I don't linger more than a few days."

"Then why…?"

"To find out whether you were staying here in Tarine's district or if you'd changed your mind, Prince," she said with a shrug. "I figured I'd give it a few days before I announced I was leaving and see what came of it."

Alex was stunned. More than stunned. It took him a few minutes to find his voice.

"You were waiting for me?"

"Well, waiting for a decision from you, in any case."

"I'm surprised you did," he admitted.

"You shouldn't be, Prince. When I make a promise, I always keep it."

She kept walking towards the door into the Queen's Residence, leaving Alex with no choice but to follow her if he wanted to continue the discussion. He hurried to catch up to her.

"Fair enough, but you have to admit that this might be a special circumstance, Lilith."

Lilith flashed a look at him over her shoulder. "I thought I said we weren't talking about that."

"I wasn't trying to."

"Good. Because two days is a long time, and I don't want to keep repeating myself during the journey. So we'd best get that settled now."

Alex said nothing, but wanted to mutter something insolent under his breath. Two days was going to feel like an eternity if she was like this the whole time. Not that he could blame her. After all, she had every right to be angry with him for what happened. So he just gritted his teeth and nodded.

"All right, it's settled."

She didn't acknowledge he'd said anything, covering the length of the hallway in long strides. Alex guessed that she must know where to find the Queen. And then they stopped abruptly. Just long enough for her to knock on an unimposing door. A muffled reply came from within, and Lilith pushed it open. He followed her inside, only to see Tarine seated behind a mountain of paperwork.

2/Terreille

Tarine glanced at the door to find that she had two visitors. Not only had Lilith come to see her, but Prince DeSade was right there, too. She wondered what could be going on to find both of them here. In the past two days, the Prince had rarely spent any time with her friend. And vice versa.

To her annoyance, she wasn't any closer yet to figuring out what was going on with the two of them. She didn't dare ask Prince DeSade, and Lilith kept inquiries about it off-limits. Tarine let that thought go and gave them a wan smile.

"Lilith, I sure hope you're here to find some reason I don't have to do all this."

"I thought Braetyn was supposed to be interviewing for an assistant…" Lilith glanced at the desk. "Or two."

"He is. And maybe in another month he'll finally find a few candidates that he thinks are good enough to bring in front of me for my decision. In the meantime, look at this mess!"

Tarine grabbed a few handfuls of paper and dropped them back on the pile. Lilith scrubbed her forehead with both hands and shrugged helplessly.

"I'm sorry, Tarine, but there's nothing I can do to help you with this. However, I think I can at least make some part of your life easier."

"Whatever it is I'm so ready to hear it," Tarine muttered while she picked up a petition or some other official looking document.

"We're leaving."

The words were spoken so fast that it didn't sink in at first. Tarine wasn't even sure at first that Lilith was done talking. As it finally hit her what she'd heard, she looked up at the witch in front of her.

"What?"

"Prince DeSade and me. We're leaving."

"Leaving when?"

"Pretty much now."

"Wait- just wait and hold on a minute." She stood up and skirted the desk, nearly smacking her knee on the sharp corner in her haste. "Where is this coming from so suddenly?"

Lilith looked confused.

"Tarine, we already talked about this, remember?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "But…"

"Then what's the big surprise?"

"I guess I just didn't think you'd spring it on me without any warning, that's all."

Lilith scrunched her face into a worried frown, and sided a look over to the Prince.

"Well, it wouldn't be quite so sudden, but…" she drew out the last word into a sigh. "I'm about three months overdue somewhere else. It would be better if I didn't delay any longer than I already have."

It wasn't like Lilith to put off going someplace, especially if she was needed. So whatever had made her wait so long had to be important. And it sounded like wherever she needed to go wasn't here in the city. Tarine would have asked her the details, but if Lilith had wanted her to know where she was going, she would have said.

"Hmmm, I guess that would be a good reason to be in a hurry."

"Everything here is running just fine. You don't really need me here, anyway."

That wasn't the point. Tarine tried to smile and shook her head.

"That doesn't mean that I don't like having you around, you know."

"Thanks, but I really do have to go. I'll be back in a month to check in again."

"So long?"

"Yeah, I'm going to have some explaining to do, and it could be awhile before I'm…forgiven…over this."

So it was worse than Tarine thought. Lilith sounded like she was in very big trouble. She hoped her friend would be okay.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'forgiven'?" Prince DeSade asked, rounding on Lilith suddenly. "Forgiven for what?"

"I'll explain later," she grumbled.

"But…"

"I said I'll explain later."

Tarine did not want to get in the middle of that, so she just pretended to read something from the litter covering her desk. She hoped that wherever they were going wasn't a far trip. How they could travel together without killing one another was going to be a mystery.

"Fine, but I'll hold you to that," he threatened.

Lilith muttered something intelligible while the Prince turned to Tarine.

"Lady, I thank you for your hospitality. Seeing your district and Court has been an interesting experience."

"You're welcome, Prince. Having met you has likewise been educational for me and for my Court."

Educational was the tamest way of putting it. Prince DeSade had shaken just about everything Tarine had ever expected from Warlord Princes. Him, in particular. She had to admit that Lilith had been right. The caste and Jewels might have changed, but he had not.

Tarine had kept a watchful eye on him. Other than the incident in the audience hall, he'd never shown any sign of the cold rage she'd heard so much about. No one had complained to her that they felt unsafe around him. Not even the witches. True, they'd been intimidated. How could they not be? But aside from maintaining a polite distance, nothing out of the ordinary. Still, it was a relief that his stay wasn't going to be permanent.

Lilith looked from Tarine to the Prince and back.

"Okay, then. Since we're all civil at the moment, this looks like an excellent time to say our goodbyes and be off."

If her friend hadn't sounded so serious, Tarine would have laughed. Given the past few days, truer words were never spoken.

"I wish you both luck on the journey," she said. "And may the Darkness embrace you."

"You, too, Tarine," Lilith replied. "You, too."

With that, the two of them turned to leave the study, leaving Tarine to wrestle once more with her haphazard pile of paperwork. Lord Braetyn better hurry up and find some assistants for all this. She did not want to spend the rest of her life stuck in here.

3/Terreille

Lilith breathed a sigh of relief once they'd left Tarine's study. That was one task down. Now they just needed to survive the next few days on this trip to Kaeleer. She was determined that they could survive it in one piece, although it wasn't going to be easy. With a quick glance at Alex, she saw the dark look on his face.

Definitely not going to be easy.

"Okay, I need a minute or two to pack up some things in my suite," she said, hoping to skip over their unfinished conversation from a minute ago. "Why don't we meet in the entrance hall in a half hour?"

"Or I just wait for you to pack up. I never really called in anything I'd brought here from the inn, so there's not that much for me to do in my suite."

Lilith dithered for a minute, trying to decide how to work all this out. Honestly, she just wanted to take the Ebon-Black Winds to the Keep and have this over with tonight. But that was not at all fair to Alex…or to the SaDiablos, really. She had to prepare him as best as she could for what was coming. And that was going to take time.

Might as well get used to spending time around him, since she really didn't have any other choice.

"All right. This way."

Alex followed her down the hallway to her suite. It was in one of the older sections of the Queen's Residence, and was permanently reserved for whenever she came to visit. Tarine had offered her one of the newer suites, but Lilith preferred the character and perks she got with the suite she had.

After two staircases and another hallway, Alex finally got curious enough to say something.

"Just where in the hell are we going? The attic?"

"Close- there's a suite up in one of the corner turrets."

"It had to be so far out of the way?"

"Hey," she said, turning her head slightly to look over her shoulder. "I gave you the option of meeting me in the hall downstairs."

"Had I known the alternative, maybe I would have chosen that instead."

She didn't reply, and paused in front of the single door at the top of another set of stairs. A Sapphire lock on the door kept pretty much everyone out, but when she wasn't in residence, Lilith broke it. Otherwise, she'd be dusting her own cobwebs next time she was here. That seen to, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

It took her several minutes of vanishing bits and pieces of her personal items before she realized that Alex was still in the hallway. Lilith poked her head out the doorway and glanced around. He was leaning against the plastered wall, staring up at the ceiling.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting."

"Oh for the…" she replied, exasperated. "You don't have to wait in the hall, Prince. I'm going to be a minute, and I doubt the décor out here is that fascinating."

Alex shifted his golden gaze to her, and Lilith tried to ignore the fluttery feeling of having his full attention.

"And just what might be more fascinating in there, Lady?"

"The best view of the city you'll ever see," Lilith said as she turned back into the suite.

She went back to packing, leaving him to decide whatever he wanted to do. It had been a mistake to invite him inside. For a moment, she'd brushed a little too close to scars Meredith had given him. That he'd called her 'Lady' had been a dead giveaway Alex was piqued. It'd be better to let him deal with that without pushing.

Since she didn't know when she'd be back again, Lilith vanished most of the things in her bedroom of any personal interest. No telling how long it would take to slip away from the SaDiablos after this adventure. And even if she did come back, Lilith knew that the real work would begin. There wasn't going to be much time to visit or relax.

All that done, she hurried back into the main room of the suite. Alex stood at the window, looking out over Draega. Curiosity must have won against the pain. What did the city look like to him, she wondered. Lilith saw its tragic past overlaid with the possibilities of a brighter future ahead. But for someone like him, bitter memories might overshadow any ability to see it that way.

A few minutes passed without him turning away from the window, even though Lilith knew he was aware she was there. Reluctantly, she approached close enough to have an unobstructed view of the city below.

"Now I see why you chose this room," he said finally. "The view really is amazing from here."

"I've always thought so."

"It almost looks like a different city."

"One day it will be," she said without thinking.

Alex darted a look at her. Judging by the way his breath caught, it sounded like he wanted to say something to her. But the words never came out. Just as well.

"I'm packed, if you're ready to face the stairs again, Prince."

He turned away from the window after one last look over Draega.

"If we must, I suppose there's no help for it."

"I've wondered if I could convince Tarine to put in a pole straight to the first floor," Lilith admitted. "I could just slide down and wouldn't need the stairs. Of course, that would put the other end of the pole smack in the middle of the audience room…so that's out."

She wasn't sure if he was trying not to choke or laugh in response. Lilith didn't ask, letting the silence between them give her time to think as they trekked back to the first floor. Even stretching the journey out into two days, there was still so much she needed to explain to him before they reached the Keep. Much less Kaeleer.

Hell's fire, she could easily spend two days on just his family and nothing else. But there was the Kindred and the Kaeleer Queens. Mother Night, how was she ever going to ground him in some basics of Protocol in time? The thought of it all made her dizzy.

"Lilith, where are you going?"

She paused mid-step. "Hmm?"

Alex pointed to the door several feet back, somewhat bemused. "This is my suite."

"Right. Sorry, I was thinking and wasn't paying attention where I was going."

"I'll be just a minute," he said.

"No worries. I'll be out here."

"I suppose there's no fantastic view in this suite to keep you occupied."

"Not so much."

4/Hell

Daemon glided through the hallways, eyes never resting long on anything. He took in every detail, keeping mental notes. A tapestry here needed mending; A railing there needed a new coat of varnish.

Draca had been right. It had been too long since he'd been here.

Since the issue with Jaenelle Saetien and Lilith's mysterious disappearance began, he hadn't gone far from Dhemlan. When he'd dropped by the Keep in Kaeleer, its Seneschal, Draca, had been adamant that he needed to be in Hell today. She hadn't said why, but Daemon knew it was never wise to ignore a warning from her.

Now that he was here, he had no idea what he was looking for. The repairs were necessary, but not urgent enough that Draca would summon him here.

Maybe if he found Winnetta, she might have some clue. She had come to the Keep over a century ago, and had settled in as the senior housekeeper. Or he could find Forythe, the demon currently serving as the Keep's butler. Between them, those two knew just about anything going on in the Keep.

As he came closer to his official study as the High Lord, Daemon felt a ripple of discord. It grew stronger with every step. No need to look for Winnetta or Forythe now. He could feel that whatever was brewing here had everything to do with the way Draca had shoved him through the Gate this morning.

Daemon rounded the corner and saw Forythe blocking another demon from entering the study.

*What's going on here, Forythe?* he sent on a private thread.

*This one appeared out of nowhere about a week and a half ago in one of the public parlor rooms. He's been like this ever since, demanding to see someone with authority*

Only a fool barged into the Keep making a demand like that. A cold smile played across his face as Daemon thought of ways to accommodate the insolent puppy.

*It appears to be the Warlord's lucky day*

The butler couldn't entirely repress a shudder at the deadly steel sheathed in those softly spoken words. But he nodded, and gestured to the demon who was still yelling at the top of his lungs.

"If you'll just wait a few minutes, the High Lord will be right with you."

"He damn well better be," the Warlord snarled.

Daemon wrapped himself in a sight shield and passed unnoticed into the study. Only when the rage was sufficiently leashed did he give Forythe a mental tap to let him know that he could admit their obnoxious guest. The demon shoved his way past the poor man, barging into the study without any sense of caution. A mistake he would soon regret.

But for now, Daemon pretended not to notice the insult. Obviously there was a story here, and he'd choke down his rage long enough to find out what it was.

"Lord Forythe said that you wish to see me."

"And it's about time, too. That damn demon couldn't find his ass in the dark much less do anything useful."

"I see. Is that what you came to see me about, then? Complaints about the staff here at the Keep?"

"They're certainly not anythin' worth payin' for," the man sneered. "But I've got bigger things to discuss."

"By all means," Daemon replied, voice dangerously calm. "I don't believe that my butler provided me with your name."

"Lord Henkel."

"Very well, then. Do sit down, Lord Henkel, and tell me what is so important that you need the help of the High Lord."

The Warlord cast him a suspicious look, but sat in the chair opposite Daemon's across the blackwood desk.

"That bitch had me executed," he spat out suddenly.

"I'm afraid you're going to need to be a little more detailed than that, Warlord."

"All three of them were nothin' but prissy cunts who don't know the meaning of a little fun. First it was that bitch Queen in the southern district who branded me over nothing'."

"Branded?"

The Warlord held up his left palm, showing an angry red scar of an eye set over a broken tree. Strange. He'd never seen that particular mark before. The Warlord was Hayllian, so he expected that the Queens he meant were part of Meredith's coven. What could they be doing?

"By her trained twat lickers."

"Did this Queen give any reason for the branding?"

"Some bullshit about a little nobody slut getting hurt. It wasn't my fault she broke her hand. Wouldna even happened if she'd just quit struggling like she didn't want it."

Daemon almost gutted the man right then, but he pulled himself away from the killing edge. Barely. The man had raped a witch, or at least tried to. A brand was the least of what he was going to get by the time this audience was over. When he was sure he could speak without snarling, Daemon pressed for more information.

"I see. And you said there were two others?"

"The first bitch threw me out of her district. Said she'd execute me if I came back. So I found someplace else to be. That's when I met her."

Malice and hatred filled Henkel's voice, matching the ugly expression on his face. If he hadn't heard the part about the girl, Daemon would have thought the Warlord meant Meredith. She deserved to be reviled. But instinct was telling him that the Warlord meant someone else.

"Met who," Daemon prompted.

"Dunno her damn name, but she's the one who had me executed. They all think it was the other bitch Queen who ordered it, but I saw them look at one another. It was the other whoring cunt next to her who told her to do it."

"And what was the reason that time?"

A nasty gleam in the Warlord's eye told Daemon he didn't need to hear the answer.

"That hot little prick teaser at the inn should have just kept quiet. If not for the screamin', we'd have had a grand time." His leering grin fell. "Instead here I am- a damn corpse."

Not for long. The wretched excuse for carrion was well on his way to the final death awaiting him. But Daemon was curious what he thought the High Lord would do for him.

"And what would you have me do about that, Warlord?"

"Make examples of them."

"How so?"

"You're the High Lord, aren't you? You've got the power to set it all right in Hayll. Purge Draega of all those bitches who think they own us and give the territory back to Blood males. But start with those three. Start with the cunt who sent me here."

"If you expect me to sort through all the witches in Hayll without even a name to start, I wouldn't waste my time trying. Even if I was so inclined."

"I got names for two of 'em. Queen Tarine and Queen Collette. The one who branded me and the one who delivered my sentence. "

"But the third- the one you want most of all," Daemon asked knowingly.

The Warlord snarled and tugged at his shirttails, but said nothing. The movement drew Daemon's attention to something stuck in the pocket. Odd. He hadn't noticed it when the man sat down. Now it was almost impossible not to see it. Like someone wanted him to notice.

Daemon steepled his fingers in front of him as he looked at the Warlord with sleepy bored eyes.

"I can personally see to your situation, Warlord."

"That's all I want. I deserve justice."

And you'll most certainly get it, Daemon agreed silently. However, he expected their definitions of justice were wildly different. One last game, though, before he finished playing with him.

"Anything else? Is there anyone you'd like me to notify of your predicament? I noticed you seemed to have some letter in your pocket. Is there someone in Hayll that is waiting for it?"

The Warlord looked down at his shirtfront and snarled again.

"Dunno what it is. I've been tryin' to find out for days, but I can't seem to catch hold of the paper."

Spelled.

Someone had spelled the letter and put it in his pocket. Daemon sent out a cautious psychic probe to unravel whatever spell had been used. The second his probe reached the page, it disintegrated. Gone without a trace or even a sense of who might have put it there. Very strange, indeed.

"Try again and hand it over to me, Warlord."

The man shrugged, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Daemon held out a hand for it, curious to know what was written inside. He broke the seal and began reading. With every word, the room grew colder. His rage grew deeper. When he'd finished reading, Daemon tossed it casually on the desk and leveled a chilling look at the Warlord. For the first time since walking in the study, the man looked uncomfortable.

"I don't know what any of that said- it's not mine, I tell ya. You can't hold me responsible for anythin' in it."

Daemon said nothing. The man got out of the chair and pointed a finger at the letter.

"That bitch in Draega probably put it in there after I was dead, lookin' to get me in trouble."

"Why don't you come with me to my private study and we'll find out," Daemon replied icily.

The man tried to bolt out of the study, but Daemon raised a Black shield around the room. The letter gave him a vivid picture of the kind of Warlord this man was, and what he'd done in Hayll. He didn't know who'd penned it, but having heard what the man had already admitted to, Daemon believed it was all true.

The High Lord would find out for certain. Using Craft, he floated the struggling Warlord out of the room and headed to a place meant for that sort of work. It had been a decade at least since he'd performed his last Execution. Daemon never forgot any of them, but he had a feeling the memories of this one were going to be particularly difficult to erase.