Free Demon's Dream (High Demon Series #6) by Connie Suttle Page B

when the chuckling stopped.
    "What about it?"
    "What did you think of working for them?"
    "Lendill and Norian?"
    "Just in general."
    "Did you know that insects and small animals are afraid of High Demons?" I asked, avoiding his question. "I once captured a criminal as he was running through a sewer, trying to get away. The rats were running ahead of me because they were afraid, and they ended up tripping the guy. He was screaming while a thousand rats ran across his back."
    "Does it bother you that rats and insects are afraid of you?"
    "No. Too bad a few humanoids don't react the same way."
    "I hear you were shot a few times while working for the ASD."
    "Yeah. And blown up once. Teeg was trying to kill Zellar. I was collateral damage on that one."
    "You two have some history."
    "You have no idea. Feel free to ask him about that," I said.
    "And this is his." Kevis reached out to stroke my belly. Lying down like that, it was almost flat, still. "I hear you won't call him by his given name."
    "That person is gone. Teeg is all that's left."
    "What happened to the Reah that knew Gavril?"
    "Gone, too, I suppose. That Reah trusted him. Trusted other people, too. All that's in the past."
    "Pull your feet out of the water, Reah. They've cooked long enough," Kevis said. I lifted my feet out obediently, the flagstones feeling cold beneath them as I settled them there.
    "Now, would you like to lie down on a bed or do you want to continue lying on hard stone?" Kevis turned his eyes to mine. He was lying quite close; I'd just ignored him while I examined the sky. I saw that his lashes were long and dark—something that most women would love to have.
    "I'm going to ask Farzi if he'll buy a hammock," I said, sitting up. "It's warmer out here."
    "Do you feel cold?"
    "Yes. A little. It's warmer on Kifirin's Southern Continent. I suppose I'm used to that." I turned back to examining the sky.
    "Come along. You're tired and you know it. Let's get you in the bath and then bed. You can sleep after we bring you something to eat." He rose, dusted off his designer slacks and then pulled me up. The doctor had his priorities, after all.
    * * *
    "You want to ask us questions?" Jayd stared at Kevis, who sat inside the King's private study, comp-vid in hand.
    "I do. I want to get your perspective on all this, regarding Reah." Kevis had a determined look on his face. At that moment, he looked very much like his father.
    "What do you want to know?" Glinda, sitting in a chair near Jayd, asked. Raedah, Tara, Lara and Kara sat on a sofa off to the side. Lara's High Demon husband had grumbled when she'd been asked to come to the palace and speak with the doctor.
    "I'd like to direct these first questions to Reah's daughters," Kevis said. He had their immediate attention. "Can any one of you tell me what your mother's favorite food is, or what kind of jewelry she likes?"
    All four of them looked at one another. Kevis waited patiently. Glinda frowned, Jayd stared at his hands.
    "Perhaps you can tell me what your Aunt Glinda likes to eat, or what kind of jewelry she prefers." The answers were swift in coming.
    "Aunt Glinda likes noodles in a sauce that Mom makes, and her jewelry has to be small and tasteful," they all agreed with Raedah's statement. "We just flunked a test, didn't we?" Raedah asked.
    "Why wasn't I asked to this meeting?" Garde appeared, angrily blowing smoke.
    "I wanted to question you separately, but since you are here now, invited or not," Kevis nodded in Garde's direction.
    "He's asking us how well we know Mom," Raedah sighed. "We're not doing that well on the answers."
    "What did he ask?" Garde crossed arms over his chest defensively.
    "What Mom's favorite foods are, or what kind of jewelry she likes. We didn't know," Tara said. "But we know what Aunt Glinda likes."
    "And what Uncle Jayd likes, and what you like, Grampa," Raedah said.
    "Now, look at these photographs. Which chin is your mother's," Kevis handed three photographs to Reah's