It was not long after the news of the Kaiser?s death that we had been summoned before the Prince. Our oaths of fealty given to him, and our house arrest had summarily been rescinded. Klinton had become a Peer without all of the pomp and circumstance usually afforded to such an occasion, but I cannot say I am sorry to forego the event given the circumstances.

With the lifting of house arrest, I made haste to wrap up affairs on Rigel in preparation to return to RhyDin. It could not be soon enough for me.

Anne and Caleb were chafing to leave, and I cannot blame them for their desire to leave. It had been a rough experience for them both. We?d been gone longer than I had planned, and the trip had not exactly gone as planned. Caleb was more reserved around me than I remember, but he had been publicly accused of killing Marica.

Our departure date arrived 3 days after house arrest had been lifted, and we bade the staff goodbye. I know Baumann will maintain the House in pristine condition until our return 6 months hence. I cannot look forward to that day, but it will come in time.

Lucien had never left my side, and Kendrick has not been found yet. I suspect they will be a long time looking for him. He?s fastidious and brilliant. He will have planned out his escape to detail levels most people would never consider. I feel for whatever world gains Kendrick for a resident.

The trip home had been more silent than the trip out. Everyone keeping more to themselves this time. Caleb was seldom seen and Anne began thinking about her pending appeal.

I tried my best to explain to Klinton the rules associated with his petition for his own coat of arms. ?Fur may not cover fur, color may not cover color, nor may metal cover metal, and so, as in my armor, the field is azure chevrony doubly cottised, which means the field is blue, with very thin lines of ermine forming the shape of a chevron. The griffon is segreant in or (gold) with tongue and claws in gulles (red). So as you can see, no where is there the same material over the same material.?

He may have supporters. These are tightly controlled for use, and are usually done in pairs. Supporters are only allowed to hereditary peers, and certain Knight orders. In my case, the right supporter is a rampant unicorn, and the left is a rampant winged stag. The helm above the shield must be in gold, presented affronte, with grills. Gold is only used for royalty proper, where as the other peers use silver, presented in profile with grills. Lifetime peers, or Knights and baronets must use steel, presenting affronte, without grills. The motto is to be displayed beneath the shield, and in this case, Klinton may not have his own motto.

All in all, it sounds complicated, but I am hoping he does not elect to seek amory even more complicated. He is clearly planning on his own device rather than adopting mine, which means he will need to impale mine over the boss of his shield. Should there ever be heirs, our old and venerable shield will become more complex. Personally, I like the clean accomplishments. They speak of old lines, and undiluted histories. It is said history is written in heraldry. If you know how to read it, there is a very clear history of Rigel laid out in the arms of our Peerage.

We landed five days later in RhyDin. Gabriel and Eoin were at the dock to meet us. The Maybach waited, and I could see that it had been modified while we were away. It had been armored A4, it was now armored at least A8 from what I could see. With a sigh, I settled into the back seat with Klinton, Caleb and Anne.

It was time to focus on Anne?s re-trial.

The Palazzo settled into a familiar routine after Alban Arthuan. The house hold staff removed the holiday trimmings in preparation for the advent of the new year. Snow lay deep in the gardens except where the bird feeders were situated. Those places had the snow tracked and flattened by the comings and goings of the birds and squirrels alike.

The eve of the new year was upon us, and for a few hours we had peace and quiet. RhyDin's celebrations included magnificent fireworks which were undoubtedly augmented by some of the local sorcerers and spell casters. Klinton and I could see them from our gardens, and we bundled up for the cold outting to watch from our enclosed home. I saw a flicker of relief cross Eoin's face when we told him we would be staying in for the festivities.

Our new year came in quietly. Perhaps it will be a harbinger of better times, but Kendrick is still at large, and we still do not know who tried to kill Klinton.

The following evening I went into town with Lucien. There were people I needed to see, and we were to meet at the new Inn. I had just selected an empty table close to the warmth of the fireplace, but the Inn was very quiet, and there were several in the vicinity.

I was rather surprised to see Rhaine there. I ordered my scotch and said hello to her. "The trial is not going as well as I'd like." I wondered if she was following the re-trial Anne had been granted. After all, it was Rhaine's help that Anne survived to even be at the first trial. But, I had not seen her in the court room, and could not be certain she was still engaged with the proceedings.

She nodded and sat as far away from the fire light as she could. This seemed odd as I've never known her to avoid light before. She was then joined by a skeletal warrior wearing dark metal armor. This is the first time I've seen one up close, and their reputations are well warranted.

Rhaine's robes are different now as well. The addition of the obvious body guard has piqued my curiosity and I wonder how much of this change is due to the advent of the new temple, and how much is due to ill winds blowing that I am as yet unaware. We discussed Anne's trial as well as Nadine's reluctant testimony. It was not having the effects we'd hoped for. The tape of Anne's illegal duel with Black was proving to be damaging. We discussed the impact of the images verses other forms of testimony. Rhaine seems unhappy with the Court's processes, and I second her sentiments.

Lucien remained unseen tonight, and I asked Rhaine if she'd told Gabriel yet about her new body guard.

She grinned, asking me why she would tell him, and I chuckled. "He'll be surprised, and you know how well he takes surprises." I had to resist the temptation to give Lucien a conspiratorial wink.

She smiled back placidly, "I can keep my guard concealed. Skeletal warriors do not speak much."

We touched on the subject of her brother, whom I have not seen since before we left. She changed abruptly as I inquired after him. "He is fine...just like anyone would be fine after a certain ritual."

"Ritual?" She'd lost me with that, and where I would have inquired further, she cut me off. "Not something I should speak about in an inn. Enough to say... he survived it."

Whatever the ritual was, it was dangerous - in more ways than one. Perhaps Vitus will enlighten me when next we meet.

About then, General Xenograg arrived. His new title seemed odd, but I greeted him as Xenograg Bey. He looked slightly startled at hearing it himself as he changed directions and came to join us. I smiled, "Your ceremony upon the steppe was refreshingly to the point, without pompous exaggeration."

He took an empty chair, "Indeed? Your recent trip home was irksome?"

I could feel my features harden. Irksome? If he only knew, but I schooled my voice, "my trip home was full of unforeseen disasters."

He'd not been aware, but few in RhyDin would be aware of the events in Rigel. I suspect very few know where Rigel is, let alone follow the news from my homeworld. After telling him about the 3 murders and the attempt on Klinton's life, he blinked and said that my home sounded more like his, and he welcomed me back to the fringes of society, where the violence of our homes would have less impact upon us here.

Rhaine listened intently. I've no idea how much Gabriel may have told her about our absence, but her features gave nothing away. The relationship between Gabriel and Rhaine is a mystery to me, but their odd truce seems to continue to hold.

Xenograg and I spoke about the murders, especially the Kaiser's. "It was one of the Peers, he committed the murder before a large audience, but as to whom made the attempt on Klinton, we still do not know."

He nodded, "at least there was a clear succession to the throne."

Nodding, "the intrigue at Court was worse than usual. Yes, but the old Kaiser and the new one are nothing alike in goals and methods." While I privately am pleased that Wolfgang is Kaiser, there will be many who are not. His position is by no means stable yet.

Xeno ordered watered wine, "intrigue is one thing. Open bloodshed is something else."

"There was poison used, something Kendrick created. He killed the Kaiser in public and somehow managed to escape. No one knows where he is right now."

The General was not familiar with Kendrick. How do I describe the loathsome man who murdered my parents, the emperor, and who knows how many others? I told both Xeno and Rhaine that Kendrick was dangerous and still free. Where he'll turn up next is anyone's guess.

Rhaine wondered if he has any specific features I could share with her. Anything that would distinguish him uniquely. "Kendrick in his normal state yes, I can describe, but he could use a variety of disguises to change his looks at will. It?s easy enough to change hair color, or skin tone, or add facial hair." Finding Kendrick will be difficult given this ability to change outward appearances at will.

Xenograg was telling me a bit about his people, and he observed that Generals and others of notability seldom die in their beds. His home world sounds like a very rough and uncertain place. He said Demodar culture is mixed, and that the dominant minority is slowly mergine with the conquered cultures. It seems history shows us that such blending is unavoidable.

Rhaine seemed lost in her own thoughts as Xeno and I discussed his homeland and the Winter Solstice ceremony when he?d named his daughter Amanda the Heiress to his new holding in the Steppes.

Rhaine abruptly asked, ?how high are the chances of him noticing anyone taking interest in products similar to those of the company he owned??

I studied her a minute, ?Kendrick is canny and does not make mistakes. If someone were looking into his company and it?s competition, and if he has any way of monitoring that right now, I?d say he?ll notice.? Rhaine knows more than she lets on. I will have to speak with Gabriel.

Xeno wanted to know if Kendrick knew of RhyDin, and I explained that Kendrick had known when where I was, met us when we landed in Rigel, so yes, he clearly knew about RhyDin.

Conversation drifted away from Kendrick and murder as we spoke about Amanda Darelir. She was to be the General?s apprentice. We had a lively discussion about the merits of book learning and controlled atmosphere sorcery verses the school of hard knocks from which both Rhaine and Xenograg had come. I have never served where warfare was my job. My battlefields were Court, and politics, and intrigue found there. No less dangerous, but very different from setting foot on a battlefield in the classic sense of the word.

The General introduced us to the proprietor of the Inn. Ashandar appears to be feline with glossy black hair and a tail. He teased back and forth with the General, and the two seem to have known one another a very long time.

The topic of the Dojo came up. It seems his pesky ghost remains, and the General?s considering closing the school. That seems extreme. How difficult can it be to rid the building of a ghost?

We parted company later in the evening, and so it begins again.

Eoin and I had left the Palazzo at 5:30 AM, and as I pulled the Enzo into the parking lot, I thought I had seen the low intensity glow of my office computer. I could have sworn I'd turned it off days ago. A frown creased my brow, but Eoin was busy looking around the parking lot before allowing me to exit the vehicle.

I parked the sleek machine in my space and got out into the cold morning air. Street lights and my own company exterior lighting provided a well lit walk to the front entry. I touched the ID pad at the door, which promptly slid open for me, and Eoin slid in behind me before the door slid shut and locked once more.

There is very little activity at this hour. The third shift is usually just maintenance crews and custodial services, but there were 2 men in the office area engaged in last minute cleaning before Drachen Walde Industries would re-open in the new year.

Charlotte would arrive in another half an hour or so.

The door to my office slid open at my identification, and there upon my desk, the terminal screen remained on. How strange.

Nothing else seemed out of place, or otherwise disturbed, but I was certain I'd shut everything down before I'd left for Alban Arthuan. The feeling of unease remained, but there was nothing I could put my finger on per se.

Eoin started the coffee for which I am grateful. There is nothing better than a fresh cup of Brazilian coffee!

I pulled up the orders for the first week of the new year, and forwarded those to the production manager. We would have some tricky deliveries this month, and I heartily wished Anne was back!

The orders for the Rigel made weapons was going to push me into an expansion. We couldn't keep up with the orders, and I would need to decide soon which location would best suit the needs. RhyDin did not yet make the more sophisticated weapons, those are currently only done in Rigel, but the labor and materials are cheaper here in RhyDin.

Personally I like the solid feel of the DE .50 at my side, but too many others like the feel and result of the laser and the neural disrupter weapons. Those however are expensive and many groups are only concerned with the lethality and not the 'how's' of that deadly result.

Several hours later, and many communications and responses later, Dyson called. His message was hair raising. Kendrick was alive, and well, and unfortunately thinking about me. Lucien and Gabriel were already aware, and they had already begun digging for information or clues to either validate the delivery message, or refute it. Additionally, they'd already informed Klinton. I had hoped to spare him that news and the worry that will accompany it.

The quiet I had enjoyed was evaporating around me. Kendrick had not sent this 'gift' without a deeper meaning. The trick now was to decypher what he was up to before he could strike again.

Lucien said there were not engineered poisons he could detect in the 'gift', but I wanted it all destroyed to be safe. No point in risking something they may not be able to detect this time. Kendrick was a dangerous adversary, and without question, he is already working on improving his killing potions.

The afternoon passed slowly as my mind continued to mull over the message and the fact that Kendrick had let me know he was still alive. Here was a brilliant chemist and chemical engineer with a background in things most people don't even dream about. He was even worse than I suspected Herr Siewelt of being.

I went very still.

What if?

No.

Kendrick can't possibly know about the MacPherson's and Siewelt.

Could he?

Oh be-damned! Siewelt's secretive construction sites, his admission of working with dangerous diseases and how to treat them from the specialized research locations were just too good a match with Kendrick's former businesses on Rigel. Would Kendrick be stupid enough to come to RhyDin? Would he risk being discovered and turned in to the Rigelian authorities?

I could only wonder about the motives behind publicity of Kaiser's assassination. And about the layout of political scene. Keith has just started his analysis. I have no trust in any words... probably that's not too good, but who knows what is happening actually... I am no psionicist expert, unfortunately, and I can not catch this Kendrick and get a scan of his memory. Which is a pity.

The picture was becoming worse and worse. When I came to the Inn, my vampire was already there. Gabriel and I discussed Kendrick again and again, but nothing was more clear... Talks bred confusion. He could have used public assassination of previous Kaiser as a smokebomb to dodge the boredom of Court (and from Keith's first reports I could see how disgusting the place was), or he could have been simply used by the Prince. From the first glance at the situation, Tuebingen gained nothing from the assassinations, only lost, which made me suggest he was used. However, who knows what exactly lies under the water here? What is the hidden part of the iceberg?

In the middle of our talk (which was getting us nowhere) Rille arrived. She looked happy in this new environment - happier than even in the insanity of Clandestine. I have assigned her to monitor local markets for equipment and supplies for a biochemical or genetical lab - she probably got the information I needed. And I was correct. Rille nodded as I introduced her to Gabriel. What were the thoughts in her pretty head, I wonder... She handed me info-chip. Of course my curious vampire decided to poke his nose into the information. No way, my sweet, only after I decide if you are fit to take a look at it.

Rille worries me. She is starting to seek danger willingly, and enjoying it. Just like I was... when I was her age. I need to make sure she doesn't get killed. The game is much more serious, and the lass is much more human than I was. I reminded her to be as cautious as possible, and altered the Temple wards to let her pass. The girl needs some safe hideaway. If things go wrong... in the end, half of her genome is mine. Or at least what used to be my genome.

Kendrick, earl Tuebingen. This man has become a headache for too many. However I do not sense that he can be a threat to me and to the Temple. He should be rational enough. I have seen samples of his work... very good work for a human by the way! Compared to g'iarre standards it's a slapdash, of course, but for a human it's magnificent. I have heard of assassinations he has performed - brilliant. Azjah hates him, and one has to deserve such hatred.

But this man is a puzzle. I can not say that he is in RhyDin - I have seen no evidence of this. The McPherson company Rille has tracked, can have other molecular biologists. But I can not say he is somewhere in another place. Everything would depend on stage two... Hopefully I would have to have a personal meeting with a representative of the company which decides to get the order...

I entered the Inn late, and there was a very small crowd. Eoin stood by the door, but was visibly relieved to see Gabriel there as well. Gabriel, Rhaine, and the young woman Rille were gathered at a table away from the others, and so I approached them.

Rhaine said hello first, and then Rille inquired after my holidays. Clearly I had interrupted something deep here. Gabriel offered to retrieve drinks, and that is something he almost never does. He left for my scotch as Rhaine spoke up to Rille, "I can give Gabriel a summary when I take a look at this. If that's one more piece to the puzzle, that would be delicious."

Gabriel returned in time to tell Rhaine "Or send the chip to me."

Rhaine quipped back, "Gabriel, I hope you do not assume I would trust you enough."

He walked toward the bar as Klinton stepped inside, telling Rhaine he could hope that some century she would learn to trust him.

I shook my head, "Gabriel? What are you up to now?"

Klinton headed for the bar and his ale before joining us as Rhaine chuckled, "Some vampire - style mischief probably."

Rille seemed anxious to depart as she told Rhaine, "I don't suppose I'm further needed, am I?"

Rhaine told her only if she needed to ask questions, but that she should keep safe. In these times, I think we all need to endeavor to keep safe.

Klinton joined us, and I slipped my hand into his as he told me he felt as if he were being neglectful of me. I find that nonsense, but touching that he worries so about me. He'd been playing with the ring on his finger, as though he were still not quite used to wearing it, or perhaps he regrets things? He'd not really had any choice on Rigel.

Rhaine and Rille bantered back and forth about Rille being too much like Rhaine, and I had to chuckle inwardly. I suspect Rhaine was a bit of a hellion when she was Rille's age.

Turning toward Klinton, I leaned close, enjoying the warmth of his presence, and the scent of his person as I conspiratorially told him, "I have just arrived, but I get the distinct impression that Gabriel and Rhaine are up to something." I know perfectly well that Gabriel hears every word, and yet he is playing ignorant of my questions and my comments. Something is up, and he's not wanting to discuss it.

Klinton looked at Gabriel, "Causing trouble again?"

Gabriel gave him a completely dead pan, slightly affronted look, "I do not cause trouble. I endeavor to avert it."

Klinton sipped his beer, "Actually, I cannot argue that fact."

I looked hard at Gabriel, "So precisely what are you three plotting?"

Gabriel looked at me, "Lucien has found an interesting warehouse. We plan to check it out tonight."

Well, that certainly was a minimalistic response. "What makes this warehouse so interesting Gabriel?"

He turned away from me, having heard Anne arrive and departed without a word in reply to my query. I gave him a suspicious look, "Ignoring me?"

He was listening to Rille and Rhaine, and Rhaine's comment that it was good that men found Rille attractive because "many females solve problems by just nice look and soft word."

Rille smirked as Gabriel chimed in, "And that is the downfall of any male of any species Rhaine."

She chuckled and admitted that she knew.

I leaned closer to Klinton, "So, what did you make of the 'gift'?" He glanced up from his beer, "I think someone is trying to kill me, Or you, or both."

I whispered very softly, "but do you think it's Kendrick, or no?"

He shrugged, "Probably is, but I don't think it matters really."

Rhaine froze abruptly and looked at Klinton, "Why? And how? Any facts?" With that outburst, Rille went silent and sat studying Klinton.

Rhaine's soft words could barely be heard, "Chess game. And a good one." Then to Klinton she inquired again, "Why do you think someone is trying to kill you? How serious do you think the potential murderer is? And why would anyone wish to kill you?"

Klinton was very thoughtful before he responded to her, "Well, nearly poisoned on my wedding night. Gifts sent anonymously to the house, just seems suspicious to me. We cannot prove anyone. And I will keep my mouth shut about suspicions."

I whispered softly, "The implication form the initials is Kendrick, but that is the problem, proving it."

Rille's gaze flitted to Rhaine's a moment before Rhaine said, "I do not believe any implications. Any of my bretheren is taught this."

Klinton motioned for me not to mention the Earl's name. ?I do not trust everyone around us Azjah. I am very much on edge about this.?

I nodded, we were all on edge lately.

He left to retrieve Anne to join us. His approach to her was utterly soundless, and he leaned over her left shoulder before pitching his voice in a low, velvety baritone, "There is a small party over there, if you would care to join us Miss Xile??

Anne tensed instantly, then slapped her hand, palm open onto the counter, ?I told you not to sneak up on me like that! The next time you do that I just might take my staff and hit you on the head!?

Jewell smirked, her expression very clearly suggesting she might enjoy that sight.

Rhaine and Rille prepared to go just as Gabriel began to escort Anne toward us. ?Marquess, Marchioness, look whom I just discovered.?

Anne muttered about the word ?discovered? but accepted the chair Gabriel pulled out for her. ?Evening Azjah, will you please tell your friend here that I don?t like being scared senseless.?

I quirked a brow at Anne, ?He is scaring you??

She nodded emphatically, ?Yeah, like sneaking up on me and using this soft voice in my ear. Usually when that happens I get kidnapped, shot, stabbed, threatened, get my drift??

Gabriel smiled like a shark, ?Do you object to pleasantly pitched voices Miss Xile??

I shook my head, ?Gabriel, you can make warning noises before you speak so closely.?

He laughed a velvet caress of sound, ?I could, but the adrenaline scent is intoxicating.?

Anne sighed, ?as long as you don?t start pressing daggers or guns to my back, I guess I?ll live through it.?

Gabriel looked at Anne, ?I would only do that if you gave me a reason Miss Xile.? He was not teasing at that point.

Klinton rose, excusing himself, and I told him that I would like to remain and speak with Anne for a bit. Klinton nodded and disappeared into the night.

Anne listened to the altered tone of Gabriel?s voice, ?Let?s hope I don?t give you a reason then, huh??

Gabriel told her that she would not realize it until it was too late, and Anne shuddered slightly. Something was wrong here.

?Gabriel, please do not tease like that. Anne? How are you holding up??

She told me that the trial stunk, and that she really wanted it to be over with. The strain was telling on her, and while I asked if there was something I could do to help alleviate her tension, she told me to ask the lawyers. There was very little now, but I had to ask. She shifted, ?and y?know what else stinks? Caleb. I?m having second thoughts. I don?t think this is going to work.?

I was surprised by her admission, but she did not wish to discuss it further, so I glanced away to see Rhaine re-appear, only to huddle with Gabriel. Those two are up to something, but clearly are keeping it under wraps at the moment. I turned my attention back to Anne, ?well, you know where to find me if you decide you do want to talk.?

I heard Rhaine tell Gabriel to be careful, and his cavalier reply, ?I am the epitome of careful.? He is utterly too cavalier about life, even if it is his own.

Anne spoke up, ?Anyway, how are you doing? I hope that ?gift? from Kendrick didn?t scare you too badly.?

I looked at her, ?Worried Anne. That delivery has put everyone on edge. I destroyed it all. There was no point in risking that he?s developed something Lucien and Gabriel cannot sense.?

Her next words stunned me. ?Frankly, that doesn?t put me on edge. I?m not going to lie, I?m not afraid of him.?

I could not believe what I am hearing, ?How can you say that Anne? He abducted you, your children, used you as a vector of killing, how can you not be afraid of him??

She shrugged, ?I don?t know. Probably the same reason that I?m currently engaged to an assassin.?

I was shaking now, ?Anne, Kendrick is a murdering bast*rd! Caleb never used you. Kendrick did!?

Her voice was just as cold, ?I know.?

A sudden, sickening thought dawned on me, ?Anne? Have you seen him here, in RhyDin? Would you tell us if you saw him here given his and my past??

She rubbed her temples, and hedged, ?IF I saw him, and IF I thought he was a threat, yes.?

That did not make me feel secure by any means. Would she hide Kendrick?s presence from us after everything she?s seen and knows?

She quipped with feigned lightness, ?If I was Kendrick, I?d send you the basket, just to make you and Klint paranoid. And then go off to some distant planet where I can?t be found.?

My doubts and suspicions were on high alert, ?I do not think that is it Anne. The man murdered my parents, 2 Peers of the Realm, the Kaiser, just how would you determine whether or not he?s a threat??

She agreed he was no angel, and agreed that my parents were unforgivable, but that the other murders were politically motivated, and that Klinton and I were not in danger because we were no threat to Kendrick.

?Oh, I am VERY much a threat to him Anne. I will have his gonads on a spit if I can. I will turn him over to the Rigelian authorities at first opportunity.? She has no clue how much of a threat I am to the man. Nor the depth of my commitment to get him put away.

She shook her head, ?That?s if you can find him. It?s not my battle. I personally don?t want to be involved in any more conflicts. I just want to have peaced.?

She was hiding him. I could feel it in my soul. I needed to leave. ?Anne? Please do not trust him. Not a bit.? With that, I headed into the night, with Eoin as my shadow.

Despite Eoin and Lucien?s objections, I headed for the Arena to do some volunteer work. It was reasonably quiet, and the Twins had confirmed that Kendrick was indeed in RhyDin, but no one has seen him, nor has he made any further contact after the call to my private line last night. He?d baited me with the call, and dared me to doubt his word of honour. While I loath the man with every fiber of my being, the word of a Peer is something one must be careful of impugning. The image had appeared to be from Rigel, but the twins assure me he has been in the warehouse where they were investigating the other night. No, Kendrick is here, in RhyDin, somewhere. And thus, Eoin stood at the door, and Lucien would remain unseen at my side for the night.

Topaz came into the room just as I was ordering my scotch from Hubie, and when I asked her how she was, she announced that she was bored. Somehow, I suspect a bored faerie is never a good thing. We spoke briefly about her son Daniel, whom it seems has left once again and did not even send word for the Yule days to her. This must be troubling him greatly, but he will have to come to terms with his discoveries about his mother, as well as about General Xenograg. Who is now known as Xenograg Bey after the ceremony upon the steppes.

She had asked me how things were for me, and I told her that short of Kendrick?s presence in RhyDin, things were well indeed. She did not know who Kendrick was, and as I began to tell her that in my view he?s a murdering bastard, Anne lunged in the doors, shouting my name.

?Azjah! He?s taking my kids Azjah! He?s taking MY kids!? She was nearly incoherent as she kept repeating that ?he was taking her kids.?

?Who is taking your children?? I finally got her calmed down enough to speak to her, and my puzzlement was clear.

?I can?t believe it, the idiotic, self righteous?. VINCENT. He?s filing for custody!!? Anne was distraught and on the verge of hysteria.

I blinked. Vincent was very helpful earlier, and had even saved Anne?s life, but he is no relation to the children, and has no legal claim to them. ?He has no claim what so ever on them Anne. What does he think he?s doing??

A woman who?d come in shortly after Topaz spoke up, ?Is he the father??

Anne turned to her, ?No! No, he was a helping friend is all.?

I shook my head, ?The courts will not grant it Anne. He is no relation.?

She continued on, ?He watched them for two weeks, WAS my friend.?

This was hurting Anne as nothing else could. Vincent?s turning on her now, and making this move. It would destroy their relationship, if it has not already.

?Azjah, he?s going to use DNA manipulation, which unfortunately is easy for him. And, and, he?s going to use the case that I?m not a good mother.?

Aya continued, ?Then there is no use complaining if he is of no relation.?

Clearly Aya does not know Vincent, and his abilities.

Anne went on, ?and he?s putting the fact that Caleb?s an assassin, and that I?m on trial and will be in jail. AZJAH!!? Her voice rose in desperation. ?Do something Azjah! Those are my kids! I want to raise them, be a part of their lives. He can?t do this!? She sat down breaking into tears.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and guided her back to my sofa. ?He has no claim Anne. There are too many witnesses that know he is not the father, even if he does try to genetically manipulate them. Where are the children Anne?? We needed to move the children immediately, and I want the twins to look after them, keep Vincent away from them at all costs.

She told me the children were at the Palazzo with Caleb. So much the better. ?Alright, we?ll set Lucien to guard them, and we should probably move them to somewhere else where he can?t locate them.? I looked up at Lucien, who refused to budge, but he had already told Gabriel, and at that moment, the other twin was moving toward Anne?s suite to keep an eye out for Vincent.

Topaz suggested that we hire an assassin to take out Vincent since the courts would never give custody to a dead guy, and then she seemed to register that we were talking about the former Arch Mage Vincent, the guy with the penguins.

Aya did not understand Anne?s distress, ?It is foolish to believe that his claim will have a chance, anyway, best not even concern yourself over this issue whatsoever.?

Anne looked at her, ?You don?t understand, I?m on trial for murder. He could get claim.?

I shook my head, Vincent would never gain custody of those children, Klinton would see to that. ?We will not allow him to take your children from you Anne.? I was trying to soother her, but until we could get the children safely away from Vincent, she would worry.

She took a shakey breath, ?Okay, Lucien?s guarding them, right? You said he?ll guard them??

I nodded at her as Aya continued, ?No he can?t. He is not the father. It is as the official says, there are too many witnesses against the case. If the father cannot be reached, then the god parents would lay claim to them if you are found an unfit mother.?

Anne was nearly sobbing, ?The father is dead.? She took a series of deep breaths, ?Good thing I named you and Klinton god parents.?

Aya told Anne that ?then the god parents would be next in line. So there is no concern over this issue.?

Topaz was of the mind to ruin Vincent?s character, make sure everyone knows he uses animals for dueling.

I had Hubie bring Anne her lemon juice, which she took and sipped slowly.

We sat upon the sofa while she rubbed her eyes tiredly, and I hugged her, ?Anne, he will not prevail.?

She nodded, ?He keeps claiming them as his kids. I don?t understand why. What?s wrong with him??

I had no answers for her, but I assured her we would sit Vincent down and speak to him about this whole affair, and explain to him that while his help was appreciated, it does not make the children his.

She shook her head disconsolately, ?He didn?t listen to reason.?

Vincent will have no choice but to listen. I will fight him with everything at my disposal for her. Those children need Anne, not a misguided being such as Vincent.

As Anne moved into the ring with Brian Helgraz, I froze as a middle aged man trotted down the stairs. The million dollar smile was characteristic for Geffen Siewelt, whom I had not seen in a very long time. Not since before the dragon attacks in RhyDin.

As I was about to speak to Geffen, the door was kicked open, and there stood Caleb with both of Anne?s children in his arms. He moved toward the table Anne usually occupies, and it was quite clear that he was struggling to maintain the upper hand with the two scallywags.

Geffen peeled the gloves from his hands and tucked them inside a coat pocket, his grey eyes surveying who was in attendance before pausing on me. He gave me a nod before ordering his Bourbon neat and having a seat.

?Busy night?? Geffen finally inquired.

I nodded at him, ?A bit. I have not seen you in town of late Herr Siewelt.?

He gave me an even bigger smile, ?Ah, yes, business is booming, so to speak.?

His oblique reference to the warehouse explosion was clear, but couched in mundane words where the nuance would only be caught by the person meant to catch it.

?Quite? I said as I gave him a suspicious look.

He slipped off the coat and cast about for a duel.

The door opened again, and every hair on my neck stood up as Kendrick slid inside, out of the cold. Lucien lightly touched my shoulder from his invisible place at my side. I could feel my features harden as Kendrick obtained a drink before heading for Caleb, bowing briefly to Christopher before turning to Caleb. ?Mr. Feren, I?m glad to see that babysitting is among your many talents. Would you consider a match later? I fear I am in need of practice.?

Caleb took his time responding to Kendrick, and my hand slid to unbutton the silk jacket, giving me access to the grip of the DE in my shoulder holster. I would shoot the man with very little provocation at this moment.

Kendrick looked up at me with a faint smile, ?I wouldn?t Lady Caer.?

I quirked a brow at him, ?I will if needed Tuebingen.?

He gave me an easy smile, ?I fear that you mistake my name. I abdicated my title to the young lord. I am simply Kendrick now.?

There was ice in my voice as I told him he was anything but simple. My fingers curled around the weapon, and a part of me prayed that he would give me a reason to put a bullet through his brain.

Caleb spoke softly, but I heard him tell Kendrick that he would happily eviscerate him within the rings, but that unfortunately, the wards would not allow permanent injury.

Kendrick bade him lead on then, and as they entered the ring, Kendrick looked up at me, ?Oh, and Lady Caer, I believe the laws of this land proclaim this as neutral ground, would you outlaw yourself for me? I?m flattered. I didn?t know you cared.?

The smug bastard! ?There are extenuating circumstances.? I informed him, and I seriously considered shooting the man where he stood in the ring.

Geffen abruptly took an interest in Kendrick?s and my verbal sparring.

Kendrick smirked, ?Now you use my excuse.?

I?ll be damned before I?ll ever use an excuse! ?Some things are worth the price.? And I prayed that the wards in this ring would fail.

Anne had heard Kendrick, and she fled her ring to gather her children to her, hugging them so tightly, I?m surprised they could breathe.

Kendrick displayed his association with Geffen as he suggested a wager to Geffen. ?Mr. Geffen, care for a wager? If I win, you pay me double for my next commission. I lose, I do it for free??

The man has been doing work for Siewelt! There could be nothing good about Kendrick working for Siewelt. Nothing. A tremor slid along my spine. What technology has Kendrick provided to the MacPhersons?

The duel went in Caleb?s favor decidedly, and Geffen pricked Kendrick, ?Unless you plan on living off bread crumbs and pennies, you better do something soon Kendrick.?

I muttered something about hoping he expired, but Kendrick?s reply sat me bolt upright.

?Ah, no fear, for the last month, Miss Azjah here has been kind enough to pay me a salary too, so I?m quite well off for now.?

?Paid you? Are you daft?? I was mentally running through the payments I had made in the last month, and none of them had gone to Kendrick, nor any of his firms. What was he talking about?

?Well, the paycheck did say DWI, so unless you?ve been bought out recently?.? He let the thought remain unsaid.

?What the hell were you doing at DWI?? I was still searching my mind for what he was referring to.

?This and that,? came his reply.

I remembered the other morning when I had the feeling that someone had been in my office, and now it seems that sixth sense was right on. Now I would need to see just what Kendrick had been up to.

Geffen kept his smile in place as he watched Kendrick lose to Caleb, ?Disappointing Kendrick, but perhaps working for free will be incentive enough.?

?Geffen, you haven?t realized it yet, but I work for the challenges, money is not a big concern.? Kendrick had so many off the radar businesses, he would never have to fear going hungry. He then headed for Anne, and I nearly rose from my sofa.

When I thought things could not get any more complicated, Vincent walked through the doors. While Anne was busy with Kendrick, I had to try to figure out how to get Vincent?s attention without alerting Anne to his presence.

Too late, Chris had seen Vincent and gone running toward him, and I held my breath as Anne realized her son was gone. Vincent greeted the child, ?hey kiddo.?

Anne froze, summoning her son back to her side at the sound of Vincent?s voice. ?Christopher, come back to mommy now.

The child turned and headed back to Anne, and I relaxed as Vincent let the child go.

Kendrick was speaking with Anne and Caleb, and then turned to head for the door. He gave me a grin, ?Good night Lady Caer, do give my respects to Lucy and Gabe.? Lucien snarled low, and the echo of thunder rippled outside the Arena.

I nodded curtly at Kendrick, ?Pity about the wards Tuebingen.? He would always be the Earl of Tuebingen to me. Using his given name was not something I was prepared to consider. It would make him human. I did not wish to consider him as anything other than a vile wretch. His title was so much easier to stomach.

Geffen considered me a minute, ?I don?t know if I should be offended or otherwise, Azjah. Thus far, Kendrick has more than proven himself a valued employee of our organization.?

I gave Geffen a cold look, ?You hire questionable people Herr Siewelt.?

He smirked, ?I hire qualified people. Only the best.?

?You hired a murderer.? My words were laced with the bitterness of 17 years of loss.

?I?ve seen nothing to substantiate your claims, Azjah dearest.? Geffen gave me a sly grin from his ring.

I took a sip of the scotch before responding, ?You haven?t done your usual investigation then Herr Siewelt. He?s a wanted man on Rigel.? I wasn?t going to remind him of Cory and the instability he?s shown of late.

?This is not Rigel, Azjah.?

Geffen?s use of my first name was grating. We were not on the same side at this moment, and his obvious glee at having Tuebingen on his payrole was annoying to say the least. But, now that I know where the murdering monster is, I will alert the Rigellian authorities and let them deal with him.

Xenograg Bey arrived, followed inside by Mystic. I withdrew to consider tonight?s events.

Anne decided it was time to take her children home, and I concur. Having them here with Vincent is not a good plan. And, it would give me a chance to speak with Vincent without having Caleb or Anne present.

As I bade Anne good night, Caleb spoke to Vincent, Lucien heard it, but I could not, he told me Caleb told Vincent this: ?Smith, you are correct. DNA can be easily manipulated, in more ways than one.?

I groaned. Threatening Vincent would not be the best idea, and I heard Vincent quip, ?The fool?s in for a big surprise.?

I glanced at Vincent, ?We need to speak before you leave.?

He sighed, ?If you insist, although it will probably change little.?

I shook my head, ?It will change much. And yes, we must.?

Geffen was once more speaking on the telephone in German, and I gave him a puzzled look as he said that something was big news indeed. There is much about Siewelt and his project that need to be investigated.

Vincent came to the sofa after his match, ?Ok Azjah, What threats do you feel like making??

I have no interest in making threats, and I indicated the sofa cushion next to me. ?Vincent, why are you trying to lay claim to Anne?s children? They are not yours, you are not the father, what are you hoping to gain?? I would try for reason first, trying to figure out just what he was truly after with this move.

He gave me a level look through narrowed eyes, ?I lay claim because I view myself as their father, having helped to raise them since they were born. I want to see them grow up in a place where they do not have to worry about pirates, assassins, and other unsavory characters.?

I sipped the scotch thoughtfully, ?Vincent, you are not their father, your aid has been most valued, but now you will ruin all of that by this action. Additionally, you do realize that Klinton and I are the children?s god parents, and we cannot allow this.?

He was growing visibly angry as he told me that were I the White Lady herself, his course would remain unaltered.

I sadly shook my head. ?Vincent, the Courts will not see you as the legal guardian. You have no claim.? He could make a lot of trouble, and cost Anne a great deal of money by trying this, but in the end, he cannot expect to take the children from their mother. ?There are too many people who know you are not the father, and your threat of genetic manipulation will not help.?

He glared at me, his hands twitching, ?The Courts will see that the current environment is not safe, that Anne and Caleb are not fit parents and they will be removed.?

?But they will not be removed to your care.? It was harsh, but the laws would never condone turning over the children into a stranger?s care.

?I will gain custody of my kids one way or another.? He was furious with my discussion, but if I could convince him that he would stand no chance in Court, perhaps he would back down.

?Klinton and I are legally the next logical alternative,? I pressed on.

He grabbed at my throat, choking me as he whispered in my ear, ?they are my children, and as a loving father, I will give them the life they deserve.?

Lucien was there instantly, his hand wrapped around Vincent?s wrist in a vise like grip. The menace in Lucien?s face could not have been any clearer as he bared fangs at Vincent.

He let go of my throat, ?They are NOT your children, and I will see you in hell before you get them.?

Vincent looked at Lucien and then at me, ?You?re welcome to try and stop me, but you?ll fail. Miserably.?

I rubbed my throat, ?No Vincent, it is you who will fail. Do not test me on this.?

He rose, ?I will test. I will win. Because none of you can do what it takes to stop me.?

Thunder rumbled in the background at his words, Lucien radiated menace.

With that, he left.

Geffen was donning his coat, ?Yet you have no legal bounds. You are in the same predicament as this Vincent. All decisions rest with the Courts. I thought you of all people would know that. You risk your reputation for two children??

I glanced at Siewelt, ?I do have legal rights Herr Siewelt. As the duly appointed guardian in the event that anything happens to Anne.?

He smiled, ?The children are not yours, nor his. Or have yet to be proven his.?

I curled my fingers around the scotch glass, ?I have the documents to support my claim.? There was no point in divulging just how much proof I have. The children would not be Herr Siewelt?s problem.

Lothar from the Temple wandered in, but I was ready to return to the Palazzo, and he was unable to find a partner for the rings.

There is much to do to safe guard Anne?s children, and Lucien and I headed home.

Gabriel's mood was as black as his eyes as he sat in Ariel's shop office. Rain pelted down in cold, hard drops that felt more like hail than rain. As his mood darkened, the rain beat down with increasing ferocity.

"I should have known her sense of right and wrong would deviate at the most inopportune time." He was not looking at Ariel as he finally started to speak.

Ariel let him rail. "So, tell me what happened," her gentle prompt would help her brother vent and look at the situation in a new light.

He ran his hand through midnight black hair that had remained untouched by silver for nearly two millenia. When he started speaking again, Ariel nearly missed it because he spoke so softly. "I met her at the Red Dragon and this time she was not in a human disguise. I had the proof she had demanded that Tuebingen was in RhyDin. He is associated with Siewelt and Mc Pherson, and that can no longer be challenged. She in turn gave me information she had gotten from Tuebingen on Rigel." He gave a short laugh remembering the setting for their meeting. A cemetary. How very droll. "She felt information for information was a fair trade. She had contacted the man about doing some work for her so she could evaluate his talents and the extent of his skills.'

Gabriel did not go into details on Rille. He had learned a lot about Rhaine's skills as she had explained who and what the girl was. Her talents were impressive just from her description of that 'experiement'. Ariel did not need to know those things. He realized too late that he may have insulted her by telling her that she looked to be around 35 human years of age, but it would be significantly out of character for the woman to refuse to help based on a perceived slight such as that.

He sat as still as death as he told Ariel about the next meeting. "She arrived in her Asmodean robes rather than casually for this meeting. Her first words to me were, "and why am I never surprised to see you Gabriel?"

"I could tell she had made a decision that I was not going to like. Her manner and bearing said it all. So, I asked her if she had any further news since there is no point beating around the bush with Miss Rustovich."

"Gabriel, how obsessed are you with killing that dhoine?" Her question was not the one Gabriel was expecting. In point of fact, there is no obsession with killing the man at all, but the way she asked the question showed that she is not going to help deal with the man. She was satisfied with her solution, what ever that may be.

"He is not to be killed by us, merely returned to Rigel for justice," Gabriel could have slain him several times over since his arrival in RhyDin, but that was not the point at all.

She swirled what smelled like a Chardonnay in her glass, "He was not the one who sent your boss that dumb lipstick thing. I have received the results of the test I set up for him."

She had spoken to him, and it was clear that he had gained some of her respect, and that he was not the principle player in the attempt on the Marquess. She made it clear that she felt my focus was now misplaced, and that I should be looking elsewhere to find the culprit. When Gabriel had
reminded Rhaine that Tuebingen has killed enough people to fill a grave yard, she tipped her hand.

"Gabriel, he did perform 3 excellent assassinations. But he is not the one coming for your bosses head."

Well, the assessment that he was an excellent assassin was telling. She found his work 'excellent'. Therein would be a dangerous respect.

"I do not care about the previous Kaiser nor his cronies, but the man is wanted, and for his guilt at the slaying of the Marchioness' parents, I will see him returned to Rigel." The ethical thing to do is see the man sent back for his charges and let the courts deal with him.

She argued that it was too late to catch him for those two older murders, but there is no statute of limitations on murder, and so it was imperative that he be brought to justice for the five known murders in the laws of his homeland. When Gabriel had told Rhaine that it sounded to him as if she would no longer be helpful, she told him that she could only help when she knew she was doing the right thing. She believes that putting Tuebingen in jail will not make the Marquess' life any safer. And that may be true enough, but justice awaits the man for his crimes as they are. "I thanked her for her help by telling her that her assistance had been valued." Gabriel looked finally at Ariel before continuing.

"He has not lied in a single word," Rhaine was quite certain of that. And she seems to think this was reason enough for me to leave him alone, to let him go.

Gabriel shook his head, he had told Rhaine that just because Tuebingen had not lied did not abrogate his deeds. The fact that the new Kaiser was not complicit does not exonerate Herr Albrecht.

Rhaine had given him a cold look, "This does not make him an assassin you are trying to convince me he is. This guy does not murder for money, and we did speak of this."

Whether he murders for money, or glory, he remains a killer who is currently outside of the laws of his homeland. Laws he needs to face for his activities. Gabriel had told her that "I will see him returned to Rigel Miss Rustovich; his talents not withstanding." She was looking at his talents more favorably than expected. She had found Tuebingen's 'foolish, idealistic sacrifice' something to be respected. He hardly sacrificed anything!

We exchanged acerbic words over her opposition to my intention to return the man to Rigel. "I should not consider that his fate is your concern." With her current view of the man, it was time for her to step back from our search. She had helped determine that he was not the maker of the poison intended for the Marquess, but now she was wavering dangerously close to supporting a man who needed to face justice.

She called him a 'colleague' and Gabriel realized that their paths have diverged completely. If she considered him a kindred spirit, she could interfere with his plans to return Kendrick to Rigel, and that simply could not be allowed to happen.

Rhaine had asked Gabriel to give the new Kaiser time before turning Albrecht in, but he cannot do that. They parted company on a very chilly note.

Gabriel had finished telling Ariel what had happened and he looked into the streets to find his rain had turned into a blinding snow storm.

"Well, what do you think Ariel?"

The Isle had been deserted when I arrived. Even the Towers were quiet. Rhaine appeared in casual garb. A new and unrecognized sigil was on her black shirt. ?Good evening Rhaine, how are you tonight??

She gave a vague shrug, ?normal, but seriously angry at your body guard.?

Knowing Gabriel, since it was never Lucien she talked to, the offending thing could be almost anything. ?Oh? What did he do this time??

?Nothing much, just seriously ticked me off. He?d be chasing someone of no immediate danger instead of trying to eliminate an actual threat.? She was being very open at this point.

She summoned a glass of water, and moved closer, ?He?s really got my nerves, your cute body guard.?

I had to squash a smile. There were not many who would describe either of the twins as ?cute?. ?Intimidating?, or in the case of some females, ?gorgeous? has been whispered, but ?cute? was not one I had heard associated with them before. When I trusted myself not to smile, ?He is quite protective of me. Why do you say he?s chasing the wrong person??

She sighed and sipped her water, ?Marchioness, would you trust my opinion about someone? When this opinion is based on damn facts and not assumptions??

I looked at her, ?Your opinion is valued, most certainly.?

Gabriel has trusted her thusfar and I could not do less.

She continued, ?if I tell you that the person you consider your enemy had nothing to do with that dratted lipstick??

I slowly set my glass of scotch down, ?Kendrick?? A cold knot formed in my stomach.

Nodding, she continued, ?he had nothing to do with it. Perhaps he and the actual assassin had access to same technology, but there is a long list of people who have access to it.?

Hat had started out on an easy note had suddenly shifted, ?so the rat that proclaims his innocence didn?t make the poison, but he knows who did it Rhaine.?

She gave me a level look. ?Did he tell you who did it??

There was a hard edge to my voice that I could not remove, ?he claims Caleb Feren did it, but if he?s not involved, how would he know??

?He might know someone who could have taken the order from Feren.?

My gut instincts raged that Kendrick was involved, but I could feel that way simply because of how badly I despise the man.

Rhaine then suggested Kendrick might know someone who could have taken an order from Caleb, but it still didn?t feel right. ?Point being Rhaine, the man knows what he should not, so any way you look at it, he?s involved somehow.?

She shrugged, ?well, I have no business knowing anything about your poisons, your enemies, and your distasteful Rigelian society. So ? am I involved??

If I hadn?t known better, I would have almost thought she was defending Albrecht. ?I think you miss my point Rhaine. You are not claiming knowledge of who did it. You?ve eliminated one suspect as the maker of the poison, but just because he didn?t make it does not mean he?s not culpable.? Kendrick would not have needed to make the poison to be involved. He could have hired Feren, or someone else for that matter.

She was growing impatient with me, ?Azjah, she has no motive to eliminate your mate. No reason to do it by any means directly or via some third party assassin. He might have told you about the one he would suspect first of all. Knowing Caleb, I would say he is quite capable of a murder just for the heck of it.?

Talking about Kendrick never sits well with me. ?So Kendrick?s innocent of making the direct attempt on Klinton?s life. He is not innocent of the other murders. Caleb has no reason or motive either, but we shall see.?

She sipped her water again. ?That is correct. He is merely guilty of foolish, idealistic, selfless action. Sacrifice neither you nor any other dhoine of Rigelian society appreciates.?

Selfless actions? Sacrifice we cannot appreciate? My blood pressure must have doubled at those words. Kendrick is a murdering bastard without a single redeeming point as far as I am concerned. Schooling my temper before speaking again, I finally said, ?the murder of my parents was not a selfless, foolish, or idealistic action. It was cold blooded murder Rhaine.? What I did not add was that it was murder for his own vain-glorious reasons of family honor!

She remained implacable, ?It was seventeen years ago.?

My parents were dead at Kendrick?s hands! ?There is no statute of limitations on murder.? And if there were, options always exist.

Esperwind sauntered onto the Isle as Rhaine muttered, ?do you think and 18 year old is capable of cold-blooded murder??

Of course an 18 year old can, and did. ?Yes. He did murder them Rhaine.?

She wanted to know if he had a reason! A reason??! I do not comprehend why she is defending Albrecht so strenuously. ?Along with 2 Peers and an Emperor.? I reminded her.

?And don?t dump all 5 murders together. They are different in manner, and probably different in reasoning.?

Esper gave us a quizzical look, ?did I miss something??

I nodded a greeting at Esper before focusing on Rhaine again. ?His damnable pride was his rationale for killing my parents and I will never, EVER forgive that. Spoiled little rich boy couldn?t have what he wanted, so he got spiteful.? I dragged in a lungful of air, trying to regain a calm control over my feelings.

Rhaine told me no one was asking me to forgive anything, and whispered, ?for that alone, I will hunt him to the edges of the universe Rhaine.?

Her eyes narrowed, ?is there any evidence of him murdering your parents??

I began rolling up my paperwork to turn it over to Esperwind. ?He freely admitted it to Anne.?

She gave me a slightly startled look, ?you are implying that I should pin Anne to a wall and ask her questions??

I rose, ?no, you asked me if there was evidence. He gave her a written statement before he murdered the Kaiser. A confession freely given is pretty damning, don?t you think??

She scoffed at that, ?written statement? Someone with brains would laugh into your face and tell you it was fabricated by your body guards. Human hand writing can easily be copied.?

My features hardened as ice formed around my words, ?it IS in his own hand, delivered personally by him to Anne.? She was worrying inordinately about the man.

Esperwind spoke up, to no one in particular. ?A personally written note on such a topic would likely contain a detectable psychic residue.?

My attention snapped to Esper. ?Likely if we had someone with the ability to read it.?

Rhaine went on saying that she worried that Gabriel and Lucien?s focus was not on protecting us and more bent on vengeance while Rigel could return to expansionism and turmoil if Kendrick is returned.

Esper listened a moment before continuing, ?where I am from, such residue is more easily read by Priests. Some have the ability to read the past, or less accurately the future of an object.?

Esper?s words were not lost on me, and I resolved to try to speak to him further about this topic, but Rhaine pushed for proof as she told me that Kendrick should be a low priority target.

I headed for the portal, pausing to tell her that there was little doubt about the authenticity of the admission, and that placing Kendrick on a lower priority was easy for her to say. He had not murdered her parents.

She looked at me, ?I am merely trying to clarify the circumstances, and based on recent information I would not advise to put him as a priority target for your bloodthirsty ones.?

?He is wanted on my world Rhaine. We will hand him over.? That of course assumes we can detain him long enough to get the bounty hunters here for him.

Rhaine?s retort was stinging, ?It is your personal hatred that fuels you. Not the wish to follow the word of your law. I know, it?s normal for a human. You are convincing me that you are seldom capable of thinking at least one step aheaed.?

I gave her one last look, ?In this case? Very likely.?

?Personal feud that can have serious consequences for your homeworld Azjah. Very serious ones.?

I narrowed my eyes at her, ?I do not need to think ahead regarding turning Kendrick in. He is a criminal guilty of multiple murders. There is no personal feud. It is justice being done.? With that, I walked through the portal.

I returned later, hoping to speak with Esperwind further about the priests he?d mentioned, but he was busy, and I could not bring myself to interrupt him. As I left the Isle, I told him that if he had time upon the morrow, I would very much like to speak to him.

He apologized, telling me that his concentration was divided, and as I left, told him it was no problem. But, I do hope he will have some time soon.

I went home, thinking about the points Rhaine made, but Kendrick is a difficult topic for me to think objectively about. I needed to speak with Gabriel. I wonder if he?s aware that she seems now to be interested in defending him rather than helping us find him for justice.

The darkness of night hides many sins. While the blackness welcomes my kind with comforting arms, it raises fear in the hearts of humanity. I use that cloak tonight for purposes better kept to myself.

The back alleys around the burned out warehouse where Lucien and I had discovered the message from Tuebingen was now cold ruin. He?d known we were looking for him, and he used that as a gauge to determine just how close we were to finding him. The man is a wily one, and we?d tipped our hand to him.

If my intuition is right, he will finish whatever it is he has in mind here, and vanish into the cosmos somewhere. Time was running out. I can feel it.

The creatures of the night skittered away from my path. The high frequency echo location of the bats ricochet off the surrounding buildings, and the rats peered out from crannies and rubble.

I stood alone amidst the charred remains, sending myself into the night. Searching.

His scent held in several places. Traces of him at Mc Pherson, the Arena, several businesses, DWI, all places he has been seen, or would logically frequent. The cemetery. That was a surprise. What took him to the cemetery?

The shadows were long from the varied tombstones as they crept across the ground. The quarter crescent moon casting a pallid light that accentuated the eerie feel humans report when they walk through a place of the dead.

The stone held the name ?Onasis?. The scent of the man was mingled with a surprise. A dark scowl crossed Gabriel?s features before he faded into the darkness and sped toward the mountains.

He found the cave unerringly, vapor speeding through the cracks and crevices where no solid form could manage. He went into the bowels of the mountain, not stopping until he found pools of magma, and sulfurous fumes that would kill the living.

General Xenograg was not fooled, but I would not push a scene further. But even I am not certain where things are going next. Anger got the better of me as several people paused to look our direction, and Lucien?s fury was on a tight leash. I walked straight up to Klinton, putting my finger directly into his chest, invading his personal space deliberately. ?It is not under control, it is very OUT of control!? I know I frightened the child Mystic, but whatever was eating my husband needed to be addressed.

Mystic?s hand was held by the General, an incongruous sight, but after Klinton?s violence, I dared not take my eyes off of him. His expression was hard, almost written in granite. I pushed at the solid wall of his chest with my finger, ?I do not know what this is all about but I think you owe me an explanation for manhandling me in public!?

He swiftly grabbed my finger, ?perhaps you would prefer I manhandle you in private??

I winced as he kept my finger in a too tight hold, ?I prefer you talk to me in a civilized manner, and not revert to some barbaric behavior that is totally unbecoming!? My bravado was not supported, and if he pushed too much further, it would crumble.

He glanced at Lorance, who?d commented about his actions, ?I ham only guided by her actions.? He returned his attention to me, ?do not raise your voice to me.?

Fury prompted my next words, ?then do not presume to treat me this way Mr. Caer. You have given me no reason for this brutish behavior!?

Klinton nearly smirked, ?rest assured, you HAVE given me reason for this brutish behavior.?

I was shocked, ?I have done absolutely no such thing!? We hadn?t even seen much of one another lately.

He looked at me hard, ?I recommend you simply sit dow and have a drink.?

I reached for my cloak, the last thing I was going to do was what he wanted me to at this moment. I glanced at Lucien, ?I?m all for going outside and settling this Mr. Caer.? Fury was etched in my posture and radiated from arctic blue eyes as I gave Klinton a scathing look.

Illusia greeted me, ?g?eve Azjah, tis good? ta see ye, tis been some time since we?ve seen one another at Anjolie?s.?

I flashed a quick look at Rhaine, ?MEN! The man?s gone insane.? And then smiled, inviting Illusia to join us.

Sylus spoke up, ?Hey! Don?t let one ruin your view of the whole.?

There is something unnerving about lycan hearing. I rose, rubbing my derriere from the harsh slam onto the hard chair.

Cory raced down the stairs, stating that he?d heard a woman calling for men, and he got there as quickly as he could. Had the situation not been what it was, I would have enjoyed his teasing remarks. As it was, I was racking my brains for what could have triggered this. Klinton?s parting words as he?d entered the ring with Solace were ?Think about Brigath a few minutes?.I?ll be back.?

?Brigath? What the devil has Brig to do with anything??

He practically shouted from the ring, ?THINK AZJAH!?

Illusia?s eyes flashed silver as she shot a warning glance toward Solace. Then greeting Cory, before sitting down with Rhaine and I. Mystic slipped away from Xenograg, and engulfed me in a child?s hug before sitting beside me within arm?s reach.

Rhaine commented that almost any male is half insane, and that I should not expect logic from them. I chuckled inwardly. Rhaine has little use for the male of the species. Even Gabriel is not going to tempt her.

Solace tried to make a deal with Klinton, and I heard her say, ?If I win, I get?er for the night. And if I lose, I won?t humiliate you anymore.?

Klinton shook his head, ?She?s mine tonight either way.?

Illusia spoke softly, ?I coul? nae ?elp o?er?earin? tha? commotion m?lady, m?apologies.?

I listened, grateful for her compassion in this situation before I said ?the man?s gone off his rocker.?

She watched me closely, ?Pray m?lady, wha? ?as brought such mannerisms on??

I shook my head in confusion, ?Illusia, I wish I had a clue. He just grew cold, and then grabbed me, his parting words before getting in the ring with that young woman was to think about Brigath, but for the life of me, I have NO idea why.?

I was hoping Solace would knock some sense into the man tonight. He was growing more and more angry, and his skill gave way to wild flailing.

Sylus again spoke up, ?Could it be that he is jealous of Brigath??

Illusia tilted her head hearing Sylus and appeared to ponder, but really, Brigath was old history, and I had married Klinton, not Brig. I looked at Sylus, ?Jealous of WHAT??

He gave a suffering sigh, as though instructing a slow child, ?Hmm, married to an attractive woman? she?s having late night drinks with another man, who he probably doesn?t know all too well. You do the math.?

?Oh for heaven?s sakes Sylus! Brig and I were lovers YEARS ago!? Disbelief streaking through me.

He lifted his hands as if to say ?there you go?. ?All the more reason to question the current relationship.?

Xeno spoke up then, ?If one is insecure within himself.?

I caught Solace taunting Klinton, ?You have used goods?? His glare fairly shot daggers at the young woman.

I shook my head vehemently, ?Sylus, I married Klinton, not Brigath. Brig and I are friends.?

Illusia shook herself from her own thoughts, ?Pardon m?lady, per?aps I can get ye a drink??

?I think we can both use one,? I told her as her expression arrested my own concerns.

Sylus kept pushing, ?Azjah, you need to look at it from Klinton?s point of view. Yes, you married him? but he doesn?t know the extent to which you may still have feelings for Brigath. So therefore he views Brig as a threat in the fact that he may know your bodice as well as Klinton??

Klinton shot me a look from the ring, ?have a drink, perhaps?..?

Sylus took a hint finally, ?or maybe I?m just over thinking it all.?

?You are over thinking it Sylus. Brigath and I are past history beyond current friendship.?

Sylus was just not going to let it go, ?Well, judging by Klinton?s reaction? I?d say he thinks otherwise.?

?Bah! He knows there is nothing to it. For heaven sakes, all he did was brush sand off me, and take me to the Tower for a drink.? People were there, there was nothing sexual or inappropriate in our actions.

Sylus simply stared at me as if I?d grown 2 heads. Rhaine shook her head, ?Men. Good that I?m not allowing such headaches to get to me.?

I nodded at her, ?Rhaine, you are a fortunate woman. Sometimes they make NO sense.? And then I shot the ring a meaning filled look.

She smirked, ?I?ve had my share of it. Merely learned from one lesson. Didn?t need any more.

Sylus was just not going to let things rest, even though he knew Klinton could hear him as well, ?Again, an ex-lover touching a part of your body that is off limits to most, and you go back to his place for drinks. To any man with insecurities that screams of an affair.?

Klinton?s face grew even more red hearing Sylus go on.

?Affair???? No chance. Klinton knows that!? I groaned. Affair indeed! Neither Brig nor I would do that to anyone! Yes, we?d been lovers years ago, but other than Brig being the one person I still knew in RhyDin after all those years, we were not intimate and had not been intimate since my return.

Illusia handed me the glass of scotch, and her fingertips slid off the cool glass.

Xeno looked at Klinton, then at me, ?does he? Sylus is making good sense of the situation.?

Illusia?s eyes closed, and she dropped her glass of scotch to shatter on the floor. I gave first Xenograg a sharp look, ?Surely General, the fact that I married him and not Brigath should say volumes!?

I jumped as the glass shattered, and looked quickly at Illusia. Xeno called one of the serving lads to clean up the broken glass.

Xeno shrugged, ?Perhaps Marchioness, Perhaps not.?

Sylus spoke again, ?Not always Azjah? for all Klinton knows, you could probably see a more stable relationship with Klinton, but the sex may be better with Brig.?

Solace needled Klinton, ?is that true??

Illusia snarled low hearing Sylus continue to fan the flames, ?enoug? Sylus!?

Klinton looked as though he might leap from the rings and tear Sylus limb from limb.

Xenograg admitted that his wife Amaltea was still jealous of his first wife, who is dead.

I looked in shocked disbelief at Xenograg, ?What ever for?? Then turning to Sylus, my temper rising swiftly, ?The sex is just fine where it should be!?

Rhaine shrugged, ?Azjah, pay no attention to the dhoine. No need to get upset.?

Xeno gave a vague shrug, ?As it seems with your apparent situation, I do not know why.?

I keep saying that I am going to bring my chaise from Twilight Isle on the nights I call for the Arena, but once again I have forgotten to do so, and now I am once more faced with this red monstrosity. I kicked it lightly to see if it was awake, and whether or not it is safe to sit down when I heard Cory, ?Don?t provoke the couch Azjah. I speak from experience.?

I glanced at Cory, ?You don?t expect me to sit on it if it?s awake, do you??

He chuckled, ?kicking it is likely to wake it up.?

I gave the thing a rueful look, ?yeah, but I don?t want it to wake up and lick me.?

About then Kalinda arrived and I gave an experimental poke to one of the cushions, so far, so good, and I sat down rather gingerly.

Skyler, the troublesome youth gave me a look that would make most women?s skin crawl, ?I like the way you sit down so gingerly, Azjah. It?s so ladylike.?

I was not going to prolong conversation with the boy who was deviant enough for me to be wary of him, so I simply thanked him and immediately asked Cory how things were going.

Kalinda came to stand by the sofa and I warned her about the nature of this piece of furniture.

She leaned into the couch with obvious indifference, ?Oh, I dare it to. You remember that I want to purchase this couch someday.?

I flashed her a grin, here was my chance to be rid of it! ?You can have it for the hauling it away, Kalinda.?

She brightened, ?I can? Really??

Nodding emphatically, ?the sooner you rid us of this thing, the better.? I almost offered to deliver it.

She was positively glowing, ?Oh, I shall have it gone by morning,? and I could barely contain my glee.

?You are welcome to it. I?ll have a new one delivered in the morning. One that does NOT lick.?

Cory suddenly caught on that I was arranging the removal of the brilliant red velvet monstrosity. ?Not our couch, Azjah!?

?Cory, this thing is a menace!?

?It?s an artifact of our Arena. It?s protected, or something!? he objected.

I was not going to lose this opportunity, ?the hell it is, Kalinda can have it.?

?Like hell she can!? He was growing almost desperate at the thought of losing the old sofa.

Kalinda pouted prettily, ?I can?t? I offered to pay for it.?

I gave Kalinda a smile, ?yes, Kalinda, you can have it, I?ll help you remove it.?

Cory grew quite obdurate. ?It?s stayin? put. Even if I have?ta chain myself to it or go on strike.?

I gave him a dazzling smile, ?good, then Kalinda can have you too.?

Kalinda shook her head, ?Oh, but Quinn wouldn?t like that.?

I smiled, ?which is why Cory won?t chain himself to the menace.?

Cory headed into the back room, ?watch me.?

I winked back at Kalinda, ?the man is deluded.?

Kalinda leaned into the embrace of the sofa as Cory rummaged around in the back rooms. ?I did mean to ask you what was all that about with the man the other night??

I glanced sideways at her, ?well, that man is my husband, and I never suspected he?d be jealous of Brigath.?

She became engrossed in a match, and I sipped the scotch thoughtfully until Corry emerged with a whole staff of Harris? cardboard Xerzes. ?I?ll make tha? couch swalla? ya both whole!?

?Yeah, yeah Cory.? I am not worried now that the couch will have a new home.

Several days had passed since I?d found myself in RhyDin with leisure time, and tonight I returned to the Annex to see what the latest news was. I walked in shedding my cloak and ordering a glass of scotch from a serving lad before looking toward the caller?s couch, where Rena and Sylus sat.

As I contemplated finding a table or not, footsteps behind me announced the arrival of another patron and I moved further inside.

It was Klinton walking in still perspiring from an earlier match, ?Boo!? he said as I started from my own thoughts.

I asked him if he was going to join me, or if he?d planned on a fight. He?d decided to join me, and I noted the wookie approaching Rena. We sat down a fair distance from the caller?s couch and the serving lad retrieved a second glass of scotch for Klinton. We toasted Caleb and Anne?s wedding, and wished them long years of happiness together.

Klinton sipped his scotch and then set the glass onto the table, ?I had an interesting conversation with Vincent, Azjah.?

I quirked a pale brow at him, ?Oh? I have had several, but I would not call them interesting.? Vexing? Yes. Interesting? No.

He nodded slowly, ?he gave me some conditions, and if the conditions are granted, he will drop the suit.?

I could feel my whole body tense, ?conditions??

Klinton continued, but already I could feel my blood pressure rising. ?He?s just telling us what he would like us to do. If we meet them, he will drop the lawsuit, which means Anne will have custody. That?s what we want, isn?t it??

I leashed my temper tightly, ?Klinton, why should Vincent have ANY say about anything to do with Anne?s children?? Why should Anne negotiate with Vincent when he has no claim? No grounds?

Klinton shook his head, ?He cares for them. He honestly sees himself as their father.?

I frowned, ?Klinton, I?m not so sure about that. I don?t believe he?s got their best interests at heart. I think he?s trying to get them for that Temple.?

He sighed, ?I think if he were going to hurt them, he would have. It?s not like he hasn?t had the opportunity.?

I could feel my tenuous hold on my temper slip a little as Klinton tried to put an acceptable light on this travesty of Vincent?s making. ?He can?t just take them to that Temple yet, but why the sudden interest in them? He didn?t even want them before.?

?I don?t know Azjah. He seemed pretty convincing to me,? he countered.

I got as good a grip on my fury as I could before asking him what his terms and conditions were.

Klinton sipped the scotch before continuing, ?Three conditions. 1: he wants his name on the birth certificates as the father. 2. He wants granted visitation offsite and unsupervised. And 3rd, he wanted to be referred to at their father, even by the children.?

I slammed the barely touched scotch glass hard against the table. ?NO! NO, No, and NO again!? Fury got let loose in a rush hearing the demands Vincent wanted now. What the devil kind of amoral jerk thinks he can force his way into Anne and Caleb?s life like that?

Klinton leaned back, ?I?m the messenger Azjah. Just presenting his conditions.?

I exploded, my own husband delivering such utterly preposterous demands? ?That man has NO claim to those children. Who in the name of Hades does he think he is making those kinds of demands??

He took a sip of scotch to try to hide a smile.

?Klinton, you cannot even mean to give those to Anne!?

He shrugged slightly, ?I told him I would tell her what they were.?

I groaned, my own husband working to further Vincent?s obscene claims. ?Simply unbelievable! The chutzpah of that man never ceases to amaze me! So what? Caleb is just a non-entity? What about his rights in marrying Anne?? Caleb was willing to claim those children, an d had the sanctity of wedlock to back up his adoption claims. Vincent had a couple of weeks of protecting the children while Anne tried to deal with the malicious magic of Nadine?s witch.

Klinton gave me a level look. ?It?s not like he wouldn?t be able to see them. Anne would still have custody.?

But I still felt Klinton was missing the point, Caleb wanted those children, and Anne. If Vincent gained his demands, Caleb could not adopt the twins. It is a crime in the making. I tried again, ?Unsupervised? Would you want to send your children off with someone of Vincent?s ilk??

Klinton?s answer was shocking, ?I have to say that Vincent is very good with those kids. I believe he does care for them.?

?That is simply NOT the point!? and at that moment the Annex doors slammed open as Caleb entered, and made a direct line to Klinton. Caleb grabbed Klinton by the collar, ?you can bloody well send your own bloody kids craven!? His fury was much darker than my own, and having Caleb as an enemy isn?t something people should seek out.

Klinton stood and faced Caleb, ?I am simply stating his wishes. That is all. Do not think I am the enemy here.? But sadly my husband was not just stating Vincent?s obscene demands, he?d been arguing FOR the wretch.

Caleb vibrated fury, ?you are now craven, you yourself said you would allow your kids with that twisted git.?

?Those are not my kids. It is not my decision,? Klinton soothed.

Face spoke up uninvited, and with his usual animosity toward me announced that he would prefer seeing any children with Vincent over Caleb or myself. I closed my eyes before responding, ?Well Face, they are not yours, so it doesn?t matter, does it??

?They are not yours either last I heard,? he shot back.

I looked at Face, ?and they will remain Anne?s if I have anything to say about it Face. That is where they belong. With their mother, not with that vile wretch Vincent.? He hadn?t been there, he didn?t know the story and history, and yet this Jedi who claims to value truth ignores everything except my anger over Vincent?s temerity.

He continued, ?I don?t think Vincent?s conditions had anything to do with them leaving Anne.?

So there it was again. Complete disregard of the root cause of the problem. Vincent has no valid claim, but those three demands would give him a claim and given Vincent?s duplicity, his next move would be suing for custody if Anne lives. The Jedi steadfastly ignores whether the plaintiff has any grounds for these actions, nor the immorality of his suit.

Caleb and Klinton argued and I gave up trying to get them to sit down and discuss things quietly.

Even Klinton was ignoring the fact that if Vincent gets these concessions, he?s set up to demand more from Anne, and take the children from Caleb if Anne?s found guilty again.

Klinton finally sat down, ?Azjah, realistically, if Vincent had not filed for custody, and simply asked for visitation to the kids, what would you have said??

I gave him a cool look, ?Vincent has no rights to those children. If he wanted to come and visit them, and Anne agreed it would be Anne?s call, but his demands are so far beyond belief, I cannot believe his nerve.?

On a wild guess, I stopped at the Dragon?s Mark, where I found him. Our argument resumed right where it had left off, and once again it ended with him walking away into the night.

I followed him out this time, ?Klinton, I can?t reason with you when you walk away like that. I don?t want to fight with you, and I DO value your opinion, but your words stunned me.?

He simply kept walking.

?Klinton? Stop, please.?

He turned, pausing briefly as though he were expecting me to continue, ?I?m sorry you are angry with my decision.?

Still no response.

?You know the silent treatment and walking away from me won?t resolve this.?

Finally he spoke, but his words were not helpful, ?I am simply not voicing my opinion Azjah. Apparently it doesn?t matter at all. Even when I did tell you what I believe, you still only believe what you want, putting words in my mouth. Honestly, I wash my hands of it.?

I was shocked at what I was hearing, ?is that really a solution??

I would rather keep my mouth shut, than have you change my words and make me look like the bad guy.?

?I am only telling you what I hear!? He had admitted he could see Vincent?s side, and that made him an ally of Vincent, and Anne didn?t need that.

?Then you are not listening,? was his counter argument.

?Klinton, I can?t reason with you when you walk away like that. I don?t want to fight with you, and I DO value your opinion, but your words stunned me.?

He shook his head, ?Azjah, I do not feel that you have made any attempt to reason with me at all. I actually believed we had that sorted out last night. But you did go behind my back to the lawyers and that stunned me as well.?

I felt almost as though he?d struck me. ?Klinton, I tried to explain to you that what he wants puts him in a position to take those children legally from Caleb if Anne loses her appeal.?

He stopped me, ?Azjah, this is honestly giving me a headache. I cannot deal with it anymore tonight. Just go home, okay??

?And where are you going?? I was afraid to ask, but had to know.

?I?ll get a room,? came his answer.

?I?m certain Dyson can have your old room ready. Good night Klinton.? I turned and headed toward the car. Once inside, I glanced at Lucien, ?It?s going to be a long night, and he?s not going to come home, is he??

Lucien?s black eyes met mine, ?no, he will not. Not tonight.?

Lucien was my comfort and company for the remainder of the night. I did not have Dyson prepare his old room since I knew it would remain unused.

I sipped my scotch as the waves washed peacefully over the sand, resting my head against the chaise until I heard the easy rhythm of the waves get disturbed. Opening my eyes I found my husband tossing shells into the retreating waves before laying himself down into the sand, face up.

?it appears you didn?t get much sleep.?

He didn?t look at me, but at least he answered, ?what gives you that idea??

?You look terrible and you didn?t come home,? I told him quite simply.

?I look terrible? Thanks, oh darling, supportive, wife of mine. And because I did not come home, does not mean I did not sleep.?

I frowned at his response, ?well, you do. I?m sorry that offends you.?

He waves a hand dismissively, ?it doesn?t.?

?You planning on sleeping here in the sand tonight??

At that point Cory had returned wearing fresh clothes.

Klinton shrugged slightly, ?If the spirit moves me, I suppose.?

I was growing impatient, ?don?t you think that?s a bit silly??

?I?m to the point of silliness I suppose. Who knows what I?ll do,? was his caustic response.

I just shook my head, telling him that it was indeed the question of the moment, and then reminded him that there could be no resolutions as long as he slept in the sand and didn?t discuss the rift growing between us.

?There hasn?t been much resolution with discussion Azjah, so screw it.?

Cory approached us tentatively, dipping his hat, ?evening ya two.?

Just as I was about to talk to Cory, Klinton answered me, ?I do not support him Azjah. I just think he cares for them also, and I?m not even upset about that disagreement.?

I focused on Klinton, ?well, then I have no idea what you are so bent out of shape over.?

Klinton remained prone, ?well then, I guess I am sleeping here. Or somewhere else.?

I frowned at him, ?you have a perfectly good home, and a perfectly good home, and a perfectly good bed to sleep in. This is foolish.?

He stood up as Lucien solidified and began talking to Cory. ?Rest assured Azjah, I am NOT being foolish!?

I turned and looked at him, ?well Klinton, I?m not clairvoyant, and you?re not talking, so if you want to sleep in the sand with the sand fleas rather than your own bed because I have no clue what you?re ?on? about, it?s your call.? This had gone far enough.

He threw up his hand, ?Azjah, I have told you my issue.?

Anger reared it?s head again, ?What Klinton? That I had the effrontery to do what I thought was right??

?That you did it behind my back!,? he charged.

My voice lowered, ?I told you I wouldn?t talk to Anne until after you did, and I have not!?

Klinton shook his head and headed for the portal in silence.

I don?t know how long it was before Klinton walked into the Hall, ?you forgot to take the keys,? he prompted me.

I didn?t turn around to face him, ?I did not forget.?

?Well then, you didn?t take them,? he commented as he remained just inside the doors.

?I did not. I do not want them.? It was getting harder for me to keep talking to him.

?I would imagine Lucien will come for them at some point. I suppose if this lasts a few more days I?ll be considered a threat.?

He knew Lucien was close by, why he chose to bait him I will never understand. ?Not necessarily? I answered. ?No one said you had to leave.?

?Could e really live together like this? Why didn?t you tell me about going to them Azjah?? He moved slightly in the gloom of the unlit hall.

We discussed my choice at length before he told me he wished I?d told him of my plans. He said he would have recommended Anne speak to the lawyers too, but that he thought he had my word not to mention it first. ?I am not on his side Azjah. I simply understood how he could want those kids in his life.?

His words earlier belied that, but he continued, ?I told him straight up that the worst decision he made was to go about it this way.?

I looked at him in the gloom, ?Klinton, wanting the children is one thing, but slandering Anne? Telling everyone that she?s unfit? I cannot see how wanting the children equates to doing anything to get them.? Vincent is setting himself up to win those children at all costs. If Anne is acquitted, he gets to establish himself as the father and go after them later if he doesn?t like how she?s raising them, and if Anne is found guilty, he gets them over Caleb.

Klinton gave me a patient look, ?I know what the terms mean. I know what he?s doing, and I do not agree with it. I DO believe that he would care for them, and I understand you disagree with that. I DO see how he feels. He wants the kids! I can understand that. Just because I see his side does not mean I think he is at all right about it.?

We were at an impasse, and very quietly I asked him how do we resolve this?

He sighed, ?I don?t think there is anything to resolve. We disagree, that?s it. I don?t even think we disagree, we just see things a bit differently.?

I remained silent so he continued, ?It does not mean that I am hoping Vincent will get these kids, nor does it mean that I am on his side about it.?

I moved away from him, ?I do not understand why you did not simply tell Vincent to take a hike.?

He frowned slightly, ?I hadn?t talked to him, this whole time. He approached me. I didn?t know what he?d say, so I listened.? He was quiet for a few minutes, ?I?m going to spend a few nights away. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.?

I turned toward him, ?and you agreed to deliver that vile set of demands? Klinton, that is what I don?t understand.? I also could not understand why he wanted to deliver such demands in an even manner. His announcement that he was leaving for several days hurt, but all I could say was, ?I see,? even though I do not .

He remained where he was, ?I said I would. So I did.? His expression softened, ?I love you Azjah. I cannot bear being near you like this.?

I put a strong leash on my emotions, ?I have not stopped loving you.?

?I know you haven?t.?

We were talking, I wanted to keep that going. ?I spent last night with Lucien talking,?

He had started to say that he hadn?t stopped loving me either, but wondered what Lucien and I had talked about.

?I tried to find out why you prefer to walk away rather than talk, why you spent the night away rather than come home, why anywhere else is better than with me trying to work things out.?

He shrugged, ?we were not sorting things out, we were simply escalating. That is why.?

I took a deep breath, ?so you?re going to move into Matt?s place??

?Not move in. I need a few nights.? He shot me a smile, ?Wanna stay with me??

I shook my head no simply because I couldn?t trust myself to speak.

?I look at our arguments and they are totally about someone else?s life, not even ours and it tore us apart. I have never been in a position where someone else?s life could tear mine apart.?

?It was not the goal,? I whispered.

?I know it wasn?t the goal. I want to get back to us. Not worried about others. I want to get away from the Palazzo. Come, stay with me. Just you and me. And when we are centered on the two of us, then we?ll concern ourselves with helping Anne.?

I couldn?t. I could not drop everything to join him. Softly whispering, ?You do not think we can do that at home??

He moved closer, and I felt like a deer in the spotlight, ?I want to get away from that environment. It will be fun Azjah. Whether you come or not, I would like the time away. It will be easier to focus on us, if it is only us.?

I wrapped both arms around myself.

?What do you think?? he prompted me.

?I shall leave you alone tonight, there are things you will need from home. I will bring them rather than have Dyson send them, and we shall see.?

He nodded.

?Klinton??

He looked at me, ?Azjah??

?I do love you. Please don?t forget that.?

?I was just about to say the same to you.? He wrapped his arms around me, and I rested my head against his shoulder.

?Good night then.?

?Good night my love.?

I stepped out of his arms, ?tomorrow then.?

He nodded and reluctantly let me go. I watched him leave the nearly empty Great Hall, but only after the doors were closed tightly did I permit a single tear to slide slowly down my cheek.