Standing in front of the Hall, Daemon took a slow deep breath. His heart beating much faster then he would like. Much faster than it should be. The fact that he was looking at his home like a battle ground was not a good omen. The fact that he wanted turn and run… oh yes something was defiantly wrong with him.
Placing his hand on Daemon's shoulder, Saetan softly said, "Easy namesake."
"I'm fine." It was a lie and one he would keep repeating until everyone around him believed it. Until he believe it.
The front door opened just enough for Gabrielle to ease out. Her eyes watching the High Lord who should be sleeping given the hour but she still linked her arm with Daemon's. "I could have met you at the Keep."
"How much of the Hall has been cleansed?"
Gabrielle narrowed her eyes at Daemon who was still looking straight ahead. "Currently, the Lady is taking a good look at all of the rooms. But so far only the Study and a few rooms on this side of Hall need a good cleansing. The family residents feels fine to me but may need a good scrubbing before anyone wearing a dark jewels comes back to the Hall."
So whatever had happened it was limited to his and Lucivar's pain. "I need to speak to her before anyone does anything to the Hall."
Walking with Daemon from the landing web to the door she smiled, "Jaenelle will meet you in the main parlor then you both are going somewhere else while we work."
Not likely but he wouldn't argue with her for the moment.
The Hall didn't have the feel that he thought it would have. It didn't have the feel of oppressed slaves or reek of blood and pain. But there was something elusive and deadly. When he tried to pin point it, the feeling vanished yet was there just dancing with in the shadows. Remnants from the web and his own pain. His own fears and doubts. Mixed in were those of Lucivar.
"Prince?"
Jaenelle. Not turning to her voice he chose to stare straight ahead while he spoke to her. "I was able to unravel the web and found out who sent it."
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at a point between his shoulder blades. Yet she didn't come any closer. At least not yet. Nor would she until he trusted her to be close enough to touch. "Are you here to discuss it or tell me what the court decided to do?"
There was no hint of snippiness but she wasn't teasing either. Her tone… he knew that tone but couldn't place it. That was a worry for another day. He called in the silver hairbrush and slowly turned to her. Saw no understanding in her eyes. "I burned out the web. Both Draca and the spiders confirmed nothing of it remains."
Narrowing her eyes a little more she chose to discuss not the brush but the fact he was using craft."Karla can discuss with you how much craft you are allowed to do until you're completely healed. However… why is the brush important?"
Shit. Karla wasn't going to discuss anything with him. She would however conspire with Jaenelle and make the most potent tonic that they could come up with then call him an idiot for needed a strong tonic. OR …"It belongs to the queen that sent you the web."
Queen not just some black widow. "And this queen, you know how to find her?"
That tone he knew. It was a queen deciding on how to handle the bitch who harmed her family. It almost sounded like a tone that had been in his web so many years ago. "I do but I have yet told the High Lord anything useful."
Of course you haven't. Taking a seat on the edge of an overstuffed chair she waited a heartbeat then two getting a good sense of his emotions. "How about you tell me whatever it is and I'll inform the court?"
"The queen, her territory dose not stand in Hayll's shadow."
Only a few territories that could qualify as not standing in the shadow of the bitch queen who was now dead. "Which means as Queen I can't just remove her. However since she did cause harm to members of my court I'm not letting this go."
No he didn't think she would. Nor would he ever ask her to. Carefully taking a seat on an arm of a chair that was across from her he took a deep breath. "It's not that simple."
His nervousness was making her worry more about the conversation not because of what he was trying to not tell her but because he refused to meet her gaze. Refused to say more then what was required. "Daemon, please say what you need to."
"Alexander sent the web. I don't know why after all these years she would. But I think it has something to do with you now ruling the majority of Terreille and her continued denial of recognizing you as a queen."
As a black widow she now understood why the web had gone undetected. As a queen it didn't change the facts… two members of her court had been badly injured because of it. Even if they hadn't been just sending the web could be seen by the court as an act of war. But this wasn't about courts or even what she wanted. This was about doing what Daemon needed. "What do you suggest doing about it?"
A knot grew in his stomach twisting like a knife. "What I think would be risky since you not yet twenty-one."
"You think that I should invite her and her entourage here."
"Under the guise of her web… or the web she commissioned … worked. Or something believable. "Just a game and one that would end in the bitch's death. And hopefully without harming anyone else.
"I'll discuss it with papa. In the mean time will you come with me?"
He hoped one day he could be near his queen without the fear. Hoped one day he could look at her and not feel like she was only keeping him because of her court. Somehow he didn't think that would be anytime soon.
The consort's room. His room exactly as it had been in the web. "I don't understand?"
"When the web triggered you weren't in here. Nor were you awake. So neither this room nor mine were affected. Now I think of a hundred reasons you don't want to be in here but…"
Oh he didn't like the sound of that but. "But?"
"… I asked papa to ask the court and the rest of the family to come here. Lucivar is blissfully asleep for the moment so Karla is making him a tonic to keep him that way until he is tucked in next to you."
The walls felt like they were closing in. "And the rest of the Hall?"
"Except the study and the room beneath of it… the rest of the Hall is livable until it can be cleansed then cleaned. The staff is already on their way back."
"So you want me to…"
"Stay here. After every room is acceptable to me if you need a room or suite somewhere else till you feel comfortable then you are free to do so. If you feel safer in the cabin it's yours. But today… I want you right here."
He could leave in the morning. Slip out to his cabin. No he couldn't. He was a warlord prince… a black jeweled warlord prince… running was not an option. "Marian and the children should be somewhere else."
"She and her children are at her eyerie with a nurse maid that she hired. Surreal will also be staying with her." She paused, "Your children however will be here with you."
"No."
"Daemon?"
"Until we know what game Alexandria is playing I want them some place safe. I don't think she knows you have children. I would like to keep it that way."
Jaenelle rolled her eyes. She could argue with him or just let the darlings explain it to him.
Lucivar's eyes fluttered open not to Daemon's suite in the Keep but the consort's room and Daemon staring blankly out of the window. His brother's emotions were tightly leashed. Perhaps too tightly leashed. Slowly he sat up very thankful for the few hours of sleep before he had to deal with whatever he was now going to have to deal with. "Bastard?"
"Do you know why Jaenelle wants me in this room?"
Something had happened between the time he closed his eyes and now. And whatever that was he was in no shape to be handling it. "Besides this is your room?"
Daemon took a deep breath then very slowly let it out. Still he didn't move. "It's the consort's room but I'm not the consort. And really I am trying to decide if Jaenelle even wanted to really be married to me or if I should just walk away?"
Yes something had defiantly happened. "I thought you said that you were forgiving Jaenelle for the web?"
Finally Daemon turned to him. "Forget I said anything." He took another slow deep breath. "You should rest."
Damn it to hell Daemon had almost been himself at the Keep. Almost. A quick glance outside to the sun that hadn't set yet. Daemon would never talk to him. Not today or at least not while they were in this room. However Revenar? "Fine I'm going to get a bit more rest. What will you be doing?"
"Don't worry prick, I'll be in the sitting room."
Two minutes after sundown Revenar slipped into Daemon's sitting room. Peyton was already taking care of a few things that Daemon would need shortly. He just hoped his brother had the good sense not to push any of the boundaries. Knowing Peyton it was a better possibility that he would end up throttling him before day break. He paused seeing Daemon pressed against a corner just out of sight of the bedroom and hidden if Jaenelle should open her door.
Damn it to hell, he was going to tan her hid. What in the name of hell had she been thinking bringing him this close when he was still fighting to get things straight in his head? Once he had Daemon settled then the family could decide what to do with the queen. In the mean time… he squatted down before Daemon and waited until his cousin opened his eyes. When he didn't even change his breathing he whispered, "Daemon?"
Slowly his eyes opened. But it wasn't rage flickering in the back of his eyes it was sorrow that changed to confusion. "Revenar?"
"Come on puppy. We're taking a walk."
"The lady wants me to stay put."
"The lady can take a piss in wind. We're going for a walk … now."
It didn't make sense. Revenar liked Jaenelle in an over bearing pain in the ass older cousin sort of way. "Is there a reason you're pissed with her?"
"Not one we're discussing." When Daemon didn't challenge him, he very quickly called out to his father requesting a family meeting. At least Daemon should have asked several questions that demanded answers. Should have asked all of the questions that by rights the black jeweled black widow who was following him much to meekly should have asked.
It wasn't until they were well out of the current family residence and deep into the old part of the hall that Daemon asked a single question, "Where are we going?"
"Down this way there is a tunnel that leads to the tower."
"The tower father has venomously said several times not to disturb?"
Well damn the puppy almost sounded like a warlord prince. "Yes."
"Before I get my ass chewed out for trespassing, why are we going into that tower?"
Since Daemon sounded amused, he turned to him and gave a bone chilling smile, "Have you ever met Cassandra?"
Did he or was that just part of the web. "I might have."
"She kept a second room here. One that was off limits to males. Apparently from time to time she wanted to work on things without someone yapping at her."
"I don't recall either your father or mine ever yapping."
Yapping hardly opposing their queen on the other hand… "The rest of her court made up for it. Any how the only way in is the tunnel and the tower has a private workroom in the top bedroom in the center. Library, kitchen and sitting area the base."
"So a private residence within the Hall."
Revenar tilted his head in acknowledgement, "You need looking after. And before you argue I've already spoke to Karla and to your brother."
"I was told I could go back to my cabin."
There was one way out this conversation, "Your daughter decided otherwise."
Daemon narrowed his golden eyes at his cousin until he pushed a door open. They were under the Hall. So this should be a cellar of sorts… yet… Pushing past Revenar he nearly stumbled. Oh, Mrs. Beal was going to be so mad when she saw this kitchen. Not for the size… Oh no she stilled had the larger full kitchen… but the quality of the cabinetry. The stone made stove and oven. Everything centuries old yet pristine.
"Licking his lips he carefully asked, "And no one will stop me for…"
"The kitchen is yours as if everything in this tower." Not Revenar but Peyton who was now standing in the stairway leading up to the main floor. "The cupboards and pantry are fully stocked as is the cold box."
He would need to share this space with the hearth witch that Karla hired on his behalf but she was flexible about sharing space.
Peyton pushed off the wall and took a step to him, "Now, I have orders to make sure your ass is tucked into bed."
"And who would make that order."
The way both Peyton and Revenar tensed there must have been a deep growl in his voice.
"Your children are currently playing wonderfully in their crib, which is in your room. I suggest you make sure they stay there."
Several breaths then, "I thought they were with Rose?"
"They were until the little darlings decided they wanted their papa. Or at least that is what I was told."
"You didn't talk to them." Not a question but confirmation.
"I told my niece and nephew if they want to talk to me they better be old enough for the flesh to string words together. So far they are obeying my request."