Chapter Eight #2
He looked at her and switched languages. “How old is she?”
“Twenty-eight.”
He blinked and spoke in that other language again. “She was eight when the contract was issued.”
There was a stream of cursing from the other end of the line.
He looked at Diena. “We will need to get her to headquarters to remove the contract.”
“Well, she can’t move right now because she’s watching a bunch of reapers camping outside the protective barrier.
” She straightened. “They have no right to be on that soil. They have no treaty with the ruling body and no authorization to enter. They have two hours to leave before that campsite turns to lava.” She grimaced.
“Glitter lava. If they don’t move, they will be dead or really sparkly. ”
Jenaki snorted.
Denier jerked his head toward the man covered in gold markings. “Who are you? Her mate?”
“Not yet. I have made my inclinations known, and she is not averse, but for now, I am her doctor.”
Denier looked at her. “Who are you?”
“By right of combat, the Lorn empress.”
He stepped back and explained that the Lorn empress was demanding that the reapers get off her lawn.
She smiled at the furious and conciliatory commentary coming through and contacted Syrella.
“Rella, how are you holding up?”
Rella sighed. “Not too good. The reapers have S’mores. I love S’mores.”
“What?”
“Seriously.” She turned her wrist toward the group of men camped out on the stone pathway.
The men were all wearing the same black leather Denier was wearing, chatting and glancing toward Syrella.
“Rella, go inside and put the scrubbers on. I am banishing them from the Lorn Empire.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.” There was a stream of giggles.
“Uh-huh. What have you learned about the history before Maro?”
Syrella walked inside and said, “Matriarchal society. Always had an empress. She was marked with all the active designations of her people. Lots of naked statues with the markings. Lots. They all kinda look like you, so that is both funny and weird.”
“You may be called to bring a mineral deposit today.”
She smiled, back on screen. “I am ready. Just give me minerals and weights, and they shall arrive.”
“Talk to you soon, Rella. Don’t worry if the approach outside gets melty. They were warned.”
“You are gonna do something?”
“I am. Two hours and we get a lava approach to the big house.”
“Palace.”
“Whatever.” She flapped her free hand in the air.
Rella laughed. “Talk to you in two hours.”
“I want to hear from you, one way or another.”
“Yes, Empress.” Giggles burst out of the com, and she ended the call.
Denier stared at her. “They were making S’mores?”
“Yes. She’s a sucker for sweets and is constantly receptive. She never catches, but she is constantly receptive. The Lorn emperor tried to turn a human into an omega, and he missed.”
Denier blinked. “What?”
“Oh, yeah. She was one of Maro’s concubines, but the thing about constant heat is that it doesn’t actually allow for ovulation.” She shrugged. “She and one other are the only occupants of the Lorn Empire, behind a solid force shield.”
Denier cocked his head. “Is the other in a similar condition?”
“Oh, no. She’s the weapon of last resort. If someone breaks the barrier, they won’t break her.” She chuckled. “And their families will mourn their lost sons.”
He looked at her calm assurance and spoke rapidly to make it clear to any of the campers who wanted to force the issue.
She smiled. It was sensible. Avik was dangerous when she was in a good mood.
She was terrifying when defending a friend.
She had watched Diena’s back while she rampaged through the palace, and when there were no captors left, she organized the extraction of the survivors to safe and welcoming cities and countries.
There were only a dozen women, so the islands took them all.
No one said no to Avik. Compulsion was her thing.
She didn’t contact Avik. She was always on duty. She didn’t sleep; she meditated. Syrella would let her know what was going on.
Denier paused. “They are suspending the contract. The campers, as you describe them, are being notified to leave.”
Diena nodded. “Good. We don’t want to hurt anyone. We have had our fill of it, but we will if we have to.”
Jenaki touched her waist, and she smiled at him. “Still not a turn-off?”
He grinned. “Nope, but I thought the empire was empty.”
“I couldn’t leave it undefended. Those two can defend it knowing that there are no others left in the space; they don’t have to be careful.”
Denier nodded. “I understand. So you are really the empress?”
“I ripped Maro’s head off and crushed it under my boot heel. So, yes.” She muttered, “Took forever to get the brains out of the stitching.”
Denier nodded. “The fat causes an issue.”
She nodded. “So you are Salat’s brother-in-law?”
“More or less. It is complicated. My wife is his stepdaughter’s aunt but also her adopted sibling. It’s complicated.” He shrugged.
“Yeah, sounds like it.”
Ithal walked over under Eskin’s escort and stared up at Denier. “Wow. A real reaper.”
Denier blinked as if that was not what he thought would come out of the child’s mouth. “Um, yes. It is a family occupation. Do you have one?”
Ithal pointed toward Alody. “Mom is a seamstress, but she used to be a team member and an educator. My sister was a cook and a surrogate, but now she runs the new playpark with Kessie’s mom, and she’s also an empress. I think I have options.”
Denier looked at Diena. “You are his sister?”
“Yes.”
“His father?”
Ithal said, “He’s gone. He wasn’t a good man.”
Denier looked at Diena. “Hard to get out of stitching?”
She nodded. “That would be correct.”
“I see. So any contracts that have come out of Lorn in the last ten years?”
“Going back the last fifty. If there are any contracts issued out of Lorn or by the government, I am declaring them null and void. If the women survived, they have a right to a life, and if one of the fighters has a tag on them, nullify it. No order from Lorn more than six months ago is still valid.”
“That is when you took the throne?”
“That is when I remembered taking the throne.” She grinned.
Ithal chuckled. “Vaken would have brought you chocolate.”
Jenaki snorted. “That kid has training.”
Diena grinned. “It would seem so. After all the years with nothing, the hormonal rush hit me rather hard.”
He paused. “I had not thought of that. I need to write a paper.”
“Do what you want. I am wondering which of those shrubs is edible.”
Jenaki blinked. “Shit. Right. We are raiding the kitchen.”
He slid an arm around her, and Salat walked them toward the house.
She said, “Bro, we are getting snacks, are you coming?”
Ithal said, “Heading for Mom, under escort.”
Eskin laughed and ushered him back to the crowd of excited ex-team members.
Diena sighed with relief as Salat showed her to a table that had trays of tiny mouthfuls, and she began her tour with enthusiasm.
She felt the pounding hunger headache fading. A glass of juice was held out to her, and she drained it in under a minute. Jenaki got her another.