Destined for Two (23 page)

* * * * *

“Is she okay?” Keenas asked as he gently moved the hair from her face. Her eyes were closed, her face flushed, her lips swollen. She’d never looked more beautiful, and his heart swelled.

“She just passed out,” Jorel said, his breathing still heavy.

“I know how she feels,” Keenas said in amusement.

Lifting her from Jorel’s chest, he carried her to the bathroom. “Start her water, Jorel.

The sooner we get her in the bath, the less soreness she’ll have tomorrow.” Jorel nodded, and then slid from the bed like a limp doll. Keenas stood to the side, holding Rhianna in his arms as Jorel ran her water and added the salts that would soothe her soreness and aching muscles. Once the tub was full, Keenas lowered her in.

The hot water hit her skin and her eyes flew open, her arms clutching tightly to his neck.

“It’s okay, sweet,” he whispered, and she eased somewhat. “The water will help you feel better.”

“What happened?” she asked drowsily.

“You blacked out for a few minutes,” Jorel answered as he helped her to stretch her aching legs.

“Like before?” she said, a small frown marring her brow.

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“Yeah, but don’t worry. We’ll work on that,” Jorel said, a cheeky grin lighting up his eyes.

Keenas grabbed a sponge and lifted it. Squeezing it, he let the water run down her arms and back. She closed her eyes and sighed, her body relaxing into the warm water. “That feels good,” she sighed. “What’s in here? It smells wonderful.”

“Rose, mint, medicinal oils to help with swelling and soreness,” Jorel murmured.

“I could take a bath in this every night,” she sighed, and Keenas grinned.

“You just might,” he said, then kissed the tip of her nose.

She smiled back, her eyes twinkling with laughter. “I’ll die a happy woman.”

“I love you, sweet,” he whispered in her ear and she reached up to touch his cheek with her wet hand.

“I love you,” she mouthed, then turned to smile at Jorel, mouthing the same thing to him.

How the hell did they get so lucky? Something nagged at his gut. It was all too perfect and he had a terrible feeling something would happen to ruin it.

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Rhia stepped off the transport at the Argonian hangar bay and threw herself into her brother’s arms. Devlin laughed, hugging her to him. “I take it the trip went well?” he asked.

Pulling away, she smiled up at him. “Yes.”

“You want to stay then?”

Glancing up, she noticed a hint of sadness in his sapphire eyes. Sadness and worry. Had something happened while she was gone? Was there something he wasn’t telling her? “Is everything okay?” she asked with concern. It wasn’t often her brother let things get to him.

He was so confident, so in charge of everything around him.

“Everything is fine,” he said with a smile, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I promise.”

She narrowed her gaze, unsure she believed him.

“You didn’t answer me, poppet. Do you want to stay?”

“I want to stay.” She raised her hand and brushed his black hair from his shoulder. “I’ll miss you, though. Can’t you stay here?”

Devlin sighed. He raised her hands to kiss the backs of her fingers. “I wish I could, Rhia, but you know I have to get back to Veenori. I’ve really been gone long enough.”

“I know,” she sighed. “But you will at least stay for the wedding, right?” She leaned closer and tugged at his shirt to pull him down to her level. “It was your idea after all.” With a laugh, Devlin kissed the tip of her nose. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Keenas came to stand behind her, his hands coming to rest possessively on her shoulders. Devlin grinned at Rhia and she winked back. She knew deep in her heart that Keenas and Devlin would eventually come to like one another. She believed they already did, but both would be loath to admit it.

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“Armande,” Keenas drawled.

“Davole,” Devlin responded in kind and Rhia shook her head in amazement.

“The two of you are impossible.”

“They’re like children, aren’t they?” Jorel teased, slapping Devlin on the shoulder.

“Good to see you, old man. Nice to see you didn’t destroy the castle in our absence.” Devlin snorted. “You haven’t seen the tavern yet.” Rhia’s eyes widened slightly as she stared at her brother. “You didn’t get in a fight or something, did you?”

“I think he’s joking, Rhianna,” Keenas whispered in her ear.

She glanced over her shoulder and didn’t miss the amused tugging of Keenas’s lips.

Shaking her head, she slapped Devlin across his hard stomach with the back of her hand. She knew it did nothing, since hitting his stomach was like hitting a solid rock.

He grunted, placing his hand over where she’d hit. “Careful, poppet. According to your husband, I’m an old man.”

Jorel chuckled along with Keenas and Rhia rolled her eyes. “All three of you are asses,” she grumbled and headed toward the hangar bay doors where her maids were waiting.

They curtsied and Rhia tugged them up by the arms. Shaking her head, she smiled to soften her orders. “No bowing. No curtsies. No ‘my ladys’. I’m just Rhia, okay?” They nodded, their faces beaming with smiles of their own.

“Good.” She nodded and shooed them out the door. “Now let’s get to my room so I can change out of this ridiculous traveling dress.” Leena laughed, leading the way toward the entry hall and the stairs that would take them to her room. As they rounded the corner at the solarium, they ran into Morganic and his daughter Liza.

“My lady,” Morganic said, his lips lifting in a slight sneer. “Good to see you made it back safely. Did you enjoy your trip?”

“Yes,” she said, although a bit hesitantly.

There was something about him that gave her chills. Even though he was her father’s cousin, they looked nothing alike. Morganic had an evil look about him, controlling. Her gaze moved to Liza, who stood next to him like a scared rabbit with her hands clasped before her. With her hair down, she looked so young, but if Rhia remembered correctly, they were close to the same age.

“Liza,” Rhia said with a slight nod. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You as well, my lady.”

“Please,” she said with a grimace. “Rhia.”

“Rhia,” Liza repeated with a slight smile of understanding.

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“Liza and I were wondering if you would like to have tea with us,” Morganic said. “It will give us an opportunity to get to know you again. After all, we haven’t seen you since you were just a baby.”

Rhia glanced toward Leena, who shrugged her shoulder ever so slightly, but there was a hint of hesitancy in her gaze.

“Leena, would you inform my husbands I’ll be a little late? I’m having tea with Morganic and Liza.”

She gave Leena a pointed look she hoped the young woman understood. She really didn’t want to have tea with them, or at least Morganic, and hoped her husbands would interrupt them. She knew they didn’t fully trust him and doubted they would want her alone with him.

Leena nodded, and turned to leave, but was stopped by Morganic. “You needn’t do that, Leena. I’m sure we won’t keep her that long.” Leena glanced toward Rhia in question. “It’s all right, Leena,” Rhia said with a wink. “If you don’t mind, would you and Nicky go unpack my clothes?”

“Of course, my…Rhia,” Nicky said, and sent Morganic a scowl that surprised Rhia before turning and leading Leena down the hall.

“Such insolence,” Morganic growled. “You should get rid of her immediately, Rhianna.

No maid should look at a royal in that way.”

Anger seethed through Rhia. “If you don’t mind, Morganic, I think I can handle my maids.”

Morganic bowed his head slightly, a flash of anger lighting his eyes. Liza’s widened, but Rhia didn’t miss the slight twitch of her lips and admiration shining in her gaze. Morganic stood and Liza immediately let the mask fall back into place, keeping her gaze blank, her stance submissive. Rhia would give anything to get Liza alone. Maybe soon she would have an opportunity to talk with her, without her father present.

“Forgive me, Rhianna.”

Rhia nodded, but felt no forgiveness. Her gut told her to watch out for this man. “I suppose we should have our tea.” She shrugged and smiled slightly at Liza. “I’m afraid I’m still unfamiliar with the castle, so where would be good?”

“They have a fire set up in the small parlor on the second floor. It has a wonderful view of the solarium,” Liza offered.

“Great. Lead the way.”

* * * * *

“I need to speak with you,” Devlin said with a sigh. “Both of you.” 160

“Let me guess,” Jorel teased. “You were serious about the tavern and want to settle the bill.” Devlin scowled, making Jorel frown. “You’re worried about something.”

“I’m terrified. Do you know Jerick?”

“Morganic’s partner?” Keenas said, his chest tightening from the worry he saw in Devlin’s gaze. “What about him?”

Devlin glanced around at the bay and the numerous people milling about. “Maybe we should discuss this somewhere else.”

Keenas nodded and signaled they should follow him. “My office.” Once through the door, Keenas glanced around at his two assistants. They stood and smiled. “Welcome back, Your Grace.”

“Gentlemen,” Keenas replied with a nod. “I need to speak with Devlin in private. Take a break, would you, please?”

“Yes, sir.”

They left quickly, shutting the door with an ominous click behind them. Keenas moved to sit behind his desk. Folding his hands, he put his elbows on the desk and stared at Devlin.

“What’s going on?”

“I know Jerick from way back. Let’s just say we worked together on a few things for my adopted father.”

Jorel moved to take a seat as well, watching Devlin in concern.

“We ran across each other a few nights ago. Seems when Jerick’s father died, he left Jerick some information about Morganic.”

“What kind of information?” Keenas asked.

Devlin began to pace in agitation and Keenas’s anxiety grew. “Jerick’s father believed Morganic was behind the death of Rhia’s parents. He told Jerick where to find the proof, but he hadn’t been able to get to it. He wanted me to help him.”

“Proof?” Keenas stood, his chest pounding. They had proof to what Keenas had suspected all these years? “What proof, and do you have it?” Devlin nodded and tossed Keenas a portable secure drive. “Everything should be on there. Names, amounts, account numbers, dates. But one purchase has me extremely worried.”

Keenas sat back down and slipped the jump drive into his computer. Jorel moved to stand behind him, both of them shocked at what they were looking at. My God, they knew half these people. But Devlin’s last words finally sunk in and he glanced at his brother-in-law. “What purchase?” he asked.

“Scroll to the bottom.”

Keenas did, and then cursed. “Corillium?”

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“Who the hell does he plan on using that on?” Jorel asked. He stood straight with a few curses of his own. “Surely he wouldn’t be dumb enough to use it on Rhianna.” Keenas wiped at his lips and sighed. “He wanted us to marry Liza, Jorel. He tried to enforce a new treaty on our father months after his cousin’s death.”

“Jerick thinks he’s going to give Rhia the poison, then blame her death on the resistance. Once she’s out of the way, he’ll force you to marry Liza in order to keep the peace between the two planets. Jerick said he’s already been training Liza for a ménage marriage. It was her father’s idea and he pretty much forced Jerick to agree to handle the training.”

“What?” Keenas snapped.

Devlin nodded. “Jerick pretended to be appalled but then relented. Her father doesn’t have a clue that Jerick and Liza are lovers and have been for quite some time. Liza has been helping Jerick find proof of her father’s involvement with the resistance.”

“Damn, didn’t know Liza had it in her,” Jorel said with a sideways grin.

“Can’t say I did, either,” Keenas said as he sat back, his mind still reeling from the information in front of him. “We need to find Morganic and detain him for questioning.” Devlin nodded. “He’s here. I saw him earlier.”

Keenas started to call for security when his door was thrown open. Rhianna’s maids stared at him with wide, concerned gazes. “What the hell are you doing?” Keenas snapped.

“Where’s Rhianna?”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Your Grace, but Rhianna wanted us to let you know she was having tea with Morganic and his daughter, Liza.”

“He’s up to something,” Nicky added. “I saw him earlier arguing with one of the maids on the second floor. He wanted plain water for the teapot so he could serve his own blend.

Since when does Morganic brew his own damn tea?” Keenas would have found Nicky’s anger amusing if not for the tightening noose of fear around his neck. He stood, his stomach knotting. Devlin was already heading out the door, Jorel close on his heels. “Where are they?”

“Second floor parlor,” Leena said.

Keenas headed out the door as well. “Find Morganic’s partner, Jerick, for me. Send him to the parlor,” he said as he sprinted out the door.