Demon's Revenge (High Demon Series #5) by Connie Suttle Read Free Book Online

other shape," Garde ventured to say.
    "I'll say I'm sorry."
    "We'll work on that. Later."
    * * *
    "We'll make it right. We'll make it right," someone was crooning to me when I regained consciousness. I ached. Over most of my body. My ribs felt as if they'd been crushed.
    "Who are you?" I opened my eyes and found a black-skinned male running his hands over my body. I'd never seen him before. Who'd let him in my house? I was in my house; I was staring at the same crack in the plaster ceiling that I'd been looking at for twenty years.
    "I'm new to this side of things. I and one other have been assigned to assist Kifirin."
    "You're Kifirin's assistant?" It hurt to talk.
    "Yes."
    "Get out."
    "I understand how you might feel that way about him."
    "Then get out." This one had a nice face. He might look even better if he smiled, but I didn't want him to stay until I saw it. If he were Kifirin's assistant, then he needed to get away from me. As soon as he could. A tiny curl of smoke came from my nostrils. Kifirin had knocked me out and dumped me in a field for Tory to find as full Thifilathi. That was unforgivable. Just another unforgivable thing in a long line of unforgivable things at the hands of the Dark god. He wasn't the Dark god for nothing.
    "My name is Neeki," my attendant said, continuing his examination of my naked body as if he hadn't heard a word I'd said.
    "That's nice," I said. "Get out."
    "My associate is called Teeki, but he could not be here right now. He is busy elsewhere." Dark fingers ran down ribs so tender I almost cried out. "Ah, cracks. I will repair them." Light formed around his hands.
    "Probably straightening out some of Kifirin's other mistakes," I drew in a painful breath. He'd hit a really sore spot. "Now, get out. I mean it."
    "Ah, but you want to be able to work the harvest tomorrow."
    "Sure I do. As soon as you get out of my way, I'm skipping out of here. Garde and his bone-crushing thug of a son can harvest the fruit. I'm done, here. Kifirin stepped across the line one time too many."
    "He does not mean to harm."
    "Don't try to make excuses for him. He does so mean to harm. Has done harm. Every single time."
    "Our little one is very tired. And so="+ired. Are. Needs rest. Rest, Reah. Shall I ask someone to hold you after I heal your body?"
    "I want you and everybody else to leave me alone. Where are they now? Why are you here instead of that pile of mates I have? And Torevik Rath? If I see him again in Thifilathi, small or large, he'll have a fight on his hands. Kifirin prevented me from turning earlier. Where are all those lofty promises he made to the Dark races, long ago? That he wouldn't interfere with their decisions? He keeps interfering with mine."
    "I was not his assistant when he made that statement."
    "Yeah? Who decided he needed an assistant? Or two?"
    "The one who made him. So he sent Teeki and me. To help."
    "Great. More meddling gods." I raised up in bed, whimpering at the resulting pain.
    "Don't move, I haven't finished, yet," Neeki informed me.
    "You're finished." I slipped off the bed and moved stiffly toward my closet. Dawn was close. Tory had probably dumped me as quickly as possible and skipped right back to Mom and her palace, leaving Kifirin's newly appointed assistant behind to clean up his mess. I was leaving, just as soon as I could get dressed.
    "You cannot leave; many depend upon you."
    "Yeah? Watch me." I pulled a pair of pants from a hanger. A shirt came next. Nothing in my closet could be described as neat or new. Everything was old; some of it patched, ripped or threadbare. I found the best of it, pulled the nicest underwear I owned out of a drawer and slipped into it, my body aching the entire time. When I managed to pull the best shoes on that I could find, I still looked as if I were prepared to work the groves instead of leaving the planet.
    "But what shall I do?" Neeki, much taller than I and somewhat thin, looked as if he were about to wring his hands.
    "I don't