There were other things that needed to be done, but he waited.
“Does Prince Daemonar know you?” Lady Jhett finally asked.
He smiled. “In-close fighting with a short-handled club is something Daemonar learned from me.”
Another excruciating moment while they considered his words. Then they nodded and lowered the clubs.
“You must pack a bag with enough clothes and supplies for a couple of days,” he said. “I will escort you to the SaDiablo town house. You will be better protected there.”
“Zoey,” Arlene said.
“She’ll be protected,” he promised.
He stepped into the corridor and watched Arlene hurry to her own room to pack. Then he sent out a call on a psychic spear thread. Daemon Sadi didn’t answer, so he sent out a summons to another of the Queen’s weapons.
*Daemonar.*
*Chaosti?*
*Krellis and the other males who are known to serve Delora’s coven have disappeared, but two males who associate with them just attacked the Black Widow and Healer who stayed behind.*
*Were the girls harmed?*
*No. You taught them well, Brother.* He paused. *I can’t reach Daemon.*
*I’ll go to the Hall. Beron is at the town house.*
*I’ll bring the Ladies there, along with Prince Raine and the boys who may also be vulnerable to attack.*
*Weston,* Daemonar said.
*I’ll tell him, and he’ll inform Lady Zhara’s Master of the Guard.* And within minutes of that message, every guard who served Zhara and every Warlord Prince who lived in the city would be on the move, ready to fight.
Everything had a price, and the price for whatever mischief the coven of malice was making tonight would be steep.
“Prince Chaosti is bringing students from the school. They need protection,” Daemonar told Helton and Beron. “Prince Raine will also be staying here until things are settled. I’m going to the Hall to inform Prince Sadi that some of the boys have left the school without supplying a destination.” And if Uncle Daemon wasn’t there for some reason, he would be there to stand between his sister and the enemy.
“Go,” Beron said. “We’ll take care of things here.”
Daemonar took a moment to check his weapons—fighting knife, Eyrien club, and his Eyrien war blade. He vanished all of them, then ran out of the town house, launched himself skyward, caught the nearest thread of a Green Web, and rode that Wind toward the Hall with all the skill he had.
Titian watched the way Delora and Hespera moved around the sitting room, making cutting remarks about the furniture and carpets being old-fashioned or how some of the decorations were beyond quaint. Jaenelle Saetien looked so embarrassed, Titian felt sorry for her cousin and wanted to point out that Delora and Hespera were probably saying those things because they couldn’t recognize the quality of the Dharo carpets on the floor, and that beautiful crystal sculpture displayed on a hand-carved side table probably cost more than the income either of their families made in a year.
There was age and power in this place—and the weight of memories of someone who had lived here and been beloved. And was still beloved.
“We stay together,” Zoey said quietly. “We’ll ask Lord Beale to escort us to our rooms right after dinner. There is a common room in that square. We’ll stay there, together, until Prince Sadi returns.”
“But I need to . . . ,” one of the girls began, then blushed.
“It’s a buffet,” Titian said. “We can go in and eat now. There will be plenty of footmen on duty to escort people to the nearest water closet.”
Zoey sucked in air between her teeth as Delora moved in a kind of slithering dance toward the sitting room’s large windows—and opened two of them, despite the cold winter air. Moments later, Krellis, Dhuran, Clayton, and several more of Delora’s male friends climbed into the room. Krellis’s eyes glittered as he looked at Delora and then focused on Zoey.
“This is a girls-only party,” Jaenelle Saetien said, sounding alarmed. “You can’t be here.” She turned to Delora. “They can’t be here.”
“Of course they can,” Delora purred. “They came all this way to have some fun with us.”
“Delora, you don’t understand—”
The sitting room door opened. Beale stepped in, his Red Jewel now worn over his pristine white shirt.
“There are no male guests at this party,” Beale said, his voice rumbling through the room. “Leave. Now.”
“They were invited, and they’re staying,” Delora said.
“They aren’t guests; they’re intruders.” Beale took another step into the room.
At the doorway, Titian saw Holt and a handful of footmen. All of them held a hand at their sides in a way she recognized meant they were holding sight-shielded weapons.
Mother Night.
Jaenelle Saetien looked at Hespera, then at Beale, then at Delora.
You gave your word, Titian thought. Don’t break your word, not for her.
Jaenelle Saetien turned back to Beale. “As the Lady of the house, I’m inviting the gentlemen to stay.”
“As the one who is speaking for Prince Sadi, I say they go,” Beale replied.
Titian saw her cousin hesitate, saw the look on Delora’s face before Jaenelle Saetien shouted, “I don’t take orders from a servant. They are my guests, and I say they can stay.”
Silence.
“Very well,” Beale finally said. He looked at each boy. “Are these all of your guests?”
Jaenelle Saetien raised her chin. “Yes.”
Beale took two steps back—and closed the sitting room door.
Zoey grabbed Titian’s arm and turned her so her back was to the rest of the people in the room.
“Are you wearing the charm Daemonar gave you?” Zoey whispered.
“Yes,” Titian replied. She always wore it. She’d promised Daemonar she would.
Zoey glanced past Titian and shivered. “Whatever that charm is supposed to do? Titian, it’s time to use it. Please.”
She drew the gold chain out from beneath her dress, then pressed the mark of safe passage between her thumb and forefinger.
*Daemonar, we’re in trouble. We need help.* She waited a moment, not sure what was supposed to happen. *Daemonar? We really need help. Please.*
She waited a moment longer, then slipped the mark beneath her dress and looked at Zoey. “I don’t know how it’s supposed to work.”
Zoey sighed. “Let’s get something to eat. There should be footmen in the dining room to keep an eye on things.”
Linking arms with Zoey, she led their group of friends to the door.
“Where are you going?” Delora called. “The party is just getting started.”
“Some of us are hungry and prefer to be selective about who sits at our table,” Zoey replied coldly.
Dhuran hooted. Clayton grabbed the hand of one of Zoey’s friends as she walked by and began talking to her with quiet intensity. Krellis’s eyes still glittered.
We shield, Titian thought. We shield and we fight until help can reach us.
She just hoped it wouldn’t take long for that help to arrive.
Beale closed the sitting room door, then turned to face Holt and the footmen who had gathered in the great hall to assist in removing the intruders.