She seemed to think on that. “Very well. I will listen to what you have to say. But you will stay there, at a distance.”

“Of course,” Viève said. “Whatever makes you most comfortable.”

“It would make me most comfortable if you left. But in lieu of that, a distance before me will do. I am not like the dragons or the fairies, I do not have magical powers that do damage. My only ability is to fly. That and to commune with all things in nature,.”

“Dragons and fairies?” Viève echoed.

“Yes. Other Mysticals. Don’t you know anything of my people?”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” Viève said. “I’ve lived a very sheltered life. A very short one compared to most Nightwalkers.”

“We are made up of all things mystical. Unicorns, Pegasus, dragons, fairies, brownies, elves, hippogriffs, centaurs…the list goes on. If it has been mentioned in a fantasy story, odds are it was real…and a Mystical.”

“That’s a lot of species for one race,” Kamen noted.

“We are not a very large population in spite of that. Many of us have been hunted to extinction. Either that or we are held captive by Djynn for use of our powers as nikkis.”

“And yet you willingly play the role of a nikki for Grey?” Kamen asked.

“I am not captive. He uses me as a nikki and in exchange he protects me here where no one can reach me.”

“It sounds like a prison,” Viève said. “To hide where no one can get you means also that you can get to no one.”

“What would you have me do? Go out in the world where another Wraith could get hold of me?” she snapped.

“No. I understand why you are afraid. But you cannot live your life in fear,” Kamen said.

She relented. “Perhaps not. But I will leave in my own time. Now, tell me what you want.”

“It is about Apep.” Kamen’s mouth formed a grim line. “Any day now we are expecting an attack by him and his forces. And even if he does not attack us, we must find him and put him out of this world before he can do any more damage than he has already done. He is pure evil and must be destroyed if this planet is to have any peace.”

“Yes. I have heard of this Apep. But I do not see what any of this has to do with me.”

“Not with you so much as with your people. I have found ancient writings that indicate that all twelve Nightwalkers races must work together in order to fight this evil.”

“Yes, Grey has told me of these other six Nightwalkers you have discovered. I find it most intriguing.” She frowned. “Tell me about these writings.”

“Well, it was hard to find much since it seems we can’t read each other’s writings, but I found a little indication of this.” Kamen explained what he had found.

“And based on this you feel we should all work together? How many races do you have now?”

“All except yours and the Wraiths, but the Wraiths will join if you do.” He told her of their meeting with the Doyen.

“The Wraiths are not to be trusted. They say one thing but could well mean another. They may already be in league with Apep and are simply toying with you.”

“That may be true, but what other choice do we have but to trust them at their word until they prove otherwise?” Kamen said.

“I will not risk any of my people on such an unknown.” She anxiously nibbled at the tip of one tapered nail.

“We cannot do this without the Mysticals,” Kamen said gently.

“I will not risk my people, but I…I will risk myself.”

“Paulette, no,” Grey said suddenly. “You have been through enough. There are those who are stronger, better able to defend themselves.”

“No. It must be me. All of these other leaders have sent their best and I should do the same, but…no one mistrusts the Wraiths more than I do, and it seems to me you need someone with a good dose of caution where the Wraiths are concerned. You are all too willing to believe them. It is a deadly, dangerous thing. One that could mean the end of you.”

Viève didn’t know how she felt right then. She was glad that the Empress was willing to help them, but she felt like a pariah. Like she would not be included in this venture as long as the Empress was there to whisper bad things about the Wraiths in people’s ears.

But was she wrong to do so? She was just one little half-breed from one little cell in the middle of nowhere. What did she know about the machinations of the Wraith court? Still she hoped Paulette was wrong. She hoped that the Doyen meant what he said about joining the Nightwalkers against Apep.

“Will you come with us now?”

“Not just now. I have to get some things together first. I will come and I will see what is happening for myself before I talk to my captains and have them lend forces to your cause. Now, please go. I need to relax and pack. Grey will bring me when I am ready.

“Very well. Grey, will you send us back?” Kamen asked.

“Of course.”

And just like that, they disappeared from Grey’s mansion and reappeared in the common room of the Bodywalker house.

Chapter 15

Apep screamed.

“Get it out!” he cried. It wasn’t supposed to hurt this much! He was a god! Gods did not feel pain!

Well, that wasn’t true. But it took a lot for a god to feel pain. Like when that Night Angel deflected his power back onto him. That had hurt. Come to think of it he still owed that bitch for that little infraction. He gritted his inferior mortal teeth together and rode out the next wave of pain. He was dripping with sweat and he was pretty sure his beautiful hairstyle was a thing of the past. The bedding was rumpled, but at least it was dry now. It had been a wet mess when his water had broken.

This giving birth thing was a messy business. He would have to remind himself in the future to never do this again. What had possessed him to think this was a good idea?

Oh. Right. A godly son to sit at his right hand. Yes. That would be worth it. Between him and his son he would rule this world and the Nightwalkers would be a small footnote in history.

“It will be any time now,” the doctor said.

“Why are you sweating?” Apep growled when he saw the man mop his damp pate for the dozenth time. “I’m the one doing all the work! You’re lucky I need you or I would have killed you and your sniveling nurse by now!”