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He seems legitimate. I can t smell any sort of deceit on him, but
that doesn t mean much. Some demons are very good at lying.
However, we would do well to trust what allies we have in the
coming conflict. He seems to have remained loyal, so it s best to think
of him as such until he proves otherwise. Michel discreetly moved
Cord s hand as it found its way into his lap. He reached out and took a
bit of bread and dipped it in the honey before shoving it into Cord s
mouth. Chew on that and get your brain out of the gutter. How Cord
managed to pout while he chewed on the gods gift to all kind was
beyond him, but he managed it.
Thankfully, Natiri arrived then to distract them all from their
shared arousal. Sorry I took so long, gentlemen, he apologized
smoothly. With surprising grace, the giant sat down across from the
trio, folding his legs neatly under him so that he was sitting in a lotus
position. He had a rolled-up piece of cloth in his hand which was red
and gold in coloration with two carved wooden cylinders on either
end decorated with golden tassels. It looked like something Cord
would ve picked up at a Chinese district back home. He loved all
sorts of Asian art and trinkets.
Michel watched as Dru s eyes zeroed in on the cloth. Is that his
legacy? he asked in a hushed voice. Whatever the miniblanket was
obviously got him excited.
Yes. A last gift from his father. Natiri s face held a world of
sorrow as he spoke. The demon general unrolled it. The cloth was
surprisingly long for being so narrow. His entire history, every
member of the family down through the generations, is listed here.
Salvatore is the last on the main line, and Theron is the last on the
secondary line. He fingered the soft, silk-like material. I have been
waiting ages to be able to give this to him. He rolled it back up
Ravyn s Mates 39
carefully and handed it across the table. Please, give this to him for
me with my regards.
Dru nodded solemnly. I will.
Why is that important? Michel asked, watching the exchange in
curiosity.
Natiri answered him. It proves his bloodline and his right to rule.
The cloth can t be altered by any sort of physical or metaphysical
means. What is written therein is absolute and irrefutable truth. It
seemed like a load of bull to him, but then, the demons were a
superstitious lot. Even the Ravyns, who were far more adaptive to
Earth than most, had rituals and customs which they followed strictly.
Now, what sort of fighting force has Salvatore gathered? Talks of
war had begun.
* * * *
The night fell faster than Dru expected it to. Talks of war,
strategy, and troops dominated the conversations from daybreak until
almost sunset. They d only taken brief respites to take care of their
physical needs like food and bathroom visits. For the most part, it had
been a breakdown of what had occurred since Salvatore left the palace
to present, as well as what their future plans were for taking back over
the kingdom. Working everything out was pretty exhausting, but
Druas was happy with their progress. He d even momentarily
forgotten about his distracting desire for his new mates.
The fires are burning, Natiri noted as the world began to take on
the characteristics of night. You ll join us for our evening meal? It
would do my people good to see the Ravyns amongst them again.
His eyes flicked to the shifters, who had been actually quite helpful
during their conversations. Seeing new Ravyns will give them even
more hope. It s good to see Salvatore extending his reach even in
small degrees.
40 Jana Downs
We d be honored to eat the evening meal with the rest of the
tribe, Dru said. Cord had long since given up the fight of trying to
retain good posture and leaned heavily against his side. His little mate
was so damn cute. Cord might be a warrior, but the difference in their
size made Dru feel all kinds of protective instincts when it came to his
well-being. He d forever think of the other man as cute.
Natiri left to go get them a small bowl of water so they could
wash themselves before the meal, leaving the three of them alone
once more. Michel wasted no time nuzzling Dru s neck. Maybe it was
a shifter thing, but both of them were extremely touchy. It wasn t that
they even touched inappropriately, but they were constantly giving
him little caresses as if to reassure him that they were there and to
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