Immortals After Dark 12 - Lothaire

demons to crash the plane—to bring Chase to him.
    But Lothaire would never forget that Thaddeus had stood up for him—though the boy would have gained nothing from it.
    One of the first instances of true loyalty Lothaire had experienced since his mother had died. . . .
    “Tell more,” Elizabeth cried, swigging a beer chaser. The area around her lounge chair was covered with crushed snack chips, which made his lips curl. “More!”
    “One night, we were taking a time-out in this creepy lab,” Thaddeus began. “Torture tools were hanging everywhere, but Lothaire was completely unfazed. He just climbed on top of this cage to go to sleep, tellingthe rest of us, ‘To anyone who contemplates even nearing me while I sleep: I will garrote you with your own viscera.’ I mean, who says shit like that?”
    More laughter.
    By that time, I’d drunk Chase’s blood, was already keen to get to the man’s memories.
    The boy pounded a shooter. “And out on the trail, Lothaire told this burly berserker to watch himself, ‘else I’ll revisit my juvenile skull-fucking phase.’ ”
    Elizabeth snorted beer out of her nose, and Thaddeus threw back his head to laugh. Hag didn’t join them; she knew Lothaire had been serious.
    Ah, my mischievous youth . . .
    “And he’s crazy brave,” Thaddeus averred, exhibiting that unmistakable case of hero worship.
    But Elizabeth is hanging on every word he says about me . A satisfying feeling.
    “Now, that I can believe,” she said. “I know he killed a pack of Wendigos.”
    Thaddeus waved that away. “That was early in the fight. After that, he took on an army of them, saving all our lives. And all the time he was trying to get back to you.”
    Elizabeth’s smile faded. Lothaire could almost hear her thoughts: Not trying to get back to me.
    “On the island, I was the one who suspected he had a lady,” Thaddeus continued. “When Lothaire got spacey, he’d murmur to me about his young Bride gazing up at him with fear, which, granted, is a little weird to hear—”
    “I’ve returned,” Lothaire interrupted. They all jumped, heads whipping in his direction.
    He hadn’t remembered telling Thaddeus those things. Young? Fear? Definitely not describing Saroya.
    Have I always known deep down that Elizabeth is mine?
    Her smile returned now. “Lothaire, you’re safe.”
    As are you. After last night’s tears—and this morning’s terror—she was happy to see him unharmed? “Of course.” To Thaddeus, he said, “You’ve made yourself at home.”
    The boy gazed down at his beer. “Thought I’d hang out, maybe give you a hand guarding your lady.”
    “Did you revive Elizabeth?”
    “Just helped her along some.”
    Lothaire gave him a curt nod. “A word, Hag.” He traced inside, tossing the vines on the counter.
    She followed. “You secured them.”
    Barely. The guards had been as vicious as he’d expected. Somehow he’d breached their defenses to face Nereus. . . .
    As the god handed over the vines with relief, he asked Lothaire about his new Bride, the one Loreans everywhere were speculating about. “Is she anyone I know?”
    “She’s no one,” Lothaire answered truthfully.
    “I really thought you’d demand my firstborn.”
    “As if I’d want your fucking guppy,” Lothaire drawled, tracing away before Nereus could strike him down.
    “The stock is ready,” Hag said as she folded the vines into a bubbling pot. “Not that we need it now.” Was the fey slurring?
    “How did Thaddeus bring her back?”
    “He talked to her, telling her she was protected. Amazing how well she responded to something so simple. I imagine feeling safe is a novelty for her.”
    Lothaire ignored her censorious tone, attributing it to the spirits, and focused on the outcome. Elizabeth was well, and Thaddeus had demonstrated loyalty yet again.
    Maybe the halfling could be an ally of sorts. . . .
    Now that Lothaire’s worry for Elizabeth had been alleviated, he could finally assess the battle this morning—and its ramifications.
    Had that Dacian male truly been his cousin? What other living family did he have on the Dacian side?
    Perhaps he was getting closer to finding that kingdom, to finding Serghei. He had to be if they’d targeted Lothaire’s Bride so aggressively.
    Yet another enemy to contend with. After witnessing their skill with swords, Lothaire would not underestimate them.
    And now that Tymur the Allegiant had been dispatched, political machinations among the