HM02 House of Moons by K.D. Wentworth Page A

and glanced up at her. “When I have power like that, we’ll have everything we ever wanted—gold, servants, respect. Chee’ayn will be rich again and every eligible male in the Highlands will be clamoring for your hand. You’ll have your pick of Houses.”
    “Don’t be stupid!” Knotting her fingers, Axia pulled up a chair and sat down beside him, trying to make him look at her. “It didn’t work on Haemas Tal. You almost killed her with it, but you never really controlled her mind.” She put a tentative hand on his shoulder. “The first time you trot that little trinket out and try it on a Council member, you’ll get caught and that will be the end of this House.”
    “Shut up!” Jerking to his feet, he dashed the pewter mug to the floor. It clattered into the wall, then spun back against her foot. “I just don’t know enough about it yet to make it work right on the Tal woman. I have to learn more, and that’s where you come in.” His eyes burned down at her. “You’ll do as you’re damn well told tomorrow, or I’ll use it on you! ”
    He swept up the mug, then ran his fingers over the embossed Chee crest. “Anyway, I’ve already tried it—on Himret Rald himself, practically in front of the entire Council.” Setting the mug on the mantel over the hearth, he stepped back, then centered it. “Worked far better than prayer, I must say.”
    That nasty, snide edge in his voice was the same one Axia had often heard from their father, usually just before he succumbed to another violent mood swing. Although she had thought her life hardly worth living already, hearing her younger brother speak in those manic tones stole what little comfort remained.
    She stared down at her folded hands, seeing how the blue veins showed through the skin. She was almost forty; no one was going to contract for her now, wealthy or not, but Diren didn’t seem to understand that.
    “After you come back, we’ll make another trip down to Lenhe’ayn.” Diren settled back into the worn chair and propped his boots up on the hearth. “There should be more crystals where we found the first one.”
    “What do you need more for?” She blinked in surprise. “Besides, that Lenhe woman was suspicious enough when she saw us heading for the woods last time. What if we run into her again?”
    “Don’t worry about her.” Folding his arms behind his head, he leaned back and stretched until his bones popped. “Both she and that brat of hers are dead. One of those doddering Rald cousins has moved in until final disposition of the property is made, but he doesn’t worry me. Even the old Lord himself couldn’t withstand my little toy.”
    The top log shifted, showering red sparks up the chimney. Axia watched them swirl into the darkness, thinking they were just like dreams she used to have. When she and Diren had been younger, it had seemed as if anything was possible. Now they were down to depending on this crystal to make their dreams come true—a thing so forbidden that death was the sole penalty for using one.
    “What about the Tal woman?” she asked finally. “Since the latteh doesn’t really work on her, how long do you think you can keep this up? She’s supposed to be a Plus-Eleven.”
    “You don’t believe that nonsense, do you?” A sneer twisted Diren’s lips. “And it wouldn’t make any difference if she were. You saw what happened when she fought the latteh. It turns your own strength back against you. The damn thing nearly killed her.”
    Axia went cold again, remembering the paleness of the woman’s face when Diren had emerged from the Chee’ayn portal the night before. For a moment, she had thought Haemas Tal was dead. She ran her tongue over her dry lips. “What’s to keep her from leaving me in the past once we’re away from the latteh?”
    “That’s the easiest part of all.” He reached into his tunic and drew out the dull-green crystal. “You just take it with you.”
    * * *
    With a feeling of