Chapter 41

 

Tribunal meeting, Nether Realm

 

Quinn blinked his eyes as the teleporting ended. He checked the raised dais first to see if there was any chance Loki had passed on this meeting.

Nope. There stood the trickster god who created turmoil just to be entertained. Today he had brilliant blue eyes, black hair slicked back, and was wearing a suit Armani would be proud to sell.

To the side of that annoying god stood another one.

Hermes always appeared as bored. He played a happy little tune on his tortoiseshell lyre, which was basically a U-shaped harp the size of a ukulele. The chap was into wings. He had them on his skull-shaped hat and his funky leather boots. He had the usual beyond-perfect face of a deity, but with a long narrow nose and thin eyes. His scraggly golden brown curls poking out from his hat needed a trim, as did his beard.

Daegan leaned over. “Anything I need to know?”

Quinn was glad his dragon king hadn’t used telepathy here since nothing was private in this place. “No matter which three gods and/or goddesses rule a Tribunal, their word is final. All deities with VIPER take a turn, but Loki must enjoy other people’s misery. He’s here often. Lying will make your body glow red and the Tribunal is judge, jury and executioner. Actually, Sen is their executioner and enforcer. We’re waiting for the Medb contingent to show up.”

“I know who Loki and Hermes are, but not the woman.”

Quinn eyed her golden hair, shapely body and creamy skin. He shuddered. “Based on the white dress and black lips, I’m thinking that must be Laima, one of the Baltic goddesses of destiny. It’s said that if she kisses you, that’s your last one ever. She’s like a black widow spider, but with more of a punch.”

Daegan drew back in disgust.

Cathbad appeared to the side of the dais where the accusers generally stood. Little had changed with him from the last time Quinn had been forced to look at his cocky expression.

Loki nodded to each of his partners in judgment, then made a show of looking around as though there were more than seven beings present. He asked, “Where is Macha?”

Quinn whispered, “He knows the answer. Sen would have informed him while we teleported.”

The subtle movement of Quinn’s head indicated the dragon king should speak now. Quinn hoped his leader understood the dynamics.

Daegan replied, “Macha is gone. I am the rightful ruler of Treoir.”

Loki’s eyebrows lifted. “How do you intend to rule a force as large as the Beladors, plus the Alterant-gryphons, without a pantheon to back you up?”

Cathbad interrupted. “Pardon me, Loki, but we’ve made it clear that at least half of that herd of Alterant-gryphons belongs to the Medb. If Macha is gone, who’s going to give us our part of the stock?”

Waiting for silence, Daegan said, “I have no need for a pantheon to aid me in ruling Treoir and leading the Beladors. As for Alterants, gryphons or anyone else beneath my rule, they are my loyal followers, and therefore, protected from scavengers like the Medb. I will hand over none.”

Cathbad looked like he was going to blow a gasket.

Quinn could do nothing to help Daegan with this, but he was fist pumping the guy for the way he stood strong for his people.

Loki moved a hand, requesting silence and told Cathbad, “The Tribunal must settle the Blood Law issue first.” Then he told Daegan, “Since you claim responsibility for the Beladors, the Maistir on your right has been found guilty of withholding a possession of Queen Maeve’s. Where is Kizira’s body?”

The goddess Laima asked, “Is it time for sentencing? I’d like to kiss someone and return to my realm.”

Loki gave her a look reserved for idiots. “Not yet.”

“Very well. Carry on,” she said, lifting a mirror to study her mouth full of pointed teeth.

Sen got them back on track when he called out to Loki, “The tomb holding the body was at the site where I went to retrieve the Belador, but it vanished. Someone teleported it away.” Sen finished that statement by glaring at Daegan.

Quinn started to explain that the missing tomb was his fault, but Daegan softly ordered, “Let me handle this.”

Then the dragon king asked, “Who requests the body?”

Loki didn’t like that one bit. “We covered all of that when Quinn was last here. I have no intention of spending time repeating our past meeting.”

“If that’s the case, the Medb messenger will leave here empty-handed.”

Cathbad turned a deep red, struggling to keep from spewing his thoughts.

Quinn wondered how the Beladors would move forward once the Tribunal killed Daegan. This was turning out worse than even Quinn had imagined.

Sen offered to Loki, “Would you like this imposter placed in lockup where he can’t continue to interfere?”

Quinn glanced at Daegan, who seemed unperturbed by the threat.

“Yes, Sen. That would simplify this meeting.”

Sen made a tiny move toward Daegan.

Without even looking at Sen, Daegan swung a hand out and made a slight pushing motion.

Sen slid backwards thirty feet, hunched over as if a massive fist had shoved him. He hugged his middle, trying to breathe.

Quinn’s eyes practically jumped out of his head. Are you kidding me?

Sen’s shocked face was worth gold.

Quinn couldn’t form a word. Everyone suspected Sen of being a demigod based on his powers and attitude, but that dis would make Evalle’s day if Quinn survived to tell her about it. Sen had treated her badly for years whenever Tzader or Quinn weren’t around to call him on it.

Then again, Evalle hadn’t backed away from Sen in Blairsville today.

Sen lifted his hands, clearly intending to teleport.

Daegan spared him a brief look. “I’m not ready to go anywhere. You might as well put your arms down. No point in continuing to look a fool.”

That earned him a death glare, which drew a chuckle from the dragon king.

Quinn stifled the urge to warn Daegan that while he clearly had an upper hand with Sen, the three deities were not only powerful alone, they could combine their powers to act as one. If Quinn survived this, and that was a big if, he would corner Daegan for answers.

Every moment around this man opened up new questions.

Returning to face forward, Daegan folded his arms again, completely relaxed. He continued talking to Loki as if nothing significant had happened. “We were discussing the body. Who wants it?”

Jaw dropped in shock, Cathbad gaped, then he snapped his mouth closed and replied in a sharp voice, “’Tis very simple. Queen Maeve demands the return of Kizira’s body, a former Medb priestess. It’s all in the rules of Dlí Fola, the Blood Law.”

Angling his head toward Quinn, Daegan asked in a firm voice, “What exactly did you tell me about Blood Law?”

Daegan could not have forgotten what Quinn had just spelled out for everyone at the campsite. That meant he wanted the details of the Blood Law spoken for everyone present.

More than happy to do anything to help Daegan, Quinn repeated the terms clearly for everyone to hear. He summed it up as, “Evidently after a battle, the bodies of significant members of either leader’s family can be claimed and the opposing group is to return those remains.”

Daegan crossed his arms and took his time responding. “I think I understand now, but where is the queen? Doesn’t she have to claim the body herself?”

Cathbad argued, “I am her emissary.”

Daegan told him, “I don’t care who you are, you’re not her. According to the rules, Queen Maeve must make the claim herself.”

“She did the first time, damn you,” Cathbad shouted.

“I was not present when that happened.”

“Macha was, and agreed the body belonged to Maeve.”

Quinn kept track of everyone’s reactions to Daegan. Laima ignored the entire proceeding. As Hermes gently strummed his lyre, his gaze flicked from person to person, but he showed no sign of anger. So far.

Loki seemed intrigued by the volley of discussion between Daegan and Cathbad. That could be a good or a bad sign.

More often than not, it was a bad sign.

Daegan lifted his shoulders. “I cannot be held responsible for what Macha did prior to my taking over.”

“Are you crazy?” Cathbad shouted. Recovering his composure, he asked Loki, “Are you going to let him challenge what was already decided?”

Daegan quickly countered with, “I’d like to remind everyone of a precedent Cathbad the Druid and Queen Maeve set upon waking from their long slumber. As I understand it, those two argued successfully in a Tribunal meeting that they should not be held responsible for any action taken by the Medb, which occurred prior to their reincarnating to take over the coven. If that ruling no longer holds true, then those two should be held responsible for every wrong committed by the Medb at any time in history.”

Hermes stopped playing to ask Cathbad, “What say you?”

Cathbad spoke through clenched teeth. “We will not hold him to Macha’s agreement.”

Quinn wanted to applaud Daegan on that maneuver. No deity would support the use of Noirre majik, which the Medb had used to commit crimes many times.

Daegan calmly nodded, and addressed the deities. “In that case, the only issue left to settle before we move forward is whether you intend to set yet another precedent by allowing a second-in-command to call the Blood Law on another house.”

All three deities sent blatant looks of contempt to Cathbad. Loki didn’t hesitate when he said, “Nay, we will set no such precedent.”

Cathbad conceded, “I will call Queen Maeve to join us.”

Queen Maeve had just had the game board spun around on her.

Quinn let out the breath he’d been holding while Daegan negotiated that position, but he realized bringing in Queen Maeve added one more powerful being who could harm Daegan.

The dragon king had made no political allies here.

He was beginning to question whether this dragon king had any sense of self-preservation.