Page 44 of By Mistake

Kressen hissed at him. Or at least that was the closest Oresti could come to describing the sound. "Shut up. I will sic a hundred vampires on you, just because it'll be as bothersome as a swarm of mosquitoes, don't think I won't."

Oresti rolled his eyes. "What did you mean by 'the process?'"

The bickering fell away as both demons turned to him, and Shimari said, "We don't have any form natural to this world. Our options for existing are to be caged in something, like Renik was in the ring, to possess someone temporarily, or possess them and rebuild the stolen body from the ground up."

"Rebuild?" Coret and Andrus asked together.

Kressen motioned impatiently. "It's hard to describe.

Trapped in the ring, Renik was helpless.

He was a well that Farthing could draw water from, a prisoner he could bleed out at his leisure.

If he simply stopped at possessing Farthing, which is what people normally arrange when they summon a demon, his power would be limited to what the borrowed body could handle.

Usually in that case, the person he's borrowing will be fine when the possession ends.

Traumatized, certainly, maybe broken in rare cases, but still there. "

"But Renik has destroyed Farthing. Spirit, soul, whatever you want to call it," Shimari continued.

"He is in the process of remaking the body, or more accurately, breaking it down and transforming it into something he can use.

Giving himself a corporeal form for this plane that will allow him to use the full weight of his powers, to be wholly himself, instead of confined.

We all do it the first time we're called forth, at least when we aren't bound.

Once we have a form, it's permanently part of us.

The same way once you know a language, you always have that knowledge and can speak it whenever you're in the relevant country. "

Stepping into the circle, Kressen sat on Renik's right side. "It's a long, slow, arduous process. Imagine if you had to tear this palace down and then build a new one, stone by stone, all by yourself with no help whatsoever. I was still quite weak when I did it, and it took me seven years."

"Five years," Shimari said. "Renik is stronger this time, or will be once he's had time to rest and regain his strength, so I don't think it will take more than two or three. Especially as we're able to lend him our own strength."

"Three years ," Oresti said, jaw dropping. "He's going to be stuck down here like this for that long?"

Shimari shrugged and spread his hands. "It would go faster if he was bound as I and Kressen are, but he was trapped in that ring, constantly used, violated , by Farthing for we don't know how long. Probably decades. So I will not bind him without his consent."

"Unlike me," Kressen retorted. Shimari gave him a faintly amused look, some silent conversation passing between them before Kressen looked away with a derisive, "Bah."

"So we just have to wait," Andrus said, "or try to find people he likes?"

Kressen tossed his hair. "Tolerates, at best. Not everyone is Shimari with his strange little fondness for humans."

Shimari snorted, touched Renik's forehead gently one last time, then rose. "There's nothing more we can do for him right now. As I find humans who don't deserve to live, I'll bring them here to give him more energy."

"Can I give him energy?" Andrus asked.

Smiling, Shimari stepped out of the circle and pulled Andrus into his arms, kissing him softly.

"You've done enough, sweetheart. If it proves necessary at some point, we'll discuss it, but no.

I already drained you far too much with tonight's fight.

" He carded a hand through Andrus's hair.

"You're dead on your feet. Let's get you to bed, hmm? "

"I'm not a child," Andrus said, cheeks flushing.

"No, certainly not. We'll see you all tomorrow at some point," Shimari said.

"Goodnight, Mari," Kressen said quietly. "I'll sit with him a little longer after I put my humans to bed."

Greivs gave him a look, but whatever he said, Oresti missed it as Shimari whisked them away to their chambers.

Before any of them could speak, a servant came out of the backroom and all but shrieked when she saw them.

"Your Highness! I didn't hear you come in.

" She held a hand to her chest. "Gave me a fright for certain.

Pardon, though, Your Highness. Your father said he needed to speak with you in his rooms the moment you returned. "

"All right, I'll go now, thank you. Sorry for the fright."

She waved the words off, bowing before leaving the room with the empty tea tray by the door.

Oresti yawned and rolled his shoulders and neck to ease stiffness.

His whole body ached, really, from being thrown across the room like a teacup in a fit of temper.

"You two settle in. I'll join you when I get back.

And after I've soaked for a bit, ease some of this ache.

" He kissed Andrus and then Shimari. "Get some rest, both of you. "

"Bossy," Andrus said with a sigh, while Shimari merely cast him a faintly amused look before dragging Andrus off into the bedroom.

In the hallway, he arranged for food before heading off to his father's chambers. When he arrived, the guards let him right in, and he found Oranti standing on his private balcony with a glass of wine. "Father, you wanted to see me? I thought you'd be with Alina or fast asleep by now."

"Too much to do, I'm afraid," Oranti said with a tired smile. "At least Alina seems to be doing all right. How are you? In all of this, I did not ask that, despite the way my heart stopped when that thing threw you across the room."

"It wasn't pleasant, but Shimari's magic protected me." Oresti touched the necklace still wrapped snugly around his throat. Collared by a demon, and he'd have it no other way. "What did you need?"

"There, on the table," Oranti said, stepping back inside and nodding at the small table near a set of bookcases.

"Farthing's keys to his estates, bank vaults, all of it.

Go through everything, do as you see fit.

Hopefully between you and that crafty demon of yours, you'll drag out any remaining secrets.

Take all the time you need. I am taking back the title indefinitely, until I find someone to bestow it upon or any of his remaining family proves to be worth a damn.

"So if anyone comes by the house claiming anything at all, even so much as a loaf of bread, tell them to fuck off. Take whatever guards or clerks you need. Keep me apprised of anything particularly concerning, but hopefully there will be no new nasty surprises."

"Let's hope." Oresti collected it all, shoving the keys in his jacket pocket and bundling all the papers in one arm to go through in the morning. "Get some rest, old man."

Oranti hugged him. "Do the same. I'll see you sometime tomorrow."

Leaving him there, Oresti paused to make certain his father's servants would bully him into bed if he didn't go shortly himself, then returned to his rooms. If he had it his way, he wouldn't be leaving them again for at least twelve hours, at least ten of them spent sleeping.

"You'll be up with the sunrise like usual," Shimari said from the bedroom doorway. "You cannot help yourself, darling. Not with those keys in your pocket. Too many wonderful things that need inspecting."

Oresti dumped the keys and papers on the table in the middle of the entryway. "I'm surprised you didn't slink off to start your own snooping."

"I do need rest," Shimari admitted, "and sustenance. I will go attend that now that you're back. He's fast asleep, fell asleep in the middle of his bath, poor thing."

Yawning, Oresti said, "I would love to be asleep, but first I am getting a hot bath. Why go out for blood when you can have mine? Come here."

Shimari didn't bother to voice a reply, only surged into his space and reached up to sink sharp teeth into his neck. Oresti grunted, but honestly, the pain was all the more trivial after his ignominious tossing.

When Shimari withdrew, Oresti kissed him softly. "Are you all right? I don't know that I've asked properly. Cannot be easy seeing your own child treated that way, having to fight so hard and bitterly to get them back. I'd lose my fucking mind if somebody kidnapped and tortured my child."

"The world spare us the ridiculousness of you and Andrus having children," Shimari said. "I don't know which of you would be more unbearable. No, it would be all your bickering about spoiling the children rotten versus a reasonable upbringing. I can hear the arguing now."

"Shut up," Oresti said with a smile, chucking him under the chin and taking another brief kiss before he headed into the washroom, discarding his clothes as he went.

Laughter in his voice, "That is exactly the sort of spoiled brat behavior Andrus rails against."

"He's asleep!" Oresti called over his shoulder, though Andrus wouldn't stay that way if they kept talking so loudly.

Shutting the door, he went to the washing stall and scrubbed himself thoroughly clean, then slid into the steaming bath awaiting him with a groan.

The water smelled faintly of roses; not his usual scent but hardly one to complain about.

Only when the water started to cool and he threatened to nod off did he finally climb out, muscles notably less sore and body relaxed enough he might be able to sleep properly instead of his anxious mind spinning with all that had happened and what he would be doing when he awoke.

In the bedroom, Andrus was still thankfully fast asleep, curled against Shimari, almost but not quite lying in his lap.

Oresti smiled, warm fondness filling him at the sight.

He'd waited so long for a lover he could really trust, who would see him and not his status, and now there were two.

One who was not remotely impressed by wealth and power, and the other who had more power than he'd ever truly understand.

Shimari's amusement rippled through his mind, but so did his abiding fondness.

Oresti snuffed the remaining light in the room and crawled into bed, moving in close to wrap around Andrus and kiss his shoulder.

He mumbled and sighed in his sleep, then went still again.

"I'm sure you're eager to wander off on your own quests, but will you stay a bit longer? "

"Of course. There's nowhere else I'd rather be. I'll likely check on Renik in a few hours, and tomorrow night I'll do some hunting for him, but for now, I'm remaining right here."

"Good," Oresti said, and soon after drifted off to sleep.