Page 24 of On A Rift’s Edge (Riftworld #2)

“Garreth doesn’t mind if I use his office, and he won’t get in until later.

” Kaveh busied himself with setting up the coffee.

The ranch owner’s office had a non-electric version, with an ordinary Earth metal pot and a Riftworld heating stone.

Versions of the device, which was actually a crystalline organism, were common in the various rift communities around the world.

It wasn’t that unusual for humans who lived near rifts to have one, but this particular heat stone was wildly elaborate, with rich ruby crystal divided by veins of gold.

Lyall watched with interest as Kaveh adjusted the temperature on the stone with a few taps before adding the grounds and part of an eggshell to the water in the pot.

“I’ll make some extra for him. The matriarch sent out a round of apology gifts from the Keep, and this was one of them.

Now Garreth can have cowboy coffee even when he’s stuck behind his desk. ”

It wasn’t surprising the flying snakes would need even their heating stones to be worth a fortune, or that Xiang Jao would try to deal with the aftermath of the phantom attack on Moon Star Ranch by sending out parts of her hoard as bribes.

Lyall didn’t want to probe too much into Kaveh’s family issues, but the discussion was going to get personal in any event. “It totally sucked when I visited my family in Mt. Hood. I hope things with your clan are going better.”

“Not by much.” Kaveh took a seat across from him. “I’ve talked a few times to Tarasque when I needed to, like yesterday. But I’ve made it clear I don’t intend to rejoin the clan.”

“What’s been happening with the phantoms?”

“They’ve caused issues for the matriarch’s clan.

” Kaveh’s careful phrasing emphasized that the veterinarian no longer considered himself a part of her family.

He had chosen Remi over them, and Kaveh didn’t have to add “and that’s their fucking problem” for Lyall to get his meaning.

“No major attacks, though, and the phantoms have moved to the most remote parts of the Saguaro Rift territory. I’d guess they’re licking their wounds and waiting for the effects of the control object to fade away. ”

“Do you think Arimanius could be working with the phantoms?” Lyall had few illusions about the mafia boss’s sense of morality, but he’d be unlikely to put his personal safety at risk negotiating with the killer jellies.

“Directly, no, but if Arimanius was looking for a place to store a dangerous species in stasis where no one would find them, it’d be hard to think of a better place than the military base. It’s in a drakone riftland and until recently, none of us could enter it.”

“According to what Kat told me, Teo knew who I was and even assumed Arimanius had sent me to get him out.” Lyall wasn’t surprised that the don had set up a plan like this years ago.

He had always been good at the long game.

“I’m assuming Teo left the riftland and made contact with Arimanius as soon as he could.

Hopefully his new capitán will pull him back to the Colony in Boston. ”

“Not if Arimanius wants you and the control object back and to punish Remi for staying with me.” Kaveh’s normally calm facade broke for a second on that last part, as true anger flashed across his face.

He got up to check on the coffee. “Teo might be right where Arimanius wants him. I also can’t rule out that Kat’s the target. ”

“You think I’m putting him in danger.” Lyall felt a rush of resentment, then pushed it down. He was dangerous to Kat, both by attracting enemies who might try to harm him and wanting so desperately to keep him.

Why had the Matchmaker pulled this shit?

“I could as easily consider myself a threat to Kat’s safety, at least as far as Arimanius is concerned.” Kaveh returned with two cups of the cowboy coffee, as he had called it. “There is another reason I’m concerned. Remi is good at—not telling the whole truth. He’s not good at doing that with me.”

Remi was a consummate liar, in fact. It sounded like the half-ratkind had tried to keep Lyall’s secret, even if he found it difficult to lie to Kaveh.

“I know I’m not the kind of guy Kat should be dating.” Lyall took a sip of the coffee, which was hot and strong, although not as tasty as the one Kat had prepared for him. “That’s something we both can agree on.”

Kaveh took a solid gulp of coffee and said nothing for a long moment.

Holy hell, this strong and silent thing must drive Remi crazy. Or maybe this was how Kaveh got information out of him.

“It’s not my place to weigh in on Kat’s romantic partners.

” Kaveh was choosing his words carefully, not that he was the kind of guy to blurt out what he was thinking on any occasion.

“Even I noticed the attraction between the two of you after the phantom attack, and I don’t usually pick up on those signals.

Kat’s young, and he has his heart in his hand, as Tarasque likes to say.

His partners come and go. But this isn’t something casual for you, Lyall, is it? ”

Kaveh locked eyes with him, and Lyall could understand why even Remi had trouble conning this man.

“The Matchmaker chose Kat for me.” Lyall drained his cup, but there wasn’t enough coffee in the world to get him through this. Too bad Garreth didn’t have whiskey in his office. “I’ve known since the first time I met—well, sniffed—him.”

“Ah.” Kaveh gave a slow nod and rested his mug on the table. “That explains a lot, including why Remi told me I’d have to ask you about Kat. I take it my veterinary assistant doesn’t know?”

“I should have told him last night after we…” Lyall broke off, not wanting to share even more personal information.

“No, he doesn’t know, and I’m not sure how to tell him.

He’ll run screaming in the other direction, and I need to stay close to protect him.

Fuck, Kaveh, he flipped out and ran right into the grubby paws of the Pouch Twins when he thought the Matchmaker had set him up with you, his best friend.

That reaction would be even more dangerous now. ”

“Would your hellhound clan even accept a marriage with a human?” Kaveh asked.

That annoyed Lyall, because yes, the alphas had to sign off on all marital contracts—except for a Matchmaker couple.

Anyway, that wasn’t the issue. Kat not wanting to be dragged off to live with a pack of hellhounds was one problem, and Arimanius and his hopper were another.

“Will your clan agree to let you and Remi marry? Only the matriarch can perform the ceremony, as far as I’ve heard. ”

“A matriarch has to officiate, yes.” Kaveh’s lips twitched up.

Not quite a smile, but close. “I have a plan to deal with that, but I don’t think Remi’s even close to being ready, if he ever will be.

In any event, I’d like to thank you for sharing this with me.

It’s possible Kat won’t take the news well—although it’s hard to imagine him taking it as badly as Remi did—but this isn’t my secret to reveal.

You’re the one who needs to tell him. Since the two of you are already…

involved, it might be easier than you think. ”

“This thing between Kat and me.” Lyall floundered, waving his hands around to mimic a back-and-forth issue. “It’s casual sex, and that’s it. That’s what Kat said he wanted.”

Kaveh’s face broke into a smile, a real one this time. “Remi has trouble telling the truth to other people. Kat has trouble telling the truth to himself.”

He reached out to clasp Lyall on the arm. It wouldn’t have been an unusual interaction to any humans watching, but a drakone touching a hellhound in a friendly way was unheard of.

“Kat and I have plans to meet for lunch in the main building at noon,” Kaveh said. “You can join us, and then I can find a reason to step away. I think it’s time both of you told the truth to each other.”