“Uncle.” Goap jabbed him in the shoulder.
“What is going on?” I demanded.
“Family greeting,” Bathin explained, before he turned and punched Goap in the shoulder so hard, it sent him stumbling into the stone wall.
Bathin was wearing a ring I hadn’t noticed. A ring that was actually a blade, which was now covered in Goap’s blood.
“What the hell?” I demanded. “Stop stabbing. There will be no more stabbing.”
“And she says I’m the drama queen,” Xtelle said. “We’re here for the human.”
“Which one?” Goap asked.
“Boytoy whatshisname,” Xtelle supplied.
“You’re not here to take the throne?” Goap asked.
I was still trying to figure out what all the bloodletting had been about, but I did not miss the calculating look in his eyes.
“We are here for Ryder Bailey,” Bathin said.
“And you brought Feather Duster and Bunny Kisses with you for that?” he challenged.
“We’re not expecting Father to hand him over if we ask nicely,” Bathin said. “So we’re not going to ask nicely.”
Goap’s eyes flicked to the sword at my hip, which he instantly dismissed, then, hungrily, to the axe still sheathed over Myra’s shoulder. “You should be carrying the axe, Bathin.”
“No,” Bathin said coolly. “I should not. I won’t kill the king with that weapon. I won’t take the throne.”
“But you are the eldest. It would be easy for you,” Goap pressed.
“If you want the throne, you’ll have to find another way to get it. I won’t stop you, but I won’t use the axe either.”
“We need to go,” Myra said. “We need to be there, Bathin. We need to be there now.”
Myra’s family gift worked in the Underworld too. Good to know.
“Let’s go,” I said.
“Are you joining us, then?” Bathin asked Goap. “Rescuing the human?”
I was close to Goap, so I saw a whole movie of emotions roll across his face. An awful lot of it was anger, but there were other things: shrewdness, fear, and something that looked like vindictive satisfaction..
“Where do you think they’re keeping him?” Goap asked.
“The sunroom,” Bathin said. “Mother’s spies are still Mother’s spies.”
“Yes,” he said. “Of course they are. Since you have it all figured out,” Goap said, “by all means, after you, brother.” He stretched his arm out and executed a half bow that moved him out of the way for Bathin to pass.
“Nope,” Bathin said, grabbing his brother by the arm and forcing him to march next to him. “I already gave you my back once because I was beingnice. I’m not giving you it again.”
I looked at the group behind me. Hogan and Jean just shrugged. Rossi tipped his head to one side, watching the demons go.
“It’s a blood greeting,” Rossi told me, though I hadn’t asked. “Blood is difficult to disguise. If any of them had been imposters, their blood would have revealed the subterfuge.”
“Did you know they would do that?” I asked Myra.
She patted the bag hanging off the side of her belt. “No, but I brought bandages and other first aid. I knew there’d be blood.”
