the morrow.
“I am going to Shunnar and will be away overnight,” Lara said.
“Why?” he demanded, his look dark.
“Because the time has come to discuss Dillon’s future schooling with Kaliq. My mother wishes to be there and I will not have her making decisions for my son that I should be making. It is important to me, so I do not wish to rush back as I did today. Had I not promised you I would return immediately, my mother and I would have gone to Shunnar from her palace in the Forest, but I always keep my promises to you, Magnus. Do I not?” She gave him a sweet smile.
He glowered at her in return. “Can this not wait until another time? What is the rush? It is another year before Dillon leaves us, Lara.”
“Why must you make this so difficult, my lord?” Lara countered cleverly, totally ignoring his questions. “I know how fond you have become of my son, and he of you, but Dillon has magic in him and it must be fostered properly. Kaliq wishes to discuss the program for Dillon’s first year because there are things I will have to instruct him in before he goes. It will not only be Master Bashkar teaching my son in his autumn term. I must teach him, as well.”
The Dominus sighed irritably. “I cannot forbid you,” he groused.
“Oh, you could try,” Lara teased him, attempting to help him regain his good humor. She chucked him beneath his chin. “But I know you love me enough that you will not.” Leaning forward she kissed him lightly on his lips. “You may never understand me, Magnus, my love, but I know I can be certain of your affection.”
“You are wheedling me,” he said, but his lips were twitching with their urge to smile. “One night, Lara. And I want you sleeping in the same chamber as your mother.”
She laughed aloud at that. “As if I should be unfaithful to you, my dear lord.”
“May I come to Shunnar with you, Mother?” Dillon asked eagerly, leaning forward.
“If he gets to go, then I should, too. And Zagiri,” Anoush piped up.
“None of you are going,” Lara told them. “I go to discuss your brother’s future, Anoush. And if I am correct, none of you has a school holiday. I will be gone one night.”
Her children looked disappointed, but said nothing further on the matter.
When the next morning came Lara went to her private chamber and called her mother’s name thrice. Immediately the shimmering golden tunnel opened before her. At its end she could see the columns and balustrade of the Grand Corridor in Kaliq’s palace. She stepped through into the tunnel and walked its length. When she had traversed the passage she stepped out into the wide corridor, and the heat of the desert surrounded her.
“Lara.” Her mother stepped forth from another glistening tunnel.
Lara hurried forward to greet her parent and as they embraced, Kaliq appeared in his pure white robes to welcome them.
“Your mother has told me why you have come,” he said quietly. “Let us go into my private garden where we may take refreshments and speak together.” He led them from the Grand Corridor, through a hallway that was familiar to Lara. The prince’s private garden was pleasant, and silent servants brought refreshments, frine and sweet faerie cakes iced in pink sugar icing. Settling themselves, they partook of the sweets but Lara could hardly contain herself. Finally she could no longer make polite conversation.
“My mother has told me of how you and she manipulated the memories of all when you retrieved me from the Dark Lands. But now, Kaliq, I need to have my memories restored. This Twilight Lord is reaching out for me and I cannot fight him without a complete knowledge of what happened. You cannot fully protect me now. My poor mind seeks to reconstruct those months. I need the truth, not whatever this Kol may implant in my brain in order to regain my person.”
“Those memories can only make you unhappy, Lara. And you must keep them from your husband. That will not be an easy thing, my love,” the prince told her.
“You treat me like a child, Kaliq,” Lara told him angrily. “I am not a child. I understand you allowing Kol to take me and to mate me. Your plan to cause chaos in the Dark Lands was clever and no mere mortal could have accomplished it. But you had no right to steal my memories of the time I had to spend with this Twilight Lord.”
“I have sealed him up in his castle,” Kaliq said. “I have taken away his reflecting bowls. You are safe from him.”
“Nay, I am not,” Lara replied. “He draws me to the Dream Plain and calls my name. And you cannot make him cease for the Dream Plain heeds the laws of neither the mortal nor the magical world. I cannot fight the Twilight Lord if I do not know what happened while I was in his charge,” Lara repeated. “Return my memories to me, Kaliq!”
“The pain may do you irreparable harm,” he pleaded with her.
Lara looked at him with a stony-eyed gaze.
“Very well,” he said, resigned. “I must call the Munin lord to do this for while I have kept your memories, I need his aid in restoring them to you. You will have to sleep, Lara. It will not hurt you if you are sleeping when it is done.”
“But it will hurt when I awaken, won’t it?” Lara replied.
He nodded, his deep blue eyes agonized.
Reaching into his robes Kaliq drew forth a small vial and after uncorking it poured a stream of pale-gold liquid into Lara’s half-empty goblet of frine. “Take it across the gardens to the chamber that is always yours,” he told her. “When you drink it you will instantly sleep and you will sleep until I awaken you. I will not allow you to rest yourself for too long a time. Your mother and I will need time when you awaken to help you come to terms with what happened to you. I cannot allow you to return to Magnus Hauk until you are at peace with yourself, my love.”
Lara nodded. “I understand, Kaliq, and I am grateful for your care of me in this matter.” Then picking up the goblet she stood and walked across the gardens into her bedchamber.
Ilona looked at the prince. “I am sorry,” she told him.
“Do not be,” he answered her. “I have loved her from the moment I first laid eyes upon her but I am not fated to be with her.” He arose. “Come, let us summon the Munin lord, and I will have him bring the jar into which I stored Lara’s memories. I fashioned it myself, Ilona, of silver and gold, and stopped its opening with a crystal so the light would always keep her memories alive.”
“Call the Munin,” Ilona said a trifle impatiently. She was always surprised by this Shadow Prince’s romantic attachment to her daughter.
Satordi, lord of the Munin, appeared almost immediately. “I did not expect to hear from you so soon, my lord prince,” he hissed in his whispery voice. Then seeing Ilona he bowed quite low. “I greet you, oh queen of the Forest Faeries.”
“I greet you, lord of the Munin,” Ilona replied, nodding respectfully.
The Munin reached into his filmy robes and drew out the vessel in which Lara’s memories were stored. “You will want this, of course. Does she sleep?”
“She sleeps,” Kaliq said. “How did you know?”
“The daughter of Ilona and Swiftsword is strong-willed, oh Prince. You sought to protect her but she must protect herself. And to do so she needs
“I was not aware such a thing could happen,” Kaliq replied.
“It is not usual for stored memories to behave in such a manner,” the Munin Lord whispered, “but her memories are still true. There is time, my lord prince.”
Kaliq said nothing more but in Ilona’s company led Satordi across his garden and directly into the chamber where Lara now slept deeply. “Do it!” he said.
Ilona watched as the Munin lord carefully opened the beautiful jar and slowly poured the glittering threads of Lara’s memories back into her head.
When he had finished he held out his hand to Kaliq who handed him the vial he had kept. Satordi added it saying, “It is done, my lord prince. The Domina’s memories are complete again.” He bowed to both of them. “If I may ever be of service again, you will call.” Then the Munin lord quickly disappeared back to his shadowy
