home.
Kaliq led Ilona from the chamber. “We will let her sleep an hour and then awaken her,” he said.
Together they waited, seated on either side of the bed where Lara slumbered. She grew restless, moaning softly, her body twisting. And then before they might awaken her Lara sat up with a start. Her green eyes were confused at first and then, as she focused, she saw her mother and Kaliq looking anxiously at her. Suddenly she burst into fulsome tears, sobbing as if her heart would break. Neither of her companions made any move to comfort her as she cried. Gradually her weeping died away and finally she looked up at them. Kaliq’s heart contracted in his chest. Her look was one of utter sorrow.
Reaching out, Lara took his hand in hers. “Thank you for trying to protect me, Kaliq,” she said. “You are right. These memories are difficult to bear, but bear them I must, for everyone’s sake. What a dark destiny I have been given, yet I sense that it will not all be cruel.”
The prince squeezed her hand. “Nay, my love, it will not all be dark,” he told her reassuringly. “Your sojourn in the Dark Lands was the worst of it, Lara.”
She turned to her mother. “Did you know how carnal a creature Kol is?”
Ilona nodded. “I did.”
“And yet you created me for the purpose of being his mate,” Lara said slowly. “How cruel you are, Mother! I am your flesh! You planned this before my birth, didn’t you? You made me almost entirely in your image so that Kol would want me. Did you also manipulate the Twilight Lord’s Book of Rule for your purposes?”
“Do not blame your mother for this,” Kaliq told Lara. “Those of us who were privy to Kol’s direction a century in advance planned this. You were created from the love between your mother and your father, but when we saw how beautiful you were becoming and that you had magic in you, we realized you were the perfect vessel. The Book of Rule does not warn its Twilight Lord of danger or of enemies. It simply states what is to come. We could not change the book if we wanted to, for its creator built fail-safes into it to protect his descendants. Do you know from whom Kol descends?”
Lara shook her head.
“Usi the Sorcerer. The same foul creature that you defeated when you removed his curse from the men of Terah. Usi got children on two of his women and sent them away into safety to protect his line. One was taken to the Dark Lands for his brother was the Twilight Lord then. The other child was brought to Hetar.”
“Do you know who that descendant is?” Lara asked.
“It was a daughter and her line was felt to be of no importance. We can learn that information should we need it. Usi’s brother had no son to follow him, so his nephew did. Down through the centuries that line has been kept pure and while each Twilight Lord is the father of many daughters, he fathers only one son a generation.”
“Until me,” Lara said softly.
Kaliq nodded. “Until you,” he said. “Your tactic to divide the child in your womb into two sons was brilliant.”
“It seemed only logical when you restored my memories and explained to me why I was there,” Lara agreed. She turned to her mother. “I am sorry I railed at you, Mother. It has been a shock to learn all that happened to me.”
“I am not angry at you, my daughter. You have a right to be angry. No woman should have to bear children she does not want,” Ilona said.
“I was but a vessel like any mortal woman,” Lara responded with a small smile. “A means to an end. It is so odd. I feel nothing for those children.”
“Thank the Celestial Actuary that your faerie heart has protected you from your human nature in that regard,” Ilona replied.
“Yet I love my own children,” Lara noted, sounding a little confused.
“You love them because you love their fathers,” Ilona said.
“But how could I give those children to Kol when I did not love him?” Lara wanted to know.
“Because he had you believing that you were his mate and you loved one another,” Ilona said impatiently. “You must remember everything, Lara, if you are to carry the burden of your knowledge. Magnus can never know for he would never be able to forgive you.”
Lara nodded. “I believe I can shoulder this secret,” she said. “But I do not know if I should, even if it was a part of my destiny and it was meant to be.” She pierced Kaliq with a sharp look. “However, you were very wicked to tempt me so.”
The Shadow Prince actually flushed beneath his tanned cheeks. “I but sought to help you,” he said, but he could not quite look at her.
Lara laughed. “You sought to help yourself, Kaliq. You are a devious prince.”
“What is this?” Ilona looked at the two of them, her head turning this way and that. Then her green eyes narrowed. “Kaliq!” she scolded. “You made love to my daughter when you knew you should not?”
“Her memories of the Dark Lands existed then and were painful. I but made love to her to soothe her cruel memories,” he excused himself.
“That is the real burden I will carry,” Lara teased him wickedly.
Ilona laughed, then she said, “You really should not have a husband, Lara. Husbands are such a bother. You are more faerie than mortal-your blood runs hot.”
“I am as much mortal as faerie,” Lara said.
“Nay, you are not. It seems your father has faerie blood in him, too, although he never knew it. Your great- grandfather was half-faerie, although his mother believed him the son of her Midlands farmer husband. She had dallied one Midsummer’s eve with Prince Rufin of the Forest Faeries, a member of my own family. So says the Faerie Record which lists all those born with faerie blood. Your faerie blood is weightier than your mortal blood, my daughter. And those with mortal blood who show signs of magic as you did grow stronger if their powers are developed as yours have been. Dillon will be a great sorcerer one day,” Ilona said in pleased tones. “Perhaps I shall send your half brother Cirillo to study with him.” She turned to the prince. “Do you think you and your brothers could manage two lively boys, Kaliq?”
“I should prefer to have Dillon alone with me his first year,” the prince said.
Ilona thought a moment and then agreed. “Aye, that would be best. My grandson is a bit crude yet. A year with you will smooth those rough edges of his.”
“Anoush is showing signs of being a healer,” Lara said. “It would seem both of Vartan’s children have magic in them.” Then she grew pale. “Oh! What if Kol tries to steal my children from me?” she asked. “Magnus would want to know why and what could I tell him?”
“Kol is secured at Kolbyr,” Kaliq reassured her.
“But he is reaching out to me on the Dream Plain. What if he reaches out to Magnus and tells him what happened?” Lara fretted. She had grown paler.
“We cannot prevent him from reaching out to the Dominus if he dares, but why would Magnus believe him? Magnus would think he was just having a bad dream,” Kaliq said to her. “Your husband does not really understand the ways of magic.”
Lara shuddered. “Kol wants me back. It is not enough that I have given him heirs. The Twilight Lord loves me. I can feel him reaching out for me, Kaliq! It frightens me. I know him well enough to know he will do what he must to get me back.”
“He is imprisoned at Kolbyr,” Kaliq repeated.
“I could not live in that awful place again,” Lara said. “There was no color. Everything was gray or black. The mountains, where they were not slate or craggy, were covered in dark green pines and fir trees. No sunlight filtered into the valleys. In fact, I do not believe I saw sunlight at all in my year there except for some rare sunsets. I remember looking out through the mountains at the colors of the sunset and thinking how beautiful they were and wondering why there could be no color in the land about us.” She trembled. “I should die if I had to go back there, Kaliq! What if Kol sends the Munin to take my memories again and steals me back? I could not bear it! I could not!”
“I will weave a spell about you, my daughter,” Ilona said reassuringly, “that will not allow anyone to ever again steal your memories.”
“The Munin will never again aid Kol,” Kaliq told her. “They learned his generosity was but an enticement to trap them so they would always be forced to do his bidding. I rescued them and they are safe now, my love. You need
