The Twilight Lord

carried off. Squire Darah requests your aid, my lord emperor. We are doing our best to hold them off, but our men are few, and most are old. They cannot fight these creatures.”

Gaius Prospero looked surprised. “I thought the Wolfyn were but a legend me ant to frighten naughty children,” he said to Jonah.

“All legend is rooted in fact, my lord,” Jonah answered. This was not good. He had hoped to use the disaster in the Coastal Province to help him unseat Gaius Prospero.

“I cannot help your master,” Gaius Prospero finally said. “All of our mercenaries are in the Coastal Kingdom, for the invasion has begun. There are less than a thousand Crusader Knights here in The City and they are mostly elderly. Besides, we will need them to defend us should these Wolfyn come here.”

Squire Darah’s messenger look both outraged and devastated.

“What the emperor means,” Jonah quickly put in, “is that we must prepare The City for any attack by these Wolfyn, but we could spare you one hundred Crusader Knights to help you mount your own defenses and train your few men. Is that not so, my lord?” Jonah looked encouragingly at the emperor.

And to his credit Gaius Prospero understood his good right hand. “Yes! Yes! Of course I will send you a small force to help out,” he said.

The Squire’s messenger knelt and kissed the emperor’s hand fervently. “Thank you, my lord! Thank you!”

“Lionel,” Jonah said sharply. “Make the arrangements.”

“Yes, my lord,” came the answer. Lionel escorted the messenger out.

“Well, now,” Gaius Prospero said, “what mischief is this and why did the Forest Lords not warn us of this new peril? We must quickly recall our forces from the coast. And send to Lord Enda, the Head Forester, for an explanation.”

“At once, my lord,” Jonah said. He bowed to his master and then hurried out. He had to apprise Vilia of this new and sudden danger that faced them all. They would have to decide how to use it to their own best advantage. Gaius Prospero’s time was fast coming to an end. Jonah smiled one of his rare smiles. He could almost taste the power that would soon be his.

14

“HOW COULD YOU allow all those men to die?” Lara demanded of her mother. She had just learned the depth of the tragedy that had afflicted the Hetarian fleet.

“You have one weakness, my daughter,” Ilona replied. “You yet have mortal compassion in your heart, even for your enemies. Destroying that fleet was necessary to protect Terah. And only half the fleet had put to sea. The second half was meant to follow after Hetar reached Terah.”

“Was my father among those you slew?” Lara asked.

“Nay. He was on the vessel that was spared,” Ilona said. “I suppose some part of me still cares for him or perhaps my love for you caused me to keep him safe.”

“Well, some good has come of it all,” Magnus Hauk said.

“What possible good could come from the deaths of over eight thousand men?” Lara wanted to know.

“Hetar is now very afraid of us,” the Dominus replied. “They have recalled their armies. It is not likely they will consider attacking us again until the memory of what has happened fades from their history.”

“You have a greater problem now,” Ilona said. “The reason Hetar recalled their troops is that they cannot fight a war on two fronts. The Twilight Lord has sent the Wolfyn into Hetar. He put them by means of his magic into the forest and from there they spread out into the Midlands. The City is already scrambling to protect itself.”

Lara grew pale, and feeling faint, clutched at a chair to steady herself.

Seeing this the Dominus asked, “What is it, my darling? What is distressing you so?” He reached out to put an arm about her, but Lara pulled away.

Mother! She spoke silently to her parent. My secret cannot be kept any longer. Kol is following through on his threat, and eventually he and Magnus will meet. He will tell the Dominus of our time together, of the sons I bore him, and even if I deny it Magnus will always have some doubts. It is the nature of mortal man, and my husband may never trust me again. I must tell him of that lost time, for if I do not he will always believe me untruthful.

Do not tell him quite yet, Ilona said. Not until you are carrying his son. That way what will at first seem to him a betrayal will be softened.

We are about to be forced into a terrible war. Is this really the time to give Magnus his son? Lara asked her mother.

Under the circumstances, it is the best time, Ilona told her daughter. And Kaliq and I will explain to Magnus why this part of your destiny was necessary, not so much for you, but for our worlds. He may not be happy with what has happened, but it will seem a less treacherous act.

Last night we had a most passionate encounter, and I thought it was a perfect moment to conceive a son were it not for this threat of war, Lara admitted to her mother.

Ilona looked closely at her daughter, and then she smiled. It was a perfect moment, she said with a small emphatic smile. If we love, sometimes the moment is chosen for us.

Do you mean…Oh, Mother, thank you!

“Are you all right, my darling?” the Dominus asked his wife.

Lara nodded in the affirmative. “I just grew dizzy for a moment,” she said.

Immediately Magnus Hauk became alert. “Do you think…Is it possible?” He didn’t dare to finish the sentence. But his face was hopeful.

Lara blushed. “Perhaps,” she said. “My mother seems to think so.”

“It would certainly account for your overreaction to the sinking of Hetar’s fleet,” Ilona remarked. “I mean, really Lara, these people were out to violate Terah’s sovereignty and attack your people. Surely you remember what happened the last time Hetar annexed territory that was not their own. The Tormod and the Piaras clan families suffered greatly.”

“It is a son?” he asked.

“It will be a son,” Lara promised her husband. “Mother, we need Kaliq now.”

“Now?” Ilona questioned her daughter sharply.

“Now,” Lara replied.

Kaliq! Come to us! the queen called and when the prince appeared, his white robes swirling about him, Ilona silently explained the discussion that had taken place earlier between her and Lara.

And she would tell him now of Kol? the prince said.

She has no choice, Ilona responded. Terah will need to help Hetar and to do that both Lara and Magnus must stand together. My daughter cannot do that if she is living in fear of Kol revealing his relationship with her. He hopes by doing so to separate Lara from Magnus. To give her no choice but to return to him.

Even if Lara lost Magnus, the prince said, she would never return to Kol.

I know that and you know that, Ilona answered, but Kol, for all his evil, is in love.

Lara greeted the prince with a kiss upon the cheek, then she invited them all to sit down. “My lord,” she addressed her husband, “there is something that you must know. I have not wanted to tell you this, for I fear your love for me will die once you have learned it. But I have never intentionally lied to you, Magnus. And I cannot now, no matter the consequences.” She reached out and took his big hand between her two small ones. “You know of the Dark Lands beyond the New Outlands. That placed is ruled by pure evil in the person of a creature known as the Twilight Lord.”

Magnus Hauk remained silent, listening carefully, absorbing her words.

“I was lost to you for a year, Magnus, although your memory of that time has been taken from you to protect