"You couldn't help it," I sobbed.
"Reah, don't cry. Things will come to you. I promise."
"But they left me nothing," I wept. "Not even a photograph. Like you didn't exist. And now my daughters have forgotten me, too. Like I don't exist. What terrible cruelty is this?" I dropped to my knees and shook with grief.
"Little one," someone knelt next to me. Placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Who are you?" I looked into his face, my eyes swimming with tears.
"I am Lendevik Lith," he said.
* * *
"Thank goodness," Edward jumped to his feet when Connegar and Nefrigar appeared in his kitchen. He'd waited up, hoping Reah would return. Reah slept in Nefrigar's arms.
"This has been a very trying day for my love," Nefrigar kissed Reah's forehead. "Take her to bed with you. Let her wake in your arms. The baby is restless," Nefrigar smiled about that. "I believe he is making up for lost time."
"No doubt," Edward smiled. Nefrigar handed Reah over.
* * *
"Reah, open your eyes. The sun is shining on the gishi fruit trees." Edward kissed my forehead.
"Honey?" I stared up at him. He was holding me, wrapped in blankets on the deck outside our connected suites. He set my feet on the smooth wood boards of the deck, kept his arms around me and leaned his chin on my head as we watched the sunlight move over the trees below us. "You were a genius to put the house here," I said.
"I built it for you," he kissed the top of my head. "My Elemaiyan grandfather is a foreseer. He described you to me. The funny thing is, I was attracted to a girl when I was young who had white hair. Grandfather told me that she wasn't you. He didn't give me a name; he said that would be a surprise. He also said you'd be pregnant when I found you. When Keedan set you down at my table, he had no idea what you'd be to me. I sent him a case of wine afterward, plus a nice bonus."
"You're so good," I sighed.
"Reah, I can say the same thing to you. You are everything I dreamed of, only better. I was scared to death yesterday, when they had to fix you. I'm begging you not to let something like that happen again. I don't think my heart can stand it."
"I wasn't thrilled about it, either," I half-turned in his arms and tapped his nose with a finger.
"I know," he leaned down to kiss me. "They say no sex for four weeks. I think we'll go crazy in that time."
"And I'll be seven months pregnant and big as a house," I said.
"My erection might be almost as big by that time," he laughed.
"Farzi and Nenzi tell me that showers will fix that." Edward laughed harder. I was seated in the swing and breakfast was brought to the deck when the rest of them showed up. Chairs appeared everywhere, as did folding tables. Everybody was laughing, talking and eating.
"Here," Edward fed me a bite of ham. It was very good. Teeg knelt in front of me and put his hands on my belly. Garwin Wyatt was moving about as if he were happy about that.
"Honey, that's your daddy," I was rubbing my belly, too.
"Reah, are you feeling better today?" Teeg asked.
"I'm still a little sore. And I need to talk to Glinda."
"I can see if she'll come," he nodded.
"No, I need to go there," I said.
* * *
"Holy cow," Edward stared up at the life-size sculptures of High Demons in full Thifilathi that lined the hall inside the palace in Veshtul. The palace was amazing, until you saw what Lissa had. But then the same vampire had designed both. He'd saved the very best for Le-Ath Veronis, and I couldn't blame him.
"You wanted to see us?" Glinda asked as we were led into Jayd's private office.
"Yes," I nodded to her. "I have a message for you."
* * *
"We'll have to keep Reah away. She is in no shape to come," Renegar said. "It is fate that they're moving this quickly, but we will stand against them."
"We will stand against them," Kiarra smiled up at her son. "All of us. I've had visions of this, over the years. A last battle, with all of us charging the enemy. We'll do this. Win or lose, it'll all be out there."
"Yes, mother. It will. My son, the Wise One, and my grandson the Wise One say that we Larentii should hold back until the last. We will do so, although it may be difficult."
"Then that's what you should do," Kiarra said, rubbing his back affectionately.
* * *
"Before I deliver the message," I said, "I have to give you something." Glinda looked at me expectantly, but she wasn't expecting where I went. I walked to a corner of Jayd's study, where rows of tightly fitted stones butted against one another to form a right angle. Windows lined both walls on either side of those stones. One of the stones gave way when I pushed against it, revealing a small space inside. I pulled a velvet bag from that space while Glinda and Jayd watched. I handed the bag to Glinda, who stared at me, openmouthed. He said she'd know who sent the message when Glinda received the bag. She did. I could see the shock in her eyes.
"How did you?" She couldn't finish the question.
"He told me," I said, shrugging.
"What is this?" Jayd demanded. Glinda opened the bag and poured the contents onto Jayd's desk.
"He said Tarevik hunted high and low for these, after he took the throne by force. Without these, Tarevik would never have ruled. And Rorevik, after him, didn't find them. These belong to the ruling King. Given by Kifirin, long ago, to Glinda's father, Lendevik Lith. I saw him yesterday and he told me where to find them."
"But what are they?" Jayd asked, staring at the thumb-sized blue crystals.
"Kifirin's tears," I said.
Chapter 15
"My father said that Kifirin came to him, from the future," Glinda's voice was hushed. "He said that Kifirin gave him a secret that couldn't be repeated. My father let me hold these stones; he said that Kifirin cried these and they fell to the stone floor like this."
"But what was the secret?" Jayd asked.
"I wasn't told," I said. "All I know is that we'll all know, soon enough. Lendevik did ask me to give Glinda a message. He said to tell you that he still loves you." I watched as Glinda wiped a tear away. "And he also told me to say this: That Denevik should have given my middle name, and if he'd pulled his head out of his ass, he would have known it."
"Known what? And that's exactly how my father talked," Glinda wiped another tear away.