“And you found me?”
“Nineteen years ago, yes. But, this time, I chose not to let my father know I knew where you were—just watched from afar. And I saw to it that both you and David ended up in the same place at the same time.”
“That’s why you told David to go to school.”
“Yes, and had you agreed to spend the summer at your father’s that year, I would not have had to place you in his custody. But I was not going to let a moody, spoiled teenager get in the way of my success.”
“What do you mean?”
He eyed me mockingly. “Did you really think your mother’s death was an accident?”
I coughed out, folding over, hearing his explanation run through me but pass nowhere near my ears. “You killed her?”
“You might say I shifted the pieces on the board in my favour.”
“This isn’t a game, Drake!” I got to my feet, shaking. “These are peoples’ lives.”
“And many have been lost!” He stood too. “None more heartbreaking than my wife. I will kill thousands more, Amara,” he said, his teeth like a cage. “Thousands, to see her safe and in my arms again. Do not test my resolve.”
I sat back down again, tears streaming my cheeks, pooling and dripping under my chin. “What will happen to my baby if you take me away from her when she’s born?”
Drake sat slowly. “She will be raised by her father, who will know nothing of what I’ve told you here today.”
My eyes flicked onto his. “Why?”
“I’ve gone to great lengths to protect this one truth all these centuries, Amara, twisting and reshaping the stories until no one remembered anything about a contract. If anyone were to find out, they would use Anandene against me—possibly kill her.”
I gasped.
“It serves you well not to tell a soul, because you will be putting your own daughter in great danger.”
I looked down at my hands on my belly, drawing my top up just a little to see the way the sunlight made my hands so golden against my pale white stomach. “She needs a mother.”
“She will have Lilith in her life.”
“But that’s not her mother.”
“And what would you have me do? Break the agreement I made with my sister?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t do that,” he started.
“Then don’t break it. Just. . .” I thought hard, trying to find some medium ground. “Give me time. Give Lilith back her soul, but let me keep it—just until the child is old enough to cope without a mother.”
“How old?”
I looked down at the belly again. “Eighteen. Maybe.”
“Eighteen?” He nearly leaped out of his seat. “You want me to delay my promise to my sister for eighteen years?”
“It’s in the child’s best interests, Drake. She can’t grow up without a mother. She’ll never feel complete.”
“She has a mother. Safia is her mother.”
My head rolled forward, my jaw nearly touching my chest. “The witch is Anandene’s mother?”
“Why do you think she’s helped me all these years?”
I wanted to throw my hands up and shake my head. Nothing surprised me anymore. “Well, the baby won’t know that until she gets her memories back. She needs her birth mother until then.”
“Very well,” he said with a nod. “I will give you eighteen years with the child, but you must let me see her in that time. She must know me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. But, once I’m gone, David stays on the throne, and everyone I love remains free and unharmed.”
He laid a hand to his heart. “I give you my word.”
“Including Arthur.”
His smile changed. “I will not promise him immunity. He betrayed me, Amara, he must pay.”
“Then the deal’s off.” I folded my arms and sat back.
“Very well.” He stood. “Send word when the child is born and, the next time we meet, you will be my sister once more.” He bowed and turned on his heel, walking away. Just leaving it at that.
“Okay. Wait.” I jumped up and ran after him, grabbing the edge of his cloak. “Just . . . what do you want with Arthur? You won’t hurt him, will you?”
He smiled and cupped my shoulder. “Sweet niece, you must never ask me such things—for your own good. I do not wish to upset you and, in turn, upset the baby. I will come for Arthur soon, and you can either take our previous agreement, or you can die the day your child is born.”
“Okay.” I stepped back, nodding. “I’ll take the agreement.”
“A wise choice.” He leaned over and kissed my brow. “Take care, Amara. You will hear from me soon.”
“Drake?” I called.
He stopped and turned to face me.
“Can I ask you something else?”
“Anything.”
“Where’s Vampirie? You said he stole the child, endlessly ruined your plans. How do we know he won’t try to kill the baby now I’m carrying it?”
He moved toward me again, graceful as water over sand, and slid his knuckles softly down my cheek. “Because he loves you. He would never do anything to hurt you.”
“He loves me?”
“He does.”
“Well, who is he? I mean, do I know him?”
“He will reveal himself in time.” He turned away. “But do not fear for the child, unless you share anything we’ve talked about here today.”
“I won’t. But . . . can I at least tell David he doesn’t have to die?”
“Of course. Providing you leave out as much detail as possible,” he said without turning around, and the wind brushed softly across my cheeks then, blowing dust into my eyes. I rubbed them, blinking rapidly, but when I opened them again, Drake was gone and the buzz of life in the garden had come out of hiding. I stood for a while, listening to it all and, despite knowing my life would end in eighteen years, I felt strangely happy and, for the first time since I met David . . . safe.
But I just couldn’t believe David and Jason were a plan all along—the result of a spell—two lives I was never intended to be a part of. Drake said it was unfair and that luck had not befallen him, but it had for me. I was lucky to have been born, and so lucky to have been the one to love David, even if it had all fallen apart. I had a lot to think about right now, yet I shoved it all down and let the single moment of joy that David didn’t have to die consume me, running for the door. Pretty much none of what Drake said was good news, but that one bit was enough to stop me falling to the ground and crying my eyes out right now.
***
“Falcon.” I marched toward him quickly, checking the manor entranceway for other ears. “Call a meeting.”
“Meeting?”
“Yes, with the private council, but—” I grabbed his arm, “—don’t let Morgaine know.”
“Why?”
I checked over my shoulder. “She’s fired.”
His eyes went wide. “Is this because of—”
“It’s because I don’t trust her anymore, Falcon. And I don’t have to give a reason.”
“Of course.” He bowed his head. “I’ll organise the meeting for twenty minutes’ time, yeah?”
“Great. Thanks.”
Falcon disappeared beyond the archway to the east of the manor, and I stood in the middle of the entranceway with my eyes closed, searching for that feeling—the little buzz I always got around Jason. And when it tingled deep within me, I sent a thought out. “Jase?”
The energy changed.
“Jase? Meet me in the—”
“Ara?” He grabbed my arm gently, snapping me aware. “What’s wrong?”
“I need you.”
“What for? And how did you know how to reach me like that?”
I shrugged. “I can always feel you, so . . . I just searched for that feeling—aimed my thoughts in that direction.”
He smiled, his eyes wide with wonder. “You are amazing. Can you do that with anyone else?”
“Feel them? Yeah. But not call to them.”
“Wow. Tell me where. . .” he looked around, “—tell me where Arthur is right now.”
I groaned. “Jase, I don’t have time for circus tricks.”
“Please.” He sunk lower into his knees, closing his hands in prayer. “Come on. This is cool.”
I groaned again, rolling my eyes, and then closed them, picturing Arthur, feeling him. “He’s . . . in his room.”
“That is amazing.”
“It can be amazing later.” I tugged his sleeve until his thoughtful gaze came back down to earth. “Right now, I want to offer you a job.”
“Job?”
“A position on my council just opened up.”
“What?” His tone rose, half with shock, the other half with joy.
“I’m just about to fire Morgaine, and I need a new member that I trust implicitly. I couldn’t think of anyone else in the world.”
“Aw, Ara.” He shook his head. “I . . . I can’t, sweet girl. David will—”
“I’m dividing the councils, now, Jase. David is no longer on this council. Being king doesn't give him right to advise me—never has. I gave him a position on my council because I trusted him. But, now, well, he can get his own council, and he has no say over who is on mine.”
“What did he do to you?” he asked, his eyes shrinking.
“Nothing. I’m fine. But . . . if you’re on my council, he can’t do anything to you. It gives you protection, gets you off stable duties, and. . .” I grinned suggestively.
“I get a new room.” He nodded, catching on.
“Yup. You’ll be right next to me.”
“I bet that’ll piss David off.”
I shrugged. “I’m not really sure I care right now, Jase.”
“He’s being cruel, isn’t he?” he asked, sweeping my hair back behind my ear.
I nodded, but before I even looked up, my face was against Jason’s shirt, his arms around me tightly.
“You need to tell me, Ara. Every time he does or says anything that hurts you, you need to tell me.”
“There’s no point, Jase. I know he’s hurt and just doing anything he can to make me suffer. It’ll pass.”
He clicked his tongue. “I’m not so sure about that, sweet girl. He’s—”
“Ara?” Falcon cut in, leaning around the wall. “Council’s in session.”
“Oh, already?” I flipped Jason’s hand over and looked at his watch. “We’ll be there in two minutes.”
“We?” Falcon looked at Jason.