“Most are power hungry saps who would abuse it. I just want to save this world and make it someplace I want to raise my babies in.”
“That will be a long journey, child; one that won’t be only yours to take. It will take all of the Heirs to solve the problems with Faery. The damage is deep, and many will die before the cure is established. Ryder is fighting an enormous battle. It’s one that needs time to heal, and all of the Castes to come together and work for it. This world will not be healed when the babes come. I will be here if I can, but I am needed elsewhere as well.”
“Can you tell me…?” I couldn’t finish it; the thought of even one of them not living sent emotions storming through me.
“No; I wish I could. I can’t see those connected to me as well as I’d like to. If they are meant to live, Synthia, they will. It’s one of the downsides of being powerful. Even I have rules that must be followed, and if I refuse to follow those rules, I pay dearly for it.”
“So being a Goddess isn’t all its chalked up to be?” I joked.
“Hardly, but there are some perks. Synthia, Ristan will get a vision soon. Heed it. Prepare for it, and be careful of what choices you make. Do nothing in haste, and do not go after Faolán.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“Another time…but I mean it, child. Do nothing in anger or haste. Your beast comes.” She leaned over and kissed my forehead. I felt her lips as she sifted out. “Revenge is not worth the lives you will change. Some things must be let go to move on,” floated through my mind as softly as a gentle caress.
“Pet,” Ryder said, coming into the room with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. “I didn’t wish to wake you, yet. I figured you’d be tired from last night.”
I extended my arms and accepted the steaming cup with a smile. He was sniffing the room; I could see it in the way his nostrils flared and his eyes scanned the room. He didn’t ask if anyone had been here, but his eyes were burning with curiosity.
“It smells like ambrosia in here,” he said as he sat beside me.
“Mmm, did you bring some in after I fell asleep?” I asked innocently. I was getting way better at playing with words.
“Minx. The men want to know how you feel,” he said as he reached over and set the cup of bliss I’d just sipped from onto the small oak table beside the bed.
“Just the men?” I asked with a saucy smirk. “I’m perfectly fine.” I smiled as he leaned over and kissed me gently. “Now I am more than fine. Maybe breakfast is in order?” I whispered as he laughed against my lips.
“Wanton little thing in the mornings,” he growled hungrily.
“I had a great Transition teacher. He assured me I would be ravenous for the first few months after it. Add pregnancy to it, and man did he hit the target spot on,” I replied as my hands slid over his wide back.
“Mmm, he must have been a smart creature,” he assured me.
“Why do the men want to know if I’m okay?” I asked, remembering he’d asked.
“They want to throw a party. The coronation was…disturbed. My brothers want to use it as an excuse to get wild and obnoxious.”
“Brothers…all of them are your brothers?” I asked.
“Vlad is my uncle’s son; he is born from Blood and Horde. My uncle took a fancy to her, but she was actually married to a human at the time. It’s a long story. The others are from different mothers. Only Dristan, I, and Ciara have the same mother. Ciara was the last to be born, Dristan right before her. My father visited the pavilion frequently, and fed from several women a day.”
“That’s a lot of siblings,” I said.
“I’m Fae; we can have thousands. Alazander was abusive to his concubines and wives. He didn’t care who birthed his bastards either. There are many more that we may not even know about out there.”
“Special,” I said as I felt sorrow for those who had been under Alazander’s rule. “I understand the need to keep the pavilion. I only ask that you don’t use it. I’m not into sharing you, Fairy. If you want me to be faithful to you, then you have to give me the same respect.”
He smiled and brought my forehead to his. “Good God, woman; you drive me crazy.”
“I plan to drive you crazy for a long time to come.”
“Good,” he said and placed his hand on my leg and noticed I was clothed. “I am sorry the torque prevented you from casting. It was necessary when you first arrived. There are many with the Horde that are easily antagonized, and until you learned our ways, I didn’t want you to use magic that might get you into trouble. It is one of the reasons you have always had a guard present.”
“I understand why you did it, but now if you put it on me, you better make sure you put it on me because it’s pretty and it carries your mark and not because you want to control me, or I’ll remove it. It’s time for you to trust me, and trust my choices. I was taught to make smart choices. The only one questionable was signing your contract,” I whispered.