I turned around to find both Ristan and Ryder watching me closely. “What the hell was that?” Ryder asked.
“What did you see?” I asked and watched as Ryder turned to Ristan and looked back at me.
“Blinding light, and you talking to the chair,” he admitted as he rubbed his neck.
“I just met Destiny, and she’s my aunt,” I admitted. “Someone in this room is about to go through utter hell, or so I think,” I said. “She wasn’t here for us; she’s been helping Danu. I guess I passed destiny’s test, but it’s not over yet.”
“I need to go,” Ristan said.
“You’ll accompany us to the Tree,” Ryder said, and it wasn’t a question.
“I planned to,” Ristan said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at me. “I owe you both an apology.”
“No you don’t,” I said as I watched him carefully. “You went through hell and we were too busy with our problems to notice you were gone. We should have been there sooner, and done better by you. You deserved better friends than I was.”
“Synthia, your child is sick and could die. I knew when I left that something was off, and yet I chose to go. I said I owed you an apology, and I do. I’m sorry I yelled at you both, and I’m sorry, Flower, that I took some of my anger out on you. You didn’t deserve it.”
“Is Olivia alive?” I asked, noting his defenses were down.
“She’s alive, and that’s all you need to know,” he replied harshly, as if he thought I’d ask for her immediate release.
“That’s all I wanted,” I admitted.
“Good,” he said as he lowered his eyes and smiled. “So, the Goddess of Destiny was here, in this room?”
“Yeah,” I said and then looked at Ryder as her words filled me. “Take me to my babies.”
We sifted into the nursery and Darynda looked up at us with a beautiful smile on her lips. “She’s awake,” she whispered and handed me Kahleena.
Ristan and Ryder both watched as my golden-eyed beauty looked right at me as if she was aware of everything going on around her, and smiled. I smiled back at her. “I love you sweet girl,” I whispered brokenly as I stared into her eyes, so like her fathers. “I’m going to fix the Tree, and you’re going to live forever.”
“Can I hold her?” Ristan asked. “I promise not to be long,” he whispered as he traced a finger down her cheek. “I miss those beautiful eyes.”
I handed her to Ristan even though I wanted to snatch her back and enjoy the moments of her being awake since they were few and far between. Unlike her brothers, she slept more than anything. They watched us and made noises, but she barely made any sounds.
I watched as a smile covered her tiny mouth as she watched Ristan’s eyes. Silver and black patterns swirled, beautiful against his complexion, but to her, they drew her eyes and held her mesmerized. She was his calm, and he was her protector, as he’d said.
“My turn,” Ryder said, as he reached out for Kahleena. She turned her tiny little head and gave him a toothless smile, and I watched as his heart melted for the little minx. “Kahleena,” he whispered as he kissed her forehead, and totally melted my heart. “Fight for me,” he said barely above a whisper. “Be my brave little fighter, just a little longer for me, please.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
“What did you find?” I asked as Savlian walked into the nursery.
“Nothing, just the Tree,” he said as he turned to Ryder. “We scouted the surrounding area as well. I fear they know the power of killing that Tree, and what it will do to us. I think they figured with no way to break the spell, they had no reason to stand around and watch it.”
“That’s good,” I whispered as I rocked with Cade on my arm, burping him. Darynda was a gem, and had known how to handle babies; Madisyn had joined me this morning and was holding Zander, who she couldn’t get enough of.
She lifted her eyes and met mine with a soft smile on her lips. “Your father has called the Blood warriors to arms, and Kier, he has brought the Shadow warriors here to assist the Elite Guards, for the blessing. It’s time; your daughter cannot wait much longer,” she said sadly as she kissed Zander’s soft forehead.
“Ryder, dress the children for the blessing, please,” I whispered as my heart thudded against my ribs.
“As you wish,” he said and I watched as Kahleena was dressed in a white dress of pure cotton, and then the boys changed into little robes that matched their sister’s dress.