by Linda Howard
“She has to practice, doesn’t she?” Judah said as he set Eve on her feet.
Eve looked up at Judah with absolute adoration. Mercy winced.
“There are safer ways to practice,” Mercy said.
Eve clutched Judah’s hand, as if she knew he would protect her from her mother’s displeasure. “Daddy can help me with my lessons.”
“No!” Mercy all but screamed the one word response.
“Why not?” Eve whined.
“Because your father is leaving today.” Mercy shot Judah a warning glare, daring him to contradict her.
“No, Daddy, please don’t leave.” Eve tugged on Judah’s arm. “I want you to stay.”
“I have to go,” he told her. “I can’t stay.”
“You’re making him go away!” Eve shouted at Mercy. “I hate you! I hate you!”
Eve clenched her teeth tightly and narrowed her gaze, concentrating on her mother. Without warning, a high wind came up and the sky turned gray. Streaks of lightning shot out of the clouds and hit in several spots surrounding Mercy.
Stop! Judah ordered his daughter. I know you’re angry, but you might hurt your mother. You don’t want to do that, do you?
Immediately the wind died down, though the thunder continued to rumble repeatedly. Within moments the sky cleared and the sun reappeared.
Judah began to understand his daughter’s true powers. He had never known a child of six who was capable of half of what he’d seen from Eve. And he also understood Mercy’s concern for their child. Untutored power such as Eve possessed most certainly could be dangerous, not only to others but to Eve herself.
With tears caught in her long, honey-gold lashes, Eve ran straight to Mercy and threw her arms around her mother’s unsteady knees. “I’m sorry, Mommy. I didn’t mean it. I’d never hurt you. I love you. I don’t hate you.”
Mercy lifted Eve into her arms and hugged her fiercely to her breast. Judah exchanged a glance with Mercy and noted the sheen of tears in her eyes.
“I know. I know.” Mercy soothed her remorseful child. “You must promise me that you will try harder to control your temper and not use your powers when you’re angry.”
“I—I promise…I’ll try.” Eve clung to her mother.
Judah turned and walked away.
“Daddy!”
He paused and glanced over his shoulder. Eve was resting on her mother’s hip, her bright Raintree eyes shimmering with tears. “Will you come back to see me very soon?”
“I’ll come back to see you when the time is right,” Judah replied.
2:00 p.m.
The house was unusually quiet, with Sidonia working in the herb garden and Eve taking an afternoon nap. Mercy sat alone in her study, the blinds drawn, the lights out, and thought about her predicament. Judah was gone. But for how long? He had left with nothing settled between them. In less than twenty-four hours he had saved her life, discovered he had a daughter and turned their world upside down.
Who had tried to kill her last night, and why? How could Judah have known? And why would he bother to save her life? Was it possible that like her, he had never been able to forget their brief time together?
Stop thinking romantic nonsense!
Judah Ansara is no mortal man, nor is he Raintree. He doesn’t love, he conquers. And that’s all you were to him—a very special conquest. Never forget that he knew you were a Raintree princess before he took you to his bed.
For all these years, she had been certain that if she ever saw Judah again, she would feel nothing except fear for her child. She was afraid, deathly afraid, of what Judah might yet do. But she wouldn’t lie to herself. There was more to her feelings for him than fear.
Sexual attraction is a powerful thing.
She suspected that Judah was not as indifferent to her as he had proclaimed. And perhaps, if that was true, she could use it to her advantage. Just how far would she be willing to go to protect Eve? As far as was necessary, even if it meant seducing Judah and using her feminine wiles on him.
Be totally honest with yourself. You know what has to be done.
Yes, she knew. There was only one sure way to protect Eve from her father. Even if Eve never forgave her, Mercy had no choice but to kill Judah.
The thought of killing the man she had once loved, or at least had believed she loved, created a tightening in her chest. She had been born to heal, not destroy. But she had also been born a Raintree princess. The blood of warriors, both male and female, flowed in her veins.
Mercy looked above the mantel over the fireplace and visually inspected the golden sword hanging on the wall. Dranira Ancelin’s sword, the one she had used in The Battle against the Ansara. Her ancestress had also been an empath, a healer who had used her powers for good. But when called upon to defend her clan, she had fought alongside her husband. When they came to the mountains of North Carolina and built a refuge for themselves and their people, Ancelin had placed her sword above the fireplace in what had then been the living room of her home. The jewel-encrusted, golden sword had not been removed from that spot in two centuries.
“That sword has great power,” her father had once told her. “It can be used for no other purpose than to defend the Raintree, and only a female descendant of Ancelin can remove it from the wall.”
She had always known the sword was hers and sensed that someday she would be called upon to use it. But she had never thought that she would use it to kill her child’s father.
“Judah. Oh, Judah…”
Mercy?
She heard Judah’s voice as clearly as if he were standing at her side.
Had he heard her thoughts? Did he know that she…?
Judah?
Why have you contacted me? he asked telepathically.
I didn’t contact you. You contacted me.
Silence.
Hurriedly, Mercy protected her thoughts, although she had believed she was already safe from anyone’s mental probing.
She heard Judah’s laughter.
I don’t want to talk to you, she told him. Go away.
I would if I could.
What do you mean by that?
Have a talk with our daughter. Tell her that she mustn’t connect us again.
Eve did this? Mercy asked. That mischievous little…Eve, you’re listening, aren’t you? Cut the connection now. Your father and I do not want to—
Sooner or later you’ll have to talk to each other again, Eve said.
Silence. Eve had severed the connection to Judah. And to herself.
Mercy sighed, then walked across the room and stopped in front of the fireplace. She lifted her hand to Ancelin’s sword and caressed the jewels glimmering in an intricate design on the hilt.
When Judah returned—and she knew that someday he would come back for Eve—she would do what any mother would do to protect her child from certain damnation. She would fight the devil for her daughter’s soul.
Beauport, on the island of Terrebonne
Monday Evening, 8:15
When Judah arrived at Claude’s home, half a mile from his own palatial estate, Claude’s wife, Nadine, met him at the door. After bowing to him and then welcoming him with a kiss on the cheek, she escorted him into the large, open grand room of their elegant home. As instructed, Claude had assembled members of the high council whom he trusted without question. When Judah entered the room, everyone stood and bowed. Claude and Nadine were as dear to Judah as any beloved brother and sister could be. And he respected few as he did Councilman Bartholomew and Councilwoman Sidra. He quickly studied the others congregated, including Galen, Tymon, Felicia and Esther. His cousin Alexandria was conspicuously absent. Undoubtedly Claude shared Judah’s suspicions, believing that Alexandria had aligned herself with Cael.
Judah looked directly at Claude. “What have you been able to find out?”
“As you know, we have several spies in Cael’s camp,” Claude said. “Each one reports to a different council member under the guise o
f trying to persuade the council member to be sympathetic to Cael’s cause.”
“Yes, yes,” Judah said impatiently.
Claude looked to Galen, who bowed to Judah again before he spoke. “I have learned that Cael has promised Alexandria that she will be his Dranira when he becomes Dranir. There can be no doubt that she is working with Cael against you, my lord.”
Judah nodded, not at all surprised to have his suspicions confirmed.
Claude turned to Tymon, who bowed before speaking to Judah. “Although we have no actual proof, we know that Cael sent Stein to kill you.” Tymon glanced around the room. “We are in agreement that this crime cannot go unpunished.”
“It won’t,” Judah assured them.
“Taking Cael down will involve others,” Claude said. “A group of young warriors, as well as Alexandria and two other council members.”
“They will all be dealt with,” Judah told his cousin.
“When?” Galen asked.
“Soon,” Judah replied.
Galen bowed his head in a show of respect.
Claude then looked to Felicia, who walked forward, bowed, then locked her gaze with Judah’s. “My lord, your brother not only sent Greynell to kill the great Raintree empath, Princess Mercy, but he ordered strikes on both of the royal brothers.”
Felicia waited for a response from Judah, but when he didn’t respond, she continued. “Along with hits on Dante and Gideon, Cael ordered the murder of Echo Raintree. These attempts failed. The Raintree casino in Reno was all but destroyed by fire, but Dante is alive. Tabby was sent to kill Echo and then Gideon. Unfortunately, she killed Echo’s look-alike roommate instead, and now Echo has gone into hiding.”
“Damn the fool.” Judah’s voice boomed like thunder. “Cael’s actions have all but announced to the Raintree that the Ansara have regrouped after two hundred years and are now on the warpath. It can be only a matter of time before they figure out who made these strikes against them, if they have not already.”
Claude placed his hand on Judah’s shoulder. “I’m afraid it’s far worse than we anticipated. We believe that Cael plans to strike the Raintree sanctuary very soon.”
“We’re not ready,” Judah said. “We can’t win a war against them now.”
“Cael believes we are ready,” Bartholomew said. “He doesn’t plan to wait until you decide we are strong enough to defeat the Raintree. He is going to strike when he decides.”
“And when will that be?” Judah asked.
“We don’t know, but we believe it won’t be long, possibly in a few months or even sooner,” Bartholomew replied.
“He intends to force my hand.” Judah clenched his jaw, barely managing to contain his anger. “My brother is insane if he believes we are ready to face the Raintree in battle, and unfortunately, he has infected others with his insanity.”
“What are we going to do?” Sidra asked, speaking for the first time. “If you arrest Cael, his followers will rise up against us and an Ansara civil war will erupt. If you choose that path, we cannot keep our existence a secret from the Raintree. But if you choose to go into battle against the Raintree when Cael plans his attack, I see the end of our clan.”
Judah walked across the room to the elderly Sidra, took both her hands in his and spoke to her as reverently as a son would speak to his aged mother. “You are our wise woman. Your visions have served us well all your life. The only two choices open to me seem to predict that the Ansara are doomed.”
Tightening her hold on Judah’s hands, Sidra closed her eyes and trembled from head to toe. Judah tried to pull away, but she held on to him fiercely. “The day of the Ansara is coming to an end.”
Judah jerked free. Sidra opened her eyes. “You have difficult choices to make, my lord. Whatever you decide, we, your loyal subjects, will obey your commands.”
Judah couldn’t be sure, but he sensed that Sidra knew about Eve.
“The Dranir is tired after his trip,” Claude told the others. “As Sidra said, he has difficult choices to make, decisions that require time and thought.”
Within ten minutes the council members were gone and Nadine had slipped away to her private quarters, leaving Judah alone with Claude.
“I think you need a drink,” Claude said as he approached the bar area.
“No, nothing for me.”
Claude paused and turned around to face Judah. “Sidra could be wrong, or she could be interpreting her visions incorrectly. She’s not infallible.”
“Choosing between battling Cael or going up against the Raintree on Cael’s timetable is not the only decision I have to make.” Judah looked deep into Claude’s consciousness, needing to know if he dared share his secret with his cousin.
“Does this decision have something to do with why you were able to enter the Raintree sanctuary so easily and why you stayed there after you stopped Greynell from killing Mercy Raintree?”
“Mercy Raintree has a child, a six-year-old daughter.”
Claude stared questioningly at Judah.
“My…affair with Mercy was seven years ago.”
Realization dawned. “This child is yours!” Claude gasped. “She is a mixed-breed, half Ansara and half Raintree?”
“Yes, she is.” Judah riveted his gaze to his cousin’s. “My daughter possesses unparalleled power. She could become our secret weapon against the Raintree.”
“Or she could be our downfall,” Claude said.
Cael showed Horace into his home and poured his loyal subject a drink. Although he was eager to learn what this brilliant Ansara detective had unearthed about Mercy Raintree, he would play dutiful host in order to keep Horace allied with him and against Judah. He was counting on good news, a revelation of some sort that he could use against his brother. Up to this point, the first two days of this all-important week had been terribly disappointing. Stein had failed in the assassination attempt against Judah. And not only were Dante and Gideon Raintree still alive, but so was Echo. It turned out that Tabby had killed the wrong woman. Nothing had gone as he had planned.
“Sit, relax,” Cael said.
“Thank you, my lord.” Horace’s hand trembled as he lifted the hundred-proof to his lips. After taking a sip of whiskey and gasping as the liquor slid down his throat, Horace sat, as Cael had instructed.
Hoping to put the man at ease, Cael sat across from him, doing his best not to seem overeager. “I’m pleased that you have worked so quickly to compile a report on Mercy Raintree.”
Horace took a second sip of whiskey, then set the glass aside. “In the outside world, little is known of her. She seldom leaves the sanctuary, except in local emergencies and occasionally to visit her brothers.”
“That is what I expected. After all, she is the Keeper of the Raintree home place.”
Horace nodded. “A position she acquired when the old guardian, Gillian, died six and a half years ago. Before that time—”
“I’m really not interested in what was happening in the princess’s life before then,” Cael said, growing impatient.
“Very well. Where shall I start, my lord?”
“With the present,” Cael said. “With this year.”
Apparently perplexed, Horace stared at Cael. “As I said, little is known of her. Our psychics have tried to study her, but she has a powerful protective cloak around her, as do her brothers. We know only that she is the Keeper, the Guardian, and the greatest Raintree empath.”
“She is the greatest empath alive, Raintree or Ansara,” Cael corrected.
“Yes, my lord.”
“Has she ventured from the sanctuary this year, other than to help in local emergencies?”
“No, my lord. She has not. Dranir Dante and Prince Gideon visited her in late March, as they do every year, but she has not visited either of them since last year. Her last trip was when she and her daughter went to Wilmington to visit Prince Gideon.”
Her daughter? “Did you say her daughter?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Mercy Raintree has a child?”
“Yes, my lord. A six-year-old.”
“And her husband?”
“I’ve found no evidence of a husband,” Horace said.
“Are you telling me that the Raintree princess gave birth to a bastard child?”
“It would seem so.”
“Who is the father?”
“I don’t know.”
“Hmm…”
“If you’d like, I can e-mail you the complete report.” Horace fidgeted nervously.
“Before the child was born, where was Mercy living? Who were her friends? And in what hospital was the child born?”
“There is no record of the child’s birth at any hospital. We assume she was born at home, at the sanctuary.” Horace swallowed hard. “Princess Mercy grew up at the home place, as did her brothers. She was home schooled. When she went away to college, several Raintree were sent with her, to protect her.”
“Protect her from what? From whom? The Raintree have not considered the Ansara a threat in two hundred years.”
“It is tradition that an underage princess has escorts. And just as with our empaths, any young Raintree empath must be protected from the outside world by others of her clan who can absorb the thoughts and feelings of humans before they reach the empath and flood her senses.”
“Yes, of course.” Cael’s mind went into overdrive, processing various tidbits of information. “Do you know of any time when the princess was out in the world on her own, say seven years ago, before she became the Guardian?”
“No, my lord, but if you wish, I can dig deeper and see if I can find out for you.”
“Dig deeper.”
Horace nodded.
“Are there any photographs of the child?”
“No, my lord.”
“What about a description?”
“No, but I can try to get that information, too, if you’d like.”
“Yes, do it.” When Horace started to get up, Cael motioned for him to sit. “Finish your drink before you leave, then let yourself out.”
Cael stood, crossed the room and opened the doors to the patio. Until only a few moments ago, he had believed there was no Raintree heir, that if all three royal siblings were killed before the great battle, there would be a fight among the royal cousins, each possibly claiming the throne. But now he knew that Princess Mercy had a daughter, a successor.