by Kristie Cook
Mom and Tristan had set up a transfusion system, removing Tristan's blood through a tube and sending it into Rina's body.
"We can't give her too much," Tristan said, pulling the tube out of Rina's arm. "Her body can't hold it."
Mom sat on the bed on Rina's other side, holding her mother's hand. As soon as Tristan had removed the almost normal looking medical equipment, Mom motioned me to sit down. I took Rina's other hand into both of mine and pushed my Amadis power into her.
"How long do we have to wait?" I whispered, as if afraid to wake her up, which was actually what we wanted.
"It took you three days, but you only had me for Amadis power, and Tristan couldn't help you," Mom said.
"But the hit she took was at a much closer range than yours," Tristan said.
"You think it was the same thing?" I asked.
"Yes, I think Martin hit you in the Everglades," Tristan said. "There was a lot of commotion, but I never felt Daemoni. Did you?"
I shook my head. "No. He probably made that part up, huh?"
"He did a fine job of framing both Julia and me."
"Julia really loves Rina, doesn't she?" I asked. "I mean, more than only a friend or as her leader."
Mom raised her eyebrows. "You noticed, did you?"
"She pretty much just told me."
"Yes, Julia loves Rina very much."
"But she realizes Rina's not that way, right? I mean, she's with Solomon. Does she hold out for some kind of hope or something?"
Mom shook her head. "No. Rina is aware of how Julia feels, and Julia understands Rina doesn't return her feelings."
Tristan sat next to me and put his arm around my shoulder. "We can't help who we fall in love with, even if the other person doesn't share those feelings."
I gave him a pointed look. "Which doesn't apply in our situation."
"I know," he said quietly.
I turned back to Mom. "Well, I'd think Julia would at least make some kind of effort to find another mate. Has she? Does she even try to love anyone else?"
Mom sighed. "What Julia does is her own choice. Her free will. She has reasons for her actions, and it is not my place to share them."
I nodded, understanding.
We sat in silence for a while, holding Rina's warm but lifeless hands.
"Do you think Rina knew about Martin?" I asked. "I'm sure she told Julia to recommend him as her replacement. She apparently sent Owen to find the faeries and bring them here. It seems she knew something, doesn't it?"
Tristan looked up at me, the corners of his mouth twitching with a smile. "You think she set Martin up?"
We both looked at Mom.
"My feelings aren't all back to normal," she said, and then she smiled. "But I do detect some truth in that."
I shook my head and snorted. Tristan and Mom chuckled. Martin wasn't the only one who had underestimated the matriarch.
I studied my grandmother's face with renewed respect. The dark circles remained under her eyes, but other than that, she looked more peaceful than I'd seen her in a long time. Perhaps ever. Remorse squeezed my heart. Guilt for adding more to her stress when all along she'd been trying to protect us. All of us. The power of her blood may have been more diluted than mine with the generations who had mated with Normans before Mom joined with Lucas, but I wondered how I would ever be able to rule as well as she did.
I didn't always like Rina's actions, but difficult decisions were part of being a great leader. I wouldn't be able to rule off my emotions and feelings as I did so much now. I knew that was a fault of mine. A fault I would have to overcome.
Rina's hand barely returned my pressure, and my heart leapt. It was a brief, probably involuntary action, but at least I knew she wasn't completely gone. She would return to us, and she would be a great leader once again. And with Mom between us, I had plenty of time to learn and earn the right to walk in her shoes. Good thing. I would need all the time I could get.
Tristan gave my shoulder a squeeze. "I haven't seen my son in over three days. Ready to get Dorian?"
I looked at Mom, and she nodded. "I'll sit here for a while. You can come back later."
I felt out for Dorian's mind signature and found him in his room, so Tristan and I headed toward our wing. Before we came to his door, however, I stepped in front of Tristan, put my hands on his shoulders and pushed him against the wall. He gave me a questioning look, although a smile played on his full lips.
"You do know I love you, right?" I asked. He nodded. "You won't give me anymore of that crap about how you can't be loved, that I don't really feel it, blah blah blah, right?"
"I promise, ma lykita. I'm sorry I doubted you."
"And I'm sorry I doubted your faithfulness."
"Only you, my love. Always."
"And forever," I said. "Don't forget forever."
I lifted up on my toes and leaned forward. The kiss we shared sent electricity charging throughout my body, a pleasant charge that I shared with him.
He smiled against my lips. "I'll never forget forever."
Epilogue
I emerged from Rina's suite two days later to find Tristan waiting for me in the hallway. It had been my shift to sit with Rina while Mom took a much-needed break, but she had returned to relieve me. Between the two of us, we sat with her around the clock to share our Amadis power.
"Any change?" Tristan asked. He'd spent the morning with Dorian and then with Bree and Lilith. The girl still remained unconscious, and we'd come to the conclusion that Martin had hit her, too.
I shook my head. "Not really. She kind of pulls away from pain, but not all the time. And her eyelids fluttered a couple times, but then she left us again. She pretty much just lies there, as if stuck between death and unconsciousness. It makes me wonder what's going on in her head. Does she dream? Is she talking to the Angels? Does she hear us but can't respond? Or is it just a black emptiness, nothing going on at all in that head of hers?"
"Have you tried finding out?"
"Actually, yeah. But I get nothing. I'm not sure what that means. I hope it's not because there's nothing to get." My brows pushed together. "I wonder if the dark magic can create a block."
"Or maybe the Angels have." Tristan gave my hand a squeeze.
I looked up at him and smiled. "I like that idea better. Hopefully she's talking to the Angels about a future daughter or about Dorian or, at least, about how to fight the Daemoni, since they keep attacking more. And it makes sense. Only she's allowed to hear their messages."
We started down the stone stairs, and I had no idea where we were going, but Tristan moved with purpose.
"Have you heard anything from Owen?" I asked as we descended.
Tristan's voice came out low and heavy. "Nothing at all. Not from Char either."
"I feel so bad for them. Owen probably hates me."
"I don't think anyone can hate you, Lex," Tristan said as he led me outside. "And it wasn't your fault. Owen's not stupid; he gets that. He just needs some time to deal with this. Like you did when you found out about your biological father."
"Like you do about your mother. How was your time with Bree, anyway?"
He shrugged. "A bit … awkward. But it's not over. She wants to talk to both of us."
We had followed the path to the beach, where we came upon Bree sitting on the sand and gazing out over the water. The sun enflamed her hair to a near blinding brilliance. She turned to look at us and gave us a stunning smile. But I had to agree with Tristan. It was a bit awkward. I returned her smile anyway, and Tristan and I sat down next to her.
"When the Angels first spoke of this plan for both of you," Bree said as she looked back out over the water, "I had no idea two people of this world could be so perfect for each other. I didn't fully understand what they meant. Now I finally see you two together and realize they truly did create a match in Heaven. There's no doubt you belong together."
"And not because of a stupid stone," I muttered.
Bree looked o
ver at me and frowned. "A stone cannot create or force love, no, but it is not a 'stupid' stone, Alexis. That stone is very important, and you need to know about it. All about it."
I sighed. I practically hated the stone now, with all the problems it had nearly caused between Tristan and me. I didn't want to think about it and had seriously considered letting Vanessa keep the damn thing. But I couldn't deny my curiosity about it. After all, it had been implanted in Tristan's heart, and he had cut it out and given it to me, his true soul mate. Bree had called it a fertility stone the other day, but I still didn't understand its full meaning.
"Okay, so let's have it," I said.
"I have to start by saying I don't know everything about it," Bree said.
"But it's your stone," Tristan said. "How could you not know everything about it? Or was it your stone to give?"
Bree sighed. "No, not exactly. But before we go further, Alexis what have you been taught about faerie stones?"
I snorted. "Nothing. Tristan showed me his memory of you implanting it in his heart, and everyone's called it a faerie stone, except when you called it a fertility stone. That's all I know."
"A faerie stone comes from the Otherworld," Bree said. "It's an element of that world that when brought into this physical one, takes the form of a stone. Only a faerie can bring it into this world, and when he or she does, it's for a specific purpose. The stone is given characteristics by the faerie to serve that purpose. Each stone is unique, so it's said to belong to that faerie."
"So this one didn't belong to you?" I asked.
"Yes and no. The Angels wanted me to bring the element of fertility when I came to this world permanently. They ordered me to give the stone to the child on his third birthday, with the instructions that his heart would warm when he met his true mate. The stone would tell him she is the right one, and he is to give it to her. Only then could he produce a child."
"And he did give it to me, and we had Dorian," I said. "So is Dorian it? Did the Angels know Tristan would break the curse and Dorian could lead?"
Bree's mouth formed into a thin line. "I've been kept from the Otherworld for almost three hundred years, so I am unaware of much. But I doubt it, Alexis. I'm sorry, but I don't believe Tristan is the right one to break the curse."
"Then why do we only have Dorian? Did the stone not work properly?"
"The stone doesn't determine the gender. It only guarantees Tristan's fertility. Everything else has been part of the Angels' plan. There is a reason they gave you Dorian by himself–a purpose he must accomplish that he can't do if he has a sister–but I do not know what it is."
"But regardless, he'll go to the Daemoni," I said, my heart sinking. "And we still don't have a leader after me."
"You haven't been able to get pregnant without the stone. It must be in the possession of Tristan's true love, and then can she become pregnant by him."
"So we must recover the pendant."
"Exactly."
I looked at Tristan. "Is this why you said the Daemoni couldn't have it? You knew when we lost it that we needed it back."
"I told you I didn't remember anything at the time," he said. "I only knew it was important you had it and not a good idea for it to be in their hands."
"Is there any way the Daemoni … since they have it … can they use it?" I asked Bree.
"The characteristics I gave it only allow it to work with the two of you. However …" Bree paused. When she didn't continue, Tristan and I both looked at her with our eyebrows raised.
"However?" Tristan finally asked.
She blew out a breath. "As I said, I don't know everything about it. The Angels enhanced it, and they would not tell me how. They did something with it and returned it to me, along with the instructions. They may have simply reinforced it with their powers or … they may have added something to it. It could be more than a faerie stone. It could be an Angel stone."
"And you have no clue?" Tristan's voice came out harshly, as if he didn't believe her.
Bree shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't."
Tristan sprang to his feet and paced in front of us. I didn't understand why he was so upset. "So there could be something more to the stone, but we have no idea what it is?"
"Yes," Bree said.
"And we don't know if it's something only for us or if the Daemoni could figure out how to use it against us."
"Correct."
And now I caught up with him.
"Shit," Tristan and I both said at the same time. He plopped back into the sand next to me.
"Agreed," Bree said.
We all sat in silence for a long moment.
"But if we get the stone, I can get pregnant, right?" I asked.
"Well," Bree said, hesitantly. "Its fertility works specifically for Tristan, so he couldn't populate the world with offspring before you were even born. It doesn't guarantee your fertility. However, with all the Angels have planned for you and the Amadis, I am sure they have included another Amadis daughter in those plans. But right now, your chances are zero, at least with Tristan. You must retrieve the stone."
"Yes, we must. And sooner rather than later. I really don't want to fight the council again about staying with you, Tristan. I won't let them force me to Owen."
Bree stood up. "I must return to Lilith now. Just remember it may be even more important than another Amadis daughter. Considering it's a connection between the two of you, if the Angels added anything to the stone, it probably serves as some sort of protection of one or both of you. As in your lives or your souls."
Tristan and I exchanged a glance, and we looked back up at Bree, but she was gone. I sighed and leaned my head against Tristan's shoulder.
"Ms. Alexis," Ophelia's voice called in my mind. Now that my ability had been made public, I'd have to get used to people jumping into my head. The good news, though: they never heard my thoughts unless I wanted them to. Well, except when Tristan made me lose my mind completely. One reason we wouldn't be staying on the island long.
Yes? I answered.
"Mail for you. Ms. Sophia said to deliver it straight to you."
With tiny pops, three envelopes appeared in the air in front of me and dropped into my lap.
Thank you. Can you please send Dorian out?
"Of course." She gave a mental curtsy and vanished from my mind.
My stomach took a nervous dip as I studied the envelopes. Who could possibly be mailing me anything? Any bills would be sent to Tristan's alias at our Florida address, and dead authors no longer received fan mail. Anyone who knew I was alive was pretty much right on this island, except Blossom. Only my name and the embossed Amadis seal marked the envelopes–not postmarks or anything else. I reluctantly opened the first one and breathed a sigh of relief.
Princess,
I wanted you to know I made it home. Your bush is all right, but I think I'll be staying here for a while. I hope you realize I had nothing to do with any of the set-up. But I think my sheila did. If you see the were-bitch, send her my way. I could always use a snack.
I shook my head, a small smile on my lips. Jax was home safely, which was good. And he hadn't played an intentional role in Kali's scheme, another relief because I didn't want to hate him. But Kali brought him into it and used him. That pissed me off.
The next envelope contained a second one within it addressed to me in Florida, with a Sanibel return address but no name, and a stamp but no postmark. As if it'd been intercepted somewhere between the sender's mailbox and the post office. Strange. With a tingle down my spine, I opened it.
Dear Alexis,
I need your help. I know everything about you. You are the famous author A.K. Emerson. You are also Alexis Ames, even though you gave my mom a different name when she helped you find your house on Sanibel. Your men messed with her memories, but not with mine. I know you from a long time ago, too, and you don't look any older. You look exactly like you did nine years ago when you punched my asshole dad in the face. I was only ei
ght then, but I remember that day clearly. Your men were there, too, and they also look exactly the same now.
Don't worry. I'm not going to the media or anything. I'm not blackmailing you. I'm writing because I really do need your help. I have an older sister Sonya who was at a friend's house the day you hit our dad. But you might remember her, because she attended almost every single one of your signings. She loved your books. I do, too, but Sonya was over the top with them and with you. She always said she was your biggest fan, always on the Internet chats and forums for your books. She idolized you ever since the day you saved our mom. You were her favorite author and also her favorite person. Because of you and your men, our mom is alive today.
If you're paying attention, you'll notice I used past tense for Sonya. She's supposedly dead. That's what Mom thinks anyway, but I've seen her. Just like you're supposedly dead but I know I saw you. As crazy as it sounds, I think Sonya has been turned. She always wanted to be a vampire and I think she is one now. Yes, I believe they exist. I think there are some living over on Captiva, and I think they're good, nice like some of the ones in your books. But they deny it. They won't help me. Only you can help me.
I cried for weeks when I thought my sister was dead and cried again when she pretended to be someone else, the time I caught her. I can't lose her, Alexis. I can't stand the thought of her being bad, of her killing people. I can't get the image of her with blood dripping from her mouth out of my mind. Please help me. You're the only who can.
On my knees begging you,
Your second biggest fan,
Heather
"Wow," I breathed, dropping the paper into Tristan's lap. "I'm not sure what to say about that."