“We find Niklas. It was he the Goddess spoke of. Do you want to lose her?” He glared Larin’s way. “Do you really want to sacrifice her life after all she has done for us? For you?”
Larin had the grace to flush. “I know all that she has done for me. More than most could possibly understand. You, of all people, do not have to lecture me.”
Morwyyn bowed his head. “Of course, you are right.” He began to close the circle. “Help me finish this, so we can get her home.”
* * * *
Niklas left Haron groveling in the dirt.
“I tried, really I tried. They were too strong for me.” His swollen eyes filled with tears, he looked at Niklas, his face beseeching. “Tell them, Niklas, tell them I tried. You were just too strong for me.”
Niklas turned to Ethanos. “Take him to a medic. See if there is anything that can be done. If not, take him to the asylum of Nasha, and let the witches deal with him.”
“No, not the witches!” Haron screamed as Ethanos dragged him off.
Niklas looked to Hale who had met him near the caves.
“There is no sign of her, Niklas,” the other man said sadly. “There is still hope. The moon has returned to her orbit and the tides are returning to normal.” He shrugged. “These things must mean she has survived.”
Niklas ran a nervous hand through his hair. He reached out with him mind, calling her. He sighed when he received no answer. “No, Hale, it only means she survived long enough to save Terrna.” He scowled back at the caves then turned to his chief of security. “Have these caves searched. Hold anyone you find for questioning. After you’ve cleared the caverns destroy them. Leave nothing of them. I refuse to leave them as they are for someone else to reuse them for some nefarious purpose.”
“Your Majesty!” Hale called from his hoverpod. “It’s the palace, they say someone has found Her Highness and is taking her home.
Niklas grabbed Hale and jumped into a hoverpod. They traveled so fast that Larin and Morwyyn barely beat Niklas there. It seemed that Faeries could move rather quickly when they wanted to, even when carrying precious cargo.
Niklas’s heart jumped to his throat when he met them as they entered the palace. The sight of Brianna held limp in the arms of a stranger nearly sent him to his knees. But his mother calmed him. Now, relying on the hope that she had instilled, he was holding Brianna’s hand, telling her he loved her, and she had to live for him and for their unborn children.
“They won’t be born, Laharra. If you give up now, they will never know life. You must come back to us.” He held her limp hands, rubbing them between his own. “I need you, Brianna. Do not sentence our children to death and me to a half-life filled with loneliness. Please come back to me.” Niklas looked at her pale face and saw the dark circles beneath her eyes. He cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb brushing over one dark crescent.
He wished so strongly that Brianna would open her eyes, he was sure he’d seen the translucent lids flicker. But no. Her breathing hadn’t changed at all. He prayed. He prayed to every God and Goddess that he’d ever heard of. Ever worked with. Then he prayed some more.
“Look!”
Niklas turned toward the voice. Morwyyn stood off to the left. His look was one of hope. He was staring at Brianna, his eyes wide. Niklas turned slowly. He hardly dared to hope she would come awake. Still, he prayed that she was finally coming back to him. He watched as her eyelids fluttered open. Her unfocused eyes found him and steadied.
She smiled slightly. “Niklas.” She brought her hand up to her head and grimaced.
“Do you have a headache?” he asked.
She nodded gingerly.
“It isn’t any wonder. She invoked the spirits of five Goddesses and Gods at once. It’s a wonder she’s even here to tell the tale.” Morwyyn stepped up a grin on his face. “I couldn’t be more proud of you, Granddaughter.” he said grasping her hand.
Brianna smiled at Niklas’s surprised look. “Yes, he is Morwyyn. He has lived these past years in the land of the Fae on Earth.” She gave him a smile. “Which explains all of the legends about him, how he would one day return. And, how good he looks for his age.” she added smiling.
Morwyyn cleared his throat and scowled at Brianna. “None of that, my dear. No one here needs know my true age.” He leaned down and whispered with a smile. “They would be jealous.”
Brianna grinned at him for a moment. She rubbed her stomach. “The babies don’t seem to like the fact that we just saved the world, Grandfather.”
He chuckled. “Well, they will just have to get over it, won’t they?”
Brianna inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. “Yes I suppose they will, just as soon as they are born.” She placed both hands on her stomach, opened her eyes and looked at Niklas. “Could you please carry me to our room and call Sarcha, Niklas?”
“Carry you?” Niklas was flabbergasted. She never wanted him to carry her.
“Yes, Niklas,” Brianna said as she tried to stand on her shaky feet. “Carry me.” Just then, a puddle appeared at her feet. Her water had broken, and everyone understood the reason she was finally willing to let Niklas carry her without a fight.
“Was it just me, or was it my imagination that the babies’ souls were fighting with the rest of us?” Brianna asked tiredly.
Larin and Morwyyn both nodded. “They were. Morwyyn answered. “There were nine souls fighting the evil. Those of the five Gods you invoked, you and your babes.” He stood up straighter, already playing the proud grandfather. “It seems I may have some new apprentices soon.”
Epilogue
“Are you happy, my dear?” Morwyyn asked as he tried to extricate his long beard from the feisty grip of little Niklas. He frowned in consternation as he extricated the little fingers only to have them replaced by the child’s other hand.
Brianna smiled. “Very happy, Grandfather, except if you go to the faery realm again, I would ask that you come back every hour or so. I don’t want you to disappear for another year. You’re my family.” She turned, looked over at him and suppressed a giggle.
The more he tried to get little Niklas to let go of his beard, the more hair the child got caught in his chubby little hands. Morwyyn gave up with a sigh then glared down at Killer, who had taken a liking to his robes. The dog had grabbed onto the hem and was tugging as he growled.
“Why do you ask, Grandfather?”
“My beard will never be the same,” he groaned. He looked rather uncomfortable now. He flinched every time little Niklas moved and yanked on his hair.
Brianna wasn’t sure if it was from the tiny hand fisted in his beard or from what he was about to say.
“I had to cast a spell. Of course I said it should harm none. But sometimes...” He shrugged. “People will still fight what is ultimately best for them.”
Brianna frowned. “What spell?” She shifted the babe she was holding to her shoulder so she could gently pat his back, trying to coax a burp out of him. She nudged Killer gently with her foot. “Stop that, you little heathen.”
Killer looked up at her, growled, then trotted off to more interesting pursuits.
“I cast a spell upon you when you were born, that once you became interested in the craft. And I knew you would…” He cleared his throat. “That Niklas would find you and bring you here. I set the plan in motion years before you were born, with the knowledge that you could be unhappy here. But I did it to save this world.” He was looking at his feet, avoiding her eyes.
Brianna leaned over and hugged him. “You did it for everyone. Didn’t you say that it should harm none? It wouldn’t have worked if it was against my will or best interests, would it?”
Morwyyn shifted in his seat as he mulled that one over. He gave Brianna a pained look when little Niklas gave a particularly vicious yank on his beard. “Well, no. But it still doesn’t help the more stubborn people from fighting what’s best for them.” He glanced down at the baby in his arms. “I think, perhaps, it’s time for
me to shave.” He sighed. “Though, I shall miss the beard. I’ve had it for over two millennia.”
Brianna laughed and covered his gnarled hand with her own. “I may be stubborn, but I’m certainly not stupid. I love Niklas, and I know he is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Niklas walked up with a smile. “I am?” he asked, sitting down next to Brianna. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to his side.
She elbowed him in the stomach. “Yes, and you know it. Do I have to tell you every day?”
Morwyyn glanced at Larin, who walked up carrying Alyssa, a look of pure bliss on his face. “She looks just like your mother, Morwyyn.” He lowered his head, kissing her crown.
“Yes she does, doesn’t she? It was fitting that she be named after her.”
Brianna looked down at the bundle she held. “And it was fitting that he should be named after your best friend. Morwyyn meet your new apprentice. Arthur.”
Tears slid down Morwyyn’s face. He wiped his face on his sleeve. “I never hoped to be included in your family. I feared you would never forgive me for casting the spell that would manipulate your life. You have given me so much, Brianna. And for that, I thank you.”
She wrapped her free arm around her grandfather. “Not nearly as much as you have given to me, Grandpa.” She looked around the garden at the people in her life that meant the most to her. “You have given me a family.” She smiled sadly, the only way this could be any more perfect, was if Amber was here.”
Larin looked around. “I am included in this?” he asked, his hand on his chest.
Brianna laughed, “Of course you are. You saved my life. How could I not include you in my family?” She handed Arthur to Niklas and stood to put her arm around him.
Larin shot her grandfather a panicked look. Morwyyn cleared his throat. “Well, I suppose we need to see to the rest of the prophecy.”
“What do you mean? It has already been fulfilled,” Brianna said, as Niklas shifted, bringing her down onto his lap. “Hasn’t it?”
Morwyyn shook his head. “No, my dear, it has not. Not until you have given this world a thousand generations of peace.”
Niklas shot him a confused look. “I thought it was our children and grandchildren who would bring the thousand generations of peace.”
Morwyyn shook his head. “No, it is you two.”
“How can we live to be thousands of years old?” Brianna’s voice squeaked with panic.
Morwyyn stood and smiled. “I will show you the secrets of the Fae.” He waved his arm toward the faery.
Larin shook his head frantically, then sat heavily on the bench behind him, still holding Alyssa. “Don’t you say it!”
“Just as my father has shown me.”
Larin groaned. “Now what did you go and have to do that for?”
About the Author
Tianna Xander is an eclectic author of numerous paranormal, sci-fi, time travel, romance erotica books. Gaining inspiration for her characters and dialogue through her family and her addiction to the internet, she never fails to amaze readers with each new book she creates. As a reading junkie herself, Tianna has no problem reading whatever is available at the moment from romance novels, murder mysteries and encyclopedias to books on solar energy.
Tianna’s life wouldn’t be complete without a “happily ever after” of her very own. She resides in Michigan with her husband, two children, three cats, German Shepherd Dog and an intimidating bunny. Never one to fail to give credit where it’s due, she commends her family for their constant support. After writing many books and receiving rave reviews, her family is just as proud of her. Always full of ideas, Tianna rarely puts the pen down, so readers can look forward to many more exciting stories in the future.
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Table of Contents
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Briannas Prophecy Page 29