Jared sat next to his father for a long time just watching. Trying to make sense of what his father had told him. How could he? He knew where his father was going, knew he would. Anyone who knew how much he loved Witch knew he wouldn't be able to live without her. Still it didn't make this any easier.
With his father asleep, he went to the desk and found the letters. Carefully opened his. Just a short note really and a few pieces of jewelry fell into his hand. A ring that had lost it shine and a pendent that matched. Tears swelled his eyes. These were his mother's jewels, the one thing he now had left from her. Not wanting to think any more he laid his head on the desk and let the sobs fall.
A short time later, he felt a warm blanket wrap around his shoulders. In a deep rough voice that came from sleep he said, "Dad?"
"Rest Jared. It's been a long day." Not his father's voice but his uncle's
Wiping his eyes, he slowly raised his head. "Is…?"
"He's sleeping for now. I had your grandfather put a charm on him so we will at least know where he's at."
"No. Have him take it off."
Lucivar look shocked before turning that into hot anger. "Do you think he will …"
"I said take it off! Damn it. Do you think I want my father wandering roads too dark for anyone to travel? No, but if he doesn't…" he stopped; he felt something in the air tighten. A warning he was getting too near the truth, too near telling a secret that couldn't be told. "A gifted black widow told him to walk that road. If he doesn't more will be lost then just his mind. Please have Grandfather remove the charm."
"Damn." Lucivar turned, in the course of a day he had lost his sister, his queen and now he was being told he had to let his brother go. "He told you that?"
"That, among things I can't talk about. Please before he wakes."
"I don't know why your mother would have told him to walk those roads, or even let him..."
"Uncle Lucivar read this, maybe he left something in it." Jared reached out his hand holding out the letter that was addressed to both Lucivar and Saetan.
He wouldn't read it, not since it was wrote to both their father and himself , but he would read it later while looking over his father's shoulder. Instead he put his hand on the back of his nephew's neck and in a quiet voice that was hiding all the pain he was in at the moment he said, "Come on puppy let's find you a bed…"
"No I want to stay here tonight."
Lucivar looked at his brother and sighed, "Alright let me get your grandfather and maybe Daemonar and we'll all keep a visual on your Father."
"I think that will be alright."
The letter that had been written only asked for a few things none of which made sense. "Tell Jared about his birth and the flowers." It had said. "Protect him from the walking carrion that are posing as Leiah's first circle" and a warning to their father, to the dark priest, "Don't look to the webs for answers."
Saetan looked at his son who was resting peacefully on the couch. "What in the name of hell is this? We expected him to break his chalice but this?"
The words turned over in Daemonar's head. "If I had to guess I would say he told you to tend to his little garden but didn't tell you why?" he looked at his cousin who was doing his best not to show that he was ready to break.
"He did, but it's not important."
"No puppy it is very important. We just don't know by how much. But for that answer someone will have to tell you about your birth since the two seem to be related."
Eyes fell on Daemonar, "What, I can be the only one to realize this." Seeing his father's un-amused look and annoyed anger in his grandfather's eyes he continued with every bit of eyrien arrogance he could find. "No, well I guess I'll explain it then. Since according to Chaosti the flowers that bloom in that garden had never been there before your birth puppy, and had started to bloom not a month afterwards… we think it had to do with the fact you were born in that field."
"I was what?"
Running his fingers through his shoulder length black hair Daemonar cursed then continued, "Oh, well hell I thought one of your parents would have at least told you that much."
Jared looked at his uncle and grandfather with a look that said, someone needs to start explaining.
Lucivar sat on an arm of a chair since the floor now seemed to be moving beneath him. After a moment of silence and seeing clearly well that his father wasn't going to say anything about that night he started to say, "It was a bad night for everyone. Your father had been snipping at every one regardless of what they had been doing or not doing. And your mother… she had started to run a fever. Karla said if it didn't break we would lose the both of you. Of course, that didn't set well with Daemon. Nor did Witch agree with that assessment. The next thing we knew Daemon was carrying her out to a coach and was on the webs. Not an hour after they left the sky opened up and a storm started. I think besides the witch storm your mother had created it was worse that the realm had seen.
"A few days later Daemon brought the coach back. When he opened the door for your mother, you were in her arms. We asked him once what happen and the only thing he would say was Witch wanted you born out on the land. We found out from Gabrielle later that she had delivered you in the middle of a natural meadow in the mist of the storm. And as your cousin so nicely pointed out, a month later those damn purple flowers started to grow and bloom."
"Well that almost explain the garden but…" Jared paused, "I don't understand if father thought I was in danger…"
"Puppy the only danger your in is if you don't use all those little spells Aunt J taught you. What? Did you think that the family wouldn't know who she was working with in her workroom all those times she had a shield around it. It wasn't hard not when you couldn't be found and your father didn't seem worried. Well not when you compared it to the times that you did disappear and he did worry."
"I was not that bad."
"Oh no puppy, you weren't that bad… then again how did you wind up in the dark realm lying in a den of Hell hounds?"
"I was only told I couldn't use the gate. Draca wouldn't let me. No one said I couldn't…" the rest of the answer was so mumbled that none of them, could really make it out.
"I'm sorry. Didn't quite make that out?" Daemonar jokingly said
"Mother taught me."
"Ah, and that explains so much. Now back to those darling little flowers that you are to tend to. Any idea how to do that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well the Dea al Mon are very protective of their territory…"
Saetan broke in to the conversation now, "I don't see that being a problem since your cousin is a Dae al Mon. or at least was named one the day he was registered at the Keep."
"I was what?"
"Your aunt Gabrielle insisted on it. Something about being forced to deliver you in the middle of the storm and I don't remember all of it but she promised your father if he wanted to keep breathing you would be registered as a Dae al Mon."
"She didn't…" Jared tried not to laugh but then again there were two of his aunts you didn't mess with, Karla and the Dae al Mon witch.
"She did. I'm just glad Daemon didn't try to argue since your mother was doing her best not to laugh."
"I don't remember that." Lucivar looked at his father with a bit of annoyance on his face. After all, how could his brother have forgotten to tell him something that funny?
"You weren't suppose to know. Hell he made me swear not to mention it till the sun shined in Hell or longer."
The four of them talked through the night. None bringing up the events of the day. And none saying anything that would make the moment dark.
