Jared looked out his window. The rain was coming down hard now but his mother's garden was safe. Or at least should be. After nearly 500 years of living here and not yet making the offering to the dark, he had built a wall of hedges around the purple flowers that he had learned bloomed only from midnight till the first rays of morning. It was something he had loved to see but he wanted it protected just encase someone else wanted the flowers. Now taking a good look outside and into the blackness, he saw a light coming from his garden. He didn't need to ask who was out there but he wanted to know why.
Pulling a heavy raincoat on Jared rushed outside and quickly made his way to his father. Yelling over the howling wind he managed to say,"Father what is it? What's wrong?"
"The child needs a gift. She'll like the flowers."
Nearly five hundred years and the only time his father came here was to clip a few of the flowers so he could place them on Janelle's monument, so what was different now. "Why would a child like the flowers?"
"They're her flowers. The web is complete."
Web… that one word turned in his head. One word; one he knew what his father was speaking of. The storm it made sense now. The violent nature of it… Witch was being reborn. She had found her flesh, a flesh that could hold her, nourish her, protect her… but more than that bring her back among the living. In an excited voice he said. "Let me get something to put it in. You need a pot."
Well he didn't have a pot or at least not one that was for plants but he did have a small pot that he cooked in… it would due for now after all he could always buy another later if he needed. "Here this will work."
Daemon looked at it, "not going to cook it."
"I know but you need to protect the root. See here …" he put a small plant roots and all into the pot then covered it with mud. So it wouldn't got more water he placed a shield around it. The result… the flower stood up almost perfectly and in the rain, it was the only one that was starting to open for the night. The only one to give off its bright purple glow. It seemed to know to whom it was going, and it seemed pleased.
The storm had passed by time Daemon returned. Not only that the baby had arrived and both Della and Nora had had time to talk before the door slowly opened to reveal a man so soaked that it was a wonder that he wasn't already sick.
Della turned from babbling woman to every bit of the healer she was in that moment. "Mother night Daemon. Get in here before you get sick."
"A gift for the child." He held out the flower.
"Yes, yes fine. You can give it to her later…. Now I know there had to be…" she rummaged through the trunk at the foot of the bed, "Ah here. Now you go in there and change this instant." She pointed to the bathroom.
He looked at her then at the cloths, that was in her hands. "Change?"
"I am not dressing you."
Something feral danced in his eyes for just a moment. "I'll change."
Nora tilted her head. The healer had said he was lost in the twisted kingdom, but… he didn't seem like he was truly lost. Oh, he was definitely walking some path that only he could see but somehow she didn't think he was lost there. His thoughts were too clear for that to be true. In a quiet voice she said, "Prince, would you put the flower on the stand?"
The mother was asking for something and that took priority. He would do anything for the child and almost anything for the mother she had chosen. Too quickly, he set it down then waited as he saw her smile. "You like?"
"Oh yes prince I do like. I would like it better if you didn't get sick because you brought it here."
It was like he was just noticing that he was wet and cold. He let his skin shiver then took the dry clothes from Della that she had been holding since he came into the cottage. Quickly went into the bathroom to change.
With the door shutting behind him Della asked, "How …"
"I've helped take care of a few people that were lost… if I may… I think your wrong about him."
"I know he's lost. He has been for nearly 500 years." She said a bit too snappishly. Who did this girl think she was second guessing some one who knew Daemon?
"I mean no disrespect but, no he's not. I think he knows exactly where he is and knows where and when to leave those paths."
"And why would you…"
"Just a hunch. I may not have skills to speak of but I do read people pretty well."
Daemon came back out of the bathroom all dry and warm. He took one look at the child and said, "The dragons need to see her."
"The fryborn islands…"
He shook his head, "the Keep."
Nora took a long look at Daemon. She was tired and the bed was very comfortable, but he looked… worried, hopeful, scared, tired… she couldn't put her finger on how he looked but now more than ever she didn't think he was lost in the twisted kingdom just simply walking the roads. In a calm tired voice she said, "You may take her prince but you will return her to me?"
His eyes lit up. There was no reason for her to trust him… could she know… could Witch have told her. He could only hope. "When the sky feels like waking."
Morning then." All right. You can return her in the morning. Keep her safe for me prince."
Della just looked mortified. Daemon was out the door before she snapped, "Do you know what you just did!"
"I do. I gave a warlord prince a reason to fuss over some one. He'll bring her back."
"And what if she starts to cry or needs feed, or … or…"
"What if she keeps him calm enough where he doesn't need to hide in the twisted kingdom? What if her crying awakens the part of him he is running from? What if…" she looked at the healer for a long time before saying, "He'll be back. You may not believe me but he will."
"Oh I have no doubt he will be back but will he bring her with him or simply leave her who knows where?"
R & r always welcome