Chapter 34
The first sun had not yet come over the horizon of the dark planet, so the second moon was dark with only faint light from distant Dagmaeus that was now receiving the first rays of the smaller sun. Sitting on the balcony during those rare moments of darkness, Amyr sighed as he looked up at the dark surface of Calabria looming in the night sky. His entire life had changed in the blink of an eye that day, and yet he had never felt more sure of himself. Five years ago he wanted to marry Quynn so that he could earn his father's approval; today he had lost his father by choosing her over him. Amyr would never regret laying his sword at his father's feet and taking his son away with him. And even though Quynn greeted his return to Edgeland Fortress with barely a smile because she was busy with the communications wiring, he could not have been more certain of her place in his life.
Lord Duo had arrived at the fortress shortly after, but Taeron was not with him, and he barked at everyone to board the craft to return to the moon. Quynn had protested that she was not done with her work, but her father told her to leave it for some other fool. Lord Duo had remained silent as they left the planet with the three transports filled with the men that had come to the surface to liberate Edgeland Fortress. After they had landed on the moon he had gathered his family together and he informed them of Trey's accusations.
"He believes that I planned the insurrection, that I am in league with the very men that he charged me to govern all these years." Lord Duo was pacing in his office, his wife standing by with her arms folded. He must have told her before his announcement because she showed little emotion. Amyr doubted she was surprised since she had ambivalent feelings towards the emperor.
Quynn was outraged. "How can he possibly believe that of you?"
"Staefyn laid the traps," said her mother. "And we stepped right in them."
"Staefyn told Trey that he believes my wife poisoned the men of Edgeland Fortress to turn them into the creatures we fought," continued Duo and Amyr was shocked that his father would believe Lady Trynity could have done that to the men and innocent children.
"Where is Taeron?" Amyr had asked. "Has he stayed behind in order to accompany Queen Neria back to Teralon?"
Mention of Taeron agitated Lord Duo and his wife put her hand on his arm to calm him before he could speak. "That is what he said, but one of the guards sent me a message before I left the city telling me that Trey has taken Taeron into his house. Because ...because of my foolish pride..." Amyr was shocked to see tears spill over Lord Duo's lashes. Lady Trynity drew him into the circle of her arms and it took a moment for him to compose himself before he was able to speak again, but there was sorrow in his eyes.
"Because I was the first male to come upon Arora when she brought Amyr into the world and Taeron was born into Trey's hands in my stead, Trey is repudiating you, Amyr, and taking Taeron as his own."
Hours later as he sat in the dark looking up at Calabria in the night sky, Amyr still felt the pain of his father's rejection. He could not blame Taeron as he might have scant weeks ago when he was a savage slave bent on revenge. Amyr had grown close to Taeron because of his powers and he knew that what his father had done must be causing him as great a pain as his own.
"I thought you might be sleeping."
Amyr turned his head to see his beautiful wife advancing from the darkness of their bedchamber. She was wearing a wispy white garment that clung to her curves and swirled around her to reveal more of her than it concealed as she came to him. Since she had spent hours with her mother while Amyr remained with Lord Duo, Jeshed and Darlac, Amyr knew Trynity must have provided the provocative garment. By the time she reached him, he wanted to tear the enticing cloth off her.
There was no need for him to respond to her remark because she had to know why he wasn't sleeping even without Guerani powers. She came to him and lowered her head to kiss him, not a chaste kiss, not a kiss meant to comfort him, but one that made him forget everything but her. Amyr wondered if all females were so bold with their mates. The females that had come to him as crown prince had done so to give him pleasure, but the one that now pushed the robe from his shoulders and straddled his hips to bring them together was not shy about using him to take her own. He stroked her with his hands, caressed her with his lips and when she was ready, he laced his fingers with hers so that he could experience her pleasure with his own. She collapsed against him, her heart pounding against his chest, her moist body pressed to his and he nuzzled her shoulder and breathed in the scent of his mate. There was nothing he wanted more than to be with her for the rest of his life.
Quynn cried out in pain and grasped handfuls of his hair in an effort to pull his head back when he sank his teeth into her, but he tightened his hold on her until he had swallowed a mouthful of blood from the tender flesh between her neck and shoulder. Closing his eyes, he waited for her anger when she had stated that she did not want him to bond with her, but she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck where he felt her hot tears.
"Why did you do that?" she sobbed. "You could have gone back to your father and told him that you made a mistake!"
He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back, then he tilted her face up with his fingers under her chin so that he could look into her eyes. "I did not make a mistake. Nothing is more important to me than you and Yori and the daughter you carry within you. Nothing, Quynn! I love you. I did not realize how much until he made me choose."
Amyr pulled her against him where she sobbed, and he could feel her sorrow at believing she had come between him and his family. He stroked her hair, reflecting on the joy of holding her in his arms, at the life inside her that his powers allowed him to feel. The bond he had made with her was beginning to simmer but it was not the conflagration that he remembered feeling the night he had given her his oath. He realized that if he concentrated, he could dampen it with his powers if need be.
Quynn raised her head and the first rays of light from the sun peeking over the surface of Calabria made her face glow. "I am sorry that I spoiled this night, what little there is of it."
He pushed back the tangled mass of silky curls and used the edge of his robe to wipe her face. "You did not spoil this night, Quynn, and there are still a few hours between first and second sunrise." Amyr lightly kissed her swollen lips. "Did your mother not tell you those are the most magical hours of the day?"
"She may have mentioned it," she said with coyness that made him smile. As he stood and lifted her in his arms, she slid her arms around his neck. "My father told me that Meridon asked that you meet with him tomorrow. After what you have done, will you be able?"
"I will think about Meridon after second sunrise." He kissed her as he moved towards the door opening to the balcony from the bedchamber, formerly Taeron's, which he now shared with his wife. "Much after second sunrise,"he murmured against her lips.
When he awoke, as he predicted, much later after second sunrise, Quynn was already gone, and his body reacted in panic to its mate's absence, but he took calming breaths, and after bathing and dressing in – what else – one of Taeron's garments, he went in search of Quynn's mother. Just to be sure he had no problems controlling the bond, he would request some of the useful powder that had worked so well on Taeron.
She was in her workroom with her husband and Jeshed, the former looking perplexed while the latter looked inordinately proud. Amyr guessed that since Yori was not with Jeshed that he was with his mother.
The three noticed him and Lord Duo left his wife to approach Amyr who resisted the urge to flinch. He was surprised that he hugged him, slapping him on the back when he thought he might be furious for bonding with his daughter in the old way instead of taking the bonding cup. "I suppose you are looking for Quynn. She has taken Yori for a horseback ride. I told her not to stray too far in case you might have need of her."
"I am sorry I did not go through with the ceremony."
Lord Duo grunted as he stepped away. "The only one who might give a damn about that doesn't give a damn anymore."
His wife laughed softly and came to put her hand on Amyr's arm. He was surprised to feel her faint healing magic. "She told us this morning what you did because the bite was mildly infected so I treated her."
Amyr was bothered that he had caused his mate pain, and he was annoyed that he had not noticed before she left their bed. Then again, she had exhausted him with her demands. "I did not mean to hurt her."
"What you did is natural for a Calabrian male. Do you think the men and women of the plains or the hills have en elaborate ceremony when they choose their mates like the imperials do? Those females sometimes suffer infection and I have treated a few mating fevers among the tribes on the moon."
He was mollified to hear that Quynn's illness was not a sign from the gods that they did not favor what he had done. Now he turned to Lord Duo. "Have you heard from Taeron?"
"The communications are still down," he told Amyr. "But I am sure that Taeron will be gathering his army to head to Teralon to put an end to the civil war there so that he can claim his mate."
"I would like to go with him," Amyr announced. He did not blame Taeron for his present circumstances. Perhaps later he might be crushed with the realization of what he had lost, the right to call the emperor his father, but for now he was content to be what he had always wished to be: Lord Duo's son.
"Do you think it is wise to return to Teralon?" asked Duo pointedly.
Remembering Princess Dijana's caustic remarks about his actions on Teralon, Amyr had to agree that it probably was not. "Taeron is my brother." With all that had come to light in the last two days, the words could not be truer in the eyes of Calabrians. "And if the emperor," it felt strange referring to his father as anything but his father, "if the emperor has truly taken him into his house, then I would be honored to stand as his guard."
Duo laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Not a single Calabrian would trust that arrangement, Amyr."
"I suppose not, but I would never harm Taeron and I would protect him as he protected me." He turned his attention to Jeshed who was sitting still as Lady Trynity peered into his eyes. "Is Jeshed ill?"
She straightened and looked at Amyr. "No. I am simply curious. My scientific mind cannot understand a magical creature like him, and I find that when I am near him, the magic that I have been able to learn Apolo is stronger."
Amyr was not surprised. He suspected that Jeshed was responsible for the rapid development of Yori's powers, and when Jeshed breathed on Taeron in the trance, he had undoubtedly bestowed on him the power that enabled him to make short work of the dark fiends that had overrun Edgeland Fortress. How could a shapeshifter be anything but a magical creature with great power?
"My wife has been able to tell me why his eyes are so disturbing to me," Duo said as he rubbed his neck nervously.
"Lord Duo is my father," announced Jeshed with no small amount of pride.
"Don't get carried away," barked Duo with annoyance.
Amyr looked at Trynity for answers because he did not believe that Lord Duo had been cavorting with a shape-shifting female to produce Jeshed.
She was smiling with what Amyr would term gleeful humor as she looked at the two men. "I have been able to study Jeshed's present genetic makeup. There are three of what he calls life strands that make up his form. The first, I could not identify and I presume it is the dragon form. The second and third strands belong to the genetic material he used to take his present form. He is the product of the life strands of my husband and..." She openly laughed. "... and Larya."
"That is not funny!" Lord Duo nearly shouted at his wife who now bent over laughing.
Amyr looked at Jeshed. "How is this possible?"
"I do not know. I have no one to guide me in the ways of my species."
"Well, he is now of our species although he can become a dragon which is what I find very fascinating," said Trynity after she was able to contain her laughter. "He must have somehow added Taeron's DNA to his own to become the form that he is today."
Amyr looked at Jeshed again, this time with this new knowledge and he was able to see the resemblance to both Taeron's parents. His white hair he took from Larya as well as his eyes while he was tall like Taeron and his father.
He looked back at Trynity. "Will he lose this form?" Jeshed had not been with them as a human for more than a few weeks, but Amyr had grown to like him and Yori adored him.
"I cannot say for certain, but in the last few days I have introduced many different strands to his blood, but it has not changed. I think his species must choose a permanent form as some sort of survival mechanism and this is the one he has chosen."
Amyr looked at Jeshed. "Why did you not choose to remain a dragon?"
Jeshed looked affronted as well as embarrassed. "Did you want that I should remain locked into the world of the bracelet? That had been created for me by the sorceress Malya and I do not regret leaving that existence behind." He looked at Lord Duo. "I am much happier in this form, in this life."
"I do not know how I am going to tell Larya about this in addition to what happened with Taeron." Duo sighed deeply and rubbed his face with his hands. "She will be arriving in a few hours for our monthly meeting. With the communications still out, Trey will not be joining us although I doubt he would have done so anyway since he thinks I am plotting against him."
"Trey must have sent technicians to repair it by now," remarked Trynity.
"They may need these." Jeshed reached beneath his tunic and pulled out a handful of blue cables and reaching in again, he produced several crystals.
Lord Duo snorted with laughter and put his hand on Jeshed's shoulder. "Welcome to the family, son."
Amyr was still smiling about Jeshed's overwhelmed reaction to Lord Duo's words when he rode into Meridon's camp several leagues from the palace. Jeshed had accompanied him so Amyr was forced to hear his chatter the entire way, but he was only as annoyed as a parent might be with an excited child. He pestered Amyr for details about his 'mother' and while he readily told him as much as he could about Larya, he was looking forward to witnessing Larya receiving the news that she had another link with Lord Duo. The two were like water and oil with only Taeron binding them. She could hardly be pleased that the handsome young man with flowing white hair might bind them even more.
Dismounting in Meridon's camp, Amyr glanced around to see that the women were scarce while the men worked at various activities that all pointed towards their willingness to go into war. Some sharpened blades, while others constructed or repaired weapons, and many men where sparring with each other. A boy hurried forward to take the horses and Amyr crossed the camp to the fire around which Meridon sat holding counsel with his eldest warriors as they shared a meal.
When he saw Amyr, the old warrior rose from the wooden bench he had been sitting on and went to greet him with a hug. He ordered one of the heavily veiled women to provide him with a mug of steaming tea and a plate of food for which Amyr was grateful. The female serving him met his eyes and he was startled to recognize Falida and he nearly spilled the hot mug of tea.
"You have bonded," she remarked in a low voice.
Women had a sense about such things so his nod was unnecessary.
"I spoke with your mate this morning," she told him. "I hope you are worthy of her and that beautiful child."
"I can spend a lifetime trying and still not be worthy of her." Amyr truly believed what he said.
Falida nodded. "Then I wish you well, my prince."
He was about to tell her that he was no longer her prince, but she moved away and despite the trouble she had caused him in the past, he decided that he would visit her mate before leaving the camp. His ability to heal was not yet refined, but there was no harm in trying to help the couple.
As he ate, Amyr observed Meridon listening to his men tell him of their harvests, the fruit of which was on his plate. There were some particularly tasty larvae that were seasoned with spices that Amyr realized were only available on Ulfynaeus. He wasn't surprised when Meridon brought up the issue of a trade embargo with the surface, and Amyr thought that missing a few spices from his meal was not going to make the emperor see reason, but Meridon's next words made Amyr realize how important Ulfynaeus had become to the empire.
"This morning we captured the shipment of healing leaves before it could be loaded onto the transport scheduled to leave for the surface. Even though the emperor accuses her of deceit, Lady Trynity is too softhearted when it comes to people in pain so she would not stop the regular shipment."
Amyr was not surprised that he was so ignorant of the trade between the moons and Calabria since he had never taken an interest in the day to day workings of the empire. But he learned now that living conditions on Calabria had improved greatly because of the herbs grown in fields scattered across the moon that were cultivated by the different clans exiled there. In addition to the spices and healing herbs, there were many fields of tea that the imperials now seemed to find indispensable.
"Does Lord Duo approve of this embargo?" asked Amyr.
Meridon snorted derisively. "When he comes to his senses he will, but for now he is acting with the foolish notion that the emperor will see reason."
"Perhaps he will," suggested Amyr.
"He will when he no longer has luxuries at his court," one of the warriors remarked.
"Or when his son has put his sword through his weak human heart," said Meridon.
Amyr did not want to hear the old complaints about his father. "The emperor is not weak. Did he not defeat you and banish you to this moon?"
The men around the camp growled and reached for their swords, but Meridon shouted at them to stay their hands and he looked at Amyr, fury on his craggy old face. "You dare to defend the man that repudiated you from the moment of your birth when he was not even there for you?"
He knew the truth now, and he was not afraid of these men. If they killed him, so be it, but he would not allow them to say these things about his father. "You kept my father from my mother's side," he said furiously, rising to stand over the older man. "You discovered where he was going that night and why and you moved to cut him off even though he commanded superior forces." Meridon's clan had been easily defeated, so the battle was barely a footnote in Calabrian history.
Meridon rose to face Amyr. "To keep him from making a foolish mistake. How could he know that the child in her belly was his and not Dilan's? I did him a favor."
Amyr felt sick to his stomach. "Were you doing that child a favor as well?"
"I did that child a favor two days ago when I took him into my clan." He reached out and poked Amyr in the chest. "You have people who accept you here regardless of who sired you and regardless of who you have taken as your mate." He spat on the ground. "Those imperials are corrupted by greed and pride in their ancient traditions. Because of those ancient traditions, he drove you away."
"You have your own traditions," pointed out Amyr, sweeping out his hand to indicate the females heavily veiled and staying just inside the huts but observing the actions and listening to the words of the men. "Your traditions are as primitive to us as our traditions are as corrupt to you."
By the silence that met his words, Amyr guessed that no one dared to speak to Meridon as he had done. Meridon stared at him, eye to eye, and Amyr did not look away. He blamed this man now for what had happened, for the rumors and lies of his birth, and while he could not blame him for his own selfish actions as crown prince, he certainly could not thank him for calling into question his right to be recognized as Trey's son.
"I was going to ask you to lead the men in an assault on the surface," Meridon finally said, not taking his gaze from Amyr's. "I can gather enough men to challenge the emperor after Lord Taeron leaves for Teralon. By the time he returns, we could have you installed as emperor and the imperials will have given their oath to you."
There was only one way the imperials would give him their oaths. "You would ask me to kill my father?" Amyr was appalled. No one could ever convince him to raise his sword to his father!
Meridon put his hands on Amyr's shoulders. "I would gladly have made you emperor, but I am more proud that you have refused the plan. You have become a man of honor."
"And the embargo?" Amyr did not want to think of sick Calabrians suffering without the medicines that Ulfynaeus provided.
Meridon shook his head ruefully. "You are as softhearted as Lady Trynity."
"I am a Guerani healer," Amyr told him proudly. "Take the medicine to the port for delivery, but not the tea."
Meridon chortled. "I can imagine those imperials whining about their precious tea."
Thinking of the calming effects of the precious leaves, Amyr was glad that he would not be at his father's court to hear how they would react to losing it. "I will inform Lord Duo of our decision."
Before leaving, he sought Falida's mate, Radzek, and found him instructing the younger boys on rudimentary sword handling. As Amyr watched him, he sensed the other man's longing for a son of his own and he hoped he could help him. Radzek noticed him and after instructing the boys to continue, he went to greet him with a low bow. After several moments of discomfort in which Amyr sensed that Radzek was not as enthusiastic as Falida to find another male to give them a child, he offered to help him as best he could. Many Calabrians were leery of Guerani healing, but Radzek readily agreed and after Amyr laid his hands on him, he sensed his affliction and he thought he might be able to help if he were more powerful. He told the hopeful man that if Lord Apolo accompanied his wife to Ulfynaeus this day, he would send him to the camp to use his considerable power. If anyone could heal him, Apolo could.
On the way back to the palace, Jeshed remarked, "I think you have surpassed your son in maturity now."
Amyr turned his head to look at him, but instead of being infuriated by the insult, he burst into laughter. Truer words were never spoken.
When they came into the courtyard and guards came to take their horses, Amyr noted the presence of extra men so he concluded that Larya had arrived. There was a group of children playing in the shade of a tree and one of the children jumped up, running to Amyr who seized him with his hand and swung him up to settle him on his shoulders. He smiled at Yori's whoop of joy.
You have finally mastered it.
Amyr was surprised to hear Jeshed's voice in his mind. I was hoping you had lost this ability since you haven't invaded my head in a long time.
I did not lose the ability, but I have learned that it is an intrusion in your privacy.
Where did you learn that?
I told him. Now Yori's voice was in his head.
It is part of our training.
Amyr wondered who was training who and he heard both Yori's and Jeshed's laughter in his head.
Quynn came to greet him when he entered the palace and for a moment he had some difficulty controlling his need for her, but he managed to reign it in even though her body brushed against his when she leaned in to kiss him on the lips. "I was expecting you sooner."
By the teasing look in her eyes he knew she meant because of the bonding. Amyr leaned toward Jeshed who took Yori from his shoulders and set him on the ground. Yori nodded and hurried outside to rejoin the children as Amyr had suggested with his thoughts. He slipped an arm around Quynn's waist and drew her against him. "My magic has become strong enough to counter some of the effects of the bond."
She pursed her lips in disappointment for a moment before asking, "Does that mean I won't have you at my beck and call?"
Amyr smiled. "You already have me at your beck and call, but if you want the savage, bond-crazed Calabrian, I think I can easily summon him by releasing the magic holding him in check."
She tapped her lip with her finger as if she were considering his proposition, then she said, "Later. For now, father wants you to bring Jeshed to his office."
"Are you coming with us?" he asked with a smile, now anticipating how Larya would react.
"I would not miss this for anything!"
The moment he stepped into Lord Duo's office, the beautiful governor of the first moon turned whatever fury Duo had elicited in her on him. Her first shout of outrage had been about the clothing he wore which she had evidently sewn for her son with her own hands. She called him a selfish bastard for not recognizing the love she had put into creating the garment for her beloved son. Amyr wondered if she would kill him when she discovered that he had destroyed Taeron's trousseau. She blamed him for Taeron's present predicament, not finding any honor in the position the emperor had given him.
"He is using him as the shield his worthless firstborn could never be!" she concluded. "I do not believe for one minute that Trey has been fooled by Staefyn."
"He has," Amyr told her. "I sensed it in him."
Amyr should not have made any reference to his power because Larya's memory was not short. "Perhaps you should have used your Guerani magic to twist him to your will as you did my son on Teralon! You almost caused his death."
"Guerani magic cannot be used to sway anyone to do anything. I tried to drug him to make it easier to put him in a trance, but I could not initiate one and it made him susceptible to Staefyn's magic." The admission didn't sound any better aloud than it had in his head where he should have kept it.
She was staring at Amyr incredulously when Jeshed chose to speak up. "Are you my mother?"
Larya's mouth dropped open as she looked at Jeshed who waited only a fraction of a second before he crossed the room to pull her into an embrace that lifted her from the floor. Amyr's lips twitched with the effort not to smile, but Lord Duo was not as prudent. He burst into laughter that necessitated him sitting and Amyr saw both Lady Trynity and Quynn covering their mouths with their hands.
When she recovered her shock, Larya shrieked and slapped at Jeshed, finally kneeing him in the groin which made him fall to his knees and bend over in pain gasping for breath. Amyr quickly went to him and put his hands on Jeshed's shoulders to send a healing wave through him as he cast Larya a scolding glare.
She turned to look at her husband. "I do not know what this fool is talking about! I have only born Taeron to that idiot," she indicated a grinning Lord Duo with a wave of her hand, "and I have given you children. I do not know who this man is and why he has said such a thing."
Apolo looked at Duo and then at Trynity. "I suppose you know something about this."
Trynity smiled at him. "I don't know that I understand it myself, but you can touch him to ascertain the truth."
Amyr knew what he would find, which is exactly what Trynity had pointed out that morning and what Amyr knew to be true after touching Jeshed. But Apolo crossed the room to Jeshed who towered over him, now with that innocent grin on his handsome face, and he held out his hands for the elder Guerani to take. Apolo did not have to touch him for long to discover the truth and he glanced briefly at Larya, then at Duo before he squeezed Jeshed's hands.
"You are welcome to my house, Jeshed of house Maxwell."
"What!" shrieked Larya in shock, her eyes flying to Duo's face. "What manner of sorcery is this?"
Trynity sighed and crossed the room to put her arm around Larya's shoulder. "Come with me. I will explain what I can."
Amyr wondered if Larya was even capable of understanding Trynity's explanation.
"May I accompany them?" asked Jeshed eagerly.
Duo chuckled. "As much as I would enjoy the consequences, I think you should give Lady Larya a chance to absorb the news."
Apolo laughed outright. "Are you sure we should forgo the amusement?"
Duo put his hand on Jeshed's shoulder. "As strange as it seems, I will be the voice of reason. You should wait until Lady Larya seeks you out."
"What if she does not?" Jeshed showed the disappointment of a small child.
"I assure you that she will," Apolo told him, now serious as he sensed the same deep need in Jeshed as Amyr did. Quynn and Yori had been his only link to this world, so Jeshed had no one to call family. Because he had used Taeron to change his form, he had also put his hopes into adopting Taeron's family as his own and he was afraid that family might reject him.
"Come with me, Jeshed," suggested Quynn, holding out her hand. "Flying always calmed my nerves."
That brightened Jeshed and he took her hand to leave before Amyr could warn them to be careful. His warning would be unnecessary when Quynn had ridden on the dragon's back many times in the past.
Take care of her, dragon.
Jeshed did not respond so Amyr thought he might be affronted by the suggestion that he might not keep her safe.
"You met with Meridon?" prompted Duo, drawing Amyr's attention.
Reluctantly, Amyr told Duo about what transpired at the camp, leaving out no detail which prompted both Apolo and Duo to grumble with outrage at Meridon's actions so many years ago. They had not known that Meridon had deliberately prevented Trey from being with his mate that night.
"I was with Trey," Apolo said angrily. "I knew exactly when we should go and Meridon must have realized it, using my knowledge to keep Trey from being with my sister."
"Does it matter after all these years?" asked Amyr although he knew that it did matter to the imperials that could not accept him.
"It gives Trey the excuse he needs to deny you," said Apolo. "Staefyn had to have a hand in the sudden stupidity of the brother of my heart."
"Are you sure that you don't believe Trey's accusation about me?" asked Duo. "You are closer to him than I."
"Oh, after hearing what you said, I am waiting to hear how Staefyn has managed to blacken me and Larya. That my sister can allow Trey to be poisoned by Staefyn is a mystery. As for me, I have been suspicious of Staefyn for some time now. I am not surprised that he lied about a woman that did not exist to cover his obsession with Quynn. In the few times I saw them together, I sensed that he had feelings for her, but he managed to block my ability to read him. At the time I assumed I could not because there was nothing to read."
"How did Staefyn develop his powers without your help?" asked Amyr.
"We have discovered some Guerani texts hidden in the hills during the time that Dax the Demon hunted our people," Apolo told Amyr. "All such texts are usually sent to the palace to be studied."
Amyr nodded. "Stryfe mentioned reading the texts." He did not tell them that Stryfe had mocked him with his knowledge. Some day he would swallow his pride and ask the scribe to teach him to read so that he could study the texts of his ancestors.
"Staefyn could have learned from the texts, but it is more likely that he has not wasted his time in the hills. The ancestors have probably been teaching him for many years."
"Could he have learned a magic to make him more credible to Trey?" Amyr knew Duo wanted to believe that Trey had been bewitched.
"I am sorry, Duo, but Trey has been manipulated by a man and not by magic. He has always been close to Staefyn, and I don't know what it would take to make him realize that he cannot be trusted." Apolo looked at Amyr. "I think it is because there was always distance between him and Zeno, a necessary distance when he would have been required to end his life. And while that practice has been abolished, he was harder on you because one day he expected you to rule Calabria."
"I disappointed him," Amyr said sadly.
Duo made a sound of disgust. "You disappointed him? The son he trusted sold you into slavery before you had a chance to prove your worth." He sat back in his chair and blew out his breath in exasperation. "And now that snake is whispering in his ear, waiting for a chance to strike."
Apolo went to him and put his hands on his shoulders. "I know you are worried about Trey, but Staefyn cannot move against him until he has enough support from among the warlords. He may have taken Taeron into his house to keep you from acting against him, Duo, but he has inadvertently blocked Staefyn."
Duo grunted in agreement. "Staefyn had not bloodied his sword and there are many warlords who would not follow him because of it. If Taeron does not accept him, those warlords would not either."
Apolo nodded, but there was a grim line to his lips. "I am guessing that Staefyn's contacts on Teralon are under orders to keep him from returning to Calabria."
Amyr felt anxious for Taeron and he looked at Duo. "Please let me go to Teralon to help him." There was every reason for him to believe that Taeron would not need his help, but Amyr wanted to be by his side when he claimed his bride. He knew that Taeron was angered by Dijana's deception and he could not imagine that she would be any happier to learn his identity. Having entered that dark tunnel, he might have some advice to help guide Taeron to the light without the stumbling Amyr had done with Quynn.
"Are you up to doing this?" asked Duo with a brow raised and Amyr knew he was referring to what he had done the previous night.
Apolo put his hand on Amyr's shoulder before he could respond. "As his power grows, his bond will weaken until it no longer exists." He looked at Amyr. "The love of your Guerani heart will be stronger than the Calabrian mating bond ever was, but it will never cause you pain."
Duo crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do I get the feeling you Guerani get the best of both worlds?"
"Because we do," said Apolo with a laugh.
Duo snorted. "I have nothing to complain about with Trynity. As for you, Amyr, Quynn will have to pilot the ship. Staefyn will be watching us and he will send those gliders after her again. She is the only pilot that can deal with them effectively."
"I envy your confidence in her," said Apolo. "If she were my daughter, I would be frightened into forbidding her from piloting that ship."
"If you had been in that ship when she took it to the planet, you would not be concerned." Duo shook his head and Amyr could sense his pride. "She's a damn good pilot."
"We will be ready when Taeron needs us," Amyr told them. He hoped it wasn't too soon because he wanted to have a real honeymoon with his wife and he was quite sure that she would agree.