1/Terreille

Morning jarred her awake, and Lilith greeted it with a blurry stare of irritation. As predicted she'd had the nightmare again. The past haunting her present. For centuries, it had been only an occasional night here and there. But ever since that night with Alex, the dreams of Daeniel and her first Court had become a reoccurring ritual.

Last night had been the worst- and strangest- dream yet. It started out the same, just more vivid than usual. But when Thaene came in at the end, things changed. He was still asking questions- they just weren't the same ones as he'd always asked before. It was like he didn't know what the others had planned to do.

None of it made sense. So Lilith tried to push those thoughts of out of her head. Today was not the day to deal with something that happened to her a lifetime ago. And she certainly didn't want to feed that voice in her head reminding her of the subtle warning signs she'd missed with that first court. The voice whispering that she'd missed them again.

Tonight, she was going to make damned certain not to repeat this experience. They could be at Askavi's Keep by sundown, and cross into Kaeleer soon after. Lilith could hand him over to 'Nelle and be on her way. That was the plan, anyway. The SaDiablo males would likely have something to say about it.

At that thought, Lilith found herself getting out of bed. If she planned to accomplish all that, they needed to get moving soon. Alex sat up and glared at her.

"Why are you up at this hour? It's not even full light out."

"We have a long ride to the Keep to make it by sunset."

"What's the difference with getting another hour's sleep? Who cares if we arrive in the dark?"

"I'm up and so are you. Why waste time?"

"I'm only up because you woke me. If you'd stayed in bed like a sane person, we'd both be asleep."

"Well, I'm sorry my sleep schedule interferes with yours, Prince. If we're ever travelling together again, I'll see if I can plan for later mornings."

With that, she ignored his dark mutterings and fled to the bathroom to change. Today it would be wise to stick with the leggings and tunic. If she put her hair up and wore a hat, no one would realize she was a witch unless they got close. In Askavi right now, that was the safest plan. She didn't want to use her Jewels unless she had to, and Eyrien males were very confrontational with witches from Hayll in their territory.

Alex was still muttering when she entered the room again. But he'd gotten out of bed and was dressed, so she ignored his mood.

"So, all set for another day?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Sure- if you want to spend tonight in another inn like this one."

He stared at her for several minutes, a closed expression on his face. Lilith stared back.

"By all means, then, let's get moving."

That's what she expected. Alex was more interested in being free of her than taking an easy journey. Good. The feeling was very mutual.

The innkeeper was cleaning the bar when they entered the common room. A few other customers were talking quietly at one of the tables. All of them paused as Lilith crossed the room to the bar. The man looked at her oddly, then at Alex. A hard look stole into his eye as they swept back to her.

"A bit early to be awake. Was the room okay?"

"It was fine," Lilith assured him.

"Hope you slept well enough."

The man's voice was clipped, as if he were holding back something he wanted to say. If they didn't have such a long way to go today, Lilith might have tried to figure out what it was. But she let it go.

"Yes, of course. We have a long journey ahead, and thought we'd get an early start."

"Well, good luck to you, then. Your horses will be out front in a few minutes."

Lilith puzzled over the man's surly behavior. He'd been friendly last night, so what could have changed his mind? Maybe he wasn't a morning person. She shrugged and walked outside. Alex followed silently.

"I'm starting to wonder if everyone in your gender wakes up grumpy this early. First you, and now the innkeeper."

It was hard to read the expression on Alex's borrowed face, but she could tell she'd upset him. This morning, it was proving nearly impossible to figure out males. Meanwhile, Alex chose not to reply, and turned to look out across the town. Whatever he thought of the innkeeper's mood, he didn't want to share the opinion with her.

Apparently, no one wanted to talk to her today. Fine. She'd give him some space for a while and try again later. So they stood in silence until the horses were brought out to them.

The silence continued for most of the morning. Alex chose to call in the book she'd given him, and read most of the way. Just as well, since Lilith really didn't want to talk about last night. She should have insisted on sleeping in the chair. Between the nightmare and his attitude, they would have been better off.

*Your mate is unhappy?*

Lilith started at the sudden message from the horse beneath her. He hadn't spoken to her yesterday, their communications mostly dealing with surface moods and feelings. But he must have been motivated enough to say something today. Lilith thought it was a good idea to clear up one misunderstanding right now.

*He's not my mate*

The horse whuffled loudly. *Yes mate*

*I know what it looks like, but we're not mates*

*Not what looks like- what is*

Just her luck- another stubborn male. She switched subjects, hoping to derail the whole issue of who was or wasn't a mate. *Why do you think he's upset, anyway?*

*Not stupid*

*I didn't say that, did I?*

*Aster can't make him talk- or listen*

Oh Mother Night, they were trying to talk to him. If one of the horses mentioned the business about being mates to Alex, this trip was going to get a lot more awkward.

*He's not trained- hasn't had any experience with Kindred*

*Should learn*

*Agreed, but there's a lot to teach him today*

*Should teach him this* the horse insisted. *Needs someone to talk to*

*Who does* she asked in bemusement. *Aster or the Prince?*

*Both- like us*

*Well, I suppose I shouldn't argue, then* She paused. *I forgot to ask yesterday. What do I call you?*

*Windsmoke*

*Windsmoke* she repeated. *Well, I guess now I'll have to figure out a way to teach the Prince to understand Kindred. But I can't make any promises that it'll do any good. He might not understand*

No easy task, that's for sure. Lilith really wasn't in the mood to talk to him yet this morning, but the sooner she did this, the sooner she'd make Windsmoke happy. Hell, maybe he was right, and having Alex talk to Aster might help his mood. It would be an education for him, if nothing else. But that still didn't mean she was looking forward to this. Lilith squeezed her eyes closed, trying to ward off an oncoming migraine.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, setting the book aside.

"Nothing."

"You're not a very good liar, you know."

Actually, she was an excellent teller of fibs and such most of the time. But most of the time didn't happen when she was around him. Lilith tossed him a wan smile.

"Windsmoke thinks I've neglected to train you properly, since Aster has been trying unsuccessfully to talk with you all morning."

"Come again?"

"Psychic threads. The Kindred use them just as much as we do, but the connection is a little different. Apparently, you haven't been picking up on Aster's attempts all morning, and it's my job to fix it."

"Aster- that's the horse I'm riding?"

"Yes."

He glanced down at the mare beneath him and seemed to puzzle over the idea that he could talk to her. Yesterday's brief conversation about the Kindred hadn't really sunk in yet. This would definitely be an education for him. Lilith decided 'Nelle's explanation would work best.

"Okay, think of it like the road ahead of us," she said, gesturing to the wide dirt road. They'd long left the forest behind, and had come to the outskirts of a small village.

"We're on the main road. That hedgerow screens the private lanes on the other side. So to use the main road, they have openings in the hedges- see?"

"I guess."

"The road is our shared space- where the human Blood all send our thoughts on psychic threads. There are so many of us that it's a well-worn path," she said with a pause.

"The Kindred send their thoughts on the more private paths on the other side of the hedgerow- a wilder, less travelled place. Humans can sense it there, but need to find one of the gaps in order to make the sidestep to it."

Alex looked dubious, and Lilith worried she hadn't explained herself very well. She never was that good at doing this without demonstrating it firsthand. But that would mean she'd have to get inside his head- or worse, let him in hers. Not exactly ideal in this case. She sighed, and muttered to Windsmoke.

"See, I told you this was going to be for nothing."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Not you- I was talking to Windsmoke."

*Should try harder* the horse replied.

"I'm trying hard as it is- I'm not as good at explaining this as 'Nelle."

*Could show him- would be easier*

"Oh no- that's not an option."

"What's not an option?"

Dammit, she'd forgotten that she was replying aloud instead of on a psychic thread.

"There, see what trouble you've gotten me into now?"

"Lilith, what isn't an option?"

"Windsmoke thinks it would be easier to show you what I mean, rather than try to explain it."

"I don't follow."

"One of us has to get inside the other's head."

"Inside the other's barriers, you mean."

"That'd be the general idea."

He was silent, thinking. Lilith definitely wanted him nowhere near her barriers. He was close enough as it was. No doubt Alex felt the same. After all he'd suffered under Meredith and the other witches in her coven, the last thing he would want was a witch inside his head. A terrifying prospect, even if she meant him no harm.

And lastly, she didn't want the temptation to discover something she really didn't want to know. Inside his barriers, it would be all too easy to overhear his thoughts about their mishap in Draega. Guessing was bad enough. Lilith had no desire to have her suspicions confirmed.

"Am I going to need to know how to communicate with Kindred like this?" he asked finally.

"Eventually, yeah you will. There are quite a few Kindred living at the Hall besides the cats."

"Then it would be helpful to know how to do it before I get there."

"Helpful, but not necessary," Lilith clarified as quickly as possible. "You could just as easily wait until 'Nelle is able to teach you."

"Or you could teach me now."

Lilith's thoughts stumbled and she gaped at him. Was he crazy? Apparently, Windsmoke didn't think so.

*Your mate shows much sense*

"Oh don't gloat," she snarled at him. "And so help me if you call him that one more time."

"Call me what?"

"Nothing," she replied sharply.

"Now I really think I need to learn how to do this," Alex grumbled at her. "Because I know you're lying, and the only way of proving it is to ask the horse myself."

Oh that wouldn't do at all. Maybe she should reconsider teaching him how to do this. Windsmoke seemed to approve of Alex's idea, and Lilith's anxiety turned to irritation. She glared- first at the horse, then at Alex. Neither was very impressed. Lilith resigned herself to however this would turn out.

"So what are you suggesting we do, Prince?"

"How far in does one need to go to do this?"

"Not far. Like sending a private psychic thread."

"If it's that easy, then why not do it?"

"And who's going to be the one to let the other in? Or were you assuming that it would be me?"

He paled considerably. "No, I wouldn't want to do that. It'd be better the other way around."

Certainly better for her, but she wondered what Alex would find preferable about it. Protecting his mind by exposing hers would make more sense. But she'd let him choose his poison, and since this conversation wasn't going away, she might as well get it over with.

"As you please. It only takes a moment."

Lilith braced herself, and slipped just inside his mental barriers. She kept her own tightly leashed to avoid giving anything away of her own thoughts, while steering clear from anything that might give her access to what might be on his mind.

*Okay, ready?*

*Ready*

She reached for the connection she felt from Aster and held it. With a quick mental shove, she brought Alex across to find it for himself.

*At last! No deaf ears!*

The mare's irritation at the delay was evident. But even that was tempered by her joy that she now had someone else to talk to. Given that she'd probably never met someone before who could hear her, Alex better be prepared to listen all day.

*I don't know how I couldn't hear this before*

*Stubborn*

*Untrained* Lilith corrected.

*Wasted time yesterday*

*Not you as well. I told Windsmoke there's a lot to do*

*Will need to be trained to be a good-*

*Don't you dare finish that thought! Not a single word about that from either of you, understand?*

Lilith could feel Alex's surprise at the ferocity of her temper. She shouldn't have done that, since any feeling she had while inside his mind would be magnified. Not to mention read by him as easily as a grade school primer.

But she'd been terrified that Aster would call him her mate. Linked with Alex as she was right now, she'd die of embarrassment at his reaction. The mare's sullen attitude to her rebuke was plain over their connection, but she ignored it. Alex, in the meantime, must have recovered from his shock.

*How do you break this connection once it's made?*

*It's like jumping through the hedge again* She demonstrated how it worked. *You ought to try for yourself to see if you've got it*

Alex practiced a few times. He was a quick study, and was soon able to connect with both horses without much effort. Lilith was grateful, and fled his mind as fast as she could. Only when she was safely away from him did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"So that's all there is to it, Prince."

He seemed to want to say something, and then thought better of it. They rode in silence for a little while until he asked her an unexpected question.

"Why are you dressed like a man?"

So he'd noticed.

"Askavi has no love for witches from Hayll entering the territory. Most of them wouldn't hesitate long enough to find out that I'm Dhemlan, not Hayllian. I haven't seen any warriors lately, but it would be better if I kept a low profile as much as possible. Best entirely if they assume we're two Warlords. So if we see one, you'll have to do the talking."

"And say what, exactly?"

"You're going to the Keep to do family research and to have them record the birthright Jewels of one of your cousins," Lilith provided without hesitation.

He eyed her shrewdly. "I stand corrected. You can spin a tale quite well."

"It's only stretching the truth a little."

"And what will they say when I tell them the stretched truth, as you call it?"

"Hopefully, something to the point about not overstaying our welcome and nothing more."

"Is it dangerous for you to be here?"

"No more than anywhere else."

Alex was silent for so long that Lilith thought he wasn't going to respond at all. Then he spoke.

"You do a lot of dangerous things, don't you."

"I suppose they are, but they need doing."

"Why can't it be someone else taking the risk?"

"There is no one else, Prince."

2/Terreille

He wasn't sure if that should sound ominous or arrogant, but he was troubled either way. Lilith may wear the Ebon-Black, but she wasn't invulnerable. One day she'd take the wrong risk at the wrong time and it would destroy her. She likely knew it, and would do it anyway.

"Is it worth it," he asked her.

"What?"

"Rescuing Draega from itself. Is it worth the risk?"

"Won't know until it's over, I guess," she replied, her words clipped and chilly.

Lilith nudged her horse forward into a steady trot, effectively ending the conversation. Alex had been hoping to get a little more information. He should have just asked outright what he wanted to know.

Was she Witch?

All morning he'd replayed everything he knew so far about her. Her mission in Draega, the way she talked, the secrets she kept. Coupled with that nightmare, Lilith could be Witch. There was no way to know for sure without asking her. But Alex found he couldn't.

With a sigh, Alex changed the direction of his thoughts. Learning how to hear the Kindred came to mind first. Especially how Lilith had taught him. Having her inside his barriers had been an interesting experience. He'd never allowed anyone in before, and certainly not a witch.

Alex had to admit it wasn't what he'd expected. He couldn't even tell she was there. From what he'd heard others say about it, Alex had expected to feel some sort of connection. But the only one he'd felt was when Lilith linked him with Aster. He couldn't decide if he was disappointed or unnerved.

If Lilith could slip in and out like that undetected, she could damage him before he could even react, especially with her wearing the Ebon-Black. Unlikely that she would ever do it, but something he couldn't entirely rule out. So it would have been comforting if he'd been able to sense her in some way.

Instead of sensing nothing. Well, almost nothing. Alex was very interested to find out what Aster was going to say that rattled Lilith that much. Likely it was the same thing Windsmoke had said to her. Something about him.

Whatever it was, Lilith wouldn't tell him. Alex let out a breath heavily.

*You are unhappy?* Aster asked.

Alex tilted his head to look down at the mare, surprised by the unexpected message.

*I suppose so*

*Why unhappy?*

How did he explain something like this to a horse? Did they even understand complex thoughts? Alex had to admit he felt somewhat foolish, but it couldn't do him any harm to try. But as he thought of what he could say, he supposed this really wasn't that complicated. Only one problem stemmed at the root of all others.

*The Lady is unhappy*

*Why?*

*Lots of reasons, I suppose. Mostly my fault*

*Not sure is true- is mad at Windsmoke and me now*

*Yeah, I noticed. What is that about, anyway?*

Aster hesitated and flicked her ears nervously. *Not supposed to tell*

*How mad can she get if you do?*

*Furious- very bad*

Alex could feel the mare's agitation and fear flowing through their connection. Enough to know that no matter how much he prodded, he would never get Aster to tell him what he wanted to know. Another dead end.

*So I'll never know what this is about?*

*Maybe- maybe not. The Lady will decide*

*I might as well forget it, then. She doesn't like to tell me much of anything*

*Like what?*

Alex sighed inwardly and thought of what he wanted most. There were a hundred questions he could think of to ask Lilith. But what did he really want to know?

*If she has any regrets- about me in particular*

*What about?*

Aster's honest curiosity almost tempted him to answer. Alex thought better of it. He didn't want the mare to relay anything to Lilith. So he gave a shrug and said nothing. Aster was not deterred by this lack of reply.

*Must ask her again*

*I haven't asked once* he mused drily. *Either she won't answer me…or worse, she will*

*Can't know until asked*

*That's just it, I guess. I want to know, but only if I'm sure I'll get the answer I want*

He felt the horse's bemusement. Aster shook her mane and whuffled loudly at him.

*Not possible*

*I know*

Sliding back into his own thoughts for a while, Alex tried to concentrate on reading the book Lilith had given him yesterday. The hours passed slowly with nothing but the sound of shod hooves to break the silence. Not once did Lilith revive their conversation.

They stopped around noon to rest the horses at a brook. Alex thought that he might try talking to Lilith then, but she had a drawn, distant look on her face. Aster and Windsmoke seemed just as unhappy, throwing Alex baleful glances from their patch of grass. They expected him to do something, but what?

In the end, he did nothing. They saddled up again and resumed their journey. Alex alternated between reading the Protocol book- not believing half of what he did read- and trying to work up the nerve to talk to Lilith. In the waning evening hours, she finally spoke.

"We're nearly there."

"How much longer?"

"Twenty minutes or so." She paused. "There are some things you need to know before we get there."

"Like what?"

"You asked for more information about your family last night, and I said we'd talk today. Reading that book has likely given you some ideas, but there are some things I really need to explain."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what you have to say?"

"It's not a matter of liking or not," she replied. "But I can't let you walk into that Keep before it's said, Prince."

"I suppose you might as well get it over with before we lose the rest of our daylight."

Lilith nodded and gathered up the reins.

"I'll start with the most difficult, I guess. Your father…"

Uh oh.

"It's true that he's the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan. But that's not all he is. There's a lot more."

"Like what?"

"He's the High Lord of Hell."

Even though Alex had braced himself, he was still thrown completely off-guard.

"That's not possible. Hell doesn't exist."

"Just like Kaeleer didn't exist?" she asked with a knowing look. "I can guess who told you that lie."

"It can't be true."

"It is, Prince. And the only reason I bring it up now is because I don't know who is going to greet us when we arrive at the Keep. If Daemon Sadi is there, he won't be expecting to see you, and the shock might send him in any direction."

She hesitated before making the decision to continue.

"If he shifts to the High Lord…or the Sadist…let me deal with him."

"The Sadist," Alex hissed through his teeth.

"A familiar name to you, I'm sure."

"Every Blood male in Terreille knows it."

Meredith and her coven made sure every Blood male knew about the Warlord Prince Hayllians had called the Sadist. The reason why no male could be trusted, and why witches used the Ring of Obedience to control them. Alex had many bitter thoughts about the legacy the Sadist had left for the rest of them.

And now I found out he's my father. Lilith was right- that was something he needed to know. And apparently, she wasn't finished yet.

"I'll start by saying that the stories are true," she continued. "The Sadist slaughtered more witches than any of us will ever know. He destroyed whole courts in Terreille, and so what you've been told is true…minus one key detail."

"What's that?"

Minutes passed as Alex's question hung between them. Something feral looked out through Lilith's eyes.

"The witches deserved it."

"How can you say that?" He questioned in disbelief. "I can't envision a witch condemning one of her own sisters like that."

"Those women may have been witches, but make no mistake, Prince, they were not my sisters." Lilith's tone was frigid as she stared stonily ahead. Then she turned to him suddenly.

"Meredith and the bitches of her coven- would you say they'd deserve it?"

Alex hesitated to answer. His instinct told him they did, but that was the same instinct that had urged him to take Lilith to bed. Knowing how that had turned out, he wasn't so sure he could trust his instincts. But Lilith was waiting expectantly for an answer, and there was only one honest one he could give.

"Yes, they would."

He waited for Lilith to condemn him. She didn't.

"Exactly," she agreed with a nod. "So did Dorothea and Hekatah's Courts. Daemon Sadi only did what a good Warlord Prince does…he eliminated anyone or anything that violates the code of what it means to be Blood."

"Eliminate is one thing, Lilith. What the Sadist did-" what Alex had also done- "went beyond that."

"I know. He administered justice."

She spoke with a sense of finality that stunned him. Mother Night, what kind of witch was she? To think that kind of violence against anyone- even against witches like Meredith- was justice. He thought maybe he'd heard her wrong.

"You approve."

"Yes, I do."

"I don't know what to make of that."

"You'll understand once you see Kaeleer."

Alex sure hoped so. Right now, he felt like he had more questions than answers with every new thing she told him. He dreaded finding out what was next on the list, comforted only by the thought that she'd said she'd started with the most difficult.

"If that was the most difficult thing to tell me, what else is there?"

"Your mother would be next on my list. She's- well, it won't mean much to you right now, but she's a Dea al Mon witch. You'll understand a lot more about that later. But for now…if she's pissed and has a knife- back off. She's one of the greatest assassins Terreille or Kaeleer has ever seen."

Okay that thought didn't sit comfortably. Alex had a hard time wrapping his brain around the idea of a witch as an assassin. Sure, he'd seen plenty of them torture and kill at a whim. But that wasn't the same thing as an assassin. Knowing that it was his mother only made it ten times more difficult.

"Your sister," Lilith continued. "She'll be daunting to describe. 'Nelle is probably the only witch who might be as headstrong and crazy as I am. So I suppose you've gotten good practice for how to deal with her."

Two of them. That was almost enough to have him rethinking the idea of going to Kaeleer. Dealing with the complications of his father and the Sadist. Sure, he could do it. Accepting his mother as an assassin? Piece of cake.

But two witches like Lilith? It was going to take nerves of steel to live with that thought.

"Like me, she's going to know every Jewel you wear unless you mask them with the Ebon-Black. She wears Twilight's Dawn- one Jewel that can be any of the Jewel ranks from Rose to Black. It makes for some interesting ways of using Craft."

Well that explained why she didn't find his Jewels all that strange. If she was used to someone who wore a Jewel like that, he must have seemed almost normal.

"As for your uncle and cousins…they're Eyrien. Do not pick a physical fight with them, because you won't win."

Alex hadn't done much fighting in Hayll. At least not in the physical sense. But he still considered himself to be skilled enough to get things done. He tried not to feel insulted that Lilith thought so little of his chances.

"Lucivar's the Warlord Prince of Askavi Kaeleer. Daemonar and Andulvar are his ambassadors in the provinces, and referee arguments on his behalf. They can be vicious sons of bitches when they need to be," Lilith said with an amused shake of her head.

"But it'll be Titian who eventually turns her father's hair prematurely grey. She made the Blood Run a few years ago with several warriors and I thought the stress would kill him. I wonder sometimes if she thinks she was born a boy instead of a girl. Don't pick a fight with her, either."

When Lilith paused for breath, Alex held up his hand.

"I thought you said a few things."

"That was a few."

The horses stopped. Alex stared up at the immense stone walls of the Keep. It was built right into the rock of the mountainside. There was no telling the size of it on the inside. Mother Night. Lilith took notice of his startled expression.

"I'm guessing you've never seen the Keep before."

"Never left Draega before yesterday."

"Well, before we go in, I'd ditch the illusion."

He shook off the disguise and turned to her.

"Better?"

Instead of answering him, she just moved on to her next instruction.

"You might also want to decide now what Jewels you want to declare- that is, unless you were planning to declare all of them."

"I have to decide now."

"I'd recommend picking at least two now, and finding a more opportune time to disclose the rest later on. But it's up to you."

With a sigh, Alex called in the illusions he used to mask his Jewels. After a few minutes of thinking, he made what he hoped would be the best decision. He vanished the ones for his Ebon-Gray and Ebon-Black Jewels, and keyed the others. Lilith said nothing and nudged Windsmoke onto the drive leading to the gates of the Keep. Alex did the same.

3/Terreille

Well, Alex was going to shake things up in Kaeleer. Still, Lilith wasn't surprised at his choice. Those would have been the Jewels she would have picked for him, too. All the better that his family would have some warning of his power as soon as possible.

They left the horses in the stable, and she made her goodbye to Windsmoke. The stable boys here would know how to treat her Kindred friends well, and they would be much happier here than in Hayll. Now it was on to face what lay ahead. She led the way up to the entrance, Alex trailing behind her.

The door to the Keep opened, and she found herself relieved to be facing Geoffrey instead of any of the SaDiablos. As for him, Lilith wasn't surprised to see him nod grimly at her.

"Good evening, Geoffrey."

"Lady Lilith, you're expected."

Hell. That meant 'Nelle hadn't been able to keep it a secret, and all the SaDiablos knew she'd gone to Hayll. Tonight was going to be a long night of yelling.

"I suspected as much."

As she stepped aside to pass into the entrance hall, Geoffrey's eyes widened. In hindsight, she probably should have warned him. A little late to be thinking of that now. She cleared her throat and prepared herself for the first in a long line of explanations she'd be giving this evening.

"It's not what it looks like. I swear Daemon hasn't set foot in Terreille outside the Keep."

"Then who is that?"

"His son. I've come to the Keep to return him to Kaeleer."

She waited in the answering silence, hoping she hadn't given the Guardian a heart attack. Finally, Geoffrey recovered enough to think of a reply.

"But…the child…I was told he died."

"I know."

"What was the Prince doing in Terreille?"

Before Alex could open his mouth to answer, Lilith cut in. "That's something I ought to explain to Prince Sadi first, I think."

Geoffrey was scandalized.

"He doesn't know."

"No, he doesn't. I thought it better to have the Prince safe in Kaeleer before anything was said. Better for everyone."

"So none of them know."

"Just 'Nelle. So I need to get through the gate to the Keep in Kaeleer. Tonight." Lilith paused. "Prince Sadi isn't here in Terreille now, right?"

"No, they're all in the Hall in Kaeleer." He gestured them to come in. "I'll take you through to the Gate."

"My thanks, Geoffrey."

They wound through the Keep. Alex said nothing, and Lilith worried that this was all starting to overwhelm him.

*Prince, you still with us?*

*The power in this place is incredible*

*This is nothing compared to the Keep in Kaeleer*

*I had no idea there were places like this*

*Meredith was very certain to make sure of that- probably why she never let you leave Hayll*

*When can that bitch get what she deserves?*

*Soon- I promise that Hayll will be ready to stand against her soon* Lilith paused. *I just hope I can convince Daemon as well*

Alex looked at her askance. *Is that why you wanted to wait until I was in Kaeleer before you told him where you found me?*

*Yes. I want to make sure there's no reason he thinks he needs to intervene in Terreille over this. And if I'm very lucky, I'll convince him not to obliterate all of Hayll in retaliation for what Meredith has done,* she muttered.

*He would do that?*

*In a heartbeat and without a second thought. Where do you think you get it from?*

4/Terreille

Lilith's casual remark caught him by surprise. His father could destroy an entire race without any regret, and she'd seen it as only an inconvenience to be avoided. No horror or fear- just the acceptance that it was part of who he was.

And then she'd said just as casually that it was part of what Alex was, too. She'd already known about that potential for incredible violence. Likely from the very first day they met. Was she just crazy, or was it something else about Kaeleer that was different from Terreille?

He decided he'd wait to ask those questions to someone else. Preferably, someone male. So far he'd only heard explanations from the female point of view. Alex felt that the sooner he talked to the males living there, the better. Maybe, they'd be able to make sense out of all of this.

At last, they reached the Gate. He watched silently as the Warlord who'd met them lit several black candles. Something was strange about his psychic scent. Alex couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

*There's something different about him*

*He's a Guardian, straddling the line between living and dead. He's been the Keep's librarian and historian for almost as long as it has stood*

Old enough to know who she'd been once? That was something Alex would keep in mind. If Geoffrey knew her both as she was now and then, he might be useful for information about her. For now, he just filed that away. The Gate was open, and it was time to see the end of this journey. He gestured to Lilith.

"After you, Lady."

She turned to Geoffrey with a final look. "If he doesn't step through in two minutes, give him a shove, would you?" Then she took a few steps and disappeared.

Alex threw a look of indignation to the other man.

"Is she always like that?"

"I'd suggest getting used to it, Prince. The rest of them have, to some extent."

"I don't know if I should be worried or relieved to hear that it's not just me."

A smile didn't crack the Guardian's blood red lips, but amusement darted in his black eyes. Alex sighed and stepped through the gate. Lilith was waiting on the other side. And at first, he didn't think anything had actually happened. He confessed it was hard to believe that anyone could cross realms with only a few steps.

Then he felt it- an unmistakable change in the air. Mother Night. Lilith had been right. The Keep in Terreille had been nothing compared to the power he felt here.

"Just what lives in this place to give it such an air of power?" he asked.

"That's probably better answered another day."

"Uh huh, so what do we do now?"

"We start what will be a very long night. I'll tell 'Nelle you're here and she'll find some way to tell Daemon. And then they'll be here, wanting answers."

That didn't sound like fun, but Alex suspected most of the furor would be directed at her. At least from the look on her face.