1/Kaeleer

Daemon glanced out the window at the darkening sky and tried not to snarl in frustration. Another day had come and gone- still no word from Draca about the damned Gate. The waiting had made tempers in the Hall very short. Especially his.

As soon as he'd returned from the Keep yesterday, he'd prodded 'Nelle with more questions about what Lilith was doing in Hayll. None of those questions met with any success. She and the cats were utterly silent. He wondered again what terrible secret they were hiding.

"So just how long are we going to sit here on our asses doing nothing," Lucivar complained.

"As long as it takes," Daemon replied.

"You could at least let down the shields in the Hall."

He just stared at his brother for a long minute.

"And why would I even consider doing that?"

"Because even you have to admit this is going too far. So one Dhemlan witch is crazy enough to sneak into Hayll when your back is turned. That doesn't mean anyone else is dumb enough to make the same mistake."

Surreal stood up from where she'd been sitting next to Jaenelle Saetien on the couch. She looked cautious and concerned at the same time.

"Please, Sadi. All we're asking for is a little breathing room. No one is going anywhere," she insisted, giving their daughter a pointed look.

Jaenelle nodded, although Daemon saw her heave a reluctant sigh first. He considered the request and forced himself to admit that he was being unreasonable. Draca could have meant anything by her definition of 'soon', and he couldn't just keep Lucivar here at the Hall for the duration. He was needed in Askavi.

So he unkeyed the spell shielding the Hall, letting it rest again. For now. When and if Lilith returned, Daemon knew he might change his mind.

"Thank you, Papa," Jaenelle said, still perched on the edge of the couch.

"Don't make me regret it, witch-child."

"She won't," both Surreal and Lucivar chorused.

That settled, the tension in the room seemed to fade somewhat. His brother looked caught between the idea of going back to Ebon Rih and staying put until this thing about Lilith was resolved. Typical Eyrien prick. The second he doesn't have to be somewhere, he decides to stick around.

Daemon was about to say something about it when his attention caught on Jaenelle Saetien. Relief blossomed like spring flowers across her face, and she smiled for the first time in three months.

"Something you'd like to share with the rest of us, witch-child?"

The smile quickly withered, but couldn't fade away completely. It was back in moments. She stood up and clasped her hands together, laughing to herself.

"She's back," Jaenelle said happily. "Lilith's finally back."

Haedyn and Taenne stopped pacing to stare hopefully at her. Daemon did a quick sweep of the Hall to check for a Sapphire Jewel. Finding none, he gave Jaenelle a sharp look.

"And where exactly is she now, witch-child?"

"The Keep. She's staying at the Keep."

Daemon swore that he heard her add something under her breath, but he wasn't able to make out all the words clearly.

"Well then, I think it's time to go meet the Lady and see what was so important that she'd disobey the laws of her home Territory over it."

"Papa…"

"And you'd better hope I agree with her, or I promise you that I will uphold the punishment. Friend or not."

Daemon turned on his heel and was almost to the door when a sideways look from Surreal caught his attention. She motioned that he should turn back. Annoyed at the delay, he glanced over his shoulder to see what was the matter now.

Jaenelle Saetien hadn't moved, as if rooted to the spot. Her eyebrows were drawn together, expression intense. She unclasped her hands and gestured towards him.

"Papa, I know why Lilith went to Draega."

"And so does Lilith. At this point, I want to hear it from her, Jaenelle."

"I need to tell you what I know first," she insisted.

Why in the name of Hell is Jaenelle Saetien suddenly so eager to give answers now? Daemon was baffled by his daughter's odd behavior. But this seemed to be very important to her, so they might as well see what she had to say.

"All right, witch-child. What do you know?"

Jaenelle took a deep breath and let it out again, obviously working up the nerve to give her explanation.

"She went into Terreille to bring someone back to Kaeleer- someone who belonged here and not there. She was pretty sure she could do it, but made me promise that I wouldn't say anything to anybody until she got back."

"Smart thinking," Lucivar muttered. "Or we would have stopped her."

Jaenelle Saetien shook her head. "No, that's not why." She paused. "Okay, not the whole reason why. I think she was more concerned that you would have insisted on going instead. Or worse."

No one seemed quite sure how to respond. Daemon ignored the prickling feeling at the nape of his neck and asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Who was she going to rescue, Jaenelle Saetien?"

One beat passed. Then two.

"My little brother."

The stunned silence in the room was deafening. Daemon felt as if he'd been gutted. He hadn't allowed himself to think of the son he and Surreal had lost centuries ago. Next to losing his Queen and his father, it had been the single most painful day of his life.

They never tried to have another child after that. The loss had been too much to risk it again. He and Surreal had simply tried to put the memory behind them- tried to accept that their son wasn't meant to live. How could it be, then, that Jaenelle Saetien was telling him that their son was alive- and had been in Hayll of all places?

"How…"

"I've told you all I know," Jaenelle said hurriedly. "Lilith knows the rest of it, but I had to be the one to warn you before we got to the Keep and…"

"She's with him at the Keep," Daemon interrupted her, slightly dazed.

"Yes, Papa. She went to the Keep because it was the best place for explanations."

"We're leaving," he said as soon as his voice was steady. "Surreal. Lucivar. You're coming, too."

2/Kaeleer

Lilith paced the room, nerves making it impossible to sit still. 'Nelle had said that they were coming. Daemon, Lucivar and Surreal would be with her. And as she expected, they wanted answers. Would she be able to satisfy them? Not too much time before she found out. No doubt Daemon would have them in a coach riding the Black Winds. She guessed they would be here…

"Lilith!"

Now. She turned to see 'Nelle at the door. It was time to use something she'd heard Daemon call 'balls and sass' to get through the rest of tonight. Lilith gave her friend a casual shrug and a smile.

"Hey 'Nelle, I'm back. As promised."

"You promised to be back months ago."

"I'm aware of the timing, and you can go ahead and be mad at me over it. But things got…complicated."

'Nelle tipped her head and studied her with narrowed eyes. "Complicated?"

"Not as big a deal as it sounds. Especially since I made it back just fine."

Her friend did not look entirely convinced, but didn't question Lilith about what was complicated. Instead, she craned her neck to peer at Alex, who was sitting in one of the chairs with an irritating level of self-control. Not surprisingly, she was dumbstruck.

"Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful. He's…Lilith, you weren't kidding. I almost didn't believe that you'd been telling me the truth, but there's no doubt he is who you say."

"'Nelle, you have no idea how right you are." Lilith paused. "You already told them why I went?"

"Yes, I already warned him," she said with a nod.

"How long do I have before the rest of them are here?"

By way of an answer, 'Nelle side-stepped to let the others inside. Daemon zeroed in on her first, and by the chilling look in his eye, he was irate. Great. Lucivar looked like he was ready to rip the room apart. Perfect. Lilith squared her shoulders and prepared to do battle, but Daemon had to speak first.

"Three months- three months in Draega of all places. What did you think you were doing, witchling?" The words were calm, but the tone behind it held a distinct whisper of rage. Lilith hoped she wasn't going to tip him over the edge.

"Who else was going to go, Prince Sadi? Certainly none of you. I was the logical choice."

"Do you have any idea what they do to witches in Draega?"

"It's hard not to notice."

"And you never thought it could happen to you?"

Lilith resisted the instinct to blush, thinking about what did happen to her. This was not the time to explain any of that. She sighed heavily, hoping to gain a moment to compose her thoughts. Whatever she said next had to derail him from the topic or they'd never get through this night.

That's when she felt the chill rising from behind her. Oh hell's fire. Now Alex was getting pissy as well.

"Can we do the snap and snarl thing later? That's not really why we're all here right now."

Daemon relented. She had no doubt that he was pretty pissed off at her for being in Draega, but that had little to do with why he was so focused on it now. It was a way to distract himself from what she expected was a terrifying meeting for him.

Best get it over with. She cleared her throat and stepped aside so they could see one another. Daemon's eyes widened in shock.

"As I think 'Nelle told you…I had a very good reason to take the risk. I went to Draega to bring back someone who didn't belong there. And I have. Prince Alexander DeSade. Your son."

"Mother Night," she heard Surreal whisper.

It was the only thing anyone said for several minutes. So when enough awkward silence passed, Lilith gave 'Nelle a mental shove.

*Since you neglected to bring any of the Scelties to ask all the annoying questions at the right times, I'm going to need your help with this*

*I think it's the appearance. It's like looking at himself almost two millennia in the past*

*I'm hoping the shock wears off fast, because your brother has more in common with Daemon than looks, and he's going to need someone to talk to*

She felt 'Nelle's dismay keenly over their link. *I guess it was foolish of me to think that when you said you'd rescue him, you really meant you were snatching him away from a loving family in Hayll*

*By a long shot* Lilith replied drily. *Now what are we going to do?*

*I'll think of something*

Before 'Nelle could set any brilliant plan in action, Daemon found his voice.

"I don't even know where to start."

"I'm sure Lilith does, Papa, if you ask her."

She threw 'Nelle a dark look. That wasn't exactly what she had in mind when she'd asked for help. All eyes turned towards Lilith, waiting. Crap. She rubbed her hands together nervously and exhaled. Time for the dance.

"I guess it's a little late now to try to hide the fact that I've been spying on things in Hayll- Draega in particular. No need to bother with how long. Let's just say a long while."

Both Daemon and Lucivar were about to object, but she launched into her explanation.

"Several months ago, I found a way into Meredith's court as part of something I was working on- and no, I'm not going to talk about what it was. The important point is that while I was there, I saw the Prince."

Oh the look on Daemon's face. Her heart went out to him, because she knew he understood what wasn't being said about why his son needed to be rescued. Best keep this moving before he dwelled on that thought too much.

"Obviously, I was…well, surprised doesn't begin to cover it, I suppose. So I abandoned my original plan and spent a day or two eavesdropping on the coven for information. That's when I learned how the Prince came to be in Hayll."

"And how was that?"

Lilith resisted the urge to wince at the ice in Daemon's question. It hinted at the rage he was trying to hide. The wrong answer and it would unleash over all of them.

"Meredith sent one of her chosen coven bitches here in disguise. The Black Widow, Valinna, used illusion spells and other methods to disguise her well enough that she could pass as a serving maid here in the Hall.

"The details of how she got into the room with the Prince were a little fuzzy, but my understanding was that she worked a compulsion spell on one of the Healers, who switched your son with a corpse.

"While the Healer presented you with what you thought was your stillborn son, Meredith's bitch made off with the real baby as fast as she could for Hayll. As you can imagine, Meredith thought she'd never be discovered because she never expected any of you to step foot in Hayll again."

"And for a long time, she was right," Lucivar snarled. "That's going to change soon."

"It absolutely will not," Lilith argued.

"Who says so?"

"I do."

Four people stared at her incredulously. Lilith supposed that she deserved that. But she meant it. None of them were going into Hayll while she was still breathing.

"Anyway," she continued in the answering silence. "I had no plan at the time for sneaking the Prince out of Hayll, or anything prepared for that sort of thing. So I left a…" she hesitated when she realized that she was about to say something she shouldn't.

"Left what?"

Damn, too late to put that back in its box. She'd just have to deal with the consequences of this mistake, too. Unless…she glanced at 'Nelle hopefully.

"I left a Shadow to pose as me for a few days while I came back to Kaeleer. I wanted to talk to 'Nelle about what I'd seen."

"And just who created the Shadow, witchling?"

Lilith glanced meaningfully at her friend, but to no avail. If she was hoping 'Nelle would lie for her, she was mistaken. So much for that idea. Now there was no way to explain that bit of Craft away without revealing what she was.

"I did."

"Sugar, you're many things, but a Black Widow isn't one of them."

Lilith turned to Surreal and shrugged. "How are you sure?"

"Are you?" Daemon asked ominously.

"Yes."

"A natural Black Widow?"

Lilith sighed reluctantly. "Yes."

Daemon turned to 'Nelle with a hard look.

"I'm guessing you knew about this."

"Papa…"

"Witch-child, answer me."

"I knew."

Oh yeah, this was real fun. Daemon and Lucivar looked ready to roast both of them on the spot. 'Nelle was staring at her shoes, and Lilith was doing her best not to do the same. It was all the more embarrassing since Alex was here to watch her getting read the riot act. If he'd been looking for proof that Kaeleer males were allowed to assert themselves, she couldn't have provided a better opportunity.

"And who's been teaching you in the Hourglass Craft, Lady?"

Oh no, that was not something she was going to answer. The last thing she wanted to tell Daemon was that she'd been taking lessons from Weaver.

"Can't we talk about that another day and get back on the subject?"

"I think we'll decide what the subject is," Lucivar drawled. "Since you're finally giving us answers."

*Back me up here 'Nelle, or this is going to get very uncomfortable*

*I'll try*

Lilith cleared her throat and strove for a look that made the half-truth she was about to tell them sound believable.

"I was learning from 'Nelle, and sometimes I'd go with her when she went to see Tersa."

The Warlord Princes pinned a look on 'Nelle.

"Witch-child?"

"It's true, Papa. Whenever Lilith comes to visit, we spend time practicing."

And it was true…it just conveniently left out that sometimes Lilith was the one doing the teaching. They looked skeptical, but in the end, no one called her out as a liar. Daemon did have a look that promised trouble for her, though. He prodded with another rebuttal.

"So that was enough training to weave a Shadow that could fool Meredith and her coven?"

"They don't pay much attention to servants when they're flesh and blood people. I doubt any of them had any reason to look twice at it while I was away."

"We'll have to see one of these Shadows you can create when this is over," he replied ominously.

Well, that'd be a worry for another day. But one avoided for the time being. So Lilith continued with her telling of how she got Alex out of Hayll.

"I guess so. If we can move on, though. 'Nelle and I agreed what needed done, and I hurried back to Hayll."

"Without telling any of us what you were planning."

It was like wandering lost in a labyrinth. Every time she thought she'd found a straight path, she'd turn a corner and hit another hedge blocking her way forward. She sighed in exasperation.

"Yes. And if given a choice to do it over, I'd still do it that way."

"Why?"

That from Daemon, and she heard the warning in his voice telling her to be cautious.

"That tone is exactly why," she said, waving a hand in his direction. "I needed to get him-" she pointed at Alex- "out of Hayll and do it with both still in one piece."

Lilith was so worked up that she couldn't stand still, and paced the floor. As she talked, she kept running her fingers through her hair.

"If you'd gone, not a stone would be left of Draega or the Hayllian race in Terreille. And that's the best scenario for what could have happened. I won't even speak of what could have been the worst."

She paused for a moment to let him think on that before she continued. Lilith prayed that Daemon would come to his senses and accept that he could not have gone to Hayll to do this. No matter how much he might want to believe otherwise.

When Daemon didn't argue her point, Lilith breathed a sigh of relief. Although it was short-lived. She'd come to the crucial point in the story. Daemon and the rest of the SaDiablos might want an explanation, but Lilith thought it would be better to gloss over just how she got Alex away from Meredith. Tonight was not the night for details if she could help it.

"So I went, changed places with the Shadow, and waited for an opportunity for us to make a break for it. As you can see, my plan was successful and now we're here."

"And that took three months."

Crap. Apparently, they weren't going to make it that easy for her to wiggle out of an explanation. There was no good way to smooth over that detail. But Lilith knew better than to lie outright.

"Okay, it only took a week."

"Then explain how you didn't arrive back in Kaeleer for another three months."

Lilith was at a loss for words. It's not like she could just say to Daemon that she'd had an unhappy sexual encounter with his son as part of her not so brilliantly executed plan. Oh and by the way, those three months were spent waiting for Alex to get over it sufficiently to make the journey.

Yeah, that would go over well. But what else could she say?

3/Kaeleer

Alex could see Lilith wasn't going to have a tidy answer to that question. She'd done very well up to this point making the whole thing sound like no big deal. Very vague on the details, especially their escape from Meredith's court. And maybe he ought to be grateful, since he really didn't want to discuss them with anyone before he and Lilith finally did.

It was already awkward enough. Hell's fire, why hadn't Lilith warned him that he was the exact image of his father? Okay, so he'd guessed that they were similar based on the reaction of the Guardian at the Keep in Terreille. But it was like staring into a living mirror. Alex could have done without that shock.

As the minutes passed without an answer from Lilith, Alex decided to supply one of his own. After all, this was as much his story as it was hers.

"That was my fault."

Lilith glanced at him in alarm. Everyone else was merely startled, as if they hadn't quite expected him to be real. At least now they'd stopped staring at Lilith. Of course, that meant now they were waiting for him to provide an explanation.

"I needed time to decide if coming to Kaeleer was what I really wanted to do."

It was the same excuse he'd given to Lilith in Draega three months ago. A truth that was also a lie. Alex watched as his family accepted the truth. And as he expected, Lilith heard only the lie. She'd looked away as quickly as possible.

'Nelle caught sight of the exchange out of the corner of her eye. Even though she didn't say anything about it, she did give him a puzzled look. He'd worry about that later. For now, he had to focus on what he wanted to say- and not say- about the past three months in Draega.

"I stayed in Draega to see what it had to offer. And to see if I wanted what it had to offer me."

"What did it offer?" Daemon asked.

Lilith's expression was closed, but Alex could tell that she was worried he'd tell the SaDiablos about Tarine and the other Queens she'd been helping in Draega. He imagined that the yelling he'd seen so far would be nothing if he told them anything about it. And as much as he'd like to see her lose an argument with someone male, this was not the time for it.

"A place to think, mostly. To observe parts of the city I hadn't seen before without any of demands on my time."

Or on anything else. Alex didn't say it, but everyone else in the room heard it anyway. He could see it in their eyes. They already knew what he'd had to do in Meredith's court. It left him feeling painfully exposed, and so he lashed out at Lilith.

*Dammit, what did you tell them about me*

*Tell them about what?*

*When you sent your little message off to my sister, what exactly did you tell her?*

*I told her that I was at the Keep and you were with me*

*You damn well had to have said something else*

*What are you talking about?*

*Just look at them. They all know about what I went through in Meredith's court. How else could they have known if you didn't tell them somehow? I sure as hell haven't said anything*

*Prince, they know because they know what kind of witch Meredith is* Lilith sent back to him, her tone clipped and angry. *They don't need me to tell them anything*

*And I'm to believe that why?*

*Think about it, Prince. Daemon is the High Lord of Hell. Meredith and her bitches rarely finish a kill, and what's left of their victims end up in there as one of the demon-dead. Who do you think stands witness to their scars and stories of what Meredith has done?*

As he turned over her words in his mind, Alex felt his anger fade. Remorse swept in, filling the vacuum behind it. He shouldn't have jumped on her like that. Of course Lilith wouldn't have said anything.

*Lilith, I'm…*

*Forget it. Let's just try to stay focused on what is important*

Right. Focus. Alex broke the connection between them and realized that no one had said anything. Nothing but awkward silence.

"But you decided to come to Kaeleer," Daemon said at last.

"It was enough time to realize I'd gotten all the answers I could from Hayll. There wasn't much reason left to stay after that."

Daemon turned back to Lilith.

"And what exactly were your reasons for not coming back sooner?"

"I have…other interests in Hayll," she hedged.

"Other interests you say," Lucivar prompted.

"Yes, and that's all I'm going to say. So while I was waiting, I attended to them. It seemed more prudent than coming all the way back here."

Lilith was decidedly uncomfortable. She ran a distracted hand roughly through her hair and gestured to Alex.

"Can't we stay focused on what's important?"

"It's all important, witchling."

Lilith exchanged glances with 'Nelle. As if on cue, his sister crossed the room the stand next to Lilith. The two of them stood side by side against Daemon Sadi. Two witches against the High Lord of Hell. Something told Alex that the latter didn't stand a chance.

"Papa- Lilith did something amazing for all of us. Can't you let it go for tonight how she did it?"

4/Kaeleer

Daemon studied his daughter and the much exasperated Lilith. He really didn't want to let this go, because if he didn't ask now, they'd find a way that he'd never get another chance. But it was almost impossible to win when the two of them teamed up. He had better let it go. For now.

"Fine, witch-child. For tonight."

Jaenelle Saetien beamed at him. "I knew you'd see reason."

Reason had nothing to do with it. Certainly not with any of this. But Daemon had a few last questions he wanted answered before anything else.

*Lilith?* he sent on a private thread.

*Yes?*

*You're sure that's my son?*

*Prince Sadi,* she replied drily. *I just spent two days travelling with him across Terreille. Every five minutes he was snarling over this or giving me hell over that. There's no mistaking that he's yours after experiencing that*

*I just…*

The unfinished sentence hung there on the connection between them. Daemon knew instinctively that she'd told him the truth. How could he deny that Alexander was his son? One look at the man was like turning back time to see himself at that age. It wasn't just the same physical features. Daemon saw himself in the way Alexander looked at them. Exactly as he'd been at that age.

Minus one key difference. It hadn't escaped Daemon's notice that Alexander wore something other than the Black. The Jewel around the Prince's neck wasn't quite Ebony. Rather somewhere in between. Ebon-Black. And combined with a birthright of Ebon-Gray, Alexander was a dangerously powerful man.

Lilith sighed, bringing Daemon back to the present.

*If you need something more specific…*

*Like what?*

Lilith must have thought of something that might be convincing. She offered it to him, almost cautiously.

*Prince, I played Cradle with him in Draega. You'll be interested to know that he came up with variation twenty-seven on his own*

Daemon didn't ask how she'd conned Alexander into playing Cradle, or why. Tomorrow was soon enough to find out those answers. Right now, he was far more interested in the variation that they'd been playing.

*On his own, you say?*

*Well you know damn well I wasn't going to tell him about it*

*Fair enough* He studied her speculatively. *How did he do?*

*He played well and was determined to win* she admitted. *But he lost*

*I beg your pardon- lost?*

Lilith flashed a quick and unnerving smile at him. *I was more determined not to lose, apparently*

*You're not going to tell the rest of the coven how to beat it, are you?*

*We'll see*

*That aside, witchling. Are you sure?*

*Prince, trust me- he's your son*

He dared ask another question. *And what of his life in Hayll?*

Lilith's expression told him more than enough without any words. Daemon braced himself against what she'd tell him.

*I wish I could say it was an easy one* Her tone was filled with regret. *Meredith chose her revenge well*

She was right. Short of snatching Jaenelle Saetien, Meredith couldn't have chosen a better way to hurt him. Daemon tried to bury those thoughts for now. He severed the connection with Lilith and turned away.

*Something wrong?* Lucivar asked on a spear thread.

*I had to know if what I suspected was true. You know as well as I do what is going on in Meredith's court*

*And it's bad news*

*The worst*

There was nothing more any of them could say. Lilith had told him all he needed to know. Daemon was sure she knew more details, but had decided not to share them. The choice was a prudent one. It meant he'd have to ask Alexander about Draega for himself.

"I suppose we ought to be headed to the Hall," Surreal mused. "Which one of us gets to tell Mrs. Beale she has unexpected guests?"

"Guest," Lilith interjected. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather stay at the Keep."

Jaenelle gave her friend a playful shove.

"Oh c'mon, Lilith, you can't think to stay here and miss the fun."

"I have a good imagination, so I will be entertained enough thinking of it."

"If you think we're going to let you sneak away, witchling, you're mistaken," Lucivar growled. "Don't pretend that wasn't your plan."

The witch didn't try to deny it. Instead, she turned on Jaenelle Saetien.

"And you were certain you wanted to add another Warlord Prince like them to your everyday life. I am so glad that I'm only here for a short visit."

Daemon wasn't so sure it would be a visit now that he knew where she disappeared off to. Make no mistake, she would not be sneaking off to Hayll on her own again. Tomorrow he intended to make that very clear.

"What will we tell the kitties if you don't come to the Hall?" Jaenelle asked innocently.

The two witches locked gazes for a minute. Then Lilith swore under her breath and headed for the door.

"Hell's fire and may the Darkness be merciful. Fine, I'll go."

"I suppose that means we're leaving now," Surreal mused.

"Seems so."