Chapter 74

After spending the better part of the day with the winged nursemaids, Amyr was satisfied that at least they would not shame him, but they needed more work, especially if they hoped to stop imperial trained men of house Caron. He left them in the practice yard with Jeshed who had joined them after returning from a flight over the plains where house Caron was amassing its army. He had nothing good to report, so Amyr advised him to wait until later because he doubted Taeron would want his private moments with Dijana disturbed by the news that Warlord Kai's men were marching towards the house Caron encampment without making any formation for battle. There was little doubt that Aevan and Caerl had run straight to the Guerani Hills to find a legitimate head for their rebellion. Taeron might not have many more days with his bride before he must ride out at the head of the emperor's army, what little remained.

On his way to his father's residence, Amyr stopped by Taeron's chamber and when he did not hear anything, he slipped silently in to see that Taeron and Dijana were resting. Dijana was sleeping, but Taeron was too well trained to allow himself to sleep deeply no matter how exhausted he was. His dagger was in his hand before Amyr had taken a second step into the room, and seeing that the intruder was Amyr, he slipped the dagger back into whatever fold or crease in his mound of pillows from which he had taken it. The movement made Dijana stretch against him and she flung an arm across his chest, snorted softly and then began to snore. Amyr exchanged an amused smile with Taeron before he left them alone.

When he entered the emperor's residence, he saw that his father was slouched on the sofa, his booted feet upon the table around which the females had shared their meal that morning. As he snoozed with his head back, Amyr's mother was curled against him, and Amyr thought she was sleeping, but she raised her head, and when his father stirred, she stretched up, brushed her cheek against his and Amyr saw her lips moving, whispering something that made him relax.

She rose from the sofa. "Shall we find Apolo or have you sent for him?"

Amyr glanced at his father who did not wake although she was speaking aloud. "Does father approve of you bespelling him?"

Arora smiled at him. "I told him that I would and since he is still very tired, he was grateful for the help to stay asleep." She fell silent for a moment and then said, "Apolo is on his way. Are you hungry? There is food left from this morning."

Amyr followed her to the room where the family used to take the meals together and he saw the remains of the morning meal on the table, so he took a few slugs to pop in his mouth and as he ate he watched his mother go to the window to look out. For a moment neither of them spoke, and then she turned to look at him.

"I suppose you are wondering why I never told your father what happened that night."

"I understand why," he told her. What he could not fathom was how she had managed to keep her secret for so long. That she had told Larya did not surprise him since she was a woman who knew so many secrets and had probably suffered the horror of what had happened to his mother many times during her years as Xuxa's slave.

"Your father refuses to understand, and he certainly cannot imagine thanking me for saving his empire and our lives with my silence. For two days he would not speak to me in the trance, and when he did, he accused me of having no faith in him. We had a heated argument, and then he would not speak to me for two weeks." Amyr was not surprised that so much time had passed in their trance. He had kept Taeron in a trance for months that had only been days. He was surprised that his parents had been at such odds and was glad that he did not have to witness it.

"He was furious that I did not give him the chance to avenge my honor so many years ago. Apolo accused him of only wanted to avenge his own honor, of ignoring the repercussions of destroying house Caron when his rule was not yet stable. They had a terrible fight before he could convince him that what I did was for the best."

"My jaw still hurts." Apolo had entered the room and he was rubbing his jaw. "But I got my point across."

"We have come to an understanding whereby he does not forgive me for not telling him what Renaeld did and allowing him to pardon him when his crimes were too heinous to be forgiven, and I do not forgive him for refusing to understand my reasons."

Apolo laughed as Amyr frowned as he wondered what had been accomplished. "Do not think about it too long, Amyr. They have managed to find some peace after much shouting and many tears. They have agreed never to speak of it again."

"Now, what did you wish to speak to us about?" asked Arora as she went to her brother and he put his arm around her shoulders. "Has it something to do with Yori?"

"Shamara suggested that we use Yori to slip past Staefyn's wards," said Apolo before Amyr could tell them his plan. Amyr would have to remind to his sister later about what they had agreed upon, that he would ask Arora and Apolo for their opinion on using Yori to contact Quynn.

His mother raised her brows. "Is this what you want to do Amyr? I cannot believe that you would risk your child when we have no way of knowing how powerful Staefyn has gotten. And since he has been able to lock us out of Guerani Palace, we can only conclude that Staefyn has spent many years honing his skills in the sacred hills."

"Staefyn has developed powers that equal our father's," agreed Apolo. "Dax was able to hide what he was for many years even while using his abilities, just as Staefyn has done."

"Dax had Camridaeus inside him, guiding the evil that he did," pointed out Arora. Even after so many years she wanted to believe better of her father.

"Is the evil guiding Staefyn any less vile?" asked Amyr. "I did not know Lady Xuxa, but what she has done to Staefyn is unforgivable."

"Even less forgivable than what Dax did to Arora and Trey," said Apolo. "We know the lengths that a bonded mate will go to for his female just as well as Xuxa." He glanced at his sister. "We all know."

Amyr knew he was referring to his father challenging Emperor Zeno when he had only just come of age and had lost control of his urges to have his mother to whom he had been bonded as a child. "I do not like Shamara's suggestion, but she believes that if we have a chance to speak to Staefyn, he may stop this madness."

"Do you think Quynn has not tried to speak to him?" asked his mother. "If she is anything like her mother, she has and yet she has not swayed him."

"As Apolo said, we know the lengths that a bonded mate will go to for even a female like Xuxa." Amyr shuddered as he recalled the vision of the old and haggard female in Taeron's memories.

"Xuxa was a beautiful woman," Apolo told him, reading his thoughts. "She has been living in Guerani Palace for the better part of five years. Staefyn has probably treated her like a queen and if he does her bidding, she has used her considerable skill to keep him satisfied."

His mother's face screwed up in disgust as she thought about her son obsessed with the much older woman. Then she said, "I would not agree to what Shamara suggests, but Staefyn must understand that despite everything he has done, we understand why and want to help him."

Amyr looked from his mother to Apolo. "You have already discussed this."

"With your father as well," said Apolo. "He insists that the decision be yours, Amyr. Yori is your son, and he could be in danger. And for what? Do we really know Staefyn, who he has become?"

"He could have killed Taeron when Xuxa demanded it," Amyr pointed out. "There must be some good left in him." Not so very long ago he would not believe that Staefyn was anything more than a monster.

Apolo and Arora exchanged glances and then his mother came to him to put her hands on his shoulders. "We all want to believe there is some good left in him, Amyr, but how do we know there was good in him at all? He hid who he really was from us for many years."

"Not from all of us. Staefyn had never hidden himself from Taeron. Taeron loved him. Taeron loves him still and believes he can save him." And not so very long ago Amyr would have dismissed Taeron, but now he valued him as the brother of his heart.

Apolo shook his head. "Taeron's heart is pure, Amyr. I don't think he can fathom the evil in the depths of some men's souls. When you unlocked his memories, Taeron conveniently forgot how Staefyn sent his ship towards the frontier where he would have been enslaved if the ship from Norvana had not found his disabled shuttle before frontier slave traders."

"Knowing Taeron, he has probably found some way to justify Staefyn's actions," sighed Arora. "I wonder if unlocking his memories has done more harm than good."

"We would not send Yori alone; I do not trust Staefyn that much. I would go with him," Amyr told them. "I am bonded to Quynn and I can bring her into the trance."

"This is not an excuse to be with your mate, is it?" asked his mother, fixing him with a stern gaze.

Amyr did not look away. "I would be lying if I said I did not want to be with her."

"At least you have learned that you cannot lie to me and get away with it," said his mother. She glanced at Apolo who nodded before she turned back to Amyr. "I do not know how we can help, but we can try. If we add our powers to the trance, it will increase the odds of success."

After discussing what they would do, Amyr left to speak to Taeron as his mother and her brother went to find Shamara and Chaela so that they could be together when Amyr left with Yori in a trance. Since he had spent the rest of the afternoon with his mother and Apolo, Amyr doubted Taeron was still abed with his bride, being that he was not bonded. And when he entered Taeron's chamber and saw the bed empty, he was going to leave to look for him, but he heard a soft laugh from the bathing chamber. So he stepped inside to see Taeron in the pool, Dijana straddling him as she faced him, running her soapy hands over his chest.

"I thought you were not bonded," he said by way of announcing his arrival.

Dijana shrieked in indignation and as she scrambled off Taeron and out of the pool, she slipped once onto her backside before she managed to wrap a drying cloth around her. Amyr laughed and he could see that Taeron was trying not to join him.

She spun to glare at her husband, sobering him instantly. "My lord! I must insist that this oaf not interrupt our private moments."

"From what I have seen, all your moments are private," said Amyr with a chuckle.

She looked about for something, presumably to throw at him, and seeing nothing useful, she stomped towards the door. When she came near him, she slipped and would have fallen had he not caught her around the waist, but he did not hold her longer than it took to make sure she would not crack her head if she fell. Instead of thanking him, she made a sound of outrage, shoved him away and stalked back to the bedchamber.

Taeron left the pool and began to dry himself. "You must have a reason for intruding since we have agreed that you would not."

"I came to tell you that I hope to see Quynn tonight. Yori will breach Staefyn's wards and we will meet my mate in a trance. My mother and Apolo do not think it is a good idea ..."

"Nor do I, but I understand why you want to try." He wrapped the drying cloth around his waist as he came to stand by Amyr.

Amyr put his hand on Taeron's arm. "Is there anything you want me to tell Staefyn, should I have the chance?"

Taeron met his gaze. "If I want to speak to Staefyn, I will do so with my own tongue with my own words."

There was no rancor in his voice and Amyr could not sense any in his friend. Then again, Taeron had become difficult to read since his memories had been unlocked and Amyr suspected that Staefyn taught him to guard his thoughts and feelings. Amyr was saddened by Taeron's withdrawal from him, and after all they had gone through together, he could not help feeling regret.

"And if you do not have a chance before you meet him on a battlefield?"

"Then I will speak to him with my blades without any words," Taeron told him.

Since Taeron had nothing more to say, Amyr exited through the servant's entrance to the bath, better to keep from seeing Dijana because he suspected she was waiting in the bedchamber with a projectile. When he heard the clanking of a pot and Taeron's muffled curse, Amyr chuckled and left them behind wondering if he would punish her for hitting him. They might not leave their chamber until the following day.

He went to his own where he found Yori sitting with Jeshed on the bed, a scroll spread out between them as they tried to decipher the symbols.

"Where is Stryfe?" he asked, knowing that Quynn's brother had taken up the task of teaching them to read.

"Grandpapa needs him for work," Yori told him.

"They are recording the houses who have allied with the emperor and the number of warriors they have pledged," Jeshed explained. "There are many, but I doubt there are enough to challenge the immense army gathered in the Wastelands."

"It does not matter how many men face my grandfather," Yori announced. "The gods favor him."

Amyr smiled at his son. "Do the gods speak to you, Yori?"

"I read the stories in the archives," Yori told him. "His victory over Dax the Demon brought the rains to the Wastelands."

He could not argue with the legends found in the archives.

Amyr went to the window overlooking the garden, and sitting on the bench, he wondered how he would go about asking Yori to help him contact Quynn. Yori came to him, and when Amyr pulled him onto his lap, his son spoke before Amyr even knew what to say.

"Papa, are we going to visit mama tonight?"

Although Amyr had not told Yori his plans, he was not surprised that his son had discerned them. "Do you want to visit your mother?"

"Mama came to visit us," Yori told him. When Amyr started in surprise, Yori explained. "I saw her in Jeshed's eyes. Ten days ago."

Staefyn had brought Quynn to the palace to see them? If he had done so, then perhaps he would speak to them, listen to reason.

Before they could discuss her visit, Apolo and Arora came into the room with Shamara and Chaela.

Jeshed rolled up the scroll and stood. "Are you sure that you wish to do what you are planning?"

"Is there anything you can do to help?" asked Shamara curiously.

Chaela went to Jeshed and took his arm. "No. So he is going to leave. He might distract Yori."

Since Chaela rarely spent any time in Jeshed's company, Amyr was amused to watch as Jeshed was struck dumb by her touch, and before he could react, she had shoved him out and closed the door. She rubbed her hands on the skirt of her gown and turned back around.

"I hope Jeshed does not consider that a mating preamble," remarked Apolo.

Her mother hummed in agreement. "I was feeling some very strong emotion coming from him."

Chaela huffed. "I have given him no cause to believe there is anything but friendship between us." She frowned at Amyr. "Have you encouraged him?" Then she gasped. "By the gods! Lady Larya has been instructing him!"

"He has spoken to Larya about you," Apolo said, "but she told him to stop ogling you and not bother you with his unwanted attentions."

"Good! I am not attracted to him."

"I think you protest too much," remarked Shamara slyly.

When Chaela glared at Shamara, Yori giggled and Amyr chuckled as he swung his son up to carry him to the bed. "Let's go visit your mother, Yori."

"Are they coming too?" he asked.

His mother combed her fingers through Yori's hair. "No, Yori, I will wait here for you to return, and then you can tell me about your visit." Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to his forehead, then reached out to touch Amyr, to convey her concern before she stepped back to join her brother.

"Don't make Staefyn angry," warned Shamara.

Amyr frowned at her. "What makes you think I will make him angry?"

"Because you always did when you were children and I doubt you can see him as anything other than your annoying brother."

"I think he has evolved from annoying to dangerous," he pointed out.

"Then you have a good reason to guard your tongue."

He felt a tug on his sleeve and he turned to Yori. "Should we go now, papa?"

Before reaching for Yori's hand, he glanced at the worried faces around him. They appeared to have varying degrees of concern, but he saw encouragement from his mother, so he took his son's small hand and laced his fingers with his.

He had scarcely finished before the room started spinning, and he was sucked away so quickly from the people around the bed that he felt disoriented. Amyr had entered trances with Yori on Norvana, but none had begun with this vortex, pushing and pulling as if he were caught in a storm. The hand that anchored him, Yori's, released him and he tried to catch it, but his hand grabbed at air and Amyr felt anxious, not for himself as he was buffeted in a storm, but for Yori. For several moments there was only darkness, and then he saw lights swirling, only adding to his disorientation. As he tried to center his being, to regain control, he could scarcely keep from panicking. He could hear his mother and Apolo, their voices coming from far away, and while he had some sensation that they were touching him, he could not respond, could not return to them.

And then he heard Quynn's voice and she sounded both angry and terrified. "Release him, Staefyn! Gods, please let him go!"

"Papa!" Amyr heard Yori's frightened cry, but he could not respond and he knew that he was caught between worlds, that Staefyn had done this to him.

Suddenly he fell and his teeth rattled as his face smacked into a smooth surface. Unable to move, his body felt as if it had been shredded and his thoughts were scrambled, from what he had experienced, from the pain. Suddenly an ice cold wave crashed over him and he gulped in a breath as his body exploded in the pleasure of the strongest healing magic he had ever experienced.

"Amyr!" His body was weak, his vision fuzzy and his thoughts were jumbled, but Amyr recognized the embrace into which he had been pulled and the scent that could only be his mate. "By the gods, Staefyn, you are a bastard!"

"You should not speak like that in front of your son."

Amyr's vision was coming into focus and he saw the man towering over him. For a moment he had difficulty believing that he was Staefyn because he looked so much like a younger version of his father that he was afraid Yori had taken him to the past.

But the man who stood over him staring down at him with glowing golden eyes was not his father, and this was not the past.

"Welcome to Guerani Palace, brother," said Staefyn with an unwelcoming twist to his lips.