Chapter 80
Her heart was beating frantically as Dijana raced through the deserted corridors. She could faintly hear horns blowing outside the walls of the fortress, so she knew the army was already on the march. How could she have overslept? Why did Taeron not wake her? Now tears were rolling down her cheeks as she realized she might never see him again.
There were some men and women in the practice yard, warriors left to guard the fortress and healers who would care for any wounded shuttled back from the plains, but Dijana paid them no heed as she ran towards the huge double doors of the exit. She did not reach them because an arm snagged her around the waist and she was lifted briefly off the ground. Her momentum made her slam against a hard, male body.
"Hold, princess!"
She gasped when she recognized Amyr's voice. "Let me go! I am missing him!"
"Calm down!"
But Dijana burst into tears at the thought of not having a chance to say goodbye to Taeron. Gods! If he did not return to her, she could not bear losing him, not when he was the first person who ever truly cared about her, who loved her despite her shortcomings. She did not want to live in a world without Taeron.
Amyr pulled her against him, and she did not fight him as he held her tightly because his magic was working to ease her fears. But no amount of magic could make her forget what she might be losing this day. Yet she was grateful that Amyr calmed her.
As he held her, he combed his fingers through her hair. "You are a mess, princess. Did you even bathe today?"
"I slept late." She gulped back a sob and raised her head to look at his face. "Has he gone?" Taeron had warned her that he would rise early to organize the men for the march to the plains and despite her insistence that he wake her, he must have let her sleep. Dijana could not be angry at him, not when he was being considerate, not when he was marching off to war.
"He would not leave without seeing you again, Dijana, but he has tarried long enough, so he sent me to find you." Amyr dropped a hand on her shoulder. "Taeron needs to see you before he leaves, and his men will be bolstered by watching his mate send him off to battle. They are all leaving someone behind, Dijana, and they want to imagine that their loved ones feel the same courage."
Dijana did not think she could do it. "He told me that if he does not return, I should know that he died fighting and that I should tell our daughter of his bravery." She took a deep breath to keep from crying again. "I don't want to tell that story to my daughter. I don't want to flee Calabria."
Amyr gently shook her. "You will do as Taeron wishes, Dijana. He could not concentrate on what he must do if his mind is with his wife and child. Do not betray his wishes." He put his hand on her belly and she gasped at the evidence of life making itself known beneath his touch. She had not felt the baby move yet and she was surprised that it had reacted to him. "You have more to think about than yourself now. Taeron would not want you to become Kai's prisoner again." Dropping his hands, Amyr slipped an arm around her waist. "Let me take you to him."
His encouragement made it possible for her to walk steadily forward with him. The guards at the gate opened the wide doors for them, and when Dijana saw the sea of men marching towards the plains that Calabrians called the Wastelands, her heart began to pound erratically as she imagined them clashing with an even larger force. The battle she had witnessed from the window of her chamber on Teralon would seem like a minuscule skirmish compared to what would happen in several days when the men of the houses loyal to the emperor faced the army Prince Staefyn had amassed with the help of the Varoonyan and the traitorous house Caron.
The emperor's warlords rode among the marching troops on prancing horses brightly caparisoned with the colors of the their houses. Dijana could see Lady Arora far off at the head of the army riding beside her husband, her brother on the other side of the emperor. Taeron's father was leading another group as he rode with Meridon, and she saw the army of healers with Lady Trynity and Shamara seated on one of several huge wagons filled with supplies being pulled by gigantic creatures with long, shaggy brown fur and long tusks that curved out from their slobbering snouts. As they lumbered along at a pace that just barely matched the warriors on foot, they raised their massive heads to roar and Dijana suppressed the urge to cover her ears.
"Canyon beasts."
She had been so astonished by the animals that she had not realized Taeron had ridden his horse to her and dismounted. He put his hand on Amyr's shoulder and Dijana was surprised by the bereft feeling when Amyr released her to leap up on another riderless horse that Taeron must have been leading.
"I thought they were wild and dangerous," she remarked, glad for the distraction of what she had come here to do.
"Many wild and dangerous creatures can be tamed for a time." Taeron reached up to put his hand on her cheek. "I will return within the month, Dijana."
He had already explained thoroughly what to expect so she knew it would take several days for the emperor's troops to reach the encampment of the army waiting in the Wastelands, and the fighting might last days. He would not return until after the imperial army marched on Guerani Palace to retake it for the emperor. Although returning within a month might be wishful thinking on his part, Dijana knew that Taeron would do everything in his power to do so.
Her heart was banging against her ribs as she met Taeron's dark amethyst gaze, but somehow she managed not to cry. "I will expect you in a month and if you are not here by that time you will have to come to Teralon to find me," she told him tartly.
Taeron smiled and swept her against him, and as he held her, she closed her eyes and breathed in his scent as she burned into her memory how he felt against her.
"I would cross the frontier to find you, Dijana." His kiss was short and Dijana released him readily although she wanted to cling to him, as if that would keep him at her side.
Taeron swung up on his green and gold caprisoned mount, "But I would rather not cross the frontier again."
The humor in his eyes made her smile, and for a moment she could imagine he was not riding away to battle.
She looked past him to Amyr. "You will keep him safe."
"Of course I will." Amyr smiled down at her. "Because I would rather run to the frontier than to report to you that I did not."
She went to him and put her hand over his where they held the reins of his horse. "Keep yourself safe, too, Prince Amyr. You are a selfish and inconsiderate oaf, but I know that my husband cares about you. I pray the gods will reunite you with your mate, my lord prince."
He squeezed her hands in gratitude. "Gods keep you, Dijana."
As Dijana watched them leave, wishing Taeron would look back and hoping that he did not because she doubted she could maintain her composure if he did, Chaela came to stand beside her and together they watched them leave in silence. Dijana did not think she could speak anyway because her throat was tight and her jaws were clenched with the effort of holding back tears. The warriors that passed by following their prince saluted respectfully, and she would not shame Taeron by showing the weakness she felt.
A very long time had passed as she stood with Chaela before they were joined by Taeron's mother. Dijana had not seen her since the night that she discovered her identity. Once they had gotten a room to themselves, she and Taeron had not left it until it was time for him to leave.
Now the warriors who passed by them thumped their fists to their chests to show their respect for the emperor's sister.
"I doubt I will get used to that," remarked Larya. "I hear people call me princess and I think they are talking to someone else."
Chaela put her arm around Larya's shoulders. "Your place in our hearts has not changed. We could not love you any more than before the truth was made known."
Dijana looked at Larya. "Are you worried about Lord Apolo?"
Looking ahead to where he had disappeared on the horizon, she sighed. "He fought in many battles at Trey's side before I came into his life. I would be lying if I said that I did not worry about him, but I cannot think about it or I will go mad, especially since my son leads this army for ... my brother."
As Dijana thought about all Taeron's mother could lose before this was over, she was afraid she would cry again, but before the tears could form, the air around her swirled with dust and she was not surprised that her mother and father landed before them. She noticed now that the squadron from Teralon was passing by overhead, so her parents had stopped to make their farewells.
Neria hugged Larya first. "I am honored to have the chance to repay your brother and your son for their help on Teralon."
Larya reached out to take Dijana's hand. "I think you have sufficiently repaid the debt, Neria. Your daughter has made my son very happy, and she has already found a place in my heart."
Neria glanced at Dijana. "If I can judge by their disappearance these last few days, he has made her happy as well."
"At the very least he has given her a child," grumbled Roehan who then put his arms around Dijana to hug her. He whispered in her ear, "We will watch over him from the skies."
"I think my husband will be well-protected," Dijana responded gratefully. "You will stay away from the ground troops, I hope. I would not want to lose you after having just discovered you."
"Prince Taeron has taught me a thing or two about fighting Calabrians, so do not worry about me." He cupped her face with his hand and he met her gaze. "I am sorry, Dijana, for not trusting him. I do not think there is any man that I would find more worthy for you."
"I told you that from the start," sniffed Neria.
"I should always listen to you," he said, but Dijana saw the humor in his eyes and she bit her lip to keep from laughing.
When he stepped back, her mother hugged her and held her close. "I am more worried about you, Dijana. I am convinced that Prince Taeron is impervious to injury. He is a god."
Dijana remembered the fight against Kai that left him with a wicked scar across his body. She was responsible for it, but it proved that his flesh could be pierced and Kai would be on the battlefield hunting for him.
Forcing away such morose thoughts, she looked at her parents. "Please be safe," she told them. A few months ago she never would have believed she could care for them so much, but she had quickly grown to love them.
They both hugged her again and after her father warned Guillem and Valter of the dire consequences should they fail to protect her, they left with their men.
Dijana did not go back inside the living quarters of the fortress until the last of the emperor's army had disappeared on the horizon. When the doors of the fortress had closed on them, Larya left so that she could communicate with her children on Dagmaeus. Her daughters and son by Lord Apolo were not old enough to fully understand what was taking place on the planet, so Dijana knew Taeron's mother would get comfort from seeing and speaking to their children. Chaela told her that Apolo had communicated with them earlier in the day to tell them that he was going on a long trip and he would not be able to see or speak to them for many days. Dijana's heart ached to imagine how they would feel should their father never return.
In the following days, to keep her mind off Taeron's absence, Dijana continued the training Amyr had started. Chaela agreed only to teach her moves that would not harm the child and Dijana was glad that Guillem and Valter joined in. Jeshed prowled around them restlessly, having given his oath not to shift into his dragon form unless there was an emergency. Yori sat in the shade of a tree studying a scroll.
Jeshed looked just enough like Taeron to keep him in her thoughts, and when she saw him with Yori, she imagined Taeron with their child. Taeron had asked her to name their daughter Caelitha in honor of Meridon's mate. Dijana was happy to agree, and because the woman had saved and raised so many innocent females, Dijana's mother thought it fitting. Meridon had wept when they told him of the honor. Caelitha would one day rule Teralon so his beloved wife's name would always be remembered.
The days passed slowly after the army had gone, even more slowly than those many weeks on Teralon after she had sent Taeron away. Much of the time was spent in the same manner, with Guillem and Valter ever present although they were less friendly and more dutiful. She had herself to blame, but she would not do anything differently if she had another chance. She had Chaela and Larya to keep her company. The two women had many stories to tell about Taeron in his youth, and some of the stories that Chaela told, Larya had heard for the first time. During those times Dijana saw the sadness in Larya's eyes at the memories of being separated from her son when he was a child. As she thought of her own child and how she would feel in her place, Dijana did not know how Larya had been able to bear giving up Taeron so that he could have opportunities that she could not have given him. He was the crown prince of Calabria now, but Dijana suspected that Larya would trade that if she could get back those many times that she had been separated from her son.
"If I had been the first princess," Larya remarked one evening as they dined, "Zeno probably would have forced me to marry one of those house Caron pigs." She shuddered visibly. "Gods be praised that violent swine Raemon did not bond and produce children. And I am quite sure Renaeld would have killed me within a year. He did not bond with any of his mates and none of them lasted long. Aside from Keilana's mother, they were all useless females who produced useless offspring for that bastard."
Chaela offered Dijana food from her own plate. "Try these. They are tasty and are good for your growing child."
"What is it?" Dijana eyed the shapeless food in Chaela's hand. Because Chaela had been eating it, she knew that if she saw it alive she would shriek.
"Sand slug," Larya told her and received a frown from Chaela who had been trying to get Dijana to eat their food for days. "You should eat it. It is Taeron's favorite food."
Since Dijana had seen Taeron eat all manner of creatures with gusto, she wondered how Larya had decided it was his favorite.
"Everyone likes sand slug," Chaela told her.
"I love it!" Yori seized a smaller portion from the platter on the small table in Larya's chamber around which they sat.
Guillem and Valter sat against the wall nibbling on fruit, but they were watching her to see if she would try the Calabrian food. Dijana noticed that Jeshed was eating the it without any sign of reluctance. "Is this food to your liking, Jeshed?" she asked him. "You cannot be used to eating it already."
"I lived as a dragon," Jeshed reminded her with a shrug. "You would not wish to hear what I ate before I took my human form and came to Calabria."
Dijana could not resist asking. "What did you eat as a dragon?"
Larya gave him a stern look, and for a moment he did not speak. But then he said, "I ate anything that could not get away from me. Out of respect for Quynn and Yori, I did not eat two-legged creatures. Since coming to Calabria, I have dined on various large birds, and once I feasted on a canyon beast."
Chaela's face paled and Larya winced. "Jeshed, I would prefer you did not speak of your eating habits as a dragon," she admonished him. "You certainly cannot imagine that admitting to eating a canyon beast would be considered admirable. They are vile creatures!"
"I am sorry, mother, but she did ask."
"How did you catch a canyon beast?" asked Yori, ignoring Larya's disapproving frown.
Jeshed glanced warily at the woman he considered his mother, and for a moment he did not respond, but then he seemed unable to keep from blurting his answer. "The creature is remarkably agile! I chased it through a chasm and almost slammed into the side of a cliff during the hunt. I eventually wore it down, but it put up a great fight and scratched my snout."
"Jeshed, I do not wish to hear about your snout," scolded Larya. "I can scarcely fathom the magic involved in changing to your dragon form."
"Some day, mother, I would like to take you for a ride upon my back," Jeshed told her.
She paled, but Yori cried out, "Can I come with you? Can we go tomorrow?"
Larya reached out to put her hand on Jeshed's arm. "You have given your oath to Taeron not to take to the skies."
He looked earnestly at her. "I will not, mother."
She smiled and squeezed his hand. "You are a good son."
"I shall endeavor to be always."
"Some day, perhaps you can take me in the skies when Apolo can go with us. I will need him to keep me from swooning."
Dijana glanced at Chaela to see that she was frowning, but she did not tell her why until later that night when they were lying in bed together and Dijana asked why she was bothered by Jeshed. The handsome male was respectful to her and he did not approach her although anyone could see that he was smitten by Chaela.
"He is a dragon," said Chaela with a huff. "I have ridden on his back, and just because he can walk about with a pleasing face and form, I cannot forget what he really is." She made a sound of exasperation. "He has eaten a canyon beast!"
Dijana was glad it was dark so that Chaela could not see her smile. Her friend was attracted to Jeshed despite her reasons against it. "At least he will not change to another shape. Having a dragon for a mate could be interesting."
"I will tell Taeron that you said so," grumbled Chaela. "As for me, I cannot consider Jeshed. I know that he believes I am his fated mate, but it cannot be true. How could he know? Even we Guerani cannot know such a thing. He has mistaken attraction for something more and I do not feel the same for him. Sometimes he is like a child!"
Dijana remembered how Jeshed had eased her anxiety on Norvana. He was new to being a human, so he did have the wonder and naivete of a child, but she sensed that deep inside him was the wisdom and experience of a much older being. No one knew how long he had been imprisoned in the magical bracelet until Yori had released him.
"Larya has accepted him as her son," pointed out Dijana. "That makes him a prince, does it not? Perhaps your father will decide that he is a worthy mate."
"My father will not be making those decisions for me," Chaela snapped. "He said he might make suggestions, but that I am free to choose my mate. Next time I will be more careful, and that means I would be a fool to choose Jeshed as a mate. What kind of children would we have?" She felt Chaela shudder beside her. "Dragons? Will I have to fear my children will eat me? Will I give birth to an egg?"
"Weren't you afraid of the same thing when you came to Teralon?" Dijana pointed out wryly, remembering Chaela's fear that she would produce eggs that would have to be cracked open. Even with Avar's assurances that such a thing was ridiculous, Dijana had learned that Chaela was surprised that when Kaerwin was born, he was not removed from a shell.
"I thought all creatures with wings came from shells," she remarked. By the movement in the bed, Dijana knew that Chaela turned on her side to face her. "Are you afraid that your child will not have wings?"
Although she would never admit it to Taeron, Dijana was afraid that their children would be wingless. "Yes," she confided in Chaela. "On Teralon it is considered a sign from the gods that a match has been poorly made if a child is born without wings."
Chaela flopped onto her back. "I knew my match was poorly made even before Kaerwin was born. Kaerwin was the only good thing to come of my marriage to Avar." After a moment of silence as they both thought of the child who had been murdered by his own father, Chaela asked, "Will you love your child if she does not have wings, or will you believe that the gods did not favor your match with Taeron?"
Dijana reached out to take Chaela's hand. "Before coming to know you, Chaela, I might have answered differently. Teralon is near the frontier and many different beings have raided our planet, leaving behind offspring that are born with or without wings. I was raised with the beliefs my people have hand for thousands of years. If my daughter is born without wings, if all my children are born without wings, it will be a sign from the gods that they should not return to Teralon. But I will love them as much as you loved Kaerwin."
She felt Chaela's hand on her belly and after a moment the other woman announced, "The gods favor your match, Dijana. Caelitha has wings."
Although she thought her match was blessed by the gods anyway, Dijana felt relief.
Chaela removed her hand and sighed deeply and after several moments in which she could only hear her quiet breathing, Dijana thought Chaela had fallen asleep until she hear her mumble drowsily. "I do not want to give birth to a dragon."
Closing her eyes, Dijana put her hand on her own belly, and as she drifted off to sleep, she imagined a dark-haired little girl with wings propped on Taeron's shoulders. He would return to her and they would raise Caelitha together. Tonight she felt certain of it.
She was dreaming that she was on Teralon again, standing on the top of her mother's palace, but she had wings, spread out behind her and she was about to step off the edge to fly across the valley when a sound behind her disturbed her and she lost her balance to fall over the edge. Instead of flying, she was falling because she had no wings and she was plummeting to her death.
Gasping, she jerked awake, panting and trembling and Chaela stirred beside her, murmuring something incomprehensible in her sleep, but when Dijana was able to bring herself back from the disorientation of her dream, she rose from the bed and moved to the window that opened to the terrace. For a moment she stood still and looked at the distant mountains bathed in the light from the moons. She felt anxiety that she could not shake off, caused by her dream or her fears for Taeron, she did not know which.
Suddenly she heard distant shouts, indistinct noises and her heart began to beat faster as she was reminded of the Varoonyan attack on the palace in Nidum.
She hurried to Chaela. "Wake up!" she whispered urgently.
Chaela moaned and turned away from her to try to regain her sleep, but Dijana grasped her and shook her roughly.
"What is it Dijana?"
"I think there is trouble!" She moved away to find her clothing as Chaela sat up and rubbed her eyes. Dijana hurried to the door, pulling it open to find that Guillem and Valter were also awake. "Do you hear something?" Dijana was not even sure what she had heard was threatening or whether it had been the normal sounds during the night at the fortress.
Guillem moved restlessly. "I felt something, something unwordly."
Dijana was going to ask him what he meant when Chaela whispered, "I feel it too. We should go to Larya. Jeshed and Yori and with her."
They hurried through the corridors and as they did they heard the muffled sounds of fighting. Guillem and Valter stayed close behind them as they ran, and when they came to Larya's chambers, they found the door locked.
Chaela pounded on it. "Larya! Open the door, it is us!"
For a moment there was no response and Chaela pounded on the door furiously until suddenly it swung open and they rushed inside. But Dijana ran into Chaela who suddenly stopped. Without pausing, Guillem and Valter dashed past them, pulling daggers from the feathers of their wings. The bright light of Chaela's protection spell surrounded them and Dijana watched helplessly as Guillem and Valter swept down to attack the men in Larya's room. Dijana could see that they were thralls, their eyes blood red, and beyond them she saw Larya holding Yori to her as Jeshed stood before them with a sword to hold the attackers at bay.
Guillem and Valter fought ferociously, killing many of the men as they used the walls to evade the thralls, flying across the room and using moves that Amyr had taught them. They had no way of knowing how many of Warlord Kai's men had attacked the fortress, but Dijana's personal guards fought valiantly to protect her.
The door suddenly flew open as if a great wind had come against it. "Enough!"
Dijana's gaze flew to the man who had shouted the word, and another wind blew through the room driving Jeshed and Larya back against the wall while Guillem and Valter were thrown violently against the ceiling where they were stuck by some unseen force.
"Staefyn!" cried Chaela in horror and awe.
The man strode calmly into the room, and now Dijana could feel what the others had, the power that flowed off him. Tall and thin with shoulder length chestnut brown hair, he was dressed somberly in black. Prince Staefyn was unarmed, and yet the glow from his amber eyes warned Dijana that he was very dangerous. His gaze took in the people in the room, the dead men scattered on the floor along with those few remaining with their vile red eyes, and then he turned his gaze upward to see Guillem and Valter struggling against his magic.
Another man appeared in the doorway. "My lord prince, the fortress is secured. Shall we kill the prisoners?"
Staefyn did not look at the man. "Lock them away. As long as they are unarmed they are no threat."
After they had gone, Staefyn looked in Dijana's direction, his gaze falling upon Chaela. "Sister! You have no greeting for your brother?"
"Why are you here?" she demanded, her arms remaining out as she tried to concentrate on the spell protecting them.
"That is a very rude greeting, Chaela. Is that what you learned on Teralon?" He flicked his wrist in her direction and Chaela cried out, clasping her hands to her head and falling to her knees.
The protecting light disappated and Dijana drew Chaela to her as the other woman wept. "What have you done to her?" she demanded. "Stop it!"
Jeshed charged forward with his sword raised, but when he would have cleaved Staefyn in half with his downward swing, Staefyn evaded him, swung out his foot to catch his ankle, and grabbing his arm, he shoved Jeshed to the floor.
Although Jeshed struggled, Staefyn straddled him and with a quick movement, he grasped a handful of his pale hair and jerked his head up to expose his neck. "You should spend more time in the practice yard, dragon man."
Dijana saw the flash of light on metal and Larya cried out and stumbled forward. "Do not kill my son!"
Staefyn sneered at her. "Your son? He is a dragon pretending to be a man."
"Uncle Staefyn!" sobbed Yori. "Don't kill Jeshed!"
But Staefyn had not pulled a blade. Instead he clamped an ornate collar with purple stones around his neck before slamming his head into the floor to knock him unconscious. Standing, he rubbed his hands together. "If he wants to be a man so badly, he can remain one."
Ignoring him, Larya hurried to Jeshed and dropped to her knees to put her hands on him, feeling for a pulse and when Jeshed moaned, Dijana let out the breath she had been holding. Chaela had become quiet but she was still panting wildly as Dijana held her in her arms.
Assured that Jeshed was still alive, Larya stood to face Staefyn. "Your army is in the plains preparing to face your father's forces. What are you doing here? Are you so much a coward that you would not face him? Are you only good at making war on women and children?"
Staefyn viewed her with unconcealed contempt. "Do you think marriage to my uncle gives you the right to speak to me like this? You are, and always will be, a whore that someone should have disposed of long ago."
He raised his hand to strike her, but Dijana released Chaela and threw herself against him. She wasn't strong enough to do more than check his action, and now he seized her around the waist and dragged her against him.
"Ah! Very lovely and very lively! I presume that you are Princess Dijana."
"Dijana," breathed Chaela, her voice barely a whisper as she fought against whatever magic Staefyn used against her. "Get away from him."
"Sister, your strength surprises me! Alas, I cannot have you interfering. You should have gone with the rest of the family to fight. If you cooperate with me now, I will make this much easier for you." Although Dijana struggled against his strong grasp, Staefyn did not seem concerned as he focused his gaze on Chaela.
"Don't hurt Chaela!" cried Yori anxiously.
"Stay out of this Yori and she will not be hurt. Interfere and my spell my go awry."
Dijana could see that Yori was frightened, but he pressed his lips together and looked away. She saw the instant that Chaela lost her battle with Staefyn because she fell back flat on the floor, her eyes staring up.
"What have you done to her?" demanded Dijana, frightened that he had killed his sister.
"I have sent her to a happier time," Staefyn said with a grim smile. "Although she has so few happy memories of Teralon, I managed to find one that will please her, moments of delight with her child."
Dijana's heart ached to imagine how Chaela would feel when she returned from that memory. "You will cause her pain!"
Staefyn seized her chin in his hand and forced her to meet his amber gaze. "Your people caused her pain, princess!"
"Let her go, Staefyn," ordered Larya.
He looked back at her. "I cannot do that. I promised Kai that she would be waiting for him at Guerani Palace when he returns triumphantly, so I will bring her with me." His gaze met Dijana's again. "I hope you do not mind traveling with Cydeara again?"
Remembering Cydeara's threats the last time she saw her, Dijana doubted her trip to the palace would be pleasant.
Staefyn smiled. "Don't worry, Dijana. Cydeara will not hurt you. She is too afraid of Kai to risk his wrath." He glanced at Yori. "You will go come with us." Then his gaze rested on Larya. "As for you, Xuxa would like you returned to her as you are her property."
"I am not her property," snapped Larya. "If you take me to that old whore, I will kill her."
"That would not be wise. I have a particular need for her. I suppose she can be mollified if I tell her you were killed in the attack on the fortress. Sending your head back might please her."
"No!" cried Dijana, horrified that he would murder Taeron's mother. "Larya is your father's sister! She is of your blood!"
Staefyn started and Dijana knew she had shocked him. But he narrowed his gaze on Larya. "What lies have you been telling now, Larya?"
"Meridon claimed that Dax took me to his people instead of leaving me in the Wastelands," Larya told him. "They raised me until I was taken during a raid and sold in Imperia, purchased by that despicable whore."
Staefyn thrust Dijana aside so violently that she stumbled and he strode stiffly to Larya. Seizing her hair, he jerked her up against him. "You are lying, you gods' cursed female!"
Larya stared up at him, boldly meeting his gaze. "See for yourself."
For several moments they stared into each other's eyes and Dijana remained frozen, watching anxiously and praying to the gods that he did not hurt Taeron's mother. Then he seized her shoulders and Dijana saw his eyes glowing. Larya gasped, and then her body stiffened as Staefyn's gaze intensified. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. Yori tried to go to them, but Dijana caught him, fearing what would happen if he disturbed what Staefyn was concentrating on.
Finally he released her, and as she sagged weakly to the floor, Staefyn fell back, and he stood breathing rapidly for a moment as he seemed to be trying to regain his own composure until Yori yanked his hand from Dijana and hurried to him. He grasped Staefyn's hands with both of his and for a moment no one spoke until Staefyn gently released Yori.
He reached out to muss the boy's hair. "You will be a great healer some day." Then he turned to Larya who had raised her head and Dijana was shocked that her eyes had become the same green as the emperor's and her features had altered slightly, but enough to prove that she had been born of the same house as Trey.
"I have removed Dax's spell, the spell the prevented anyone from seeing you as you really are."
She took a breath and when she spoke, her voice was weak. "How can you do this to your family? How can you do this to Taeron?"
His expression was grim. "My loyalty must be to my mate." He reached down to cup Larya's face with his hand. "But I would not make you suffer any more, Yarala. I risk her wrath by not taking you back to face her, but she has done enough to you for many lifetimes of revenge upon my grandfathers. When I leave, my men will come with me. In due time Chaela will return from her trance and the birds on the ceiling will be released. Send word to Taeron telling him that I have his wife."
"Must I come with you?" asked Yori. "Can I stay here and wait for my father?"
He looked at Yori. "I am taking you to your mother. If your father does not survive the battle, I do not want you harmed when the fortress is attacked by Kai's men or by house Caron. With the emperor's blood in your veins, you are a threat to their plan to seize the imperial throne."
"Do not harm Dijana." implored Larya, giving Dijana an anxious look.
"Her fate will be in Taeron's hands." He held out his hand. "Come along, Yori. Your mother will be happy to hold you in her arms again." When Yori took his hand, Staefyn looked at Dijana. "Come with me of your own accord, princess, or I will send men to carry you. I doubt they would be considerate of the child in your belly."
With that veiled threat, Dijana could hardly refuse to go. But she went to Larya to hug her first. "I will cooperate with them so they do not harm me," she assured her. "I know Taeron will come for me."
"He has to survive a battle first," Staefyn reminded her. "Even he cannot hope to defeat the army Warlord Kai has amassed in the Wastelands."
Dijana reluctantly moved away from Larya and after a regretful glance at Guillem and Valter who were helplessly watching her and Chaela who lay unmoving on the floor, she went to Staefyn.
"The gods favor Taeron," she told him. "You would be a fool to believe otherwise."
He smiled enigmatically. "I am counting on the gods."