room and stopped. Her father lay very still in an immense bed staring out the window. For a moment he simply stared, then slowly turned to face her. Ryan swallowed hard.
Outwardly he had not changed. His handsome face was youthful and unlined, with perhaps just a touch more gray at the temples of his jet black hair. But the exhaustion in his dark eyes brought a fierce ache to Ryan’s throat. In an instance she was on her knees at his side, clasping his hand to her cheek.
He gazed down at his golden-haired child, caressing her cheekbone. He placed his fingers beneath her chin, tipping her head up so she would look at him.
“I am going to have to go away for awhile.”
Ryan closed her eyes, the words creating an agony within her that no physical pain could match. She clasped his hand so tightly it would have crushed normal bone. Victor held her hand just as tightly.
“We have been apart before.”
Ryan shook her head violently. “No, not like this. Even when I thought you were dead by my hand, part of me knew you were still here. But,” she shook her head, having difficulty with the words, “I feel you slipping away right now. And I don’t know where you are going, or if you will return.”
Victor managed a tired smile. “My leaving will give you strength. But I will come back for you, little one. If I can. In fact,” he said with emphasis, “I have a feeling you will bring me back.”
Ryan shook her head, “I have caused this, I know that I have. You never recovered from my violence.”
Victor leaned back on his pillow. “I should not have kept so many secrets from you. I did it to protect you, and now there is no time to tell you what you need to know.”
Ryan’s jaw clenched and unclenched, the ache in her throat unbearable. Impossibly, a tear began to roll down her cheek.
Victor touched the tiny drop of water in wonder. “You truly are capable of anything.”
“I am capable of nothing,” Ryan whispered in anguish, “I cannot stop this thing.”
Victor again leaned back into his pillow, exhausted. “Perhaps you are not meant to stop it.”
Ryan again leaned forward, grasping his hand. “You see the future,” she said with insistence, “I know that you do.”
Victor turned to his progeny and smiled. “Perhaps.”
Ryan clenched his hand even closer. “Then tell me what you see. Tell me that you will come out the other side of this.”
Victor closed his eyes. “It is not clear. The future never is.”
The answer increased Ryan’s anguish, if that was possible. Victor opened his eyes again and reached over, toying with a tendril of her hair. His gesture was playful, but his words were deadly serious.
“You must trust no one, Ryan. No one except yourself. And that you must do absolutely.”
Ryan pressed his hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. “I don’t understand. What is it that I must do?”
“The Others, those sitting on the Grand Council. You are going to have to,” Victor paused, as if the thought pained him, “You are going to have to get very close to them.”
Ryan was taken aback, knowing what he was asking her to do. “I cannot.” She shook her head at the thought, “I cannot do that.”
Victor was firm. “My power has always been my ability to resist desire. Yours,” he said, nodding to where her powerful heart sat mute, “Might be in giving in to it.”
Ryan started to pull away from him but he grasped her hands firmly, and once again his grip was steel. His eyes burned into her. “No one can dance on the edge of death like you can, Ryan. No one. But there is only one way for the Others to learn that lesson.”
Ryan swallowed hard. She could not hold his gaze and looked down, but Victor grasped her chin and forced her to look up.
“You will be King, Ryan,” Victor said softly, firmly, “It is your fate, and your destiny.”
Ryan shook her head violently. “You are my King. You always will be.”
Victor smiled and leaned back into his pillow, his
Outwardly he had not changed. His handsome face was youthful and unlined, with perhaps just a touch more gray at the temples of his jet black hair. But the exhaustion in his dark eyes brought a fierce ache to Ryan’s throat. In an instance she was on her knees at his side, clasping his hand to her cheek.
He gazed down at his golden-haired child, caressing her cheekbone. He placed his fingers beneath her chin, tipping her head up so she would look at him.
“I am going to have to go away for awhile.”
Ryan closed her eyes, the words creating an agony within her that no physical pain could match. She clasped his hand so tightly it would have crushed normal bone. Victor held her hand just as tightly.
“We have been apart before.”
Ryan shook her head violently. “No, not like this. Even when I thought you were dead by my hand, part of me knew you were still here. But,” she shook her head, having difficulty with the words, “I feel you slipping away right now. And I don’t know where you are going, or if you will return.”
Victor managed a tired smile. “My leaving will give you strength. But I will come back for you, little one. If I can. In fact,” he said with emphasis, “I have a feeling you will bring me back.”
Ryan shook her head, “I have caused this, I know that I have. You never recovered from my violence.”
Victor leaned back on his pillow. “I should not have kept so many secrets from you. I did it to protect you, and now there is no time to tell you what you need to know.”
Ryan’s jaw clenched and unclenched, the ache in her throat unbearable. Impossibly, a tear began to roll down her cheek.
Victor touched the tiny drop of water in wonder. “You truly are capable of anything.”
“I am capable of nothing,” Ryan whispered in anguish, “I cannot stop this thing.”
Victor again leaned back into his pillow, exhausted. “Perhaps you are not meant to stop it.”
Ryan again leaned forward, grasping his hand. “You see the future,” she said with insistence, “I know that you do.”
Victor turned to his progeny and smiled. “Perhaps.”
Ryan clenched his hand even closer. “Then tell me what you see. Tell me that you will come out the other side of this.”
Victor closed his eyes. “It is not clear. The future never is.”
The answer increased Ryan’s anguish, if that was possible. Victor opened his eyes again and reached over, toying with a tendril of her hair. His gesture was playful, but his words were deadly serious.
“You must trust no one, Ryan. No one except yourself. And that you must do absolutely.”
Ryan pressed his hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. “I don’t understand. What is it that I must do?”
“The Others, those sitting on the Grand Council. You are going to have to,” Victor paused, as if the thought pained him, “You are going to have to get very close to them.”
Ryan was taken aback, knowing what he was asking her to do. “I cannot.” She shook her head at the thought, “I cannot do that.”
Victor was firm. “My power has always been my ability to resist desire. Yours,” he said, nodding to where her powerful heart sat mute, “Might be in giving in to it.”
Ryan started to pull away from him but he grasped her hands firmly, and once again his grip was steel. His eyes burned into her. “No one can dance on the edge of death like you can, Ryan. No one. But there is only one way for the Others to learn that lesson.”
Ryan swallowed hard. She could not hold his gaze and looked down, but Victor grasped her chin and forced her to look up.
“You will be King, Ryan,” Victor said softly, firmly, “It is your fate, and your destiny.”
Ryan shook her head violently. “You are my King. You always will be.”
Victor smiled and leaned back into his pillow, his
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