have gained this day?"
"I am sadder, Grandmother, but I am wiser," Marzina answered. "Now I will work harder to overcome my sire's heritage."
Lara hugged the young faerie woman. "There is far more of the light in you than there is dark," she said. "But one thing, Marzina. Kolgrim does not know the truth of your heritage. If he learns it, he will attempt to turn you to him. He is very charming and very persuasive. But he is far more wicked than his father ever was. Be warned."
"I hope she will listen to you now as she never listened to me," Ilona said irritably.
Lara shot her mother a fierce look, and seeing it, the Queen of the Forest Faeries laughed aloud. "It is not funny, Mother," Lara said.
"Oh, but it is, my darling," Ilona said. "You have at long last perfected my look of disapproval and righteous indignation. You did it quite well, Lara."
Now Marzina giggled and Kaliq began to chuckle. Even Lara smiled as she saw the humor in her mother's words. The worst was over for now. Marzina knew the terrible truth of her birth, but with constant reassurance and love she would recover and be all the stronger, Lara was certain. Kaliq's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Marzina, your mother and I would like you to make your home with us," he said.
"But I am a Forest Faerie," Marzina began, then she stopped. "I don't think I know where I belong now," she admitted.
"You belong with your mother for now," Kaliq told her. "You belong in the light and sun of our desert."
"I need to be alone with this," Marzina said frankly.
Ilona looked worried at her granddaughter's words. This had to have been a terrible shock for Marzina, but it was true that she needed time to come to terms with it.
"I have the perfect place," Lara said with a smile.
"She should come back to the forest with me," Ilona insisted.
"Nay," Lara said. "She should be allowed the privilege of my own special place." Lara looked to Kaliq, who smiled and nodded.
"Aye, 'tis perfect, my love," he agreed.
"Where is that, Mother?" Marzina wanted to know.
"Zeroun," Lara told her.
"That isolated oasis?" Ilona said. "It's hot and sandy. Nay, Marzina needs the cool green forests to restore her spirit!"
"I think it is Marzina who must decide," Kaliq said. His eyes met Lara's and she nodded imperceptibly. Kaliq then caught Marzina's hand, and they disappeared.
Ilona stamped her foot irritably. "How like Kaliq to do something like that! Are you certain you can trust Marzina alone with him?" she said wickedly. "I am going home since my presence obviously isn't required here." And the Queen of the Forest Faeries was gone in a puff of royal-purple mist.
Lara laughed ruefully. How like her mother to say something hurtful when she couldn't get her own way. Unlike her grandmother, Marzina rarely made the same mistake twice. Lara reclined upon a couch and watched the rising moons of Hetar as about her the night birds sang softly, and the night blooms perfumed the warm air. She sensed Kaliq's return before he actually appeared by her side, joining her on the couch.
"She loves it and will remain for a few days," he said, dropping a kiss upon Lara's bare shoulder. "I've put a spell on the oasis so no one will find it while she is there."
Lara began to cry softly. "I didn't want her ever to know, Kaliq. I didn't want her to learn about Kol, or her brothers. And now I am afraid if she learns the truth, Kolgrim may very well learn it, too."
"Kolgrim will be too busy taking a bride and impregnating her with his son," Kaliq said.
"We know nothing until we have gone to the Dark Lands ourselves," Lara replied. "What we think we know is but whispers upon the wind. Tomorrow. We must go tomorrow, Kaliq. And there is only one way we will learn what we need to know. I will have to ask my son myself."
"He could lie to you," Kaliq reminded her.
"Aye, he could," Lara agreed, "but he has his father's ego and pride. He cannot resist sharing his cleverness with me. If I ask him, he will tell
"I am sadder, Grandmother, but I am wiser," Marzina answered. "Now I will work harder to overcome my sire's heritage."
Lara hugged the young faerie woman. "There is far more of the light in you than there is dark," she said. "But one thing, Marzina. Kolgrim does not know the truth of your heritage. If he learns it, he will attempt to turn you to him. He is very charming and very persuasive. But he is far more wicked than his father ever was. Be warned."
"I hope she will listen to you now as she never listened to me," Ilona said irritably.
Lara shot her mother a fierce look, and seeing it, the Queen of the Forest Faeries laughed aloud. "It is not funny, Mother," Lara said.
"Oh, but it is, my darling," Ilona said. "You have at long last perfected my look of disapproval and righteous indignation. You did it quite well, Lara."
Now Marzina giggled and Kaliq began to chuckle. Even Lara smiled as she saw the humor in her mother's words. The worst was over for now. Marzina knew the terrible truth of her birth, but with constant reassurance and love she would recover and be all the stronger, Lara was certain. Kaliq's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Marzina, your mother and I would like you to make your home with us," he said.
"But I am a Forest Faerie," Marzina began, then she stopped. "I don't think I know where I belong now," she admitted.
"You belong with your mother for now," Kaliq told her. "You belong in the light and sun of our desert."
"I need to be alone with this," Marzina said frankly.
Ilona looked worried at her granddaughter's words. This had to have been a terrible shock for Marzina, but it was true that she needed time to come to terms with it.
"I have the perfect place," Lara said with a smile.
"She should come back to the forest with me," Ilona insisted.
"Nay," Lara said. "She should be allowed the privilege of my own special place." Lara looked to Kaliq, who smiled and nodded.
"Aye, 'tis perfect, my love," he agreed.
"Where is that, Mother?" Marzina wanted to know.
"Zeroun," Lara told her.
"That isolated oasis?" Ilona said. "It's hot and sandy. Nay, Marzina needs the cool green forests to restore her spirit!"
"I think it is Marzina who must decide," Kaliq said. His eyes met Lara's and she nodded imperceptibly. Kaliq then caught Marzina's hand, and they disappeared.
Ilona stamped her foot irritably. "How like Kaliq to do something like that! Are you certain you can trust Marzina alone with him?" she said wickedly. "I am going home since my presence obviously isn't required here." And the Queen of the Forest Faeries was gone in a puff of royal-purple mist.
Lara laughed ruefully. How like her mother to say something hurtful when she couldn't get her own way. Unlike her grandmother, Marzina rarely made the same mistake twice. Lara reclined upon a couch and watched the rising moons of Hetar as about her the night birds sang softly, and the night blooms perfumed the warm air. She sensed Kaliq's return before he actually appeared by her side, joining her on the couch.
"She loves it and will remain for a few days," he said, dropping a kiss upon Lara's bare shoulder. "I've put a spell on the oasis so no one will find it while she is there."
Lara began to cry softly. "I didn't want her ever to know, Kaliq. I didn't want her to learn about Kol, or her brothers. And now I am afraid if she learns the truth, Kolgrim may very well learn it, too."
"Kolgrim will be too busy taking a bride and impregnating her with his son," Kaliq said.
"We know nothing until we have gone to the Dark Lands ourselves," Lara replied. "What we think we know is but whispers upon the wind. Tomorrow. We must go tomorrow, Kaliq. And there is only one way we will learn what we need to know. I will have to ask my son myself."
"He could lie to you," Kaliq reminded her.
"Aye, he could," Lara agreed, "but he has his father's ego and pride. He cannot resist sharing his cleverness with me. If I ask him, he will tell
Similar Books
