no other way. I've promised Niral to do everything I can to rescue you."
"Thank you, Garrett. You have honor. Few at court do."
I sat in the far corner, giving her as much privacy as the small space would allow. "We prisoners should stick together."
She didn't smile at my feeble attempt to make her feel comfortable. Instead her expression turned dark. "Because I am of impure blood, I am considered a mongrel, passed to her favorites so they may play with me as they like. Some want sex, others prefer to see me humiliated, others to hear me scream. I've never disappointed any of them." She wiped another lonely tear from her face. "Is Charles like his father? Like Lord Kennet?"
The question surprised me. "Charlie's almost as tall, and he has an incredibly strong mind. Is that what you meant?"
She was silent for a few moments. "He is not cruel?"
"No. He's a healer, a trait inherited from my mate. His nature is compassionate."
She nodded solemnly. "When he arrives, they will train him to be like Kennet. They will force him to torture and kill."
I shivered at the thought. Eleanor had done the same to me. But then I thought of my love, positive that her ferocious protective instincts would prevail. "I am certain the queen and her court will never meet my son."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I was shown into the room by Aislin, who greeted me warmly and then dissolved with only whisper of a breeze left behind. Caelen and I nodded our own greetings, but the atmosphere remained cool. There had been other talks of this nature between Lord Caelen and myself. I hoped that I could find a way to allay his fears.
"Thank you for taking the time out to speak with me, Lord Caelen."
He indicated that I should sit with a nod toward the chair across from his. "I've grown fond of your family." His voice wasn't particularly warm.
"You've been a father to Garrett for over a century. He loves and respects you as do I."
"Do you?" He arched an eyebrow. "Garrett normally listens to my advice."
I hesitated. "Garrett's older and sees certain situations differently than I do. In this case, I believe he would have encouraged me to send Charlie to the DR."
"I disagree."
I took a slow breath to calm my nerves. "Your advice and opinion are always welcome. However the fact remains that I'm Charlie's mother and Garrett's lifemate, and I put those allegiances above all others. Fionna and her fae soldiers can't travel to the Demon Realm. Charlie is safer there than anywhere else."
"You don't trust us to keep him safe?" His eyes were hard with anger. This was the key. He felt I didn't trust him or his people with my child's safety, a bash to their communal ego. The Cascade fae had welcomed him into their hearts with every visit. They loved him as a young child and also as a young adult. I couldn't let Lord Caelen think that I wasn't aware of their generosity.
Yet there was also a certain tidbit of information dropped into my lap by a long-dead twin that continued to weigh on my mind. She'd told me that the fae intended to help Charlie win the war and then strip him of his demon magic, leaving him fae and cheetah, a combination they could easily accept if he chose to live in Faerie. Bridgett had also revealed that Isaiah was the one who'd discovered the truth. When I'd confronted him about it eleven years ago, he'd laughed, telling me he'd never heard of an instance where that had occurred. Permanently blocking a part of someone's magic would be like tearing out a lung, leaving the victim unable to function at well, perhaps even bringing death.
For Charlie's sake, he continued to search through arcane tomes for the answer. I hadn't as yet mentioned it to anyone else. Looking at Caelen's expression, I sensed that this wasn't the time to bring it up.
I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I desperately needed a good night's rest, although I dreaded crawling into bed without Garrett there to hold me. Maybe I can sleep in a guest room tonight. "I would send him to you
"Thank you, Garrett. You have honor. Few at court do."
I sat in the far corner, giving her as much privacy as the small space would allow. "We prisoners should stick together."
She didn't smile at my feeble attempt to make her feel comfortable. Instead her expression turned dark. "Because I am of impure blood, I am considered a mongrel, passed to her favorites so they may play with me as they like. Some want sex, others prefer to see me humiliated, others to hear me scream. I've never disappointed any of them." She wiped another lonely tear from her face. "Is Charles like his father? Like Lord Kennet?"
The question surprised me. "Charlie's almost as tall, and he has an incredibly strong mind. Is that what you meant?"
She was silent for a few moments. "He is not cruel?"
"No. He's a healer, a trait inherited from my mate. His nature is compassionate."
She nodded solemnly. "When he arrives, they will train him to be like Kennet. They will force him to torture and kill."
I shivered at the thought. Eleanor had done the same to me. But then I thought of my love, positive that her ferocious protective instincts would prevail. "I am certain the queen and her court will never meet my son."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I was shown into the room by Aislin, who greeted me warmly and then dissolved with only whisper of a breeze left behind. Caelen and I nodded our own greetings, but the atmosphere remained cool. There had been other talks of this nature between Lord Caelen and myself. I hoped that I could find a way to allay his fears.
"Thank you for taking the time out to speak with me, Lord Caelen."
He indicated that I should sit with a nod toward the chair across from his. "I've grown fond of your family." His voice wasn't particularly warm.
"You've been a father to Garrett for over a century. He loves and respects you as do I."
"Do you?" He arched an eyebrow. "Garrett normally listens to my advice."
I hesitated. "Garrett's older and sees certain situations differently than I do. In this case, I believe he would have encouraged me to send Charlie to the DR."
"I disagree."
I took a slow breath to calm my nerves. "Your advice and opinion are always welcome. However the fact remains that I'm Charlie's mother and Garrett's lifemate, and I put those allegiances above all others. Fionna and her fae soldiers can't travel to the Demon Realm. Charlie is safer there than anywhere else."
"You don't trust us to keep him safe?" His eyes were hard with anger. This was the key. He felt I didn't trust him or his people with my child's safety, a bash to their communal ego. The Cascade fae had welcomed him into their hearts with every visit. They loved him as a young child and also as a young adult. I couldn't let Lord Caelen think that I wasn't aware of their generosity.
Yet there was also a certain tidbit of information dropped into my lap by a long-dead twin that continued to weigh on my mind. She'd told me that the fae intended to help Charlie win the war and then strip him of his demon magic, leaving him fae and cheetah, a combination they could easily accept if he chose to live in Faerie. Bridgett had also revealed that Isaiah was the one who'd discovered the truth. When I'd confronted him about it eleven years ago, he'd laughed, telling me he'd never heard of an instance where that had occurred. Permanently blocking a part of someone's magic would be like tearing out a lung, leaving the victim unable to function at well, perhaps even bringing death.
For Charlie's sake, he continued to search through arcane tomes for the answer. I hadn't as yet mentioned it to anyone else. Looking at Caelen's expression, I sensed that this wasn't the time to bring it up.
I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I desperately needed a good night's rest, although I dreaded crawling into bed without Garrett there to hold me. Maybe I can sleep in a guest room tonight. "I would send him to you
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