Fyne Sisters - The Star Witch Part 27

Behind her, Lucan mumbled, "I could not have fallen in love with an only child. No, that would be much too simple and ordinary and easy."

"If you love me, then you must love my sisters, too."

"I did not say I would not love them," Lucan said in a louder voice. "I only made the observation that they are not simple or ordinary or easy."

"Neither am I."

"No." He took her hand, as he had often through the night. "You are none of those things."

She threaded her fingers through Lucan's. Her small hand felt at home enveloped by his larger, more

muscled hand. With him behind and beside her, she felt safer than she ever had before. Nothing but danger and uncertainty awaited them in the days to come, and yet she was not afraid. "What if we never have easy?" she asked as she lifted her face to the wind and dancing fingers of lightning whipped across

the sky.

"Then we will make our happiness surrounded by all that is difficult. If we can do that, then when easy comes, we will have no worries."

No worries. It was a nice idea, but at the moment she could see nothing but worries.

THERE WAS A moment of tension when Juliet's soldiers and Arik's rebels met, but Juliet quickly commanded truce, and there was truce. Isadora still had a difficult time understanding how and why her sister had changed-and then there were those moments when she looked at Juliet and realized that in many ways the middle Fyne sister had not changed at all.

Sophie was easy to find. Dawn lit the camp, which had been ravaged by wind. The lightning storm continued, and at last the rain began, falling slowly but in fat drops that plopped on the ground and the soldiers and the sisters. "There." Juliet pointed-a gesture that was unnecessary-to a large tent in the middle of the campsite. A ray of unnatural light rose from the tent, and it was from that ray of light that the storm originated.

Like the rebels, the Anwyn soldiers and Lucan hung back, keeping their distance. Juliet and Isadora fought the wind and rain to run to the tent.

Inside the tent, Sophie was screaming vile words to her beloved husband, and Kane looked as if he were about to pa.s.s out on his feet. Apparently it had been a long night for both of them.

Kane's head whipped around as he heard them enter. Isadora had not thought the man would ever be relieved to see his wife's sisters, but at the moment that's what she saw on his face: relief. "I don't know why or how you're here," he said, "but thank the heavens." He studied Juliet carefully, noting the changes in her appearance, and his forehead wrinkled with a frown. There was no time for explanations. Not now. "I thought I could do this on my own, but I need your help."

The contraction ended, and Sophie lifted her head wearily. She even smiled, though it was certainly not her best effort. "You're here! Both of you!" The raindrops that had been pelting the tent gentled, and the wind died down substantially. Kane seemed to breathe more normally.

Isadora gave the weary man a glare. "You may wait outside with the other men."

Kane backed away from Sophie, but he did not leave the tent. "I'm not going anywhere. I need your help, and I'm grateful that you've come, but I'm not running away now." He moved to give the women room to hover around Sophie, but he did not leave, and Isadora did not try to force him from the tent. If he'd survived Sophie's labor so far, he deserved to stay.

The delivery of the new baby was near. Poor Sophie; she had never been one to endure suffering with grace, and she had experienced a rough night.

"I thought I would never see either of you again," she said, tears making her eyes glow. She studied Isadora's ragged gown and Juliet's gold eyes, and shook her head. "We have much to discuss, once we see this little girl into the world."

"Yes, we do," Juliet said. Her eyes and even her manner might have changed, but her amiable voice had not.

"I'm going to name her Lucinda," Sophie said with a touch of anger in her voice. "Kane doesn't like the name, but she was our mother, and if I'm the one who has to go through this ordeal, I should be able to name the baby whatever I want, right?"

"Of course, dear," Kane answered.

During the next contraction, Sophie screamed. In answer, thunder cracked close by and lightning added

illumination to the tent. Kane shuddered, and Isadora knew that he had suffered each pain along with Sophie during the long night.

"If I could have taken the pain for her, I would have," he said when the scream stopped.

"Don't be silly," Sophie said breathlessly.

"I love you," Kane answered.

"I love you, too, but at the moment I cannot imagine that I will ever allow you to touch me again."

Since Kane appeared to be distressed, Isadora turned to him and mouthed, "She doesn't mean it."

"I do mean it!" Sophie responded, even though she had not been able to see Isadora's mouth. That said,

she relaxed. "But I will probably change my mind in the very near future." She looked Juliet in the eye.

"It's time," she said. "The baby is coming now."

As if the child had been waiting for her aunts to arrive, the delivery progressed quickly. Kane held Sophie's hand and offered words of encouragement, while Juliet and Isadora tended to the delivery of the child.

"Head," Juliet said, as the baby crowned. "Oh, what a pretty baby. Lucinda has a little tuft of dark hair."

"Dark?" Sophie said as she caught her breath.

"My mother had dark hair." Kane squeezed Sophie's hand as the next contraction began.

"Push," Juliet ordered, and Sophie obeyed. "Head," she said as the child was born. "Shoulders,

arms..." And then Juliet held the new baby in her arms.

"p.e.n.i.s," Isadora added in wonder. "Lucinda has a p.e.n.i.s."

Sophie and Kane both reacted sharply, heads popping up.

"A son?" Kane asked.

"Fyne women do not have sons," Sophie said. "There must be a mistake."

Juliet held the baby high so both parents could see. The naked child squalled, cold in his new

environment, so Juliet wrapped the baby snugly in a blanket and handed him to his mother.

With the birth of Sophie and Kane's child the rain stopped with amazing suddenness. The howling wind

died abruptly. There was no more thunder or lightning. As Sophie held her son, a bright and warm sun shone down upon the tent, and their world.

The new parents studied their baby with wonder, peeking at his little face beyond the blanket and smiling

at one another widely. For the moment, at least, revolutions and emperors and curses were forgotten.

"We certainly cannot name him Lucinda," Sophie said. "I have no idea what to name a boy! I never evenconsidered names for a son, since I thought it was impossible."A chill walked up and down Isadora's back. Impossible.

"Do you mind if we name him Duran?" Kane asked. "For my brother."

Sophie nodded. "I like that name very well." She looked down at the baby. "Duran. The name suits him, I think."

Soon Sophie put the baby Duran to her breast, and instinctively he knew to latch on. "I wonder if we will have more sons or if all our other children will be girls?" Sophie asked, completely disregarding curses and war for this moment.

"I thought you weren't going to let me touch you ever again."

"Don't be silly. I didn't mean it, and you know that very well." Sophie glanced to Juliet. "I suspect Juliet could tell me. She's much stronger than she was when last we saw her."

Kane shook his head. "I don't want to know everything the future holds. We will be surprised next time, like all other parents."

There would not be a next time if the curse wasn't broken, but Isadora felt a ray of warm hope in her heart.

One.

SEBESTYEN LEANED OVER the cradle where his firstborn son, Jahn, the next emperor of Columbyana, slept. He was growing so fast! The other one was growing, too. They had both been very small in the beginning, but he saw changes in them every day. It was a miracle either of them had survived, let alone both.

It struck him that all the miracles in his life concerned Liane and these babies. There were certainly no miracles to be had in the ruling of this country. Those closest to the emperor tried to protect him from unpleasantness, but he saw the truth. Sentinels deserted every day. The guard at the palace was always on alert, but was not what it had once been.

Arik had not yet marched on the palace, and already he was winning.

The baby woke, and the nurse in the corner stirred as if to see to him. Sebestyen shooed the woman away, and she retreated into the corner where she had been standing and watching, and waiting for him to depart. He reached into the cradle and lifted the child. Jahn was so light, and yet he was st.u.r.dy. His eyes were bright and seemed to see everything, though the women and the priests all said babies of this age could see little or nothing with any clarity. Still, when his son looked at him, he felt as if the child saw.

The baby cooed as Sebestyen cradled him to his chest, and one little hand reached for him.

In an instant before the small hand made contact, Sebestyen had a flash of understanding. All those years he had hidden from the sun, he'd been a fool. This was the touch that would signal the end. The touch of his son. The son, the firstborn who was destined to be emperor.

There was time to move away, to catch that little arm and push it aside before the damage was done, but Sebestyen just stood there and let the small, soft hand fall on his cheek. It was a gentle, loving, innocent touch, and for all the world he would not rob himself of this moment. Was there any touch more pure and soft than that of a child? Surely not. And when that touch came from one's own child, a miracle of life, it was surely a sign that at least in some small way, all was right with the world.

The door to the room burst open, and Father Merryl ran inside. Sebestyen had not seen the old man move so briskly in more than a decade.

"They are coming," the old man said. "Dear Lord above, from all sides they come."

"Who?" Sebestyen asked, but his sinking heart knew.

"Rebels from the east, Tryfyn warriors from the west. A band of half-clad warriors I cannot identify from the north, and a rebellious contingent of our own soldiers from the south."

He did not even feign surprise. "Then it is over."

Father Merryl shook his head. "No. We have time to get out, if we hurry." He looked at the nursemaid who had been seeing to the basic needs of the baby in Sebestyen's arms. "Pack what the child will need for at least three days." He dismissed the woman as she quickly went about her ch.o.r.e. "We will disguise you as a servant, my lord, and together we'll make our escape through the hidden stairs. But we must leave quickly."

"How long before the rebels arrive?"

"Soon. We have just enough time to get you and the heir to safety."

"No." With the baby in his arms, Sebestyen rushed from the room.

"Where are you going!" Father Merryl shouted. "You and the child must be saved if there is to be an answer to the revolt! We don't have the troop strength and the support now, but with time-"

"There will be no revolt," Sebestyen shouted. "Arik can have the palace and all that comes with it."

Father Merryl chased Sebestyen into the hallway. "You don't know what you're saying. I can't allow you to give up everything!" The old man grabbed at Sebestyen's crimson robe and held fast.

Sebestyen turned and pushed the old man away. Father Merryl lost his balance and his grip and fell to the floor. "Align yourself with Arik, old man. Maybe he'll allow you to get your parasitic hands on him. Then again, maybe he will see through you, as I did not. I should have thrown you in Level Thirteen years ago." With that he ran... down the hallway, to the storeroom where the entrance to the hidden stairways was located, and down to the third floor. The child in his arms squirmed and mewled as Sebestyen hastened down the narrow, spiraling staircase. "Don't worry, Jahn. Don't cry. You're going to see your mother."

If the prophesy was right, there would be no saving himself, but he would get his family to safety before the palace was invaded.

JULIET'S SOLDIERS PROVIDED a distraction so that Isadora and Lucan could slip into the palace unnoticed. The guards near the entrance were so completely surprised by the large men who wore so little and carried large, sharp spears, they allowed themselves to be blinded.

Once she and Lucan were safely inside the palace, the Anwyn would retreat; that was the plan.

Thank heavens Juliet had found her before she and Lucan had returned to the palace! Not only did her soldiers provide a safe way in, she'd also provided much-needed information. Not everything, never everything. But enough to make the task easier.

Both babies lived. They and their mother all resided in the palace, still, and they were all physically well. Liane was on Level Three. Juliet had not known of the Levels, but she had seen the empress surrounded by many women in blue, and she said the scent of sensuality was always in the air in this decadent place. Definitely Level Three.