“Why what?” her mother asked.

Lara briefly explained.

“And that touched a chord in you, as well?” Ilona inquired.

“Aye, it did,” Lara responded.

“Then I must go with you to Kaliq,” Ilona said. “Your memories must be restored. If we do not those memories may attempt to rebuild themselves and do you harm.”

“I promised Magnus that I would only remain away a few hours,” Lara said.

“Go home then,” her mother advised. “This can wait another day. Tell Magnus that you are going to visit Kaliq with me because we wish to discuss Dillon’s schooling next year. That I have decided to involve myself in my grandson’s education, but that you need to set everything in advance so I cannot overrule your wishes,” Ilona said with a wicked smile.

“That at least will be true,” Lara replied and Ilona laughed. Then, before Lara, the shining tunnel opened again and she could see the lamp she had left flickering in her hidden chamber. She arose, as did the queen. Lara kissed her mother’s cheeks. “Thank you,” she told her. “Sometimes I think of my father keeping us apart when I was a child and I grow angry at him again, but it was meant to be, wasn’t it?”

Ilona nodded. “When you are ready to leave, call my name, Daughter. The tunnel will open for you and at its end will be the Great Corridor of Shunnar. I will meet you there.” She returned Lara’s kisses, then giving her a little push watched her depart, the tunnel closing behind her as she went until no trace of it remained. Then the queen of the Forest Faeries said, “Well, Kaliq, we have no choice. We must return Lara’s memories of her time with Kol to her and hope she is strong enough to bear the burden.”

The prince stepped forth from the shadows where he had been standing and listening. “Did you know Swiftsword had faerie blood in him?” he asked her.

Ilona shook her head in the negative. “I did not. Now I must look in the Faerie Record to learn how far back it is. It will not appear in any of his sons, for their mother is pure mortal I am certain. She is too dull and Hetarian to be otherwise.”

“What, Ilona, is that jealousy I hear in your voice?” Kaliq asked wickedly.

She gave him a scathing look. “I was young, beautiful and eager to couple with a mortal. He was handsome and vigorous. I am still young and beautiful. He is older and dull. You know as well as I do, Kaliq, that that is how it is with a mortal-faerie affair. I had been chosen to have this daughter with a preordained destiny. John had a rustic charm and I knew his fate. He was the right father for Lara. But while I loved him then, I have not loved him in years. Now let me consult the Faerie Record to learn how Swiftsword gained faerie blood that even he did not know about.” The queen of the Forest Faeries called a serving maid to fetch what she required. Then she and Kaliq sat and waited.

The Faerie Record finally arrived, brought into Ilona’s chamber by six sturdy faerie serving men. It was an enormous volume bound in gilt-covered leather, hinged in silver gilt, its cover decorated in multicolored gemstones and pearls. It was set upon a golden platform to which four silver and gold wheels were attached. The queen arose, dismissing the servants as she did. Then she walked over to the great book and commanded the platform to lower itself so she might more easily peruse the record.

“How far back does it go?” Kaliq asked her, curious.

“Before time as mortals document it,” Ilona answered. “Even the Peris in your family are here.” Then she looked at the book and said, “Lara, daughter of Ilona, granddaughter of Maeve. Show me the line of descent through her father, Swiftsword.”

Slowly the book opened and the pages began to fly past until finally they stopped. Kaliq came to stand by Ilona’s side to view what the Faerie Record revealed. What they saw made Ilona laugh aloud and Kaliq cocked his head questioningly.

“Swiftsword’s grandmother was my great-uncle Rufin’s lover briefly. She bore a son she believed was her husband’s, Swiftsword’s father,” Ilona said laughing. “That is where Swiftsword got his natural ability with the blade, for my great-uncle was famed among the faerie world for his skills with that weapon. How fascinating that Lara’s blood on both her mother and her father’s side comes from my family, the royal family of the Forest,” the queen remarked. “In a mortal, the blood weakens with each passing generation. But faerie blood strengthens with each new line born. Perhaps one of Swiftsword’s sons will have a talent after all. I will have to watch them.”

“Then you believe Lara can bear the burden of knowing her time in the Dark Lands as Kol’s mate,” Kaliq said quietly.

“Close now,” Ilona said to the book which quickly shut itself. “She believes she can, but I still fret that perhaps it is her curiosity that drives her on, my prince. You must question her carefully tomorrow when we meet at Shunnar.” Ilona sighed. “I wish we could have put a mortal woman into Kol’s eye, but no mortal could have created the two from the one.”

“I am disturbed that he is able to reach out to her even with her memories hidden away,” the prince said thoughtfully. “Without those memories she is better protected.”

Ilona reached out and took Kaliq’s hand in hers, squeezing it gently. “You cannot always protect her,” she told him softly. “She must tread her own path. And she still has more to do before her destiny is completely fulfilled.”

His look was anguished. “So much responsibility upon such delicate shoulders,” hesaid. “I do not know how she bears it, Ilona.”

“She bears it because she is my daughter,” the queen answered. “Because she is faerie. More faerie than even we knew, Kaliq. And we will always be here to aid her when she needs us. Always!”

He nodded. “Aye, we will,” he agreed. Then he shook himself. “I must return to Shunnar. I will await your coming tomorrow.” And turning, he was gone into the shadows of the queen’s chamber.

Ilona sat alone for a long time. Lara was strong. But the memories she demanded were going to pain her deeply. And she would have to keep them secret from her beloved Magnus. That, the queen knew, would be the hardest thing of all for her daughter. But then Ilona suddenly knew that her grandson, Dillon, would be there for his mother as he always was. He would sense her pain and comfort her. And she would be there. They would not allow Lara to suffer from the forbidden knowledge she was about to receive. There was too much more for her to do.

12

MAGNUS HAUK WAS PLEASED when his wife returned from visiting her mother in a relatively short time. He was not pleased when she told him that evening during their family meal that she would be leaving them again on the morrow.

“I am going to Shunnar and will be away overnight,” Lara said.

“Why?” he demanded, his look dark.

“Because the time has come to discuss Dillon’s future schooling with Kaliq. My mother wishes to be there and I will not have her making decisions for my son that I should be making. It is important to me, so I do not wish to rush back as I did today. Had I not promised you I would return immediately, my mother and I would have gone to Shunnar from her palace in the Forest, but I always keep my promises to you, Magnus. Do I not?” She gave him a sweet smile.

He glowered at her in return. “Can this not wait until another time? What is the rush? It is another year before Dillon leaves us, Lara.”

“Why must you make this so difficult, my lord?” Lara countered cleverly, totally ignoring his questions. “I know how fond you have become of my son, and he of you, but Dillon has magic in him and it must be fostered properly. Kaliq wishes to discuss the program for Dillon’s first year because there are things I will have to instruct him in before he goes. It will not only be Master Bashkar teaching my son in his autumn term. I must teach him, as well.”

The Dominus sighed irritably. “I cannot forbid you,” he groused.

“Oh, you could try,” Lara teased him, attempting to help him regain his good humor. She chucked him beneath his chin. “But I know you love me enough that you will not.” Leaning forward she kissed him lightly on his lips. “You may never understand me, Magnus, my love, but I know I can be certain of your affection.”

“You are wheedling me,” he said, but his lips were twitching with their urge to smile. “One night, Lara. And I want you sleeping in the same chamber as your mother.”

She laughed aloud at that. “As if I should be unfaithful to you, my dear lord.”

“May I come to Shunnar with you, Mother?” Dillon asked eagerly, leaning forward.

“If he gets to go, then I should, too. And Zagiri,” Anoush piped up.

“None of you are going,” Lara told them. “I go to discuss your brother’s future, Anoush. And if I am correct, none of you has a school holiday. I will be gone one night.”

Her children looked disappointed, but said nothing further on the matter.

When the next morning came Lara went to her private chamber and called her mother’s name thrice. Immediately the shimmering golden tunnel opened before her. At its end she could see the columns and balustrade of the Grand Corridor in Kaliq’s palace. She stepped through into the tunnel and walked its length. When she had traversed the passage she stepped out into the wide corridor, and the heat of the desert surrounded her.

“Lara.” Her mother stepped forth from another glistening tunnel.

Lara hurried forward to greet her parent and as they embraced, Kaliq appeared in his pure white robes to welcome them.

“Your mother has told me why you have come,” he said quietly. “Let us go into my private garden where we may take refreshments and speak together.” He led them from the Grand Corridor, through a hallway that was familiar to Lara. The prince’s private garden was pleasant, and silent servants brought refreshments, frine and sweet faerie cakes iced in pink sugar icing. Settling themselves, they partook of the sweets but Lara could hardly contain herself. Finally she could no longer make polite conversation.

“My mother has told me of how you and she manipulated the memories of all when you retrieved me from the Dark Lands. But now, Kaliq, I need to have my memories restored. This Twilight Lord is reaching out for me and I cannot fight him without a complete knowledge of what happened. You cannot fully protect me now. My poor mind seeks to reconstruct those months. I need the truth, not whatever this Kol may implant in my brain in order to regain my person.”

“Those memories can only make you unhappy, Lara. And you must keep them from your husband. That will not be an easy thing, my love,” the prince told her.

“You treat me like a child, Kaliq,” Lara told him angrily. “I am not a child. I understand you allowing Kol to take me and to mate me. Your plan to cause chaos in the Dark Lands was clever and no mere mortal could have accomplished it. But you had no right to steal my memories of the time I had to spend with this Twilight Lord.”

“I have sealed him up in his castle,” Kaliq said. “I have taken away his reflecting bowls. You are safe from him.”

“Nay, I am not,” Lara replied. “He draws me to the Dream Plain and calls my name. And you cannot make him cease for the Dream Plain heeds the laws of neither the mortal nor the magical world. I cannot fight the Twilight Lord if I do not know what happened while I was in his charge,” Lara repeated. “Return my memories to me, Kaliq!”

“The pain may do you irreparable harm,” he pleaded with her.

Lara looked at him with a stony-eyed gaze.

“Very well,” he said, resigned. “I must call the Munin lord to do this for while I have kept your memories, I need his aid in restoring them to you. You will have to sleep, Lara. It will not hurt you if you are sleeping when it is done.”

“But it will hurt when I awaken, won’t it?” Lara replied.

He nodded, his deep blue eyes agonized.

“Do it!” she commanded him.

Reaching into his robes Kaliq drew forth a small vial and after uncorking it poured a stream of pale-gold liquid into Lara’s half-empty goblet of frine. “Take it across the gardens to the chamber that is always yours,” he told her. “When you drink it you will instantly sleep and you will sleep until I awaken you. I will not allow you to rest yourself for too long a time. Your mother and I will need time when you awaken to help you come to terms with what happened to you. I cannot allow you to return to Magnus Hauk until you are at peace with yourself, my love.”

Lara nodded. “I understand, Kaliq, and I am grateful for your care of me in this matter.” Then picking up the goblet she stood and walked across the gardens into her bedchamber.