"You wanted to know what bothered me, didn't you?" I took Kevis' hand as we walked through the audience chamber of the old palace. "Here," I pointed to a sooty spot on the floor. "This is what haunted me. Still does, somewhat."
"What?" Kevis turned his green-gold eyes on me.
"After Nedrizif sent his Greater Demons against me, I had no choice but to burn them to death against my scales," I sighed, staring at the ground. "But when the one who'd named himself the Greater Demon King saw that his Demons had no effect, he sent all that he controlled against me, including Zendeval," I nodded at Zen, who'd come with us.
"I saw him running toward me, so I held the fire back for only a blink to knock him away, then brought it to bear again. Another ran right into my left leg and burned to death in an instant. This is where my friend Bel died." I knelt on the stone floor and ran fingers through dark soot that had once been a trusted colleague. Aurelius drew in a breath. "I felt so much guilt. Blamed myself for so much. Was responsible for so much. I'd saved one of my captors and killed one of my friends." Kevis knelt beside me as I wiped tears away.
"But," I sniffled, "when Connegar came to get me, and took me to the place where this world connects to the next, I saw several people. My father was one of them. Addah Desh was another, and then I saw my mother and Lendevik Lith, Glinda's father. But last of all, and hardest of all—Bel came through. I could barely see him, I was crying so hard. He came and lifted me up.
'Do you think I blame you, Reah?' he asked. 'I do not. I had no mind left by that time, and my death was a mercy. Even if you had saved me, I would never have been whole in my mind. Now, I will come again, and soon. I will be born to you, Reah. This is promised to me. I will be your son and the heir to the King of Karathia.'" Ry drew in a breath when I made that announcement. "And we won't bother with middle names," I said, wiping more tears away. "Bel Erland Morphis will be born in two years and he and Garwin Wyatt will grow up together."
"Is this it, then?" Kevis came and pulled me against him. "Please tell me this is all. I have held back from touching you like I wanted for a long time."
"This is it," I said. "Except for the deep-seated anger I have against the Crown on Kifirin. Belen says to leave things as they are with my daughters, because to try to change things now will confuse and upset them. He says that Kifirin owes me a great debt, as do Jayd, Glinda and Garde. He says these debts may never be discharged, and I have to live with that. So, Kevis, you may have to listen to me for a while yet. But you can do it in bed if you want."
"I will be happy to listen to you, in bed or out," he smiled and gave me a warm kiss.
* * *
Pheligar can perform weddings. I didn't know that. He performed mine. I looked across a very crowded room and smiled at Renegar, who stood beside his mother and both his mates, Grace and Devin. Nefrigar was quite proud that his nephew was a Nameless One. I stood before Pheligar, who was smiling while every man who wanted to marry me stood in a semicircle around us. I was smiling, too. At all of them—Aurelius, Teeg, Lendill, Nefrigar, Rylend, Lok, Astralan, Corolan, Kevis, Zendeval, Tory, Edward, Farzi and Nenzi. Garwin Wyatt slept peacefully in Lissa's arms as Pheligar began the ceremony.
The End