"I know this. Stop worrying. It can't be good for the baby."
"Of all the times to get pregnant," I grumped. "I can't even use any power now, or Karzac will have a conniption."
"It could harm the child. You know this."
"Yeah, don't remind me."
Chapter 13
"Master Morwin, what are you doing?"
"Writing a history, young one." Morwin's bushy, red eyebrows wiggled as he smiled at Trik. Trik had arrived early for lessons, only to find his new tutor tapping away on a comp-vid.
"A history?"
"Yes. I have published many during my long life."
"Really? Have I read any of them?"
"I do not know what books may be in your grandfather's library, so I cannot say. If you are interested, I can copy something onto your comp-vid."
"I'd like that. I like to read," Trik replied.
"I know that about you already," Morwin nodded. "This history concerns the Green Fae after they came to live on Le-Ath Veronis. Very little is known and less is written about them prior to that event. I fear that the race may be dwindling, and had they been allowed, they might have mingled with and offered their gifts to the Vionnu while they were still there. As it is," Morwin tapped the end of a sentence and dropped his comp-vid in a drawer, "they were chased from Vionn by a terrible, renegade religion. Vionn will suffer as a result, I think."
"So you believe that every action sends out ripples and affects everything it touches? I read that in a philosophy book," Trik said.
"Yes. I am more than four hundred years old and have already seen much of this during my life. It seems that the more lives the initial action affects, the more ripples are sent out. Now, have you a report for me?" Morwin lifted a long, thick, reddish eyebrow, making Trik want to snicker.
* * *
Lissa's Journal
"Cheedas?" Oluwa had brought his newest turn to the palace, because Cheedas insisted on seeing me. I'd been reading reports at my desk that morning, but I lifted my head as Heathe ushered visitors into my study.
"Raona, what do you think?" Cheedas smiled and held out his arms. He was taller, now, his skin a shade or two darker than it was before and the silver had disappeared from straight, dark hair.
"Cheedas, I missed you," I rose and walked toward him quickly, wrapping my arms about his waist.
"Oluwa tells me that a child is on the way," Cheedas murmured against my hair as he embraced me. "I feel like a grandfather."
"You will be a grandfather," I pulled away and smiled at him. He was happy; Oluwa was obviously treating him very well.
"Oluwa says I may visit with your young ones soon—I hear they were asking about me."
"Every day," I nodded. "Have you fed already?"
"My sire has seen to that. We are on our way to visit Casimir—I will learn the bite today."
"Thank you Oluwa, for this," I grasped one of Oluwa's large hands and squeezed.
"My Queen, it was my pleasure, and I could not ask for a better child." Oluwa smiled broadly, his white teeth a contrast against very dark skin.
"I am sorry to leave the kitchen, but I cannot countenance regular food, now," Cheedas sighed.
"Honey, we'll fix that someday, after Oluwa has taught you everything he knows."
"Will you? Will I be able to walk in sunlight again, Raona?"
"If that's what you want," I nodded.
"I do. I promise to do my best for my sire, so I may deserve this."
"I believe," Oluwa grinned, "that the Queen's love for you might have something to do with it."
"Papa Cheedas, you've always been there for me," I hugged him again. "I'll be there for you, when the time comes."
* * *
"He's at the winery with Roff," Tory whispered as he, Ry and Trik shut the door to their suite after lessons. "We know you're really smart, Trik, so we want you to help with this."
"Help with what?" Trik allowed the compliment to wash over him—nobody had bothered to compliment him before he'd come to Le-Ath Veronis. Coming from Tory, the compliment meant a lot.
"Toff. Well, actually, Toff's father." Ry flopped onto Tory's bed. "Tory overheard Mom saying that Toff's father is still alive. Toff thinks he's dead. We want to find out who Toff's father is and if he's a big criminal or something, and that's why they won't tell him." Ry drew his knees up and stared at Tory's ceiling. "Bro, how did you get chocolate sauce on your chandelier?"
"It was your fault," Tory grumped. "You left that rubber lizard under my pillow."
"You tossed perfectly good chocolate sauce at the ceiling over a rubber lizard?" Trik snickered. He was having fun—a foreign concept to him until recently.
"He squealed like a little girl, too," Ry chuckled.
"I can make you squeal," Tory went after Ry.
After several minutes of unproductive wrestling, during which neither Ry nor Tory emerged as the winner while Trik laughed, both boys settled in the floor in front of Trik's motorized chair to discuss the topic of Toff's father.
"What do we have, information-wise?" Trik asked.
"Well, I heard Mom say she'd tell Toff his father was still alive when she thought he was ready," Tory offered.
"And she told Toff already that she knew him and his father when Toff was two, but his father was in an accident. She didn't explain the accident, so Toff thinks his dad is dead," Ry added.
"Uncle Roff said Toff would be a Winged Vampire someday," Tory turned to Ry, his eyes wide. "Remember? On the day Cheedas was turned? Roff was trying to calm Toff down and he told him that."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot all about that," Ry whispered. "Good job, bro." Ry punched his brother's shoulder affectionately.
"How many Winged Vampires are there? Does it run in families or just show up randomly?" Trik asked, his green eyes curious as his gaze wandered from Tory to Ry.
"Winged Vampires are rare, and it only runs in families," Ry breathed, searching pockets for his mini comp-vid. "Look—the stuff is right here," he showed the comp-vid screen to his brother. "Only two comesuli families are Infilathi."
"Infilathi?" Trik accepted the comp-vid from Tory and studied the screen.
"Look—he's using his hand!" Ry crowed. Trik lifted his eyes triumphantly and grinned. His right hand, once withered and useless, now appeared normal and was growing stronger every day. He held the comp-vid easily while he tapped the information he wanted with his left index finger. "Oh, here it is—it means winged ones in the High Demon language. And it does say that there are only two families who are Infilathi." He turned the comp-vid around for Tory and Ry to see. Trik loved using comp-vids—he had a universe of information at his command, without having to struggle to lift heavy books or take them from shelves too high for him to reach.