"I know you," he smiled down at me, and his smile stopped my heart. "My mother is Conner, who is also the Guardian. You have met my father—he is Barrigar, Graegar's Protector. They are both mated to my mother."
"She's so lucky," I sniffled, turning away so he wouldn't see the tears falling.
"Little rose," he turned my face back to him with a large, blue finger. "The bloom is on your cheeks, my pretty one. I thought you would never come to me."
Chapter 12
"Other races can be reborn as Larentii, although it seldom happens." Conner set a cup of hot tea before me. Connegar, her very tall Larentii son, sat beside me at the island in Conner's kitchen, a large blue hand on my back to steady me. Conner's southern accent belied what I'd heard of her before, but then I hadn't seen the Guardian, either. She was beautiful, with long, pale blonde hair clipped back from her face and blue eyes that studied me with a worried frown. I'd fainted when Connegar repeated René's final words to me, so he'd taken me immediately to his mother. Together, they'd gotten me conscious again and Conner made tea for me.
"Mother can see who anyone was before, in their former lives. But I, having many of her talents, can also see this," Connegar smiled gently at me. "I held back from coming to you before, as you were upset and confused about the others. They only want your love and attention, and fail to see it is overwhelming you."
"I told Merrill he should have kept his mouth shut," Conner grumbled, sitting next to me with her own cup of tea. I almost smiled—Conner had a soft, southern accent, and it was such a contradiction to the Power clouding about her.
"I was born in Atlanta," Conner laughed at my thoughts. "Shane was my best friend and next door neighbor. When I was made Saa Thalarr, I couldn't leave him behind, so he came along as my healer. And then Franklin showed up, and well, you can guess the rest." Conner sipped her tea. I was beginning to like her—very much.
"Connegar and I have been swapping mindspeech ever since you came back from the dead," Conner grinned. "And he named himself after me. Most Larentii do that—name themselves after their mothers. Renegar, well, Kiarra's name was Renée, before she came over. So Ren took that name. The other would have been a nightmare to pronounce if you stuck gar on the end of it." Conner snorted delicately.
I laughed. I couldn't help it. Conner smiled into her cup of tea. Connegar rumbled a laugh beside me.
"Now, why didn't you send mindspeech and tell us you were here?" Franklin, Shane and Tomas folded into the kitchen. Shane, in true, old-style Greg fashion, had his hands on his hips and lifted an eyebrow at me. "Conner Louella Francis, you could have said something."
"Don't you three-name me, Shane Patrick Taylor," Conner shook a finger at Shane. I slapped a hand over my mouth to stop the giggles.
"Look who's here." Russell and Will walked in. "Lissa, it's been a while." Russell leaned in between Conner and me and pecked me on the cheek. Then he gave Conner a huge kiss.
"Lissa's responsible for that print of dogs playing pool in my billiard room," Russell rubbed noses with Conner before pulling away.
"Well, now I know who to blame," Conner swatted at Russell.
"He deserved it—Russell gave a perfectly good Monet to Wlodek because he didn't like it," I said in my defense.
"Is that what happened? Russell William Farleigh, your ass is in trouble now."
"Oh, she's using three names. I'm leaving," Will teased. I was now laughing out loud.
This happens often, Connegar whispered in my mind. It is quite amusing.
I like it, I sent back.
I am happy to hear your laugh, little rose.
"Connegar, why don't you take Lissa somewhere while I have a talk with Russell about expensive artwork," Conner smiled. "Lissa, don't let those old vampires bother you. Or just kick their ass. They'll learn quickly enough not to mess with you."
"I'll consider it," I nodded to Conner. She surprised me by giving me a hug, and then Connegar folded me away.
"Where is this?" I stared about us—we stood in a high meadow somewhere, while grazing animals bleated all around us.
"The Larentii homeworld," Connegar sat down in the grass and pulled me in his lap. "These are Falaca," he nodded toward the animals. They were wooly creatures, resembling a melding of sheep and llama. They also came in many colors, from black to white to a blue gray. "We make much of our clothing from their wool," Connegar wrapped long blue arms around me, and rested his chin atop my head. "We only use natural fibers, and no dye. And we kill nothing in the manufacturing of our garb. It is the way it has always been with the Larentii."
"Really?" I leaned aside to look up at him. His sky-blue eyes were amused at my question.
"Little rose, you have no idea how much I love you. So I must show you. Larentii seldom do this, but in this case it is warranted and deserved." I was about to ask him what was warranted and deserved, when it hit me. There isn't any way to describe it to someone who's never felt it. Light formed around us and I was drowning in love. That's the closest I can come to a decent description. I not only breathed love in; it soaked into every pore. And then the trilling came. Kyler explained to me later that the trilling is something the Larentii do for their mates. It is the most restful, intrinsically resonant sound in the universe, and soothes the soul. And just as it was intended to do, it put me right to sleep.
* * *
"Come on, lazybones," Drake and Drew were sitting on the side of my bed, trying to wake me. Drake was rubbing the base of my thumb gently with his. "Connegar sent mindspeech last night to tell us you were with him, and to let you sleep late this morning."
"I want to sleep some more," I mumbled, turning over on my side to face the twins. I had to; Drake still had my hand.
"No, little firefly. You have to wake, now. We'll dress you if you're not up to it. You need breakfast. We finished sparring with Dad and Uncle Crane two hours ago."
"Firefly?" I opened one of my eyes to stare skeptically at Drake.
"Karzac's good at handing out nicknames. He's calling you firefly."
"Uh-huh." I slapped my free hand over my face.
"He calls Mom ladybug."
"What's with the insect names?" I flopped over on my back and pulled my hand away to stare at the ceiling. It was slowly coming into focus.
"Karzac says you're the one nobody can see unless you flash your light and power briefly and when you do that, everybody has to sit back and stare in amazement."