“We have more to concern us than Sidra foreseeing your plans,” Alexandria said. “Judah has done the unthinkable.”
Pure fear gripped Cael. He hated the fact that his brother could evoke such terror in him. “What has he done?”
“He has revoked an ancient decree. Judah signed the nullification proclamation. Claude and Bartholomew acted as witnesses.”
“Which decree was overturned?”
“The one declaring that any mixed-breed child would be put to death.”
“Why would Judah…?” The child, the child. She could be our downfall.
“What it is?” Alexandria asked. “What do you know?”
Cael grasped Alexandria’s arm and yanked her to him. Eye to eye with her, he growled. “Such a child undoubtedly exists. And for Judah to revoke a decree issued thousands of years ago, this child must be very special to him.”
“Are you implying that Judah has fathered a Raintree woman’s child?”
Cael snarled. “Not just any Raintree woman, but a Raintree princess. Mercy Raintree has a daughter named Eve, a little girl with extraordinary power.”
Wednesday Morning, 1:49 a.m.
Mercy debated her options. Try to handle the situation alone. Contact Dante and tell him the truth about Eve’s paternity. Trust Judah to protect Eve.
If only she had another choice.
But whatever decision she made, it needed to be made soon. No later than tomorrow morning.
Sidonia knocked before entering the study. She paused several feet away from where Mercy stood in front of the fireplace, staring up at Ancelin’s sword.
“Eve is finally asleep,” Sidonia said. “It’s time you were in bed, too. You need rest.”
“I can’t rest until I decide what to do.”
“Call Dante.”
“As much as I dread the thought of confessing my sins to my big brother, I may have no other choice.”
“He’ll be angry. No doubt about that. He’ll want to hunt down Judah Ansara and kill him,” Sidonia said. “Is that what’s stopping you? You don’t want Dante to kill Judah?”
Mercy snapped around and glared at Sidonia. “It’s possible that Judah could kill Dante.”
“That’s hardly likely. You know as well as I do that Dante has not only his own unique individual powers, but he possesses the abilities inherent in all Dranirs. Judah would be no match for him.”
“We don’t know what powers Judah possesses, but they must be very great for Eve to be endowed with such incredible abilities.”
Sidonia walked over to the desk and picked up the telephone. “Call Dante. Do it now.”
Mercy stared at the phone, a war of uncertainty being waged inside her.
The study door burst open. Wearing her pink footed pajamas, Eve bounded into the room, wide-awake and all smiles. She ran to Mercy, grabbed her hand and said, “Come on. Let’s go.”
“Go where?” Mercy asked.
“To the front door to meet him. My daddy’s coming. I let him in.”
NINE
“Judah is…?”
“Come on. He’s almost here.” Eve tugged on Mercy’s hand.
“Bar that black devil from this house,” Sidonia said.
Ignoring Sidonia’s warning, Mercy went with Eve out into the hallway that led to the foyer. Sidonia followed, grumbling her fears aloud.
Just as they reached the foyer, Eve waved her little hand and the front door whooshed open. Judah Ansara, hand raised to knock, was standing on the front porch. Surrounded by darkness, with only moonlight illuminating his silhouette, he did indeed look like the black devil Sidonia had professed him to be.
“Daddy!” Eve cried as she released Mercy’s hand and ran straight to her father.
Judah stepped over the threshold, the night wind entering with him, his long hair slightly disheveled, his gaze riveted to his daughter. Without hesitation, he dropped the suitcase he held, swept Eve up into his arms and kicked the door closed behind him.
Eve wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I knew you’d come back. I knew you would.”
Mercy watched in awed fascination at the exchange between father and daughter. Even without her empathic abilities, she would have been able to see the bond that had already begun forming between them. And knowing she was powerless to stop what was happening frightened her.
Eve’s words echoed inside Mercy’s head. I was born for the Ansara.
Unable to completely ignore Sidonia’s constant mumbling, Mercy turned, gave the old nanny a withering glare and telepathically told her to hush. Sidonia glowered at Mercy and shook her head, but she reluctantly quieted before shuffling off and making her way slowly up the stairs.
Mercy took several tentative steps toward Judah. As if only then aware of Mercy’s presence, he adjusted Eve so that she rested on his hip and looked at Mercy.
She couldn’t explain her feelings, not even to herself. She despised Judah, and resented his presence here at the sanctuary and in her daughter’s life. But at the same time, the very fact that he was here reassured her that he cared about Eve, that he was ready to help her protect their child. Their gazes locked for a brief instant; then Judah refocused on his daughter.
“I want you to promise me something,” he said to Eve.
“What do you want me to promise?”
“Promise me that until I tell you it’s all right, you won’t use your mind to speak with anyone except your mother and me.”
With her arms clinging about Judah’s neck, Eve pulled back, cocked her head to one side and looked directly into her father’s eyes. “He’s a bad man, isn’t he, Daddy? He wants to hurt us.”
“Yes, he’s a bad man.” Judah frowned. “Now, give me your promise that-”
“I promise,” Eve said.
As easily as that, she had agreed to do as Judah requested. Mercy sighed inwardly, fearing that Eve would never question her father’s orders.
Judah set Eve on her feet. She grabbed his hand. He glanced down at her and smiled. “It’s late. You should be in bed asleep.”
“I was,” Eve said. “But when I heard you calling to me, I woke up and let you in. That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?”
Judah grunted. “Yes, it’s what I wanted. But now I want you to go upstairs and hop back into bed.” He glanced at Mercy. “Your mother and I have things we need to talk about.”
“I want a promise, too. I want you to promise me that you won’t fuss.” Eve looked from one parent to the other. “Be nice, okay?.”
“I’ll be as nice to Mercy as she is to me,” Judah said.
Eve smiled triumphantly, then eyed Judah’s suitcase. “You’ll be here in the morning when I get up, won’t you?”
“I’ll be here.”
Eve bounced up the stairs, a bundle of happy energy.
Once Mercy and Judah were alone, she said, “I’ll arrange for you to stay in one of the cabins.”
“No, I’ll stay here in the house.” He approached her so quickly that she had no time to react until he grasped her upper arm. “I need to be close to Eve…and to you.”
Mercy’s heartbeat accelerated. He’s a master charmer, she reminded herself. He would say whatever he thought she wanted to hear in order to get what he wanted. And she could never let herself forget for one moment that what he wanted was Eve.
“You can’t stay here for very long.” She forced herself to maintain eye contact, to prove to him that she wasn’t afraid of him, that he had no emotional hold on her simply because she had given birth to his child. “Keeping your presence here a secret will be impossible for more than a day or two. There are other Raintree visiting the sanctuary. More than half the cottages are filled. Whatever you need to do to protect Eve from your brother, do it quickly and then leave.”
“I’m afraid things are more complicated than that.”
Mercy eyed him suspiciously.
Tightening his hold on her arm, he said, “You have every right to be afraid.”