“Do you remember when I was poisoned and Jaenelle did the healing that saved me?” Karla asked.

Daemon shuddered. He had assisted Jaenelle during that healing. “I remember.”

“When a Territory’s stability depends on the strength of its Queen, the Queen cannot afford to appear fragile. Cannot afford to be fragile. Injured, yes, but not susceptible to things like cold winters. I wasn’t going to hide the damaged legs or the need for a cane or the wheeled chair, but the rest of the damage the poisons had done to me? That was a secret between Jaenelle and me. She tried to teach me the particular healing brew and spell that helped me stay as healthy as I could be. I could get close to what she made, but not quite close enough. Every six months, when we’d gather, she would make that brew and weave the healing spell she combined with it. And I could take care of my people for a while longer.”

Lucivar huffed. “No one knew?”

“Not even Gabrielle, and she was the other side of the Golden Triangle.”

The Golden Triangle had been Saetan’s term for Jaenelle, Karla, and Gabrielle—the three Queens who were also natural Healers and natural Black Widows. The only witches in Kaeleer with the triple gift.

“The last Winsol we celebrated together, Jaenelle gave me a pretty container that held pieces of clear Jewels.” Karla smiled. “She told me she wouldn’t be able to do complex healing spells much longer, but these would be enough. When there were two left, it would be time to put my affairs in order. It would be time to decide what I wanted to do when I made the transition to demon-dead.”

“All of the First Circle had made the transition before I . . . before Saetan became a whisper in the Darkness,” Daemon said. “I often wondered how all of you seemed to know and were ready.” He took a step back. “Thank you for your assistance, Lady.”

Lucivar watched Daemon walk away, then turned back to Karla. “Did everyone who mattered receive a last gift?”

“I’m sure they did. But not every gift was stored in a piece of clear Jewel, Lucivar, and some won’t appear until they’re truly needed.”

If Marian recovered, that was the only gift he needed. Jaenelle probably knew that too. But Daemon? Was his daughter the last gift, or was there another one waiting for him? And what would be the trigger that would indicate the gift was truly needed?

 

* * *

 

* * *

Jillian opened the glass doors that led to the snow-covered lawn and outside play area and breathed in the fresh air. The eyrie felt stuffy, or maybe it was the additional psychic scents and so much emotion that had her wishing she could locate one of those cleansing spells Marian used after Prince Yaslana slipped into the rut and spent a few days doing nothing but having sex with his wife. Afterward, you could almost taste the sex in the air.

This wasn’t the same, but the . . . swamp . . . of feelings made her a bit ill. She didn’t want to tell Yaslana about her reaction to whatever was going on with the adults, but maybe Manny would know a similar cleansing spell.

Until she could talk to Manny, cold fresh air would have to do.

Prince Sadi had treated her like an adult this morning. Like a woman instead of a girl. She understood the danger of thinking his actions were anything other than the courtesy he would offer any woman, but this morning, she’d seen him as a man. Beautiful, intelligent, powerful. Educated.

She’d been aware of him in a way that made her tingle. That, in itself, wasn’t dangerous as long as she kept thoughts and feelings to herself. He was married, and a married Warlord Prince didn’t welcome invitations from anyone who wasn’t his wife—would, in fact, defend his marriage vows with a savagery no other caste of male could match.

That didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy his attention, couldn’t talk to him about books and other things that were of interest to her and of no interest to Eyrien males.

Why couldn’t she find someone like Prince Sadi? Maybe someday. Right now her education wasn’t sufficient to hold the interest of a man like him.

“Where is everyone?”

Jillian smiled at Lady Surreal as the Gray-Jeweled witch walked into the front room. Educated, sophisticated, beautiful. Knowledgeable about so many things, including how to use a knife. Just the sort of woman who could be the wife of a powerful Warlord Prince like Sadi.

“Daemonar is in the playroom with Titian. Tersa is sitting with Lady Marian, and Manny is feeding baby Andulvar. Prince Yaslana and Prince Sadi went to the Keep to find out about the healing spell that Daemonar found. Well, he found the container for the spell, but it sounds like Marian will be all right once the spell is completed.”

Looking at the tight way the other witch held herself, Jillian wondered if Surreal had quarreled with Prince Sadi. She hadn’t been around for breakfast. Maybe her moontime was approaching and she wasn’t feeling well?

“Would you like me to make some fresh coffee? Or some tea?” Jillian asked. “There is plenty of food. I can heat something for you.”

Surreal hesitated, then said, “Thank you. Would you like to join me?”

Before Jillian could reply, the front door opened and Yaslana and Sadi walked in.

“Did you find out anything?” Surreal asked.

“Healing spell,” Sadi replied, removing his winter coat and hanging it on the coat-tree near the door. “A powerful one. Marian will wake once the spell has completed its work.”

“But you don’t know what it’s doing or who made it?”

“We don’t know what it’s doing,” Lucivar said. Using Craft, he removed his heavy wool cape, handed it to Daemon, then fanned his dark, membranous wings to clear the snow off them.

Jillian bit her tongue to keep the scold behind her teeth.

Lucivar looked at her. “I’ll wipe up the floor in a minute.”

“I didn’t say anything,” she replied.

He huffed out a laugh. “You didn’t have to, witchling. You learned that look from Marian.”

She studied the men. Relaxed now. Conserving their strength while they waited for the next battle, whatever it might be.

“Coffee?” she asked.

Sadi smiled at her. “That would be welcome.”

“I could heat up some food.” Jillian was painfully aware of Yaslana’s sudden stillness, so she was also aware of the moment he let go of some weight he’d been carrying since Marian fell into this mysterious healing.

“Yeah,” Lucivar said quietly. “Yeah, I could do with some food now.”

Feeling like she’d suddenly flown into stormy air over jagged rocks, Jillian hurried to the kitchen, leaving the adults to sort things out for themselves.