“Having my child changed you,” Judah said. “Giving birth to Eve increased your powers. You, too, are more than Raintree, aren’t you?”

“No, I am not-”

“Quiet!” Judah issued the order in a commanding manner. “Control your tongue and your thoughts.”

“Why? Tell me-what are you so afraid of? Is this enemy of yours powerful enough to threaten your very life?”

Judah ruled the Ansara, his power unequaled by any other, not even his half brother. He, not Cael, was the superior, the mightiest of all Ansara, but he could control his brother only to a certain extent and only for brief periods of time. Cael was at this very moment fighting the spell that had quieted his telepathic abilities. His fiendish curses were bombarding Judah, who knew he could not deal with Mercy Raintree and Cael Ansara at the same time. Both were powerful creatures, each his enemy.

Cael’s thoughts converged into a jumbled mass of hysteria and rage, but as he fought Judah ’s spell, he revealed more of his inner self than he realized. Cael was determined to escalate the impending war, the final Ansara and Raintree battle, and he had set events into motion that could not be stopped.

Judah ’s head pounded with the knowledge of his brother’s treachery-not only against himself but against the entire tribe. The Ansara were not ready for the final battle. Not yet. If Cael forced them to fight now, they could be defeated. And this time, they could not count on the Raintrees’ benevolence. Two hundred years ago the Raintree had allowed a handful of Ansara to live, one the youngest daughter of the old Dranir. It was through her-Dranira Melisande-that the royal bloodline had survived.

“ Judah?” Mercy called his name again.

“Silence!”

Do not issue me orders, she told him telepathically.

If you wish to keep your child safe, protect not only your spoken words but your thoughts, Judah warned her.

She stared at him but said nothing. Then he felt a shield lift between them. Even if Mercy knew nothing of Cael, she understood that someone-other than Judah -posed a threat to Eve.

FOUR

“That beast is not staying the night here at the sanctuary,” Sidonia said vehemently. “You cannot allow it.”

“He is staying,” Mercy replied. “Until we can decide how best to protect Eve.”

Sidonia grabbed Mercy’s arm. “He’s the one you need to protect her from. He is an Ansara, the vilest creature on earth. Pure evil.”

“Hush up,” Mercy warned.

“I don’t care if he hears me.” Scrunching her wrinkled face into a frown, Sidonia spat on the floor.

“I don’t want Eve to hear you. She knows Judah is her father.”

“Poor little lamb.” Sidonia adored Eve, would do anything for her, but she feared for the child because of her father’s blood. She vigilantly watched for signs of the struggle between good and evil within Eve.

Mercy sighed heavily. “ Judah will not go away meekly, and I’m afraid that I can’t force him to leave, not as long as Eve wishes him to stay. You understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, I understand only too well-the father’s and daughter’s combined powers are greater than yours. And because Eve’s powers are untrained, she could be dangerous without meaning to be.”

Mercy nodded, then lowered her voice to a whisper. “ Judah is concerned about a man who’s his enemy, someone who isn’t a Raintree, a man who would kill Eve if he knew of her existence. I don’t know who this man is, but I’m certain he is another Ansara.”

“We should have wiped their kind from the face of the earth two hundred years ago when we had the chance. Old Dranir Dante made a deadly mistake in allowing even a handful of Ansara to live.”

“All that is ancient history.”

“Humph.” Sidonia glared at Mercy. “Why did Judah Ansara come here? And why were you with him tonight?”

“I don’t know why he came to North Carolina. And as for my being with him-I don’t remember everything, only that someone tried to kill me, and Judah saved me.”

“Why would an Ansara save a Raintree’s life?” Sidonia eyed her suspiciously. “You haven’t had any contact with him since you conceived Eve, have you?”

“Of course not!”

“Hmm…There is more to this than meets the eye. I think you should contact Dante and tell him that an Ansara has shown up here at the sanctuary, that he was able to cross the boundaries of protection.”

“Dante will want to know how that was possible.”

“I’m sure he will.”

“I can’t tell him that it might have been because of Eve… because she’s half Ansara.”

“You have to do what is necessary,” Sidonia told Mercy.

“It’s for me to decide what that is.”

“That Ansara poses a threat to all of us, all who are Raintree.”

“ Judah poses a threat to no one but Eve,” Mercy said. “He’s a single Ansara, one man. What could he possibly do to harm our entire clan?”

“Call Dante.”

“No.”

“It’s past time that you told your brothers the truth about Eve.”

“No. And you won’t call Dante. Do you hear me?

Sidonia nodded. “This man tricked you once, took you to his bed and gave you his child. Don’t let him fool you again.”

“I didn’t know he was Ansara then. Now I do.”

“Seven years ago, he wanted your virginity. Now he wants something far more precious. He wants your child.”

“She’s his child, too, as much as I wish she were not.”

“I believe he knew about Eve before he came here,” Sidonia said. “It’s the only explanation for him coming to you after all these years. Is it possible that somehow subconsciously you…?”

“No! I’ve shielded myself from Judah, just as I have shielded Eve.”

“You did not shield either of you when you were giving birth to Eve. You wanted him there with you. You kept calling for him.”

Mercy glanced away, then turned her back on Sidonia.

Sidonia walked up beside Mercy and draped her thin arm around Mercy’s shoulders. “I did my best to protect you and your child that night, because you couldn’t. And if for any reason you cannot protect the two of you from him now, you must allow me to contact Dante.”

“Please, go to bed and get some sleep. I need to be alone. I need time to think.”

Sidonia patted Mercy on the back with tender affection. She had no children of her own and loved the royal siblings as if they were her grandchildren. As much as she loved Dante and Gideon, Mercy had always been her favorite. She had been a beautiful child. with the disposition of an angel. Even as a little girl, she had possessed a heart filled with goodness and kindness. And by the age of six-the age Eve was now-Mercy’s abilities as an empath had been evident.

“I’ll do as you ask,” Sidonia said. “But be careful. You can’t allow your heart to rule your head.”

She left Mercy alone. But she didn’t go to her room. Instead, she checked on Eve. The little princess lay in her antique canopy bed, her golden curls shimmering against the white embroidered pillowcase, highlighted by moonbeams streaming through the windows. Asleep, Eve was all innocence. Awake, she was a delightful little imp.

Mischievousness is not evil, Sidonia reminded herself.

My precious darling. You must be protected. Your mother would die to keep you safe. And so would I. We have safeguarded the secret of your paternity since you were born, praying that neither you nor your father would ever learn the truth. But now that both of you know, now that Judah Ansara has come to claim you, I fear not only for your safety, but for the safety of our people. And your mother seems to have a peculiar weakness for this Ansara man that makes her vulnerable to him.

Sidonia touched the sleeping child’s cheek as she recalled the night Eve was born. Mercy had requested that no one other than Sidonia be present, acquiring a pledge of complete secrecy from Sidonia before she went into labor.