How dare you freeze my telepathic powers? Cael bellowed. You had no right!

No, brother, how dare you try to usurp my authority and send Greynell to kill Mercy Raintree?

Greynell was like so many of our young warriors-he grew tired of waiting to confront the Raintree. If you do not strike soon, they will think you a weak leader, an old woman.

You have incited the young warriors, knowing we are not ready to do battle with the Raintree, Judah said. Your actions border on treason. Be careful that you don’t force me to kill you.

Silence.

Judah felt his brother probing, trying to lock on to Judah ’s thoughts. Instantly he shut Cael out. He allowed no one inside his mind, least of all a man intent upon stealing his birthright. Cael would never be satisfied until he was crowned Dranir. And Judah would never allow such an atrocity to happen. His brother would lead their people to sure and certain annihilation.

We have much to discuss, many decisions to be made. When will you return home? Cael asked, breaking the silence.

In my own good time, Judah replied, then blocked Cael, shutting him off completely, ending their telepathic conversation.

This trip to North Carolina to stop Greynell from killing Mercy and thwart Cael’s machinations had not turned out as Judah had planned. He had intended to slip in and out unnoticed, leaving Mercy without any memory of his visit. But Eve’s existence complicated matters.

At present, he had enough trouble without having to concern himself with a child. Keeping Cael in line had become a full-time job. And the recent attempt on his own life had cemented his brother’s fate as far as Judah was concerned. He had no doubt that Cael had been behind the botched assassination. As the Ansara Dranir, it was not only his right but his duty to protect the monarchy from a toxic force such as Cael.

He should return to Terrebonne first thing in the morning. The longer he stayed away, the more chaos Cael would create.

But what about Eve?

Mercy had protected her for six years, and she would continue to protect her. No one other than the two of them-and the old nanny-knew that Eve was as much Ansara as she was Raintree.

Eve knew.

Who would protect Eve from herself?

It was only a matter of time before she would be able to override her mother’s protective spells, if she so chose. And if Eve were to try to contact him, what would happen? If she were to send out vibes into the universe, there was no way to know who might intercept them.

If Cael knew of Eve’s existence…he would use her against Judah.

It was at that moment Judah realized he did not want any harm to come to his daughter. Having a child made him vulnerable.

The very thought of having any weakness enraged him. But he could not turn back the clock. He could not prevent Eve’s conception.

The possessive elements in his nature claimed Eve as a part of him, an Ansara, to be cared for, nurtured, trained properly, and protected at all costs. His daughter was not simply Ansara and Raintree-she was the heir to two royal bloodlines, a fact he must keep hidden. If Mercy had any idea that the Ansara had grown in strength and numbers, that they were ruled by a Dranir as powerful as her brother Dante, she would realize the danger his clan posed to hers.

When the time was right and the Raintree were vanquished, Eve would take her rightful place as an Ansara princess. In the meantime, he would leave her with Mercy. But before he left them, he had to make sure they were safe.

Yes, they, both mother and daughter.

Until he dealt with Cael and could be assured Eve would be safe with his people, he needed Mercy to protect their child. Once he had eliminated his brother and overturned the ancient decree to kill all half-breed children, he would take what was his.

But how could he take Eve from Mercy without killing Mercy and bringing down the wrath of hell from Dante and Gideon?

A question not easily answered, if there was an answer.

Whenever he was restless, whenever trouble weighed heavily on his shoulders, Judah would walk. Sometimes for miles. He needed the cool night air more than ever now, to clear his head and help him devise a plan before morning.

Cael threw open the doors that led outside to the deck of his beachfront home, the rage he had felt at his brother reduced to bitterness. Judah was proud and arrogant, secure in his position as Dranir. The beloved son. The chosen one.

Anger simmered a few degrees below boiling inside Cael, just enough to create rumbles of distant thunder, but not strong enough to bring lightning down or spark blazing fires.

Judah ’s days were numbered. Cael had spent the past few years gradually injecting the seeds of anarchy into the bloodstream of the Ansara clan. At least half the young warriors were ready for battle, eager to prove themselves. But only a handful were loyal to Cael. Judah possessed a mighty hold over the tribe.

Stripping off his robe, Cael walked down from the deck and onto the beach, then straight into the ocean. He and the water became one. Powerful beyond measure. Primeval. A force to be reckoned with. With each stroke he went farther and farther out into the sea. Fearless. Reckless.

And then he paused and willed his body to float, gliding along with the current, as much a part of the ocean as the creatures who called the earth’s waters their home. Using only his mind and the more-than-human abilities he had inherited from his parents, he concentrated on transporting himself back to dry land without moving a muscle. He silently whispered ancient words his mother had taught him, adding strong magic to his supernatural skills.

His body trembled externally and internally as a current of pure energy shot through him. He felt himself lifting above the water. Even though all previous attempts to teleport himself had failed, he knew this time he would achieve his goal.

As suddenly as he had risen from the water, he fell, making a loud splash as his body shot a good ten feet down into the ocean. Forced to concentrate on making his way to the surface again, Cael focused all his energy on saving his life. After he managed to regain his composure, he swam upward and then back across the sea to the sandy beach.

He dragged himself out of the ocean, stood at the edge of water as the waves washed over his feet, and cursed the heavens. Cursed his own inabilities. How could he hope to defeat Judah unless he could surpass his brother in power and strength? The day would come-and soon-when he and Judah would face their destiny. One destiny. Winning and losing, flip sides of the same coin. Judah ’s defeat. Cael’s triumph.

Why are you still in America, brother, still in North Carolina, near the Raintree sanctuary? What keeps you there one moment longer than necessary?

When he had conversed with Judah, Cael had picked up on a momentary flicker, just a flash of something, before Judah shut him out and protected his thoughts.

No, not a flash of something, a flash of someone.

A whiff of vision, there one minute, gone the next.

Green Raintree eyes.

I have to find out what Judah is hiding from me. There is something he doesn’t want me to know. A secret. A secret with green Raintree eyes.