His office and bedroom were vacant again. It looked the same as it had two weeks earlier. It was as if he was slowly shutting down and simply giving up. Sighing, Lily knew where to find him and headed for the rec room. She swore if the door was locked she'd find a way to break it down. She tried the handle and smiled when it turned.

She heard two male voices inside. Telal and Kearnyn's. She paused in the hallway just inside the door to listen in; they were in the midst of a heated discussion.

“Are you sure that's what you really want, Telal?”

“Yeah, I'm fucking sure. I didn't stutter did I?” Lily flinched at the anger in Telal's voice.

“But all of your years of hard work.” Kearnyn paused. “And you’re certain?”

“For the last and final time, Kearnyn. I'm done with it. Done. Finished. Fucking over it. Now get out of here.”

Footsteps came towards her and Lily had the urge to flatten herself against the wall to try to hide. Kearnyn strode towards her, a grim look on his face. He shook his head at her and left. Slowly, she made her way into the room. She heard a loud crash and flinched but she made herself continue into the room in case he was hurt.

Telal heard her steps and his gaze swung to hers. Lily almost backed up a step. He looked positively livid, feral. His hands were fisted, shoulders bunched hard, his eyes sharp and breathing hard. Her eyes left his to see a lamp crushed against the floor from where he'd thrown it.

“Are you okay, honey?” she asked softly. Even with the juice inside her, she felt nervous, her stomach doing somersaults and cautioning her.

He looked away from her and she watched him try to get control over himself. After a minute his breathing slowed and after another his hands and shoulders relaxed. He turned to her, the look in his eyes now dark with something else. He crooked a finger at her.

“Come here.”

Lily knew that look in his eyes. He wanted her. She swallowed over her suddenly parched throat. “We need to talk.” Still, she went to him. He pulled her against him and her body responded with a feminine sigh.

“The last thing I want to do is talk.” Strong hands ran up and down her back in soothing caresses.

His lips sought hers out but she pushed her head to the side. “Please, it's important.”

He sighed in disgust and stalked away from her. “Please, enlighten me Lily.” He poured himself a rather tall glass of alcohol from a pitcher and started drinking it as he leaned against the wall with a one hip, his eyes watching her.

“What do you plan to do about the rift?”

One eyebrow lift. “To do? What is there to do, Lily?” His angry words bit at her.

“Are you going to try to compromise with Alrik to get it open?” she asked with exceeding patience.

He smiled at her like she was a little child. “No, Lily. Alrik made his intentions quite clear. I believe you were present for part of it were you not? Maybe you just don't recall?”

She glared at him, her own ire rising. “Yeah, smart ass, I remember. So what? You're just giving up then? Giving up on helping your people who are suffering under a ruthless king?”

His grip tightened around the glass. “That's exactly what I'm going to do. It's none of my business anymore. I no longer have a brother.”

She blanched at the raw, painful look in his eyes. She was walking to him before she realized it and wrapping her arms around his waist.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice tight.

“Hugging you.”

He made a disgusted sound, but after a minute, one of his arms came around her shoulders. It was a loose hug, but it still counted in her book. Pulling away, she looked up at him.

“You can't stop your plans.”

“Why not?” He gave her another sarcastic grin.

“Because my mother's in there.”

His face flared with real surprise. “What on earth are you talking about now, Lily?”

“I saw my mother. The one that's been missing for most of my life. The one that disappeared without a trace. Papa searched for her until his dying day and never found her. Now I know why.” She cursed herself for not drinking more of that potion because tears filled her eyes and her heart squeezed painfully tight in her chest.

“I know about your mother,” he said distractedly, his gaze focused elsewhere as he thought.

“What do you know?” He moved away from her and she hated that he wanted to put space between them.

“Frank contacted me to help find her. I hired professionals and did everything I could, but no one found anything.”

“When was this?” she asked, her voice raw.

He didn't meet her gaze. “Almost twenty-nine years ago, I suppose. It was right after it happened. What do you mean you saw her? Tell me everything and do not miss a detail.”

Lily told him about being thrown in that awful dirty prison cell, then meeting the woman next to her. She told him how she was a succubus and how they were keeping her alive by...feeding her. She might have broken down at this point but the juice kept her from feeling the brunt of the pain.

“How certain are you?” he asked in a hesitant voice.

“Certain enough. She has Willow's eyes and said her name was Mary Bellum.”

“I see.”

Lily took a seat in a leather chair. “So what do you think?”

He shrugged. “It may be her, but it might not be.”

“Will you help me get her out of there?” She knew it was her mother, just knew.

He laughed this time. “And just how do you suppose we do that? March in there and request her freedom from my broth—from Alrik?”

She didn't like the snide tone in his voice. “I don't know what to do, but I have to do something. If anyone can think of something it's you.”

“Of course. Well, sorry to tell you, Lily, but I'm not going back there. It's done. Over. Gone. I'm leaving it alone. I'm going on with my life.”

Lily stood in a rush. “What? Why? You've spent years planning this. How can you abandon it now just because of one problem?”

He laughed a cruel sound. “Just one problem? My brother became a tainted demon possessed by darkness. You saw him. That is not natural. God only knows how powerful his magic is. Even if I wanted to take over the rift do you know what that would mean?”

She squirmed under his scrutiny. “Not really,” she admitted.

“If he doesn't agree to my proposal, which he won't, then that means I have to fight him—to the death—to get the throne.”

Her eyes flew wide. No wonder he didn't want to go through with it. She understood now. He'd have to kill his own brother...or be killed.

“I don't even know if I could beat him. The darkness around him is attributed to dark magic. You know, the kind that hurts people.”

Gritting her teeth at his tone, she barely refrained from flipping him the bird. “I know what dark magic is.” Asshole, she added silently.

“How would you feel if it was your mother trapped in there?” As soon as she said the words, she regretted it. Not because the words were cruel but because she'd seen his mother and his reaction to her. Trying to draw sympathy from him via his mother was about as likely as him saying he loved her.

Yup, his boisterous laughter proved her right.

“I’d feel relieved, excited. Justice would be served.” His eyes softened at her angry look and he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry, I'm an ass.”

Her mouth fell open. “Well, yeah, you are. And it's okay.”

“Listen, give me some time to think about it. Maybe I can work something out.”

This time she went into his arms and pulled his head down for a kiss. He quickly took the kiss further, his tongue sliding deep, his hands crushing her to him.

A terrible sound started blaring through the room or maybe it was the entire building. It sounded like a rad alarm on a military base. Telal tensed instantly.

“Stay here,” he ordered and ran into the bedroom. She followed after him.