Page 20 of Redeeming the Angel

Kerainne squeezed Lucian’s hand and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and a rapturous smile.“I have a sister!”

The joy radiating from her made me fall for her all the more and aspire to make her this happy for the rest of forever.Natalya handed Kerainne the baby and both she and King Consort Kiernan gave me approving smiles.

But from that moment on, and for the next two years, Kerainne’s entire attention was directed on her new baby sister.

I’m not proud of myself for how I handled that development.Forgetting all my power and the eternity of my existence, jealousy raged through me whenever Kerainne lavished attention on the baby, who Natalya had named Nikkita.She was an adorable child, with her father’s hair and mother’s eyes, and fascinating to watch her grow and learn.

But by the time she was taking her first steps, all my frustration burst out one ugly day.

“We haven’t had a moment alone together since the child was born.Even when we leave the palace, you insist on taking her with us.You barely even look at me anymore!”

Kerainne’s eyes narrowed and she clutched her sister tighter.“Not only is my bond with children, this is my blood!If you can’t bear to share my attention with my family, perhaps we are not good company for each other.”

Good company?The words stung.Although I hadn’t formally requested to court her, I’d seen myself as more than company.My throat tightened as memories of every time I’d held her, every time we’d kissed, flashed through my mind.

“Company?”I whispered under my breath, hurt and incredulous.

But Kerainne didn’t hear.Nikkita was babbling with some coherent words mixed in, which had her older sister praising her.

I left the room, stepped out on the balcony, released my wings, and flew off in search of somewhere to die.

Chapter Eight

Kerainne

Present

When Lucian moved to the village, I thought avoiding him would be easy.But I turned out to be wrong.Though Zareth claimed to have told Lucian he was only welcome during war meetings, Lucian had managed to befriend the Nicolae twins, Razvan and Radu.Later, I heard he’d gotten drunk with them after the Battle of Shalafi.

And if that weren’t enough, he’d managed to worm his way into Rayven Niltsiar’s affections.So, whenever the sorcerer came to court Tiana—which was almost every day—Lucian was with him.

I didn’t want to appear rude in front of my soon-to-be nephew-in-law, so I occupied myself in the library—Midnight Roomswas too good and I finished way too fast—and sometimes up in Zareth’s laboratory, where there was enough light to work on sculpting projects.I’d recently abandoned my previously favored marble and clay to work on wood.The only times I’d carved before was when I was in training to become a high sorcerer, and had carved a staff for Lucian as was traditional in mage courtships—damn it, I was trying not to think about him—and a few small beads and figurines during my times with the tribes.

Now, I wanted to try making things on a larger scale.

Unfortunately, my fingers had lost their calluses, so I had to take frequent breaks from my endeavors because of the blisters.I loathed this part of the process.

When I went downstairs, Zareth was in the parlor with Razvan and Lucian.When Lucian looked at me with those deep cerulean eyes in that old reassuring expression that told me everything would be okay, my chest tightened and I fled.

Not long after he departed, Zareth pulled me aside and tried to do his own reassuring.“I’m sorry he’s been here so much, but I need him to convince the luminites to join the war.Delgarias’s vision made that clear.”

“It’s all right,” I lied.“The Prophecy and defeating the Evil One are more important.”

Besides, I was tired of hiding from him like a coward.This wasmyhome,myfamily, andmyfriends.I was tired of letting him chase me away.And maybe it would be even better to let him see how much I didn’t want anything to do with him.Maybe then, he’d get the hint and leave me alone.

Unfortunately, that seemed to backfire.Everyone, even my dear sister Nik, who should have understood the enormity of such a betrayal, warmed up to Lucian.Somehow, over the past two thousand years, Lucian Jagwolfe had lost that snobbish aloofness, and while he wasstillsomewhat sheltered from Aisthanesthai, having spent most of his time here in Medicia, rather than being stiff and resistant to learning about new cultures like he used to be, he had this boyish wonder and curiosity that might warm me too if I wasn’t careful.

Instinct formed over centuries compelled me to lean close to him, to reach out and touch him.But I couldn’t.Not after what he said and did that awful day.

At least Xochitl and Sylvis were on my side, refusing to succumb to Lucian’s charm.Even though he sneaked in on their band practices whenever he had the opportunity.More than once, I saw Razvan handing him Rage of Angels CDs.And sometimes some on vinyl.

What game was he playing?Did he think he could win over my daughter and her best friends by pretending to like their music?

Of course, maybe his new interest wasn’t pretense.Rage of Angels music and Xochitl’s singing was powerful enough to bring back the sun here and was now bringing magic back to Earth, something no one ever thought possible.Lucian may very well fall in love with that music.

As Nik and Del’s wedding date closed in, I worried about the possibility of Tiana moving back into Rayven’s tower and Lucian charming his way back into her room.Guilt gnawed at me for my first concern being that I wouldn’t get to spend as much time with my long-lost niece, who I’d helped out of my sister’s womb all those centuries before.As it was, she was mostly monopolized by her parents.

At least when Silas and Akasha visited from Earth, they brought their daughter, Kiara.The bond I had with all children flared warm in my heart as I played with her and helped her with her reading and coloring while everyone else had another war meeting.With Mephistopheles recruiting any vampire that wouldn’t ally with Xochitl and magic returning to Earth, this war had expanded to two worlds.I worried that a third, and maybe even a fourth would come into play.I made a mental note to mention that to my daughter.However, I’d keep my speculation that this may soon overwhelm Lucian and make him flee back to the safety of Luminista to myself.

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