Nicholas felt the blood drain from his face. First a report of Fey armies in the south and now this. "Solanda?" he said.
She was standing rigidly, her usually graceful body a single line. Her fists were clenched, and her gaze darted between Arianna and Nicholas. "You don't want to ask me this," she said.
"I do if they were trying to kidnap my son."
"They weren't trying to kidnap your son," she said.
"Then what happened?" His voice was harsher than he'd planned. He would never let anyone attack his family again. Never.
"Gift … " Sebastian said.
All three of them looked at him.
" … was … here."
"You know him?" Arianna asked. Her fingers wrapped around his hand, her knuckles white. The grip looked painful, but Sebastian didn't pull away.
He nodded.
"How could you know a Fey?" she asked.
He looked at Solanda. She had backed up toward the cold fireplace. She shook her head.
"Solanda," Nicholas said, a chill running through him. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. "It would take him too long to tell us. You explain this."
"You don't want me to," she said.
"I have asked. Twice."
Arianna was watching her, features set. Sebastian looked terrified. He hadn't looked that scared since he saved Arianna's life. How could Sebastian know something the rest of the family didn't?
"I tried to tell you. Years ago," Solanda said. "You didn't believe me."
"I'm ready to believe you now."
Solanda glanced at Sebastian, as if asking for his permission. She hardly gave him credence before.
Nicholas's mouth was dry.
"It's … all … right," Sebastian said. A tear had formed in his left eye. It hovered on his lower lid. "Bet-ter … now … than … to-night."
Nicholas frowned. He could feel the detachment happen as his brain separated from his body. He had learned that so that he could make decisions under extreme emotion stress. He could tell that this would be one of those times.
Solanda took a deep breath. "The Fey that was here this afternoon, Nicholas, was your son."
His son?
The tear fell off Sebastian's lower lid and landed on his cheekbone. Arianna wiped it away.
"Sebastian is my son," Nicholas said, not understanding, maybe deliberately not understanding. He couldn't have this conversation now. Not with the Coming of Age moments away.
"No," Solanda said. "Sebastian is not your son. He's a golem. A changeling. Rugar stole your son five days after he was born."
"No," Nicholas said.
"Yes," Solanda said. Her voice actually had compassion in it.
Nicholas took a deep breath and turned toward the wall. The detachment wasn't working. Emotions flowed as quickly as the memories:
The laughing, bright-eyed baby that grabbed his finger in its tiny fist.
The stone-faced creature that woke from a nap one afternoon and never left.
The dream child, the boy he had imagined, brighter, better than any born on the Isle.
The real baby, so heavy that Nicholas grunted when he lifted him, whose skin was cold and whose eyes were as dull and flat as rock.
"No," he whispered.
The baby he always wanted existed. The son of his imaginings was alive — and raised by Rugar.
Nicholas shoved away from the wall. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you let me know so that I could get him back?"
Sebastian winced. Arianna's skin turned gray. Solanda had her arms crossed over her chest. "I did tell you," she said, speaking slowly, as if Nicholas were the imbecile. "more than once."
Then Nicholas remembered the day Arianna was born. He had been holding her in his arms. She was still covered with afterbirth, and already the Fey were fighting over her. Nicholas was in the kitchen, Jewel's body in front of the hearth fire, the nurse and Sebastian cowering beside it. The cat that had watched the birth had just Shifted from cat to woman, the first time he'd ever seen that happen.
That was when he met Solanda. She had looked at him with contempt, even then, even when she was offering to care for his daughter.
Rugar wants this little girl, she had said. He'll never have her. There are ways he could steal her, you know. It's been done before.
Then she had looked at Sebastian.
He stole my son? Nicholas had asked.
Solanda had nodded.
But my son is here now, Nicholas had said.
She had made a small huffing sound, as if she couldn't believe how stupid he was. You believe that is your son?
What else could he be?
She had shrugged. A bit of stone? A lump of clay?
He hadn't believed her. How could a living, breathing child be clay?
His own son.
His real son.
His boy, and Jewel's, full grown and raised by the Fey.
At every turn, they stole from him. Since the Fey had come, they had taken everything precious from his life.
And given him such precious things in return.
Arianna had taken a step toward Solanda. Her little hands were in fists. Sebastian reached for her — slowly, and too late.
"That's not true," Arianna said. "You lie. Sebastian is my brother."
"Is he?" Solanda asked. "Then why did that Fey boy look just like him? Only that boy could move. He could speak clearly. He was brilliant. Why?"
"What kind of magick are you talking about here?" Nicholas asked. He felt dizzy. He propped himself against the wall.
"Changeling magick. The Wisps brought in an enchanted stone. They put it in the place of your son, and it became him. Except it was empty inside. It should have disintegrated after a few weeks, but it didn't. It became a golem. I thought Jewel had infused it with life by loving it, but I was wrong. It outlived her. Someone else had given it life."
" … Gift … " Sebastian said.
Nicholas looked at Sebastian. He loved that boy, stone or not. How could he love something that wasn't real? "Why does he keep saying that?"
"Gift is your son's name," Solanda said.
Gift.
He had a son named Gift.
A real child, as bright and quick and beautiful as Arianna.
As Jewel.
Jewel, we have a son.
" … Gift … made … me … " Sebastian said. " … Through … our … Link … "
Solanda shook her head once and closed her eyes. Her features were pursed together, and she looked more like her cat self than her Fey self.
"What's he saying?" Arianna asked.
Solanda opened her eyes. "You are unbelievable children," she said.
"I still don't understand," Nicholas said. "If this Gift is my son, why did he come for Sebastian? Was he going to stand in Sebastian's place during the ceremony?"
"I don't know," Solanda said. "I didn't know he was here until I saw Arianna chase him out of the window."
"What did he want?" Nicholas asked Sebastian. The boy's entire face was a mask of sorrow.
"He kept saying he wanted Sebastian to leave with him," Arianna said. "He was trying to get him to agree. I made him run away."
"Why did he want Sebastian to leave? Did he want to take his place?"
"He wanted them to go together," Arianna said. "I thought he was kidnapping Sebastian."
" … No … " Sebastian said.
Nicholas crouched before him, and took the boy's hand. Sebastian's skin was cool as usual, something Nicholas had always found odd. The boy had never been warm enough. "Why did he come?" Nicholas asked.
Sebastian took his other hand away from Arianna's. Then he held up one finger. It meant he was going to say something which would take some time.
"Gift … said … he … Saw … death … here. … He … showed … me … an … old … Fey … talking … to … one … of … us. Some-times … it … was … him. Some-times … it … was … me. Then … another … Fey … killed … him … or �
� me. It … hap-pened … in … the … pa-lace. He … was … a-fraid … to … let … me … stay. But … I … didn't … want … to … go … with-out … telling … you … or … Ari."
Nicholas sat down. All of this was too much for him. The boy had come to save Sebastian? Not to take his rightful place at Nicholas's side?
Solanda had focused all her intensity on Sebastian. Her cat's eyes glowed. "An old Fey?" Solanda said. "The Shaman?"
Sebastian shook his head.
"Had you ever seen Gift before?" Nicholas asked. How many times had he missed his son?
"Not … in … per-son. He's … been … in … here — " and Sebastian slowly pointed to his head " — since … we … were … tiny. We're … Linked."
"What's Linked?" Nicholas asked Solanda. His impatience came through his voice. How could Sebastian have known Gift and Nicholas not have? Why hadn't Solanda told him? Or Arianna?
What were the Fey doing by holding his son?
"We're all Linked," Solanda said. "We are Linked by blood and we are Linked by love. Most of us feel those ties but can do nothing about them. A few, Visionaries and Enchanters mostly, can travel across the Links and visit the other person inside his own head."
"So Gift," Nicholas said, "has magick."
Like Jewel had said he would.
She had been right.
She had been so right.
And her father had destroyed it all.
"Visions," Solanda said. "Gift is a powerful Visionary. The most powerful we've seen."
She was looking at Arianna as she spoke, and Nicholas knew why. Jewel had said their children would have powerful magick. Arianna had Shifted since she was in the womb. Her abilities were strong. So, apparently, were her brother's.
"And he created Sebastian? He made the Changeling?"
"No," Solanda said. "Rugar had the Changeling made. Usually that's a Domestic skill. What Gift did was breathe life into stone. Essence can be left inside a Link. If this worked in a traditional manner, little pieces of Gift were left inside Sebastian until they became their own personality."
"So Sebastian is a living person," Nicholas asked, with some relief.
"Did you doubt that?" Solanda asked.
"You did," Arianna snapped. "You called him the lump."
His personality did seem to have evolved over the years. Sebastian was a child of Nicholas and Jewel too, then. A bit of Gift living among them.
And yet...
"I'm asking," Nicholas said, "if Sebastian is a separate person from this Gift."
"Very much so," Solanda said. "You wouldn't have to ask if you saw Gift."
"How come you have seen my son and I haven't?" Nicholas said. He stood, faced Solanda. "You knew what we were working for. You knew how important it was for that boy to be perfect, and you did nothing."
"I don't work for the Isle," she said, eyes narrowed. "I am Fey."
"And keeping my son away from me was good for the Fey?"
"I don't know," she said. "I didn't make that decision. Rugar did."
"And you trusted his judgement? You never had before."
"It didn't matter to me," Solanda said. "I was stuck in this place no matter what he did."
"It must have mattered to you eventually. I seem to remember you with his blood on your hands."
She took one step toward him until there was no real distance between them. He could feel her warmth, smell her slightly feline scent. "He threatened Arianna."
"How was that different from Gift?"
"Arianna is mine."
Nicholas grabbed her and shoved her against the stone of the fireplace. "Arianna is my daughter. Mine and Jewel's. You are just a glorified servant."
"I am the only mother she has ever had."
They were breathing in unison. Equally angry. And she was right. She had given everything for Arianna.
Nicholas let his arm drop.
Arianna was standing by the window, her hand at her mouth. Sebastian's lower lip was trembling.
"Then you could have told me," Arianna said softly.
"To what end?" Solanda asked.
"The Black Blood," Nicholas said. "If she attacked her brother, it could have destroyed us all."
"I never thought she would have reason to attack him." Solanda shrugged. "I thought that when she saw Gift, she would realize that he was her brother instead of the lump."
"He's not a lump," Arianna said. She still hadn't turned around.
Nicholas made himself take a deep breath. He still wasn't clear on this. His world had just shifted, and he wasn't able to put all the pieces together. "What happened to Gift after Rugar died?"
"How about before Rugar died? How about when Jewel died? He was Linked to her too." Solanda sounded angry. What right did she have to sound angry? She had known.
"What happened?" Nicholas asked.
"He nearly died when Jewel did. But he was saved by a boy in Shadowlands. And when Rugar died, Gift took his place. Gift rules the Fey now. He has for fifteen years."
"No." Nicholas crossed his arms. "Now I don't believe you. Fifteen years ago, he was just a child. A child can't rule."
"Not in your world. In ours, he had no choice. He held Shadowlands together. He held the Fey together, although I don't think he realizes it."
Arianna shook her head. She shook her head, then glanced at Sebastian. Tears lined his face. She touched his cheek, then walked between Nicholas and Solanda. She stopped in front of Solanda.
"You lie," Arianna said. She was almost as tall as Nicholas, and thinner than Solanda. Her body had the ease and power of the young. She was looking at Solanda, the contempt on her face disfiguring it. "I just figured it out. You would have told me if I really had a brother. You would have told me a long time ago. But you didn't. And you can't stand the idea of Sebastian coming of age. Sebastian's my brother, and you're in some kind of conspiracy with these Fey to make my father set Sebastian aside."
Nicholas felt as if someone had thrown cold water on him. Of course. Solanda had said she worked for the Fey. And some Fey could mask their appearance.
But that didn't explain all the conversations. It didn't explain the Shaman's comment all those years ago that a man should be able to recognize his own child.
Solanda was still leaning against the fireplace. She looked smaller than she ever had before. "What did I do to make you distrust me so?" she asked Arianna.
"You talked to those Fey out there. You stopped me from getting him."
"He's your brother," Solanda said. "You can't attack him. You don't dare. You both have Black Blood."
The chill Nicholas had felt since he came into the room had grown. "You attacked Gift?"
"I thought he was hurting Sebastian," Arianna said.
"She went after him in Shifted form," Solanda said tightly. "As a robin."
"A robin?" There were too many revelations for him. Nicholas put a hand against the tapestry frame, more to steady himself than anything. "I thought you could only Shift to cat form."
"That's what I thought," Solanda said. "It seems the girl's been holding out on us."
"Not as much as you have," Arianna said. "I see it two ways. Either you've lied about my brother all along, or you're trying to put a Fey in Sebastian's place. Either way, you haven't been honest with us at all. You didn't stay in the palace to raise me. You never even knew who I was or what I could do. You stayed so that you could spy on us."
"You could fool me and you resent that?" Solanda asked.
"Solanda didn't lie," Nicholas said. He leaned on the stone base of the window. Below birds chirped. "I remember the times she tried to tell me."
"Why are you sticking up for her?" Arianna asked. "She'll get you to depose Sebastian. The throne is his."
" … No … " Sebastian said.
"I'm not sticking up for her," Nicholas said. "I simply know she's telling the truth."
" … Gift … was … born … here … ," Sebastian said.
Arianna look
ed at Sebastian as if he were the one betraying her. "He seduced you, didn't he, that Fey? He made you believe what he wants you to believe."
" … No … " Sebastian shook his head slowly. " … I've … known … all … my … life."
His words echoed in the sudden silence. Arianna looked at him, then Solanda, then Nicholas. She blinked once, then looked at Sebastian again.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Arianna's voice rose to a wail. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
" … I … thought … he … came … to … you … too," Sebastian said.
Arianna made a choked sound. She put a fist against her mouth to stifle any other noises. Nicholas felt hollow. Arianna looked as if her heart had been ripped out.
She spun once, and he knew, before he could reach her, that all her anguish would explode. She couldn't stand emotional pain. She had never been able to.
She looked from Sebastian to Nicholas and then frowned at Solanda. For a moment, Arianna stood still. Then she launched herself at Solanda.
"You lied to me from the beginning. You said we were two of a kind. You said you would always be there for me." Arianna shoved her sleeve up, revealing cuts Nicholas had never seen. "Instead, you do this to me. You hurt me to let that Fey man go. You're more interested in your people than you ever were in me. I am nothing to you. I'm glad I never told you what I could do. I'm glad you didn't have all of my secrets to take to your people. Your Fey."
"They're yours too, Arianna," Solanda said softly.
"I'm Islander," Arianna said. "I'm nothing like you."
"Arianna." Nicholas reached for her. She shook him off.
"Leave me alone," she said. "I need to be alone."
She ran from the room. Sebastian stood, wobbled, and started after her. Nicholas grabbed his arm. "She's upset, Sebastian. She'll be all right."
" … She … hates … me … " He sounded as if his heart were breaking. " … She … knows … what … I … am … and … she … hates … me."
Nicholas looked over Sebastian's shoulder at Solanda. Solanda had her head tilted against the fireplace, eyes closed. For once, she appeared to have nothing to say.
He was trembling. He took his son — or what he had thought was his son until moments ago — and held him. Sebastian's skin had always been cold and hard. It had always felt slightly unnatural. Amazing how many things Nicholas had blamed on his union with Jewel instead of questioning.
The Rival Page 11
