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  Although she could peer into her thoughts, viewing her life as if she lived it herself, the task exhausted her. Especially under Sebastian's watchful eye, she tried not to extend herself with the mission of reading the others afraid he would catch on.

  "You should rest," said Sebastian as he watched her.

  "Perhaps if she knew it would help explain a few things, help her to accept," interrupted Eir.

  "I'm not tired," said Arel to Sebastian. Arms crossed over her chest, she stood in front of the counter on tiptoes trying to peer into his eyes.

  "I'll be back shortly," he replied.

  "You're leaving," Arel asked, a slight surprise on the edge of her tone.

  "No, I'm just going upstairs," he soothingly replied, trying to ease the tension he sensed from her.

  "Eir, I'll be back. Will you be here," she asked the older woman still sitting on the stool nearby.

  "You can stay and finish talking," said Sebastian.

  "I need to change. I don't want the others to see me like this," Arel replied, pushing the stool from behind her.

  She felt out of place in his family home, and the thought of staying in her pajamas embarrassed her, especially without him. Quickly moving from in front of the counter, she walked into the hall and slowly ascended the stairs passing the large paintings that lined the walls. At the top of the stairs, she looked down the long hallway wondering what lay behind the other doors.

  "After we get dressed, I'll give you a tour," he whispered into her ear.

  "Is anyone else here," she asked.

  "Yes, the house is nearly full," he replied.

  Following him into their room, she quickly headed to the bathroom to shower and dress. Anxious to talk with Eir, the oldest of their families she thought of the many questions she could ask to discover clues about her mother. Arel wondered if it would be easier to get information from the older woman without the listening ear of Sebastian.

  Wriggling her feet in the plush black rug, she looked into the large mirror hanging above the gold sink thinking of a way to convince Sebastian to leave her with Eir. The carpet was warm but rough against her feet as she stood in the masculine gold and black bathroom.

  Sebastian stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her chest as he bent down to kiss her. Leaning back, she tilted her head up as he spun her around to face him. Arel's soft lips pressed against his as he lifted her up off the ground.

  "How long will we be here," she asked, hoping not to sound anxious.

  "We have to wait until they have decided what will be done," he replied, brushing the hair behind her ear.

  "For what?"

  "It's not," he began.

  "You promised you would answer me truthfully. No holding back," Arel interrupted him.

  "Did I," he questioned as he continued to watch her.

  "Sebastian," she demanded.

  "Our union has broken our most sacred laws. The tribunal demands answers for my actions. There is still the matter of the tribute."

  "Who has to answer," asked Arel.

  "They still don't know what to make of you."

  "You mean they don't know if they can trust me or if I'm a spy for the Darken."

  "There is a lot they have to talk about, among the families."

  "But the treaty has been fulfilled. We both saw the words that were on it, you read it, didn't you? Yet they still want to argue about giving Iliad's child, and children they don't have for payment."

  "Arel, it's nothing for you to worry about," insisted Sebastian.

  "Of course, it is! Your father doesn't trust me, he would kill me given a chance. Catrin feels the same as your father and the rest of your family. Only Eir and Iliad have been somewhat welcoming to me," she spoke her voice rising in anger and frustration.

  "You are working yourself up over nothing."

  "Sebastian. No lies, no deception. We promised to be honest."

  "If there were something for you to be concerned about, I would tell you."

  "Whatever they decide, I'm not giving them our child."

  "No one would ask that of you," he responded, watching the mirror. His thoughts seemed focused on something else.

  She studied his facial features, his face unmoving gave her no clues to the thoughts he had. Since they had come to his family estate, she had practiced her skills on the other members of his extended family. Little by little, she had peered into their minds, discovering their thoughts, fears, and memories. Afraid to reveal what she had learned; she kept the information to herself guarding it until the opportune moment.

  The older members of his family kept their distance, but she was still able to learn that Dmitri had tested the allegiances of Aeron's ties. Previously she had tried to warn Sebastian about the ambitions of Dmitri and his desire to rule the Vampire clans. Confident in his father's position and power, he had brushed her fears aside. Dmitri's aspirations were not a secret, many of the other clans had not decided if they would risk crossing Aeron. They would remain neutral, seeing who of the two families would come out of the battle victorious.

  Whether or not Sebastian had devised a plan she did not know, nor did she know the thoughts and intentions of his father and sister. Capable of reading their mind, as she had previously read Catrin's, she had decided they were off-limits unless necessary. His immediate family, along with Eir were the few she would not look into their lives for fear of seeing a glimpse of the death they were sure she would bring about.

  "No, they expect it of you."

  She sighed heavily, unsure of how she would convince him that this was the wrong course. The world Sebastian grew up in was vastly different from her own. Arel had a sense of purpose, but moving from state home to state home, she did not value family to the depth that he did.

  "It's nothing for you to worry about."

  "Would you give our child to them," she asked, looking up into his eyes.

  "We have all grown up with the knowledge that our firstborn did not belong to us. They belong to the Darken as payment for our lives."

  "Sebastian. Would you give our child to them," she asked again, undeterred by his indirect response.

  "I didn't think it would be possible for us to have a child," he began explaining when she interrupted him. Frustrated by his vagueness, she wanted him to simply say no, afraid he would be unable to.

  "I will not ask again, so let me say this. Our child cannot be given to the Darken. She has to be protected and hidden at all costs. If she is like me, there will be no stopping them."

  "Stopping them from what," he questioned.

  "Why do you think the Resistance hid us," she asked.

  "The Resistance? Where did you hear about them?"

  "It's true, they raised us, hid us, until," said Arel.

  "Your memories have returned?" It was in the whispers of his family that she first heard of the Resistance.

  "Do you remember the cherry seed," she asked, looking at the glass doors of the shower. It was the first time she had let him see her physically use her powers. There in the apartment, she allowed the seed to sprout and grow in her palm before killing it. It wasn't the bringing life forth that she worried the child would have. It has the hand of death, the curse both she and her mother bore.

  "Yes."

  "If the child is like me and is raised by them, he will be like Teraya. She is not a captive, she could leave, but she chooses to stay. Darken beliefs will be our child’s. She will follow Zorin’s commands." She had tried not to mention her sister's name. With her memories coming back, she had kept them from him, afraid to reveal all of her secrets.

  "Arel it won't happen."

  "Sebastian if I died and she lived you have to promise to protect her, they must never know she exists," she begged.

  "Arel, I will not talk about your death," he protested.

  "Promise me," she yelled. The tears stood on the edge of her eyelid, fighting their way to stream down her soft cheeks. Telling herself, she would not cry; she worked t
o calm the fear rising in her chest.

  "I promise. I will protect the child," he replied, hoping his concession would soothe the fear in her tone.

  "Okay," she responded, hugging his bare chest before releasing him.

  Removing her clothes, she slipped past him and headed to the clear doors of the shower. Watching her, he studied her protruding belly.

  "Are you coming," she asked with a smile.

  Smiling back at her, he dropped his pajama bottoms stepping into the shower with her.

  "I love you," she said as she slid into his arms.

  "I love you, Arel," he replied as he embraced her.

  Thoroughly washed, her hair drenched, she turned off the shower. Sebastian's hand glided down her back tracing her spine, her hair tossed over her shoulder; she looked behind at him. The artery in her neck pulsed. Sebastian bent forward, kissing her bare shoulder, working his way up to her vein. Arel's heart pounded faster, Sebastian chuckled before opening the clear shower door. Sebastian handed her the cotton robe that hung on a hook on the bathroom wall before exiting the shower.

  "What's the plan for today," she asked him as she dried her hair before applying lotion to her skin.

  "We have a meeting," he responded.

  "Can I stay with Eir," she asked. Hoping this would give her time to ask the questions that lingered, pieces to her forgotten past. Without the watchful eyes of Sebastian, she hoped Eir would be forthright with the information telling her not only what she asked but much more. She knew that if she doubted the answers giving, she could still pry into her mind without him knowing.

  "I'll cancel the meetings, and we can stay in."

  "No," she shook her head. "You should still go. My stomach is a little upset, but some rest will do me good."

  "Then, I should stay to make sure you are feeling better."

  "What kind of meeting is it," she asked.

  "Just a business meeting," he replied casually.

  "Like before?"

  "Yes."

  "I rather not go. If it's important, you should go. You don't want to give the appearance that I interfere with your ability to conduct business. I can go to the apartment if you're worried about our safety," Arel replied wearily trying not to let on the disappoint she felt that her plans were in jeopardy before they began.

  "Catrin can handle the meeting."

  "Catrin can stay here with me if you're worried about the others. I can stay and rest, and when you return you can give me the tour," she suggested hoping he would agree.

  "Arel, I can stay."

  "Please don't give them any more reason to hate me," she replied. She doubted that she was able to persuade Sebastian, but she hoped he would give in to her pleas.

  "Eir can't tell you anything more about your mother," he retorted kissing her forehead.

  Sebastian walked out of the bathroom, back into their brightly lit bedroom. Continuing to dress, he walked in and out of the walk-in closet as while Arel stood in the doorway.

  "You mean she won't because you asked her not to. That's not right, Sebastian. I have a right to know, and if she has, the information wouldn't you want her to tell me."

  "Arel, you need to rest. When you are better, she will tell you anything you wish to know. Right now, I need you to focus on resting."

  "Why is it for you to decide what is in my best interest?"

  "When you can sleep through the night without the nightmares, we can talk about Eir telling you about your mother."

  "Maybe if I had the information I wanted, the nightmares would go away."

  "Your memories have started to return, and instead of peace, you have been left with remorse. Knowing what happened to your mother will only compound the guilt you already feel."

  "Sebastian. I deserve to know."

  "You will when you are up to it, right now you need to rest and focus on getting better."

  Angry at his dismissal of her feelings, she sat on the bed thinking of something to say. Her eyes traveled from the pair of cushioned black chairs in front of the fireplace to the opened curtains hanging from the large window.

  "I'm only concerned about you. I have no one that can tell me the outcome of this," Sebastian said, looking down at her belly.

  "This? It's our child, yours and mine," demanded Arel.

  "We are not arguing about this."

  "Why won't you say it? Why are you afraid of her?"

  "My only concern is with you, your condition."

  "I feel this... pressure like I have so much to learn, to remember before time is up. It's like there isn't enough time."

  "The last thing you need is more stress added to you, and everything we are about to go through will add a tremendous amount to you. It's not just the tribunal, but the Darken as well. They will come to hear our response to their demands for the increase in the tribute. I promise, as soon as I am sure you will be well, I will allow them to tell you whatever you wish."

  "Okay," she whispered resolved to figure out a way to find the answers she sought on her own.

  Fully dressed in a loose flowing maxi dress, she sat on the bed as she watched him finish getting dressed. The dark navy-blue suit with contrasting silk tie accentuated his polished physique. She watched him smiling, trying to imagine the other side of him, the hunter side, the protector.

  From Aeron, she could see the warrior, the killer, beyond the suits he wore, but for Sebastian, she had a hard time understanding that side of him. She knew there under his calm demeanor was a killer; she saw it once before with her attackers, but she couldn't imagine him like his father. For Arel it was hard to reconcile the Vampire side with the side she saw before her.

  Leaving the bed, Arel stood up, slipping her hand into his as they returned downstairs. The hall and foyer remained eerily quiet given the impression that the house was empty aside from the two of them. Bright rays of sun burst through the darkened entryway as Sebastian pulled open the heavy iron and wood doors.

  Her eyes fully adjusted; she saw the waiting car with Viktor at the end of the marble stairs idling. She smiled at Viktor as he pulled his sunglasses to the top of his short blond hair with its brown roots. The muted light gray suit seemed odd for the usually extravagantly dressed Viktor.

  "Hello Arel," said Viktor as he approached the pair.

  "Hi, Viktor. Are you spending the day with Sebastian," asked Arel.

  "You not coming?"

  "She'll be here under my watchful eye," replied Catrin walking through the opened doorway.

  There was a strong resemblance between Sebastian and his sister that was not present between him and his father. The only daughter of the house of Cadell stood about 5 foot 9 inches, her thin frame athletic as she walked. Catrin, the spitting image of her mother, commanded attention her face always fixed in a solemn look of unhappiness.

  "Hello Catrin," said Arel looking over at her sister in law.

  Catrin wore an ivory, deep V-neck silk blouse neatly tucked into her pale pink tailored pants and matching ivory high heeled shoes. Her straight locks framed her lightly blushed face and deep, outlined blue eyes. Catrin's manicured pointed nails rested on her thin waist, her feet slightly parted she stood almost at attention. Flawless, the word that came to mind as Arel watched Catrin's rose' tinted lips unsmiling.

  "You're going to watch her," Viktor asked a smirk on his face.

  "It would be nice to get to know each other," Arel responded to Viktor's obvious amusement.

  "I won't be long, I promise," said Sebastian as he bent over to kiss Arel before heading to the driver's side of the car and hopping in.

  She stood outside, watching as they drove off before turning around to face Catrin. Remembering the last time, they were together didn't go so well, she hoped today would be better. Unsure of whether Catrin would answer the questions she had or even allow Eir, she sighed before looking up at Catrin smiling.

  "I know you don't want to stay here with me, but thank you. I really didn't want to go with your brother to an
other business meeting."

  "Don't thank me," she replied, waiting for Arel to return into the house.

  "I'm not safe here am I," Arel asked stationary in her spot of the stone stairs leading into the house.

  "You're not wanted, but no one would touch you."

  "No one unless they were sure there would be no consequences from your father. He doesn't agree with me, but he won't allow anyone to harm me."

  "The council hasn't decided what to do with either of you. I also told you it's not polite to read people's minds."

  "I don't have to read anyone's minds to know I'm not wanted or that they fear your father. I can see that he loves Sebastian even though he has gone against tradition. If he wanted me dead, he would have killed me when your brother first brought me here. He hasn't nor has he told Sebastian to take me from his home."

  "Let's go inside."

  "Catrin,"

  "Inside," Catrin demanded, pulling Arel in through the door effortlessly.

  She walked through the foyer of the house, waiting for Catrin to close the door behind them. Following Catrin into the study, she kept a distance between them. There in the brightly lit study sat Eir, staring off into the distance. A soft clacking rose from the tile floor as Arel's footsteps hurried over to the couch where Eir sat. Sitting on the sofa, she waited for Catrin to sit near her, watching her movements.

  Remaining standing, Catrin walked over to the large bookcase that housed texts that seemed older than Eir herself across the room. Pulling Eir's hand into her own, Arel faced the old Vampire, ignoring Catrin watching them.

  "Tell me how I cause his death," begged Arel wasting no time to get the answers she sought.

  "My brother has made it very clear that he doesn't want us discussing certain things in your presence."

  "I could take it from you, peer into your mind."

  "It's," began Catrin.

  "I know it's not polite. Sebastian won't tell me, yet it's important enough for you to have said it. Did you say it to get me to leave? If you want me gone, tell me why I must leave."

  "Would you leave?"

  "How do I kill him," she replied.