Chapter Thirty

A fter a lovely afternoon with her family in her private garden where they didn't discuss the rebels or Ranville at all, Liana left them to go in search of her husband. She was dead tired. The call of her bed almost too strong. Alas, she wouldn't be able to sleep if she didn't tell Damien about what Charlotte told her.

She found him in his office sitting behind his desk. He stood and walked around to greet her.

Admiring his tight britches and loose blouse with the deep V-neck that showed off his chiseled chest and torso, Liana nearly forgot why she came here. The white of the shirt complimented his perfectly tanned skin and the rest of his dark features.

One hand went to her waist while the other cupped her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"You look exhausted, my love. You need to rest."

Heaving a sigh, she nodded. "I will. I needed to talk to you first about something Charlotte told me."

He led her over to the sofa and pulled her down beside him. "I'm listening."

Liana relayed their discussion, even about Charlotte knowing about her own abduction as a little girl.

"So, there is another leader," Damien said, mulling things over.

"I don't think so. I think this is the leader. I think Ranville was just following orders."

He scrubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw. His beard grew so fast, something she enjoyed although he hated shaving every day.

"Who could it be? Why do they seem so scared of him?"

Liana shrugged. "It would have to be someone in power. Perhaps someone on the Sapphire Cove Council. I may be biased but I'd bet on my wretched uncle."

Damien didn't laugh at her jesting. "He is powerful and wealthy enough to be a potential threat. Would your father have any insight?"

"Doubtful. They may be brothers, but they are vastly different. They aren't very close either. I can ask him though. Did Master Kinley have any luck on getting through Ranville's shields? I can take a crack at it."

Damien pulled her to her feet. "You will be doing nothing aside from going to bed. I will take you there myself if I have to."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "That is not the threat you think it is. I would gratefully accept your offer to take me to bed."

Growling, he swooped her off the ground and ran with vampiric speed to their bedroom. Smiling, she let him pull off her dress, leaving her undergarments on, then slid her beneath the sheets. Thoroughly tucked in, she grabbed his hand.

"Stay until I fall asleep," she whispered.

He settled behind her, curling his body against hers. "Sleep, my queen."

With her magic practically vibrating with contentment, Liana finally passed out.

"Liana," a voice called. She'd barely just fallen asleep when the voice interrupted her.

"Liana," it called again, this time more insistent. "Liana." Something sharp poked her.

She jolted awake then froze. This wasn't her bedroom.

Magic rose to her aid only to be blocked from her. A quick glance at her wrists showed them free of any cuffs.

"Where am I?" she demanded, looking around the oasis of the beach they stood on. Feet sinking into warm, pillowy sand, she shielded her eyes against the blazing sun. Waves crashed heavily behind her, imposing white cliffs towering in front.

A man stood with his back to the cliffs which did nothing to dampen the formidable aura of his presence. Skin darker than night with eyes the purest of silver, he was anything but human.

"Liana, you are in grave danger. I've brought you this." He held out a silver band etched with unfamiliar markings. As he stepped toward her, Liana scrambled backward.

"Who are you?" Water brushed her feet and she stopped.

"I am, Jupiter. Juno asked me to speak to you."

She fell to her knees. Another god. How much more could she take of this? Who else would be involved by the end of this battle?

At least one of her questions was answered; there are other gods aside from Juno.

"What now? What do you all want with me? I accepted Juno's power. I retrieved the dagger. I stopped Ranville. I'm trying to stop the rest of the separatists."

Jupiter sank to his knees before her. He lifted her chin to look into those unearthly silver eyes while hers swam with tears of exhaustion and helplessness. Up close, the god's eyes swirled like molten pools of metal.

"I have come to give you this." He cupped her upper arm, the sleeveless undergarments leaving her feeling exposed. A silver cuff appeared with unfamiliar markings. "You have a great battle ahead. This cuff holds my power. It will protect you so that you may do what is necessary."

Liana looked from the cuff back to him. "What is necessary," she mimicked. "What does that mean? What battle?"

"May I see the dagger?" he asked while holding out an expectant hand.

Still too stunned and confused, Liana lifted her gown to magically release the dagger from her thigh. Jupiter gripped the hilt of it with one hand then sliced his palm, smearing his blood into the metal. The dark red blood flashed silver before melting into the blade.

"Juno and I created this blade a thousand years ago. It will not fail again to achieve its purpose. You will not fail, Liana." He handed the dagger back to her. "Its power has been restored. You are ready."

Liana stood with him, the waves crashing higher and higher against her calves. "Ready for what? Why can I not get any answers? If all of this is so important, why don't you and Juno fix it yourselves?" Her voice rose with every word, near hysterical by the end.

"We cannot interfere any more than we already have. Juno created this problem, and you are her solution to fix it. That is all we can offer."

He disappeared before her eyes. Liana screamed in frustration, that scream following her into the waking world.

Shooting up in bed, Liana snapped her teeth together, her voice dying out. Damien jerked, leaping up as if there were a threat.

"What is it?" he asked when he didn't find anything.

Liana flipped the covers off, staring down at the dagger in her hand, the silver cuff on her left upper and the undergarments that were drenched up to her knees.

"Why do you smell of the ocean? Is that sand on your feet?" he asked, incredulous.

Liana gaped. "I just met Jupiter."

Damien's eyes snapped to hers. "Come again," he said, stunned.

"We were on a beach," she said, then told him everything that just happened.

Liana returned the dagger to her thigh then changed her clothes. Damien followed her into the dressing room, leaning against the doorframe in only silk bottoms. She would have admired him longer if she weren't so freaked out.

"I thought the purpose of that blade was to kill the Original a thousand years ago. What other purpose could it have?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I told you everything Jupiter told me. You know as much as I do." She tugged off all her undergarments and pulled on clean ones. Choosing a simple gown, Damien helped her tie the laces in the back.

"Why are you getting dressed? It is the middle of the night, and you still need rest."

"Because I am going to get the answers we need whether you like it or not. I am out of patience, and if one more god shows up unannounced with more unhelpful declarations, I'm going to pull the temple apart brick by brick," she growled through gritted teeth.

Damien chuckled then kissed his claiming mark on her neck. It sent a shiver down her spine. "My bloodthirsty queen," Damien growled. "I know I cannot stop you, so I will accompany you."

Liana slid out of his grasp to pull on stockings and slippers. "You've got until I'm dressed to keep up." The man would be ready and able to catch up to her no matter how much of a head start she got.

Damien opened his mouth to retort something witty most likely when he snapped it shut, his head canting to the side. "Someone is at the door." He disappeared, Liana following with her shoes gripped between her hands.

He held the main door open to a soldier. She arrived just as he said, "I apologize for the late hour, Your Majesty. You have a visitor request. They are quite insistent that it is an urgent matter."

"Who could possibly think they could summon me at this hour?" Damien responded.

"A mage from Sapphire Cover by the name of Elias…"

Liana didn't need to hear anymore. "Where is he?" she asked, finally reaching them.

The guard bowed at the waist upon seeing her. "I left them in the receiving hall, Your Majesty."

"Them?" Damien questioned.

"There is a shifter and vampire with him, Your Majesty."

Liana gripped his arm. "It must be my old friends. They must have a good reason for being here."

Damien nodded. "Tell them we will be down soon." He shut the door. "Any idea why they're here?"

"No. Now go get ready. Quickly." She shoved her shoes on and pulled her hair to the side to start braiding it while Damien disappeared yet again.

He ran them down to the first level receiving hall once they were ready.

Three people stood in the opulent room meant to impress any new guests. One she recognized as Elias. The other two were so different than she remembered yet still the same. The vampire male grew to be just as tall as Elias with a bit more muscle to fill him out. His adorable dark curls were far more refined yet was still his signature look while his face sharpened into that of a man's. The female shifter was more beautiful than ever with her silky black hair flowing down to her hips and black eyes rimmed in coal.

"Diego? Dahlia?" Liana questioned in disbelief.

The male vampire grinned. "I'm surprised you remembered me, little Ana."

Damien stood with his back to her, placing himself between Liana and their new visitors in a heartbeat. "The next person that calls my wife, little Ana, is going to get their throat ripped out."

"Oh, be quiet, Damien." Liana shoved him out of the way and pulled Elias into hug then Diego. Dahlia frowned at Liana, not accepting her hug. Keeping her smile on her face, Liana exclaimed, "I'm so happy to see you both. You've grown up so much."

"Back at you, Your Majesty." Diego gave a mocking bow which earned him a whack on the shoulder.

Dahlia crossed her sleek, muscled arms. She wore a sleeveless, plain top with canvas pants, a classic look for a shifter that knew they would be shifting and needed easy to remove clothing. "I'm surprised you remember us at all. You just disappeared without any explanation."

Elias nudged her with an elbow. "You know why she left," he whispered. Dahlia didn't seem to care.

"I'm sorry I left like that. All of you, I'm sorry."

Hands dropped onto her shoulders. "Liana owes you no apologies. She protected herself. Now, Elias, explain your presence," Damien growled.

Elias's face went stony. "I tried sending a mage letter to Liana. It wouldn't work. I tried her family next and when that didn't work either, I sent it to the castle. There was no answer. We came to warn you, there is going to be an attack on Sapphire Cove."

Liana and Damien shared a look. A siege, just as they suspected, and Charlotte confirmed.

"Why do you look like this isn't new information?" Elias questioned.

"You all have traveled far. I will have rooms prepared and we can meet in the morning to discuss this further," Damien said, deflecting.

Liana wanted to hear them out now though. Ignoring her husband, Liana demanded, "Tell me everything."

"Well, when I look back on things, I'd say this all started about two years ago," Elias started and Damien grunted.

"If this is going to be such a dramatic tale, I'm going to need a drink." He walked over to a side table where a stack of parchment waited. He wrote something then the parchment was consumed by magic, going to its intended recipient. "Come, sit."

Liana squished in beside Damien, sitting at the edge of a wingback chair while Diego and Elias took the sofa, Dahlia in the other wingback.

"Refreshments will be here soon. Continue," Damien prompted.

Elias cleared his throat. "Like I said, I noticed a change about two years ago. I'm not sure how or exactly when but I noticed one day that the magic in Sapphire Cove changed. The magic, it wasn't something I'd ever really noticed before, not until it changed. Like it was just the power of the earth then one day it was something else. It didn't feel bad, nor did anyone else feel it. Master Monroe said I was being foolish, so I let it drop. Until I came to Sancta Valles a month ago."

He stared at Liana, his eyes alight with curiosity but also fear. "It wasn't until after your wedding. Right before I left, I felt the same change. This time, it was Liana."

She shared a look with her husband. They both knew what happened to change Liana around that time. She accepted Juno's full gift of power.

"The power from her felt like the same power in Sapphire Cove. It made no sense, but I didn't have an explanation."

Two servants arrived then, their conversation halting while they delivered trays of food and drink. One servant handed Damien a gold goblet. She briefly saw the dark, thick liquid inside before he gulped it down. It had been a few days since he consumed her blood, something they'd have to rectify soon.

Diego took his own goblet, draining it quickly while Dahlia piled a plate full of meat and cheese.

"What does this have to do with the impending attack?" Damien asked, after the servants left. He filled his goblet from a glass carafe full of amber liquid. Liana didn't remark on the early hour.

Elias put his water glass down. "Things changed again when I returned a couple weeks ago. The magic felt suffocating, even malevolent in some way. I started looking into it again. Diego and Dahlia helped as well, and we started noticing more travelers than usual for our already busy, international port. There were more boats, more immigrants. Things got crowded quickly."

"Why have we not had reports of this?" Damien interjected, skeptical.

"I think we know why," Diego started. "We didn't know where to start looking for information, so we spied on everyone. We followed newcomers, listened in at brothels and inns. Eventually, it all led us back to Master Monroe."

Liana grunted. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Master Monroe has been recruiting people from other kingdoms to come here and fight for the separatist cause," Elias explained. "And he controls the Mage City Council of Sapphire Cove, which in turn controls the intel that travels between Sapphire Cove and Sancta Valles."

Liana shook her head. "I always hated that man."

Damien drummed his fingers on the armrest. "He may control the Mage Council, but I am King. I have spies in the Cove. No one reported anything amiss."

Elias didn't back down. "Perhaps those spies aren't as loyal as you think. We know it is his ships that are smuggling people in. His businesses that are hiding and catering to the traitors. We don't think he is doing it alone either. A ton of people are staying at an abandoned farm north of town. It's owned by…"

"Ranville," Damien growled, the truth too difficult to ignore.

Elias nodded. "How did you know?"

Liana grabbed Damien's hand, pushing magic to keep him from going feral. "We've been doing a bit of digging of our own. Some new information came to light that proved Ranville's family started the separatists. They've been buying properties for centuries to surround Sancta Valles and Sapphire Cove."

They all fell silent.

"This is larger than we thought," Dahlia admits.

"There is more," Diego interjects. "It's not just Ranville and Monroe. There is someone else pulling their strings. Someone even more powerful than them. The others just reference a him . They act as if he is some god."

Liana wracked her brain. "Who could possibly be more powerful than Ranville and Monroe, and has ties to Sapphire Cove?"

Damien shook his head. "My Council advisors technically outrank them. Kent is a traitor, but he has been dealt with and I highly doubt he was the one to inspire such a reverent following. Kinley is loyal to me, of that I have no doubt."

"They don't have to be a mage just to be powerful. Influence and prestige are power too," Dahlia pointed out.

"True enough," Damien acquiesced. "There is still a very short list of people with more influence than Monroe and Ranville."

"What if it is a foreigner?" Elias proposed. "Another kingdom backing them."

"A terrifying thought," Damien admitted. "We have not seen war with another kingdom since Triaedian was first established. The journey here is too long and the seas too rough for a large enough army to traverse. The only reason trade is possible is because we have our ships and mage stationed in the sea to provide safe passage."

Liana didn't know much about the other kingdoms since that knowledge wasn't taught to mage females. She'd been learning a lot since becoming queen, but not enough and her education had been put on pause. All she knew is that their continent was safe and secluded from the others.

"Then perhaps just a foreigner working alone that wants to seize control. I'm not sure, but there is someone else to be concerned about." Elias gripped his hair, pulling slightly before chugging his water. "And I disagree with Dahlia, it has to be a mage. Someone strong enough to change the magic in Sapphire Cove. Why would they want to mimic Liana's magic too? What is the point of that if they want to take the crown?"

Liana's heart skipped a beat as a fleeting thought passed through her mind. It couldn't be though. It was impossible. Sweat drenched her suddenly and she was thankful to be sitting as her head went fuzzy.

"What is it?" Damien asked, sensing her distress.

She gulped. Not wanting to believe it, she shook her head. "It can't be. It just can't."

Damien gripped her shoulders. "What?"

Her eyes focused on him. "What if they aren't mimicking my magic on purpose? What if their magic is my magic?"

Damien's eyes went wide. "No," he whispered in disbelief. "No, Ranville said he was killed by the dagger."

"Did he though?" Liana questioned, second guessing everything. "He said it was as if time stood still when they entered the tomb. What if he froze himself before he could die? What if they healed him when they found him? How else would they have gotten any blood from him?"

Damien's face was far too pale for his tan complexion. "We need to get into his mind, now."

Finally, they agreed.