Chapter 4

Contradictions! The air, the room and the people in its warmth were surrounded by them.

The room was quiet; the stillness belying the chaos that had been wrought by its inhabitants during the night. The sun struggled to peek through the early morning fog, the chill wrapping around the figure that except for a slight tightening of her arms crossed over her chest stood still and silent by the window.

"How am I supposed to deal with this? I can't let this take me this way. How can something that is not even human, tempt me away from all that I am, all that I have, all that I know and learn with just a look? How can this passion flare like this and leave me helpless to do anything about it knowing it will burn me?"

The fae watching her from the bed where he leaned against the headboard, could sense the direction of her thoughts, not because he could see the way her golden eyes flashed with annoyance, panic, a little fear, although he knew exactly how her eyes looked even though he could see just her profile and therein lay the crux of why he was so quiet while his thoughts teemed. A frown marred his brow as he wondered what it was about this woman that was making him hesitate, wonder and yet produce such lust within him, that he could not resist.

His eyes roamed over her, wrapped up in the robe from the night before, the body he had caressed every inch of; the silken soft skin that had heated under his touch, that stunning hair that had wrapped around him, brushing his skin... that hidden cove that had taken him in, sheltered him and surrounded him with a sense of completion that he had never felt... and shook himself as he felt his body harden again.

"What is the point behind the Council wishing to see me, after all this time?"

She had gone cold again. The voice although low, had none of the heat, gave no inkling of the passion he had seen, as she had arched above him, taking him in to her. He really had to get her to stop doing that. And self derision sharpened the timbre of his voice, making her back stiffen as he told her;

"You belong to them!"

And had her turning to him, the eyes flashing flames for an instant before she controlled them staying on him as he slipped off the bed, and reached for his clothes.

"Considering that my mother chose to walk back through the veil, consciously ending her alliance with the fae and the other worlds and successfully concealed me, her choice governs my destiny."

"Been recalling lessons, have we?"

Sarah bristled at the amused mockery that she heard in the voice but struggled to remain calm and quiet. Her emotions fuelled his for some reason, and she needed to keep control if she was to get a reasonable grip on what needed to be done.

Ada'an was surprised when Sarah remained quiet in the face of his barb, but walked over to stand opposite her, tilting his head to watch her as he replied.

"The concealment was successful but it does not mean that the Fae were unaware of you or your mother. There were seers still who knew exactly the magic that was woven. Not all were willing to disclose all the details but we have known you existed. Your mother was powerful, revered and even in some of the fae, respected for what she did. Yes, Sarah the fae has gender issues as well" Shaking his head not just at the eyebrow she raised at him but also the urge that came over him to lean over to brush his mouth over hers just where it curved for a moment.

"But to return to leaving you alone, your father - he is that Mistress and shaking your head and stiffening your spine will not change it, argued that to restore some civility between the divisions of the seers and the other worlds, we accord your mother that room. After all, what was important was that the veil remained intact; the Council rule restored and for the moment, any consequences that could arise were also prevented in part because of your mother's steps. The concession however was conditional. If at any time, the council felt that the veil was at risk, your mother and you would be summoned to answer."

Sarah's eyes focused on his were puzzled and her question reflected it.

"But I know nothing of the magic or the veil beyond that which my mother told me."

Ada'an's voice was quiet as well.

"There must be something you know, something that links you to the fae or I would never have been sent for you."

Sarah whirled away from the window, her movements showing the impatience she felt, her hands clenching in her hair for an instant, her eyes shut tight as the memories of her mother's death rushed through her; and drew in a calming breath as she felt his arms wrap around her, leaning against her, his hair brushing her face, his lips touching her temple lending her support. Support that she knew she could not begin to rely on.

"Don't Ada'an!"

Ada'an flinched at the plea he heard in her voice, but knew he needed to do this if they, (since when were they going to face the council?) were to have any chance to know what all this meant. There was something that the fae feared, from this seer and her child and would do what they needed to protect themselves from it.

"Talk to me Sarah, please."

"You?" It was the low timbre of her voice, an inflection that he could not predict that had his arms dropping from around her; waiting as she turned to look at him to see what her eyes were saying.

"Do you even know who you are in my life that you ask me to talk to you, Ada'an, Prince of the Fae? I am sure that you, secure in all your high and mighty power, have no idea of the disruption even the sound of your name has caused in my life?"

Ada'an could only see the swirl of emotions that burned within her eyes. Anguish, anger, passion and behind it all, sadness that went beyond what was happening now.

"I don't understand..."

"Oh, I know that. I know that because it is one of the last things my mother ever said to me."

"Damn it Sarah! For all my power, I do not have vision. That is why we have seers. I cannot tell you what your mother has told you that made you aware of me, before I was of you."

"I didn't even know of the fae till I was 18, when my mother told me the truth on her death bed." and gasped as she felt the thread on her wrist heat and glow against her skin, turning to call to Ada'an.

"Ada'an..." Her call died in her throat as she watched the thread extend from her wrist, reaching for the fingertips that reached towards her. She stared mesmerized by the spectacle in front of her. Shimmering gold dust outlined Ada'an, obscuring him from view, his head arching back as he felt the power course through him, surging from his hand into her pulling her into the glowing cloudburst that spun, aware in an instant of being trapped in a vortex, conscious only of Ada'an's hand now holding onto her wrist.

"Welcome Ada'an! You have done well."

Ada'an lifted his gaze to find himself in the centre of the Council room. The full session had been convened, he noted. The eight council members sat on a high pedestal in a semi circle, all of them sculpted in perfection, the most powerful of those who governed the worlds beyond the ordinary, working to balance all the forces in harmony. The bar at the left seated the seers; both human and other folk while at the right sat the advisors to the worlds, powerful fae and magic folk in their own right, the one seat remaining empty belonging to him.

He stood straight brushing off the dust that lingered over him, noting with some amusement that Ah'veel, the Council Principal had changed his mortal garb into the finery more suited to his stature; including the restoration of the torque around his neck that was a symbol of his office, but where was Sarah? He looked down to his hand to see the bind missing which meant she was here but he couldn't see her.