Chapter 6

Philip eased Sara into the couch before he was attacked by a whirlwind of flying fists.

"Son of a bitch!" Turning he expected to see an unknown assailant instead he saw a young boy with golden hair. He was shocked by the fury — even rage the boy directed at him. His heart nearly broke as he saw the replica of his twin-brother as a child. There was no doubt in his mind whose child the boy was. He was the spitting image of him or his brother at the same age. Damn you, Brent! Why did you leave Sara all alone and pregnant with your child? It's one thing to take my chosen but it's another to leave her unprotected with an infant. No mother should have to whore herself to support her child!

"Let go of my mom!"

"Calm down, Boy. I'm not hurting your mother. Beside she's my chosen. I would never hurt her."

"Like Hell! Her chosen abandoned her before I was born. A bigger loser was never born than the wizard who would walk away from his chosen when she was pregnant with his child."

Anger poured through Philip. Who the name of Mica did this brat think he was talking to?

"Does your mother let you talk like that? I don't know what she's told you, but I never fathered a child with her and I damn well wouldn't have abandoned her if I had."

"My mom didn't tell me anything. I overheard the Headmistress at our last Temple-home talk about it. I'm not stupid. My dad didn't want my mom or me!"

"Your father is dead. I'm sorry about the way he treated your mother and you. As your uncle, I can't make up for his desertion but I can only offer my assistance now. Your mother said you have no family and I'm making a journey to Earth. If I leave her here..."

"She won't be able to shadow walk and find you," the boy finished for him. He crossed his arms over his bony chest and stared at Philip.

"You know about shadow walking?" Philip tried to keep the surprise and shock off his face at the boy's knowledge of such a forbidden art of magick.

"Of course. Mom told me about it so I wouldn't be concerned if I found her and she wasn't responsive to my calls."

"I see. I want you to know, Gabriel, is it?"

The boy nodded grudgingly.

"I won't let anything happen to your mother. But I can't let her stay here and suffer because Fate and all her infinite wisdom chose her to be my chosen. She will suffer if she cannot reach me."

"And you won't? From what my mother has told me she risks herself 'shadow walking' because she doesn't want you to suffer. She pleaded with King Rand to give her the spell to allow her to touch you without the Shadow Embrace. It was the only help she would accept from him."

"Are you saying Rand offered to help her and..."

" ... and I refused". Sara awakened slowly but didn't try to sit up. "I maybe be nothing more than a whore, Philip but I still have my pride. You made your feelings about me very clear -and the last thing I was going to do is saddle you with my unwanted presence." Sara sat up and touched the back of her head.

"You'd rather be a priestess than accept help?" Disbelief showed on his face.

"The damage was already done, Philip. I wasn't going to pretend to be anything other than what I was. From the moment I stepped into the Temple of Eluran and then was auctioned off to your brother, I became a priestess. I have no other lot in life and accepting the King's help would not change the fact that I am a Priestess of Eluran. So I told Clara and Rand if they wanted to help me, then give me the tools to make the best of my situation." She pushed him away and got to her feet. Silently she turned and walked Gabriel back to his room, leaving Philip sitting on the couch.

She rather suffer than let anyone help her? Where has my tarta gone? She never would have let herself be placed in the submissive role. She would fight for what she thought was right. Damn it, I have to stop thinking of her as my tarta. She no longer is the same woman.

He was jerked out of his thoughts as pain exploded in his eye.

"Ouch! Damn it! What in the name of Mica did you do that for!" He could feel his eye already swelling. I can't believe the little witch hit me!

"You ever try anything as high handed as that again, Prince Philip, I will do more than blacken your eye. In truth you deserve more than a black eye for rendering me unconscious but you should be thankful I am an understanding witch. I make the choices in my life. No one - not my Headmistress, King Rand or even you will make my decisions, do you understand me?" She placed her hands on her generous hips.

"I'm your chosen!" He surged to his feet and towered over her.

Instead of trembling at his wrath, Sara burst into laughter.

"Now - after all this time, you've decided to claim me? Oh this is truly grand, Your Highness. You can claim to be my chosen until the moon winks out but until you've earned the right, I will continue as I have for the past ten years." She turned and walked to the door and held it open, her intent obvious.

He growled in frustration. I'd forgotten how stubborn she is! As he approached her, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked even pissed off at him. Stopping next to her, he hauled her into his arms. He smiled at her startled squeak.

"Let me go!" She squirmed in his arms.

"No." He dipped his head and took what he saw as his right. Whether she believes it or not, she's mine! Her moan of denial was captured and swallowed by his firm mouth. Instantly the passion between them sparked as if they had never been apart. All I want to do is throw her down and bury my cock inside of her! His hand slid up to cup her breast and teased the harden tip of it. Her answering groan sent shock waves of lust through him. His entire focus was to reclaim what was his and then something almost forgotten shook him.

Mine!

He stilled as his power once more stirred. He hadn't felt it in nearly a year, not since the last time he'd fucked her. At the time he ruthlessly buried it. I don't want to fight it any longer. She's mine and she needs to accept it. Prove it my ass - I'll show her in a way she won't forget!

"Mom, are you going to tuck me in?" The boy's innocent words broke through the fire of his need.

"I'm coming, Gabriel." Sara's hoarse words showed how deeply their embrace had affected her. "I have to go." She focused her needy but wary eyes on him.

"I'll be waiting." He knew his need showed in his eyes but he wouldn't apologize for it.

"No, you're leaving. It's been a long day and I don't feel like satisfying your physical needs tonight." She pushed him away.

"You can't say you don't want me as much as I want you, Sara. It's inevitable. You're going to be mine once more. Then there will be no going back this time for either of us. I can forgive your past transgressions, but I won't share while you're mine and this time it's for keeps."

He nearly winced when he saw, her eyes narrow. Uh-oh, now, I stepped in it.

"You're willing to forgive me?" Her tone was ice-cold. "You're a real piece of work, Your Highness. You can take your ass to Earth with my blessing. I'll find another way to survive without your arrogant ass."

Pain lashed through him at her denial of their bond. Without thinking he struck back, only wanting her to feel the same pain.

"Better to have too much arrogance than be a whore."

He winced when her palm hit his cheek.

"A whore I may be, Prince Philip but at least I'm an honest one. Can you say the same? Now get the hell out of my home."

"I'm going, but I'll be back in the morning."

That night when Sara finally slept she was plagued by dreams of the last time her father had visited her...

... she stroked a finger across her son's downy cheek. Even the pain in her back from her last beating at the headmistress's hands did little to dull her happiness while in the presence of her son. Her last refusal to service a customer before her allotted recovery time after the birth of her son was over had earned the wrath of the violent headmistress. The other priestesses had warned her about refusing any customer, but she'd thought she'd had the law on her side. There are reasons why they enacted those laws, Gabriel. They're going to protect you and mommy.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door flew open and the headmistress entered her room, followed by a hooded robed man. She held her son closer to her as the man approached. Somehow she just knew his presence wasn't a good thing.

Philip paced his rooms at the palace. Lust and anger still warred deep inside of him. He was so pissed he wanted to strangle the little witch for denying him. His body had other ideas. He was just desperate enough for release to use the dream merge. While he could only find a mediocre release on the dream plane it was better than nothing. Glancing at the clock, he figured he'd waited long enough to initiate a merge on the dream plane.

Pulling deep inside of his body, he sent himself seeking his chosen. He'd show his tarta what denying him led to! He found himself merging easily with her. He was taken back at what he found. It wasn't this night - but long long ago at the deepest level of memory.

She was sitting in a glider holding his nephew. It was quite obvious from her state of dress she'd just finished feeding the babe. So this must be from her inner-most memories. He wasn't prepared for the surge of desire and protectiveness he felt. She seems so alone and vulnerable. Why wasn't Brent or I there to protect her?

"It'll do no good, Philip." Sara's soft voice startled him. He faced her - bewildered at her acceptance of her fate.

"How do you accept such a fate without protest, Sara? I'd be fighting it tooth and nail." He walked over and knelt next to where she sat holding her son.

"Love, Philip. I'd walk through the fires of hell to keep him safe. He's the only piece I've left of my former life. Whether you believe it or not, he's got both your brother's and your blood running through his veins. I don't understand all the details ... ask Aunt Clara."

Philip was jerked out of his dream merge with Sara by a rough shake to his shoulder. Opening his eyes in frustration, he was prepared to chew out the person for disturbing him.

King Rand crossed his arms over his chest and arched a brow.

"Yes?" Philip cared not that his impatience with the interruption showed.

"Did you find the answers you were seeking?"

"Not any which I liked. She's in a living hell. She jeopardizing her son's life each time she shadow-walks to stay sane. Where am I supposed to go from here? We're not fully bonded - the mezclar has begun but has never finished. We're stuck and I can't see any way to complete the bonding now."

Rand studied him, and Philip felt as if he were a bug under a microscope.

"Your pride, Philip, will be your down fall. Even now after seeing just a touch of what she's gone through in your absence, you still can't find it in you to forgive her for what she was compelled to do — what she couldn't control."