The Rival (15 page)

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 looked 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. 

"She doesn't hate you," Nicholas said.  "She's confused right now."

Sebastian took a deep breath.  " … Do … you … hate … me … ?"

That was the question, then, wasn't it?  Nicholas rested his head on Sebastian's shoulder.  He couldn't imagine his life without this boy.  Not now.  Not after so many years.

"I love you, son," he said.  "I've loved you since you were a little boy, and I always will."

Sebastian shuddered.  Then he raised his head.  He was taller than Nicholas.  Nicholas wondered if his own son, his blood son, was as tall.  " … Do … I … have … to … leave … , then?"

"Who said you had to leave?"

" … Gift … "

"He seemed to have a different agenda than the rest of us.  You're my son, Sebastian.  You'll stay."

" … Ari? … "

"Arianna will forgive you when she realizes that this isn't your fault.  She's young, Sebastian.  She thinks she knows a lot, but she doesn't."  And that was Nicholas's fault.  He had protected her, coddled her, thinking he was giving her strength.  Maybe he wasn't.  Maybe he  had been making things harder for her.

He patted Sebastian's cheek, and pulled out of the hug.  Solanda had opened her eyes slightly.  Cat's eyes, alien, untrustworthy.

Cold.

He could be cold too. "What did you do to my daughter this afternoon?"

"Nothing," Solanda said.  Her voice was flat.

"How did she get those marks?"

"She was going to attack Gift.  She was going for his eyes.  I was in my cat form.  I stopped her the only way I knew how."

"She's hurt."

"Superficially.  I was careful not to do any damage."

"Why did you protect the boy?  He was trespassing."

Solanda sighed.  "Are all you Islanders so obtuse?"  She shoved herself away from the fireplace.

Nicholas grabbed her arm so tightly he knew he would leave marks.  He hadn't realized how angry he was until now.  "You're not going anywhere.  You're going to tell me exactly what's going on.  You injured my daughter."

"To save your son."

"If he is my son."

"Oh, he's yours, all right," Solanda said.  She shook her arm as if she were trying to free it.  Nicholas tightened his grip.  "You're hurting me," she said.

"I'll hurt you worse if you're not careful."

"Ooo," she said. "Threats from the great King."

"Solanda," he cautioned.

"All right."  She turned her head toward his.  Her eyes had slits in them, like cat's eyes did.  Arianna never had those slits.  Maybe that had been a clue to her abilities.  "The Shaman explained what happened when the Black Blood warred on itself.  I'm sure Jewel told you too."

"Arianna didn't know."

"It doesn't matter."

"And she wasn't trying to kill him."

Solanda shook her head.  "She was going to peck out his eyes.  Do you think it would have stopped there?"

"My daughter wouldn't kill."

"Your daughter is Fey.  She'll do whatever's necessary."  She shook her arm free.  "Gift is your son, by blood at least.  And, surprisingly, so is the lump in his own way.  He's got Gift inside him, and that makes him — real enough, I guess."  She looked at both of them, then rubbed her arm, more for show, it seemed, than anything else.  "Tell Arianna that I'm leaving. She obviously doesn't need me any more.  And neither do you.  You have enough servants."

Nicholas ignored the jibe.  He wasn't going to apologize.  He was too angry.  "What about that Vision? The one in which Sebastian dies?"

"What of it?" Solanda asked.  "We all die."

"Solanda," he said. 

She straightened, frowned at him, then sighed.  "A Vision is personal.  It's up to Gift to decipher its meaning.  Gift and Sebastian look alike.  He might have seen his own death and decided to substitute Sebastian."

" … No … "

She shrugged.  "Or maybe not.  It'll work itself out. Visions always do."  Then she swiveled and shook her hands, like a cat did when it was disgusted. 

"Solanda," Nicholas said softly.  "You're not really leaving, are you?"

She stopped but didn't turn.  "I told you I would stay until Arianna no longer needed me.  It seems she hasn't needed me for some time."

"She's still young.  She needs you."

Solanda shook her head.  "It seems I get in her way.  It seems that she can't abide my attitudes or my prejudices.  Or my person."  She took a deep breath.  "I've done my good deed for this lifetime.  I'm finally free of this place."

And then she walked out of the room.

Nicholas watched her go.  He should have gone after her.  He had so many questions, so much to consider.  But he couldn't. She had betrayed them all by not telling him about Gift.

He didn't trust himself around her any more.  He didn't know what he would do the next time she made him truly angry.

A shuddery, grating sob sounded behind him.  Nicholas turned.  Sebastian's face was covered with tears.

"Every-thing's … wrong," Sebastian said.

Nicholas took his son's hand.  "Not everything," he said.

"Gift … is … gone …   So-lan-da … is … gone. …   Ari … hates … me."  The boy shuddered.  "And … I … am … not … your … son."

"You are my son," Nicholas said.  "In every way that counts."

In every way except one.  The lineage of the Kingship had been unbroken from the days of the Roca.  The King had to be a first-born son.  Of the Roca's line.

Sebastian was not.

And the Coming of Age ceremony was that night.

Nicholas closed his eyes and wondered if he had the strength to put Sebastian on the throne.

Or the strength not to.

SIXTEEN

Matthias stood on the banks of the river.  The sun had set, and the air near the water was deliciously cool.  Mosquitoes flourished, buzzing around him, but he merely wiped them away with one hand. 

He hadn't been here in years, and never had he stood on this side of the Cardidas.  He used to sit on the other side, the Tabernacle side, staring at the palace and the city surrounding it.

It had been the only place where he felt at peace.