The Channel (The Gifted Book 2) (17 page)

Lanne's head had dropped back to Daen's shoulder; Rhea hated the idea of separating them. An idea came to her. "Um ... Lanne. Would you do me a favor? Can I sleep in here with Gaibel? You can take my room ... you would have it to yourself." Rhea locked eyes with Lanne, willing her to understand what she was offering. "I'll just grab my bag and bring it in here."

At first, it didn't look like Lanne was catching on, but when the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly, Rhea knew she had her.

When Rhea returned, she handed Lanne her key.

Lanne picked up her gear and saddlebag and glanced at Daen who was following her.

Randell stood and started to follow. "Well I suppose that's my cue. Good night, everyone." As he reached for the door, he turned to Taulin. "You coming?"

Taulin had been watching Rhea's every move since returning from relieving his guard. He hesitated for a moment but then gave Rhea a slight nod. "I'll see you in the morning."

Before they could close the door, Gaibel stuck her head out to talk to Beth. "Remember to wake Taulin's guard in a few hours." She handed her a key to Room 10, next door. "Use this room to get some rest when he comes on duty."

Beth nodded and Gaibel closed the door.

18
Prince

They were alone with each other, Gaibel and Rhea, mother and daughter. Rhea hadn't switched rooms to be with her biological mother, or not at first. Now that they were alone, she didn't know what to say. She needed something to do, something to distract her from the proverbial elephant in the room so she unpacked enough of her things to get ready for bed.

Gaibel stood by the window looking out into the darkness as she waited to see if Rhea would speak first. Part of her hoped she would. It would certainly make it easier, but Rhea's silence was telling her she might not get her wish.

Rhea hesitated by the bathroom door, looking back at Gaibel to see if she was going to say something, anything, but she didn't move from the window. Not wanting to wait for something that might not come, Rhea slipped into the bathroom, taking one of the oil lamps with her.

When the bathroom door clicked closed, Gaibel turned, feeling as if she'd missed her chance.

Rhea pushed aside her thoughts of Gaibel and washed the dirt, blood, and death from her skin and hair and then filled the tub again. She scrubbed her hands and nails, trying to get every last bit of blood from her body.

Lady Macbeth's words whispered to her, 'Out, damn'ed spot! out, I say!' and Rhea started to laugh.
Was she going insane?
She threw the soap into the water. No! She stood and let the water run from her body before stepping out and toweling off.

Rhea put on the t-shirt she'd worn when she came from the other world and her last clean pair of underwear. She drained and filled the tub again. She washed the clothes she would need for the next day and hung them to dry before finishing her ablutions.

Gaibel was waiting patiently to use the bathroom when Rhea stepped out. "Sorry for taking so long."

"It's not a problem." Gaibel noticed the pink skin on Rhea's hands and arms. She reached for her hand, but Rhea instinctively pulled away.

"It's nothing."

Gaibel watched her as she repacked some of her things and picked a bed. She knew the trauma real battle can bring, and she worried for her daughter. "Why did you ask to be in here?"

Rhea glanced up at her. "I didn't want Daen and Lanne separated any longer because of me."

"I see." She picked up her saddlebag and slipped into the bathroom. Gaibel's heart ached. She wanted to hear her daughter say she wanted to be with her, but she forced herself to understand. Lanne had been there for her. Daen had been there for her. She had to be patient. She kept repeating those words in her head.

Rhea pulled her journal and Raisal's journal from her sack. She had so many questions, and she intended to ask Gaibel when she came out of the bathroom. She thought she would start with something simple, like the different crests.

Gaibel stepped from the bathroom a short time later and crawled into the other bed. She reached out to lower the flame in the oil lamp but stopped when she saw the journals. "What do you have there?"

Rhea kept her eyes on Raisal's crest. "This is Raisal's journal." She rubbed the soft leather cover. "I was wondering why the crest on this journal doesn't match the crest I found on my baby blanket. It is the Gaulette crest, right?" She handed the journal to Gaibel.

"It is. Where did you get this?"

"Randell. He found it with her other things in his attic." Rhea looked up and watched Gaibel open the journal.

"We didn't know what happened to her. Is she okay?"

"Lanne didn't tell you?"

Gaibel chortled lightly. "We've been a little distracted."

Rhea nodded. "They don't know what happened to her. She just disappeared."

Gaibel glanced up from the pages of the journal, her brow furrowed. "Disappeared?"

Rhea nodded. "She left the house one night and disappeared. The assumption was she returned here but since no one has seen her, Randell's family doesn't know where she went." She flipped through her own journal as she spoke, and opened it to the crest in question before handing it to her. "Whose crest is this?" She watched Gaibel's reaction, the pain on her face, in her eyes. Now she wished she hadn't asked.

Gaibel turned to Rhea. She studied her face, really looking at her for the first time. "You have your father's nose."

Rhea's heart skipped a beat, and she forgot to breathe for a moment.

"And you have his coloring, warm, not cool like mine."

Rhea swallowed hard. "Lanne said you wouldn't tell her who my father is. Does he know about me?"

Gaibel closed her eyes briefly but not from fatigue. "No. I never got the chance to tell him."

She didn't get a chance? Did that mean he was dead?

"Gaibel ... mother ... who is my father?"

Gaibel leaned back on the headboard and stared at the ceiling. Rhea watched, waiting for any sign that she would answer. When Rhea started to think she wouldn't, her mother spoke. "He's from Sentran." She lowered her eyes to the drawing of the crest. "This is his family crest." She looked at Rhea. "I haven't seen him since the day after our wedding night." The light from the lamp shone on Gaibel's face and danced lightly over a tear that ran from the corner of her eye.

Rhea's heart ached for her, this woman she just met, her mother. She'd been married all these years, something even Lanne hadn't been told. Rhea waited for her to continue, hoping she would tell her story.

"Our love, our union, was not supposed to be. We met on one of my trips to the palace city of Sentran. Back then, I was stationed near our border. I was a royal courier and occasional guard for special travelers. We saw each other when we could.

"Over time it became harder and harder to say goodbye, until one day we decided not to. I had been on holiday when we rendezvoused in a small town just inside the border of Sentran. It was there that we were secretly wed."

She closed her eyes for a moment as a tear escaped. Rhea could feel her own eyes start to burn with tears as if she could feel Gaibel's heartache. The color of Gaibel's energy became more noticeable as she radiated a warm dark blue with flecks of silver. It reminded Rhea of the night's sky at home, in the other world. She had seen Gaibel's energy when they first looked at each other, but it had faded quickly, after they embraced. That was an emotional moment, similar to this one.

"He left the next morning, to tell his family and make arrangements for our life together. I wanted to go with him, but he felt he should face his sisters alone. I didn't hear from him before I had to return to duty, but I hadn't really expected to."

"What about your job? Were you allowed to leave?"

She smiled with understanding. "Terrwyn, free will is at the core of our beliefs. We serve because we want to. But we are also allowed a family if we so choose." She paused, gazing at Rhea. "I learned I was pregnant with you soon after returning to duty. I was transferred to the castle to serve as guard to the young princess. It was light duty given there were many guards at the castle, and my services weren't really needed, but the queen had insisted. I think she took pity on me."

Gaibel was quiet again, and Rhea's thoughts were racing with questions.
Who is he? Where is he now?
She couldn't stop herself. "What happened to him?"

"He was taken. A friend of mine took a message to him on my behalf, asking him to come see me. I swore her to secrecy, regarding you. I wanted to be the one to tell him, to see his face when he heard the news. She didn't get very far into Sentran when she learned what had happened. His things were found in his room at an inn, but he was gone. She said there were signs of a struggle but, apparently, no one heard or saw anything."

"Who is he that someone would take him?"

Gaibel hesitated as she fidgeted with the edge of her blanket.

Rhea started to worry that she wouldn't say.

Gaibel took a deep breath and looked Rhea in the eyes. "You have a right to know, but if word spreads of what I am to tell you, especially before ... well, you need to promise me you won't tell anyone unless I say it is all right or if you are in danger and telling can save you."

Rhea nodded.

"His name is Kalaub Baurden. He's part of the royal family of Sentran." She paused. "He's the queen's brother."

Brother to the queen—that would explain the forbidden love. Gaibel wasn't royalty nor was she from Sentran. Rhea waited for her to continue, but she didn't. "He didn't have guards?"

She shook her head. "He liked to be on his own." She laughed sadly. "His family was not happy when he did so. He didn't dress the part of someone from the court, so he often blended in, going unnoticed by most."

Rhea didn't know how to feel. Her father, a prince of Sentran was abducted and never found. Why? Why would someone do that if they weren't after a ransom or trying to take over the realm? "After all these years, no one knows anything?"

"Not that I'm aware. If he never told his family about me, they wouldn't know to tell me if they heard anything. I assume that if he were free, he would have come for me."

"Does King Argeon know of your marriage?"

"He and Queen Aubuel know and have been very kind to me over the years. They sent regular messages to Lanne, asking for reports on your well-being." Gaibel paused as she wondered if she should continue. "I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I envied Lanne. She got to watch you grow up ... help shape you into who you are.

"I wasn't the most pleasant person to be around for a time. I resented not being allowed to raise you. That's when Queen Aubuel started sending for updates more often, in hopes that it would help me deal with missing you and your father."

"I'm sorry."

Gaibel looked confused.

"I'm sorry for your pain," Rhea explained.

Gaibel pressed her eyes closed for a brief moment. "I'm just glad you are well and back with us."

Rhea stared at the ceiling and sifted through the questions that seemed to fill her thoughts. "What does King Argeon want from me?"

Gaibel shook her head and laughed inwardly. "He wants what he always wanted … for you to choose. He can't risk war, and if the other realms feel he has you under his control, that might just happen. That's what he fears is happening now, that someone in Laundan has found out and isn't happy at the shift in power." She rubbed her eyes trying to push the sleep away. "I hope he gets my message in time and believes it."

Rhea pulled the blanket up under her chin, fighting a sudden chill that crept over her body.
War? Over her?
She didn't want to believe such a thing could happen so she pushed it aside. Taulin hadn't known. No. There was something else happening.

Her thoughts drifted to her parents, the ones she left behind. They were smart, funny, kind, and loving.
What would they say to her right now if they knew who she really was?
"So, I'm the daughter of a Sentran prince. And here I thought I'd heard it all."

Gaibel chortled. "Randell reminded us of the day you had today. He said he was surprised you weren't sitting in a corner and," she thought back to their discussion, "how did he put it ... babbling like an idiot."

Rhea laughed to herself, but something came over her, and the laughter escaped her lips. "Give me time. There's still hope."

Gaibel joined her in the emotional release that was due both of them. It was either have a crying meltdown or just laugh. They chose laughter.

As their small outburst died down, Gaibel reached for the lamp. "You need your rest. We will talk more in the morning."

19
Next

Rhea woke to a bright but empty room after a long, hard dreamless night, the first in a long time. She lay quietly in her bed enjoying the peace of the room, feeling rested. But before long, her stomach growled, and her body insisted she rise for the day.

When she finished dressing, Rhea opened the door to see who was on guard duty and if anyone else was up. Gaibel was there, her back against the wall, facing her open door. Taulin's guard was on duty as well, but he stood opposite Gaibel. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long," said Gaibel.

"Why are you out here?"

"I'm waiting for Beth and Lanne to join me. We're going to breakfast."

Rhea felt a twinge of concern. "But what about the men in the lobby? What if they're still there?"

Gaibel shrugged casually. "What will they learn that they don't already know?"

Rhea thought about what she said. It made sense, but she was still feeling anxious about her going. "I'll go with you."

"You can't." Gaibel stepped away from the wall and motioned Rhea back into the room, closing the door behind her. "You can't be seen with me or Lanne."

Shoot! She was right.
Rhea was supposed to be part of the Laundan group. "I know. I'll go invisible. I'll hang around and listen to whatever the spies say after you pass by."