Kalen hopped to his feet. “How about a tour of the tannery? Yelena?”
She hesitated, glancing at Liana.
“Oh, she’ll be fine. Olya’s raised seven babies.”
“All right. A tour would be nice.”
Valek laced his fingers in Yelena’s as they trailed his father. The equipment in the tannery remained the same as he’d remembered. The smells of the vats and the hides stretched over the drying racks brought many of his childhood memories bubbling to the surface of his mind. He and his brothers had devised many creative excuses to avoid working.
Kalen led them back outside. Three mounds of dirt marred the grass behind the tannery. The headstones of Valek’s older brothers marked each one—Vincent, Viliam, and Victor. Yelena’s grip tightened in his. Valek glanced at her in concern, but she shook her head. Later.
“I wanted to let you know we brought them with us,” Kalen said. “We couldn’t stand the thought of leaving them behind.”
“Thank you.” Valek swallowed the wedge of emotion in his throat. “I see you left Mooch behind.”
Kalen laughed. “Yeah. The twins were upset, but I wasn’t digging up that damn dog.”
They returned to the house and spent the rest of the afternoon making awkward conversation. Valek offered to hire a couple of trustworthy people to help his parents.
“The tannery is smaller than the one in Ixia,” his father said. “Zeb and I can handle it.”
Valek exchanged a glance with Zeb, but his brother pressed his lips together, signaling it wasn’t the right time to mention the glass apprenticeship. “They would be able to do more than work. They can advise you on the local customs, ensure you’re not being cheated or taken advantage of and tell you where to purchase certain goods, like a fabric that breathes in this hot weather. Those wool uniforms are far too warm for the Sitian climate.”
“We’ll think about—” his father started.
“That would be nice,” Olya said in a tone that warned her husband not to argue with her.
Wow. He hadn’t expected his mother to agree so easily. Valek kept his expression neutral. “I’ll make inquiries at Owl’s Hill before we return to the Citadel tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” She stood with a sleepy Liana in her arms. “The baby needs a nap, and I need to start dinner.”
“Would you like some company?” Yelena offered.
“Yes.” Olya transferred Liana to Valek’s arms. “You had those same long eyelashes when you were a baby. Everyone thought you were a girl, despite the fact that you wore your brothers’ hand-me-downs.” Then she went into the kitchen.
Yelena flashed him a grin before following his mother.
Do not tell Janco, he thought.
Sorry, I can’t hear you. Too busy cooking.
Zeb and his father left to check on the next batch of hides, but Valek was content to remain on the couch and hold Liana as she napped. He drank in her clean, powdery scent and gazed at her. She was so precious to him. The urge to protect her burned in his veins, and he wondered if he’d survive her childhood. Just the thought of her learning how to walk and run and climb the stairs and sleep in a big bed and ride a horse already made him anxious with worry. If only she could remain a baby forever. Then again, forever’s worth of dirty diapers was incentive enough to trust his daughter to reach those milestones without hurting herself too much.
* * *
After dinner that night, his mother escorted them to a guest room. “Zeb put your bags inside already and lit the lantern.” She stood outside the door. “Kalen assembled the crib, so you might want to test that it’s sturdy.”
“I heard that,” Kalen called from down the hall. “It wasn’t my fault the legs broke off. The twins were too big to be in a crib, anyway.”
A brief smile flashed. “Let us know if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” Yelena said.
Olya nodded and retreated to her bedroom.
When Yelena and Valek entered, he froze.
“What’s wrong?” Yelena asked.
“It’s...” He crossed to the armoire and opened the door. Scratches marked the inside, appearing random at first, but upon closer inspection, they were code words that Valek had etched into the wood when he’d spied on his older brothers. Shock rolled through him. Valek scanned the rest of the room. The sloppy boat paintings Vincent had done in school hung on the walls, and the wooden toys Valek had carved lined a shelf—he’d forgotten all about them.
Except for the larger bed, nothing had changed. “It’s my room. The one I shared with Vincent.” It made sense that they’d kept the furnishings and Vincent’s paintings, but he hadn’t expected them to save his toys or leave the marks he’d made on the armoire alone.
Yelena tested the crib with one hand and then laid Liana down on the mattress. The baby sighed in her sleep. His wife took Valek’s hands in her own. “They never stopped loving you.”
He shook his head. “I’m no longer that boy. And my mother is still terrified of me.”
“Despite her fear, her soul knows you.” Yelena released his hands. She pressed her palm over his heart. “Her soul knows who you are right now, and she loves you. Your reputation has colored her thoughts, but she just needs time to adjust to all the changes in her life. Then she’ll see what I see every day.”
He pulled her close. “What do you see?”
“I see a loving husband and father who will do anything to protect the people he loves. A man worthy of love in return.”
Unable to put his emotions into words, he kissed his wife with all the passion she stirred in his soul.
When they broke apart, she gazed at him. It’s time.
To make love all night? I’m in. He tugged her toward the bed.
She resisted. No. Time to say goodbye to your brothers.
He stopped as all the colors in the room drained away, leaving behind only shades of gray. Is this—
The shadow world. Yelena twined her fingers in his. Look.
Valek’s three brothers stood in the room. So young and so...perfect. No wounds marked them. They grinned at him, but he couldn’t smile in return. He glanced at Yelena in horror. Instead of finding peace in the sky, they’d been trapped in the shadow world for the last twenty-nine years.
No. She tapped his chest. They’ve been with you for the last twenty-nine years.
But wouldn’t you have seen them?
They were locked inside you. Don’t worry, they have no memories of that time. According to them, they remember being murdered. Then they woke standing next to their graves in the shadow world. They were confused to see you much older and kneeling in front of Vincent’s gravestone.
You’ve seen them since your magic returned? You’ve been talking to them? A sense of betrayal pulsed in his heart. Why hadn’t she told him?
Of course not. I saw them for the first time this afternoon, by their graves. They’ve been waiting for you to come back. Your parents said goodbye when they moved here, and now it’s your turn.
He thought he had made peace with them back in Ixia, when he’d lost his immunity to magic. Valek looked at Yelena. Can I talk to them?
Only through me. She squeezed his hand. Go ahead.
He turned to his brothers. I’m sorry.
For what, Little Brother? Vincent asked. Marrying the prettiest girl in the world? Of course, if I’d been alive, she wouldn’t have even looked at you.
I’m sorry for being alive, when you... The horrible image of them lying dead in the snow flashed before him.
Stop that, Victor said. Look at me.
Valek focused on him. As the oldest of the four of them, Victor tended to take charge and calm everyone down.
We were beyond relieved that you weren’t killed, as well.
&nbs
p; Phantom pain spiked in Valek’s shoulders where his mother had held him back. But I should have—
What? Gotten killed, too? Vincent asked. Come on, Little Brother, we thought you were past all this.
So did I. But seeing them again brought all those feelings back.
Well, I’m sure your lovely wife and beautiful daughter are happy you’re still sucking air, Viliam said. He was younger than Victor by two minutes, but they were complete opposites in personality. He also had a good point.
Valek sensed Yelena’s agreement.
Victor gestured to the three of them. Remember us this way. No blood or gore.
Good thing, since I faint at the sight of blood, Viliam said.
His twin frowned at Viliam. The gesture reminded Valek of Ari and Janco. How could he not see how much their personalities resembled his older brothers’? Again, Yelena’s agreement pulsed inside him.
You can’t change the past. We can’t change it either, Victor said. We’re content and are ready to embrace peace in the sky. Are you ready to say goodbye?
I... He’d have liked more time, but he had let them go back in Ixia. This goodbye shouldn’t be any harder than the last. Yes.
Three matching grins.
Live for us, Vincent said.
I will.
They faded. Color returned to the world, brighter than before.
Yelena leaned against him. Now, where were we? Oh, yes, you mentioned something about making love all night?
He swept her off her feet and carried her to bed, savoring every moment with her. While spending all night engaged in intimate relations would have been a very romantic interlude, the realities of their life—little Liana—made that quite impossible. They fell into an exhausted sleep after the first round.
Liana’s hungry cries woke them a few hours later. Valek slid from the bed and carried the baby back to Yelena to nurse. He hoped Liana hadn’t woken anyone else. Valek lowered his mental barriers and checked. His father and brother remained sound asleep, but his mother sat in the kitchen, sipping a cup of tea despite the late hour.
What’s wrong? Yelena asked.
My mother is downstairs. I...need to talk to her.