The Rebel Queen (Outlaw 1)

“I didn’t say that. I’ve been looking for you for years. It was logical to bring the king back so we can free the supernatural world from the wizard. Through careful studies and much discussion I came to the conclusion that Dad is the only one who can deal with the problem.”

“Not according to the prophecies.” The academics had been studying the prophecies for years. Sasha had whole notebooks of different interpretations, almost all of which led back to Lee and some mysterious other—who we now believed was Dean—to be the ones who could save the plane.

“Lee can’t take out Myrddin on his own. And now I’m even happier we have Dad back since Lee’s turn will be easier with Dad close. King’s blood will calm him and help him find his footing, so to speak. The goddess only knows what would have happen if he’d turned without any of us knowing what was going on. Human Lee can be chaotic. I can’t imagine what he could do as a newly risen vampire.” He paused and then continued in a lower voice. “It was also good to get you and Papa back. I’m sorry it’s been so awkward.”

“It’s going to continue to be if you won’t even allow me to apologize.” We needed to get to the heart of the matter.

“I don’t need an apology. I’m not angry with you.” He bit off every word like he had to make sure he got them all out. “Why should I be? You didn’t make the choice to leave us. I knew that. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but I knew you wouldn’t leave me willingly.”

He’d been so young, and there was no way he’d processed the loss as an adult would. “But I was still gone. You still woke up the next morning without a mother, and you had no idea where I was.”

He was silent again, and I was left listening to the chattering sound of my own teeth.

“I’m sorry about the cold. Lee should be here soon. Somehow he always knows when I’m in trouble.”

“It’s a twins thing. You and Lee were very connected when you were younger.” It was part of why it had hurt Rhys when Lee had started spending more and more time with Kelsey.

“I don’t think Papa and Uncle Declan had it,” Rhys said. “But I do remember being very close to Lee when we were young. It changed when Kelsey came on the scene.”

I had to wonder how much Rhys knew about Lee’s connection to the Nex Apparatus. “You know I named him after my guard, Lee Owens. He was Kelsey’s biological father.”

“Yes, I knew that.”

“Do you remember when Lee got sick and he sounded different? He was young. Maybe ten. There were several days when he acted very weird.”

“When he kept asking for a beer and telling me off for all the things I did?” Rhys sighed. “Yes. I remember and I remember that it was something weird and no one would tell us what was going on.”

We might have mishandled that situation, but at the time it seemed better to tell them Lee was sick. “Sweetie, Lee has old Lee’s soul. I know that sounds odd but a long time ago, I went to Faery and I was pregnant with you. Someone poisoned my drink and the result was I lost the pregnancy that should have resulted in you. Only you. You were what’s called a new soul.”

“Okay, now you sound like a crazy person.”

“Of course I do, but I’m also telling you the truth and you know it. You might not have seen an angel in a long time, but you know they exist and our family has had dealings with them. After I lost that first pregnancy, you were on the Heaven plane and you were given a choice. You could be born to someone else or you could wait for your brother.” Even thinking about that time made me tear up. “You chose to wait. I found out I was pregnant around the time Lee died. And then things got weirder.”

“Really?” Rhys asked. “You’re going to get weirder than knowing my soul before I was born?”

“Yes. I died the day we took over the Council.”

Rhys was silent for a moment as though this wasn’t something he wanted to think about. “You got shot, but Dad brought you back.”

“Technically, he did. The truth is more complicated. When I died I found myself on the Heaven plane and I was given a choice. I had done my job. I was finished and I could stay there or I could go back and have my babies. I saw you that day. I saw you, and Lee was there. He was teaching you how to play cards. Your connection to Lee started long before you were born. But he has a connection to Kelsey that you cannot understand.”