Part Three: The Truth ©2000 The god, Loki, watched as the mortal girl shivered on the floor. There was the beginning of a bruise on her right cheekbone and Loki's brother, Daemos, who had taken her out of Tortall, had slashed her clothes. Loki was not a god who liked to harm a mortal. He was tall and dark. He was the god of Destruction, while his brother was the god of the Plagues. Loki was tall, even for a god. His hair and beard were black, and his eyes were an endless field of black. Usually when a mortal gazed into the Eyes of Destruction, they saw the end of their lives, or the end of something they loved above all things. Loki hated being a destroyer, yet it was what he was made to do, so he did his job. Daemos appeared in a flash of sickening green light. "Hm, doesn't she look pretty?" Daemos, on the other hand, had white blonde hair and eyes that were an evil looking blue-green. He was a Plague to the gods; Loki knew that, since Daemos was also his plague. Daemos was the regular height for a god, but was as thin as a twig. That showed the Plague of Anorexia. It was a plague that made people stop eating, wanting themselves to be thinner than they were. Usually they died of it, since they refused all food. "What do you want with her?" Loki asked, kneeling next to the woman. She shrank away from him, letting out an involuntary whimper. "She isn't of any use to you." "Wrong," Daemos said. "She is a Chosen of the Goddess, Selene. Selene has to pay, and all the gods have to pay. This mortal is a pet of the gods; they gift her with visions and various other tools. Striking at them through something they took extra care in making will be most pleasurable. Also, she's Thom's twin sister." "She does look familiar," Loki said softly. He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "She's freezing. What do you want with her now?" Daemos shrugged. "Go ahead and pamper her. She'll be put to work soon enough. She has divine blood in her veins, and it will be nice to see what a mortal with no mortal father looks like from the inside." Loki shook his head sadly. "So? The Great Ones gifted the Lord and Lady of Trebond with children. They knew that when a mortal woman gives birth to the gods' creations that she seldom survives." "Yes, yes, yes. Of course they knew," Daemos said harshly. Though he smiled nastily. They hadn't known. They had prayed for a child more than once, but it hadn't happened. When Daemos appeared to them, they took it for a sign that they would have a child, or more than one. Then, Daemos had urged the Great Ones into creating a warrior and a mage. Ones who would work as the gods' instruments. Obviously the boy was a disappointment, but the girl…. The girl was a different story. She fought her destiny. She only wanted to be a warrior, but she had finally excepted the fact that she was a sorceress and a warrior. Then she had married and had produced offspring. Daemos couldn't praise himself anymore than he already had. Everything was going according to plan. The only thing he hadn't expected was for the girl's semi-divine blood and powers to be passed down to her children. The girl's oldest son had all of his mother's magickal abilities, and even some of his uncle's abilities. Then there were the twins. The girl of the twins had the ability to tell when someone was lying, and she used it quite often. The boy of the twins…. The boy… Curse the boy! Daemos thought venomously. The boy had all the magick his older brother had, and he had other skills. Skills that the gods had granted to him, ones that Daemos couldn't begin to think of what they meant. And then there were the twins that the girl had given birth to only a year past. So far there was little activity from them. They were hardly Gifted, and they weren't built to be warriors. There was little that Daemos could expect from them. Loki watched his brother. "Do you need the girl now? If her wounds aren't treated, she won't be any use to you." "What wounds?" Daemos asked harshly, pivoting to glare at his brother. "Her internal wounds. One lung was punctured by a broken rib, and is collapsing. Her throat is swollen from lack of air and your beating. She has many broken veins, and the blood loss is amazing. If she doesn't Heal soon, she will die," Loki snapped. Daemos took two steps back; Loki had never spoken to him in that tone before. He was usually calm and peaceful, for all he was the god of Destruction. Daemos quickly recovered his demeanor of iron coldness and aloofness. "Do what you want with the girl. I go to make my threat to the Great Ones, and then to the mortals of Tortall. They will want her back, of course. But once the truth of her background comes out, I wonder how many will feel that way." Loki gave Daemos a shunning look. "Stay away from the mortals. The god of Plagues is ridiculously easy to kill. And those who want the girl back will most assuredly kill you." He picked the girl up and cradled her in his arms. "I'm warning you, Daemos. Stay away from the mortals." He vanished. Daemos smiled evilly. "You're warning me? I think not, Loki. For it is I who will warn you, and the Great Ones, and the girl's precious mortals!" Alanna winced away from the god's touch. He had a wet cloth in his hand, and it had some sort of liquid that cleaned cuts out. He was applying it to her cheekbone, where the bruise had several small nasty looking cuts. "Ah!" Alanna yelped, the antiseptic burning her flesh. "It's all right. It's only a few herbs," the god, Loki as he had introduced himself as, said softly. He was the one who had defended her against the god who had taken her out of Tortall. "Only a few herbs?" Alanna yelped. "Herbs that hurt!" Loki chuckled. "Can you not deal with this pain? Fixing your rib, lung, and throat will be worse in pain." "I'm so looking forward to it," Alanna muttered. Loki smiled as he started to apply a balm to her cheekbone. He put the balm down and placed a hand on Alanna's throat. For thirty horrible seconds, her throat was on fire. She couldn't breathe at all. She started to gasp for air, and Loki took his hand away from her throat. His face was tight. "What exactly did Daemos do to your throat and neck? There are internal cuts that are bleeding quite heavily." Alanna coughed brutally and Loki handed her a goblet of mulled cider. "I don't exactly know. I blacked out the moment we entered this place. Where are we, anyway?" Loki sighed. "You're in the Divine Realms." Alanna's eyes widened. "Then shouldn't I be feeling sick, somehow? Daine--Veralidaine Sarrasri--came up here and she said she was rather sick. Numair seconded her." Loki sighed. "They are more mortal than you. Also, a lesser god brought them. Daemos and I are more elementals than gods, in a sense. If the gods fall, I will still be here, as will Daemos." Alanna looked at him curiously. "Why? And how are they more mortal than me?" Loki hesitated and laid a hand on her throat again. "This may hurt," he said, changing the subject. Alanna braced herself as a wave of pain surrounded her throat. The swollen tissue around her voice box ebbed, while the pain around her tonsils increased. Slowly, the pain stopped. "Try to speak. Is it as forced as it was before?" "My throat is still a little sore," Alanna admitted weakly. She sat up a little straighter, amazed her voice wasn't as harsh as it had been. Her voice was a bit more flowing and feminine, with only the masculine tone or two. "It isn't as forced. What did you do? My voice was--" "Was a bit more like a man's? It wasn't your regular voice. You'd forgotten how to speak in your voice, I just took out the tones that made it harsher," Loki smiled at Alanna. "Don't worry, you can still bellow and make trainees jump a foot from the floor." He chuckled as Alanna blushed furiously. "Now, for your lung and rib." "This is going to hurt worse than my throat, isn't it?" Alanna asked wearily. "Yes. But the broken veins and building back up the blood you've lost will be a little less painful. And that's next. So, try to breathe shallowly, and don't move. Or you're going to wish I had allowed Daemos to kill you, that's how much pain you'll be in." Loki blushed darkly as he put his hand on the bottom of Alanna's rib cage, one of his long fingers slightly brushing her abdomen. Alanna sat up straight and leaned over a bit. The shock of Loki's Healing magick flew into her lung. There was a strong burning sensation, as if he was burning away the blood and liquid in her lung. As he Healed the gash in her lung made by the broken rib, Alanna ground her teeth in agony. It felt like the skin was being burned to form a scab over the wound; like the Healers had done when they amputated a limb: they stuck it in fire to burn shut the severed veins. What was worse was the broken rib. The rib had two nerves wrapped around it, which was why Alanna had lost feeling in two of her fingers and a bit of her neck. As Loki straightened the rib into place, he did so by pulling the nerves. Alanna screamed with the agony of it all. Then it was over. "You all right?" Loki asked, putting a hand on Alanna's shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just, it hurts like hell," she replied. Loki smiled. "The broken veins aren't going to hurt at all. Neither will replacing the blood you lost." Alanna nodded and Loki blushed slightly. "You.... You have some broken veins on y-y-y-your," he blushed furiously, "….on your inner thigh." Alanna blushed as well and coughed delicately. "Well, this is strictly Healing, isn't it?" Her breath was coming in short gasps, and her heart was racing a little to fast. Oh, piffle! What is wrong with me? George is back in the mortal realms, and is probably worrying to death about me! And here I am, with a handsome man! Gods, what is wrong with me? Nothing. It's perfectly normal to feel this way around someone some incredibly handsome. Especially when he's about to touch you! Oh, he looks so cute when he blushes! Alanna winced, No! Bad thoughts! Very bad thoughts. Go away, you nasty, evil thoughts! Loki nodded, took a deep breath, swallowed and put his hand on her inner thigh. Healing the broken veins took all of ten seconds, which was just as well. Alanna and Loki were blushing rather darkly by the time the veins were healed. Replacing the blood loss was easy, and was done in the space of two eyeblinks. "Well," Loki said. "You're all Healed up." "Thank you," Alanna replied softly. She looked at him. "Now will you answer those two questions?" "Which two?" "Why Daine and Numair are more mortal than me, and why you and Daemos will still be here even if the gods fall." Loki sighed. "Which one do you want first? Your history, or my history?" Alanna bit her lip. "I'll be able to hear both, right?" "Right." "My history." "All right. Let's go into the common room," Loki said. He helped Alanna off the table and led her into a richly furbished room. Alanna sat on an overstuffed black velvet chair with violet velvet cushions. Loki sat in an overstuffed green velvet chair with white silk cushions. He cleared his throat; "The Lord and Lady of Trebond had been married for three years when they started to pray for children. The problem was, the Lady Marinie was incapable of having children. It's not that uncommon, you see. Finally, since they thought the Great Ones weren't paying attention to their prayers, they turned to elementals. Now, Daemos had been watching them for quite a while. When they finally called upon the elementals, he went right in and appeared to them. He promised they would have a child, if not more. "They were very grateful and went away happy. Daemos appealed to the Court of the Great Ones and suggested that they 'gift' your parents with a mage and a warrior. Ones who would work as the Great Ones' instruments in the mortal realms. Mithros liked the idea automatically. Selene, or the Great Mother, was a little more reluctant. Daemos somehow convinced her that it was the right thing to do. That was how you and your twin were created. "There was an ancient prophecy made by the last lady knight. She said that 'she with no mortal father, and she with the blood of the gods running through her veins will be the one to follow in my footsteps.' That was when they burned her at the stake. But there was a slight warning to her prophecy…. I think it was 'but beware, for him who loves her lawfully, for him who loves her secretly, they will be the ones who bring about her destruction and the destruction of their land.'" Loki sighed. "It was only a century ago, and I couldn't see it too well. I got it second hand, and you know how people elaborate on certain things." "Only too well," Alanna said dryly. "And I know who the two people she was talking about are. The one who loves me 'lawfully' is George. I'm guessing on this last one, but the one who loves me 'secretly' is Jon." "Anyway," Loki said. "The Lord and Lady of Trebond forgot that mortal women rarely survive giving birth to a child of the Great Ones, much less two. When you two were born, and the Lady Marinie died, Lord Alan cursed the gods and you two. When you showed signs of powerful Gifts, much more powerful than his Gift or anyones really, he ordered Maude to teach you control and nothing else. When your twin showed more aptitude to magick than to weapons, Daemos threw a fit. Lord Alan, though, didn't notice. He didn't want anything to do with you and your twin. When you shied away from magick and kept running for weapons, Daemos began to understand what the gods had done. "They had made Sir Silvia's prophecy real. The rest of your history is your life. Now you know why you were Chosen by Selene. Faithful, though, is a Guardian…. Or a teacher, if you wish. Selene knew that the trials ahead of you would determine the course of the entire world. If Daemos had gotten a hold on you before Selene, you could easily have destroyed Tortall and any other countries you wanted to with a single thought." Alanna nodded, thoughtfully. "Why did Faithful disapprove of my liaison with Jonathan?" Loki chuckled. "The gods wanted you to stay 'pure,' as they call it. A complete maiden." "But, the Great Mo--Selene said to learn to love," Alanna replied, rather puzzled. "Yes, to learn to love with your heart, but not with your body," Loki replied. "The icing to the cake was you marrying and producing offspring. Offspring which have your semi-divine blood and you magick from the gods." "Oh," Alanna said faintly, blushing. "Unfortunately for Daemos, he didn't plan on you having children and marrying. The Great Ones were a little relieved you fell in love with the Chosen of the Crooked God." Loki held up his hands to stall any protest that Alanna would make. "They made no intervention. George's love for you was, and is, real." He looked at her for a second. "Do you want to get changed? Those shredded clothes can hardly be comfortable." "Yes, please!" Alanna exclaimed. Loki nodded and walked over to a wardrobe in the corner that held clothes for female guests. "Would you mind dresses? We don't exactly have any breeches and such." "I don't mind dresses," came the reply. Loki nodded and took out three dresses. All three were simple dresses, not the fancy kind you saw at Court. One was a simple robin's egg blue embroidered with emerald green threads and actual emeralds in a floral design. The second one was a violet silk dress. It had a sleeveless gold surcoat and had silver moons and stars embroidered onto the bodice and the hem. The third was a common dress that commoners wore in the regular blue-gray color. He showed them to Alanna, and was rewarded by a soft, shy smile on her face. Gods, Loki thought. Twenty-five thousand eons, and more women than that, and who do I fall in love with? A mortal who isn't a mortal, one who is already married and a mother. . . . And. . . . Oh, Great Powers above and below! Damn every one of those reasons to hell! She is so beautiful! Will she come here when she dies? Or will she end up going to the mortal realms of the dead? Her beauty would be wasted there. She belongs here, or in paradice. Alanna selected the violet and gold dress. "Do you have a place where I could get changed?" she asked softly. Loki, startled out of his thoughts, forgot to mask the emotion in his eyes. Alanna met the depthless black of his eyes without fear, and saw the emotion in them. She trembled slightly as Loki walked over to her. Taking her in his arms, he kissed her as passionately as he dared. He was startled when Alanna kissed him back every bit as passionately. He pulled away, needing air. He looked at her, blushing, and saw something he didn't expect to see: he saw a fire in her that he had only seen in goddesses. "No," Alanna said, softly. She pulled his face back down to hers. "How are we going to get her back?" George asked Jon. His face was tight with tension. He had a feeling that something was not right with Alanna, or this situation. "I don't know," Jon said, wearily. He, George, Daine, Numair, Gary, and Raoul were all trying to figure out how to get Alanna back to Tortall safely. Raoul growled, "Why would the gods want Alanna?" "Maybe because it isn't the Great Ones who want her, it's the god of Destruction," said a man, floating in the air. "You!" Raoul, Gary, and Jon shouted. "You're the one who took Alanna!" Gary snarled. "Yes, and he's the one who basically created us," Thom of Trebond said, appearing in the room with his arms crossed. "Ah, you've gotten your history, have you?" Daemos said. Thom's eyes became slits. "If you mean getting chapter and verse on how you tricked the Lord and Lady of Trebond and the Great Ones, then yes. If you mean finding out your plans for Alanna and me and your fear of certain nephews and a certain niece of mine, yes. If you mean knowing your setting up Sir Silvia's prophecy, yes," Thom growled. Silver fire crackled around him, and his anger was mounting. Daemos laughed. "Ah, you are cleaver! So, my cleaver son, what is your darling sister doing at this moment?" An evil grin full of malice crossed Daemos' face. Thom's expression grew faint, then redoubled in anger. "You'd set up the destruction of your own brother?" "He can't be destroyed! He is destruction!" Daemos cried out. He threw a ball of light into the middle of the room the same moment one of Thom's lightning bolts hit him. Daemos vanished with a peel of evil laughter. The globe of light showed two people making love. Thom, pale with fury, dispelled the ball of light before the features of the people could be made out. "Who were those people?" George asked, suspicious. "Who was that, and how the hell can you be here and not in the Black God's realm?" Thom sighed, sitting on the top of a high-backed chair. Seriously, he was perched right on the top of the chair's back. "That was Daemos. He's the reason Alanna and I were born. Our mortal mother couldn't have children. They prayed to the gods, then to the elementals. Daemos is the god of the Plagues, and that means he's more an elemental than a god. Anyway, he convinced the Great Ones to 'gift' Mother and Father with Alanna and me. Only, Daemos forgot to tell Mother that mortal women die birthing children of gods. Case and point of how Father acted with us. "I'm a god, and that's why I'm not in the Dark God's realm. That's only for mortals, of which I am not one. And neither is Alanna. Well, we're a little less than half mortal." "Who is your da than?" Daine asked, confused. "Alanna and I don't have one. We don't have a mother either, unless you count the one who gave birth to us." "Now, who were those people?" Jon asked. Thom shook his head. "Loki, Daemos' brother. He's the god of Destruction." "So, Daemos shows us his brother havin' fun? I doubt it. Who was th' woman?" George retorted coldly. Thom was quiet for a while. "I don't have to answer that. You all know who it is." Thom watched as George closed his eyes tightly and swallowed. "Who, and what, is Sir Silvia and her prophecy?" Numair asked. "Sir Silvia was the last lady knight before Alanna. Her prophecy told to coming of a woman who had no mortal father. The basic prophecy was: 'she with no mortal father, and she with the blood of the gods running through her veins will be the one to follow in my footsteps. But beware, for him who loves her lawfully, for him who loves her secretly, they will be the ones who bring about her destruction and the destruction of their land.' I got it twentieth hand, so it may not be exact," Thom said. The door to the study opened and in walked Prince Roald, Thom (Alanna's son), Alan and Alianne, and Prince Jasson. "Papa, do you know where--" Roald began. A sickly green lightning bolt aimed straight for Thom, Alan, and Alianne. The latter shrieked and the formers yelped. A silver shield went up around the three instantly. "Give it up, Daemos!" Thom yelled into the air. An evil cackle was the only warning he had. A lightning bolt aimed for George, to be blocked by a silver shield. All around the room, Thom snapped up silver shields. Daemos appeared as the silver shields disappeared from sight. He laughed harshly. "I'll give it up when my plan is completed. Not a moment sooner! And so far, it's all going according to plan." "Except, you fear three untrained children. Why is that? Is it because they have the same powers as Alanna? The same blood?" "You are challenging me? Don't think you can do that, boy, and get away with it!" Daemos laughed. "You forget! I'm the one who holds your sister's life!" With that, Daemos vanished. Thom slumped into a chair. "And I can't depend on Loki to defend her." George looked at him. "Why not? He's the god of Destruction, isn't he? He can destroy Daemos, right?" "No. Loki, even being the god of Destruction, is a god who hates bloodshed. He's peaceful and calm. I have never seen or heard of Loki doing anyone harm, unless he's doing his destruction in the mortal realms," Thom muttered. "And anyway, Alanna hates men who try to defend her unless she needs it." George looked sick. "We're never going to see her again, are we?" Thom stood up, looking at his nephews and niece, then at his brother-in-law. "You'll see her again. Remember the prophecy, 'for him who loves her lawfully, for him who loves her secretly, they will be the ones who bring about her destruction and the destruction of their land.' Alanna is the one in the prophecy, and I know what the outcome will be. Two people whom she loves and trusts will betray her to Daemos, and then they'll be killed. I don't know how, but it's what the Great Ones believe." Thom looked at his niece and nephews. "Take care of those three, George. If only because they're very precious. Their destinies are already chosen, and they have a great role to play in the future." With that, Thom vanished in a shower of soft silver sparks. Alanna looked at Loki, the fire still in her eyes. "I have to get home to the mortal realms," she said softly. Loki kissed each of her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks and then her lips. "I know," he whispered to her, softly kissing her neck. "You have to go back to your husband and your king." Alanna moaned softly as he kissed the soft skin behind her ear. "I know. George and Jon need me." "I need you," Loki whispered softly. Someone clapped. "Aw, how sweet!" Daemos called out, jumping down to the floor. "Except, you aren't going anywhere." He grabbed Alanna's wrist, and pulled her away from Loki and into his grip. He held a knife dipped in human blood to Alanna's throat. "Don't you dare do her," Loki threatened. The knife danced closer to Alanna's jugular. "So, Loki, you actually fell for a woman. A woman who's married, no less!" Daemos smiled suddenly, letting Alanna go. He threw her into Loki's hold. "And one who is now pregnant with your child." He smiled at their pale faces. "You deserve it, slut. You and your brat children could royally fuck up my plans. Though, it's not going to happen. You have to chose, now and here, where will you stay? Do you stay here, with the love of you life, or do you go to the mortal realms to the one who is the love of your mortal life? After this, you will never be able to change your answer. Ever. So, think quickly. If you don't give an answer in two minutes, I will chose for you." Alanna looked at Loki. His eyes were downcast. Alanna bit her lip. Chose? She asked herself. Chose between George and Loki? Between my children and the child I'm carrying? Chose between complete and total freedom, or the overstressed life I led before I was kidnapped? Between Jon and Thayet, and Thom, who is alive here. Chose between all that I cherish and Loki? "One minute." How can I chose?! She thought panicked. How can I chose between my life and…and my life? "What is your decision?" Daemos demanded. Alanna looked at Loki. He knew her answer. "I chose--" Loki's eyes became slits. "You never told the Great Ones she was here," he interrupted. "She doesn't have to chose anything. She has complete and total freedom. You cannot keep a mortal here against her free will." "I can do what I please," Daemos snapped. "No, you can't," Selene said from behind Daemos. "You were right, my son. He was planning her destruction." Thom appeared behind Alanna, and held her shoulders. "How shall we deal with him? We can't kill him, be we can imprison him." "May I be the one to imprison him, Selene?" Loki asked, quietly. "You ask for little, Brother. What is it that you wish to imprison him with?" "I'll imprison him in the leavings of Destruction, and his plagues. The only way he'll be allowed out of his imprisonment will be if a mortal with the blood of a god calls his name two times," Loki said, his eyes suddenly glowing a bewitching silver. Daemos fought the pull of Loki's magick. "This I swear, Brother!" he called out. "It will be your child that sets me free, and your child that destroys her and her rotten mortal land! I swear it upon everything holy, that child will be your undoing!" And then, Daemos was gone. Alanna kissed Loki softly. "I have to go back. I'll be back, you know I will! And you can always visit me in the mortal realms." Loki sighed. "You're right. You do have to go back. I'll watch over you, sweet one. You know I will." Alanna nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know. We'll decide this child's name when we know what it is." Loki kissed her ever so softly. "My dear sweet love. Don't forget who you are, and don't forget me." He smoothed a hand over her hair. Alanna chuckled softly. "How could I ever forget you?" she put her hand on his cheek as tears fell unbidden from her eyes. "I'll be back, you know. When I die in the mortal world, I'll become a goddess and be with you, my love. As will our child." "I know, I know," Loki said. "Go, before I convince you not to!" George sighed, and opened the door to the rooms her and Alanna had shared in Corus. Had shared, George thought with burning hatred toward Loki the God. Steal my wife, please--anything else you want? My childre-- "George?" Alanna asked, coming over to him. George froze. She looked so beautiful. She was wearing a simple dress, but on her it wasn't simple. "Alanna?" he breathed. Alanna laughed. "Oh, don't look so stricken! It's me!" He slowly touched her cheek, and she pulled him over to her. He enveloped her in a hug and grinned. He took her by the waist and spun her around, then kissed her as if she were the last thing on the world, and more precious than life. "George, love me, please," Alanna said. Tears ran down her face. "So, Daemos shows us his brother havin' fun? I doubt it. Who was th' woman?" George retorted coldly. Thom was quiet for a while. "I don't have to answer that. You all know who it is." George closed his eyes tightly and swallowed. George pulled away from Alanna. "Is that how you got that god to love you?" Alanna flinched as if he had hit her and looked away. "Why did you come back?" he asked harshly. "I came back for you," Alanna said softly. "Obviously it was a mistake." She started to walk away. George grabbed her elbow, and turned her towards him. He looked into her eyes and saw heartache, but a want and love for him that he didn't believe. "Why?" he whispered. "I love you," she said softly, as if she was afraid he'd be angry with her. George drew her into his arms and kissed her softly, and she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him as passionately as she could. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity. "The others should know your back," George said, in between kisses. "We can tell them later," Alanna said roughly. She kissed him as long as she could stand without breath. "I want you, please." George looked at her, and led her to the bed…. Loki looked out over the Court of the Great Ones. He could no longer stay in his realm and pretend that the world didn't exsist. Not when his love had given birth to his daughter only two months before. They had decided to name her Zoycite, a name that was majestic, yet mysterious. He sighed and took a long sip of his mulled cider. "Excuse me," said a majestic young lady. She looked like one of the lesser gods' daughters. Wyerin's maybe. "How can I help you, young my lady?" Loki asked. "I'm Daine--Verlidaine Sarrasri--and I was wondering if you were Loki, the god of Destruction." Loki looked at her, his face as placid as it always was. "That I am. And you are a friend of Alanna's. She's mentioned you before." Daine looked startled. "She has? Oh. Anyway, I wanted to know if that child she gave birth to two months ago was yours. It bears absolutly no resemblance to the baron, and Alanna is avoiding any questions on the child's father." Loki took a sip of his cider. "It might be. Why is it any of your concern?" Daine flushed. "Alanna is a friend of mine. She's like the sister I never had and at times like my mother. I think I have a right to know the truth." "You have no right to know the truth," Loki said harshly. "Do you know who she is? What goes through her mind? What blood is in her veins? I think not!" he glared at her. "How much pain will you inflict on me? Less than a year away from her, and I know what she and that baron have been doing, and still I can't get her out of my mind. After twenty-five thousand eons and I've seen women who would put that Queen Thayet of yours to shame, and the only woman who has made my heart melt has been someone who wouldn't exsist without the interventsion of my cursed brother!" Loki's eyes were the silver they glowed when he talked about touchy subjects. Daine me this gaze fearlessly. Loki looked away. "Go away, Veralidaine." Daine looked hurt, but Loki didn't care. Putting his glass down, he vanished in a shower of black and silver sparks. "Well, I hope you didn't expect to get anything out of him on the subject of Alanna," said someone who looked a lot like her. "You are?" Daine asked. Thom smiled. "Thom of Trebond at your service, my lady. In the mortal realms, I was Alanna's twin. I know her almost as well as Loki." "Is Zoycite his?" she asked bluntly. Thom smiled. "And risk losing my head for telling you? I doubt it!" He sighed. "Swear that you won't tell a soul?" Daine nodded. "I swear by the Great Mother Goddess and the Black God." "Yes, Zoycite is Loki's daughter. And the one that could bring about Alanna's and Loki's destruction. That was Daemos' curse."