Beverly Barton - Raintree - Santuary

Mercy looked above the mantel over the fireplace and visually inspected the golden sword hanging on the wall. Dranira Ancelin’s sword, the one she had used in The Battle against the Ansara. Her ancestress had also been an empath, a healer who had used her powers for good. But when called upon to defend her clan, she had fought alongside her husband. When they came to the mountains of North Carolina and built a refuge for themselves and their people, Ancelin had placed her sword above the fireplace in what had then been the living room of her home. The jewel-encrusted, golden sword had not been removed from that spot in two centuries.

“That sword has great power,” her father had once told her. “It can be used for no other purpose than to defend the Raintree, and only a female descendant of Ancelin can remove it from the wall.”

She had always known the sword was hers and sensed that someday she would be called upon to use it. But she had never thought that she would use it to kill her child’s father.

“ Judah. Oh, Judah…”

Mercy?

She heard Judah ’s voice as clearly as if he were standing at her side.

Had he heard her thoughts? Did he know that she…?

Judah?

Why have you contacted me? he asked telepathically.

I didn’t contact you. You contacted me.

Silence.

Hurriedly, Mercy protected her thoughts, although she had believed she was already safe from anyone’s mental probing.

She heard Judah ’s laughter.

I don’t want to talk to you, she told him. Go away.

I would if I could.

What do you mean by that?

Have a talk with our daughter. Tell her that she mustn’t connect us again.

Eve did this? Mercy asked. That mischievous little…Eve, you’re listening, aren’t you? Cut the connection now. Your father and I do not want to-

Sooner or later you’ll have to talk to each other again, Eve said.

Silence. Eve had severed the connection to Judah. And to herself.

Mercy sighed, then walked across the room and stopped in front of the fireplace. She lifted her hand to Ancelin’s sword and caressed the jewels glimmering in an intricate design on the hilt.

When Judah returned-and she knew that someday he would come back for Eve-she would do what any mother would do to protect her child from certain damnation. She would fight the devil for her daughter’s soul.

Beauport, on the island of Terrebonne

Monday Evening, 8:15

When Judah arrived at Claude’s home, half a mile from his own palatial estate, Claude’s wife, Nadine, met him at the door. After bowing to him and then welcoming him with a kiss on the cheek, she escorted him into the large, open grand room of their elegant home. As instructed, Claude had assembled members of the high council whom he trusted without question. When Judah entered the room, everyone stood and bowed. Claude and Nadine were as dear to Judah as any beloved brother and sister could be. And he respected few as he did Councilman Bartholomew and Councilwoman Sidra. He quickly studied the others congregated, including Galen, Tymon, Felicia and Esther. His cousin Alexandria was conspicuously absent. Undoubtedly Claude shared Judah ’s suspicions, believing that Alexandria had aligned herself with Cael.

Judah looked directly at Claude. “What have you been able to find out?”

“As you know, we have several spies in Cael’s camp,” Claude said. “Each one reports to a different council member under the guise of trying to persuade the council member to be sympathetic to Cael’s cause.”

“Yes, yes,” Judah said impatiently.

Claude looked to Galen, who bowed to Judah again before he spoke. “I have learned that Cael has promised Alexandria that she will be his Dranira when he becomes Dranir. There can be no doubt that she is working with Cael against you, my lord.”

Judah nodded, not at all surprised to have his suspicions confirmed.

Claude turned to Tymon, who bowed before speaking to Judah. “Although we have no actual proof, we know that Cael sent Stein to kill you.” Tymon glanced around the room. “We are in agreement that this crime cannot go unpunished.”

“It won’t,” Judah assured them.

“Taking Cael down will involve others,” Claude said. “A group of young warriors, as well as Alexandria and two other council members.”

“They will all be dealt with,” Judah told his cousin.

“When?” Galen asked.

“Soon,” Judah replied.

Galen bowed his head in a show of respect.

Claude then looked to Felicia, who walked forward, bowed, then locked her gaze with Judah ’s. “My lord, your brother not only sent Greynell to kill the great Raintree empath, Princess Mercy, but he ordered strikes on both of the royal brothers.”

Felicia waited for a response from Judah, but when he didn’t respond, she continued. “Along with hits on Dante and Gideon, Cael ordered the murder of Echo Raintree. These attempts failed. The Raintree casino in Reno was all but destroyed by fire, but Dante is alive. Tabby was sent to kill Echo and then Gideon. Unfortunately, she killed Echo’s look-alike roommate instead, and now Echo has gone into hiding.”

“Damn the fool.” Judah ’s voice boomed like thunder. “Cael’s actions have all but announced to the Raintree that the Ansara have regrouped after two hundred years and are now on the warpath. It can be only a matter of time before they figure out who made these strikes against them, if they have not already.”

Claude placed his hand on Judah ’s shoulder. “I’m afraid it’s far worse than we anticipated. We believe that Cael plans to strike the Raintree sanctuary very soon.”

“We’re not ready,” Judah said. “We can’t win a war against them now.”

“Cael believes we are ready,” Bartholomew said. “He doesn’t plan to wait until you decide we are strong enough to defeat the Raintree. He is going to strike when he decides.”

“And when will that be?” Judah asked.

“We don’t know, but we believe it won’t be long, possibly in a few months or even sooner,” Bartholomew replied.

“He intends to force my hand.” Judah clenched his jaw, barely managing to contain his anger. “My brother is insane if he believes we are ready to face the Raintree in battle, and unfortunately, he has infected others with his insanity.”

“What are we going to do?” Sidra asked, speaking for the first time. “If you arrest Cael, his followers will rise up against us and an Ansara civil war will erupt. If you choose that path, we cannot keep our existence a secret from the Raintree. But if you choose to go into battle against the Raintree when Cael plans his attack, I see the end of our clan.”

Judah walked across the room to the elderly Sidra, took both her hands in his and spoke to her as reverently as a son would speak to his aged mother. “You are our wise woman. Your visions have served us well all your life. The only two choices open to me seem to predict that the Ansara are doomed.”

Tightening her hold on Judah ’s hands, Sidra closed her eyes and trembled from head to toe. Judah tried to pull away, but she held on to him fiercely. “The day of the Ansara is coming to an end.”

Judah jerked free. Sidra opened her eyes. “You have difficult choices to make, my lord. Whatever you decide, we, your loyal subjects, will obey your commands.”

Judah couldn’t be sure, but he sensed that Sidra knew about Eve.

“The Dranir is tired after his trip,” Claude told the others. “As Sidra said, he has difficult choices to make, decisions that require time and thought.”

Within ten minutes the council members were gone and Nadine had slipped away to her private quarters, leaving Judah alone with Claude.

“I think you need a drink,” Claude said as he approached the bar area.