All in the hall but Lara shrank back in fear, but with a wave of her hand Lara banished the stench of burning, replacing it with the smell of sweet lavender. “She is gone now, and will not be back,” she told her companions. Then she looked to the chancellor. “Well, Alfrigg, I have made my decision. Let them rule together even as they came into this world. And you must be their guide for the next five years.”

“Lady, I am old and tired,” Alfrigg said piteously, rising from his chair.

“Loyalty should not be punished, and your loyalty to your master is commendable, my lord,” Lara told him. Then she set her hands upon the dwarf’s shoulders, and said, “Let the years drop away. For ten years and a day. Unchained from pain limbs be free. Bright eyes be clear all to see. Ears be sharp, and memory sound. From your years you’re now unbound.” And Lara smiled at the surprise that dawned on the old dwarf’s face as he heard her words, and experienced the result of them.

“My pains are gone,” he marveled. Then he said, “But you said I must only serve them five years. You have freed me from aging for ten years and a day.”

“Your loyalty to Kol is rewarded,” Lara told him. “You were always his voice of reason, and whether you meant to or not you have helped us keep the darkness at bay. Serve his sons, as well, although I do not imagine they will be any easier than he was. In fact they will be twice the trouble. Still, Alfrigg, you should be able to manage them as you did their father, particularly given your newfound youth.”

“We are to rule the Dark Lands? Why, Mother dear, how generous of you,” Kolgrim said with a wicked smile.

“You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen,” Kolbein said admiringly.

“I am not a creature,” Lara said coldly. “I am a faerie woman.”

“Why did you desert us?” Kolbein wanted to know.

“Don’t ask her. I’ll tell you everything, brother dear,” Kolgrim said. “She doesn’t like us because she didn’t like our father.”

“Which one of us was born first? It is the firstborn who should rule alone,” Kolbein said angrily.

“I’ll tell you all about that, too,” Kolgrim replied. “No one knows which one of us came first.” He chuckled. “It was really quite careless of them.”

“Why is it you know more than I do?” Kolbein asked irritably. Then he held up his hand as his twin was about to speak. “I know! I know! You’ll tell me that, too.”

“Can you send us back to the castle of the Twilight Lord?” Alfrigg asked Lara.

“I can,” Lara told him. Then she looked to Arild. “Will you return to the light, Forest Giant? Or will you remain here? Remember your children when your pride reaches up to bite at you.”

“You are certain Skrymir will forgive me? Welcome us back into our family?” Arild asked her, trying not to sound too anxious.

“I am certain you will all be welcomed,” Lara promised him.

Arild looked to his family. “I have decided we will return to our own people,” he told them.

“What of Gnup?” Lara wanted to know.

“I told you we had not seen him in several days. If I find him I will kill him,” Arild told her.

Lara nodded, satisfied, then turned back to Kolbein and Kolgrim. “Go and stand next to your chancellor,” she told them. “Kolgrim, make your goodbyes to your foster family quickly.”

Broska and Guri ran forward sobbing. Broska picked Kolgrim up in her hand and squeezed gently as she kissed the top of his head. Guri kissed his head, too. Then they set him back on the ground, and, sobbing harder, returned to where their own children stood. Evert, Kolgrim’s foster brother, offered him a finger to shake before Kolgrim returned to stand next to Kolbein and Alfrigg. But as Lara raised her hand to transport them to the castle of the Twilight Lord he called out to her, “Farewell, Mother dear.” And she heard his laughter and that of Kolbein as they faded away.

“My lord Kaliq, hear my plea. Cease all else and come to me,” Lara called, pretending so the giants would not know he had been there all along.

The Shadow Prince immediately stepped from the shadows in a corner of the hall.

“Will you help me transport this hall to the realm of the Forest Giants in Terah?” she asked him prettily.

“It is done even as you spoke the words, Domina,” Kaliq said. “Go and open the door to your hall, Arild.”

And when the Forest Giant did so he was amazed to find his house in a sunny clearing in the midst of a lush green forest. And down the road that led from the house he saw his cousin Skrymir, Lord of the Forest Giants, hurrying forward to meet him, a smile of welcome upon his face. Brushing away his tears, Arild went forth, his hands outstretched to greet him.

Lara looked to Kaliq.

“While you were straightening out everything else I sought out Skrymir,” he told her.

“Thank you,” Lara said, smiling as the two giants embraced each other after their many years of separation.

10

THE DARKLING CIARDA PACED angrily back and forth within her hall. Ruined! All her plans had been ruined. How had she been found out? And she had certainly never expected the faerie woman who had birthed her half brothers to become involved in their fate. The bitch had deserted them, deserted her father, who had actually loved that golden creature. Ciarda would have never guessed that Lara’s magic was that strong. She had so wanted to complete her father’s plans for the conquest of Hetar and Terah. To draw the darkness over this entire world would have been a magnificent accomplishment. To be the first female to rule from the Twilight Throne. Ciarda seethed with her fury.

Then suddenly her ire began to lessen slowly. Perhaps all was not lost. She just had to rearrange her plans, and attack the problem from another direction. The Hierarch she had been creating to govern Hetar for her was still waiting in the wings. If she could bring him to the forefront sooner than she had planned it would cause chaos for the Lord High Ruler Jonah and his minions, who would hardly appreciate being replaced. The Hierarch would draw them to his side efficiently, isolating Jonah. Her Darkling’s magic would guarantee that the Hierarch would triumph over his opposition.

And once Hetar was firmly under her control she would set her half brothers against one another. The faerie woman’s spell could certainly be broken, Ciarda considered, if she just thought about it. It was a simple spell, after all, wasn’t it? And she would leave Terah in peace until they could be lulled into a false sense of security. Why would the faerie woman care what happened to Hetar, or to the Dark Lands? Ciarda believed that Lara had only interfered out of a sense of maternal duty toward her sons. Kol, her father, had appreciated that kind of loyalty, and for his sake Ciarda decided she would leave Lara and her kingdom in peace for the interim. After all, ruling an entire world was a great undertaking. Better she gather that world to her little by little. She didn’t have to be so greedy. She didn’t need it in her grasp so quickly. She had been foolish in her eagerness. She would not be foolish again.

She considered Lara. She had never until today seen the faerie woman, although she had heard of her beauty from the other women in her father’s harem. Her father had wanted Lara’s magic, and Ciarda had never understood why until today. Ciarda possessed certain magic from her father, but she hadn’t ever known a woman could possess such strong magic as Lara did. Or was it all her magic? She had seen the Shadow Prince standing in the dusky corner of the giant’s hall although she knew no mortal eye could have detected him. Perhaps Lara’s magic wasn’t all that strong. Perhaps it had been the Shadow Prince’s magic. Of course it was! Women did not have that kind of strength. But one day she would, Ciarda vowed. One day.

She turned her thoughts now to the one she had chosen to be the Hierarch. She had sought for a young man whose background would fit the legend. The Hierarch, it was said, would come from a far place. He would be a simple man of the people whose natural charisma and handsome face would draw Hetarians of all ranks to him. And no one would question his sudden appearance among them because her magic would make him a wondrous figure to behold. But his heart was as black as hers was, Ciarda knew.

IN THE FIELDS OF THE New Outlands the cattle of the Fiacre grazed peacefully in the sunlight of a late summer’s afternoon. Anoush, daughter of Vartan the Heroic, walked slowly through the meadow gathering the daisylike flowers and leaves of the chamomile plant. She carried a woven willow basket, rectangular in shape, that was divided into individual sections. Carefully she tucked her harvest into one of the sections.

“Hello, Anoush!” she heard a male voice greet her.

“Hello,” she answered. She didn’t know who the tall and muscular young man was, but she had to admit to herself that he was very handsome with his curly black hair and light blue eyes. And when he had smiled at her her heart had fluttered.

“You do not recognize me, do you?” he said.

“Nay, I do not,” Anoush admitted shyly and made to move on.

He did not stop her, saying instead, “Well, perhaps you will remember me eventually. Will you be at The Gathering?”

“Yes,” Anoush said as she walked away.

“We will meet again then,” he called after her.

Arriving back at her fine stone house, Anoush said to her servant, Gadara, “There was a herdsman in my fields today whom I did not recognize. Do you know who it might have been? He was very handsome.”

“Two of Sholeh’s men came to speak with Lord Liam today,” Gadara said, “but I did not see them, mistress.”