Chapter 67
Sana's heart thumped and tears welled in her eyes as she let go of all her decorum to crush the woman with a hug. "Uma!"
"Oh, I've missed you!" Uma laughed, hugging Sana tight.
"I've missed you too, but how?" Sana pulled away from Uma to gaze into her eyes. "When did you get here?"
"I've been here about a month now. Lord Sirius said I was no longer needed at House Lightbourne and then Lord Dante and Lady Inés found me in Luath," she said, smiling. "And they brought me here to work for them."
"I'm so glad they did," she said, hugging her again, but her heart ached that her father got rid of Uma and left her on the streets.
She wondered if he did it out of spite, knowing she'd be looking for Uma at the wedding.
Shaking her head to wipe that thought from her mind.
It didn't matter because Uma was here and she was safe.
"We have so much catching up to do." She pulled away from her, and dabbed the tears rolling down her cheeks.
"But let me introduce you to my... my fiancé, Lord Rhyel. "
Rhyel smiled, walking up to them and giving Uma a slight bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you and thank you for being such a good friend to my Lady."
"O-oh my, you're welcome, Lord Rhyel," Uma said, bowing to him. "Thank you for taking such good care of my Sana."
A blush burned over Sana's cheeks as Rhyel took her hand and pressed a kiss against her fingers. "I always will."
A bright smile spread across Uma's lips and her eyes filled with joy. "I can see that, my Lord, and that is wonderful." She bowed again before looking up at Troya. "Would you like us to escort Lord Rhyel and Lady Sana to their rooms now?"
"Yes, please, Miss Uma. I'm happy to leave them in your capable hands," Troya said, nodding. "I have some more wedding preparations to do, but I'm sure I'll see you both this evening."
Sana was grinning from ear to ear as she watched Uma give orders to her team of maids before leading them through the palace to their quarters. Any queasiness she once felt faded away and she couldn't wait to have a moment alone with her best friend.
"I'm not sure I've seen you this happy," Rhyel whispered, pressing a kiss against her head. "I'm glad Uma's here."
"Me too."
"My Lady, my Lord," Uma said, turning to them as two maids opened the gold double doors to their quarters.
"These will be your rooms for your stay.
Lord Dante and Lady Inés have requested an audience with you in two hours time, but if you need more time to rest and change, they are willing to wait for you. "
"I'm sure that will be enough time, but could I request a separate room for now?" Rhyel said, squeezing Sana's side. "I believe you and Sana have some catching up to do and I don't want to intrude."
"That's very kind of you, my Lord," Uma said, bowing before she took Sana's hands. "But Lady Inés and I have planned an outing for us tomorrow to have all the time we need to talk. I hope that's alright with you, Lady Sana?"
"Well, I want to spend as much time as I can with you while I'm here, but I understand you have other duties to attend to today." Sana smiled, squeezing Uma's hands. "So, of course it's fine with me."
"Thank you." Uma said, nodding to a few maids. "Fern and Quill will help you get ready for your meeting while I help Troya finish the rest of his nuptial celebration preparations for tomorrow evening. When the rest of the Darcanos arrive, I'll get them settled into their quarters as well."
Sana couldn't stop smiling at her best friend and how much she'd grown into this new role and responsibilities. "I'm so glad you're here, Uma," she said, hugging her again. "I can't wait for our outing tomorrow."
"Me too, Sana," Uma whispered. "I'm so proud to see you like this. Like you always should've been." She pulled away from her with joy shining in her brown depths. "Now, go on and get settled in, my Lady."
Sana was over the moon about reuniting with Uma while Fern helped her get ready. She couldn't believe Inés and Dante took her in and she was glad for it. She couldn't wait to spend time with Uma and tell her everything about her new life.
But her smile fell as she glanced over at Rhyel.
He'd been awfully quiet since they entered their rooms. It was as if he was lost in thought about something and that queasy feeling in her stomach returned.
The reason they came to Barshaa early was because he said he had something to show her, but what did it have to do with Inés and Dante?
"My Lady, I've finished with your hair." Fern said, stepping back from the vanity and bowing. "Is there anything else you need from me before your meeting?"
Sana gazed at herself in the mirror at her hair braided back from her face in thick cornrows and wrapped in a bun at the base of her neck. It wasn't a style Kezi would do for her, but it was beautiful all the same.
"No, I don't need anything else." Sana smiled, standing from the chair in her flowing skirts of deep purple. "Thank you for your help."
"You're very welcome, my Lady," Fern said, smiling. "Uma speaks very highly of you and I was honored she chose me to be your maid for the evening."
"That's very kind of you to say."
Fern nodded, bowing again. "I hope your meeting with Lord Dante and Lady Inés goes well."
"Thank you," Sana murmured as Fern and Quill bowed to them before leaving the room.
Rhyel heaved a deep sigh, dragging a hand over his neatly braided hair. Her heart thumped as he crossed the room dressed in a deep purple tunic and matching tailored pants with gold trim that hugged his thick muscles, but the somber look in his eyes unnerved her. "Rhyel, what's wrong?"
He took her hands, gently caressing her palms which didn't ease her worries. "Sana, I haven't been completely honest with you about why we're here."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The reason we're meeting with Inés and Dante is because I'm going to ask them about your mother."
Sana's heart clenched. "My mother? What...what would they know about her?"
"I don't know, but Elalia said she lived with them before she met your father and I thought it would be good for you to know more about her past and maybe learn about her family."
Sana nodded. "I'd like to know that, but why are you telling me this now?"
Rhyel hung his head. "Because I don't want you to be taken off guard and I'm...I'm nervous about how you'll react to it and what I have to show you."
A small smile tugged at her lips as she slid her hands to his cheeks, raising his head.
"I'll be fine," she said, pressing a soft kiss against his lips.
"As you've told me, you don't need to be afraid to tell me anything and I'm glad we're here.
If Inés and Dante know about my mother and her family, then I want to know about it too. "
Rhyel took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay," he said, sliding his hands over hers. "Then are you ready?"
"I am."
Sune fluttered to Sana's shoulder and pressed his head against her neck.
Keep an open mind, little flame and everything will be fine.
He whispered to her.
She knew Sune meant for that to be comforting, but again, her stomach felt queasy as she and Rhyel left their rooms to find Inés and Dante waiting for them on the covered terrace facing the ocean with its gentle rippling waves crashing against the sandy shore.
"Oh, you two look lovely and refreshed," Inés said as she and Dante stood from their chairs to greet them. "I hope your quarters are to your liking." She smiled, taking Sana's hands. "And were you pleased to see Miss Uma?"
Sana nodded. "I was. Thank you both for taking her in. She looks very happy here."
"We're happy to have her and I am so happy to see you," Inés said as guilt pooled in her gray eyes. "I know Troya mentioned this already, but I'm so sorry for everything, Sana. I truly wanted to raise you as my own after your mother passed."
"He mentioned that and please, you don't have to apologize. Dante told me things had to happen as they did," Sana said, squeezing her hands. "But I want you to know, I would've loved being part of your family."
"My sweet Sana." Inés laughed softly. "You always have been and now you always will be." She looked over at Rhyel and her smile grew. "I've been waiting for the day you finally met the one you pledged your little heart to all those years ago."
"What?" Sana frowned, looking up at Rhyel whose tanned cheeks had reddened and he looked just as confused as she did.
"Aunt Inés, I, um." He cleared his throat, shaking his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Ah, my love." Dante chuckled. "You're getting ahead of yourself, my dear," he said, sliding his hand to her shoulder. "Why don't we let them sit down and have some tea?"
"Oh, yes. Forgive me," Inés said, laughing as she gestured to the couch. "I'm just so excited you're here."
"As am I," Dante said as they sat around the stone table with freshly brewed tea and lemon cookies. "I had a vision that you'd be joining us early and I understand you wish to speak to us about Sana's mother and her gifts?"
Rhyel nodded, sliding his hand over Sana's. "Yes. Sana doesn't know much about her mother's family and aunt Elalia said she lived here with you for a while."
"Yes, she did." Dante nodded, pouring them each a glass of tea. "Your mother, Cyrillia, had been wandering the realm for a while before she found us."
"What do you mean she was wandering?" Sana said, squeezing Rhyel's hand. "Was she running from something?"
"No." Inés said, smiling as she shook her head. "She was looking for somewhere safe to give birth to her child."
Sana's heart thumped. Her mother had another child? Did she have a long lost brother or sister or...did they die? "What... what happened to her child?"
"Sana," Dante sighed, taking a drink from his cup while his bright golden brown eyes filled with guilt. "Your mother came from an old and ancient coven called the Zarathos and she came to us to give birth to her daughter under the protection of the Barshaa clan."
Sana's heart pounded as she stared at Dante in disbelief. A coven and a clan... he couldn't possibly be saying that her mother was a phoenix? "Dante...I don't understand. Was my mother a phoenix?"
"Yes and long ago my family was a clan of dragons."
Her hand shook in Rhyel's and her skin grew cold as the many conversations she had with Kal about her mother came rushing to the forefront of her mind. Had he been trying to tell her the truth about her mother? And did that mean she was a phoenix? Was she the daughter her mother gave birth to?
And if she was...that meant she wasn't...
We were born from fire.
Her voice said in a whispered trill only aiding Sana's tumultuous thoughts.
"Sana," Rhyel said, caressing her shaking hands. "Are you—"
"Am I a phoenix?" she said, gripping Rhyel's hand. "Am...am I the daughter my mother came here to protect?"
Inés and Dante looked at each other before turning their sorrowful and guilt ridden gazes on her. "Yes."
Sana's heart pounded in her ears as her world and the life she knew crumbled around her. She wasn't the ungifted Lightbourne. She wasn't a Lightbourne at all! And the voice inside her mind was a phoenix. Her phoenix.
But if she was a phoenix...
That meant her dragon....
Kal... Kal was real.
She tore her gaze away from Inés and Dante as tears welled in her eyes. Rhyel was half Barshaa was he—no. He wouldn't keep something so important like this from her, would he?
'Barshaa is the safest place for me to show you.'
His words echoed in her mind like an ominous warning.
"Sana, everything is going to be okay," Rhyel said, but his eyes were shrouded in guilt, too. "I promise."
Her lip trembled as she pulled her hand away from his. "A-are you," she bit her lip as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Are you Kal?" she whispered.
Rhyel closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as his muscles tightened and bulged against his tunic. Sana's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach while her inner voice trilled with joy as black webbed wings fanned out from his back and pointed horns sprouted from his head in a half transformation.
He opened his red glowing eyes and bowed his head. "Yes. I'm your dragon."
He is ours!
Her phoenix exclaimed in utter delight while hurt and anger raced through Sana's veins.
Why aren't you happy?
Ignoring her phoenix, Sana's anger stewed.
How long had he known? How long had she been dreaming of Kal—no, Rhyel—and spilling her soul to him? Telling him her secrets, her desires and fears while he pretended he knew nothing of it.
"Sana, I know this is a lot—"
"No." She seethed, slapping his clawed hands away from her. "You lied to me."
Sana, little flame, there's a very good explanation for—
"Shut up, Sune." She snapped at her moth. "You lied to me, too," she said, standing as her rage bubbled and boiled in her veins. "All of you lied!" She roared as her tears burned on her cheeks.
"I spent my life thinking I was nothing! That I didn't have any gifts and I was useless!" She yelled, wrapping her arms around herself as she sobbed. "And you knew! You knew what I was, what I am, and you let me suffer for it!"
"Sana," Rhyel said, getting up and reaching for her. "That's not—"
"Don't touch me!" She backed away from him, shaking her head. "I don't want to be near you." A sob choked from her lips. "I don't want to be near any of you."
She crumpled into tears as she ran from the terrace to the sandy beach needing the cool evening air to calm the anger burning through her.
How could they keep this from her? Why didn't her mother tell her what she was before she died? Why didn't Dante tell her?
She ran until her lungs hurt and her legs gave out beneath her as she slumped into the sand.
But what hurt the most was Rhyel.
She clenched a hand over her aching heart as she cried.
Why didn't he tell her anything? He wanted her to give him her heart, but he couldn't even be honest with her.
Why didn't he want her to know who he was?