Amy's Advantage (16 page)

Kirry rinsed the washcloth out at the sink. “It’s no
problem. I’m going to mop later anyway. Besides, it’s an absolute joy to have a
child running around this house, mess and all.”

Amy sat at the table, picking at a loose blue thread on the
cuff of her sweater. Lost in her own thoughts, she jumped a little when Kirry
placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Would you like some coffee or a glass of orange juice? I
can scramble up a couple of eggs if you want.”

“Orange juice sounds good,” she said.

Setting a full glass before Amy, Kirry said, “Let me know if
there’s anything else I can get for you.”

“Thanks,” Amy said, managing to drum up a smile in response
to Kirry’s kindness. The juice was cold and the perfect blend of sweet and
tart. It was also pulp free, which Amy appreciated because she never had liked
to chew her drinks. She took her time, sipping slowly, trying to process all
the recent information she’d been given. Her heart wasn’t helping matters, since
it kept pumping out emotions that refused to be ruled by logic and situation.

Tracing the edge of the empty glass with her fingernail, she
looked up at Kirry, who was rinsing out the coffee carafe. “Have you worked for
these guys long?” she asked.

Kirry paused and then tipped the carafe upside down on a tea
towel to dry before picking up her cup of coffee and coming to sit at the table
with Amy. “On and off, nearly my entire life. Mostly with the First House.” At
Amy’s slight frown, Kirry said, “Amdyn’s family.”

Taking a sip of coffee, Kirry’s dark eyes studied Amy
thoughtfully. “What is it you want to know?”

“Am I that obvious?” Amy asked. Kirry’s gentle smile was
answer enough.

Kirry patted Amy’s hand. “You and your sisters have been
through quite a bit and deserve answers to any questions you may have. How can
I help?”

Amy hesitated. “Do you know much about Jordyn?”

A warm smile lit up the older woman’s face. “I should. He’s
my nephew. Grand-nephew.”

“Is Jordyn married?” The question blurted out before she
thought about it. To her credit, Kirry didn’t even blink.

Lingering over another sip of coffee, Kirry took her time in
formulating an answer. “A long time ago he was involved with a woman named
Scythra and they had a baby girl together.”

Nerves fluttered in Amy’s stomach over poking into Jordyn’s
past, but they didn’t stop her. She mollified her guilty feelings by reminding
herself that he was the one who came after her and he
did
put a tracking
device in her daughter’s diaper bag. “He sort of mentioned that he had a child.
Once.”

Sorrow shadowed Kirry’s eyes. “Jirya. She was a beautiful
baby. Had her daddy’s eyes.” She set her coffee cup down. “The Sleht attacked
their village. Jordyn had been fighting in a quarter close to his home and had
sent word for the town to evacuate days before. Scythra was one of a group of
people who wouldn’t leave. By the time he found out she hadn’t left, the town
was already burning. The Sleht were eventually defeated, but by then both
Scythra and Jirya were dead.”

“Oh my god,” Amy said. “He must have been devastated.”

Kirry nodded. “He loved his little girl with all his heart.”

Wrapping her hands around the empty juice glass, Amy
couldn’t even imagine what Jordyn had been through that day. When she tried to
think how she might feel if it were Chloe, she had to stop because the pain was
immediately unbearable.

“He’d always been a private young man, kept his emotions to
himself,” Kirry said, “but after that, something inside of him closed down. I
was afraid he’d completely shut that part of himself off forever.”

Before Amy could respond to that, Chloe came running into
the kitchen, her face wreathed in smiles.

“I’m making a snowman!” she announced. “With Shy!”

Shyrana followed Chloe into the room with an apologetic look
on her face. “What I actually said,” she explained to Amy, “was that we needed
to ask her mommy if it would be okay to go outside and make a snowman.”

Chloe raised her arms above her head, closing her small
hands into smaller fists as she adamantly stated, “Snowman!”

* * * * *

Jordyn had managed to avoid the house all day, checking in
with his men and attending to security concerns around the perimeter. He had a
solid team and they could and did run a tight operation even when he wasn’t
around, leaving him free to accompany the Heirs when they needed him to assist
in the traveling and retrievals of their mates. If Amdyn hadn’t sent a request
to meet with him after dinner, he’d have kept out of sight of the house until
called in to escort Amy and Chloe to the portal tomorrow.

Amdyn was standing on the porch staring in the direction of
the darkened forest as Jordyn came up the front steps. The night was cold, but
clear. The lack of wind made it possible to stand outside for awhile in just a
heavy sweater as Amdyn was.

Since he didn’t look in any hurry to go inside, Jordyn
joined him on the top step and scanned the area around the house, waiting for
Amdyn to speak.

“Siriyn isn’t returning to Ilyria with Amy and Chloe.”

Knowing his commander as well as he did, Jordyn caught the
faint inflection of frustration in his voice and recognized it for the tip of
the iceberg that it was. Though able to be seen above the waves, it served only
to signal something much greater beneath the surface.

Though anger at the young Kilth on behalf of Amy and her
child simmered through Jordyn, he showed no outward sign that the news bothered
him. Siriyn should be with his mate, protecting and keeping her as the Mating
Rite demanded. Even with Aurora waiting on the other side, it was Siriyn’s job
to see her settled and content in her new homeworld. But it was not his place
to question the decisions of the Heirs. Unfortunately, when it came to Amy and
Chloe, he didn’t seem to have much choice.

“Did he state why he won’t be returning with his mate?” The
words were even, unemotional.

Amdyn growled low in his throat and crossed his arms over
his chest. “He claims she is not his mate.”

Shock hollowed Jordyn’s skull out as his world went blank.
His training kicked in and kept his body still as the emptiness inside his head
roared. Immediately he was operating on two planes. His instincts jumped into
hyperdrive as everything around him sharpened and focused, while mentally he
forced his thoughts into forward motion again. “He said he’d found his mate. If
not Amy, then who?”

Closing his hand into a fist, Amdyn thumped the side of it
against one of the thick beams that supported the porch hard enough to knock
off a couple of icicles hanging from the gutter. “I don’t know. We didn’t have
a chance to finish our conversation.” He straightened, every vestige of
irritation disappearing into royal equanimity. “Amy and Chloe will return as
planned. Make any security adjustments necessary to the plans for the portal
jump tomorrow. It will probably be early.”

“And Ellyna?”

For the first time, Amdyn looked at Jordyn, his expression
giving away nothing. “We will not be returning to Ilyria at this time.” At
Jordyn’s nod, Amdyn turned and went inside.

Alone on the porch, Jordyn stared up at the sky, at the blue
velvet winter night dusted with an elaborate array of pinpricked light. What
were the gods up to now? For a moment he waited, but the gods were silent. As
usual. He knew the Prophets and Elders had ways of reading the heavens, but if
there was a message written in the stars above him tonight, he sure as hell
couldn’t see it.

“Ellen, would you come with me?”

Sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, Ellen looked
up from playing Chutes and Ladders with Chloe. Before she could answer Amdyn’s
question, he said, “It’s important.” His tone made it clear that he would not
take “no” for an answer.

“It’s okay,” Amy said, scooting off the chair she’d been
curled up on, going back and forth between watching the game and flipping
through a magazine left on one of the end tables. “I’ll finish the game. It’s
about Chloe’s bedtime anyway.”

Leaning over, Ellen kissed the top of Chloe’s head. “Good
night,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning. Love you.”

“Lub you too,” Chloe said, wrapping her dimple-elbowed arms
around Ellen’s neck for a quick hug before handing the spinner to Amy and
saying, “Go, Mommy.”

Ellen followed Amdyn down the hall and toward the library.
“What’s this about?”

“Siriyn wants to talk to us.”

“Us? Why would he need to talk to me?”

Amdyn stopped in front of the door and turned to face her.
“You know that Siriyn claims Amy isn’t his mate?”

“Amy mentioned it. She didn’t seem to have a problem with it
and was actually somewhat relieved, I think.”

Irritation flashed across his face. But if he had been going
to say something, he thought better of it and opened the door, ushering her
inside before him. Siriyn was standing by the windows, his posture tense as
they entered.

The click of the door shutting behind them was loud in the
silent room. Amdyn stepped around her. “We’re here. Now what?”

“I wanted to explain about Amy,” Siriyn started, but then
glanced around as if unsure about where to begin. Except for the one he’d been
staring out, the shutters across the bank of windows were closed for the night.
He flicked the last one shut.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” Ellen said. “You
and Amy are both adults.”

“Well, he has to damn well explain it to me,” Amdyn stated
before turning to face Siriyn square on. “I will not let you screw up the
prophecy when we’re so close to finally seeing it fulfilled.”

“I’m not trying to mess anything up. I know it’s important,
but Amy and I both agreed it just wasn’t there for us.”

“What the fuck is
just wasn’t there for us
supposed
to mean? If this is about that woman in California—”

“Who? The flight attendant?” Siriyn interrupted, looking
truly confused. “That was just a simple affair. We haven’t spoken since we last
saw each other months ago.”

Amdyn advanced on his cousin. “You said you found your mate
and Amy is the only Mystic left, so what the hell are you doing?”

Siriyn glared at Amdyn and Ellen saw flames leap in his
eyes. “Back off,” he warned. “I’m talking to you out of courtesy, not because I
have to. If you keep pushing, the prophecy will be void because the Five Houses
will not be united in a kingdom led by an asshole.”

“Excuse me,” Ellen said. “I don’t think I need to be here
for this particular family squabble.”

“No, wait,” Siriyn said. He reached out to stop her and
Amdyn caught his arm, preventing him from touching Ellen. Siriyn shook the hand
off with all the arrogance suiting a Royal Heir. “There’s something I need you
to see.”

Eyebrows raised with a less than patient attitude, Ellen
waited for him to explain. Once Siriyn was sure she was staying put, he asked, “Where
is Amy?”

“Playing a game with Chloe.” Exasperated, Ellen asked, “Do
you need her too?”

“No. But you need to know, so you can be sure I’m not
playing a trick.”

“Fine. Go on.”

Amdyn settled an arm around her waist and drew her closer to
his side as Siriyn lifted his hand out in front of him. A perfectly round ball
of fire grew from a pinprick to the size of a softball.

“This is nothing new.” Amdyn’s growl of irritation rumbled
in the quiet room.

“God damn it, just watch.” Siriyn didn’t take his eyes off
the fire.

Ellen looked closer. “Is that Amy?” In the depth of the
fiery orb was what looked like an animated pencil sketch of Amy’s head. She
laughed and leaned forward, bringing Chloe into the picture as she kissed her
forehead. Suddenly the orb disappeared and she and Amdyn were staring at
Siriyn’s open, but empty palm.

“Can you see anyone?” Amdyn asked.

“At any time?” Ellen added.

“No and no. I’m getting better at it, but the better I know
the person, the clearer the image seems to be and the longer I can hold it.
Sometimes, I can’t see who I’m looking for at all, but I don’t know if it’s
something I’m doing or they’re doing that blocks me. The more open they are in
general seems to make a difference.”

“Open?” Ellen asked.

Siriyn shrugged. “Open to others, maybe. I really can’t
explain, but it seems to have a telepathic element to it. People who keep up
willful and forceful telepathic shields are the hardest to connect to so far.
That I know of.” He tilted his head toward Amdyn. “You and Shay are damn near
impossible. And you,” he looked at Ellen and shook his head, “don’t even show
up as a shadow.”

Amdyn’s fingers curled into his palms, his legendary
composure negated by the sudden anger in his eyes. “You’ve been trying to watch
my mate?”

“Fuck no. You’re missing the point. For just a minute, let’s
pretend the world doesn’t revolve around the almighty First Heir of the First
House and his Mate. What I’m trying to explain to you is that I
can’t
see everyone all the time, at all or completely clearly even when I’m at my
best. It takes a level of focused power I can’t sustain for long and the whole
thing is new to me. Plus, I don’t have anything to go on. I’m learning from
trial and error because I’ve never heard of someone being able to do something
like this unless they were one of the Prophets.”

Amdyn relaxed fractionally beside Ellen. “I’ve been through
a lot of the old texts and don’t remember anything similar either. Connyn might
know. He’s spent more time in the ancient archives.”

Looking seriously pained at the prospect of going to Connyn
for help, Siriyn shook his head. But before he could argue the point, Ellen
said, “You called me in to tell me you can’t see me in your fiery crystal
ball?”

“No. I need your help, hopefully, in explaining something.”