Bryant knocked on the doorframe before stepping inside the High Priestess’ tent. He took a deep breath—it smelled like Celeste’s cave, which calmed him a little. The woman inside looked up, and he took in the face of his mother for the first time. She was beautiful, much as he didn’t want to admit it, with the stillness of the Lady and a hardness in her face that could only come from Fie Eoin. It was a hardness he’d seen in Kaye on occasion.

“Bryant.” She stood and faced him, her eyes travelling over his features before she looked straight into his eyes.

“How did you know?”

“You are my son. I would know you anywhere.”

His courage drained from him at that. He thought she wouldn’t know him, that he could speak to her without the past clouding his emotions. Already the anger and betrayal made his hands clench at his sides, and it took great effort to relax his shoulders.

“Please, sit.” She motioned to a chair and moved a second one to face it.

He ignored it. “I brought Kaye home.”

She nodded and looked away for the first time, knuckles white around the chair’s back. “I wish you hadn’t.”

That wasn’t what he expected, and his shoulders went slack. “I thought she was supposed to be the next High Priestess?”

“She will be. Please, sit.”

His movements were stiff as he did, and she sat across from him. “This was not a good day for her to return, is all.” She smiled, “but I guess Aleda called her back today for some purpose.”

There was something in her eyes that put Bryant on edge. Something that screamed danger. “She wanted her sister to know she was safe. We will be leaving again soon.”

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The High Priestess was so calm as she nodded that Bryant wanted to shake her. To scream at her. Was she this calm when she gave him away? Was she so uncaring when she turned her back on him and left him to Catherine? Could she not love someone enough to fight for them?

“Kaye knows who you are.”

“Good. That will help.”

“Help her what? Leave me too?”

She looked away again, pain flashing briefly in her eyes before she looked at him. “It tore my heart out to leave you. They didn’t even let me see you when you were born. Just ripped you out and handed you to Gabe.” She looked down at her hands, shoulders slouching just enough for him to see. “You have his eyes.”

Bryant would not feel sorry for her. “Did you even love him?”

“No.” She glanced up, and he could see her fall back into the distance all priestesses maintained. As if she was above it all. Shameless. Blameless.

“Did you know he left?” Bryant leaned forward in the chair. “Cut off his wings and went to Gaerlom to sire a real son.”

“You are a real son.” She shook her head a little. “I did not know he left you, but I could have done nothing about it.”

“You could have brought me here.”

“You did not belong to me.”

He slammed his fists down on his knees and sat back. “I am not a commodity to be traded to a bitter woman so you can feel better about yourself!”

The High Priestess frowned, but she was just as immovable as Celeste had become. As Kaye would become by the end of it all. “Giving you up did not make me feel better about myself. You cannot understand how hard it was.”

“And you cannot understand how hard it was to grow up with a woman who hated me for what I was. To know that my parents chose to give me up to her. I would have rather been raised Tarrin.” He looked away from her sympathetic face.

“Bryant…”

“Kaye’s coming back with me. She made her choice. I will not let her stay here to be manipulated by you.”

“I am sorry that you feel I’ve manipulated her. She is, of course, free to make that choice.”

“Stop it,” he turned his angry glare on her and stood. “Kaye is not like you. She fights for those she loves. Do not try to change her mind.”

The High Priestess stood and bowed slightly. “If her mind changes, it will be Aleda’s doing, not mine.”

He turned to go but she touched his shoulder. “Bryant.”

When he turned, her eyes were shining with tears, and she studied his face. “It was a pleasure to finally meet you. You have grown into a very strong young man, and I am proud.”

He bowed low, wings straight up in salute. “Priestess.” Then he turned and pushed out of the door. He had to get Kaye out of here before something happened to change her mind.