"Motherfu-vipers!" Holsten shouts as Nasir pins his arm down on the floor.

"Again, you lose," Nasir leans back and folds his arms over his chest, smiling.

Gray growls to himself, his hands shaking a little as he sits near the two arm-wrestlers and waits for his turn.

The wind howls, shaking the tower and sending it creaking. Fucking sandstorms. We haven't been able to travel for nearly two weeks. Two weeks too long, if the agitation of my female is any indication.

I let my eyes drift over my warriors, all ringing the outer walls with the exception of one bit of space holding the elderly males and the females with the babies.

It still amazes me that we all fit in this space. It also amazes me how much food the corpulent Positite packed, although that's fast becoming short. We'll have to hunt, soon. I won't have my Lady going hungry and quite frankly, I don't have ceaseless amounts of blood unless I eat myself.

My eyes drift over to my Lady and Poppy. I smile at the little female who is gazing at me curiously.

She takes her fingers from her mouth when she catches my eyes. "Story?" she asks, before popping her fingers back in.

My lady gives me a warning look. I may have told my little fire demon about the Eulepedia demon the other day. The little mite had nightmares. Apparently she hates worms. Who the fuck knew?

"A princess story?" I ask her.

She smiles and nods.

"Right, well, a princess story... ah, once there was a princess, long ago, really long ago, and one day she was out in the meadow picking flowers, when out of the sky came a Rohora demon with four heads and wings as big as-"

"Oh, for the love of Nateos. Learn to tell bedtime stories, you fool," the old Patriarch huffs.

I scowl at him, but my expression softens when I see the laughter on my Lady's face.

"You tell a princess story, then, Patriarch," I challenge him.

"I will, young fool."

While the Patriarch tells his story that I admit is better than mine, I dare to walk over to my Lady.

"Can you tell me what's in the jar, Princess?"

She eyes me warily. "Two hearts," she says quietly.

I raise an eyebrow. "Now, that's a story that's better than a princess fairy tale."

She smiles sadly and glances at Poppy. "You said, her father, he's in the Underworld being punished?" she asks me softly.

"He is," I answer.

"Do you... do you know what he did?"

"Yes," I growl out. My hands shake with rage towards that male. This precious baby lived in a fucking cellar, for gods sake, because of the evil in that male.

"I had heard her mother, then her, their grief calling out to me. I was too late, Captain," she says tearfully. "I couldn't save her mother. And... there were two Fourth House soldiers. They wouldn't let me explore the house so... um... Thelios killed them. He set them on fire. Their bodies burned and their spirits were trapped. I thought I could set them free, but all I got was these hearts and two shades who keep following me."

I take a chance and wrap my arm around her shoulders as she shivers in remembered horror. "I think I know what day that happened. I felt your hurt, Princess. Promise me you won't take such a risk? You... you nearly died, didn't you?"

"It was scary," she allows. "You felt it?"

I let me arm drop, knowing she won't be comfortable with my touch when I confess. "We are connected, you and I. We always will be, now. I took my oath. You, me, and my brother, Princess."

She leans her head back on the stone wall. "This is a terrible mess."

"You are not alone," I offer to her.

She smiles sadly. "I've never been alone, Thane. Not since I awoke nearly two years ago. I was only ever alone on that night."

"What night?" I ask, before it hits me with the force of a spear to the gut. "That night," I say lowly.

She looks at me, her red hair mussed from the stone. She's tired and anxious from the storms. "Why do it, Thane? Why not just reject me?"

I swallow the fear of my answer. She deserves the truth. "My grandfather took me to a Love seer, who told me that loving my Fated was a betrayal to my House."

She snorts, a delicate, derisive little snort. When I quirk an eyebrow at her she just says, "Love."

"No, she was correct, Princess," I say softly. "Consider this, the oracle said 'your Oath to your Fated will be all.' That part was true. Then, I was shown an image of you stealing secrets from my House. That part wasn't true. I can see the difference now. At the time, I was so blinded by..." I sigh, "everything. You were not what the Lord of the First House was supposed to have as his Fated."

"I chose you and Thelios," she murmurs. "Love- she didn't like that."

"She's jealous," I say, remembering the bitter female who visited me in the pits. "And powerful."

My Lady gets a bit closer to me, "do you think they're lovers again?"

I lean in. "It doesn't matter. He doesn't remember you, Princess, right? According to Sera he doesn't remember any of it. It's just flesh, my Lady. You own his soul."

"Is that what it was like for you?"

"Yes," I tell her bluntly. "I couldn't even love my son, my own child, my Lady, because he wasn't your child. I feel more connected to the little strawberry over there."

Her lips quirk as we both glance at Poppy. Who, despite my Lady's insistence, does not have strawberry-blond hair.

"Did you drink, my Lady?"

"Thane," she sighs, "just call me Mara, alright?"

I look at her. Those dark eyes are sad. She is cut off here from shifters, from their grief and her home. She loves her pool, her temple halls. I need to get her back, soon.

"Listen, Mara," I whisper.

"What?" she says softly.

I smile at her. "The wind has stopped."

Gray is the first one out of the door. "Thank the gods," he mutters. The sand that is built up against the solid wood is nothing compared to the pit-trained stone demon.

"Don't break it, Gray!" I order.

He races out into the sunshine. "Storms over," he says with relief.

"He died in a sandstorm," I explain to the bewildered-looking Postite standing next to me. He nods and shrugs.

We all walk outside, smiling at the bright sky. "Time to go, Strawberry," I cut off her beautiful, childish giggles in a grim tone.

She looks at me, startled. I scoop her up before anyone can protest and spread my wings, giving Poppy a wink.

"Don't you dare-" My Lady, Mara, starts to say.

I take off Poppy laughing and squealing in my arms. "Faster!" she demands.

Ililie greets me in the air near the tower. "Oy, Captain! Strawberry, watch!" he hollars, whooping again as he does a flip in the air.

He and I are quickly joined by Nasir. None of us had a chance to truly stretch our wings much in the pits. And, it was certainly nothing like flying in the open air.

It begins to rain. A downpour that means the end of the sandstorms for a long while. We are all finally free of the tower.

I toss Poppy into Ililie's arms, the baby screaming in utter joy as she falls for only a second before she's caught again.

I land next to a fuming Mara. "You-" she says furiously. I grab her and lift her into the air. "No, Thane!"

I laugh exuberantly until I feel the delicate nip of teeth on my ear. "Put me down," my Lady growls. Her scream deafens me as I fold my wings and let us plummet back to earth.

On shaking legs, my Lady stumbles back from me, holding up her palm to stop me from steadying her. "You..." she pants, "are all completely insane."

"Sorry, Princess," I murmur. I can hear Nasir and Ililie whooping in joy behind me. Poppy's shouts for 'faster' and 'more' are echoed by the gargoyles who have also taken to the skies.The others are gathered outside the tower, yelling insults and encouragement as they will.

The rain has plastered my Lady's robes to her form. I concentrate on her eyes, fuming and spitting hellfire at me. "Sometimes, I think that you came here to torment me."

I flash a grin. "Just say the word, Princess. I'll torment you all night long-"

"You are such an ass!" she snaps, tossing her hands in the air in a move that pulls the wet material tight across her chest.

"Stop ogling me!"

"Sorry, Princess," I say without thinking and without pulling my eyes away from her gorgeous frame.

Laughing, Ililie lands next to us, a pouting Poppy in his arms. "More," she demands. Mara snatches Poppy from Ililie and gives the baby a stern look

Suddenly, she sighs, "go, you imbecile. Go fly with your brethren and get soaked and catch your death and return to my father that way. Idiots," she turns, shaking her head, and struts into the tower. The view from the back is just as pretty...

Laughing, I turn and take flight again, hitting Ililie hard enough to knock him down twenty feet. "King of the sky!" I bellow.

---

We pack up everything quickly. My robes are changed. Everything will dry in the sun today and we can leave for the city, but nights in the desert will be cold enough to kill if we are unprepared.

"Mama?" Poppy watches us pack.

"We are going home, Poppy!" I say, smiling.

She nods and wanders over to Ililie, who she has taken a liking to. He lets her hold his sheathed blades as he rolls up his bedroll tightly. The Basru hold nothing back from my baby. Only a tiny child and they have shown her every weapon they possess, including their demon-skin, and now, today, their wings.

I shiver. Nothing to do with the cold air on my damp skin. No, I just... I wanted to... Thane... I wanted to turn my little nibble on his ear into a full-blown bite. I wanted to drink from his warm skin and then kiss him.

I hold in the sob of sheer guilt I feel. Thinking of the sorrow in Thelios' eyes is all I need to make my body weak from emotion.

"Ready, Princess?" Thane's voice slides over me. My eyes close. I simply nod, not ready to turn and see the warmth in those grey eyes.

He takes my pack from me and adds it to his own. I don't protest. Even locked in this tower for nearly two weeks there were opportunities to see how he pays attention to me, takes care of me and Poppy, first. Even Sera and Tafia noticed, if their looks of knowing are any indication.

I make sure that I walk with the females as we leave. Poppy is held in Ililie's arms as we leave the tower, the rain having already stopped and burned away. She is demanding to fly again.

Giving up on convincing Ililie, she turns to Thane. "Capin, fly!" she orders.

Thane just laughs before he pouts exaggeratingly. "Our wings, they're so tired, Strawberry."

Momo settle on my shoulder, looking at Thane intently.

"Do you like him?" I ask my gargoyle intently.

He shrugs before scampering ahead of me and kneeling, placing his hands together in front of him and acting like he begging for scraps. My lips quirk. So, Momo thinks I should make Thane beg some? Not too likely from the proud male.

But then, that also means that Momo thinks I should forgive him, eventually.

"I do. He's different," Sera replies.

I look at her, startled by her sudden comment.

"Were you really asking one of your gargoyles, Mara? And not us?" Tafia is laughing at us both.

I blush. Right, they would probably have a better idea. "How is he different?"

"He was always so serious. A complete snob, really. I can remember..." Sera's voice trails off.

"What, Sera?"

"It's about Anthea," she whispers.

I grit my teeth. "Tell me."

"Well, when the discussions between our Houses began, there were a few options. Anthea was chosen by Thane and honestly, now that I think about it, I wonder if he chose her because she looks nothing like you."

"Did the other females?" I ask, not sure how I feel about that.

"Eyes, hair, even freckles. Some of them did, more than her. Of course, she was an advantageous match."

"Gods, Mara. He was so cold towards her. She said that he was just proud. But, there was no love there. Anthea was eager to join the First House, to be the Lady."

"We would go and visit him, visit the First House. He would train with his warriors. He was good and Anthea loved that he was such a powerful warrior. But, he never played with his warriors. He never acted like this," she waves her hand towards the males ahead of us.

Carnak and Rolle have shifted into their monstrous wolven, but they are acting more like puppies than frightening shifters that could chew your limbs off in an instant. Thane now has Poppy up on his shoulders, playing a game of tag with the wolven as she squeals and claps her hands, content on her demon-throne. She squeals with delight as Thane spins around Carnak, narrowly avoiding the snapping jowls of the wolven.

"She's going to be sick all over him," I announce absently.

"He wouldn't care. That's the difference. Now that I know about you, some of those weird occurrences make sense."

"What weird occurrences?" I ask.

"About three or four months before Thane and Anthea wed, he changed. Became even more withdrawn from her. There were times when he would show up late. He would be angry about seeing us, as if we were cutting into his time. Most likely with you."

"We only knew each other for a couple of months before..."

"Right... then, when you were gone... he really stopped trying, Mara. Anthea once told me that he barely touched her. He would act like so cold. He would wash her touch from his skin. She said he only cared about getting his heir. Then, when she was pregnant, he was a little better, a little softer, but he never touched her again."

I nod. The weight of all of those memories are heavy. 'If onlys' will get you only so far in life. I have so many more questions for my father, or, oh how I would love to speak with my mother. To ask her questions about what she thinks of this mess with twin males.

It is near nighttime when we finally see the city. We made good time with the help of the Basru warriors. A litter they made at one point during the tower confinement for the elderly males made the walk much faster. Thane even made a tiny sleigh for Poppy, to be pulled around by the gargoyles. A dangerous, accident-prone toy for my precious daughter and gargoyles. They all love it.

"Almost there, Princess. You ready to be home?" Nasir walks next to me. The closer we get to the city the more the warriors hem us in close to one another.

"Yes," I tell him. "We all are."

He nods. "Well, we'll settle everyone in slowly. Captain wants us to do a perimeter search of the temple grounds, first. No telling who's moved in during the time you were gone."

I nod. It makes sense. Thane's earlier playfulness is gone. He is all serious now, speaking with his warriors one-by-one. Right now he is walking with Lier, the two males talking in low voices as they discuss the re-entry into the war-torn city.

We stop on a rise just before the river. I shiver in dread. Silence has fallen on our little group. Dusk has fallen, the last light of day falling over us. In the distance we can smell smoke, hear the utter silence of a city in conflict.

I can feel the grief. A new sensation settles over me. This is the grief of war. Survival and fearful anticipation is muting the blanket of grief spread out in front of me, over the hill. Small shivers of dread are racing down my spine. My hands are shaking.

I watch Thane nod to Lier, then both males drop to their hands and knees and crawl up to the top of the hill, out of sight of any sentries that may be watching across the river.

They come back to the group quickly.

Thane jogs over, the grim look on his face saying everything and nothing.

"What is it?" I plea with him as he stops in front of me, silently looking at me.

"Princess..." he takes a breath. "War is the only district on this side of the city that is active. They are clearly being battered by the First, Fourth and Fifth Houses."

I nod. It is much like what we expected.

"My Lady..." he says softly. "Mara..., the Death temple is destroyed."

My breath catches. I turn to run, to go to the top of the hill and see what they have done to my home.

"No, Princess," Thane grabs me gently. "It's dangerous."

"I need to see it, Thane. Please, Captain." I squirm in his grip. The other Basru are holding back my Postites, Ililie has a firm grip on Poppy.

My gargoyles are missing. They flew on ahead. When they come back over the rise I feel my knees give out. Thane picks me up, cradling me in his arms as Harku falls into my embrace. His entire body quivers in shock.

"Oh, my sweet male," I coo at him. "It's alright. I promise. We'll build another temple for you."

He buries his ugly little face in my neck. Grief rolls over me, from him, from the postites, for myself.

"I need to see," I whisper to Thane as Harku finally settles down.

He nods.

"Down low, Mara. On your belly, and let's cover that hair of yours up."

When the Basru is satisfied, they allow us to go see. Postite Falso stays behind, tears running down his cheeks. He can't look.

At the top of the rise, I take Patriarch Salbin's hand in mine.

The temple has been reduced to rubble. From this side of the river, all that I can see that remains are large pieces of black and red stone, strewn as far as the opposite riverbank. The tall tower over my father's sacred pool is missing from the skyline entirely. Large portions of stone have been stacked against the wall into War. The Recondite mausoleum is ringed with warriors that I can barely make out in the dim light.

"Built like a fortress, that mausoleum. It'll hold for awhile," Lier comments softly from Patriarch's other side.

"The temple... the pool... it's sacrilege," Patriarch Salbin says softly.

"The graves..." I add.

The worst damage is to the mausoleums and gravestones. The dead of the city, the ancestors to us all, have been desecrated, looted, most likely. White stones have been pulled up from the ground, tossed aside like a giant's playthings. Even the mausoleums of the First, Fourth, and Fifth Houses are demolished under the onslaught of the First's army. Of Thelios' army.

Our home is gone.