I tried to remember. “Uh, I don't think so. But I knew it was what he wanted, and healing someone is different than forcing someone to fall in love. Love is powerful, Brevyn. That's the very reason why it can be used as a weapon. Love can bring people to their knees. It can make them cast aside kingdoms or kill themselves. It shouldn't be tampered with lightly.”
“I just wanted to help him.”
“I know, and I'm glad that you want Thor to be happy. But you should have told me that he was still hurting. Then I could have simply finished the healing.”
“I don't know if you can, Mom.”
“I can if I focus on healing him completely. The point is, this wasn't your decision to make.”
“I'm sorry.”
“It's okay. You were trying to do the right thing, and that's what matters. And this is partially my fault. I should have started teaching you about the Love magic sooner. And there's more to it than Love. You have Lust, War, and Victory as well. When we get back to Faerie, we can talk more about them, maybe I can come up with some training exercises.”
“I'd like that.”
“Okay, here's what we're going to do now. I'm going to tell Thor about your good intentions, you're going to remove the enchantment from him and Raedra, and until you're fully trained, you're going to check with me before you use your Love magic. Deal?”
“Deal. But, Mom, are you going to tell Uncle Thor that he wasn't completely healed?”
“I don't know.”
“I think you should. It will help him feel less alone.”
“Alone?”
“In love. To know that you didn't want to let go either will comfort him.”
“For the love of fire, Brev. Sometimes it's hard to remember that you're only seven.”
“I'm very mature for my age.” He grinned.
“You little brat!” I shoved him off the bed.
He laughed as he caught himself and stood up. Then he lifted his chin and dramatically declared, “I am the Prince of Fire and King of Alfheim.”
Instead of laughing at his antics, I went serious once more. “Yes, you are. And you're going to be very powerful one day, Brevyn. You need to be careful with that power. It's a double-edged sword; you can hurt as much as you help.”
“I know, Mom. I'll be careful.”
I grinned brightly. “You're going to be an incredible man. Maybe you're meant to love more than one woman. I'm glad you're not closing yourself off from others because of Kaitlin. She'll be there when and if you're ever ready to be with her, but you should have childhood romances too. That's how your heart learns.”
“Mom, I know. I've already had my first kiss.” He grinned and, for a second, I saw Arach in him.
Arach, not Ull. It was refreshing but also confusing. Technically, Brevyn didn't have any Fey essence in him, it all went to Rian when their souls split. Maybe this was a case of nurture over nature, and he'd simply learned to mimic Arach because Arach had raised him. Or maybe I'd been looking at the twins all wrong. Their souls had been torn apart in the womb, forcing their body to divide as well; that's how my son became twins. But the original fetus had been formed of Arach and me—a new life with our combined DNA. So when my son split in two, he couldn't have separated his DNA into Arach's and mine. It was all him.
Rian and Brevyn should have been born as identical twins but their souls and magic altered them. I think that's why I've always thought of Rian as Arach's son and Brevyn as mine. We say that Arach's their biological father, but it's a polite lie. Or at least, I've always thought it was. Maybe it wasn't. Could Brevyn be Arach's biological son without being Fey? I was starting to think he could. Why not? Souls and Fey essences are separate from physical forms. It makes sense that one could have aspects that the other doesn't. Brevyn truly was Arach's son, he just didn't have his father's essence.
It all seemed simple now. I can't believe I hadn't seen it sooner. It was so obvious. Of course, Brevyn was Arach's son. I mean, he didn't have my soul, did he? I gave him Ull's soul. Essences and souls aren't what ties us to our families—blood and love do that. Arach's blood ran through the veins of both our boys. I couldn't wait to tell him.
Then Brevyn's words registered.
“Wait. What? You'vekissedsomeone?” I demanded.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Gráinne.”
