The inner chamber was surprisingly warm and bright. Coming into the cave, it had seemed an odd place for such an event, but then, she’d just shrugged, ducking her head to miss being thumped by Ian’s chin as he lowered his head to avoid a low archway.

The entryway had widened abruptly and they’d stopped. Staring at them solemnly were four very large, very muscular stallions with gleaming horns pointed out. Their normally bright white coats shone a duller gray in the errie light of the cavern. A sharp snort brought their heads up, almost like they were snapping to attention.

She supressed a delighted smile, and kept her face impassive as a slightly smaller, more graceful pure black stallion stepped out of the shadows. His horn, in contrast to the others, was a dark polished gleam of ameythest, swirling up to a blood red tip. Where their eyes were saphire blue, his were bright emerald green. He moved to her with measured, careful strides, stopping a pace directly in front of her.

One eyelid lowered in a slow, sly wink. She smothered a giggle and gave him a formal curtesy instead.

“Your Highness, I have come as the Queen asked.” she said in a soft tone. Behind her, Ian snorted in soft amusement.

*My lady, my mother, the Queen, anxiously awaits you.* The black stallion sent in formal tones.

*Oh, bother, can we just get on with it?* Ian snorted again. *I’m too old for all this silly posturing, Talon.*

Angel did giggle then, watching how the four guard stallions suddenly looked sheepish and abashed. If Talon, the black, had eyebrows, he’d be raising them. Instead, he snorted and then stepped forward to lay his muzzle over her shoulder, pulling her against him in what amounted to a hug that she returned heartily.

*I am glad to see you, Heart-sister.* Talon nuzzled her hair. *I have missed you sorely.*

“You just love me for my carrots.” Angel teased.

*That too. The quads have yet to find any other taste that rivals them.*

Angel winked at the suddenly eager guard behind Talon.

“Good thing I brought extra, then, isn’t it?” She teased, then was all business. “Now, you’d better get me to your mom. She’s probably pretty cranky by now.”

*She did kick Merlin.*

*Good.* Ian snorted firmly. *Hopefully, in the head?*

*Worse.*

“Not in the-?” Angel gasped out, her eyes widening.

*As you would say, “I bet that’s gonna hurt in the morning”. He’s still staggering around splay-hoofed.*

Angel’s expression turned fierce.

“Then I hope his balls rot and fall off!” She hissed vehemently. “For everything that he did to you, tried to do to you, Talon, I hope he suffers!”

Talon halted abruptly from their measured walk down further into the cavern. He turned and faced Angel, his eyes serious and compassionate.

*Heart-sister, it was long ago.* He sent gently. *What Merlin did was the result of centuries of prejudice, hate and fear. He could not see past that when I was born. He could see only the legends of the mad black unicorn, evil riding its back. He has changed since you brought me home to my mother. I forgave him. I still do not like him very much, but he is my father.*

*And do not forget that Joya stripped him of all his rank and authority when she found out that he’d been the one behind Talon’s disappearance.* Ian put in. *I believe that was more of a shock to him than finding out Talon was alive and adopted into a Dragon clan by its future queen.*

“If mother only knew about half of the things I get tangled up in, she’d never let me leave the house again.” Angel muttered as they continued thier walk.

*You will have to tell her sometime.* Talon snorted in amusement. *She’ll zero in on you like a hornet when she sees me, eventually.*

“Then you’d better not show your ugly mug in our garden until I’m too old for her to beat silly.”

There was a general snort of amusement, then they came to the enterance of the Queen’s chamber. An angry whickering was coming from inside and Talon seemed to wince.

*It is not going well.* He sent worriedly. *She is nearly too old for this sort of thing. I hope this will be her last attempt at getting an heir. I have told her there are plenty of fillies to choose from, but she insists the one who will be heir must be born of her. Some stupid prophecy the priest clan filled her ears with. And with Merlin being one of their order, I do not trust their motivations in telling her that he had to be the sire.*

“Oh, bloody hell, Twerp, what have you gotten me involved in?”

*If I am not mistaken, Angel, he’s making sure his mother lives to raise the heir.* Ian replied in a tone that boded ill for anyone in their way.

*I am too young and with only the quads to back me, well, a challenge would not go well.*

“You owe me for this one, Twerp, big time.”

*I do not care if you make me a slave for the rest of my life, My lady! Me and my Quads! Save my mother and I am yours forever!*

With that, he and the four stallions left Angel gaping after them as they melted into the shadows. Visibly shuddering, she pulled herself together and marched purposely forward into the chamber.

“Joya, you started without me.” She stated cheerfully. “I’m hurt.”

Joya’s head came up, her eyes wild with relief. Startled glances met her from Merlin and his priests, and the older mare that Angel knew was the equivalent of a midwife, glared at them with a fierce expression of triumph.

“Ian, be a dear and clear the room of everyone who is not needed.” Angel stated, grimly staring at Merlin and the priests.

*We must witness the birth of -* One of them began indignantly, only to suddenly gasp for breath as Angel clenched her fist in front of her suddenly.

“No, you must not.” She growled in a tone worthy of her mother. Then she fixed her glare on Merlin. “After Talon, you dare another such act? You would sentence your mate to death?”

Merlin had the grace to look guilty and horrified at the same time. His eyes on Joya’s sudden expression of realization, he frantically shook his head.

*No!* He babbled helplessly. *They said the filly was to be consecrated as a holy one! I only wanted to make sure the birth was safe! I swear! Joya!*

*Ian, get them out of here.* Joya panted. *The priests . . . kill them. Merlin . . . give him to Talon to guard.*

Ian snorted with satisfaction and swept out a foreleg, sweeping the preists and Merlin out of the chamber.

Angel turned her attention to Joya and swiftly went to her side.

“Grace?” She asked softly, her eyes on the midwife.

*I believe they are backwards.* Grace sent worriedly. *It just seems . . . wrong.*

“They? Ahh. Joya, I am going to have to feel to see.”

*Angelique McKenzie’s Daughter, if you save my children, I will make you true sister to Talon.* Joya hissed fiercely in her mind. *Do what needs to be done! Even if I die!*

Angel placed both hands on Joya’s muzzle and lifted her face to stare deep into her blue eyes.

“No one dies today, Joya. No. One.” She stated firmly. “Got me? No. One. Now, pull your head out of your ass and fight this!”

Joya blinked, then blinked again and a lone tear tracked its way out of one eye.

*I begin to see why Talon loves you so.* She whispered.

Angel nodded, took a deep breath and shoved her terror down into a deep, tiny hole and got to work.

Two hours later, Angel lay in a tangled heap on the moss, covered in blood, birth fluids and holding not one, but two foals against her, Joya’s scream still echoing in her ears. Blinking, she pushed and then began frantically clearing thier noses. Joya and Grace’s noses bumped her hands as they tried to urge the foals to their feet. Both foals shuddered at the same time, opening thier eyes. Angel gasped.

One foal had bright emerald green eyes, ringed in gold. The other, deep amethyst eyes. Both looked as if thier coats would be more of a gleaming silver than white. The amethyst eyed one gazed up at Angel with wise, old eyes, then sneezed on her. She heard a gentle query in her mind and turned the foal’s head to Joya’s. Another sneeze and this foal began to try to get to its, no, her feet.

A demanding, cranky voice rang in her mind. The kind of cranky voice her mother used before she had her coffee in the morning. Angel looked down and met flashing emerald eyes. She quirked an eye brow and was startled to see the foal literally roll its eyes in exasperation. The cranky demand rang through her mind again.

“Angel. My name is Angel.” She murmured and gently turned the foal’s head so it, no HE could see Joya. “That’s your mother, Joya.”

Another cranky sending full of questions and feeling. Angel stiffled a giggle.

“Oh, you’re going to be a handful.” She remarked. “Aren’t you hungry?”

A sense of the negative.

“Well, you have to get up.”

A picture of Angel’s legs tangled with his and a sense of sarcasm. She giggled again and untangled them. Another eye roll and he wobbled to his feet. A less cranky sending, with an underlying tone of concern. Angel looked down at herself, then up at him, and at Joya who was watching her wearily.

*You are quite a mess, true daughter.* Joya sent tiredly.

“So are you.” Angel whispered softly. “How are you?”

*I feel like I just gave birth to a mountain. But I do not feel as if there is anything torn or broken inside. I think with rest, I will be well.*

“That’s good. That’s very good.”

And Angel burst into silent, shaking sobs, tears streaming down her face. Two snorts of surprise from the adults and one small snort of exasperation and Angel found herself being butted by a tiny head with a budding horn. She stared into the eyes of the new born colt, hearing a dry, sarcasm tinged sending ringing in her mind along with an admonishment

*He’s quite vocal for a baby.* Grace sent.

“I can only get a sense of his emotions.” Angel whispered brokenly, her arms going around him as he butted her again.

*Baby talk.* Joya sent, eyes full of concern. *Are you alright, Daughter?*

“Just . . . I’m sorry. I tend to panic and go emotional after everything is all over with. Never during. I was absolutely terrified, then I wasn’t, and now I am again.”

More exasperated sending in her mind and more head butting. Angel hugged the colt, pulling him into her lap. He sighed, and the exasperation in her mind lessened to a sense of grumbling. Angel’s gaze zeroed in on Joya.

“You called me ‘Daughter’?” She blinked. The colt rolled his eyes again.

*Yes. I intend to formally adopt you into our clan as my daughter. You will make a good mentor for my heir.*

“Oh, dear. I am honored Joya. I just don’t know how I am going to explain this to my mother.”

*Same as you usually do, Little One.* Ian’s voice echoed in her head. *Wait until it actually comes up in conversation. Hmm. Interesting new little brother you have there.*

Angel sighed heavily in resignation.

“I seem to be collecting them left and right these days.” She muttered to herself. “Mom’s gonna kill me.”

* * *

And Angel looked up at me, waiting for my reaction. I stared into my tea for a long moment, then gazed into her dark gypsy eyes.

“I want to say a lot of things that I don’t know how to get out right now.” I cleared my throat carefully. “Mostly, I want to say how proud I am of you, and how impressed I am with the woman you are becoming. Then I want to know if you are frellin’ insane. And why didn’t you send for me? Why do you always seem to be right in the middle of what would kill most humans and come out of it with alliances they’d throw themselves into hell to make? Mostly, why me?”

Angel grinned ruefully and took my hands in hers.

“We are what we are, Mom.” She stated gently. “I can’t help it, anymore than you can help being the way you are.”

“You’re twelve for Goddess’s sake!”

“You were five when you were called.”

“That’s not the point and you know it.”

“Ian was with me.”

“Ian gets you into most of these messes.”

“No, it’s the other way around, Mom. He wouldn’t normally have rescued Morgan. I bullied him into it.”

“You used the puppy eyes, didn’t you?”

“Well, duh.”

“And this Talon?”

“That was different. I heard him crying outside the garden at Ian’s and went outside of the hedge to see what it was. Ian threw a big hissy fit about it, and I just stared him down while Talon hid behind me. He was just a baby, barely three months old. What was I supposed to do?”

“How old is he now?”

“Um, four years old, an adult by thier standards.”

“So, you were eight when you became his ‘big sister’?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“And now, Joya, the Queen of the Unicorn people, has formally adopted you, making you his ‘true sister’?”

“Um, yeah.”

“Do you think you could may be stay in your room until the baby is born?”

“That’s not really going to work, Mom.”

“It was worth a try.”

“I can, however, do my best to stay out of trouble.”

“That won’t really work, Angel.”

“It was worth a try.”

“Mmmm.”

“Well, what now?”

“I start teaching you more advanced magic. You’re going to need it.”

“Even the offensive spells?”

“Yup.”

“Damn. I really am in trouble, huh?”

“We are what we are, Angel.”

“I know. More tea?”

“Tequila?”

“Not happening til the baby is born.”

“Ok, more tea then.”

Angel got up, then suddenly threw her arms around me. I hugged her back, hard. We both knew this day would come. We just thought she’d have a few more years behind her first.

8. Death of a Familiar