A King's Touch Ch. 05

"Don't fight it, Philip." Clara's voice reached him as if from a great distance.

He gave in with a soft moan and let the visions wash over him...

....He watched as young man about the age of ten carried a tray of food down a darkened hall. He could hear the whispers of women in the background.

"I don't know why the lad keeps trying. She won't take any food. She just sits in that room day after day rocking herself or sleeping." He saw a woman with dark hair talking to another one.

"He's her son. He won't let his mother die without a fight."

"They say he's the son of royalty. He has such remarkable powers..."

Philip moved to follow the boy, when he was suddenly in another room. This one was shrouded and he could see a woman lying on the bed not moving.

"Is she dead?" He turned to see the same woman who'd commented on the boy's love of his mother.

"Might as well be. The King said she's lost on the Shadow plane and won't return until she finds her chosen."

"That's a cruel fate. Had her chosen died?"

"No, I've heard through the rumor mill, after he rejected her he left for Earth."

"How cruel! What's become of her son?"

"I don't know. After his mother was lost, he took off for parts unknown, saying something about finding his mom's chosen.....

Philip jerked as Clara and Rand let go of his hands. His chest rose and fell as he tried to assimilate what he'd seen.

"This is your chosen's fate, Philip, if you leave her behind. Despite what you think she may have done, does she deserve this?" Clara backed up and searched his face as she waited for him to answer.

"No, she doesn't." Then something struck him. He turned to Rand. "You know she shadow walks and you allow this?"

"Of course, I do, Philip. She is one of the few witches who is licensed to do so. She came to me and applied for permission right after you left her last year. How do you think she's stayed sane while you've gone about your merry way?"

"She's been shadow walking with what purpose?" Horror ripped through him at the idea Sara had been taking over his body.

"Relax, Philip, she hasn't been possessing you." Auntie Clara touched his shoulder to reassure him. "She simply uses her ability to come to you. Since you haven't completed the bonding, she can draw enough from being in your presence. The spell I gave her allows this, but once you've left our world to travel to Earth, she won't be able to survive because she won't be able to find you."

"Then I don't have much choice, do I?" He hung his head as Clara stepped back into the shadows and Rand released the time spell.

* * * *

Clara stood in the shadows and watched the men conclude their talk. She watched Master Iason with hungry eyes. It had been almost a year since she had last seen him. He had warned her to stay away from him in no uncertain terms. She knew he would be furious but when he left for Earth she was going with him this time. She was tired of living without her chosen and before it was all said and done, they would be together.

As the room cleared, she noticed he lingered behind. He stared directly at her hiding place before walking within inches of her.

"You know, Clara, if you want to hide your presence from me, you should learn to skip the perfume. I know your scent anywhere. Remember what I promised, if I set eyes on you again, all bets are off and you'll be mine."

She shivered at the dark promise in his eyes. He stared at her for a few moments before turning with a flip of his cloak and was gone.

When he was gone, she released a ragged breath.

"That's what I'm hoping for, you stubborn old man."

* * * *

"I wanted to thank all of you for coming together and making this the best Renewal Festival I've ever seen." Charlie told his people as they all gathered in the new banquet hall for the final feast.

"Yes and overlooking the several 'little accidents' that our new King and Queen's triplets created." Kat said with a laugh, referring to Rand and Gracie's children.

"Hey they're toddlers." Rand protested as he stopped the flying bottle that whistled past him. "Now, Katrina, stop that. No taking your brother's bottle away from him." Rand scolded the little girl sitting on his lap. She just smiled up at him with a grin before pulling his amulet back into her mouth to chew on. She had her father's exclusive attention and that was all that mattered.

Laughter rang out over the small children's antics. The royal triplets were definitely a handful for the Royal King and Queen of all Venus. In fact when they had arrived, they had brought with them a small army to keep up with them.

"And as you know," Kat continued, "my brother, Philip, and his chosen have decided to accompany my grandfather back to Earth, while Charlie and King Rand try to clear up the scandal that deprived my brother of his throne."

"I, vow, before my Queen and King, I will go back to Earth and make sure that what happened at ITS will never happen again to any child possessing ability. In fact I plan on buying the facility and overhauling it, making it into a sanctuary for children of gifted or power abilities." Master Iason said from Kat's left hand side.

"Oh Gramps." Kat said with a watery smile as she stood up and hugged him as much as her pregnant body would allow.

"I want to make sure that my great grand baby is proud of his great- grandfather." Jason said resting a hand on her gently rounded stomach.

"I'll be back after he's born to tell him stories of the mischief his mother got into." Jason said affectionately. "With Philip and his chosen at my side, I should be able to clean up ITS in no time at all."

A cheer rang through the hall. In the standing at the edges of the crowd, Philip watched as the festivities continued. I suppose there is no help for it now. I'll have to go and fetch her.

* * * *<

Sara answered the brisk knock at her door. She'd just finished helping Gabriel with his homework. He's come home!

"Tibi?" The towel she'd been drying her hands on fell to the floor.

"I've told you before, Zarita, he no longer exists."

She flinched. Whatever he's come for, it's not to come home to me. What a fool I am!

"Fine. Why have you decided to grace my humble abode, Your Highness." She dropped into a mocking curtsy.

"Damn it, Sara!" He hauled her up to face him.

"Let go of my mom!" A young boy pulled on his arm. Philip glanced down at the boy.

"Go to your room Gabriel. I will deal with this."

"But he's hurting you, Mom." The boy backed up, but it was obvious he was going under protest.

"I said go!" Sara never turned her attention from Philip.

"Your son, I take it." Philip released her.

"No. Our son." She turned and walked away from him. Glancing down the hall, she made sure Gabriel had obeyed her.

"You can't lay that deed at my door, we were never intimate until last year."

"I won't argue with you, Philip. I know who my son's father is. Now what do you want?"

"You're coming with me."

"Coming where?" She placed her hands on her hips.

"To Earth. Pack your bags. As your chosen, you have to obey me. We leave in the morning."

She laughed at him. Now he decides to claim me.

"What's so funny."

"You. You think you can come in here and order me about? You've never claimed me as your chosen, so this leaves you no claim on me now."

"But it doesn't change the fact we're chosens. How long are you going to be content to use the magick Rand gave you to take the edge of your hunger, tarta? I'm giving you a chance at the real thing." His eyes started to smolder with remembered desire. "While we're gone you can have just as much as you can handle. I won't deny you."

Anger flared through her hot and heavy. Without thinking, she hauled off and smacked him across the face. He narrowed his eyes and rubbed the red hand print on his cheek.

"You dare strike me?"

"When you spew shit like that, I do!"

"Either you come with me or you die, Sara. It's as simple as that. Once I leave Venus you won't be able to reach me with Rand's magick. Not even the King of Venus's magick is strong enough to reach that far."

The reality of his words hit her hard. With him gone, it will only take a few weeks and I'll become a stark raving lunatic.

"Fine, I'll come with you. You can pick Gabriel and I up in the morning."

He stiffened.

"I'm not taking someone else's brat with me."

"Then I won't go. I will not leave him defenseless."

"Surely there is someone in your family which will take him?"

"My family!" She laughed bitterly. "You mistake me for having a family which cares. Who should I leave him with, Philip? My power hungry father or my sadistic brother?"

"What about your mother or sister?"

"Both of them are long dead. So you see, Philip, he's all I've got and whether you believe me or not, I won't abandon our son!"

"I'm not going to argue this with you."

"Good. You know where the door is, don't let it hit you on the ass." She turned to go down the hall when he acted. Darkness crowded her vision.

"You bastard..."

"I know," Philip whispered as he caught her.