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for caring for me. She is my only friend.
    My eyes lit with fire. All of the anger that I had in my soul surfaced, and my mouth moved against my will. “ Squeeze , you demented monster. Kill me and your disgusting child. I hate you and I always will, and I spend every moment dreaming of the way I will finally end you. ”
    He released me, and I held my throat.
    Something new flashed in his eyes, for only a moment, and it warmed me deep inside. Hurt .
    The malicious grin returned, and he chuckled. “You know, I actuall y missed your tongue. I suppose you’re growing on me.”
    He turned and left the bedroom. My maids rushed in, Helena moving them aside to gather me into her frail arms. I cried into her shoulder, my head beginning to ache.
    “ The ring… how could I have been so stupid,” I sobbed. She led me to the bed to sit down.
    “You protected me.”
    “You are my only friend. I can’t lose you,” I let her smooth my hair. “You helped me that first… awful night.”
    Helena took my hand. “The physician comes this evening. He will confirm your pregnancy. And when the child will come.”
    I lifted my eyes to hers, my breath catching.
    “It stopped snowing the day you arrived,” her voice shook, and I could barely hear her whispers. “The land heats at twice the speed, and I’ve heard that evidence of another sun has been discovered by our astronomers.”
    “Another… sun? Two suns in the sky?”
    “ Only the child can bring the sun. The death of the child will keep the land from burning. That is the prophecy. Our land is burning at double the pace.”
    Only the child can bring the sun. I covered my stomach through the gown, staring into Helena’s eyes.
    Our child will save the world…
    My child with West.
    I stared at the wall, my mind recalling the last days with West. The morning we left, he made love to me…
    I’d asked him for a baby.
    “Oh… my God,” I realized, lying back against the pillow.
    It has to be West’s child.
    “You must hold your tongue, my queen. Protect yourself.” She pulled the blanket over me, touching my forehead to brush away a long strand of hair. “You have much to do.”

Chapter Four
     
    December 17 , 2014
    “I do it.”
    “Eva, I have to help you. The oven is too hot.”
    “I do it!” She stomped her foot, nearly teetering off the wooden step-stool in the kitchen. Her wide, green eyes, so like Roam’s, stared at him defiantly.
    “ Daddy will help.”
    “No!”
    West reached for her, and she went completely slack before kicking her feet at his shins. He lost track of how many tantrums she’d had since six o’clock that morning.
    Morgan came in at that moment, tossing her keys at the table. “Eva Anastasia Perry. You are going to kick your dad.”
    Eva leapt from West, her crimson curls sticking to her crocodile-tear-stained cheeks. “Mo-gan!”
    “Auntie Mo-gan wants you to be a good girl on your birthday. Two-year-olds listen to their daddies.” She tucked the toddler’s head against her shoulder, shrugging off her coat. West helped pull at the arms of her jacket, taking it for her.
    “ Thanks Morgan. It’s been a day.”
    “What’s wrong?” Morgan met his eyes before carrying Eva to the table. “Listen sister, I’ve got balloons and a tank of helium. That makes the balloons float . If you’re good, you can help me. Deal?”
    “Deal,” Eva giggled as Morgan tickled her sides.
    “ More nightmares,” he nodded at Eva as her laughter turned into a tired yawn. Lowering his voice, he kissed her forehead. “She can’t talk about them. I’m afraid of what they are… of what she’s seeing.”
    “Two-year-olds have night terrors. Common.” Six months after they returne d, Morgan changed her major to early childhood education. Her love for Eva was instantaneous, from the moment he placed the infant in her arms at the castle.
    She cared for Eva every day while he went back to teach, and West paid for her education as well as for anything