Page 5

After tilting her head slightly to hear better, London stood completely still. “Don’t cry, my flower. I know that it gets hard for you around this time of year,” the Emperor’s voice flowed to her ears.

Her mother sniffed loudly. “I know it’s been twenty years, and six children later, but I can’t stop thinking about her. I find it difficult to believe that my baby is dead.”

London frowned. Baby? Who was her mother referring to?

“I can’t pretend to know how you feel, my love, but you must face facts. My men found evidence that Paris died in that fire.”

Calliope burst into loud sobs. “I still see her face. I still hear her voice. Every time I look at London, I’m reminded of her. How can I forget my first born, London’s twin?”

London gasped. Paris? Her twin? She had a sister? Daring to step closer, she pressed against the door.

“It breaks my heart to hear you cry like this, Calliope, and if I could change things I would.”

“I know, Blaze, but I feel like such a lousy mother to have abandoned my own child. She must have hated me.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You had no choice when the Adieaens captured you. Don’t blame yourself, my love.”

“How can I not when I failed as a parent to protect my own child? I should have taken her with me to the doctor’s instead of leaving her with the babysitter, but instead I thought it was a hassle to take her along. My selfishness is the reason she’s not with me now.” Again loud sobs filled the room.

“You’re going to have to forgive yourself, my love. She’s gone and there’s nothing you can do about it. We have a beautiful daughter and six strong boys. I’m very proud of all the children you’ve given to me.”

“In my heart she’s still alive. A mother knows these things.”

“My flower, the DNA tracker determined that the remains of the child in those ruins were Paris. I’ve watched you suffer for too long and seen the sadness in your eyes when you’re deep in thought. Perhaps we could have another child, hopefully a girl this time. We can name her Paris.”

“No! It wouldn’t be the same.”

London took a step closer, but this time the door squeaked loudly drawing her parents’ attention. She stared at them stunned. They’d kept the identity of her sister from her for twenty years. She didn’t know whether to feel hurt or angry, especially when random images of a little girl who looked exactly like her flashed through her mind. Paris. She remembered now. Life on Thibius had slowly made her forget the Earth memories, but in her heart, she’d never forgotten her sister.

Her mother’s eyes shone with tears. “How much did you hear?” the Queen whispered.

“All of it.”

The Emperor released his wife and walked over to London. “I’m sorry that you had to find out this way.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” London wanted to know.

“We tried to spare you the pain, but I see now that we should have been upfront with you.”

Seeing the anguish in her mother’s eyes, it was hard for London to be mad. What she must have gone through losing a child was unimaginable. London remembered the little girl she had once been so close with, and it brought back a flood of familiar feelings. Love, devotion, friendship. They were still there and whole.

Even though her parents believed Paris was gone, something within London refused to agree with them. That’s what she’d been missing all her life, her sister!

London walked over to her parents and gave each of them a hug. “I wish you would have told me, but I understand that you only wanted to protect me.”

“How do you feel about this news?” her father asked.

“I’m not sure. It’s true I haven’t really given her a lot of thought in nearly twenty years, but I think I’ve always known. She’s inside of here.” London pointed to her heart.

“She’s in mine too, baby. Your father is right, I’m just going to have to accept that I’ll never see her again,” her mother sighed, with lines of pain etched on her face.

“No, Mama. Don’t give up hope. I don’t know why, call it twin intuition, but I feel that she’s alive.”

“How can you when you barely remember her?” the Emperor asked with one raised brow.

“I don’t know, Papa, but I think maybe you should search for her again. Maybe we can find some clues as to what happenedto her. She can’t be dead. I would feel it if she were. Now that I’ve remembered her, how could I even think of getting married without her there? We have to find her!”

“Sweetling, she’s gone,” her father said gently, pulling her into his arms.