Page 120 of The Mating Quest

“Ilana.” The wizard gave a gentle smile. “We have been waiting for you. Thank you for savingme.”

Shock filled her as he kissed both her cheeks. The blonde woman came forward and hugged hertight.

“Thank you for saving my Gideon, Ilana. I am Alia, hismate.”

Then Alia released her and she and Gideon stepped away. They all looked to the distance, seeming towait.

“Always late,” Caderynmuttered.

They watched her intently. Suddenly a pretty blonde woman in a long flowing white gown materialized in the meadow, accompanied by a tall black-haired man dressed in ebony trousers and a long-sleeved ebonyshirt.

In his arms he carried a little girl. The child obscured hisface.

Emotion filled Ilana. She didn’t know why she wanted to cry. She kept watching the man, intent on seeing his face. Then she knew. Sheknew.

He lowered the little girl, handed her off to the woman and looked at Ilana. His jawdropped.

Tears filled her eyes. Xavier, the Crystal Wizard. Atlast.

He stepped forward as if in a dream, and his eyes widened. “Ilana?”

Ilana’s throat closed and she struggled to speak. “It’s you. Oh dear goddess, it’syou.”

Xavier reached her, touched her face. “It really is… Ilana. My sister. My darlingsister.”

He pulled her forward and she hugged him tight,weeping.

“Shhh,” he whispered. “OhIlana.”

“Twins,” Caderyn said with satisfaction, though it seemed everyone else knew. “Brother and sister, separated from the time they were babes, nowtogether.”

Out of the corner of her blurred vision she saw Tristan shake his head. “Caderyn, the Shadow Wizard, stating theobvious.’

Ilana rested her head on her twin’s shoulder. Memories surged, how she and Xavier would play together as babies, babbling their own special language. Her howling anguish echoing his own when they were barely two years old and their parents died in a farming accident. Relatives couldn’t care for them both, so Xavier went to the orphanage/workhouse and she, the younger twin, went to a childless Mage couple in thevillage.

Finally they broke apart. Her twin’s eyes were wet as well. He cleared his throat and introduced her to Ciara and their daughter. Ciara hugged her, and Ilana crouched down to Sonia’slevel.

The little girl gave her a suspicious look. “Are you really my daddy’ssister?”

“Yeshoney.”

“Oh good.” Sonia brightened. “Want to play with mytoys?”

Xavier grinned. “Not now, sweetie. Aunt Ilana has a lot to do. Maybelater.”

Ilana smiled at her niece. “I’d love to play with your toyssometime.’

“I have a new collection of spiders I conjured from the plastic one Mommy bought me inMontana.”

Ilana’s smile dropped. “Uh…”

Peals of laughter broke out from Tristan. She stood and glared at him. Xaviergrinned.

“I know the family reunion is important, but there is another reason you are here, Ilana,” Caderyn rumbled. “The Brehon needs to formally meet. You will have time later to acquaint yourself with your newfamily.”

The Shadow Wizard waved a hand and suddenly she was standing next to at a round wooden table in the middle of a beautiful green meadow. Fairies and sprites flitted around, hovering in the blue, yellow, red and lavender wildflowers, some drifting over to the table. The air smelled fresh and clear, so refreshing andpure.

Ilana’s nervousness increased. Each heavy, cushioned seat at the table was hand carved with intricate swirls and designs. Caderyn, Gideon, Drust, Tristan and her twin were also seated. Xavier reached out, gave her a hand a reassuringsqueeze.