“Impossible,” Liam sneered.
“Is it? Danu’s a Goddess, and a very powerful one, too. She needed a way to heal this world without directly interfering.”
“Why would she use me?” Madisyn asked.
“Because you’d send me away to protect me, and she knew it. You and Lasair did what she planned, Madisyn. You sent me to the Humans to protect me and I learned from them. I learned things that I couldn’t in this world. She knew Lasair was the right father with the right bloodline, and that you were the perfect surrogate mother for me. I am who I am because of what you did. I don’t think anyone else would have been strong enough to do what you and Lasair did. You sent your Fae daughter to the mortal realm, where she learned to love and be compassionate. I’m strong because of what I’ve been through, and I needed to be. I needed to be exactly who your choices have made me become. She’s a Goddess, and while sometimes I find her extremely weird, and not always loving, she was right in this. I’m glad she gave me to you, and I hope you are glad to have me as your daughter as well.”
“Synthia,” Madisyn said as she embraced me tightly. “I thought we lost you again,” she cried against my ear as she held me tightly against her slightly smaller frame. “I’m honored that Danu chose me, and I’m glad she kept the knowledge to herself of your parentage. If she hadn’t, and I’d known who you really were, a daughter of the great Goddess, I’d have kept you. I’d have done everything differently for fear she’d be angered and seek retribution for handing her daughter over to the Humans.”
“I think she knew that,” I whispered as I hugged her back. I felt a weight lift off my chest as the secret was finally exposed and the knowledge that it hadn’t crushed Madisyn and her gentle heart was a relief. “I need to explain what is going to happen, and I need your help. I also need you to keep my secret.”
“Mother, get away from her,” Liam snapped as he watched me as if I was a viper. “She lies.”
“Give me your hand, Liam,” I said when he continued to glower at me. I held out my hand to him and moved closer.
“You can’t be her,” he said with an angry sneer. “It’s impossible, only those born from the Gods and Goddess can become them, and you’re half Fae.”
I didn’t wait for his permission; instead I gripped his hand and showed him what had happened to me in the last few hours. When I was done, he stepped back and gawked at me. I’d shown him what our brother had done, and I’d included how I’d almost been raped by Faolán, and how he’d help to hold me down for my children to be removed—and I made sure to include Danu, and her instructions of what I’d become and how.
“Faolán is lost to us, then,” he whispered as he pulled me against his chest and surprised me with a bone crushing hug. “I’ll kill him myself for what he’s done to you and our family.”
“No, not yet, Liam,” I whispered with a reassuring smile. “He’s a big part of this, and yes, he helped them kill me as they tried to steal my babies…”
“Babies! Oh gosh, I almost forgot about them,” Madisyn whispered with huge eyes. “Oh,” she said softly as she deflated. She eyed Lasair, who just watched her.
“It’s true that he tried to kill me and steal the babes, but they are fine for now. I need you all to keep my secret until we face the Mages. They cannot know I was reborn a Goddess. Liam, you will become the new Blood Heir. You are the strongest of the Blood Fae right now according to Danu, and you’re her choice for the Heir. I fear if the knowledge of it gets to Faolán he will change his game and come after you. He’s no longer the child you once knew; he’s cold and calculating. In his mind, he believes that the Mages can change who the Heir is, and I’m not actually sure if they can or not, or if it’s just how they are keeping him on their side of the fight. He is bringing them everything about our defenses, and he can get around Faery to places they can’t get into, but they will soon if he keeps feeding them information.”