What else he could feel was their power. Incredible! Even untrained, Jasana's power was monstrous, and that power had joined with his to become something greater than what they were alone. Tarrin found himself in command of that might, the might to rearrange the world, the might to nearly feel like they could challenge the gods themselves. It was almost intoxicating!

Too intoxicating. No mortal was meant to experience that, meant to command such incredible magical power. He realized that quickly, that the power was a trap unto itself, tempting him to use it. And in that use, he would become its slave. The combined might of their united powers was his to command, and he realized quickly that that meant that it was also his to disburse.

Instinctively knowing what to do, Tarrin severed the link with his daughter, causing their united whole to split back into its component parts. The draining feeling of that was formidable, making him drop to his knees, but it had little effect on his daughter, making her merely sag her shoulders. It was because she was the stronger of them, he knew it. That's why it didn't affect her as hard as it did him.

"Are you alright, papa?" Jasana asked in concern.

"Cub, never do that again!" he managed to shout. "You nearly killed yourself!"

"Killed?" she asked with suddenly wide eyes.

"Yes, killed!" he shouted angrily. "What you almost touched, cub, it's not for those who don't know what they're doing! If you'd have managed to do what you were trying to do, it would have killed you!"

"I'm sorry," she said with sudden fright. "I didn't know. I didn't mean to make you angry, papa, honest!"

Tarrin blew out his breath as Garyth's hands rested on his shoulder, under his arm, helping him to his feet. Amazing! Jasana had Circled with him, without knowing what she was doing!

And what was much, much worse, she had managed to consciously touch the Weave. Done once, it could then be done again and again. Tarrin's worst nightmare had become a reality, because now his daughter could, at any time, incinerate herself with High Sorcery.

"Tarrin, lad, what happened?" Garyth said in fright. "You and Jasana were glowing! Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine, Garyth, just a little drained," he said shortly, regaining his feet and glaring down at his daughter. He was at a loss now. Jasana had consciously used her power, and now she could do it again. No matter how much he warned her or scared her, her childish curiosity would eventually make her do it again. And if he wasn't there to stop her-

He shivered. What was he going to do now?

Jasana hugged his leg tightly. It was apparent she was either terrified or trying to divert his anger. Either way, he felt that standing in the middle of a pack of gawking humans was not helping. He reached down and scooped her up into his arm, then looked down at Garyth. "Come for dinner, Garyth. We'll talk about when we're leaving then. Right now, I have to get Jasana home."

"I understand, lad," Garyth nodded. "I'll be there."

Without another word, Tarrin carried his daughter out of Aldreth, moving swiftly towards home, his mind racing. Jasana was active now! He couldn't leave her alone, but he had no choice, he had to leave! He was stuck between duty to the Goddess and duty to his mate and daughter. He wasn't about to sacrifice Jasana to find the Firestaff. The entire world could go to hell first! He could not leave her alone now. There was absolutely no choice in the matter.

I wouldn't ask that of you, kitten, the Goddess called in his mind. I feel your confusion and your indecision, my kitten, so allow me to solve it for you.

"How?" he asked aloud.

Take her with you, she told him. That is not a suggestion, Tarrin. That's an order. She goes with you.

"Are you crazy?" he demanded hotly.

"What, papa?" Jasana asked fearfully.

"Nevermind, cub," he muttered under his breath, shifting his mode of communication. Are you crazy, Mother? I'm going to war! I'm not about to take my daughter into a battle!

You don't have to take her into a battle, but she does need to go with you, kitten, she said firmly. If you don't stay near her, she's going to end up killing herself. We both know that.

He couldn't argue that point.

So the only option is to bring her with you, she continued. Jesmind can watch her when you have to leave to take care of your fighting. Besides, I want you to consider one thing.

"What?"

What you could do if you and Jasana were linked, she said in a nearly seducing tone. Together, your combined power is formidable. When it comes time to defend Suld, don't you think that that power would be best served protecting my icon?

Tarrin stopped dead in his tracks. He remembered too well what it had felt like to hold that kind of power, but to use it… It made him shudder. The damage he could cause commanding magic of that power would be mind-numbing. The bodies of the innocent dead would pile up by the thousands around them. With that kind of power, he could shatter the walls of Suld, tear the earth a new Scar…

He could kill a sizable chunk of a massive enemy army.

Yes, that's right, kitten, she said reasonably. It's not a sin to use the power I gave you, because I trust you to use it responsibly. And if you do use it, you'll be saving many more lives than you may take defending Suld, saving the lives of those men who would have had to fight and die to defend my icon, and the lives of the innocents that would be caught in the middle, should the invaders breach the walls and get into the city.

He slumped his shoulders. The thought of using that power both thrilled and sickened him, and he knew that he would have to kill, kill on a scale upon which he had never killed before. The old eyeless face suddenly ghosted up from where it had been hiding all these months, and it made him fear that it would have many, many more for company very soon. He would personally be responsible for the deaths of thousands, but he saw no other way. Better to be responsible for the deaths of ten thousand enemies than a single innocent, if they managed to break into Suld and attack the civilians in the city.

But in the end, no matter what he thought about it, he had no choice. The Goddess had ordered him to do it, and he could not-would not-disobey.

That's my kitten, the Goddess said with pride. But now you face a danger ten thousand times greater than an army of Demons.

"What?"

Telling Jesmind that she has to pack her things and be ready to leave in the morning, the Goddess said with a twinkling little laugh. She goes too. And that's also an order.

Tarrin groaned. Given facing an army of enraged Demons or facing an angry Jesmind, he'd choose the Demons.

I'm glad I don't have to do it.

"Shut up," Tarrin snapped heatedly, which only made the Goddess retreat from him with her silvery laughter echoing in his mind.

"Who were you talking to, papa?" Jasana asked curiously. "I thought I almost heard someone talking to you."

She may very well have, at that, Tarrin realized. "Someone you'll meet when you're a little older, cub," he replied wearily. This day had turned into a nightmare. He was so overwhelmed by it all, he didn't even want to think about it.

Both of them were overly quiet all the way home, and Tarrin found his anxiety growing by the moment when he realized that Jesmind hadn't come home from hunting. Tarrin paced in the common room back and forth, back and forth, as Jasana sat in the chair by the fireplace and watched him anxiously. Back and forth, back and forth, Tarrin considered, tested, then rejected any number of ways to break the news to his excitable mate, from coming right out with it to a day-long leading up to it. He even once considered not telling her at all, just whacking her over the head tomorrow morning and bundling her up, then carrying her along, but that would be the worst way to go about it. He couldn't think of any good way to tell her, so that meant that the direct approach would be best. It would be the shortest, and Jesmind wouldn't get angry with him about being evasive or downright deceiving. He'd only have to be worried about her being angry one thing than angry about three things.