“There are so few of us,” Desari said sadly.
“But our ranks are growing as we discover that ancients are scattered throughout the world,” Gregori replied gently. “Gabriel and Lucian still live. They live and have found their lifemates. Gabriel’s lifemate, Francesca, has sent one of her healing quilts for Corinne. We would have liked to visit longer with them before returning to the Carpathian Mountains.”
Desari reached out to link her hand with her lifemate.
“Julian told me the sad story of such heroes. It was a privilege to meet them at the wedding.”
“They are true ancients. Mikhail is hoping they will be able to aid Shea and Gary in their research into the high mortality rate of our infants,” Gregori said. “I have long sought the answer to this problem, but have not yet succeeded in defeating our worst enemy.”
“The fact that we do not have female children,” Savannah sighed. “And the difficulty of keeping our children alive the first year. You will solve the mystery. You are no longer alone, Gregori. You have Shea and Gary and now Francesca. You will find the answer, and we will have the children you wish for.”
“Twins,” Julian supplied. “Two little girls to run wild, with their father chasing after them.” He looked well pleased with the idea.
Gregori bared white teeth at Julian across the table. “I see you are having much fun at my expense, Julian, but remember, I have known you many, many years. Desari, my young sister, there is much we have to speak of.”
Julian laughed. “I wish you would speak to her, Gregori. She has surprising gifts, as Darius and I have found out.” He kissed his wife. “I do not suppose you would want to sing your brother into a tree trunk for me.”
Gregori’s eyebrow shot up, a habit he shared with Darius despite the long separation between them. “Desari can use her voice in such a manner?”
Desari laughed, blushing a soft rose color. “Of course not. He is exaggerating. I use my voice to soothe and heal others, to bring them joy.”
“Or reprimand elder brothers and lifemates when they do things she does not agree with,” Darius offered helpfully.
When Gregori’s silver gaze rested on her thoughtfully, Desari sighed. “All right, it is true I once used a net to entrap them.” She smiled conspiratorially at the other women. “As you age, your gifts will come to you, and they will be useful in ways you did not imagine.”
Gregori hauled Savannah closer. “I am taking you back to our country, where you will never hear this kind of feminine nonsense.”
She rose on her toes to kiss him firmly on the hard edge of his mouth. “My mother lives there, and as I recall, you said my father allowed her to run amok, creating chaos and havoc in her wake.”
“I would like to meet your mother,” Desari said. She caught her brother’s arm. “Let’s plan a tour of Europe. We can go home to the mountains. It would be such fun. Barack and Syndil wanted so much to stay there and visit, and I’m certain Dayan would want to bring his Corinne to meet everyone.”
“First we must see to it that Dayan will be coming with us,” Darius reminded her.
“The situation sounds grave,” Gregori commented.
Darius nodded. “Dayan is worried, with good reason. I had never thought to come up against such a problem. He cannot convert his lifemate with the baby unborn. But Corinne’s heart is enlarged and overworked. I doubt if it will last until the baby is old enough to be born, and I am certain it will fail during labor.”
“How long do you think her heart will hold out?” Gregori frowned, his dark brows settling into lines of worry. “You have examined her through your link with him. Do you feel we have enough time?”
“I do not honestly know,” Darius admitted. Feeling emotion had some drawbacks, he was discovering. He loved Dayan as a brother. He could feel Dayan’s pain, his perpetual heartache, and Darius was raw with the need to ease his brother’s suffering.
Gregori allowed his breath to leave his lungs in a long sigh. He had thought Darius and Desari lost to him for all time. The joy of discovery, the affection swamping him, was overwhelming enough, but to feel as if he might fail them when they needed him most was truly daunting.