"Merry Christmas," I replied back and then felt my heart thump. "I forgot Christmas," I whispered and felt my stomach drop.

"You've been dealing with a lot, so we figured you deserved this," Ryder whispered against my ear. "I want our children to know your world as well as mine."

I turned to look at him as tears slipped from my eyes. I'd forgotten Christmas, and he, a male who'd probably never even cared about it, had remembered it. "Thank you," I whispered and watched as he accepted Zander from Ciara, who then proceeded to rush to the huge chocolate fountain that was set up off to the side of the intricate staircase.

Others continued to come in behind us, and as I cast a questioning look at Ryder, he explained. "It's the Winter Solstice on Terra right now so Christmas will be in a few more days for the Humans. On the Winter Solstice, most of the Fae give thanks to and honor the Goddess for another fruitful year. For almost sixteen years, when we were staying regularly on Terra, we held it at the lake near the mansion. This year we've settled on the pools outside in the gardens. The Mages have screwed up some traditions, but not this one."

Everyone was laughing, and stamping off the snow as they entered the mansion. They then moved into the large room situated off the entryway, which held a grand fireplace. The Yule log burned, and I smiled, wondering just where they'd taken these traditions from. It looked as if Christmas had met Hanukkah, and they'd had a baby...which was this room. The huge chandelier that was hanging above the mantel was lit with candles, which increased the glow from the fire. Hundreds of other candles burned in sconces along the walls and evergreen boughs were strewn along the walls and banisters.

Mulled cider was being passed around in crystal goblets, and the scent of Christmas was heady as more of the men showed up. Everyone was wearing robes of bright Christmas colors, and I smiled.

"Come," Ryder said as we made our way through the room to one of the large comfy couches that were arranged around the fireplace.

I rearranged Kahleena's blanket and sat beside Ryder as Darynda passed us Cade. I caught sight of the Demon who was watching us. His eyes smiled as he took us in. I narrowed my eyes on him as he stepped closer.

"Not quiet what I saw for the future, but it's still one worth fighting to keep," he mumbled as he rubbed his temple as if trying to figure something out.

"You saw this?" Ryder asked.

"Yes, and no," he admitted as he bent down to kneel in front of us. "I saw us here, after the mansion was destroyed. Only one child was here, a son with blue eyes and black hair."

I didn't speak, because it hit home at that moment, how many times he'd told me that just because he'd seen something didn't make it real. A simple wrinkle could change everything. He stood back up after kissing Kahleena's nose and walked away to where a female stood across the room.

"Olivia isn't here," I whispered.

"No, he took her to his quarters yesterday and I don't anticipate anyone seeing her anytime soon. We don't question it," Ryder said as he rearranged the two boys in his arms. I watched them as their eyes grew alive as they watched the merriment of the Elite Guard as they pulled women onto an expanse of empty flooring at the other end of the room and began to dance.

"They are watching the men," I said as I turned to watch them myself. "Oh, I'm not so sure they should be watching that..."

"They're boys," he said, as if it explained it all.

"So they get to watch the men's frolicking and playing stick the pickle in the jar?" I asked, and watched as he did his best not to laugh.

"Stick the pickle in the jar? Please, elaborate on that...or, if you feel so inclined, show me," he whispered.

"Fairy, you're incorrigible," I groaned. I called out to the men. "Hey, knock it off would ya? You need to keep it PG!"

They only smiled and winked as they continued to grind against the willing women. I watched as Ristan continued speaking to the woman in the corner, her eyes alight with whatever he'd said. Only he didn't look as if he was as interested as his companion was.

"Is he sick?" I asked absently.

"Who?" Ryder asked.

"Ristan. He's sorta ignoring his companion and doesn't seem too interested in what she's offering," I whispered quietly.

"No, but if he's turning down..."

"So help me God, Ryder," I hissed. "Watch what you say around the babies."

"I was going to say tail," he said with a wicked grin.

"Sinjinn!" I said as he passed us.

"Yes?" he asked as he looked down at me.

"Hold your niece," I said as I handed Kahleena over without waiting to see what he would say.

He took her, and I stood, and pointed at the couch as if to tell him to plant his ass there. I wanted my children to stay put with their badass father. I however, was going to catch a Demon by the toe and make him holler.

I spared a glance back at the couch and stopped. Sinjinn held her away from him, but in his lap. He stared down at her as if she was too precious to touch, as if he'd break her, but Ryder was on it. He showed him how to cradle her, and protect her head from moving too much. Kahleena's eyes were closed, unlike her brothers who watched the men still.

I turned away with a heavy heart and headed for Ristan. He was still rubbing his temples as the woman...I think it was anyway, it was tall and grayish in color and it was hard to judge some of the sexes of these things, so hey, I guessed anyway.

"Demon," I said and watched as he turned towards me.

I grabbed his hand and we both froze.

The room was gone.

I looked at Ristan, and then we both looked around us.

The Tree was there, and still frozen. Around the giant Tree was moss, layered in ice. The tiny Fairies flittered here and there as they moved around it, working together to try to thaw it. I swallowed and shook my head and then wondered how the hell we'd gotten here.

"What the hell did you do?" he asked, and I watched his eyes as they swirled.

"We're in a vision? But whose is it, yours or mine?" I asked, and he shook his head.

My heart pounded, and I felt as if something was inside of me, and yet there was nothing. I felt pain and chaos. Loss was everywhere, and it felt as if I was bleeding out from the inside. I felt rage at the violation, and confusion for why someone would harm me. It was a mass of emotions, and confusion. They weren't my emotions, so what was it? The Tree? Maybe.

"I have only had one vision in the past two months, Synthia," Ristan said, pulling me out of the mess of feelings. "This one isn't mine." He looked at me curiously. "Maybe part of your new powers."

"They come," I whispered and felt a sliver of hope. Only it wasn't my hope I felt, so whose was it?

I watched as hundreds of Fae sifted in, and we were with them. We carried the children and placed them on the ground in front of the Tree. Only they weren't alive.

"No!" I shouted as my world spun apart. I fell to the ground and shook my head as I placed my hands over my ears to block out the noise level. "No, I won't let this happen!"

"We can't stop it if we can't unfreeze this fucking Tree. You can do it," Ristan said as he picked me up and held me against him. "Think. Flower, you're the Goddess of Faery. You can see the path, now think. Time's running out, and I can't bring you here again."

I looked at Ristan, only he wasn't the Ristan I'd come here with. He was the other one, the one living in the vision. It was as if somehow, or some way, he'd brought me here from the future. I was starting to consider shit like drugs, magic mushrooms. Just what the hell was in the cider? "See it, see them. You can do this. You're one of the strongest women I know, and you never give in. Save her, save them all," he said, and I turned to see countless babies, all dead. "Only you know the way to undo this. You've always had it inside of you, use it."

"I don't know how to unfreeze it," I whispered brokenly. "They can't die," I cried. "Ristan, show me how!"

"I can't. I'm not the Goddess of Faery. There was a reason you were reborn as the Goddess of the lands; think, Flower. You have the answers. Look for them."

I was shown so much more, and yet nothing at the same time. Time changed. We changed. Everything changed. The world spun and continued on as I watched it from afar. As if I was a bystander, and I was being shown glimpses of things that could happen. It made absolutely no sense, but I knew if I searched...and continued to, we'd find the way. It started at the Tree, and we were meant to be there. Now.

Chapter Thirty.

I gasped for air and felt hands on me. I screamed for Ristan, but it was Ryder who held me. I looked around the room as everyone in it stared at me. I gulped in air, and that's when I caught sight of her. Danu stood where Ristan had, but unlike when she was normally around, she looked almost transparent.

"Save them," she whispered and faded to nothing. I shook the remnants of the vision from my mind and turned to the partygoers.

"I think I know how to save the babies," I whispered.

"What the fuck just happened?" Ristan asked, his fingers grasping my chin as he raised my eyes to meet his. "Your eyes swirled."

"I touched you, and then I was at the Tree," I said excitedly. "I was given a vision, yes, but you were there with me. Only it was another you. Like you'd pulled me through time to tell me what we needed to do. I know how to save her," I whispered breathlessly and then amended it. "I know how to try to save her, and I think it will work."

"You had a vision?" Ristan asked as he watched me carefully. "Synthia, I can't do time jumps, and I can't pull people through time, either. It's impossible."

"You gave it to me, and you were there. It was weird, but who the hell cares? We have to gather everyone!"

"Synthia, we don't know who gave you that vision or why you had it," Ryder said as he stood in front of me, our children sat with Ciara and Sinjinn who stared at us.

"I don't care. It's not like we have a choice. She's dying, Ryder. Dying. Time is up. We need to get to the Tree. Everyone, as many Fae as we can get there, all the Castes...no exceptions. I won't just stand here and watch her die. Neither will you, because if I have to duct tape your ass to my back and carry you the entire way there, I will. You understand me? Because I'm willing to spell it out for you and show you in very vivid details if that's what you need."

"And if you were given that vision by the Mages?" he asked carefully.

"I don't think it was the Mages," I explained. "Ristan was there, and he told me I know the way. He said it was inside of me, and that there was a reason I had been reborn into what I am. We need to take everyone with us, because there's a chance we will have nothing to come back to.

"What does that mean?" Ryder asked carefully.

"I know I'm not making a lot of sense right now, but I need for you to trust me, I know it's asking a lot, Ryder. I don't know how to explain it, but I can feel it, as if it's inside of me. I know for a fact that we need to get to the Tree. Trust me," I begged, and watched as he nodded.

"I trust you, but if we do this, we could all be walking into a trap, which could be very bad. Synthia, if we take all of the leaders of each Caste, who will be left to protect the people if we die?" Ryder asked softly.

"I don't know, but I do know this. Our daughter is dying and we need to save her. We need to do this as fast as we can and, even if it is a leap of faith; it's one we can do together. Besides, the Mages won't expect the numbers we're bringing. They'd be committing suicide if they tried anything and they're not that stupid."

"Synthia," he said as he placed his hand in mine. I showed him the vision, and watched as he stared in wonder at me. "Jesus," he said and smiled. "You know this could be a trap, and we'd be walking right into it. I just got you back, woman. I don't want to lose you again."

"You didn't feel what I did," I said calmly. "It was real, and I have to believe that we have a chance. I can't live in a world that doesn't accept my children, and if I am the Goddess of Faery, this world needs me. I can't be the one to walk away without trying. I will not do this, so either we do it together, or I go alone," I said the last as I turned to Ryder.

"We do it together," he said softly. "This is something my people may not understand, but they'll follow. You'll need to explain it to Adam, Kier, and your family. If it even offers us a chance to save our children, I'd follow you. So take us, Pet. Wherever you go, I'll follow."

I paced in the floor of the nursery with guards posted outside the doors. Ryder had helped and together we'd securely tucked the babes in their cribs. I'd ended up ruining the Christmas celebration, but for the moment it didn't bother me. It was the pain I'd felt all of a sudden that put an end to all the fun for me. I felt as if I was crawling out of my skin, and yet I could feel the pain as if it was my own. I had no idea where, or why I felt it, only that I did.

It was as if a gate had opened up and everything had rushed through it at once. I didn't know how to contain it or push it away. So I met it head on, and even though I wanted to fall to my knees screaming, I somehow remained upright and on my feet.

"Synthia," Adam said as he approached me, his eyes alert and on edge at my jumpy behavior. I couldn't help it, though; I felt as if I was a conduit, and everything was filtering through me.

"It's almost time to go to the Tree," I said as I hugged him gently.

One minute we were both in the nursery, and the next we stood in front of the Tree. I gasped, as Adam looked around and then looked back at me in confusion.

"What the hell was that?" he asked.

"I think my powers are coming in. I just pictured the Tree, and I guess since I was touching you, we ended up here together," I said as I released him to look around.

"Give me your hand, Synthia," Adam said carefully. "It's not safe out here; we need to go back to the babies."

"I know," I said watching as the Fairies worked with fire to thaw the Tree of Life. The lush glow that had once filled the massive rowan now did so from within the ice and frost that wrapped around it and drifted down over the roots. "I'm afraid, Adam," I whispered.

"I know; I'm worried too," he replied honestly as he pulled me in and hugged me tight. "We've been through a lot, but it's just another hurdle and we will fix it," he said assuring me.

I gave him my hand and he sifted us back to the nursery where Ryder stood glowering at us. "What the fuck?" he growled.

"Syn's powers are coming in," Adam said with a smirk on his lips. "She thinks it, and it happens."

"Is that so?" Ryder asked as he lifted a dark brow.

"Yeah, remember the shower incident?" I asked rubbing the back of my neck. "Remember your shower and me on my knees?" I asked.

"Shit," Adam said as he detangled our limbs. "Don't need to know this stuff."

"Totally PG...Mmm, on second thought, it was like R-rated. Anyway, I think I'm gaining some of my new powers, but I'm not sure how to stop them."

"Pet," Ryder growled. "It better have been nothing-"

"No, not the R rated crap, the PG part. I think I'm getting some of my powers, or something. I don't know. Danu isn't answering me and it's not like I have a lot of people who know what the hell is going on with me!"

I moved to Ryder and placed my hand on his arm and a bed popped into my mind.

We landed with a thud on a bed, and I growled. "Dammit," I said as I fought to sit up as his arms pulled me down.

He smiled wolfishly. "You thought of a bed when you touched me?"

"Not on purpose," I whined.

"Can I help you?" Zahruk asked from the bathroom door where he stood with a towel wrapped around his lean hips and a lazy smile on his face. "You do have your own bed, brother."

Feminine laughter echoed from the bathroom behind him. I blinked and wondered just who it was inside his bathroom. I knew he could clean himself with glamour, so whatever they'd been doing in there, it wasn't showering. I narrowed my eyes on him and tried to recall if I'd ever actually seen him without weapons on.

"Mine's about to be full, so I suggest you get going," he growled and crossed his heavily tattooed arms over his chest.

"Ewww!" I grabbed Ryder's hand. Making a mental note that I would have to be really specific in my thoughts going forward as I had never seen Zahruk's quarters before and there were worse places I could have had us wind up at. I shook my head in disgust as I thought about Adam.

We fell on him.

"Fuck!" he shouted as Ryder sifted off of him and looked at me, tangled with Adam on the floor.