The Hardest Path

The insistent jangling of his cell phone woke Liam up the next morning. Groggily, he reached over the side of the bed for his pants, digging around until he recovered his phone. Flipping it open and bringing it to his ear, he muffled a yawn just as Rhiana's tinny voice began shrieking at him. "Where the hell are you, Liam!? I've got the city crawling with staff looking for you, and I've called you sixteen times! Why didn't you answer? I thought you were dead, you jerk!"

A morning person Liam was not, and it took more than a moment for his sister's enraged words to sink into his sleep-fogged brain. "Where am....huh? I'm at home, Rhi. Just come over, okay?" Yawning again, he hung the phone up and rolled onto his back, intending to catch a bit more rest before Rhiana barged in on him.

His movement brought a sleepy purr from the other side of the bed, followed by a warm weight settling against his side. Liam's eyes shot open and he looked over, momentarily shocked to see Charity next to him, still sleeping soundly. The previous night's events began slowly trickling back to him, and the stabbing panic in his chest receded. As expected, his cell rang again, and he answered with a sigh. "I apologize for the confusion, Rhiana," he began, not giving her a chance to begin her tirade once again, "I was still mostly asleep. I'll be home in half an hour, please don't call again."

Dropping the phone over the side of the bed, Liam rolled over to meet the eyes of a now-awake Charity. "Morning," she sighed as she cuddled close to him. Automatically, his arm wound around her, and he wished that he could spend the rest of his day right where he was. But business was calling, and he couldn't remain AWOL.

"I have to go, love." Liam regretfully pulled himself away from her, turning from the bed to dress. "My sister will beat the life from me if I don't get to work. Actually, she might beat me anyway." When he was clothed, he leaned over the bed to place a sweet kiss on Charity's far-too-tempting mouth.

He felt the now-familiar kick in his heart as he pulled back and gazed at her. She was smiling at him, trust and new affection in her expression. Wrapping herself in her white bedsheet, Charity walked Liam to the door, kissing his cheek in a very wifely way as he left. "I'll call you tonight," he called before he got into his car and drove away.


Driving toward the Kagailas building, where he lived and worked, Liam was irritated to notice several of his family's cars driving closely behind him, no doubt escorting him home. "Inconspicuous, guys. Very nice," he muttered as he glanced in the rear view mirror for the hundredth time. His sister was at his side almost before he got out of the car, taking his arm in an iron grip and practically dragging him up the stairs to his office.

After the door had slammed shut behind them, Rhiana whirled on him, crushing his ribs in a hug. "I swear I thought you were dead," she whispered brokenly as she pressed her cheek to his chest. Liam slid his arms around her, comforting her in a way he hadn't since they were children.

"I'm not going to die on you, little sister," came his soothing murmur, "not yet, anyway."

The moment stretched on until Rhiana's cell rang, the shrill tone of it snapping brother and sister out of their daze. Running a hand through her wispy green locks, Rhiana answered the phone, pleased to find her younger brother on the other end.

Liam seated himself behind his desk, listening to his sister reassure Telin that Liam was once again in her custody, safe and sound. Quickly finishing the call, Rhiana turned her attention back to her older brother, fixing him with a cold stare.

"What is it with you lately, Liam? Running off, then staying out all night. What are you, fifteen?" Hugging herself, the woman paced back and forth in front of him, biting her lip as she tried to control herself.

It seemed important to Liam that he make her understand, at least as much as she could. "I met someone, Rhiana. A really wonderful woman. That's where I was last night, I just...stayed over. Forgot the time, really."

Rhiana gestured to the folders containing the profiles of acceptable women, still on Liam's desk. "One of them?" At Liam's slow shake of his head, Rhiana sighed and hung her head. "Liam," she said, her voice holding more sympathy and pain than he'd known a voice could hold.

"I'm sorry, Rhiana. I can't marry any of these women. I want to marry Charity." Crossing his arms over his chest, Liam tried to appear calm and firm, in complete control of the situation. Of course, that barely ever worked with his sister.

Drumming her fingers against his desktop, Rhiana considered her brother's words carefully, trying to find an easy way to say what she knew she had to say. "It's impossible. Those women were hand picked, selected not because of who they are, but because of who their families are. Marrying one of them will give us new territory to expand into, and we need that right now."

Liam's silence made something in Rhiana snap, and she slammed her fists on the desk, yelling. "You know this, Liam! You already know, and you don't care!"

Turning away, the woman lightly touched the gun she always carried in a holster at her side, taking a deep breath as eerie calm washed over her. When she faced her brother, Rhiana's eyes were cruel and hard, her face otherwise blank. "Please believe me when I say this, brother," she said in a flat tone as she approached his desk, "If you go back to her, if you call her, if you even think about her...I will find her, and I will kill her."

Ignoring the shocked agony and outrage she could see on her brother's face, Rhiana walked to the door, pausing with her hand on the knob to say, "Look through the profiles, Liam. I'll be back in an hour for your decision."





A/N: Oh, wow. I feel so bad for Liam right now. And Charity, too. Anyway! Set-up is pretty much over, we'll be moving into the story proper now. Be prepared to time-skip. How'd everyone like this chapter? Me, I hated the angsty yuck-yuck of it. xD

Once again, thanks go out to Wynja for reviewing and making me update! Or else, this would have probably taken me a month to get out. You're correct, Wynja! This story is actually about the son of Charity and Liam! Whootwhoot! You get a prize. As soon as I figure out what it is, I'll let you know.