Prologue
Delcima, 22 years earlier
Helena Rimes was looking at the little girl she held to her breast, with her eyes filled with gratitude. She had given her life a few hours earlier. The infant was beautiful and embodied perfection in her eyes. She had never imagined that her heart could hold so much love for a being she was seeing for the first time. Yet Helena was aware that time was running out. The door to her hospital room opened and Thomas Crowley appeared in the doorway, holding hands with his four-year-old daughter, Rebecca, born from his previous marriage. Helena smiled and looked at him with a little sadness in her eyes. He was such a wonderful and good man. And she knew he would suffer. Thomas walked over to his wife and kissed her tenderly.
— I"m going to take Rebecca to m
