I had forgotten about the staff... Maybe Verra is Devera's mother, or maybe Devera is one of Verra's sisters reborn. Verra may have thrown Devera in there when she was bring Aliera back to life. Where did Aliera's body come from? Had it been sitting in the Paths all that time, waiting for a spirit to fill it, or did Verra re-form it before bring her back to life? If it was just sitting there, maybe Kieron was _really_ lonely one afternoon .... or he was trying out the Dragaeran version of Sleeping Beauty (the Grimm version, not the Disney version where a simple kiss does the job). > Joy Jennifer Nicholson suggested: > > Devera could have been concieved while Aliera was incorporeal. > > Would that be before she was put into the staff or while she was in there? > > Casey >