by Kimber Lee
It was very easy to spin the story of Daniel Lawless as a deranged stalker whose plan to abduct me had sent him to the Bay. Paul bought it. The other officers bought it. Ren and Lorenzo bought it.
The only thing I couldn’t explain was the damage to the building. One side of it was completely gone. Only the roof held up by steel columns had survived Andrei’s entrance. It was nearing sunrise and the sky was so beautiful, tinted with vivid amber and muted scarlet.
The town was so small that by the time the ambulance came, my best friend and her husband were already there. I didn’t realize the full extent of what Daniel had done to me until I saw the looks of horror on everybody’s faces. I went to high school with one of the EMTs who attended to me. Jocelyn Something. I didn’t remember, but she obviously remembered me. Her eyes widened unprofessionally as they led me to the ambulance. I refused the indignity of a stretcher because, irrationally, I felt as though Daniel was still winning if he rendered me unable to move on my own.
Even though every step I took felt like reliving the assault all over again.
“Oh God,” Renée wailed, following me into the ambulance. They let her in because she was family. Once I lay inside, she gripped my hand, painfully. “How could he do this to you? What kind of sick motherfucker would hurt you like this?”
I looked away. Daniel was dead. I killed him. I killed a man. And not the conventional way, oh no. I bashed his brains in, and fractured his skull multiple times… and tasted his blood on my lips when it spattered against me.
The reality of what I just did hit me like a hurricane, and I rolled onto my side and dry heaved.
“He’s gone, Rae,” said Ren, smoothing my hair down as I tried to force something out of my empty stomach. Her voice was choked up with unshed tears. “He’s gone.”
Yes, he was. But so was Andrei.
I knew that this was a dream because, well, let’s face it, I didn’t feel like Daniel had beaten the shit out of me—and I knew he did.
I was in Vegas, in the main casino at the Hotel Kamenev.
“Over here, Rae,” a familiar voice said from behind me.
I spun around, coming face to face with Temp. Relief like nothing I’d ever felt before flooded through me and I accepted his open arms, burying my face in his chest. The casino was empty, but even if Temp had filled it with people, I wouldn’t have cared. I sobbed openly into his chest, unashamed of the wave of emotions that were threatening to drown me.
“It’s going to be okay, Rae,” he murmured, stroking my hair and patting my back. “You’re going to be okay.”
“He’s gone, Temp. How could he be gone?” I sobbed, blowing my nose into the soft cashmere of his sweater. The emptiness I was beginning to associate with this train of thought was too much. “How could Teddy be that… that strong?”
Temp pulled back from me, holding me at arm’s length so he could look into my eyes. “I’m gonna level with you, Baby Phat. Your boy Teddy is playing with fire. You don’t deal with black magic and come out unscathed.” He ran a hand down my cheeks, wiping my tears away. “He appeased Lilith, and a whole other bunch of higher demons, somehow, and so he got Andrei. I know that sucks but…”
“Sucks? This isn’t a joke!” I snarled, wrenching myself away from him. “I love him and he finally said the same to me. And now what?! He has to become a puppet because of it?”
Temp’s face remained composed. “He wouldn’t be the first. Every few centuries, a witch channels enough power to be able to do it. When the demon’s decade of service is over, he usually goes on a rampage, killing any mortal that had anything to do with his humiliation.”
“Then… why do it in the first place? If Andrei will only kill Teddy in the end, why would he risk it?”
“For some people, power is worth the risk, I guess,” Temp replied. “Besides, there are witches who have managed to trap demons in dark dimensions when the demon’s service is over. Maybe Teddy figures that’s just what he’ll do.”
I swallowed, balling my hands into fists. “Then I’ll find him and kill him before that happens. I’ll search every corner of the earth until I have his bald fucking head in my hands.”
Temp shook his head. “And die in the process? I won’t let you do that. Andrei wouldn’t want you to do that.”
“You can forget about telling me what I can and can’t do, Temp,” I said through clenched teeth. “I’m not just going to sit back and let Andrei suffer because of me.” I took a deep breath. “Because I’m his Achilles heel.”
Temp’s face softened. He pulled me to him again, resting his chin on the top of my head. “Oh, Baby Phat. You do love him,” he said gently. “It’s time for you to wake up now, though.”
I raised my head. “How are you in my head again? I never knew cambions could do that.”
He gave me a smile. “Well, we can. Now wake up. I’m just outside your room.”
“My room? At the house?”
But it was too late. I was already blinking awake, expecting to find the familiar features of my bedroom… but seeing a brightly lit sterile hospital room instead. A private one, at least, and a large one at that. I winced, the blinding sunlight from the windows punishing my eyeballs. Huge flower arrangements surrounded me, their colors radiant in the sunlight. Calla lilies were practically shoved up my nostrils. I wrinkled my nose, finally noticing the array of tubes running from my body to a beeping machine beside the bed.
I tilted my head to the other side—the dull ache thrumming throughout my body serving as a reminder of the events that had brought me here—and found Renée snoozing in a chair. She was propped up in an awkward position, a People magazine balanced precariously on her lap. Her usually immaculate hair looked like a rat’s nest and the sweats she wore had seen better days.
“Ren,” I croaked.
She bolted upright, her jade green eyes instantly wide and alert. “Rae? Oh, thank God! You’re awake!”
I cringed. “Loud.”
“Shit, hon. I’m sorry,” she hissed, reaching out for my hand. It was warm to the touch. “Can I get you something? Water? Food?”
“Water.”
Ren helped me get into a sitting position and held out a paper cup of water, directing the straw to my mouth. I slurped up the lukewarm liquid, grateful for the respite. Then, Ren propped up the mound of pillows behind me before I could lean back.
“Could you draw the curtains, please?” My voice was still raspy. I cleared my throat as I watched Ren bolt around my bed to close the curtains before she returned to me. “How long was I out for?”
“Five days. Nearly lost you in the ambulance,” she replied, her voice soft. “They had to induce you into a coma to make sure you’d start to heal nicely. You lost a lot of blood, had to get a blood transfusion, and had a couple of broken ribs, too. Plus that shit really walloped your head…” She trailed off before breaking into a grin and squeezing my hand. “They say it’s a miracle the babies are okay. Lorenzo and I have been praying for you every——”
“The what?”
“The blood transfusion? I knew you’d probably think it was risky, but Rae, you needed it,” she said in a rush. “Lawless beat you bloody. For the babies’ sakes, I had to let them do it.”
“Stop it,” I protested weakly, squeezing my eyes shut. “I’m not pregnant.”
“You mean… you didn’t know?” Even with my eyes closed, I knew Ren was gaping at me. “You’re six weeks along. Twins, they said. It’s a miracle that twisted fuck didn’t hurt them,” she snarled. “The police found the room with the chains and your doctor made sure to check for signs of rape, even though you didn’t say anything about that in your statement. They just thought it was best to make sure, you know?”
Ren was babbling, a sure sign that she was nervous. I felt like I didn’t know how to breathe anymore. Her words were playing on a loop in my head like a broken CD.
Six weeks… Twins… Six weeks… Twins… Six weeks…
My mind was still f
uzzy but conscious enough to do quick mental calculations. If that was the truth, the babies were conceived the night Andrei came back after leaving me hanging following his torturous foreplay. The night before I went to look for JP without Temp. The night before Damien let me know just what was going on in the basement of his club.
“But I had my period after,” I said monotonously.
Ren was so in sync with me that she knew exactly what I was referring to. She scoffed. “Remember in high school, how we said that sperm can live in our bodies longer than we can last in the wild? That’s three days of potential fertilization,” she stated matter-of-factly. “You were probably just spotting.” Her face softened at my horrified expression. “Blood tests don’t lie, babe. And I know you’ve been through hell but do you… do you know who the father is?”
“Ah, Ms. Erickson, welcome back to the land of the living.” The doctor breezed into the suddenly-claustrophobic room, saving me from answering Ren, but I barely registered his face. Shell-shocked, I think that was it. “Mrs. Marino, if you’d step out of the room for a little while…”
“Mrs. Marino? Don’t even,” Renée scolded him. “We went to school together, Zach. You wet your pants in third grade when Mindy Turner asked you for a Crayola.” She received a dirty look from—now that she mentioned it—Dr. Sheppard. “All right, all right. I’m going.” She paused at the doorway. “By the way, there’s an Adonis outside waiting to see you, babe.”
My head cleared. Barely. “You met my brother, huh?” I mumbled.
“Your what?”
I winced. So this was the one time Temp hadn’t pulled the brother card. I shuddered to think about the interrogation he was about to get from my best friend. She bolted out the door to presumably do just that.
Dr. Sheppard and I were alone now. I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. I couldn’t. It was one thing hearing it from Renée, but there was no way I could pretend it was a mistake if it came out of a doctor’s mouth.
“Hey, Rainelle,” he said gently, scooping up my chart at the foot of the bed as he made his way to my side. “Despite urinating on myself when I was eight, I am more than capable to be your doctor.”
The smile on my face was forced and it hurt.
He flashed me a real one. “I’m sure Renée filled you in but…”
I listened to his detailed description of my injuries with half an ear while he removed my catheter lines. I didn’t care about the broken ribs, or the concussion, or the almost-dislocated shoulder, or the various bumps and bruises I would have to tolerate for a couple more days. Only when he got to the part about “the healthy fetuses” did I pay attention.
“…and everything looks good. There was a bit of trauma to your abdomen and truthfully, we are all in awe of these babies. They shouldn’t have survived, but they did. They have a very resilient mother.”
“And I’m six weeks along?” I asked dazedly.
“You had no idea.” It wasn’t a question.
“But… I had my period,” I murmured stupidly. And again, I sounded like a broken record.
“It’s not unusual to experience vaginal bleeding during pregnancy,” Zach said gently, glancing down at the clipboard in his hand, “but since you’re in the early stages, it’s safe to say that it was what we call implantation bleeding. The twins are perfectly fine, despite the trauma you all sustained. I’d like to monitor you here for a day or two though, just to be safe. I’m glad you woke up when you did, Rainelle.”
The rest of his monologue went over my head, and then he was gone, with promises of sending a nurse in with lunch.
Pregnant.
Me.
With Andrei’s babies.
With a demon king’s babies.
The past few weeks made sense now. The weight gain I’d attributed to too much good food. The constant nausea even when I wasn’t around demons. My hormones in overdrive. Bacon turning my stomach…
The door was pushed open and Temp strode inside, closing it behind him. The clicking sound it made snapped me out of my panicked rumination.
“So yeah, your friend just tried to molest me and I wasn’t even putting on the charm,” he complained, looking like he’d just strolled out of a GQ magazine in a polo shirt and slacks. “Hope you don’t mind but I had to charm her away when she started asking about us.” His eyes widened when he managed a good look at me. “Ho-lee-fucking-shit!”
“That bad, huh?”
“Worse.” He crumpled into the chair Renée had vacated only moments before, his eyes scanning me with heavy concern. “They said you turned the guy’s brain into scrambled eggs. If he were still alive, I would’ve done it for you and laughed while doing it.”
The image of Daniel’s body on that concrete floor flashed behind my eyelids. I shook it away. But I knew it would be back.
“No?” said Temp, mistaking my headshake for a negative. “He hurt you, Rae. Could’ve killed you. Nearly did. I would’ve…”
“I’m pregnant.”
Temp’s jaw dropped, hanging there like a drawbridge. The sight would have been funny but there was really nothing to laugh about. I didn’t think there would be ever again.
Temp was finally able to close his mouth and offered an uncertain “That’s… great?”
I let out a bitter laugh, breaking down on the pillows. “Yes. Great. Every single one of Andrei’s sperm cells probably wore an ‘S’ on their tiny little chests because I know I took the pill every day.” I paused, deliberating. “Okay, maybe not every day. I might have missed one or two days but… God, Temp, this can’t be happening. It can’t be. Two babies? I… can’t.”
He cleared his throat. “Rae… you do know that contraceptives do jack shit when it comes to killing a demon’s sperm, right?” he mumbled, suddenly very interested in the floor. “The only sure-fire way is charmed birth control, which you can get from a witch, or a condom.”
“Excuse me?”
He looked up at me. “If an incubus doesn’t want to impregnate someone, which, by the way, is very rare since we’re all arrogant little shits, he’ll make a conscious effort to shoot blanks. Unbelievable… but true.” Temp paused. “Andrei might just have… forgotten one time,” he finished lamely.
I stared at him for a moment, feeling yet another wave of panic threatening to overwhelm me. “So you’re telling me the whole time I was swallowing that goddamned pill, I might as well have been swallowing a jellybean for all the good it did me?”
“I thought you knew this stuff. I mean, didn’t you understand what you were getting yourself into by going steady with an incubus?”
“No one told me this!” I snapped. My head was beginning to pound. The dull ache in my chest was building up to a sharp pain. I was going to make myself fall apart.
“Rae, calm down,” Temp chided. “You don’t want to give yourself high blood pressure, do you? It’s not good for the…”
“The babies?” The word was an acquired taste on my tongue. Mixed emotions swirled inside my chest. What am I supposed to be feeling right now? Joy? Apprehension? Anger? My eyes strayed down my body.
Beneath my hospital gown, beneath the bruises that I was sure peppered my belly, there were—not one, but two—babies. Each one half of me, and half of Andrei.
Half-human. Half-demon.
I gingerly splayed my fingers over my stomach and let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Then the psychotic laughter started up, which was a veritable torture to my ribs. They still hurt like hell but that didn’t stop me. No, this laughter was an unstoppable force.
My demon boyfriend had forgotten to shoot blanks. How ridiculous was that? When he came inside me, the birth control I had been taking religiously—oh, the irony—was useless in the face of his bionic sperm, and now I was having his twins. I knew squat about kids and now I would have the pleasure of having two (two cambions, no less!) at the same time? What else could I do but laugh?
“Rae, stop laughing. You’re hurting yourself.
”
Tears flooded my eyes, both from the pain and from the reality of the situation. I couldn’t stop laughing, despite how much it hurt. “Oh, God, Temp. Don’t you see how hilarious this is?” I sputtered, clutching my painful sides. “Forgot to shoot blanks? Forgot? In this world, being sterile is embarrassing. Many guys leave the doctor’s room in tears because of it. And incubi can turn it on and off like a tap? Sperm faucets!” I choked on my laughter, and the choking morphed into sobbing.
Temp was at my side in seconds, holding a new cup of water to my mouth. I could barely latch on to the straw to drink through my uncontrollable sobs. So Temp set the cup down and tentatively wrapped his arms around me. I let myself break apart in his embrace, dribbling and sniveling into his shirt.
“I’m here for you, Baby Phat.” Temp’s voice rumbled in his chest, the vibrations tickling my cheek. “You’ll be fine. I’m Nanny McPhee with kids. But with great highlights and a dick.”
I snorted with laughter. He slowly released me, looking at me with intense chocolate eyes. “I’m serious. I’m here for you. We’re… family.” His fingers intertwined with mine and squeezed my hand.
“I know,” I whispered, squeezing back.
His eyes became more sober. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
I shut my eyes. “I can’t take any more bombshells, Temp. Please. Not now.” But every time I closed my eyes, I saw Andrei’s face and my heart clenched. Then I saw Daniel’s—the mangled, raw flesh that was left of him. Those images made me sick.
“I know. And I’m sorry. But you need to know this.” He took a deep breath. “Andrei destroyed Nicolette and Damien is likely coming after you.”
My eyes flew open. “Destroyed the club?”
“For you. He saved those girls,” Temp relayed slowly. “Of course, Damien took it personally. They were his toys. And what happens when you take away a kid’s toys? He gets mad. And then he finds something new to play with.”