The Prince's Mate

by Alexis Davie

  Today was different, though. He had driven himself to the point where he thought he really would go crazy sitting in his apartment and waiting for any word from Mitch, and he had walked down through the snow and ice to a small tavern. He had spent a few hours sipping beers in front of the open fire.

  The tavern was quiet, with a few regulars propping up the bar and a couple with a child of around ten who had stopped in for a bite to eat. Nix had exchanged pleasantries with the bartender and the regulars, but nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Nothing had been said that should have Nix’s dragon so restless like this, and yet the feeling of dread persisted.

  He stood up abruptly and downed the last of his drink. He had thought being around other people would soothe the weird feeling inside of himself, but it hadn’t. If anything, it was just making him feel worse. He took his empty bottle back to the bar and when the bartender made to go back to the fridge, he shook his head.

  “I’m off now, thanks,” he said.

  “See you later on, mate,” the bartender said.

  Nix left the warmth of the bar, assaulted immediately by the icy cold air. He pulled his coat tighter around himself as he began walking home. Home was now a small cottage-style house, with a small living room, kitchen, and dining room downstairs and two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. It was a far cry from his huge apartment on the upper east side back home, but he had wanted to not draw attention to himself here.

  As Nix walked toward his cottage, his dragon stirred within him. Nix decided it was restless because he was holding it at bay. He generally went flying at least once or twice a week, but he had resisted the urge to do so out here. He hadn’t flown for months. That had to be what was causing the unrest. He nodded to himself, and decided that night, he would wait until it was pitch black so no one would spot him even if they were looking up at the sky, and he would turn into a dragon and fly until he felt normal again.

  Nix turned the last corner and his cottage came into sight. His defenses instantly came up, his dragon roaring inside of him when he saw a figure peering in one of the windows. Nix felt a swirl of dread in his stomach; had King Xavier’s pack done the impossible and found him out here?

  He felt relief flood him when the figure turned around, revealing itself to be Mitch. He quickened his step as Mitch saw him. Nix’s sense of relief turned to a sharp urgency inside of himself when he saw Mitch’s expression.

  He reached Mitch quickly. He wanted to demand to know what was wrong immediately, but he knew talking out here in the below-zero temperatures wasn’t a good idea, so he opened the door wordlessly and gestured for Mitch to enter. He followed Mitch inside, closing the door behind them and feeling the warmth of the central heating beginning to thaw him out slightly.

  “What is it?” he demanded the second the door closed behind him.

  Nix had told Mitch where he was, but they had agreed that Mitch wouldn’t come here, at least not for a few years until King Xavier’s pack became a little less vigilant. For Mitch to break their agreement, something bad had to have happened. Something really bad.

  Mitch pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Nix with a grave expression. Nix frowned and looked at it. It was a photograph of a pretty, dark-haired woman who Nix recognized instantly.

  “Is that who I think it is?” Mitch said.

  Nix nodded his head. “Yes. It’s Princess Sophia, King Xavier’s daughter and heir to his pack. Is she out of hiding?” Nix asked.

  After the attack on their pack which had killed Nix’s parents, Sophia had gone into hiding. King Xavier had known she was his weakness, and he had known that Nix’s pack would come for her. If they managed to overpower her and take her into captivity, they would have had the king right where they wanted him. It was no secret that the king doted on Sophia and would have done anything to free her.

  Nix’s head was spinning with this revelation and all of the connotations it came with. It meant that King Xavier believed that Nix was really gone and that Mitch and the pack were now loyal to him. It meant he thought it was safe. Maybe it was time for Nix to come home a little earlier than planned, and take Sophia. Maybe this could all be over within a few short months and Nix could throw himself at Eve’s mercy, telling her everything and begging her to take him back.

  “She isn’t officially out of hiding,” Mitch said. “But most of the pack wouldn’t know her now anyway. I wasn’t even certain it was her myself.”

  “So Xavier has relaxed a little. If Sophia is out of hiding, even unofficially, he’s confident you guys are loyal to him now,” Nix said.

  He was going to say more, but he trailed off when he saw Mitch’s expression.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” he demanded.

  “Sophia hasn’t been reintroduced to the pack, Nix. She has a special mission,” Mitch said. “She’s masquerading as Eve’s nurse.”

  “Huh?” Nix said, not having any idea what Mitch was talking about.

  Mitch opened his mouth to clarify his point, but suddenly, it all clicked into place for Nix.

  “Fuck,” he said quietly. “Xavier knows Eve’s son is my son, doesn’t he? He’s going to have Sophia take him to draw me back in.”

  “I think that was his plan. But it’s not going to happen. I had to be certain this was Sophia, and now that I am, I’ll make sure she doesn’t get anywhere near Eve again,” Mitch vowed.

  Nix was already shaking his head.

  “I appreciate that, Mitch, but I have to be the one to protect Eve and my son,” he said.

  “No,” Mitch said quickly. “That’s exactly what King Xavier wants you to do.”

  “I don’t care,” Nix said. “If it means I end up being killed, then so be it. I would rather be dead myself than have anything happen to Eve and the baby. I’m going to Eve’s place to warn her not to let that woman anywhere near her or our child, and then I’m going to King Xavier’s mansion. I’ll turn myself in and make a deal with him. He can have me, but he leaves them out of it. He has no real interest in Eve or the baby—he’s just using them to get to me. He must have known word would get back to me the second he had the baby. Well, this way, it won’t have to come to that. He won’t get anywhere near our child.”

  “I don’t like it, Nix,” Mitch said.

  Nix shrugged.

  “Honestly? Neither do I. But I like the alternative even less. What if you take Sophia out to make sure the baby stays safe? What do you think happens next? The king will retaliate by hurting Eve or the baby or both of them. I can’t risk that happening. If Eve won’t listen to reason and go into hiding, he’ll be able to take her way too easily, and let’s be honest here, Mitch. If you didn’t know about dragons and a stranger came to your place and told you this story, would you believe it or would you think he was a lunatic?”

  “Fair point,” Mitch conceded. “But I have a better plan. One that doesn’t end with you in the king’s clutches.”

  Nix nodded for Mitch to go on.

  “Go to Eve and tell her everything. She’ll believe you—and if she doesn’t, you can turn and show her the truth. Convince her the baby is in danger and leave the state with her and the baby. Then…”

  “I can’t do that,” Nix interrupted. “I can’t force Eve into a life on the run. That was the whole reason why I left the state in the first place. I’m sorry, Mitch. I know you don’t want me to give myself up—I don’t much want to do that myself—but it’s the only way.”

  Before Mitch could argue the point, Nix turned and walked away from him. Mitch followed, still protesting, as Nix stepped outside of the cottage. He didn’t look back at Mitch. He knew Mitch couldn’t talk him out of this one, and arguing amongst themselves was just wasting precious time. Nix stood in the center of his small garden and turned into a large, emerald-green dragon. He spread his wings and took to the air, heading home to New York. Suddenly, the foreboding feeling he had had all day made much more sense.

  7

  Eve was humming to
herself as she waited for the elevator in her apartment building. Today was a good day. The nurse had put her mind at rest about Ethan’s birthmark and his eyes, and she had decided that she was remembering Nix’s eyes all wrong. Of course they hadn’t changed while they were having sex. Just like the nurse had confirmed that Ethan’s eyes weren’t changing. She had said it wasn’t possible. And surely if Nix’s eyes had been strange on the night they spent together, Eve wouldn’t have just forgotten about it. She had clearly let her worries get so far into her head that they had infiltrated her memory of Nix, that was all.

  Shortly after the nurse had left, Eve had gone to the pharmacy in the mall down the street to get the gripe water prescription Kelly had given her filled. She was confident that would stop Ethan’s discomfort and his crying fits. And after the pharmacy, Eve had met up with Tammy for a nice lunch.

  They had gone to a little Italian place in the mall’s food court, one of Eve’s favorite lunchtime places. She had the carbonara and then she’d even treated herself to some cannoli. It had been a lovely meal and Ethan had slept right through it, so she even had a chance to have a real catch-up with Tammy. The nurse’s reassurances had made Eve feel so much better; until she had voiced her concerns out loud and heard it confirmed that Ethan was fine, she hadn’t realized how much it was playing on her mind and subconsciously bringing her down.

  The elevator finally arrived and she stepped in. She pressed the button for her floor, feeling her stomach roll slightly as the elevator car began to move. Eve missed the days when she could take the stairs; it was so much faster than waiting for the ancient elevator, but the stroller made it almost impossible to negotiate the stairs even if she had someone with her, let alone when she was by herself.

  Eve listened to the trundling of the elevator car, sending up her ritual prayer that this wasn’t the moment the elevator finally decided to give up working. She breathed her usual sigh of relief when the doors pinged open and she stepped out onto her floor. She walked along the hallway, surprised to see Kelly, the nurse, sitting on the floor outside of her apartment.

  Kelly looked up when she heard Eve approaching. She got to her feet and smiled as Eve came closer. Eve felt dread in the pit of her stomach, even though Kelly was smiling. It wasn’t normal for her nurse to turn up unannounced this way, especially when she had seen Ethan just that morning. And it certainly wasn’t normal for her to be sitting out here in the hallway like this. It had to be something serious for her to wait around for Eve to return.

  She’s had some time to think about what I said about Ethan’s eyes. She’s either here to tell me there’s something seriously wrong with his eyes, or she’s really thought about it and decided I’m delirious and she’s here to turn me into child protective services, Eve thought to herself.

  “Is everything okay?” Eve asked Kelly as she drew level with her.

  Eve’s voice sounded thick and a little strange. She cleared her throat loudly. Kelly had eyes only for Ethan. She bent down to coo to him in the stroller, but she nodded her head around her cooing.

  “Kelly?” Eve said, a little more firmly, her voice sounding more normal.

  Alarm bells were ringing inside of her, but Kelly didn’t seem worried at all. Maybe she had just forgotten one of the checks or something and she wanted to come back and complete it rather than having to file her paperwork with a part missing.

  “Is everything alright?” Eve pressed, even though Kelly hadn’t looked up at her.

  Kelly finally tore her eyes away from Ethan and looked up at Eve. She nodded and smiled again.

  “Everything’s fine. Better than fine, in fact. May I come inside and talk to you?”

  Eve was starting to feel decidedly uncomfortable. Kelly seemed strangely excited, and her nervous energy was rubbing off on Eve. But Eve couldn’t think of any polite way to say no to Kelly and she found herself nodding. She slipped her key into her apartment door and pushed it open. Kelly stepped inside, holding the door open for Eve, who followed behind her with the stroller. Kelly pushed the door shut as soon as Eve was inside. Eve left Ethan in his stroller for a moment as she turned to face Kelly.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  Kelly ignored Eve for a moment, focusing once more on Ethan. Eve could see that look on her face again, the look of awe she thought she had seen earlier. This time, Kelly made no attempt to hide it.

  “I wasn’t sure at first. When I was here this morning, I mean. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, you see. It could have all just been a coincidence. It seemed way too easy, if you know what I mean,” Kelly said.

  Eve had no idea what Kelly meant. Kelly was talking fast, her excitement bubbling up to the surface. Each time she spoke, it made Eve a little bit more nervous. She was starting to think Kelly might be drunk or high or something, and she knew she had to keep her wits about her and play along with Kelly until she left.

  “Ethan’s mark,” Kelly went on. “It makes him a very special little boy. More special than you could ever imagine. I wasn’t certain it was real, but my father confirmed it. It really is the mark of the Blain bloodline.”

  Kelly finally turned to face Eve, who was more lost than ever.

  “His eyes threw me at first. Because he would only have eyes like that if you were the same as us, but then you would have known what you were looking at and you never would have brought it up to a nurse. But you did, and that’s why I doubted myself. But I get it now. You don’t know, do you? You don’t know who you are. But it’s okay, because I know.”

  Eve took a step backwards as Kelly stepped closer to her. She was definitely high, Eve decided. Either that or she must have had some sort of mental breakdown. Eve felt bad about the idea of getting her out of the apartment—she clearly wasn’t mentally stable right now—but she was more worried about Ethan. Eve tried to circle around Kelly and put herself between her and the baby, but Kelly followed her step for step, keeping Eve from getting to him. Eve wanted to keep Kelly calm if she could. She felt that angering her at this point might be dangerous for both her and Ethan.

  “I’m sorry, Kelly, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eve said carefully, her eyes darting between Ethan and Kelly.

  “Oh, I know,” Kelly said. “And that’s okay. I realize you weren’t purposely misleading me. If I thought that were the case, then I would be very angry, and you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry, Eve. But I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt and choosing to believe this is all news to you.”

  Eve swallowed hard, fear welling up inside of her. Kelly really had snapped. And now she was threatening Eve.

  “Your baby is special,” Kelly went on. “And I know all babies are special and all that shit, but really, your baby is something else. He’s royalty. Can you believe that? Two royal bloodlines in one baby. He’ll be the most powerful king ever to walk the earth. And he’ll be ours.”

  Eve had heard enough. Every word Kelly said was confusing her more, but her last sentence showed how truly unhinged she was. What did she mean by “he’ll be ours”? Eve didn’t even want to find out. She stood up as straight as she could, willing her voice to come out steadily.

  “I think you should go,” she said.

  “Well, that’s not very hospitable, is it?” Kelly said, shaking her head. “I bring you this news and you try to kick me out into the street.”

  “Please, just leave and this can stay between us,” Eve said. “I won’t tell your boss you came back here. Just go and get the help you need.”

  Kelly smiled, a smile full of glee and a twisted humor that made Eve’s skin crawl. Kelly still stood between her and Ethan, and she was easily a foot taller than Eve. Eve wanted so badly to get to Ethan, but she was more concerned right now with keeping Kelly’s focus off him and on her. She didn’t think attacking Kelly would be the way to deal with this; she felt sure Kelly would overpower her in a fight, especially if something inside of her had snapped. Eve thought she remembered reading somewhere that peop
le who had broken mentally were often left freakishly strong, because they lost their inhibitions and any notion of fear.

  “I’m not sure I would call my father my boss as such, although I’m sure that would tickle him,” Kelly smiled. “But don’t worry. I am leaving. Just not alone.”

  She turned toward the stroller, and Eve knew she had to act and just hope she could overpower Kelly. It was the only thing she had left to try short of letting Kelly take Ethan, which wasn’t even an option.

  Eve screamed as loudly as she could as she threw herself at Kelly. She knew her neighbors all worked and the chances of anyone hearing her screaming were slim, but it was worth a try, she figured.

  Kelly saw the attack coming and turned back to Eve, her movements graceful, almost animal-like. She chopped out with her hand, catching Eve squarely in the center of her throat. Eve’s scream was cut off instantly and she fell to the ground, her hands going to her throat as she struggled to breathe. She scooted backwards as far as she could, which wasn’t far as she still couldn’t draw breath.

  Kelly followed her. Eve tried to keep moving as Kelly loomed over her, but there was nowhere to go, nothing she could grab to use as a weapon. She closed her eyes as Kelly’s fist came toward her face. She felt a rush of hot pain go through her face and her head, and then she was floating on a sea of black.

  * * *

  Eve opened her eyes slowly. Pain exploded through her head and she closed them again. This is the worst hangover ever, Eve thought to herself. She became aware that the surface beneath her was rock hard. God, I didn’t even make it to bed. I just collapsed on the floor.

  Suddenly, her memory came back to her in a rush. Kelly, the nurse who had gone crazy, had attacked her in her apartment. Her eyes came open quickly, the pain forgotten.

  “Ethan,” she gasped. “That bitch wanted my baby.”

  She jumped to her feet, instantly aware that she wasn’t in her apartment anymore. She was in a room she didn’t recognize. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, but she saw a white bassinet and she heard a snuffling noise coming from that direction. Some of the panic left her as she crossed the room and saw Ethan in the bassinet. She scooped him up into her arms. He fussed a little, clearly unhappy about being handled so roughly, but Eve was just relieved he was there and in one piece. She ran her hands over his head and his body, and relief flooded her once more. He seemed to be fine.