“Does he have something to ensure our child lives?” I asked on a giant sob that rocked my entire body.
“It’s going to be okay, Pet. Ristan has seen the child, which means he will live to his birth.”
“Has he seen him grow up? Has he seen him anywhere besides in Adam’s arms?” I was starting to freak out. I hadn’t wanted to be pregnant, but now that I was, I needed to not lose this baby.
“We are working on it. I promise.”
*~*~*
I was being given nausea medicine when Ristan sifted in. He was sitting beside me now, and his hand was rubbing my shoulder. “I haven’t seen the baby beyond the vision in Adam’s arms. Unfortunately, I can’t just make the visions come, Flower.”
“So he could die?”
“Yes,” Ristan replied, as Ryder growled, and Eliran shook his head.
“Ristan,” Ryder warned.
“Would you rather I lied to her? She needs to know the truth, no matter how bad it might be!” Ristan shouted over the glowering looks Ryder and Eliran were throwing at him.
“I need the truth. I want the truth. I can handle the truth. What I can’t handle is allowing anything to happen to this child. Do you understand?” I asked, looking up at Ryder and Eliran, and then over at Ristan.
“Syn, just because—”
I grabbed the Demon by his shirt and pulled him closer until we were nose to nose, the tips touching. “The truth. It’s all I want. You saw me hand Adam a son. Was he alive, did he move at all?”
Ristan swallowed slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. “I have to assume he was based on what I saw. I just do not know if he makes it to Transition. I also do not know if that is the child you are carrying now. Based on the severity of how fast our world is dying and what Danu has shown me, I have to assume he is. Those are two big educated assumptions.” I slowly released his shirt, letting him sit back a little.
Okay, this was a little better that I had thought at first, but still not good enough. Ryder trusted him—a lot, and Ryder said that Ristan was never wrong. It was just some things had to be interpreted. It was plausible he’d seen me handing my child to Adam, because well, I’d want my best friend to see my son. I’d want him to hold him.
“You’re sure it was me, and that it wasn’t the real Light Heir who was handing him her son?”
Ristan looked uncomfortable as he answered. “I saw you, Synthia. I’m sure that it was you in the vision with Adam and you were both smiling. From all of the visions I have had, I do know that you, the Blood Princess, will give Ryder a child, and I am sure that child is the start of the cure to this world. That Danu is pushing and pulling your fate where she can is another thing I am sure of, because not even you can deny the odds of you taking the job from the Guild, and ending up inside of Faery. You found your way back here, Flower. Through all of this, you were brought back to our world for a reason,” he finished with his hands in his lap and a steady look in his eyes.
“Maybe Danu hates me. Ever consider that?” I asked, feeling the nausea rise again, even though I’d taken the meds. My heart was hammering wildly, and it wasn’t helping that I was really starting to wonder why Danu thought I was so freaking important.
“Synthia, you need to rest. You need to allow the medicine to help you,” Eliran said, taking in my shaken pallor.
“I can’t lose this baby,” I whispered as my chest burned with fear and unshed tears.
“Syn, no one in hell will touch our child, including the sickness. Not even if we have to take him to your world to save him,” Ryder said, scanning my face tenderly.
“Get Alden here, and Adrian and Vlad. Adam is on his way. When they get here, we go Mage hunting,” I said, fighting off more nausea.
“You are not going hunting,” Ryder argued.
“Who the hell is going to stop me? They are the ones causing this sickness in the children. So I say we catch one and torture the prickless bastard until he tells us how they are doing it. Then we stop it. We make this world safe for our child, Ryder.”
“I have men out searching for them,” he continued to argue.
“Yet, they attacked the Shifters. Which means they are attacking the smaller creatures of the Horde, the one’s they stand a chance of fighting. Something drew them here, and there’s a reason they are attacking the smaller clans. We just need to catch one of them and figure it out when we do.”
“You get some rest. I’ll send out a notice that we need one of the Mages alive. It’s the best I can do for right now, Pet. I need to get the Horde under a bit more control before I can leave for any length of time. I’m under constant challenges right now, and I’m needed here.”
“I need you here, with me,” I whispered. I needed his warmth and the comfort of his arms right now more than anything. I was handling everything this world was throwing at me, but he was a big part of why I was handling it so well.
He might not say the words I wanted to hear. He may not have broken the contract. But I could tell he was trying and he truly cared about me. And right now, that meant everything.
Chapter Sixteen
Adam was waiting for me in a formal receiving room, wearing jeans and a loose fitting black silk shirt when I saw him. I wasted no time in running to him and throwing my arms around his body in a bear hug. His arms wrapped around mine, and we stood together like that for a while.
“I thought I had lost you,” he whispered.
“I thought I was going to have to kill the Horde King!” I pulled back and studied his handsome face. He looked well; he looked really well. I put a little distance between us, and smiled. “Wow, you got buff,” I observed. His lime and emerald eyes were brighter now, the black line that surrounded them more defined.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled Adam closer. “I missed you,” I whispered.
“You too.” He smiled against my neck. His hands warmed against my back through the thin cotton dress I wore. Turns out, hormones can make you easily overheat. I’d noted swelling as well, in my boobs…I’d decided that pregnancy sucked monkey nuts.
“How are things with you?” I asked as I finally let go of his neck.
“I’m on the hunt,” Adam said, smiling wickedly.
“For the Mages?”
“For my fiancée,” he answered, with a small grin lighting up his face.
“Me?” I asked, watching as his grin falters, and his lips turn up into a semblance of a smile.
“No, Sorcha,” he said, and I notice he’s enunciating my name on his lips, teasing me.
“Then who?” I asked, because just name me George and put me in a monkey suit, I was curious to see if Darynda got the gossip right. He had been going to marry me, until I’d been snatched from our handfasting ceremony.
“The Light Heir. I’m still engaged to her. The prophecy still says we are the other half to putting Faery back together. My father thinks it’s a good idea we begin looking for her a bit more aggressively. The sickness is getting worse in the Dark Kingdom now, and more land is being affected and more children have been dying over the past few weeks. It’s heart breaking to see it happening.”
“Oh,” I said quietly. I had already done one freak out, and this was a sore subject right now.
“I hear I’m going to be an uncle?” He smiled until it met his eyes.
I rolled my eyes. “How the hell did you find out, anyway?”
“Ryder sent word to my father,” he explained.
“You mean Ryder boasted about his virility?”
“Pretty much,” he confirmed and shook his head. “Having the Horde King’s love child? I never thought I’d see the day that Synthia Raine McKenna had a love child…with a Fairy.” He ducked quickly as I threw a punch at his shoulder, but missed.
“Are you upset?” I asked carefully.
“That we didn’t make a baby? No. Syn, I came to an understanding when you were taken. I don’t love you that way. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I totally thought I did,” his eyes s
canned my face, “but it wasn’t my love for you that I felt. It was what you were feeling for him. You love him.”
I swallowed and considered the nearest exit to escape and hide in. I wasn’t a coward, and I knew that had been why Adam had been acting the way he had. We had a bond, and it fed him my emotions as surely as I could feel his. “How’s your dad?”
“Syn, this is me. You can’t lie any more than I can. You can tell me anything, and you know that. I can feel the hurt, the love, and most of all, I can feel the fear you are feeling for your child.”
“Guilty, but that doesn’t mean I plan on saying it out loud. Now, how did you get here?”
“Ryder said you needed to see some friendly faces, and I am hoping that Ristan might get a solid lead on the Light Heir.”
“That’s good, but are you ready?” I asked, thinking it was a little too soon for him to be doing this. Larissa had just moved on, and he’d loved her.
“Faery won’t wait for me to figure it out, Synthia,” he said lightly. “I don’t need to love her to make a child, I just need to fuck—”
“Got it,” I cut in quickly, not wanting him to paint a vivid picture for me. “You should at least want more than just a quick fuck, Adam.” I rolled my eyes when he awarded me with a smile.
His eyes looked harder. We’d aged. Not in years, though, mentally. We’d been through hell together, and yet we’d both hung on and made it out on the other side alive. He at least remembered his childhood in Faery now, so he was far more accepting of their ways than I was. It still felt weird that he had such an acceptance of his role in this world. I hoped he could find his way back to being the sweet man I grew up with and could always count on. I smiled at him. “Wanna grab something to eat?” I asked.
“Synthia, are you asking me to put the moves on the Horde King’s girl?” He shot me a mock look of horror.
“I’m not his girl,” I barked, shaking my head at him.
“Oh you are. You just won’t admit it.”
“I am not!”
Yes, I was arguing for no good reason, but it was Adam.
“He marked you. He couldn’t have said you were his any better way than that.” He smiled, knowingly.
“He didn’t, not this time.”
“He did.”
“No, he didn’t. Last time it was…awkward. I’d have known if he had, Adam.”
“Syn, I have Fae senses, and they are telling me to back the fuck off. Very violently.”
“I’d know if he had marked me,” I argued.
“Would you?” he countered with a small frown creasing his forehead.
“I’d have seen it.” I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince, myself or him?
“You are marked,” he shook his head, and smiled again. “Let’s go grab some food, and we can talk some more. You need to feed my nephew.”
*~*~*
I left Adam at the door to his room, which was only three doors down from mine. He’d been told to ready himself for dinner and that he would escort me himself tonight.
I was so happy the Fae actually ate food, and some of it was incredible. The fruit that Ryder had fed me was amazing, but then, it could have been because he was feeding it to me and my senses had gone all haywire. I was standing with Darynda inside the room when Ryder stuck his head in.
“There is a dinner tonight for the Dark Princeling…Syn needs to be dressed in something red to symbolize the Blood Caste.” He was gone as soon as the last word was said.
I was fighting the nausea again, but the meds were helping. It sucked that being Fae didn’t cancel out the bad parts of pregnancy. I had asked Darynda for an actual bath, and was pleased when she had conjured water into the huge tub.
She’d also brought bath oils and towels, which was nice since I couldn’t for the life of me glamour fabric onto my ass. I was starting to think it had something to do with the necklace Ryder refused to remove.
Dinner had been casual, and I had been informed that there would be a huge feast and celebration very soon for the crowning of the Horde King, since he had skipped the formalities in his haste to get to me.
I enjoyed seeing Ryder and Adam interacting with each other now that Adam and I were in on the secrets. When Kier had taken Adam away from the presentation, evidently Ryder had given him permission in those parting words to let Adam in on everything. The first thing Adam had wanted to do after finding out the truth was kick his ass for scaring the crap out of everyone. The second thing he wanted to do was kick his father’s ass for tricking him into thinking Ryder was his brother.
It was a relief knowing that Adam was here, and that I could go to him when I needed to. I was sure that had been why Ryder had brought him here, and for whatever reason he had done it, I was happy he did.
It was refreshing to have Adam close by. It was also a subtle reminder of how many people I had left in the world. Ristan was slowly making his way to my heart. He was a hard one not to like. Ryder had been a little distant, but then he had a lot on his plate right now.
He had ascended, and with it, came everything he had put off to find me and help the Dark King retrieve his missing heir. He was running a kingdom now, and we were both trying to figure it out as we went through it.
I was grateful for the time it gave me to think, but also afraid that if I thought too much, I would want to run. I had nowhere to go now. My house was gone. The apartment wasn’t an option; not after what had occurred there. Adam was now with his father, and it was where he belonged.
I just needed time to figure out where I belonged, and time to wear Ryder down, and make him see that I was worth fighting for. There would be no running from this; not now that I was pregnant. I couldn’t leave a world to die either; not when the child I carried could be the cure.
No, I just needed to find my place and make sure it was beside Ryder. Even after everything I’d gone through with him, I was willing to fight to keep him. I just needed to give myself some time to adjust to the different culture, and the new world I’d found myself living in.
It was both thrilling, and terrifying. Change always was, though. The part that scared me most was having no control over my own life. If I stayed, I’d be giving most of the control to Ryder, but wouldn’t loving him, and being with him also give him full control?
Ristan’s advice helped me, and I was appreciative for it. The idea of being placed in the pavilion, and left there bothered me the most. I wasn’t sure if he would do that, but it was still there in the back of my mind that he could do it, and easily.
I was inside my room before I thought to look for Ryder’s mark, and I found it on my lower back, right above my left cheek. I could have thrown a fit over it, but it looked sexy, and Ryder would be expecting a fight. I could easily give it to him, but I wanted to be unexpected. I wanted to make him wait for it, and he would. He loved it when I gave him attitude, but the truth was, if I was ever taken—I wanted him to find me.
For now, I’d let him think he’d won.
Make him wonder why I was so accepting this time.
He needed to feel as if he had control over me, and I understood that he wanted to keep the unborn babe safe as well. Strangely, this gave me a level of warmth and pleasure knowing he’d go out of his way to protect us both.
Ryder would be a fierce father, and protector of our child. This was the safest place to have our child, and I wasn’t an idiot. I needed to be here where they could help save my child if anything went wrong. I was right where I needed to be. For now.
Chapter Seventeen
A few days went by at somewhat of an easy pace while I spent my time passing the endless hours in the bedroom with Adam. Darynda had been great through it all—including the one fit I’d thrown when Ryder had left to go scouting with his men.
I was going stir crazy and had never been one to be idle. Ryder seemed to think that I would be meek and timid now that he had become the Horde King, and I was pregnant with his heir. Yeah, right…so not going to ha
ppen!
Today I had asked Darynda to find a swimsuit, and since she didn’t seem to understand what I was looking for, she was currently out trying to find someone who could do just that. It wasn’t until Zahruk came to the door that I groaned.
“I was informed you were in need of swim wear?” He asked, scanning the room before he pushed through the threshold and smiled.
I crossed my arms over my chest and leveled him with a narrow eyed gaze. “I am, I’m tired of sitting in a room and watching the clock tick by until Ryder allows me out to play.”
“Allows you out to play? You have free reign of the pavilion. No one can get in or out of it without us knowing. You were kept here because Ryder was worried about your comfort.”
“Just dress me up and let me out.”
“As you wish.” Zahruk bowed his dark blonde head and flashed me with his electric blue eyes. I felt his magic cut through the air, as a simple blue bikini replaced my skirt and top. He nodded, but before he turned to walk away, a simple white cover of sheer silk was wrapped around my form.
“Thanks,” I mumbled and watched his wide back as he walked away.
“Ready?” Darynda chimed in with a brilliant smile as she returned.
In the pavilion there were women sitting around doing different activities together—or there was, until we walked in. Every eye in the place turned in our direction as we entered, followed closely by Sinjinn and Aodhan.
I smiled and ignored the dirty looks the group gathered around Claire tossed at me. She’d been nice when we’d first met, but I was willing to bet it was because she hadn’t planned on me sticking around long.
“Flower,” Ristan said as he sifted in beside me.
“Demon,” I tossed over my shoulder as I continued to the pool.
“I take it this isn’t for relaxation?”
“I need to stay in shape, and sitting in a bedroom won’t do that,” I replied as we entered the back of the pavilion where a more private pool was. They had three pools. One for the children, which, I’d only saw a few of them so far. Another was in the main room and was full of women splashing and playing around in the nude—no wonder Darynda was having a tough time with the idea of the swimsuit.
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