by Jen Pretty
“We have been waiting for our king. Bring him to us.” The man in green said. “We have a gift he must receive so he will grow to know who he is.”
—
I screamed and bolted awake, sitting up in bed so fast, the room spun. My breaths were heaving, and a cold sweat had packed my hair to my forehead. I raised my hand to wipe my brow, but my knife was in it. I thought the blade only worked because of Durga, but here it was.
The door flung open, banging against the wall and Vincent stood before me with a look of murder in his eyes.
“It was a dream,” I panted.
Vincent noticed the blade in my hand and his face morphed from violent to concerned.
“What kind of dream?” he took a few steps closer to the end of the bed but looked cautious. I set the knife on the bedside table.
“I don’t know. I saw the elf, the one who gave me this blade.”
“Emanuel?”
“Yeah. He said to bring them their king, and that they had gifts. For some reason, the dream scared me. He wasn’t threatening. Was he talking about you?”
“I don’t think so. I have nothing to do with the elves, neither does Indra.”
I rubbed my stomach. That was why it scared me. They wanted to see Elliot, but how he could be their king was beyond me. He was me and Vincent’s child. Or maybe Indra’s, but that had nothing to do with the elves. I bit my lip and stared at Vincent who seemed lost in confusion too.
“It was just a dream,” I said. “My mind is weird.”
Vincent didn’t look convinced. “I’ll go talk to Emanuel.” He stepped forward and kissed my forehead, then retreated and shut the door behind him as he left.
I fell back down into the pillows. Being me was too weird.
A few minutes later I heard my door open, and as I was about to sit up, Peri flew over me to land on the bed beside me. A giant grin on her face.
“All you do is laze about. Let’s go do yoga and get food,” she said. She sounded off. Like she was parroting back something or following orders.
“Did he tell you to keep an eye on me?” I asked, meaning Vincent, and we both knew it.
“Yes, but he doesn’t realize that I am a terrible influence on you yet. Once you are no longer pregnant and back in fighting form, it will be too late, and we will be up to all kinds of no good.”
I laughed until tears rolled down my cheeks. Oh, man, Vincent had no idea what he was in for.
“Come on, lazy butt. You gotta be in tip-top shape to chase this baby around.”
She hopped up, and I rolled out of bed to follow her.
We passed a few vampires in the halls who gave me a nod. Some of them I recognized, but there were some new faces too. I should probably get to know them since I was settling down here. The thought of settling down made me itchy. We would see how long that lasted. Peri took the steps to the main floor two at a time. I was more careful since I wasn’t as indestructible as before.
The gym was the same as it was — a large clear area on one side used for sparring and weights and exercise machines on the other. The smell of sweat and blood lingered on the air and pulled up a bit of adrenaline. It was weird not having Durga pushing at me. It made me feel kind of sluggish.
Peri sat down, crossing her legs and I joined her, sitting far enough away we both had space.
I took deep calming breaths, and Elliot seemed to slow too. He still wiggled, but it was less karate and more yoga speed. I moved into the opening movements, catching Peri out of the corner of my eye as she mirrored me. The stretches started painfully. Deep pulls and sharp stabs soon gave way, softening until I felt pliant. My body remembered the way it was designed to work. The popping and snapping sounds coming from my joints and spine were proof it had forgotten. I balanced on one foot, imagining roots sinking deep into the floor and wished I was outside. I imagined the sky above me and the sun kissing my cheeks. I pictured grass beneath me as I swept my fingers down to stretch out my lumbar. I crawled my fingers forward across my imaginary lawn. I felt the soft breeze on my skin as it rippled through the tree leaves and then I stretched up to touch the sky again.
Yelling startled me out of my happy place, and when I opened my eyes, I was standing outside Vincent’s house, on his back lawn.
I looked around, trying to figure out what had just happened. I was sure I was in the gym when I closed my eyes. I spun around as the yelling got louder, and Ninel raced out the back door.
“Lark! Holy crap,” he said. He bent at the waist and rested his hands on his knees, his breath heaving in and out.
“What happened? Why are you running? You should be resting,” I said.
“Yes, well, when vampires began racing around calling your name and searching the house, I got concerned and thought maybe I should help look.” Several other vampires came pushing out the door followed closely behind by Peri.
“What the hell, you crazy woman!” Peri yelled.
“I have no idea,” I said in reply.
Peri whipped out her phone and sent a text. She popped it back in her pocket, and then Frankie was in the yard.
“What the hell?” he said, looking at me.
“I don’t know. I was in the basement. Then I was here.”
“Is she a witch?” Peri asked.
“No, I would know if she was.” He squinted at me, and his eyes went far away like he was looking through me then snapped back. “I don’t know what she is.”
“I am not a what,” I said. “I’m a who.” I stomped past all the staring eyes and jogged up to my room, slamming the door behind me.
Something was weird, but I didn’t need everyone studying me like an insect. I climbed back into bed and pulled the blanket over my head. The sunlight streaming in the window trickled through the blanket, but it was dark enough and warm.
I lay curled up I there until a voice spoke from outside my fort.
“Lark.” It was Frankie.
“Go away,” I said.
“I want to talk to you,” he said.
“No, thank you,” I replied. Closing my eyes to try and block out the world.
The blankets on the other side of the bed popped up for a second, blinding me with daylight until Frankie slid in and pulled the covers down again.
“You shouldn’t be in here,” I said, rolling onto my side to face him.
“I’m just worried about you.”
“Well, I’m used to weird things happening now, so it’s not worth worrying about.” It was a lie. I was not cool with this new development. The elves and the magical transportation thing was not normal.
Frankie nodded. “You remember I can read your mind, right?”
“Shit,” I muttered, and he chuckled. “Elves have weird powers.”
“I’m not an elf. I’m just short,” I said, pulling my knees towards my chest, I cradled my small round stomach in my lap.
“Ok, you want to go get a sandwich?”
“I could go for a Big Mac,” I replied.
He laughed and took my hand. Suddenly we were in the driveway standing in front of Frankie’s shiny motorcycle.
“Did you bring this with you?” I asked, sure he had shifted himself into the yard after Peri texted him.
“I’d just got on when Peri sent a text to say you were missing. It’s the heaviest thing I’ve ever moved,” he said with a cocky grin. He pulled a helmet out and handed it to me. I pulled it on and fiddled with the snap until he reached over and snapped it for me.
Frankie swung his leg over the bike and held it upright while I scampered. I hooked my sock feet up on the tiny bars and wrapped my arms around his waist. The bike screamed to life, and Frankie drove us out the driveway, stopping at the gate. The vampire at the gate looked at us for a minute. I gave him a wave to hurry him up. I wanted to hit the road.
The guard picked up a phone and made a call. Frankie flicked off the engine and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.
I watched the guard’s lips move, but I could
n’t hear him even when I strained my ears. I no longer had Durga’s help with the super vamp hearing.
After a moment he walked out and handed me the phone. I shook my head and took the phone.
“What?” I said, in my least happy voice.
“Where are you going?”
Ah, there is the grumpy bossy vampire I knew. Guess the honeymoon is over.
“I’m going out. Is there a problem?”
“On a motorcycle? That’s dangerous.”
Frankie scoffed. He could hear the vampire on the line.
“Tough shit, Vincent. You tell this vampire to open the gates right now,” I said. I didn’t have much of a threat to offer. I wasn’t nearly as scary as Durga.
There was a long pause. I waited.
“Open the gates,” he said before the line went dead. Shit head.
I dropped the phone on the asphalt and wrapped my arms around Frankie. The guard who had been listening in to the conversation ran back to the booth and hit the button to open the gates.
As soon as they slid open, Frankie sped through and then off down the road. He didn’t break any laws, but he took corners at speed and accelerated faster than necessary. Adrenaline hit my system making me giddy. I clung to Frankie until he pulled into a McDonald’s.
“You want to eat here or take it to go?” Frankie asked.
“To go. I want to get out of the city.”
He smiled and slipped into the drive-through. Once we had a bag of food, Frankie had me hop off and grab a backpack out of his motorcycle bag. I put the food in it, hoping it would stay warm and then jumped back on and we took off down the highway. The wind whipped my face, and I tucked in behind Frankie to use him as a wind block. It wasn’t long before he got off the highway and took me to a quiet place I recognized. We had picnicked here before. I hopped off, and Frankie kicked out the kickstand. He grabbed a blanket from his bag, and we walked down a narrow path to the grassy hillside.
Laying on the blanket in the sun and stuffing my face with big macs was like heaven. The difference between here and India, besides the obvious, was that in India it was a dry heat, here there was humidity that made it feel different. More like spring.
“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” Frankie said.
“Why not?” I tipped my head to look at him.
Frankie sighed. “You two are just working out stuff, and this thing with Peri is brand new. I don’t want to cause problems.”
“Well, I wanted a burger, and Mr. Bossy-pants isn’t the boss of me. He needs a reminder. Everything is weird, but you and I are friends, and I have hardly seen you in months. Also, Peri and I are bff’s so she won’t mind that I’m out here with you.”
Frankie raised his hands in defeat. “Ok, but if it becomes a big deal, I’ll back off. I just don’t like to see you hiding in a blanket fort.”
I laughed, and Frankie lay back. We watched the clouds move across the sky.
“Is your coven still afraid of me?” I asked, my eyes tracking a cloud that looked like a lion.
“No, I think you are fine now. Anytime you want to visit, you can.”
“That’s good. I’ve missed being around you. I like that we can be here and it’s not awkward. That’s what I always liked about you, Frankie. Except when we argued, it was always easy.”
He smiled at me, and we lay there for almost an hour in silence watching the clouds before we packed up the garbage and headed back to the mansion.
Time to have a chat with my monster fiancé.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Frankie flew back through town, making me smile so wide, my face muscles were a bit sore when he slowed and steered the bike through the gates to Vincent’s mansion. He pulled up to the steps at the front of the house and let me off, then he smiled at me and rode back down the driveway. I watched him go and then turned to track down Vincent. Hopefully, he was home from visiting the elves and would have information, but first, he and I needed to talk. I was dreading it, but I wouldn’t walk on eggshells. He had no right to tell me what to do.
I climbed the steps, and the door swung open, revealing Trevor.
“Hey Lark, I’m just showing Andre the ropes.”
Andre was a human. He was no more than twenty. His hair swept up into a high man-bun and his clothes made him look like he belonged in a cafe working on his novel. He had his sleeves rolled up, displaying tattoos. He wore a fashionable scarf around his neck and his rough beard completed the picture of a modern man.
“Andre. It’s good to meet you.”
“You too. I’ve read the file on you, and Trevor explained you are pregnant. Congratulations, I look forward to meeting your little one, and if there is anything you need, please let me know.” Andre didn’t sound like I expected. He sounded professional, smiled and seemed honestly polite.
Trevor beamed at the man like he was brilliant. Interesting.
“Thanks, Andre.” I turned to Trevor. “Is Vincent home yet?”
“Not yet. He called to say he’s on his way. He wanted to talk to you, but I told him you were still out. I hope that’s OK.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Thanks.”
I took the first hall and bypassed the dining room in favour of the kitchen. I walked in and almost died. It smelled like chocolate cake. My favourite kitchen lady was icing it at the counter, but she turned around when I walked in and smiled at me. She wiped her hands on her apron and swept across the room to feel up my baby bump.
“It’s good to see you too,” I said as she ran her hands over Elliot’s bubble. He kicked and danced around, and I swear kitchen lady almost cried.
“I’m glad you are back.” She hustled back to the cake and cut a big slice, slipping it onto a plate and setting it at the small table in the corner. “Come, sit.”
Don’t have to ask me twice. I parked my pants in front of the cake and munched on the delicious sweet treat. My eyes rolled back in my head as the soft cake hit my tongue. Kitchen lady hustled back over and set a cup of coffee down.
“Decaf,” she said.
I crinkled my nose.
“It’s good, you will like it,” she promised. She returned to the stove to stir something in a large pot. I took a sip. She was right. Whatever kitchen lady had done to make the caffeine free coffee taste just as good as regular coffee, I wouldn’t question it. I thought I would have to start drinking water or tea. When I finished my cake, I leaned back in my chair and let my body digest. I finally felt full, something that was getting harder to do as Elliot grew. Elliot was taking up so much space, it should be easier to get full, but it seemed like the opposite. He was growing so fast I needed to eat more.
“Happy birthday, Lark,” the kitchen lady said as she took my plate away. I spent my birthday in a cave getting gored by a buffalo. Maybe I could pretend today was my birthday instead. I got to have a picnic and cake — sounds like a birthday.
“Thanks,” I replied, and she went back to stirring.
It had been a long time since I had a birthday party. When I was young, my parents threw big birthday parties, but while I was in foster homes, it was never a huge deal. I could have a party though. I thought about it — streamers and balloons. A pinata. It wouldn’t be a long game with the warriors here. Someone would chop it and then it would rain candy. I walked out of the kitchen, and as I passed the dining room, something caught my eye. I stopped and backed up a step, peeking through into the dining room. Someone hung balloons and streamers from the ceiling, and a giant pinata hung in the middle of the room. None of it was there when I walked by the first time. I looked around, but the vampires seemed as stunned as I was.
Oops.
I laughed. Whatever was going on with me now, I threw myself a birthday party — good thing I didn’t wish for ponies. My laughter echoed through the halls and drew the attention of a few passing vampires.
Magic that grants wishes? Perfect. I continued down the hall and up the stairs to Vincent’s room. Our room, I guess. I turned on the wat
er in the tub, planning to have a hot bath. I walked back into the room to get clean clothes to change into, but there was a vampire in my room. An unhappy looking vampire. Vincent.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
“I don’t think you should be running around town on a motorcycle. Particularly not with another man,” he said.
I put one hand on my hip and stared him down. “Are you telling me what I can do and who I can be friends with?”
He scanned my face for a long moment, then looked away.
“That’s what I thought,” I said, moving to the closet to find clothes. When I came back, he was sitting on the bed, his head in his hands. Of course, I felt sorry for the poor bastard and sighed. I sat down on the bed beside him. “I’m with you, Vincent. We’re going to get married and have a baby and live happily ever after.”
He turned his head and looked at me.
“You know you can’t boss me around. You’re going to have to live with that,” I said.
He nodded. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried. I know Frankie’s a better man than I am.”
“That’s a load of shit. You are a good man — the best,” I said, pushing him onto his back on the bed and climbing on so I was straddling his chest. “And you are mine.” I kissed his nose, making him chuckle, then kissed his lips wiping the smile off his mouth. My tongue lashed out and swept across his sharp teeth before I pressed it onto the point of one, spilling a drop of blood in his mouth. He rolled over, pinning me under him and sucked on my tongue before pushing off me and standing up.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing, I’m just hungry.”
The way he said it, I knew he didn’t mean he needed to order a pizza. “Then bite me.”
He shook his head. “No way. You need all your blood for Elliot. I’m going to get a bag of blood from the supply.” He turned toward the door.
“Are we ok?” I asked before he opened the door.
He turned back and smiled at me. “We’ll always be ok. Even when we aren’t ok.”