by Devi Mara
Edric shook his head. “Never.”
“I would accept nothing less.” Gol gave him a fond look. “I know where your Abby is at this moment. She abdicated.”
Edric’s heart stopped, then began beating twice as fast. “When?” He moved closer to his father. “When did she do this?”
“Three days ago.”
“I must go to her.”
Edric snatched his knife from the ground and shoved it into his belt. He would need to stop by the palace to change. Abby should not see him in his sorry state. He picked up his bag. Already planning what he would say to his mate, Gol’s voice jerked him back.
“You need to know a few things first.”
Edric paused at his ominous tone. “What is it?” He itched to go to Abby, but to get his father’s information he knew he would have to listen.
“You are aware my second is a noble, yes?”
Edric nodded impatiently. “What of it?”
“He is not the first born.”
Edric frowned. “A secondary title?”
Gol shook his head. “His older brother was the result of an affair with a human woman before his father’s official bonding. It is Dorn custom to accept the first born, no matter the parentage.”
“What does this have to do with Abby?”
“The first born was Lord Keltrin. Abby’s father.”
Edric’s eyes widened. “The Lord Keltrin?”
Gol nodded. “Yes. He died not long after Abby was born. A routine mission. Caern was the only witness. He said it was equipment failure.”
“You do not believe that.”
“No.”
“You made Caern your second despite your suspicions?”
Gol looked away. “There are times when ruthlessness is needed in the field. It was…useful to have such a person.”
Edric shook his head, but did not comment.
“However, Lord Caern has crossed the line.”
“Because he tried to usurp you.”
“Because he threatened my son’s mate.”
Edric looked at him in surprise. He had just recovered from his shock when Gol held out a slip of paper. He took it without thinking, his mind racing with his father’s words.
“Go get her.”
Edric nodded mutely. As he walked past his father, Gol grabbed his shoulder.
“I am proud of the man you have become, my son.”
Edric gaped at him.
“Tell anyone I said that and I will deny it,” Gol said with a slight smile. “Now go.”
Edric nodded and walked away, feeling dazed.
Chapter Sixteen
Beyond the Sky
“The world has its way with us long before we're born.”
-Annie Murphy
Two lines. Abby slumped against the wall of the tiny garage bathroom and stared at the plastic stick. Not one line, but two. Still trying to wrap her mind around it, she slowly slid her hand across her abdomen. Somewhere in there was another person.
“I’m going in to town!” her father yelled from the garage.
“Okay.”
“Bebe? You hear me?”
“Okay!” she yelled a bit louder.
The door slammed shut and a moment later, her father’s old truck started up. She waited until the sound of the engine faded to come out of the bathroom. She quickly snatched her jacket from where it lay over the back of a chair and stuffed the test back into her inside pocket.
She dropped her jacket back in place and looked around, hands on her hips. Well, that was that. She snatched a wrench off the top of the toolbox and walked over to the closest car. The paper her father tucked under the windshield wiper said it needed an oil change. She nodded. That she could handle.
Five minutes later, she lay under the car with wrench in hand. The door to the garage opened and closed at the same time she realized she had grabbed the wrong size wrench. She yelled at her dad to hand her the 19mm. There was a moment of silence, then the footsteps walked to the toolbox.
Tools knocked together as her father rustled through them. Then, the footsteps walked toward the car. She reached out from under the car blindly. Just when the cool metal touched her hand, a harsh grip seized her legs and jerked her out from under the car. She just avoided slamming her forehead into the underside of the bumper.
Letting loose with a few choice words, she leapt to her feet and rounded on the person standing behind her. It was not her father.
“What do you want?” she growled.
Caern smirked. “What an interesting question.”
Abby snatched a tire iron from where it leaned against the wall. “I said, what do you want?”
His smiled wide enough to show his pointed teeth. “I simply wished to see you.”
Abby snorted. “That’s a lie and you know it. Last time I saw you, you were selling me down the river.”
“I assume you have realized our…affiliation.” His eyes wandered over her. “Child of my brother.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Trust me, if I had a choice in being related to you—“
“Now, now. No need for hostility.”
She stared at him incredulously. “You’re insane. Seriously.” Unconsciously, her free hand rose to lay over her stomach.
His eyes followed the movement and something dark moved across his face. “You did not spawn with that son of a Ghadrikan—“
“Hey!” she cut him off before he could insult Loreet. “You don’t get to talk about them. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“You admit it?”
She scowled. “It’s none of your business.” Her annoyance faded to confusion when he laughed.
“Not my business?” He pointed a clawed finger at her abdomen. “That creature stands to inherit the Dorn kingdom and the five titles of my brother. It is most certainly my business.”
Abby immediately bristled at the insult to her unborn child, but Caern’s sudden movement made her leap backwards. He swiped at her again, claws just barely missing her stomach, as she hurried to put the car between them.
“Are you completely deranged?” she yelled.
He did not answer her, too busy digging through the tool box to his left. After a moment, he held up a socket wrench almost two feet long. His smile was wide and terrifying.
Abby glanced toward the door, gauging the distance. As if he heard her thoughts, he moved to stand between her and the exit.
“This should have been impossible.” He gestured toward her stomach. “What I gave you should have killed you, at the very least rendered you infertile.” He shook his head. “But no, not Keltrin’s daughter. Special, just like him.” As he spoke, his eyes became darker, glinting with madness.
Abby inched away from him. “What did you do to me?” Her voice made him bare his teeth.
“You are a miserable mixed breed and the medicine of the Dorn should have killed you. Instead, your Dorn genetics accepted it and triggered your accelerated healing.” He stalked toward her. “What should have killed you made you stronger. Gave you the means to a Dorn lifespan.”
“Why didn’t you just kill me when I was unconscious? You had to have a dozen chances.”
He gave her an ugly smile. “Death is too easy for my brother’s child. No. You deserve to suffer.”
“I’ve never done a thing to you,” she said, backing away.
He closed in on her, eyes fastened on her stomach. “First, I will take the creature. If you survive, I will need to think of a suitable punishment for you.”
He was a lunatic, she thought frantically. The tire iron in her hand suddenly felt inadequate to stop him. When he leapt toward her she swung at his head. He ducked it and charged her, slamming the wrench into the arm protecting her stomach. She heard the crunch of bone. As he raised the weapon to strike her again, he paused.
Eyes wide, he made an odd gurgling sound. Then, like a marionette with its stings cut, he collapsed. Her eyes stayed fixed on him until movement near the
door caught her eye. She raised the lug wrench threateningly, before she got a clear view of the new comer.
The makeshift weapon fell from her hand. Edric raced across the room to her, wrapping one hand around her waist. As he whispered apologies and pleas for forgiveness, the situation hit her. She jerked away from him and clawed at her shirt to bare her abdomen.
It was fine. Her arm had taken the force of the blow. She gently rubbed her skin, a relief so strong it nearly made her cry, flowing through her. She looked up to see Edric watching her with confusion and hurt. She shook her head and motioned for him to approach her. It was not until he held both of her hands that she realized her arm had already healed.
“What the hell’s going on in here? Who the hell’s that? Bebe!”
Her father’s voice drew her gaze. She blinked at him blankly. She had no idea how to explain the situation. Edric took pity on her. He stepped away from her to shake hands with her father.
“I’m sorry to drop in on you folks like this, but I was missing Abby.”
She watched her father eye him. “And who might you be?”
Edric took her father’s suspicion in stride. “My name is Edric Kishar.”
Abby blinked at the last name. He had always simply been Edric to her. Before she could question him, her father started in.
“And how do you know each other?”
“Abby and I-that is to say-we are to be bonded.”
Her father scowled at him. “Bonded?”
“Married,” Abby supplied.
Alfred’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “What?” He turned back to Edric with a glare. “You’ve got about a minute to explain why I haven’t seen you before today. My little girl’s been weepy since she got home. If I find out that’s got anything to do with you…”
Edric surprised her by smiling. “She left me, sir.”
Her father raised his eyebrows. “What did you do?”
“Nothing,” Abby answered for him. She looked back and forth between the two men. “I let someone convince me that we wouldn’t work.”
“I’ve never know you to let others do your thinking for you,” her father said. “Is this the man you want?”
Abby looked at Edric and the vulnerability in his eyes almost undid her. She nodded. “Definitely.”
“Well, alright then.” He held out his hand to Edric. “This better be the last time my daughter cries over you.”
“I swear it.”
She smiled at Edric at the same time her father nodded. “I have some news.”
Both men turned to face her. She gave her father a small smile before she looked Edric in the eye. “I’m pregnant.”
He froze. “What?”
She crossed her arms. “I’m going to have a baby.” She ignored her father’s coughing fit and took a step closer to Edric. “Say something.”
His eyes were glued to her stomach, not even blinking. Her words seemed to snap him out of his daze. When his eyes met hers they were filled with joy.
“A baby. Our baby.” His lips met hers before she could reply. “We’re going to have a baby!” He lifted her off her feet and swung her around in a circle, his face pressed into the curve of her neck.
She could not stop giggling until he set her on her feet. “Yes. We’re going to have a baby.”
His smile got impossibly wider. “When?”
“Um.” She glanced at her father to see him scowling at Edric darkly. “With my genetics, I’m not exactly sure.”
That drew her father’s gaze to her. His mouth opened and closed without any words escaping.
She shook her head at him. “I know all about it and it’s okay. I understand why you never told me.”
He motioned to Edric. “He know about all that?”
Abby nodded. “Everything.”
Caern suddenly shifted and all three of them whipped around to look at him.
“Who’s that, now?”
Abby scowled. “My uncle.”
Her father looked at her sharply. “Pardon me?”
“He’s not a nice guy, dad.”
Alfred seemed to accept her answer. “He can’t stay in my garage. I’ve got work to do.” He turned to Edric. “You want to drag him outside?”
Edric’s gaze was dark on the fallen man. “Oh, I will certainly take him outside.” He walked over to Caern and grabbed him by one wrist, dragging him toward the back door.
His dangerous expression set off alarm bells in Abby’s head. She gave her father a quick peck on the cheek. “Be right back.”
When she emerged from the garage, Edric was aiming a weapon of some kind at the struggling Caern.
“Edric, no!”
He paused to look at her. “He had you beaten, taken from your home, and tried to sell you into slavery. Why should I not kill him?”
Abby frowned at the list of Caern’s crimes. Edric was right, but her conscience nagged at her. “He still deserves a trial.”
Edric sent her an incredulous look. “You desire this?”
She hesitated only a moment before nodding. “Yes.”
“As my lady asks,” Edric murmured. He pressed a button on the weapon and a bolt of light sent Caern back to unconsciousness.
“You should take him to a prison or something.” At Edric’s confused look, she clarified. “I need to talk to my dad before I come back.”
“How long?”
Abby looked over her shoulder. Through the doorway, she could see her father working on the oil change she started. “Give me an hour. I’m meet you at the palace on Ghadrik.”
He nodded. “I will be there.”
“Hey!” she called when he started to reach for Caern. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” She pointed to her lips.
He smiled. “How silly of me.” He gently grasped her chin and raised her head to give him better access to her lips. His kiss was soft. “I have missed these lips, my love.”
She smiled and kissed him again. “Better get used to them, babe. You’ll be kissing them for quite a while.”
He gave her another chaste kiss and pulled back. Even though his eyes burned with hunger, he simply smiled. “Later.”
She smirked. “I’ll hold you to that.”
She watched him lift Caern none too gently and toss him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Just before he stepped into the portal, Edric gave her a slow once over and winked. Once he was gone, Abby took a deep breath and walked back into the garage to face her father.
Alfred paused in his work when she approached. He stared at her expectantly, wiping the oil off his hands. She was not sure what to say.
“Do you love him?”
She looked father in the eye and nodded. “Yes.”
“He treat you good?”
“Yes.”
Alfred nodded his head. “He got a job?”
Abby smiled. “Sort of.”
“What’s that mean? He either does or he doesn’t.”
“He’s a prince, dad.”
“I know you think he’s great, Bebe, but he needs a job.”
Grinning, Abby shook her head. “No, dad. I meant that literally. Edric’s a prince. He’s His Royal Highness Prince Edric of Ghadrik.”
Her father frowned. “But he seemed so nice.”
She snorted. “He is nice.” The smile slowly faded from her face and she looked at her father seriously. “I’m going to marry him, dad. I want you to be okay with it.”
Alfred sighed heavily. “I don’t know him, but I know you. If you say he’s the one, I believe you.”
She wrapped her arms around him a squeezed tightly. “Thank you, dad.”
“You’re welcome, Bebe.” He patted her on the back. “I want an invitation.”
She kissed his scruffy cheek. “You’ll be in the first row.”
…
He dropped Caern as hard as he could. The man’s head thudded against the stone floor of Gol’s throne room and Edric smirked. He raised his eyes to see Loreet and Go
l standing on the dais facing each other, Loreet pointing an accusing finger at her mate. He cleared his throat to get their attention.
His father’s eyes landed on Caern and he stalked across the room. As he approached, Edric could clearly see the murderous intent in his gaze. He stepped in front of the unconscious man.
“No.”
Gol’s eyes widened in outrage. “Get out of my way,” he growled. “He has caused enough strife in my house.”
“He has to have a chance to explain himself.” Even though the words came out of his mouth, he did not agree with them. Were it not for Abby’s morals, he would gladly kill the man at his feet.
“What is this?” his mother demanded, coming to a stop next to her mate. Her eyes landed on Caern and she reached for the dagger on her belt.
“Abby wants him to have a trial of some kind.”
Both of his parents looked at him, all trace of anger fading in the face of their surprise.
“You saw Abby?” his mother demanded. “How is she? Is she returning?”
Edric smiled. “She is well. Better than that, actually. I will let her tell you when she arrives.”
“And the bonding?” Gol asked.
Edric nodded.
Gol smiled and thumped him on the back. “Congratulations, my son.” His gaze dropped back to Caern and darkened. “He will have his say, as Abby wishes.”
Two of the guards moved from their place near the far door and grabbed Caern by both arms. He watched them drag the man from the room with no small amount of satisfaction. When the door had closed behind them, he turned back to his parents.
The two of them looked at each other, their earlier anger with each other absent. Loreet nudged Gol with her hip and he nudged back, before they realized he was watching. Edric shook his head at them. He imagined he and Abby would be much the same at their age. The sound of the door drew his gaze.
Abby strolled into the throne room as if she were completely at ease. It was only the small crease between her eyebrows that gave away her unease. The tension faded once her eyes landed on him. Again, he was struck by her beauty. She had changed from her jeans and t-shirt to the armor he had made for her.