I knelt beside her and pulled her hair back from her face, tryin’ my best to ignore the smell. “What in Paddy’s name, Elora?”
Lookin’ more like an impression of Linda Blair than herself, she snarled at me. “I’m sick! Duh!”
Well, ‘tis true that was obvious, and ill said, but she had made a point of tellin’ me she’d never been sick. “You said you never get sick.”
“I don’t!” she shouted and barely turned her head back to the toilet in time before throwin’ up again. I was glad it went in the can because she looked like she’d have been okay with spewin’ on me instead.
I wet a wash cloth with cold water. I’d seen that in a movie, I think, and gave it to her to put on her face and neck. Seemed to help a little, but no’ as much as I would’ve liked. When twenty minutes had passed, I thought her stomach had to be empty.
“Come on. We’re goin’ to the infirmary.”
“I have to brush my teeth. I won’t try to describe what my mouth feels like.”
I waited while she brushed her teeth.
“If you do no’ feel like walkin’, I can get them to come here or take you in a wheelchair.”
She looked tired and worn down as she raised her eyes to me. “I can walk. Let’s get this over with.”
‘Twas the same doctor I’d negotiated with to get my bed moved to Elora’s room. She told me to wait outside.
I paced ‘round the waitin’ area, no’ doin’ much of anything but, well, waitin’. My fear was that it had something to do with the introduction of the vampire virus into her system. I mean, who knew how an alien might react to such a thing? Those worries grew louder in my head with every minute that passed. ‘Twas near half an hour before a nurse came to tell me I could go in.
Elora was sittin’ on the side of the bed clearly no’ happy to see me. In fact, she was glarin’ at me. For the life of me, I could no’ imagine what I could have done to draw her anger.
“You said humans and elves don’t procreate.” ‘Twas said like an accusation and I must say, of all the things I was prepared to hear, that was no’ among them.
“They do no’,” I said defensively.
“Yes. They. Do. I’m pregnant!”
Well, obviously ‘twas no’ impossible for Elora to be pregnant. But ‘twas impossible for me to be the father. I will no’ go into the images that came into my head. Let it suffice to say that I was no’ pleased.
Still, the woman was mine. My mate. I was keepin’ her and her baby no matter what.
As if she could hear my thoughts, she said, ““Ram! Of course you are the father. This is bad enough without you thinking otherwise.”
“I… Well, makes no difference. You’re mine. You always will be. No matter what.”
Instead of bein’ relieved and grateful for my magnanimity and grace, she went from mad to irate in under two seconds. “Get. Me. Monq.”
I swear the woman was capable of bein’ scary when mad. Still I was brave enough to venture a question. “Why?”
“Because. Rammel. There is a perfectly logical explanation for this, and when it comes to solving mysteries, Monq is our go-to guy. Right?”
No’ wantin’ to antagonize her further in her delicate state, I thought it best to play along and humor her. So I took out my phone, which had eventually been found and given back to me, and called Monq.
“We need you in the infirmary to take a look at Elora and we’d appreciate you bein’ quick about it.”
“Again?” he said.
“Aye. Again.”
I put the phone back in my pocket and sat in the chair to wait for Monq. Elora used the time and her imagination to come up with inventive ways to torture me. I could tell by the way she looked at me.
Monq arrived ten minutes later. “Ms. Laiken.”
I opened my mouth to correct his use of improper salutation, but Elora spoke first. “Shut the door,” she ordered without greetin’ or any semblance of her usual pleasantries.
He did.
“I’m pregnant. Ram’s the father. He doesn’t believe it.”
Monq looked at me, then between the two of us, sayin’, “Well, first, congratulations. And, second,” he turned to me, “you don’t believe she’s pregnant or you don’t believe you’re the father?”
“Don’t be an arse. And I did no’ say that. Exactly.”
“He doesn’t believe he’s the father,” she huffed, makin’ me sound like a cad.
Monq said, “Why not?”
“Why no’ what?”
“Why do you not believe you’re the father?”
“Because elves and humans can no’ procreate.” As an afterthought, in the interest of precision, I added: “With each other. 'Tis a biological fact no' up to interpretation. The chromosomes do no’ line up. I did no’ just make this up. Everyone knows it.”
I was offended by the derisive bark of a laugh he let out in reaction to my pronouncement, and frowned at him. I was no’ crazy. I studied biology, courtesy of The Order, as a teenager.
“And what could you be findin’ amusin’ about this… situation?”
“She’s an elf, you idiot! Her DNA is 99.90% the same as yours. The .10% difference is that her ears are not pointed.”
I stared for a few seconds, my brain no’ seemin’ to respond to new information. Elora, on the other hand, was no’ slow on the uptake. She turned her malice on Monq, which was alright with me. I was glad to have her turn the ire in a different direction so I could catch a breather.
“And you didn’t think this was information you should pass along?” She challenged him to defend his thoughtlessness.
“First, is it my job to keep up on gossip and know that the two of you are an item? No. Second, aren’t elves supposed to recognize each other as mates? That didn’t happen in your case?”
I felt the frown recede from my face as a grin took its place. Certainly there had been clues. The way she sang. The way she rode. And just like that the revelation washed over me like the miracle ‘twas.
“Aye,” I said, feelin’ a deep seated wonder as magical as any of the ‘tales’ Elora loved so much. “‘Tis exactly what did happen. Great Paddy! We’re havin’ a baby.” I rushed at Elora and tried to kiss her, but she swatted me away like I was an annoyance. I was too elated to let that bother me. An image of my mum came to mind and I could see her doin’ a jig all over the palace at Derry, possibly creatin’ a national holiday. “I need to call my mother.”
I like my mother, but ‘twas probably the first time I was ever truly excited about the prospect of givin’ the old dame a call.
Lookin’ back at Elora, thinkin’ she would share this moment with me, I did no’ see the joy and elation that should have been there. What I saw instead was hurt and betrayal doin’ battle with royally pissed. ‘Twas when I knew I was in a shit hole of my own diggin’.
“Elora,” I started, “I’m sorry I reacted badly. I…”
She stopped me cold with a look that said I’d be better off no’ utterin’ another word. She slid off the bed, and walked out without turnin’ back.
Monq shrugged and said, “You’re on your own.”
I thought it best to give her a little time to get used to the idea of bein’ pregnant and havin’ a mate who did no’ believe her when she was tellin’ Paddy’s own truth. I knew I’d be welcome in the bar. So I headed there to seek out my old friend, Irish whiskey.
Several shots later I opened the door to her apartment with a speech I’d composed in collaboration with my friend, Irish whiskey. I never got the chance to deliver a word of it.
“Get out,” she said, before slammin’ the bedroom door closed.
I took that to mean that she needed more time to come to grips with the fact that she’d been claimed by a numbskull. So I drug myself to my own apartment next door and spent a very restless night there. It held the familiarity of a place where I’d spent time, but seemed to have lost all sign of life. I supposed that was because my entire life was n
ext door alone with hurt feelin’s and me unable to console her because I was the culprit who did the hurtin’ though I’d sworn that would never happen.
I did no’ sleep well. My emotions were all over the place. I wanted to do penance for the crime I’d commited in denyin’ the truth of our good fortune. On the other hand, I was thrilled beyond measure with the very shockin’ news that I was goin’ to be Da to some little pink-haired elfling. After makin’ my peace with bein’ childless, ‘twas a big adjustment thrust on me all at once. No’ that I was feeln’ sorry for myself. After all, I was no’ the one makin’ an adjustment to bein’ pregnant.
The next mornin’ I tried again to enter the apartment next door only to find she’d changed the code. I banged on the door until my hand hurt and then started callin’, but she would no’ pick up her phone.
I went down to the Courtpark to see if she was out with Blackie.
Blackie was out, but no’ with his mistress.
“Where is she?” I said to Glendennon Catch as he threw an orange Frisbee.
“She’s not feeling well. Asked me to take him for the day.”
“Oh,” I said. “’Twas nice of ye.”
Walkin’ back toward the solarium, I pulled out my phone and called Kay.
“I need you,” I said.
“Where are you?”
“Solarium.”
“Okay. Ten minutes.”
“You want something?”
“Breakfast burrito and a spiced pumpkin latte.”
That almost made me sick to my stomach, but I said okay and went to the bistro to place an order.
I was sittin’ at a table in the far corner watchin’ Glen play with Elora’s dog when Kay pulled out the chair across from me. I shoved his mess of food and drink in front of him and told him what had happened.
“She’ll listen to you. She always has. Even when nobody else has sway. ‘Tis like she thinks you’re some wise old sage or some such.”
Kay laughed. “Maybe she’s the discerning one. After all, who’d you call when your baby mama won’t talk to you? Kay. That’s who.”
I nodded. How could he be in such a good mood when I was so miserable? “Just tell me what to do.”
He took a big bite of burrito and chewed thoughtfully occasionally glancin’ at what was inside the tortilla wrapped concoction. I watched his mouth work and his occasional fastidious dabs with the napkin I’d thoughtfully included with the stash of disgustin’ food and drink. After a time I began to wonder if he’d forgotten why we were here.
“Kay. You with me?”
He raised his eyes. “I’m thinkin’ it over.”
I let my hands fall. “Aye. Well, we’re no’ gettin’ any younger and I have a little one growin’ in the belly of a mate who will no’ speak to me!”
“Yeah. It’s a problem.”
“You think?”
I let out an annoyed chuff. “Look. Could you just go tell her that I swear I will never again doubt anything she says no matter how unlikely or improbable it might seem to the casual observer. If she says the Earth will reverse the direction in which it rotates on Tuesday, I will ask, ‘What should we do to prepare?’ I am wholly, truly, desperately sorry for bein’ an arse.”
“You know Rammel, getting to hear you say that has almost made putting up with you worthwhile.”
“Kay.” I was losin’ patience.
He held up his hand. “Yes. I will go talk to her, but you have to swear to me right here, right now, that if I convince her to talk to you, you will, as you said, not doubt her again.”
“I swear. Great Paddy. I swear it on my life and the life of our son. Or daughter.” ‘Twas the first time it had occurred to me that we might have made a lass and I experienced a momentary panic, wonderin’ if I was clever enough to father a female.
“That’s a pretty serious oath.”
“’Tis. And I mean every word.”
“Alright. You may find this hard to believe, but I’ve been in the doghouse with Katrina a time or two and I know that nothing is right with reality until the crack gets fixed. I’ll head up there. Just in case she decides to hear you out, I’d suggest you lay off the whiskey.”
“’Tis nine o’clock in the mornin’. What do you take me for?”
“A lunatic elf who could become a drunk elf without much provocation.”
What could I say to that? He had a point.
“Coffee only.” I took my phone out and put it on the table in front of me.
“If you get a call from me, you better know what you’re going to say and it better be good.”
I nodded, but the speech that sounded so good last night felt like it had gone sour since mornin’. I had no idea how to mend such a monumental fuck up.
Two hours later I saw a flash of light. I looked down hopin’ to see Kay’s number, but ‘twas Elora.
“Elora…” I began.
“Come up,” she said and ended the call.
I shoved people out of the elevator. “This one’s taken,” I said. I could apologize later. When I got to our floor, I practically ran down the hall. It felt like it’d been weeks since I’d last seen her, months since I’d last touched her.
I knocked on the door and it opened within seconds. Elora grabbed my collar and pulled me in.
“Rammel,” she sniffed tearfully. “I’m pregnant.”
“I know, love. We did no’ plan it, but I’m so very glad of it.”
“You are?” She wanted confirmation that we were in it together and I wanted nothin’ more than to reassure her of exactly that.
“I’ve never been so happy about anything in my life. Well, except for findin’ you at the cottage, ready and willin’ to claim me as your mate.”
She put her arms around me and squeezed, no’ too tight. Just right. I must tell you that nothin’ had ever felt so good. Relief flooded me like a sedative.
“You promise you’ll never call me a liar again.”
“I, uh, did no’ exactly call you a liar…”
“Ram!”
“Aye,” I said quickly. “I promise. Elf’s honor.”
“Okay. Get me some jamocha almond fudge ice cream.”
I grinned. “Only if you give me the new code to our apartment.”
“Elftale.”
I wanted to run her errand and get her way-too-chocolate concoction, but once I started kissin’ her, I could no’ stop.
“Can the sweet treat wait?”
She smiled, pullin’ me toward the bedroom. “Can you deliver in twenty minutes or less?”
I barked out a laugh. “Aye, if that’s the order you’re placin’.”
“I’d like an option on more,” she said, reachin’ for my waistband.
“Goes without sayin’.” I pulled her hand away from my crotch so she’d know I was serious, and halted our progress toward the bedroom. With my arms ‘round her, I said, “We could stop off at Derry on the way to fairyland and let my mum throw us a right proper Irish weddin’.”
Elora went still and blinked slowly. When she focused on my eyes, her beauty took my breath away. I suspected it always would.
“That’s very practical.”
My face fell. “I did no’ mean it to sound like a chore.”
She smiled. “I’m just kidding. It’s a wonderful idea. What are you going to tell your family about me?”
Cripes. How was I goin’ to explain marryin’ someone appearin’ to be human and carryin’ my elfling?
As I mulled that over, Elora’s hand found her way to the buttons on my jeans again. At the time I assumed that would always make me smile. I have no’ been right about everything, but I was right about that.
“We’ll figure it out later,” I said.
Journey Man
Knights of Black Swan 9
by Victoria Danann
Copyright 2016 Victoria Danann
Published by 7th House Publishing, Imprint of Andromeda LLC
JOURNEY MAN
For
five years, Glendennon Catch had knocked around the globe as a floater, filling in wherever a team of vampire hunters was down a member. He’d buried six good knights and watched the life take its toll on countless others. He’d drunk his share of whiskey and bedded so many women he would hate to hear the count, but he’d never gotten over his first love. And, if he had a chance for a do-over, he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have chosen Rosie Storm over The Order.
Elora Rose Storm had spent five years nursing a heavy heart, while on a cross-dimensional mission to make the world a better place, especially wherever she found human/animal hybrids being mistreated. She’d seen horrors, righted wrongs where she could, and matured into a powerful witch/demon with altruistic leanings.
After all that time, unbeknownst to each other, both were headed home. To Jefferson Unit.
CHAPTER ONE
Kristoph Falcon was one of only a handful of trainees who had ever been assigned to a Jefferson Unit team right after graduation. Not only that, but his entire team had been in his graduating class. Normally trainees would spend years with seasoned knights before being given the responsibility of team patrol, but three of the four members of K Team, so dubbed by Rammel Hawking because they were ‘kids’, had participated in a legendary run down of two vampire in Manhattan while they were still trainees and unarmed.
If that wasn’t remarkable enough, two of them, Falcon and Wakenmann, had been decorated for heroics when J.U. had been attacked by aliens, also when they were still trainees. The two of them were the only prospective knights in the long and illustrious history of the centuries-old Order of the Black Swan to earn medals.
K Team consisted of Falcon’s partner, Rolfe Wakenmann, aka Wakey, Sinclair Harvest, aka Sin, and Kellan Chorzak, aka Spaz, though in present day he wasn’t likely to be called that by anyone other than his teammates. As it turned out, the awkwardness that had earned him the nickname of ‘Spaz’ as a young teen was a harbinger of masculine blossoming into a six-foot-four frame that was big-boned enough to support a truly impressive musculature.
Knights of Black Swan, Books 7-9 (Knights of Black Swan Box Set Book 3) Page 62