Point of No Return

by Tara Fox Hall

  “No,” I said firmly. “He can lie to me easily. You promised to tell me the truth. Now answer me.”

  “Yes, I took her,” Devlin admitted. “She caused you a lot of misery. I also wanted to know exactly who gave her the potion she used on Theo. It doesn’t matter if you hate me for it, because you still—”

  “What you did was probably best, Dev,” I interrupted. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Theo pick up the other phone quietly. “What did she say?”

  “She said that a man cloaked in grey came to her a week after Theo arrived. He told her what Theo was, though she didn’t believe him. He gave her a number, and told her to call when she found out the truth. A month later, she saw Theo change into human form. She liked him on sight, but was young and shy. It took her a few weeks to muster up her courage to ask him if he wanted her. After a night with him, she knew she loved him. When she told him, he said he said had to leave as soon as he was healed enough, and it broke her heart. Who would have ever figured you for a heartbreaker, Theo?”

  Theo growled softly.

  “I knew you have to be at least decent in bed, or Sar wouldn’t have wanted you back—”

  “Leave the taunts aside, Dev,” I said. “I know all this from Theo. Who gave her the spell?”

  “I’m telling the story.” Devlin cleared his throat, and started again. “Tasha called the man, and told him what had happened. He told her she needed to use a spell, that otherwise Theo would leave, and if he left, he would be killed by the people who had given him the injuries he’d arrived with.”

  “Clever,” Theo said coldly. “She was naive enough to believe anything he said, as he knew she would be. She never questioned why he was willing to help her, or who he was, or that he showed up just when she was in most need of his help.”

  “She had another reason, too, Theo,” Devlin said, his tone lilting. “As you found out later, she was to be married soon, to a man of her father’s choosing. She hated him. She knew if she took a lover, and her betrothed found out she wasn’t a virgin, he wouldn’t want her.”

  “Is that what she said happened, after I left her?” Theo asked, embarrassed.

  “She apparently told her fiancé, and he refused to marry her. It took her father a year to find another suitor for her, and by then, she had given up hope of you coming back. She thought you had gone back to Sar, which you had.”

  “We know all this,” I said loudly, very annoyed. “Get to the point, Dev.”

  “How did she get another potion to put in the letter she wrote to me?” Theo asked, confused. “And why wait so long to send it?”

  “That is the crux,” Devlin said triumphantly. “The same man who’d appeared so mysteriously before appeared again this past November, saying there was one last chance. He gave her another potion, showed her what needed to be done, and gave her Danial’s contact info, so she could contact you, Theo.” He paused. “This time, the man didn’t hide his appearance in a cloak.”

  “What did she describe the man looking like?” Theo asked.

  “Old, thick white hair, short, hazel eyes, crackly voice, dressed in expensive clothes with an air of power. He used a cane with a dragon’s head, made of crystal. Sound like anyone you know, Theo?”

  Theo roared in fury, and crushed the phone in his hands, shattering it. He scowled, tossed the remains in the garbage, and stalked out of the room.

  “Who was it?” I asked.

  “By the description she gave, it had to be Cyrus, Samuel’s magician,” Devlin said.

  Theo picked up the bedroom phone. “Samuel’s watchdog, Cyrus,” he growled. “I saw him at the gathering. He was standing behind Samuel during the face-off, Sar. He’s the one who told Samuel that you and Devlin spoke the truth, that you were Oathed.”

  I remembered the aged voice that had answered Samuel’s repeated question. “What are we going to do, Dev? I don’t want any more spells cast on Theo or me.”

  “I have taken care of it, Sar,” Devlin said smoothly. “I called Samuel an hour ago, told him I knew what had happened, and that if you miscarried our child because of his actions toward Theo, I’d consider it an act of war. He agreed to leave Theo alone, and sends his best wishes for your good health.”

  “How did you manage that?” Theo said bluntly. “You had to tell him we’re back together, and he must have been pissed, to say the least.”

  “He does not mind if you bed her, just if you get her pregnant. You know me, Theo, just like he does. All I had to say was I had asked you into our bed.”

  God, had all those supplies in Devlin’s bathroom been for men and women? I was afraid to ask. “Why is he being so agreeable, after all his dictates to me on New Year’s Eve?”

  “Mostly because of his newly acquired woman, Harriet,” Devlin answered. “She is like you, Sar. Samuel and Perseus have given her a demon’s blood, and are waiting for her blood to turn summer-like. As soon as it does, they are going to start trying with her for their own dhamphir.”

  Ugh. “Wasn’t she with someone else? The man who, um, outed her that night?”

  “Probably,” Devlin replied. “But that doesn’t matter; she is theirs now. She has Oathed to both of them, so you can be assured of their commitment to her.”

  “But she had no choice—”

  “Better her than you, Sar,” Devlin said sharply.

  Put that way...Hell, yes. “Thanks for contacting him, and straightening this all out.”

  “Thank you,” Theo echoed me.

  “You are most welcome, Love,” Devlin purred. “I want you to be calm, and it would not be good for our baby if you were worried or anxious—”

  Theo growled again into the phone.

  “Cougar, stop making noise, or get off the phone. I—”

  “Devlin, I need to know. Is she dead?” I interrupted. “Tasha?”

  “Yes,” Devlin said bluntly. “After Lash extracted all the information he could from her, I drained her.”

  I was repulsed, then told myself to grow up. The only reason I felt any different about this versus what Theo had done to Manir was because Tasha was a woman. Manir had likely suffered much more than Tasha had.

  “It’s better this way,” Devlin persisted. “You don’t render your enemies harmless, you kill them, because there is always a motive for revenge otherwise.”

  “He’s right,” Theo said brokenly, wiping his face.

  He was crying for Tasha. Maybe some residue of the spell on him was the culprit. Or maybe even magic love couldn’t be erased completely.

  “Oathed One?” Devlin said.

  “I’m not angry, Dev,” I said tiredly. “I killed Monica for less.”

  “Go rest, Love,” Devlin replied tenderly. “Take it easy. Don’t think about all the bad things that have happened. You are well again. Theo can keep you entertained until we meet again.”

  “Thank you,” Theo said grudgingly. “Thank Titus for me as well.”

  “You are calmer, Theo,” Devlin said thoughtfully. “Have you accepted how things are?”

  “I hate it,” Theo said angrily. “But I’m not suicidal. Lash won’t find me in his way tomorrow.”

  “Good,” Devlin said in approval. “I need to get back to business. Adieu.”

  Later that night, I lie in bed next to Theo, unable to sleep.

  I didn’t know if I should hope to be pregnant or not, and if yes, whose child to want more. Either way, I would have a new set of problems.

  The best thing was to get more information. To do that, I’d have to bring my doctor into my confidence.

  * * * *

  The next morning, I called asking to speak to Dr. Camlyn. Stephen came on the phone immediately.

  “I’ve heard about what happened at the Vampire Gathering, and also with Devlin,” he said sadly. “I’m sorry that I didn’t recognize what was happening to you.” He paused. “You have every right to sue, or if you settle on a figure, I can have my lawyer—”

  “As much as I’d love a
windfall, you had no way to know,” I interrupted. “I know you, Stephen. You’ve never have put me in danger knowingly.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way,” he said, very relieved. “I’d been told you’d booked an appointment yesterday. I’d hoped it was a sign you weren’t holding me liable. When Devlin called to announce that I’d be handling another dhamphir pregnancy soon, I—”

  “That’s what I made the appointment for. I need to know if I’m pregnant.”

  “There’s no hurry, especially given the previous documented duration of insemination needed for a dhamphir pregnancy. Don’t come in until you miss a period.”

  I floundered, then said, “I can’t wait. I have to know.”

  “Sar, you’ve had a child successfully. Having another will be easier, despite the nature of the pregnancy. Now that we know what to expect with a dhamphir—”

  “I may be pregnant with Theo’s child.”

  “Devlin said you wouldn’t be unprotected with anyone but him,” Stephen said, confused. “Did the condom break?”

  God, thank you for that lifesaver. “Yes. Two did, the second at the critical moment. We tossed the rest and started a new box. It must have been a defective package.”

  “You were on the pill for months,” he mused. “You’ve only been off about a week. Was it only that time?”

  “Yes. I thought maybe I should come to you and get a prescription for a morning after pill, but I was worried I might already be pregnant by Devlin.” I paused. “We’ve only been together one night, but it was multiple times. Medically, what are my chances of being pregnant by him? I know that the spell he used was a different one, that you confirmed his fertility.”

  “Sar, considering what you’ve told me, in my experience, you are almost certainly not pregnant,” Stephen said after a pause. “The spell Devlin used was a potent one, and he was 100% fertile just twenty-four hours after taking it. But pregnancy depends more on your body than his, like it always does with any male and female trying to conceive. The same goes for your accident with Theo.”

  “What do I do?”

  Stephen sighed. “Do what I said. Call me if you miss a period, or if you have any other symptoms of pregnancy: nausea, cravings, or that Lust you had last time. It’s too early to tell if you’re pregnant.” He paused. “I also have to advise you of a medical law that affects your situation. I understand you are Oathed again to both Danial and Devlin. By vampire law, as your doctor, I must inform them both of your health status after every visit with me, if they do not accompany you to the actual clinic. Both Danial and Devlin called to remind me of this law very early today. Since you didn’t come in to ask me this question, I won’t be notifying them of this.” He paused. “If I were to treat you and not notify them, I could lose my license. Please, be careful.”

  He was saying that if I came to him for a prescription for the morning-after pill, he would have to report that to Devlin. “Thank you for telling me,” I whispered. “I didn’t know that.”

  “I’ll write you out a prescription for prenatal vitamins, and put it in the mail for you today. If you aren’t pregnant, it won’t hurt you. If you are, with either kind of child, they’ll help to keep you strong.”

  “Are there any restrictions?” I asked. “I can limit myself to one glass of wine.”

  “Don’t have any rough sex with anyone,” Stephen replied. “Don’t drink more than a glass of wine at most. You already don’t smoke. As for blood donation, keep it at a minimum. Devlin assures me he has knowledge about that. As much as I know his history, he brought you back to good health, so his advice has merit. Take it.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “I will. Bye.”

  I put the phone back, and got a glass of wine, though it was only about three o’clock. Thank God, Stephen had told me about that law...

  Theo came in and saw me drinking. “What happened?”

  I relayed the conversation to him as I sipped my wine. “I needed a drink after that. Thank goodness I called and didn’t go there to see him.”

  “That law’s in place to help Oathed Ones, not hurt,” Theo replied. “Danial used it not long ago against a vampire in Buffalo who drained his Oathed One, then claimed it was an accident because he didn’t know she was anemic—”

  “Be that as it may, the law complicates things,” I interrupted.

  “If you somehow are pregnant, either way, we’ll have to tell Devlin,” Theo said firmly. “There isn’t anything complicated about it.”

  “That’s easy to say,” I replied, upset. “It’s going to be a lot harder to do.”

  * * * *

  I opened my eyes and yawned. Then I looked at Theo beside me, and everything came flooding back.

  I’d see Devlin tonight, maybe sooner if Lash really came to pick me up at noon instead of five. God, I wanted him. It felt like weeks since I’d last kissed him, or heard his beautiful voice sing to me. Maybe he was in his bed, wanting me like I wanted him. I should go to him now, drive there this morning. If he wasn’t there, I could wait for him. As he opened the bedroom door, I could be there in his bed, naked and beckoning wantonly...

  A hand brushed me lightly as Theo turned over beside me, snoring softly.

  Shame flooded me. What kind of life was I offering him? This wasn’t fair to anyone, but it was most unfair to him. He deserved to be happy.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, smoothing his hair back from his brow. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” he said, opening his storm cloud eyes. “Don’t be sorry for anything. We’ve got each other, and that’s all that matters.”

  “I have to leave tonight,” I said, touching his chest tentatively. “Make love with me?”

  He brought me into his arms, and began kissing me. First, the kisses were soft, and gentle, then rough and passionate. Breaking away, he rummaged in the nightstand drawer, quickly put on a condom, then rolled on top of me. With an eager moan, he slipped inside, already moving fast. I moved with him enthusiastically, writhing beneath him, crying out repeatedly. The sensation was undeniable, and it washed over us both as one, our screams blending together in raucous harmony as we spent ourselves.

  Theo stopped jerking, then moved back from me, peeling off the condom. He threw it away, then spooned me. “That was wonderful,” he said, sated. “I worried you were afraid to be with me, or something.”

  “I don’t know what I was worried about,” I said vaguely, snuggling into him. “At this moment, it’s not important.”

  “No, it’s not,” he said lovingly, hugging me next to him.

  * * * *

  After a large breakfast of at least a thousand calories each, Theo and I arrived in the great room at Danial’s house. No one was around.

  I walked to Danial’s door and knocked. He didn’t answer.

  Theo called out “Danial?”

  “We’re in here,” Elle called out.

  Theo and I went into her room. Danial, Elle and Theoron were lying on her bed watching the end of ‘The Last Unicorn’.

  “Mommy!” Theoron shrieked.

  I picked him up, marveling at his size. He’d looked close to two years old before, and now he looked easily five years old. “You’re big,” I managed.

  He looked at me and smiled. “I’m growing fast now, Mom. Tears says that I’ll be as tall as Elle in a month.”

  His verbal communication was flawless. I was stunned speechless.

  Seeing my upset, Danial came over to me. “Terian said that Theoron is going to grow faster now, Sar. He may well be an adult in December.”

  Remain calm, or you’ll scare the kids. I eased myself quickly down onto the bed. “Why is that, Danial?”

  “Can we see a movie today?” Elle asked suddenly. “Please?”

  “I want to see one, too!” Theoron shouted. Instantly, his eyes bled to red, and his fangs descended.

  “Theoron, control yourself,” Danial said gently.

  Theoron looked at his father, and took a deep breath, his
eyes going back to their dark green as his fangs receded. “I want to go,” Theoron said firmly. “I never get to go anywhere.”

  “You can’t go with them,” Danial said gently. “Not today.”

  “Danial,” Theo said. “Why don’t we all see that movie together? Elle and I can meet you and Sar and Theoron tomorrow night. If Terian comes, we’ll have plenty of guards.”

  Danial looked at Theo in surprise. “That would be great,” he answered. “I want to start taking him outside the grounds now that he’s older.”

  “I’m hungry!” Elle said loudly and meaningfully.

  I turned to her. “Go get your bag, and don’t be rude. We’re leaving shortly.”

  Elle scrambled to get her bag, then ran out the door, Theo following.

  “I’ll see you Saturday,” Danial said. He drew me to him, kissing me lingeringly. “Have a good time today and tonight.”

  “Had to add that last bit, didn’t you?” I smiled up at him.

  “Dad,” Theoron said, tugging at Danial’s sleeve. “I’m hungry, too. When are the women getting here?”

  I looked at Danial curiously. “Donors?”

  He nodded. “I have two coming this afternoon. Theo is learning how to take blood while inflicting as little pain as possible. He’s made much progress in the last week.”

  “I’d known this was going to happen, I just didn’t think it would be so soon.” I patted Theoron’s head. “I’m glad you’re doing so well. Just don’t grow up too fast.”

  “It was the real blood right from a vein at The Gathering that caused his growth to accelerate,” Danial said. “That mixture of dried blood Stephen gave us sustained Theoron, but it seems in retrospect, we should have given him fresh blood from the start. It is something I’ve passed onto Devlin. He’s said he plans to use only that with your child.”

  I looked down at Theoron and tousled his hair again. “I am glad you were little for a while,” I said wistfully.

  “He’s safer the older he gets,” Danial said. “Remember, Sar, Theoron will likely have an increased lifespan. He’ll still be ours, he’ll just be bigger.”