by Lora Edwards
Delphine smiled. “That is the other piece of news I wanted to tell you. Do you remember the shifter, Flynn Kirk, the one who helped rescue me from the society?” Her parents both nodded. “I have come to care for him—to love him, really. He feels the same and would like to help me raise Esme. We have discussed plans for marriage at a later date, and we want to make a life together.”
Iona smiled, her eyes becoming misty again. “Oh Delphine, you are all grown up.” She sniffled and Merrick took her into his arms.
“He treats you well,” he asked, his voice gruff.
“Yes, Father, and I love him so very much.”
“As I said, when this mission is over, we are due a visit, and we have much to discuss. For now, you have my blessing.”
Delphine nodded. She spent another few minutes chatting with them about the goings on at home before leaving for the briefing. Esme would stay with Mrs. Sanderson for the afternoon, at the brownie’s request.
Chapter 18
Flynn stood in front of his own mirror, ready to contact home. His parents were in for quite a shock. His mother had been after him for years to settle down with a nice girl, and it looked as if she was getting her wish.
As Delphine had done, Flynn spoke clearly into the mirror when he said, “Ireland.” It misted and soon a handsome older man appeared in the frame.
Flynn’s father, Connall, looked up from his paper and grinned. “Well hello there boyo, you are calling bright and early this morning.” Flynn smiled at the deep Irish accent, a sound that always reminded him of home. “Let me get your mother. If I let her miss even one second of a talk with you I will never hear the end of it.”
Flynn was an only child. His parents would have spoiled and loved dozens of children, but it had not been meant to be. As such, his mother doted on him endlessly.
“Aye Siobhan, Flynn’s on the mirror,” his father called out.
“Flynn? I’m on my way!” Flynn grinned at the sound of his mother’s lilting voice coming from somewhere in the house.
Soon she was there, smoothing her hair and smiling at her son. “Ahhh Flynn, there you are. It feels as if it has been ages since we last spoke.”
“Mom, it has only been a few weeks.”
“Are you going out on a mission? Will it be dangerous? I hope it won’t be as long as the Blackbeard mission—that was just foolish of you to offer to go on such a lengthy assignment.”
“Ach Siobhan, let the boy speak,” his father grumbled, chuckling at the glare he received from his wife.
“Yes, Mom, I am going out on another mission. Hopefully it will be much shorter than the Blackbeard mission, but that is not why I am wanting to speak with you.”
His mother’s eyes lit up. “Connall, he has finally found a girl, he has—look at the way he grins.”
“Let the boy tell us his news.” He grabbed his wife around her waist, pulling her into his lap.
His parents had always been this way, affectionate and in love even when they were fighting.
“You are correct, that is part of my news. I have met someone. Her name is Delphine and she is a Siren, a princess of the Siren isle, in fact.”
Flynn winced at the loud squeal his mother let out.
“A princess and a Siren—she must be a knockout,” his father said, earning him a playful slap from his wife. “What? I was just commenting on our son’s good taste.”
Flynn chuckled; it was always this way when talking to his parents. “I intend to ask her to marry me when this mission is completed. She will be coming with me as my partner.”
“Oh Flynn, I am so happy, and we can’t wait to meet her. I am sure she is lovely—when can we meet her?” Siobhan turned and smiled at Connall before stage-whispering, “Grandchildren.”
Connall rolled his eyes. “It’s a bit early for that, isn’t it woman?”
“Well, in that regard—” Flynn started.
“She’s pregnant? She shouldn’t be going on dangerous missions if she is carrying your child, Flynn, and we will have to have you married soon, in that case. Oh Connall, a grandbaby!”
“Mom, stop. She’s not pregnant,” Flynn said loudly, cutting into his mother’s ramblings.
“Oh.” Her face fell.
“Delphine and I rescued a little girl. She is about two years old, half Siren and half mermaid. The society killed her parents and we have decided to adopt her.”
Flynn again waited as his mother started crying and babbling.
“When can we see the little tyke,” Connall asked, his voice rough with emotion.
Flynn pulled out his cell phone, holding it close to the mirror and showing his parents a short video of Delphine and Esme frolicking in the water.
“Oh, she is so beautiful. I can’t wait to meet her,” Siobhan gushed as she watched the little one play.
“As is the princess—nice catch, son.” He winked at Flynn, earning him another glare from his wife. “Ahhh Siobhan, you know I only have eyes for you.”
“All right, before you guys get all romantic, I have to go as it’s time for the briefing. As soon as the mission is over, we will arrange a visit.”
Connall nodded, his eyes still on Siobhan.
“Goodbye Mom and Dad,” Flynn said dryly before ending the call and heading out.
“Where is Teagan? We need to get this done with.” Ovidia tapped her Jimmy Choo-clad foot on the floor and looked around the empty library.
“Patience, my love,” Erik said while rubbing her back soothingly.
“I am being patient,” she snapped, causing him to chuckle. Ovidia had been out of sorts due to Teagan’s mysterious health issue and the fact that it was causing a downturn in the leisure activities the two women usually enjoyed together. Ovidia was restless as well as worried for her friend, which in turn made her cranky.
Delphine and Flynn walked into the library, and Ovidia turned a furious frown on them. “You’re not Teagan,” she said, arms crossed in front of her.
“No, but we just saw her. She said she had one stop to make then she would be right in for the briefing.” Delphine tried to hide an amused smile at Ovidia’s impatient sigh.
Just then, Teagan walked into the room. She was wearing black skinny jeans and a beautiful turquoise top that flowed out from her slight frame. Delphine could just see the outline of the small baby bump that was forming. Teagan was going to have to reveal her secret soon or her body was going to reveal it for her.
“Finally! I thought I would die from boredom waiting for you to bore me to death with your lecture.” Ovidia grinned at her friend.
Teagan just rolled her eyes, not the least bit affected by Ovidia’s teasing.
“I am here to serve, Vid. I will drone away so you can get in some rest before the mission,” she said in a wry voice as she walked over to a table to pick up the book she had set there earlier. Just as she reached for it, her face lost all color, and she grabbed her stomach as she slid to the floor.
“Teag,” Ovidia cried out, running over to her friend. Delphine hurried to Teagan’s side as well, pushing Ovidia out of the way. When the Valkyrie snarled at her, Delphine held up a hand.
“Ovidia, I know you’re scared, but let me get in there so I can see if I can help her. Healing is one of my gifts.” Delphine elbowed Ovidia out of the way, looking up at Erik gratefully as he came and pulled a protesting Ovidia away.
Delphine kneeled next to Teagan, putting her hand on her and closing her eyes so she could scan her body. She felt the exhaustion pulling at Teagan; she had not been eating or getting proper rest. The twins inside her were using up all her energy and not leaving enough for their mother, which was why she’d fainted. Delphine reached into one baby then the other and smiled. They were strong, healthy, and thriving. Teagan just needed to take better care of herself.
Delphine opened her eyes and looked at the worried faces around her. “She will be fine, she just fainted. She should come around in a few minutes,” Delphine said as they heard a roar a
nd running feet from the hallway.
“Bran,” Ovidia said, her shoulders slumping in relief.
“Where is she? I felt the break in the connection and I saw the floor rushing up to meet her.” Bran strode over and took Teagan’s limp form into his arms. He looked around wildly at the others. “Did someone call the healer?”
“There is no need, Bran. I was given the gift of healing from Odin, along with my tattoo. She is fine, she just fainted. I don’t think she has been eating as well as she should, nor is she getting enough rest. She will be fine.” Delphine tone was firm, trying to get through the panic dilating the dragon’s eyes. She laid her hand on his arm. “She will be okay, she just needs to take it easy and eat more protein.”
“What the hell is going on? What is wrong with her? I am tired of worrying about her, and I am sick of being kept in the dark,” Ovidia said sharply.
“Bran, I think it is time to let out our secret,” Teagan said softly from where she was cuddled in his arms.
He looked down at her with a fierce look on his face. “I warned you that you needed to slow down and eat more. You are my life—I cannot lose you.” His gaze contained an intensity that made Delphine’s heart warm.
“I am fine, darling, I just need a bit of rest and a snack.” Teagan laid her hand on his cheek. The rest of the people in the room disappeared for them as they stared into each other’s eyes.
“Okay, I need answers immediately. What is going on with my best friend?” Ovidia’s voice broke at the end of the sentence.
“Bran, please put me down,” Teagan requested, and he gently set her on her feet.
Teagan walked over and looked into the scared eyes of her friend. “Ovidia, I should have told you this earlier, I just wanted to make sure everything was going to pan out. This is a new situation and we were not sure—”
“Just spit it out!” Ovidia cried, grabbing Teagan’s shoulders and shaking her slightly, but before Teagan could respond, a strange expression crossed Ovidia’s face. “What the hell was that?” She continued to look into space as if she was seeing something the rest of them couldn’t see.
“Vid?” Teagan’s voice was strained.
Ovidia blinked and then looked at her friend. “Oh my Odin, you have freaky babies inside you!” she yelled out as she let go of Teagan’s shoulders.
“I don’t know that they are freaky, but yes, I am pregnant.” Teagan smiled and rubbed her hand over the small round mound of her belly.
“There are two of them in there, and they talked to me,” Ovidia said, her voice getting higher and higher as she spoke.
“They talked to you?” Teagan frowned, looking down. “They don’t talk to me,” she said indignantly.
“The freaky babies said, ‘Mommy will be fine.’ They said they don’t want me to worry because they love me,” Ovidia said.
Teagan smiled and looked back at Bran, who looked as bewildered as Ovidia.
“They are half dragon, half fae-witch babies—they are bound to have some special abilities.” Delphine giggled behind them.
Teagan was still looking put out that the babies had spoken to Ovidia, and Ovidia was still freaking out when Armand strolled into the room.
“Oh good, you are all together. Ovidia, Erik, I need to speak with you. An urgent matter has come up and I will need you on a different mission.” Ovidia opened her mouth to protest but Armand just raised a hand. “There will be fighting and exotic locations,” he said, watching Ovidia’s violet eyes gleam. Next he turned to Delphine and Flynn. “Do you think you two can handle tracking down the society alone? You will be able to communicate with the institute during your time away, and we will make sure assistance is available should it be needed.”
Flynn looked at Delphine and when she nodded, he turned to Armand. “Yes, sir. We will be just fine.”
“Good. Now Teagan, I have told you to rest if you need to. We do have other researchers.” When Teagan frowned, he smiled. “None as good as you, of course, but if you don’t take better care of yourself, Bran is going to lock you in a room and not allow you out. His dragon instinct will override his good sense. I need your help, so rest whenever you feel the need.”
Teagan nodded at Armand as Llewellyn bustled in with a tea tray. “Miss, you need to sit. I have brought tea and refreshments.” He set the tray down before leading Teagan to a chair, standing over her and fussing as he watched her prepare her tea and put a few of the little sandwiches on her plate. “You must take care of yourself,” he said to her.
“All right everyone, I understand. I will remember to eat more, and I will rest. I am pregnant, not dying,” Teagan said wryly, looking around at all the faces in the room.
“Do you still feel up to giving us the information on the mission,” Delphine asked, changing the subject and receiving a grateful smile from Teagan.
“Yes, I will sit here with my tea and sandwiches while I brief Delphine and Flynn. All right, if the drama portion of our program is finished, let’s get down to it. Bran, I promise to eat, and when I am done briefing them, I will go back to the apartment to rest for a while.”
“See that you do,” he said, giving her an intense look before striding out of the library and barking at someone in the hallway as he went back to his duties.
Teagan sighed and sat back in the chair. “Dragons are hard to deal with sometimes, but dammit, I love him,” she said before cramming another sandwich in her mouth. “These are really good—do you want some,” she asked around the food in her mouth.
“No, we are good. Just take your time, Teagan. We are not in a hurry.” Delphine smiled.
“I am so glad everyone knows about the babies now so we can start talking about how to decorate the nursery—and baby clothes.” Teagan’s eyes sparkled.
“They are going to be very loved,” Flynn said. “Esme will have a pair of playmates who will be fantastic for her.”
“Speaking of Esme, she showed me something—the babies, a boy and a girl, playing with her next to the ocean in your apartment. It was before you left on the mission and we knew her parents…” Teagan stopped, her eyes filling with tears. “Didn’t make it. It was as if she knew she would be here when the twins are born. She showed me an image of the three of them being friends. Is that possible,” Teagan asked, looking at Delphine.
Delphine smiled. “Esme is a special child, the product of both Siren and mermaid lineage. It is possible she could have inherited any of the powers from either side. We have mages and wise women who are able to see into the future just the same as the oracles of ancient times. It is possible that one of her parents come from a line of these wise people and she inherited the talent from them.”
“I have a feeling these children are going to keep us on our toes.” Teagan gave Delphine a tired smile.
Ovidia shook her head and muttered, “I am surrounded by creepy babies.”
“Teagan, we are so happy for your news. Take all the time you need to rest, and the work will be waiting for you.” Armand gave her a brief hug, surprising Teagan, as it was the first time she had seen the vampire show affection to another being. “Erik, Ovidia, come with me. Time is of the essence.” He turned and strode out of the library. Erik stopped and gave Teagan a hug as well, whispering something in her ear that made her smile.
Ovidia came to stand in front of Teagan, looking into her eyes. “Your kids are creepy, but I am so happy for you.” She wrapped her friend in a hug, holding her for a moment.
“Take care of yourself, and be careful,” Teagan whispered, her eyes tearing up.
“None of that. I am about to go on a dangerous mission—there isn’t time for tears,” Ovidia said, her own eyes shiny.
“Love you Vid.” Teagan squeezed her friend’s hand. “You and Erik be careful—the twins need their aunt and uncle around.”
“Love you Teag. You take care of yourself.” Ovidia walked to the door, pausing for one more long look at her friend before walking out the door, following Erik and Armand.
“All right, now that the cat is out of the bag, let’s get on with it, shall we?” Teagan waited for Delphine and Flynn to nod before gesturing for them to take a seat on the other side of the library table, across from her.
“Feel free to help yourself to the tea and snacks.” Teagan lifted her own cup of tea to her lips, taking a deep drink. The color flooded back into her face and she looked much more energized. She sighed and declared, “Llewellyn makes the best healing tea. All right—1901, Bath, England. It was a popular destination for the wealthy to see and be seen. The waters were said to have healing properties, and much of the ton had ailments ranging from arthritis to lung conditions, which they hoped the waters would heal. As there was such a confluence of high society, there were of course social gatherings, grand balls, and smaller parties. Since Bran and I will not be traveling back with you, you will be under the cover of being wealthy friends from America staying at our home.
On her first mission—the reason Teagan, an expert on Jack the Ripper, came to the institute—she and Bran had posed as Lord and Lady Draconus. Teagan’s cover for the mission was that she was the daughter of a wealthy railroad magnate who had caught the lord’s fancy. They had gone back to 1888 and tracked down Jack the Ripper, and on the mission, the dragon discovered Teagan was his mate. They married shortly after returning, and Teagan had left her ordinary life as a history professor at Duke University to become a researcher with her grandfather at the institute.
“You will be staying for a few days at the London home of Lady and Lord Draconus. Part of the cover is that Mrs. Kirk has a lung condition, and Mr. Kirk wants to take her to Bath to take the waters. The institute has bought a manor home in the area under the cover of Lord and Lady Draconus wanting property in the fashionable town. You will be taking the lady’s maid and a few others who serve the institute at the London home. This will allow you to be yourselves within the confines of the manor house. Do you have any questions?” Teagan sat back and sipped her tea as she watched the two of them.