Tressa's Treasures (The King's Jewel Book 1)

by Gordon, Belinda M

  A hand reached in through the crowd and grabbed my wrist, pulling me forward. The crowd melted away.

  I forced myself to take slow, deep breaths as relief surged through me. When my breathing returned to normal and my headache had subsided a bit, I was embarrassed to see that Connor held me in a close embrace. I stumbled as I stepped away from him.

  "Are you okay?" The amusement in his expression seemed to mock my discomfort. It felt like a slap in the face, although I couldn't say he knew how distressed I had felt. The episode had been so strange... I had to wonder—had he hexed me?

  "Dance with me, Jewels," he said.

  The old nickname aggravated me even further. Over his shoulder I saw Matt heading toward us, so I bit back my retort.

  "Matt, would you mind taking me home? I have a headache," I said.

  "Sure thing." Matt looked over the crowd. "Should we say goodbye first?"

  I followed his gaze. Keelin was spinning, the crowd spurring her on by counting her pirouettes.

  "I find it's best to just slip out," I advised.

  "How will they get home?"

  I hesitated, wondering if I should explain flitting to him when an easy solution popped into my head.

  "Gil will take them."

  We passed Gilleagán on the way out of the club. He waved us over.

  "You're leaving already?" he asked.

  "Aye, it's late," I said. I had forgotten how much I hated evenings like this.

  He snickered. "You haven't changed much, have you, Jewels?"

  "Nor have you, big brother," I responded.

  As I followed Matt to the car, I felt guilty for imposing on him when he had been having a good time.

  "Mattie, I'm sorry to drag you away."

  "Don't worry about it. It's late. My mother always said nothing good happens after midnight."

  I barked out a surprised laugh.

  "Your mother, clearly, is not a Sidhe."

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  I began closing the store earlier than usual. Without Holly to wait on customers, I had little time for my jewelry making. The shop wasn't as enjoyable if I couldn’t practice my craft.

  I would leave early enough to freshen up before walking to the Manor House for dinner. Alexander went with me or not, depending on how late he returned from his excursions.

  Sophia spent her days at the Manor House. The Sidhe in general couldn't resist children. Sophia, an exceptionally charming child, had us all enchanted. The twins played with her nearly every day when they first awoke. I had even seen Connor giving her lessons on playing the flute.

  Sophia enjoyed her time with them; however, they tired her out quicker than the Pixies. After about a week with too much activity and attention, Sophia was overwrought.

  Alexander and I decided a quiet evening at home was due. Alexander cooked while I helped Sophia bathe and get into her pajamas. He kept the meal simple: a hamburger and a salad. Sophia ate the burger with gusto and dawdled over the salad.

  Later, she sat in my lap as I sang to her. I went through three of her favorite songs before she let sleep take her.

  Alexander carried her to bed, quietly closing the door as he came out of the room. He returned to the living room grinning.

  "Alone at last. It feels like we haven't had a minute alone since the first night the will o' the wisps arrived," he said. Alexander had taken up my grandmother's expression for her guests.

  I patted the spot next to me on the sofa. When he sat, I snuggled into him.

  "Tell me about your search," I invited.

  "I keep finding pieces of River Rock, like bread crumbs, but I'm not convinced they're leading me anywhere. I’ve started going further north; the last spot we covered was near the New York State border. I think I'm too far out now, so I'm going to circle back."

  "The journals aren't helping?"

  "Brion described landmarks. He even sketched out small maps. If I could just find the right place and recognize one landmark, it should all be a breeze from there."

  My cell phone rang.

  "Who is it?" Alexander asked as I picked it up to look. Usually it was his phone interrupting us; mine rarely ever rang.

  "It's the store phone." I showed him the caller ID on the face of my phone. I answered to the sound of weeping. It could only have been one person.

  "Pix, are you okay?"

  She took a while to find her voice.

  "I came to the store, like you said I should."

  "Stay right there. I'm coming." I met Alexander's eyes and he nodded.

  "Do you want me to come?" he asked when I disconnected the call.

  I shook my head and stood. "It will be faster if I flit."

  "Will it be safe? What if he followed her?"

  I waved off the threat.

  "I'll flit to the back of the store and enter through the back door. No one will see me. He can't come into the store. Worst case, if I have to hold Dominion over him again, I will."

  He got up to kiss me. "You'll be careful? Don't drain yourself too much."

  "I won't. I promise."

  He seemed satisfied with this. He walked me to the door.

  "Call me if you need me. I'll get Shamus to stay with Sophia."

  Once outside, I walked half a dozen steps as I willed the wind to gather me up. I flitted to the alley behind the store, arriving a second after the wind lifted me.

  The alley was dark except for a security light that shone from the third floor of the building. After the breeze swept through, the air became unusually still.

  I slipped my key into the deadbolt and unlocked the door that led into the storage room. I opened it slowly so I wouldn't frighten Holly if she were nearby.

  The room was darker than the alley. I stepped inside.

  "Pix?" I called as I moved further into the store. A strip of light shone from under the door of the break room. I opened the door, calling her name again.

  Holly sat huddled in the corner on the floor. She covered her face with her hands. Her bent knees supported her elbows, limbs cradling her slightly rounded belly.

  I rushed to kneel in front of her, heart pounding in my chest.

  "Pix, are you okay?"

  She didn't respond. She didn't move. I held my breath as I reached out to touch her shoulder. At last, with her hands still hiding her face, she spoke.

  "I really thought he had changed this time." Her voice came out raspy and tear-soaked.

  "I know you did, Pix. Look at me, honey."

  She lifted her head. Her face was painful to see. Her left eye was black and swollen. The skin on her cheek from her nose to her ear was raw and red. A gash across that same cheekbone trickled blood. Finger shaped bruises covered her neck.

  "He said the baby wasn't his." Tears spilled out of her good eye. "I think he would have killed me this time."

  I privately agreed, but I knew better than to say so out loud.

  "How did you get away from him?"

  "I stabbed him with a steak knife. I don't think I hurt him too badly." Her breath caught in her throat. She swallowed painfully before continuing. "I never tried to fight back before. It startled him enough for me to get out of the house."

  I didn't know what to do for the girl. She clearly needed medical attention, but was this something I could or should attempt on my own? I'd never laid hands on a pregnant fae, let alone a pregnant human.

  And of course, there were the problems that would come with opening her eyes. Did I want to bring a pregnant woman into that mess?

  A banging on the front door interrupted my thoughts. I tensed, thinking it might be Fred.

  "That should be Matt," Holly told me. "I called him too."

  I went to let him in.

  A measure of relief showed in his eyes when he saw me. "Thank god you're here," he said.

  "I don't know how helpful I can be," I whispered. He nodded, but I didn't think he was listening. He rushed toward the lit room and knelt, as I had, in front of Holly's balled up
figure.

  She reached for him and he gathered her tenderly into his arms. He rocked her, whispering calming noises as she cried. I was loath to interrupt them, but I felt an urgency to get her medical treatment.

  "Pix, you need to get to the hospital."

  "No, I can't. I can't go there."

  "You need a doctor," Matt agreed, "and the emergency room is the only place you’ll get one this time of night."

  Holly buried herself deeper into his chest. "I can't go there. Fred will be there. Or if he isn't, one of his buddies will be."

  Matt could hardly argue the point. He had made the same decision just a week ago. He looked up at me, clearly expecting me to have an answer.

  "Let Mattie take you to the hospital in Carbondale. It's outside Fred's influence and it's not that far."

  She nodded but didn't move, so Matt lifted her. I went out first to be sure that no one was outside before he carried Holly out to his car. I opened the passenger door so he could place her on the seat.

  "Thanks for your help—again," Matt said. He kissed my cheek before running around to the other side of the car.

  "Call me with an update."

  "I will," he said before driving off at an alarming speed.

  As I watched them go, I questioned my decision to send her away without doing anything to help. I resolved to learn the proper treatments for pregnant women so I wouldn't feel this helpless again.

  When Matt's car was out of sight, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. This time I didn't care if Holly approved. I did a quick search, finding the number for the local police department and dialed. A woman picked up.

  "May I please speak with Officer Tom Lynch?" I asked.

  Alexander had a cup of tea waiting for me when I came home. I sat with him on the sofa, sipping the tea and recounting what had happened at the store. As I described Matt racing off to the hospital, there was a knock at the front door.

  "It's a little late for a house call, isn't it, Officer Lynch?" Alexander asked when he answered the door.

  "Xander, I called him," I said. I hadn't yet gotten to that part of the story.

  Alexander led Tom into the living room. I set the teacup on the side table, suddenly exhausted.

  "Fred is in the emergency room." Tom sounded tired. "He's saying Holly stabbed him."

  "Tommy," I said. "Won't you have a seat?"

  Both men remained standing. Tom's face looked drawn, and he had bags under his eyes, but he still stood in what I thought of as his cop stance.

  "I'm looking for Holly. She's not at their house or her parents’. I thought she might be with you."

  "She's not here," I said, shaking my head. "She's at the hospital in Carbondale. The doctors want to watch her overnight. The stress of the beating may have harmed the baby."

  Tom's face went ashen.

  "I didn't know it was that bad. I need to speak to her as soon as possible."

  My weariness had shortened my temper, and I lashed out at him.

  "Fred tried to strangle her, to kill her and her baby. I don't understand, Tommy. After all he’s put her through, what do you intend to do? Arrest her?"

  He closed his eyes for a minute, his posture drooping.

  "It was self-defense, I get that, but Fred is over in the emergency room screaming bloody murder. She needs to give her side of the story or she'll be charged with assault—possibly even attempted murder."

  I nodded, seeing the sense in what he said.

  "Tressa, I've made mistakes. I see now that I have to take off my blinders. Fred isn't the guy I grew up with anymore. He hasn't been for a long time; I just refused to recognize it. I promise I will do everything I can to make sure Holly's safe from him."

  He wasn't the only one who had waited too long to help Holly. I had the taste of guilt in my mouth as well.

  We got a call from Matt just before we went to bed; Tom had come and taken Holly's statement. Matt would stay with her overnight.

  I woke up early the next morning and went to my grandfather's library, determined to learn more about healing pregnant women.

  I paged through three books, finding many references to conditions that accompany pregnancy but nothing related to treating a battered pregnant woman. There were also passages regarding chronic conditions in pregnancy, but none of it was relevant to Holly's situation.

  The fourth book, an ancient text written in Old Gaelic, showed promise. I rarely read in the old language but I stumbled along following, with my index finger as I read.

  Footsteps in the hallway distracted me. Gilleagán stumbled by the library door, still in his pajamas and a robe. When he saw me, he switched tracks and came into the room.

  "What are you doing up so early?" I asked.

  "What time is it?"

  I shrugged. "It's well before noon."

  He looked over my shoulder at the open book.

  "What are you doing, a little light reading?" he said sarcastically.

  "I'm doing research on healing a pregnant woman."

  He yawned.

  "Did something happen to your store clerk?"

  "Aye," I said, surprised he remembered I had a clerk, let alone that she was pregnant.

  He had lost interest before I even answered his question.

  "Later, Jewels."

  "Gil, why did you come to Pine Ridge?" I asked, my usual annoyance falling away, replaced by curiosity.

  His eyes narrowed.

  "What do you mean?"

  "You said you came to visit me, but why? I haven't seen you in years. You didn't come to our parents' Sendoff; you’ve never even sent me a kind word."

  He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. I could have sworn he leaned toward me when he flicked the lighter open to bring up a flame.

  "Did you just come here to annoy me? To call me by an old nickname you know I hate and spark flames around me?"

  He inhaled and blew out a stream of smoke.

  "You've always been too sensitive and too serious. Lighten up, Tressa. Not everything is about you."

  I sighed. He would never understand.

  "Mamó's complaining she has seen little of you since you've arrived. Why not make her happy and join us for dinner once in a while?" I asked.

  "You see, that's just the thing, Tressie," he said in a teasing voice. "I came because I wanted to spend time with both of you, but I'd forgotten the weird schedule you keep. What is it you like about the daytime so much?"

  I laughed as he turned again to go.

  "Baby's breath is what you need," he said. He waved and left, walking toward the kitchen.

  I went back to the thick tome in front of me, surprised to see he was right. The ointment in the book called for baby's breath.

  About an hour later, Alexander found me in the greenhouse.

  "You're home early," I said.

  "Tressa, we need to get you to Holly." He grabbed my hand and I thought for a second that he would drag me away.

  "Xander, wait— tell me what's going on. Did Matt call?"

  "No, I just know that she needs you."

  I quickly gathered up the sprigs of baby's breath I had been clipping and followed him out. I made him wait while I ran to my pantry and grabbed a small bottle of lavender essential oil.

  As we drove out of the gates to the estate, my phone rang.

  "Tressa, you’ve got to get over here as fast as you can." Matt's voice cracked with emotion.

  "We're already on our way. Tell me what's happening."

  "She's bleeding, and she's really out of it. They think she may lose the baby. We might lose her, too. She begged me not to let her baby die. Begged me."

  Tears sprang to my eyes as I heard the agony in his voice.

  "How am I supposed to do that? There's no one I can call but you. I'm sorry, Tressa; I know you wanted no part in this."

  "Nonsense. I was afraid because I didn't know what to do. I'm better prepared now. We'll be there soon."

  Twenty minutes later, thanks
to Alexander's willingness to break every speed limit, we stepped out of the elevator and onto the hospital's maternity ward.

  A locked door blocked the entrance to the unit. Alexander pushed the button on the wall to summon someone to open the door. Through the window I could see a burly woman wearing light blue scrubs sitting at the nurses' station. She glanced up at us but continued typing.

  Alexander pressed and held the button down until the woman looked up again. Annoyance clouded her face. She looked again at the computer screen before sliding her chair over to her intercom.

  "Yes?" she asked

  "We're here to see Holly Moyer," I said, holding a visitor’s badge up to the window. She looked unimpressed, but she buzzed the door open.

  We hurried inside and down the hall, following the arrow pointing toward her room number. A uniformed police officer sat on a chair in the hallway outside the room.

  "Sorry, no visitors allowed for Mrs. Moyer without proper authorization." He reached down and retrieved a clipboard from the floor under his seat. "I need to see some ID to see if you're on this list."

  I could feel Alexander's anger and frustration growing, fueled by his urgency to stop a tragedy. The officer eyed Alexander's jumpy body language suspiciously. I brushed Alexander's arm to calm him.

  I smiled sweetly at the policeman. "Officer, may I ask, what your name is?" I said innocently.

  "Rob Turner, ma'am." He focused on me, forgetting Alexander.

  "Robert, is it then?"

  "No ma'am, it's Robin."

  I leaned over until we were about eye to eye, the officer's expression a mixture of surprise and exhilaration.

  I locked his gaze to mine.

  "Robin Turner, you will let us into this room and allow us to stay as long as we like."

  He remained frozen until I broke my gaze from his.

  "Well, you guys go right on in and stay as long as you like," he said without so much as glancing at us again.

  Alexander rapped once before opening the door. Holly lay on a hospital bed in the middle of the room, her skin nearly as white as the sheet that covered her. The starkness of the room and the equipment surrounding her bed seem to dwarf her.