by J. D. Brown
My breath caught as Valafar came toward me. I shouldn’t have been afraid, since he’d saved my life before, but a being that puts Apollyon in the corner like that is just scary. I wiggled, but could only go a few inches before the chains stopped me. Valafar knelt and cupped my face in his hands. He gently tilted my chin in his direction and our gazes met.
“Relax, love.”
My limbs turned to butter. It was such an instant and total feeling. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that I should be alarmed, but my head didn’t care. The ultra violet of his eyes convulsed and a lavender haze blanketed me in serenity. My breathing deepened and slowed, pushing past my lips in a lazy river of warmth. My eyelids felt heavy and blocked the tops of my vision as they lowered. The lovely purple-eyed man parted his lips and his voice flowed like flower petals in a breeze.
“Good lass. Now sleep.”
Chapter 23
A familiar predator scent tinged with a floral musk tickled my nose. A smile crept along the edges of my lips as happiness woke my unconscious mind.
“Ema, darling, open your eyes.”
My lashes obliged, gladly receiving the image that I knew waited for me on the other side. Maria.
Her gentle features hovered over mine. Wisps of black and silver hair framed her face and neck like a silk curtain. Her dark eyes sparkled and she grinned. “Good, I won’t have to use an intravenous on you.” Before I could ask what she meant, she straightened and gestured to someone behind her. “Take all that away, she can drink from a cup.”
I pushed onto my elbows, only then realizing that I had been lying down. “Maria, what is—?”
“Easy, now, darling, you’ve had a long day.” She placed her hands on my shoulders to indicate that I should stay in bed. My bed. The baby blue and gold fringed comforter, the cream sheets, the long decorative headboard and four-corner posts. I was back in the guest room in Nikolas’ castle—and I was clothed, thank God.
Sara stood at the foot of the bed, her face a shade paler than normal. Relief shone in her golden eyes, but her lips pouted. She glanced at her fidgeting hands as they ran over and over each other.
“Oh, Sara.” I sighed and then held out my arms for her. Her face flushed and she dove into my arms, hugging me tight. If vampyres could cry, she would have burst into tears.
“Don’t you ever scare us like that again!”
“I didn’t mean to,” I chuckled.
“Oh, I know, it’s just… I’m so glad you’re okay, and your hand…”
I scrunched my nose. “My hand? What’s wrong with my—” I lifted my right palm and then squealed, lurching back and smacking my head against the bedrail. My eyes widened in shock at the new index finger. “How the hell… Is this… is this for real?”
Maria narrowed her gaze. “If having all ten fingers is shocking, then we apparently have some catching up to do.”
“Enki bit it off,” I said, giving her the cliff notes. I crooked the finger several times. It worked. It was real. “Did I grow a new one?”
Maria sighed. “It was probably Apollyon.”
I held both hands side by side in front of me. At first glance, the new finger looked like a natural match. There were subtle differences—like the slightly lighter coloration and the two millimeters of extra length—and some not so subtle differences, like the thin pink scar that ringed the knuckle. “I’m going to be sick.”
Sara scooted to the edge of the bed. “Should I fetch a wastebasket?”
“Here.” Maria handed me a glass of blood. “This will make you feel better.”
“What happened?” I said between sips. “How did I get here?”
“You don’t remember?” Sara asked.
I remembered everything—except for the finger, which I didn’t want to think about—up until Valafar approached me. He and the Crone had saved my life again. Once more, and I’d have to buy them a fruit basket or something. I was grateful for their help, but something about it felt… fishy. I’d first met the Crone in the underworld with Leena. How did she get out? Was she able to come and go with a spell, the way we had? What exactly was she, anyway? Apollyon had called Valafar an incubus. Did that make her a succubus? I didn’t even know her real name.
It was obvious from their conversation that she and Apollyon had met before—knew each other well, even. So what was in it for her? She, or at least Valafar, could easily crush Apollyon. So why not get it over with? Why bother asking for his cooperation? No, she clearly wanted him alive. After all, she helped me find him in the underworld, but for what reason? Was the whole baby thing more than just a cover-up? Could there be any truth to her story? Could I really be… pregnant?
“Ema, darling?” Maria’s hand rested on mine and she searched my face for a moment. Her gaze softened and the edges of her mouth crinkled in a sympathetic smile. “We don’t have to talk about it now.”
I glanced at my lap and nodded, thankful that she didn’t press me further. That was one of the things I’d missed about Maria.
She gently stroked my cheek. “Either you are a miraculous young woman, or you have a savior. Princess Sara found you lying on the steps just outside the castle door, unconscious.”
“Oh.” My shoulders hunched self-consciously as I glanced at her. “You did?”
Sara nodded. “Maria assured me you had a pulse, but I just didn’t know if you’d make it. I would have fallen out of the sky too if I had flown that distance, and in the condition you were in…” She squelched her whole face, her hands fretting again. I was probably covered in bruises and scratches when she found me. I rubbed my wrists in memory of the chains and electric cuffs only to find my milk-white skin to be perfectly blemish-free.
“Where’s everyone else?” I asked.
“The men were on their way to Egypt to rescue you,” Maria answered.
I blinked. “All of them?”
She nodded. “Jesu, King Nikolas, Tancred, a portion of the Alpan army, and my husband.”
“Brinnon stayed,” Sara added. “He had to, in case anything happened to Dad.”
My heart swelled in my chest and my breath caught. “They’re not still going there, are they?”
To my relief, Maria shook her heard. “The queen called and let them know you are safe here. They should be back shortly.”
I nodded to myself. “In that case, Maria, I need to speak with you privately before they all get here.”
Sara jumped to her feet. “I’ll excuse myself.” She dipped in a quick curtsy and then left the room. I placed my empty cup on the nightstand and relished in the buzz of energy for a moment, glad for the strength it offered. Then I mentally bottled the energy and shoved it into the pit of my stomach. My gaze leveled with Maria’s as she sat on the edge of the bed and waited for me to speak.
“Are you and Naamah free from your oath to Apollyon now?”
She looked past me, choosing her words carefully. “Apollyon promised Naamah our freedom if he could manage to deliver you.”
I had already gathered that much, but also realized Maria didn’t truly answer my question.
She looked me in the eyes and held my gaze. “Naamah is sorry for the pain he caused you. He acted desperately and was foolish—”
“No, Maria.” I shook my head. “Naamah didn’t hurt me. It was Apollyon. Please don’t apologize. I tried to rescue you myself, you know. I convinced Bridget to help me sneak into the Wolf Den to try to save you both.” I scoffed in remembrance and then wet my lips and took Maria’s hands into mine. “Are you and Naamah safe now, truly safe, from your oath to Apollyon?”
Her gaze fell to our hands and she gently squeezed them. “No,” she whispered. “We are only free until he decides to call on us again. The oath is a life sentence.”
I sucked in a deep breath and held it. Part of me knew that would be the case, but I had hoped that I might be wrong. Since Maria and Naamah were still in danger of being used by Apollyon, I saw no other alternative than to do what I knew had to be done
. I exhaled slowly.
“What if I told you there is a way to make sure Apollyon doesn’t call on you or Naamah ever again? What if I told you I could get an army and keep all of us safe?”
Her brow lifted in uncertainty. “What do you mean?”
I wet my lips, taking a moment to organize my thoughts. “Before things got… messier… Nikolas presented me with an offer. The Alpan army would fight against Apollyon, fending him off while I train to be a warrior. That way, when my destiny comes to light, I will actually have a chance to accomplish it. In return, I have to swear my allegiance to his family and serve them for the rest of my life. I asked for time… to think it through …but then things happened and I ran out of time without giving him an answer.” I looked her in eyes to show I was serious. “Maria, I know I need his help. We all do.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but I held up a hand, signaling for her to wait and hear me out. “Please, I just need someone better versed in vampyre politics to help me renegotiate a deal so I don’t get screwed over.” I inched closer to her and sat straighter. “Maria… if you think that I shouldn’t trust Nikolas, then I won’t go through with this. I’ll find another way. But if there’s a chance…”
Maria’s gaze darted around as though she could find the correct words hidden in the folds of the bedspread. She licked her lips and then sighed. “King Nikolas’ family can be a lot to handle. Brinnon and Sara aren’t their only children. They have thirteen more, plus grandchildren.”
My eyes widened. Fifteen children? Well, they had had twenty-something centuries to make a family. That horny dog.
“Nikolas alone is a lot of king to handle,” she continued. “He is a good man, a good ruler, and they are good vampyres. Yet, that doesn’t mean you will always agree with them. A lifetime of servitude means you may find yourself obligated to do things you don’t agree with.”
“I know,” I said. “He’s asking for a very high price. So let’s get our money’s worth.” I held my bottom lip between my teeth as I waited for her final decision. After a long moment, she nodded.
“All right, Ema. I will negotiate on your behalf.”
Chapter 24
Our talk turned into an hour-long discussion. Maria made sure I understood all the terms and conditions of our plan. I sighed, mentally drained. She smiled and stood.
“Why don’t you get some rest?”
“Thanks,” I nodded, “for everything.”
She patted my shoulder and then left the room, closing the door behind her. I managed to keep my cool in front of Maria, but in truth my stomach knotted over the whole ordeal. Whether or not Nikolas agreed to renegotiate, I still felt like I was getting screwed in the end. Face Apollyon alone and risk the lives of my friends, or pay the price for help. That was my only choice, and I lost either way.
We need this. No one else will suffer because of Apollyon. It is my fault he’s alive and I will pay any price to send him back to hell.
A shower-craving hit. I was sure I reeked after a day of being Apollyon’s lab rat. I hopped out of bed and stripped my clothes, letting them stay wherever they landed as I made my way to the bathroom. After soaking my hair, I soaped the loofa and then started scrubbing. I noticed a strange scar midway between my upper abs and navel. Dropping the loofa, I placed both hands against my stomach and stretched the skin out to get a better look.
The scar measured no more than a millimeter thick, shaped in a ring about the size of a quarter. Three tiny etchings were carved in the center of the circle—symbols I didn’t recognize.
Son of a bitch, he branded me too?
I couldn’t even bring myself to look at my hand. The new finger was just too weird. I mean, where on earth did he get such a thing? How could he just happen to have an extra woman’s index finger lying around like Hannibal Lector? Did he keep a few extra bodies in the freezer in case his zombies started falling apart?
No, see, this is why I’m not going to think about it.
I clenched my jaw, picked up the loofa, and then finished washing. While toweling off, I thought about the next thing I needed to do. Take a pregnancy test. But there was no way I could be pregnant. It had to be a joke. The Crone couldn’t know something like that. I had no symptoms. I didn’t have morning sickness, I hadn’t gained weight, my boobs weren’t sore. True, I couldn’t remember the last time I had my period. I was on the pill when I was with Anthony, but I stopped taking them after I learned of his deceit. The point seemed moot after that. Since then, I’d only had sex with Jesu… and possibly with Jalmari.
The realization hit me like a crowbar to the chest. It had to be Jalmari. Anthony was far too long ago, and Jesu wasn’t fertile because he was a vampire. Jalmari and I were vampyres. We were fertile. My knees buckled and I lowered onto the sofa. If I really was pregnant, it would crush Jesu’s heart.
I glanced around the room and found myself on the pinstriped loveseat in the dressing room, staring at the wardrobe as if the clothes were supposed to pop out and dress me themselves.
How on earth did I get to this point? Here I was, a vampyre with a war on my hands, and somehow caught in a baby-daddy drama. Don’t get ahead of yourself. There’s a good chance that old woman made everything up.
I pushed to my feet and rummaged around the drawers for a pair of underwear and then pulled them on. I didn’t have time for the Crone’s games. I wasn’t pregnant. I couldn’t be pregnant. It was a ruse and I was as dumb as Apollyon if I fell for it.
I yanked on pants and a T-shirt and then sighed. Whether or not I ever had a family, I had to think of the future. I have to negotiate with Nikolas.
Dressed, I went down the winding tower to the dining hall. Several soldiers sat at the table while others stood along the wall, talking amongst themselves. Some marched in and out of the corridors. I found Maria sitting at the end of the table, her back to me as she spoke with one of the men. I quickly went to her. “What’s going on?”
She excused herself from the conversation and then faced me. “The troops are back. Nikolas and the others should be here momentarily.”
The sweet scent of grass and morning dew drew my attention to the arched opening at the front of the room. Jesu entered and our gazes locked. Suddenly, he stood in front of me, taking my hands into his. His gaze shifted as though searching my face for any proof that I was a mirage. Finding none, his strong arms wrapped around my waist and our lips crushed together.
My eyes closed as I sighed against him. Our tongues met and my hands gripped his shoulders. A shudder rolled along my spine and then left my body. With it went all my pain, all my jumbled thoughts, all my fears and insecurities. Jesu surrounded me, held me, kissed me. For that moment, his embrace was all that mattered. Like the blissful calm in the center of a hurricane, Jesu was my eye in storm.
Our lips parted, but his gaze stayed locked on mine and his hands didn’t dare lessen their hold on my midriff. I didn’t mind. I let my head rest on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. The simple rhythm kept me entranced in the fantasy that nothing bad would happen so long as I was in his arms.
From the corner of my vision, a glint of golden light flickered to the side of the wide corridor leading in from the foyer. I squinted until the small object moved, dispelling the bright reflection. The gold piece was Bridget’s R.E.D. dragon pin. She crossed her arms and sneered, a single threatening flash of white fangs. I narrowed my gaze, but then Nikolas’ torso stepped in front of me, completely blocking my view. I moved back from Jesu’s embrace to face the giant king. Jesu stepped forward and tightened his grip.
“Ema,” Nikolas puffed. “I am glad you’re back safely. I hope you are feeling well and able to answer a few questions.”
“Let her rest,” Jesu growled. My brow arched. I had never heard him raise his voice to royalty like that.
Nikolas sucked in a deep breath and then sighed. “Her memory is fresh right now—”
“She will answer your questions tomorrow.”
“J
esu.” I gently squeezed his arms. “It’s okay. There’s not much to tell anyway.” I looked at Nikolas. “Apollyon is in Alexandria, Egypt. I don’t know the exact location, but Naamah does. I saw at least two more of those rotting Saga-Giga beings with him, one of which was female. I think there were others, but I’m not sure—”
“There are six,” Maria’s voice rose. “Five males and a female.”
Nikolas nodded. “Yes, Stefán reported six of them as well. Is there anything else you can tell us? Anything that might clue us into what his plans are?”
“Yes. Naamah was right about the ring, the philosopher’s stone. Apollyon is looking for it.” I paused to consider the all the maps that were in the room with me while I was chained to the table in Apollyon’s work room. The lines of blood spread over them didn’t make sense at the time, but did now. The blood must have been part of a location spell. Apollyon didn’t do things the way normal people did. His world was shrouded in emblems, ancient chants, and horrifying magic.
Prince Brinnon chimed in as he entered the room. “Why would he look for it in Egypt? Prince Jalmari had the ring last.”
“No.” Maria shook her head. “Jalmari gave the ring to Helldora, the Norwegian Arm. Apollyon knew this somehow. At the ambush in Brahelinna, he kept asking Helldora where his ring was, but she didn’t have it and he killed her.”
My breath hitched. I never met Helldora, but the sadness in Maria’s eyes when she spoke of her friend was evident.
“Did Helldora give it to a vampyre in Egypt or something?” Brinnon asked.
Maria shrugged. “I do not know. Jalmari wanted it gone. He couldn’t destroy it himself, so he gave it to her to hide and made her swear never to tell anyone what she did with it.”
“He would have sent his beasts to fetch it,” Tancred added.