But it didn’t. Before long, panicky wails were coming from down the hallway. Rhia threw back the blankets with an aggravated groan. Marching down towards the bedroom, she called, “Rhetta, is something wrong with Remy?”
When she burst into the room, she was shocked to see her baby nephew alone, his legs and arms flailing and his face beet red. Tears were trailing his cheeks, and he was crying so hard that he was hiccupping for breath.
“Hey, little guy.” Rhiannon crooned, scooping him into her arms and rocking him against her breast. “It’s okay. Auntie Rhia’s here. Shh.”
As she walked him around the room to quiet him, she spied an envelope with her name scrawled on the front. Remy settled down and started chewing on his fist, so she sat down on the edge of the bed to open the note.
Dear Rhia,
I’m sorry to do this to you, but I knew you were the safest place for Rem,y and that’s why I came to you. I wouldn’t do this if it weren’t absolutely imperative, but I have to take care of something very important. As soon as I get things ready I’ll be in touch with you. Tell my baby boy I love him.
Rhetta
Chapter 8
Rhiannon was choking to death. She gasped and reached out to remove whatever was working itself down her throat. When she opened her eyes, she saw Remy’s big brown ones gazing down at her. He was holding his chest up, one hand smacking the mattress and the other doing its best to snatch her tonsils right out of her throat.
With a cough, she gently pulled his hand from her mouth then grinned as she leaned forward to kiss his forehead. “You certainly woke up on the right side of the bed.” But then neither of them were lying on a particular side of the bed. Rhia’s body was diagonal on the mattress with Remy perpendicular to her. He didn’t seem to mind, but the stiffness in her back said that her body would pay for it later.
Lifting him up and propping him on her hip, she made her way through the living area and to the kitchen to pour up a cup of coffee. The coffeemaker had automatically come on hours earlier, so it wasn’t nearly as hot as she preferred. But it was strong, and that was what she needed.
Her phone rang and she answered without checking the caller id. “Hello?”
“I’m fine. You don’t have to come over to check on me every day now that these damned staples are out of my gut.”
Rhiannon snorted and shook her head, peeling a banana and taking a bite. When she noticed Remy eyeing the fruit attentively, she used her fingers to break off a little chunk and scooped it into his mouth. The baby smacked his lips around it with glee.
“You know, Lynlee,” she said to her friend as she finished swallowing. “The world doesn’t rotate around you.”
“Oh, really? We’ll lock you in a house on bed rest for weeks on end, then you can tell me that it doesn’t seem like the rest of the world is virtually non-existent.”
“Point made. But seriously, I don’t want to come over to check on you. I need some help. Are you up to it?”
What sounded like the intro to a soap opera sounded through the receiver, and Rhiannon squinted as she listened hard. “What are you watching?”
“I can’t figure out if the baby Tina is carrying is really her husband Reynaldo’s or the gardener Jack’s. And then there’s Jack’s girlfriend Shayla. She’s definitely messing around with...” Her words were cut off and there was suddenly silence on the other end of the line.
“Lynlee?”
“Oh my God, Rhia. Get over here as fast as you can. I’m becoming addicted to daytime television.”
The whine in her voice was so forlorn that Rhian didn’t dare laugh. “I’ll be there as quick as I can. Just gotta eat, get dressed and call Tig...”
“He’s unavailable. Don’t ask.”
“Okay, I’ll figure something. Be there soon.”
Less than an hour later, her belly comfortably filled with about five breakfast sandwiches heated up straight from the freezer, one of her associates arrived to transport her to Lynlee’s house. Geraldine Fitzpatrick was a gnome who frequently called on Rhiannon when her Magical And Undead Creatures needed medical attention. Today she was in a hurry but took the time to open a little portal for Rhiannon to walk through.
“Thanks, Geraldine. I owe you,” she told the short little woman.
The gnome waved her hand to her. “No worries. I gotta go, but give me a shout when you’re ready to head back and I’ll try to take care of you. Tell Lynlee hello for me.”
She’d transported her to a spot out in the open just behind Beck and Lynlee’s country home. Remy’s legs were kicking back and forth as he dangled frontward in the baby harness strapped to Rhiannon’s front. The sun was shining through the trees, and as soon as the bright golden glow touched her nephew’s skin, the baby began to coo and gurgle with enthusiasm. He dropped his head back and closed his eyes, and she got the distinct impression that he was somehow absorbing energy from it.
And that was pretty darn strange considering werewolves were night creatures and more acutely attached to the moon rather than the sun. She rang the doorbell and waited.
Normally her friend would have just shouted at her to come in, but instead, after a few minutes and the sounds of shuffling, the door opened and Lynlee waved her inside. “I was starting to wonder... oh, my word. What is that?” She pointed at the baby as if he were some sort of growth coming out of Rhiannon’s chest. Her dog Patch was standing there too, her head turned sideways as if she were trying to figure out the wiggling creature attached to Rhiannon’s chest.
“Hello to you, too.”
She made her way past the two of them and into the living room, plopping the diaper bag onto the floor beside the couch and unfastening Remy from the harness.
“Seriously, who is that?”
Rhiannon put a blanket down onto the sofa and then laid Remy in the center so she could start the process of popping all of the snaps open, “The is Remy, and he’s in serious need of a diaper change.”
Lynlee walked over to the recliner across from her and dropped down onto it. “You’re going to do that on my couch?”
“For goodness sakes, Lynlee. He’s a baby with a wet diaper. He doesn’t have the plague.”
Her friend pursed her lips and watched her, the lines across her brow clear indication of how perplexed she felt. Once Remy’s bottom was clean and dry, Rhia perched him on her lap and then faced her friend. “So, where exactly do I start?”
“Maybe with the part about having a baby would be good. I mean, I know I’ve been down for a long time but...”
Rhiannon snorted, moving her leg up and down, bouncing the baby. “You’re funny. No, Remy’s my sister Rhetta’s son. She showed up on my doorstep last night with some story about being in trouble with the pack. Apparently Remy’s daddy had another mate when she had him.”
“Oh! That’s what happened to Makayla, too. And when Reynaldo found out about the baby, he put her on a plane and sent her to this resort in Colorado to give birth. Then they gave the baby up for adoption, but Makayla can’t live with it so now she’s trying to find her. And I think the couple who adopted him is really...”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Wrapping an arm around Remy’s belly to hold him, Rhia made a “T” with her hands. “Who are these people?”
Lynlee’s face flamed, and she turned her eyes down, looking sheepish. “Nobody. You want something to eat?”
For a minute she fell for the distraction, her belly immediately jumping for joy as she imagined what sort of yumminess Beck might have cooked recently. Then she raised an eyebrow and her expression turned skeptical. “You were talking about the soap operas again, weren’t you?”
“Beck made beignets.” Lynlee ignored the question, standing and heading for the kitchen.
Chapter 9
“So do you really think she’s the phoenix? The real one?” Lynlee asked about an hour later as she sipped at her coffee and tossed a tennis ball across the room. Patch would run after it, feet slipping under her as she
worked to find traction on the hard floor. Within a few seconds she had the ball and delivered it obediently to her mistress’s feet, waiting for her to throw it again.
Remy was curled up against Rhiannon’s chest, sound asleep after scarfing down a bottle of formula. She had to lean forward to suck the sugar from her hands, then she pushed the empty plate aside. “Yes, I think she has to be. Only a real phoenix could choose to die.”
“But she can’t do that right now.”
“No.” There was vitriol in her voice. “And that’s your good friend Prieto’s fault.”
Lynlee chuckled. “He’s no friend of mine.”
“No, you were just hot for his body.”
“I was not!”
She cracked a smile and then let loose with a laugh. When the baby started, she quickly used her palm on his bottom to rock him a little until he settled. “I’m not blaming you,” she said, “He’s the sexiest angel I’ve ever seen.”
Lynlee picked up their plates and took them to the sink. “Fallen angel. Want anything else?”
“Nah, I’m good. Mind if I lay him down on your bed?”
Her friend leaned against the entry way from the kitchen and stared at her. “You sure you want to do that? Something about the way you’re holding him makes me think you’d just as soon keep him there forever.”
Rhiannon peered down at the infant, marveling at the absolute serenity on his face. His little lips moved in a suckling motion, then he made a little sound in his throat and smiled in his sleep. She caressed the dark, downy hair on his head and felt tears well in her eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
After settling him on the bed, Rhiannon took a deep breath and then met up with Lynlee in the living room. Her friend was eyeing her again, concern etched on her face, and part of Rhia wanted to hide the emotion welling up in her. But it was too late for that. The witch could sniff out a secret the way a werewolf could track fresh game.
“I’ve known a long time I wouldn’t be a mother, Lynlee. I came to grips with it. I have no idea what Rhetta’s up to or when she’ll come back. But she will, and I’m afraid of falling entirely in love with that baby because eventually he’ll be gone.”
Lynlee inhaled long and deep, then blew the air out through her lips so that it made a whooshing sound. “Have you heard from her at all?” While she waited for a response, she grabbed up the ball that Patch had deposited in front of her, pitching it along the floor for the dog to fetch.
Rhiannon moved her head side to side. “No. And I don’t have any way to contact her. We’re not close so I don’t even know her cell phone. How sad is that?”
“No judgment here. We both know I have family issues, so...” She curled leaned back in the easy chair, putting her legs up on the ottoman in front of her. Patch came back with her ball and seemingly understanding Lynlee’s position of repose, the dog hopped up and placed the toy right beside her owner’s hand. Her tail swooshed back and forth with anxious anticipation until the ball was tossed again. “So how did she find you anyway?”
“Probably the Christmas card I sent her last year. Hey, you look a little pale. Am I wearing you out?” She put her doctor hat back on and walked over to check the patient’s forehead for a fever.
“Geez, I’m fine. You are such a hover-er. Sure, I’m a little tired, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Satisfied, Rhiannon took her seat again and then rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “Sorry.”
There was silence for a few minutes, then Lynlee leaned forward and pulled her legs in to curl them under her. “I might be wrong, but you should know this anyway. I don’t think he’s full werewolf. There’s something else in his aura.”
“Are you sure?”
Her friend rolled her eyes. “I just said I might be wrong, so I’m not sure. But...” She softened her voice. “There’s something definitely off. Almost as if there are polar opposite roots of magic inside him. That doesn’t make sense, though.”
It didn’t, but it did. Rhiannon thought about her earlier observation of Remy in the sunlight and how he’d seemed to bask in the warm, bright glow. Her head began to hurt and she rubbed at her temple. If her nephew was a hybrid, then that was a bigger can of worms than she could mentally deal with at the moment. “So, any thoughts on what to do about Red?”
“Only one and you won’t like it.”
She dropped her hands and looked hard at her friend, one side of her mouth twitched up in an almost smile. “Tell me anyway.”
“Well, we both know breaking a curse is not an easy prospect unless we know who placed it. We can try to breech the block, but the underworld prisons have existed a long time. If that were possible, surely someone would have done it by now. So that means, unless we want to let her suffer for eternity, I say we sneak her out of there.”
“A prison break!” Rhiannon dropped her head back in exasperation. “That’s your idea? You just said underworld prisons have existed for a long time. How do you expect us to get her past all of that magic?”
Lynlee was quiet, which meant she was thinking. Which might or might not have been a good thing. Even the dog respected the moment, sitting back on her haunches and waiting instead of demanding another ball toss.
Suddenly Rhia stood. “And you are not involved in this except on a consultation basis. You’re injured, remember?”
“Pfft.” The witch waved her hand in the air, dismissing that comment. “I’m fine. I can help with this. It’s time for me to get out of the house, Rhia.”
“Uhm, no way. No way in hell. Do you know what Beck would do to me?”
“Beck? He’s human. You’re a werevamp. I’m pretty sure you can take him.”
Rhiannon stared down at her friend. “I’ll sedate you if I have to.” She wagged her finger.
Frowning, Lynlee crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. “Fine.”
“Okay, then. Now about Red. Do you think...” About that time, her phone began to ring, and she hurriedly fumbled through her pockets until she found it. “Hello?”
“Hey there, my love.”
“Sandy!” She perked up immediately, hugging the phone to her ear as if she were embracing the man himself.
“Sorry I hadn’t touched base earlier. I took some calls last night since I wasn’t staying with you so I needed to get some shut-eye.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart, I understand. Where are you now?”
“I’m at your house. Will you be here soon, or should I meet you somewhere else?”
She glanced up at Lynlee while he spoke, and her friend had her mouth open, her finger pointing down her throat, making a gagging noise. Rhia rolled her eyes. “We’re at Lynlee’s, but if you’ll just sit tight, I’ll try to get there in about fifteen.”
“We? Is your sister with you?”
Clenching her eyes closed as if she could hide from the answer, she dropped her head in her hands. “It’s a long story. I’ll be there soon.”
“So, I’ll do some research on this phoenix problem.” Lynlee grinned as she stood. “Since I’m a consultant and all.”
Chapter 10
“So how’s she doing?” Rhiannon asked a few days later as she followed Prieto through the winding twists and turns to Red’s cell. She glanced at the time on her cell phone, thinking that Sandy would probably be giving Remy his bedtime bottle about now.
The angel remained stoic, staring straight ahead as he walked in long stiff steps across the stone hallway. “She’s not better.”
Rolling her eyes, Rhiannon shook her head and snorted. “Yeah, funny how that works with curses.”
They found Red in the same meditative position as before, though this time she was sitting atop her bed with a mountain of blankets across her shoulders. When they walked in, she opened bloodshot eyes, then raised a tissue to blow her irritated red nose.
“Why don’t you have this thing on?” Rhia asked, crossing the room and switching the knob on the floor heater Prieto had provided.
/> “It’s loud.” She shrugged, then unfolded her legs and scooted to the head of the bed so that the doctor could examine her.
The loud part made sense. It did make a lot of noise, and she suspected from the last time she was here that Red was trying to use her supersonic humming to knock out the block on her powers. “Thanks, Prieto,” she told the angel with a wave of her hand over her shoulder. “We’re good now. Feel free to stand outside the door while you wait.”
She didn’t look back at him, but heard his footsteps as he exited the room.
“You know, I think if it were possible to break out of this place, someone would have done it before,” she whispered, then stuck the thermometer in her patient’s mouth before she could respond.
“It is possible to break out,” Red said a few minutes later. “I’ve done it once. But the magic they’re using now is tricky.”
Rhia drew back, eyes wide. “You broke out? When?”
The thin woman shrugged her shoulders. “I only made it as far as the gate. Doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying.”
“If you made it out, why didn’t you, you know... go ahead with your process and all?”
She wasn’t sure why it was hard for her to say it. The phoenix wanted to die, and she had the power to do it. But the very idea grated against all that Rhiannon worked for as a doctor. It was her job to save lives, not end them.
“I wasn’t sick then. I had goals other than dying in mind.”
It was clear that Red wasn’t going to share any more. When Rhiannon put the stethoscope to her chest, she could hear a little wheezing down deep in the woman’s lungs. “Deep breath and hold it. Now let go. Are you having trouble breathing?”
Red nodded. “When I try to sleep it gets worse. Its better if I prop myself up a little.”
The Werevamp Diaries: Moon Beam Dream (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 5) Page 4