One by one, the women got up, trailing out the door and shooting venomous looks at Epi. Rowena stopped beside him and spoke. “If you upset her again, you will have me to answer to.”
“I understand, Rowena. You have my word,” Epi agreed meekly.
“I'll leave you two alone,” Conal offered me a smile and turned towards the door.
“Conal?”
He turned back and threw me a reassuring wink. “I'll be right outside, Sugar. Try not to destroy Rowena and Ben's place.” He went out and closed the door quietly.
Epi stood uneasily in the entrance and I waved carelessly at the armchair. “You'd better sit down.”
The old wizard perched on the edge of the seat, nervously pulling at the edge of his tunic. His eyes had lost the fierce intensity they'd held in the meeting hall, his face composed. He began with a harsh sigh, his chest heaving with the effort. “I owe you an apology, Child. Once again, my behavior has been appalling.”
I waited in silence, not certain I could forgive him this time.
He clasped his hands on his knees and examined me for a minute, his eyes raking over my red-rimmed eyes and pale skin. “I have little excuse for my behavior – my anger was uncontrolled and indefensible. The anger was created by intense fear, knowing I will not only be putting you at risk, but also the life of your unborn child.” He leaned forward in the chair, his face filled with remorse. “I have lived alone for decades, Charlotte. My ability to socialize is… limited and I lack certain social graces. You think I have been too hard on you and I have spent the past hour being assured that is indeed the case.” His gaze softened behind the thick lenses of his glasses. “I push you hard and I'm fully aware of the fact - and I know you think I am too tough. While I appreciate your opinion and understand why you think that way, I push for good reasons. I need to satisfy myself that you're as prepared as I can possibly make you. I am only too aware of the difficulties you face in each battle…” he paused, swallowing heavily. “And I love you so dearly, the idea of losing you is more than I can bear.”
I wrapped my arms around my knees, watching Epi wordlessly. The anger had receded as I listened to his justification but a numbness had spread in its wake. Epi scratched his nose thoughtfully. “My anger should not have been directed at you. It was appalling to lose my temper and question you so bluntly. As you put it so succinctly, I was an insensitive old bastard. But never uncaring, child. I care for you as deeply as if you were my own flesh and blood. My anger rose from a fear of sending you out to fight in your condition. The repercussions, I fear, are enormous. You carry the first of a new generation and now, instead of only fearing for your life, I will worry endlessly regarding the health of your child.” He looked up, his piercing blue eyes filled with sincerity. “I owe you a further apology for speaking of your relationship with Lucas as I did. I took something precious and wonderful that you and Lucas shared and demeaned it.” He frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Despite what you think, you'd be wrong to assume I don't know how it feels to lose a loved one. Looking at me you may not think it, but I too have felt the sheer joy which comes from loving someone deeply. Which makes me even more sorry than you can imagine, for what I said in anger.”
I licked my lips, watching him for a few moments and digesting his words. “Apology accepted.”
Epi's eyebrows rose in disbelief. “That's all you're going to say?”
I shrugged, dropping my feet to the floor. “What else can I say? You were mean and you've apologized.”
“I imagined it would involve significant groveling on my behalf,” Epi responded. “You're not usually so forgiving.”
“It's going to involve a lot more than groveling. Thanks to your temper and mine, the whole city knows I'm pregnant.” I sighed, downing the last of the cooling coffee. “You're going to help with damage control.”
Chapter 24: Apprehension
Conal joined me after Epi departed, sinking onto the couch beside me. “Did he apologize?”
I smiled and glanced around the room. “The house is still in one piece.”
“I'll take that as a yes.” He leaned back, wrapping an arm across my shoulders and drawing me closer. “He's lucky he's still in one piece. When he told me what he'd said, I considered transforming and ripping his throat out.”
“I think he's emotionally stunted.”
“And vertically stunted. Let's face it, the old man's just stunted.”
I giggled and interlinked my fingers with Conal's. “Thanks for coming to my rescue.”
“I thought we were under attack when I heard the racket coming from the meeting hall. Remind me to never piss you off.” He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “You feeling okay?”
I nodded, snuggling against his chest. “Tired.”
Conal slipped his arm beneath my knees and settled me in his lap. “We've got half an hour before the meeting. Why don't you take a nap?”
The warmth radiating from his body was soothing and I snuggled closer, savoring being in his arms. Now we were revisiting our relationship, it seemed Conal couldn't control his need to touch me. I was surprised to discover I had the same craving for him. I closed my eyes, listening to his heartbeat against my ear and it took only seconds to doze off to sleep.
I awoke to the gentlest alarm – Conal pressed tiny kisses across my eyes and down across my nose to brush over my lips. I sat up and rubbed my eyes with a little smile.
“Better?” he questioned.
“Much better.” I leaned into him and pressed a kiss against his mouth. Conal growled low in his chest when I ran the tip of my tongue across the seam of his lips, seeking entry. He wrapped his arms around my back, holding me close and deepened the kiss. When he finally broke away, his black eyes were smoldering with unconcealed longing.
“Charlotte, we have to go,” he growled. “Kissing me like this is convincing me I don't want to.”
I pushed off his lap with a faint smile. “If you don't want to go, put yourself in my shoes – I've got to face the pack leaders. Staying here with you sounds like a much better option.”
Conal got to his feet and captured me in his arms, dropping his mouth over mine for another brief kiss. “Don't tease me, Sugar. It's taking every ounce of willpower to control myself now.”
With a burst of laughter, I picked up my coat and stepped into my boots.
By the time we reached the hall, the relaxed mood was a thing of the past and tension replaced it as I contemplated the meeting ahead. Conal squeezed my fingers before releasing my hand when we reached the door. I looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “No point complicating matters right now, Charlotte. Probably better if we keep our relationship under wraps,” he suggested quietly.
I nodded my understanding, walking through the doorway and ignoring the butterflies which had set up house in my stomach. The noise was deafening in the foyer, the sound of raised voices arguing and yelling reverberated from inside the hall.
“What happens to us now?”
“Will she still fight?”
“How can she, if she's pregnant?”
“I heard her abilities don't work!”
“The Drâghici will overrun the city – we should escape while we still can!”
“I heard she's going to leave Zaen and leave us to deal with the war!”
With a hearty sigh, I squared my shoulders. This was beyond my worst case scenario, so far advanced of the most negative reaction I thought we could expect. The voices inside the room were brimming with panic and when we entered, the ruckus didn't stop.
Epi had repaired the physical damage from our earlier fight, the table was pristine, the chairs back in their positions. Ben and Epi stood at the end of the table, trying to placate the angry mob and Clint monitored the crowd from one side, his arms crossed over his chest and looking as if he was prepared to separate combatants if a tussle broke out.
Conal was holding a thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose, his brow deeply f
urrowed. Tugging his shirt sleeve, I got his attention and rolled my eyes. “Can you do that whistle thing?”
With a nod, Conal put his thumb and index finger in his mouth and produced a shrill whistle. It had exactly the effect I'd desired when the noise died down and everyone turned to me. Their reactions ranged from shock to observable aggression and I clasped my hands together nervously.
“Thank you.” I stood beside Epi and Ben and looked at the sea of faces. “Please take your seats.”
The men took their respective positions and I surveyed the table, catching their attention when I spoke. “Obviously news of my pregnancy has been taken badly,” I began. “It wasn't my intention to cause widespread panic.”
Joe Reynolds leaned forward, clasping his hands on the table. “I've been trying to tell them there was no reason to panic, Lottie. That we needed to hear from you before everyone got their boxers in a twist.”
I threw him a grateful smile and he grinned. “One part of what you've heard is true. I'm pregnant.” As my gaze travelled across the table, I spied the jugs of water and glasses Nonny had supplied and an idea formed. Concentrating on a glass, I raised it into the air, rotating and lowering it to gently settle on its base. “Contrary to rumors, my abilities are as strong as they've always been. I was pregnant during the last attack when Archangelo breached the gates.” I took a moment to concentrate on the water jug, using telekinesis to tip it smoothly and pour water into the glass. “With Nememiah's guidance I repaired the generators.” The jug settled back into an upright position and I lowered it to the table. “There is no reason to believe my powers will be affected by the pregnancy.” With barely a ripple in the water, the glass rose and sailed smoothly towards Nick, hovering in front of him. He smirked, plucking the glass from thin air to drink from it. “For those of you who were in the hall this afternoon,” I pointed towards the gouged paneling on the wall, “you've had first-hand proof that my abilities are fully functional.”
A ripple of laughter flowed through the room and the men relaxed. After showing them my powers still worked, the tension in the air decreased and I nodded to Ben, Conal and Epi. “I think it's safe to sit down.” The three men followed my request and I saw an amused smile curl Ben's lips.
I continued to stand, facing off against the men. “The other rumor I heard is also bogus. I will remain in the city, doing what I've done from the beginning. Fighting the Consiliului.”
“How can you? Being pregnant surely means you have to stop fighting?”
I twisted towards the voice to find it belonged to one of the new men, a shifter who'd recently arrived. “Of course I can fight.” I smiled a little ruefully. “I'm pregnant, not terminally ill.”
Another ripple of amusement flurried through the room and Gabrielle spoke. “You men think like Neanderthals. Come to think of it, stone age men had more sense. Charlotte is capable of doing everything she did before. Women around the world carry children in their wombs and continue to work – in China it's not uncommon for a woman to labor in a rice field, stop and deliver her baby and return to work the next day.” Her piercing blue eyes defied anyone to argue with her.
I smiled appreciatively, pleased with her support. “Gabrielle is right. I will continue to train. I'll be here with you all, using the abilities I've been given by Nememiah to fight Archangelo and the Drâghici. Nothing has changed.”
“The baby must be protected,” Bhekimuzi Kinte stated calmly. “Surely it carries the blood of angels, as you do?”
“The baby carries angel blood,” I agreed. “The spirits will do all they can to protect us both.” I rubbed my hand self-consciously across my belly. “As you've probably guessed, Lucas Tine is the father of my child.” The men's gazes dropped respectfully. “He will protect our child, as fiercely as he would have if he was still here.” I chewed my lip and curled my hands into fists, struggling to retain control. “Nememiah has already said he will help protect the baby.”
The group murmured their approval and the tension level decreased.
“I need you to return to your groups – call a meeting with your people. The unrest this news has created must be nipped in the bud – rumors and innuendo do nothing to help. You have to make up your own minds whether to continue living here, or if you're going to leave. But your safety remains my top priority, and I will continue to fight. My pregnancy has made no difference to the goal.” I settled into a chair and nodded to Epi to chair the meeting.
To my surprise, Matt stood up and applauded, his proud grin infectious. One by one, the other men joined him, clapping and smiling.
Epi cleared his throat and gestured for the men to sit, waiting until they settled in their seats. “I take it that you will agree to Charlotte's request?”
A murmur of mutual approval had Epi smiling broadly. “Excellent. I thank you for your support.”
Nat raised his arm. “What happens to giving us the ability to use the weapons? Is that still a viable plan?”
“When we realized Charlotte was pregnant, it became apparent we could no longer utilize her blood,” Ben explained. “Happily, we've discovered an alternative. Matt's blood contains the essential elements needed.”
“Has it been tested?” Bill Conroy asked. “How can you be sure it will work?”
Nick raised his hand, gripping the Hjördis he'd been issued. “We know it works. I've drunk Matt's blood and I can operate a Hjördis.”
“So we can go ahead with the program?” Epi questioned, obviously delighted with a solution presenting itself before he'd had time to foresee a problem.
Ben nodded in agreement. “No reason why we can't. Jerome has a supply of Matt's blood on hand. We can begin immediately.”
Epi consulted his ever-present clipboard. “Might I suggest we move on to the true purpose of this meeting? The Fae and their request for our assistance.”
Conal's warm hand slid over my leg, coming to rest on my thigh and I stole a peek at him, catching his soft smile. I surreptitiously dropped my hand under the table to lay it over his and Conal squeezed my thigh.
“What can you tell us about Goren?” I asked Epi. The question was borne from a necessity to know as much about the Fae as possible, combined with a healthy dose of curiosity. Epi's actions on the ramparts confirmed a previous acquaintance with the Fae man.
Epi shrugged his shoulders, intentionally nonchalant. “I met Goren four hundred years ago during the Fae Wars.”
“Four hundred years ago?” I repeated. Despite knowing Epi's age, the idea of him being around for centuries still had the power to astonish me. “And there was a Fae war?”
Epi tapped his fountain pen against the clipboard before his gaze met mine. “Four hundred years ago, factions of the Fae were involved in a conflict with one another, which led to thousands of deaths. It is known as the 'Brwydr Deg Degawd o Pelathrad' - which loosely translates to The One Hundred Year Battle of Pelathrad.”
“Pelathrad?” Matt questioned.
“The largest fairy city in the Realm,” Epi explained. “It was the central cause of the troubles.”
“Aren't the Fae factions usually at war with one another?” Conal asked.
Epi nodded, settling back against his chair. “The Fae Realm is comprised of numerous creatures. Goren is Elven. To name but a few of the others, there are the fairies, brownies, trolls and gnomes. The elves and fairies have, by far, the largest populace. Each and every faction is a monarchy in itself, with their own ruling sovereign. The fairies and the elves, being the larger groups, often clash over both territory and individual differences.” He paused, removing his glasses to wipe them on the edge of his tunic. “And within the fairy and elf monarchies, there is always someone waiting in the wings. The royal families have various branches and someone invariably has an eye on the opportunity to seize power.”
“How does Goren fit in? What his relationship to their Queen?”
Epi met Conal's eyes, his expression guarded. “I don't know. When I knew him, Keenan wa
s King and Goren was his second-in-command. I've been too long away from the Realm to know what the current situation is.”
“So we don't know of his current standing, nor his willingness to make the Queen see reason?” William suggested.
“I'm afraid not. I can tell you, Goren is a good man. His word is his bond. I have no reason to believe he would not honor his word,” Epi replied.
The meeting dragged on, the discussion between the leaders not bringing any conclusive proposals we could work with. It seemed we were all suspicious of the Fae and nobody trusted they'd do as Goren suggested. As the afternoon wore on and the discussion ebbed and flowed, we got no closer to a solution. Finally, I'd had enough, early evening had fallen and I was starving and fed up.
“We're not making any headway,” I announced flatly. “I don't think we've got any options other than to see what Goren says tomorrow.”
“I agree,” Ben said quickly.
Epi closed the meeting and I slumped in the chair, wondering if we'd accomplished anything. Conal leaned across, speaking against my ear. “I want a quick word with Nat before we go.”
With a weary nod, I watched him walk over to Nat, who was deep in conversation with Joe Reynolds. It was an enjoyable pastime, Conal's tall muscular frame moved with a sinuous movement, the muscle in his arms and shoulders flexing with every step.
“That aura I spoke to you about – it's brighter than before,” Gabrielle announced, slipping into a chair beside me.
I smiled happily, still focused on Conal. “That doesn't surprise me. Thanks for standing up to them earlier.”
Gabrielle studied me, crossing her legs gracefully. “You're welcome.” Her gaze shifted to where Conal stood, deep in conversation with Nat and Joe. “He's an extremely handsome man. In that rugged, werewolfy way.”
I chuckled at the description. “Yes, he is.”
“Charlotte, there may be some things we can help you with, now the pregnancy is out in the open. I know you're tired now…” She lifted her gaze pointedly to the space above my head and I grinned. “but I'd like to meet tomorrow to discuss them.”
The Knowledge of Love Page 19