by Nely Cab
I put the mirror down. “Uh… No?”
“Well, you do.” She nodded once. “You did it often when we arrived here from Bucharest.” I stared at her expectantly. “You mumbled about evolution and war and David. I couldn’t make out much of what you said. But there was one sentence I did understand: ‘Fight for faith, and hope will be born.’”
“I said that?” I asked.
She nodded. “What does it mean?”
“I was repeating what Deus told me in the dream, the one where he told me to give Eros his regards.”
“Oh, you mean when you tried to off yourself with a vile of who-knows-what, Juliet?” She glared at me. “You’re such a dumbass.”
“I’m working on my flaws, okay?”
“I can tell,” she said, and surprisingly, there was no trace of sarcasm in her voice. “So the baby’s name is Faith because you’re fighting for her. She’s our hope for humanity. Just like Deus said.”
“Makes sense.” All this time I’d been misinterpreting the phrase, thinking it was a riddle. “Faith is a pretty name, but I don’t know,” I said. “I have to talk to David, make sure he’s okay with the name.”
“Well, I think Claire choosing the name is no coincidence. I also think,” she rose from the bed, “my babysitting break is over. I’m going to try to steal baby Faith away from the grandmothers—if Galen and Eryx haven’t already. You keep doing the Monster Mash, and I’ll catch ya later.” She stopped at the door. “I almost forgot. Frederick wants to talk to you in the den when you’re done here. How long should I tell him you’ll be?”
“I’ll be down in five minutes. I’ve been meaning to talk to him, as well.”
“I’ll tell ‘em,” Galilea said, and she went on her way.
The day the baby was born, David and Galilea had been the ones to inform Frederick of the demon attack. He was none too thrilled to learn Sub Terra had been infiltrated. The Turpis had known everything from the time Sendor was recruited, a few weeks after I’d agreed to lead the rebel army. Thanks to Sendor, the demons knew where I was living. They also knew my warriors watched the forest. No wonder things were so quiet for such a long time prior to my giving birth. They didn’t have to find me anymore. They had eyes on me all along. All they had to do was wait for the right time to strike.
David told me Samuel and Alezzander suggested closing down Sub Terra, but since none of the warriors knew about the ordeal, Frederick refused to shut it down in hopes of capturing more infiltrators.
“I can trust no one,” Frederick had told me the day after the baby was born. “With the exception of Ayrie, Onarit, and me, no other warriors are allowed near you or the child. No other soldier will step foot in this house. No exceptions.”
Aside from visiting the baby and checking up on me a couple of times after, Frederick and I hadn’t spoken. It was past time we did. We needed to devise a plan. I needed to know what would transpire in thirty-four days when the Turpis came to take me back to hell or wherever they lived.
“You shouldn’t be walking down the stairs on your own,” David chided, meeting me on the bottom step.
“You tried to carry me down last time. Which, though sweet, was a bit excessive.” I tried to walk past him, but he blocked my way. “David, I had a baby six days ago, not open heart surgery.”
“I know. And that’s why you should be resting.”
“I feel fine. Great, as a matter of fact.” That was no lie. I hadn’t felt this well in a long time.
“I worry about you.” He ran a finger across my cheek. “Have you seen the dark circles around your eyes?”
“Yeah, those are from getting up to feed a baby every three hours, twenty-four hours a day. It’s normal.”
“But if you’d let me help…”
I glanced at his chest. “Unless you’ve got milk stored in those sexy pecs of yours, it’s pretty much impossible.”
“You think my pecs are sexy?”
“Oh yeah.” I winked. He grinned. “Will you let me through now, please?”
“Why? Where are you going in such a rush?”
“Frederick wants to speak with me. He’s waiting in the den.”
“Should we be concerned?” he asked, and I shrugged. “Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all. You should be with me. Always.”
David took my hand. We walked past the living room where I heard Galilea and Eryx arguing over who got to hold the baby next.
“Faith has them wrapped around her little finger,” David said. “And she’s only six days old.”
“You’re calling her Faith, too?” I huffed. “You let my mom name her, didn’t you?”
“No. Well, not officially. Your mother’s been calling her Faith for three days. I do like the name.”
“Me too. Like, officially like it.”
“So our daughter’s name is Faith?”
“I don’t see how we can name her anything else now,” I said, pushing the door to the study open. “I’m okay with it if you’re okay with it. Are you?”
“Faith it is,” David said as we took a seat on the tufted, leather couch. He looked around the room. “I thought Frederick was supposed to be in here?”
Frederick came through the door just as David finished his sentence.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, madam.” Frederick tipped his head at David. “And David.” He locked the door. “I stepped out briefly to tell Ayrie to relieve me for a few minutes while I spoke to you in private.”
“Wait, wait. Before we begin,” I said, “how come you call David by his name, but you can’t do that for me?”
“Because your name isn’t David,” Frederick said. “Moving on to what I wanted to discuss… There’ve been some developments. Our main informant came back with news from Caelum.” He sucked in a breath. “The Council members discovered the Turpis made an accord with you.”
“How?” David and I said at once.
“Our ex-comrade, Sendor, is the one who officiated the pact with the Council members in the beginning. We believe he’s in command in the Turpis battalion. It was he who began the hunt for you.
“The Council ordered a final attack on you last week, but Sendor had another agenda, as you know. So when the Council called on Sendor to ask the outcome—they wanted to know if you and the child were dead—Sendor proceeded to tell them Turpis loyalty no longer belonged to the Council, but to you, their new queen.”
“What does this mean for us?” I asked. “Do you know what the Council’s next move is?”
“They’ll turn all Caelum against us,” said David. “And then…”
“It’ll be war, Isis. Sooner than we thought.” Frederick used my name at last, though in a sentence of poor choice, in my opinion. “Their attack will be the same night Sendor said the demons would return for you. I don’t know how many Turpis will be sent to escort you, but I assume it’ll be the majority of their army. I estimate about five hundred. And the Council… Well, they’ll bring just as many, or more.”
“What’s the head count on our side?” David asked.
“Two-hundred nineteen. Our warriors could take on the Turpis with no problem. But the Turpis and the Council army.” He shook his head. “I hate to say this, but—”
“We’re massively outnumbered.” I stood up. “We don’t stand a chance.” I bit my thumbnail as I analyzed the situation.
“If we move fast enough, before the Council gets to them, we could recruit more deity warriors,” Frederick suggested. “Give me five days.”
“No. I don’t need more troops. There’s another way to remedy this.” I regarded David for second. “I’ll join the Turpis.”
“No!” David’s voice boomed. “Are you crazy?”
“Maybe, but this is one time I really don’t care what I am.”
“If for one second…” David’s face was flushed. “No, Isis. I won’t allow it.”
“You think I’m asking for your consent? I don’t need approval from anyone,” I told him.
“I know what I have to do. I’m going to be their demon queen.”
CHAPTER 34
David’s face was the color of red-hot magma. I feared his head would explode any moment now. A few feet away from him, Frederick’s expression was more confused than angry. However, in the instant I took to glance back at David and make sure he hadn’t combusted, Frederick’s frown disappeared. His eyes gleamed as if with possibility. He marched toward me, took a spot next to David, and slapped a hand on David’s shoulder.
“David, your wife…” Frederick shook David’s shoulder. “Oh, by Deus! She’s a genius, man.”
“This isn’t the time for jokes.” David removed Frederick’s hand from his shoulder.
“And I know it,” Frederick said. “I’m dead serious. Whatever you’re thinking,” he pointed his finger at David and me, “hold those thoughts. I need to get Galilea in here. You two find something to write on.”
Frederick dashed out the door. David lips were locked tight as he looked at me, his eyes scolding me in silence.
“I’m going upstairs to get my laptop,” I said, turning my gaze away from his.
As I walked past him, David caught my arm. “Isis, don’t do this to me. To our daughter.”
“I would never do anything to hurt either of you. At least not intentionally.”
“What do you think you’re doing to me now? You’re telling me you’re leaving us. Didn’t you tell me a few minutes ago I should always be with you? Were those just words?”
“I can’t…” I breathed. “I wish you could read my mind.”
“Unfortunately, I’m fresh out of party tricks. You’ll have to tell me what the hell you’re thinking.”
I jerked my arm away from his grasp and grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him down to me. I pressed a hard kiss on his lips.
“I’m thinking that I love you, you idiot,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”
I left David with a confounded look on his face. By the time I came back with my laptop, Galilea was seated on the sofa with Faith in her arms.
“I can do fifteen minutes for all of you and not more,” Galilea said. “Starting now.”
Frederick tapped David and me on the shoulder and held his index finger to his mouth. He took my laptop and placed it on the coffee table. We watched as he typed.
“This is the safest way to communicate in case Madam Isis is being watched by Turpis. Madam, when you said you had to join the Turpis, was it because you have a plan in mind and are afraid to discuss it out loud?”
I nodded and took over the keyboard. “If the demons should counterattack the Caelum army, it might help even out our numbers.”
“I knew you’d be thinking something along the lines of this. I do think it’s a brilliant idea, but there’s a very slim chance Turpis will agree to an allegiance with us,” Frederick wrote.
“It won’t be an allegiance,” I typed. “At least not one they’ll be aware of. I’ll command them to fight as their queen. Our battalion won’t join the battle until one of the armies begins to fall. Then we surprise attack.”
David typed next. “And if the demons refuse to fight?”
I hadn’t thought of that. I shot Frederick a worried look.
Galilea leaned forward to read, nestling Faith with one hand. She squeezed between Frederick and me and typed slowly with one finger. “Demons need Isis. They will fight for her.”
“Galilea is on to something,” Frederick wrote. “Turpis numbers have decreased radically in the last century. They need a new queen to reproduce.”
I flinched at the words on the screen.
David took a turn typing. “How will Isis defend herself on the battlefield if we’re supposed to be standing on the sidelines? She’s had no formal training.”
“Frederick can train me,” I wrote, “We still have thirty-four days left.”
“Is it enough time?” David typed.
Frederick nodded.
“I don’t know…” David wrote.
I wrote, “Trust me.”
David took in a deep breath and placed the computer on his lap. He stroked the keyboard swiftly, and then handed the laptop to me.
His words read, “I don’t agree with this plan, but I know we’re caught between two swords. As optimistic as I’d like to be, death is certain in war. Nothing assures me either one of us be alive in the end. If you don’t make it out of this alive, I won’t be able to live without you. Isis, our daughter needs both her parents. And I know that even if I begged, you’re too stubborn to change your mind. So there’s one thing I need to ask of you. Promise me you’ll do everything in your power to stay alive for Faith and me. Even if it means liberating what lies inside you.”
He was really asking me to do this? He wanted me to unleash the furious creature I was holding in?
“I promise you, I will,” I said out loud, and the baby stirred in Galilea’s arms.
“Time’s up.” Galilea rose from the sofa. “That’s all the strength I can spare. Baby Faith takes precedence over all of you. And right now, she needs to be fed.”
I swaddled Faith’s blanket tighter around her body and took her from Galilea’s arms.
“We can iron out the details later,” Frederick said and turned to Galilea. “Could you help us again, once we’re ready?”
“Sure,” Galilea said. “But I don’t know when that’ll be possible. Focusing my power on Faith is hard, but doable when I hold her if I fight distractions. Extending the block to whoever holds her on the other hand…”
“Maybe if you’d sleep more,” David chastised her. “We need your energy at its highest.”
“I’m on atomic power mode, I’ll have you know.”
“You’re not convincing anyone with the circles around your eyes,” I said. “You look beat.”
“Yeah, yeah…” She waved me off. “Sleep is for the weak. I can go months without it. Besides,” she rubbed her eyes, “the last time I lost focus, Turpis did a number on half of us. Anyone remember Eileen’s broken ribs? Dr. G’s bashed-in nose? How about Claire’s third-degree burns? And before that, they did the rest of us in. David was in a coma, remember?” She huffed. “No. I can’t risk something like that happening again. Especially not with the baby here.”
“At some point, you’ll have to rest,” Frederick told her. “I know it’s in your best interest to keep Faith and Madam Isis safe, but you can’t when you’re not operating at one-hundred percent.”
“That’s three votes against yours,” David said. “Go get some rest, Galilea.”
“You’re not the boss of me.” Galilea frowned at David.
“Galilea, love, stop being stubborn,” Frederick said. “Take some time off. Your delicate little body needs it.”
“I will not.” Galilea leaned into Frederick’s face. “What do you mean delicate? I’m as much an able warrior as you. My block is strong. And you’re not the boss of me either.”
“It’s not up for discussion,” I said. Galilea shot me a surprised look. “You’re taking a break. As of now. Drop the invisible block and go sleep.”
“But Faith needs me.” Galilea tightened her fists at her sides. “You can’t make—”
“I’m giving you an order,” I said firmly. “I agree Faith needs you, and I agree you’re a warrior, but I’m your leader. There’s no overriding my command unless you’d like to be stripped of your place in my army.”
Galilea gasped. “You wouldn’t?”
“Try me.”
She lowered her head and sniffed. “I would never do this to you. You’re my best friend.”
I rolled my eyes. “If you think fake-crying your way to guilt me will work…”
“Gah!” Galilea raised her hands. “You,” she pointed to each of us, “are all poopy heads. Huge, huge poopy heads.”
Frederick muffled a laugh.
“Listen, dimwit.” Galilea glared at Frederick. “At the moment, I can’t verbalize what I really want to call you since I don’t curse in the
presence of children.” Her brows were knit tight as she stepped closer to me. She lowered herself to kiss Faith’s head, then looked me straight in the eyes and said, “I’ll be taking my leave.” She righted herself, stepped back, and then gave me an ersatz smile and curtseyed. “Madam Isis.”
I glowered at her. She knew I hated being called that. She turned and stomped toward the door, calling me a “Fun-sized, bossy witch” as she left the room. I didn’t have to try hard to translate what she actually meant to call me.
I turned to Frederick. “Find any warriors who can cover Galilea while she rests. Anyone with the power to hide Faith. And bring them to me.”
“But we agreed no other warriors were allowed near her or you,” Frederick objected. “I don’t know who we can trust.”
Faith fussed in my arms.
“She’s hungry,” David said.
“I know.” I rocked the baby as I walked to the door. “Frederick, I expect you’ll be back by the time I’m done?”
“Madam, in my opinion, it’s not the best course—” Frederick started. I cut him off with a warning stare—one I knew he wouldn’t argue with. “Yes, madam.” He nodded. “As you wish.”
Frederick walked past me and out the den’s door. I walked up the stairs to the bedroom and sat in the rocking chair to nurse Faith. David sat on the edge of the bed, his stare glued to my face.
“There something on your mind?” I asked.
“Did you do it on purpose?”
“What?”
“Make your face change when Frederick resisted your orders.”
“That?” I shrugged. “I had to get my point across without the use of so many words.”
“I see.” David reached over and ran his finger over Faith’s head. “You know, using words to convey a message can also intimidate people into following orders.”
“Oh, you mean instead of scaring them with my hideous monster face?” I asked. David cocked a disapproving eyebrow. “Yeah, well, you wouldn’t think so if you were the one always being underestimated.”
“I’ve never underestimated you. I worry about you. There’s a world of difference between the two.”