by Viola Grace
He led her out a side door where an exceptionally well-built man held the door of the dark sedan for her.
“Ms. Wicks, this is my driver, Nathaniel. He is at your disposal. Timorn and Limross will introduce themselves at the hospital.” Matthias nodded with a small smile. “I will see you in forty-eight hours.”
Leo looked to the driver. “What time is it?”
“Four in the morning.”
“Right. Forty-eight hours from now. See you then, Mr. Mayor. Thank you again.”
She slid into the car, and the door closed with a solid thunk. Nathaniel got into the front seat, and they were soon on their way.
The tinting on the windows made everything hazy, but she saw the gates as they left the mayor’s manor, and the iron shut behind them.
Leo wanted to ask Nathaniel about how long he had worked for Matthias, but she ended up keeping her mouth shut. She was too tired for idle conversation, and she needed to focus on Minny.
Leo took the phone out of the shirt pocket, only to find that it wasn’t a phone at all. It was a button and a small display screen.
“How does this work?”
The man didn’t even glance at her in the mirror. “You push the button, and the countdown begins for my arrival. It means you will never wait in an unsecure area for me.”
“Handy.”
“Yes, Ms. Wicks.”
She sat back and spent the rest of her journey worrying about Minny.
When they pulled up at the emergency room, Nathaniel got out and opened her door. He spoke to the emergency personnel that came out to greet them. “This woman is here to see her sister, Minuet Wicks. She has also suffered blood loss, and while her wounds are healed, she requires fluid.”
Leo stepped out of the car, and she swayed. She had gotten up too damned fast.
The man in scrubs caught her by the arm and called for a wheelchair. Nathaniel spoke softly on his phone, and soon, there was another man in an expensive suit coming toward him.
The driver helped settle her in the wheelchair, and the other man in a suit took over.
“Ms. Wicks, I am Timorn, and I work for the mayor. I have been assigned as one of your sister’s guards, and for now, I am going to put both of you in the same place.”
The man in scrubs looked confused and tried to object. “She needs to be checked out.”
“She can be, in her sister’s room. I want them both where I can keep an eye on them. They are in danger, and the mayor wants them safe.” He smiled tightly and pushed the wheelchair into the hospital.
He passed a number of staff members—who wanted to waylay them—took her up to the maternity floor and into a room guarded by another scowling man in a designer suit.
“Hello, Limross. I am Leo Wicks.”
He smiled slightly and resumed his position as guard.
Timorn pushed her in next to a bed where Minny was bandaged up and on an IV. The monitor on her belly was recording the pulses of her body.
“Leo, you made it.” Minny was relieved and tears started to fall.
“I did. I made it. No crying now. How are you feeling?”
Leo got out of the wheelchair and sat at the edge of Minny’s bed.
Minny grabbed her hand. “I was so afraid you wouldn’t make it.”
Leo took in the bandages, the smears of blood on her skin and the hollow look in Minny’s eyes. “I was afraid of the very same thing. Don’t worry. Robert won’t be able to get to you or the baby. You are safe. Timorn and Limross are here to protect you.”
“So, I can have the baby?”
“You can have the baby.”
Minny smiled. “Good. Can you catch it for me? It is coming.”
To Leo’s horror, Minny pulled her knees up and started pushing.
Leo looked at Timorn. “Call a doctor.”
She steeled herself and walked to the end of the bed, lifting the sheet. The head of her niece was already firmly lodged in her mother’s opening. Dark hair curled wildly, and the child slid forward.
Minny grunted and panted while she waited for the next contraction.
Leo listened to Timorn summoning medical assistance, but her focus was on the new relative that was squeezing its way into the world.
There was blood, there was liquid and Minny was shouting and grunting, but Leo focused and caught her niece.
Timorn came forward and whipped out a knife from somewhere. “I can cut the cord.”
Leo glanced up as she eased her niece away from the pool of blood and other stuff. She lifted her up and placed her on Minny’s chest. “Leave the cord until it stops pulsing. The blood is still being propelled to her for a reason. Like a butterfly plumping up its wings.”
Minny chuckled and touched her daughter gently. “Leo did a lot of research on childbirth, just so she could nag the doctors in the delivery room.”
It took a few minutes until the cord was ready to be cut, and by then, Leo had had to defend it from three different medical professionals. The placenta was delivered whole and intact, and Timorn shifted Minny to a clean bed.
The guards also refused to let the baby leave her mother’s side.
Leo sat in her chair while she was finally given an IV of her own and a medical workup. With the excitement of the birth over, she looked at her sister and her new niece. They were definitely worth whatever price Matthias demanded she pay. Their safety was the only thing that was going to get her through the next eighteen years. Until the baby was grown and on her own, Leo was not going to have a relaxed moment.
At least Minny didn’t know what she had done.
Chapter Three
“Are you insane, Leo? Linking yourself to a vampire is a deadly business.” Minny sounded grumpy.
Leo jerked awake from her fitful sleep on her cot. “What?”
The tether jerked as she moved, and Leo looked at the tube that invaded her skin. She was on her second IV bag. Her body was thirsty.
“Timorn told me. He said that you had struck a deal with a vampire and that is why he and that other piece of man-candy are here.”
“Limross and Timorn aren’t candy; they are here to keep Robert from trying again.”
Minny snorted and the baby sneezed. “They can’t stay with me around the clock, Leo.”
“No, they can’t, but the other shifts can. I made the deal, and he is going to keep up his end.”
“Who is it? All Timorn would say was that it was a vampire king.”
“The only one I know. It is Mayor Matthias. I have just been hired to become his new assistant.”
Minny blinked. “Is that a joke?”
“Nope. Have you decided on a name?”
“Melody Leonora Wicks. She gets nothing from Robert.” She smiled and stroked the downy cheek of her child.
Minny sighed and held the baby out. “Okay, Mel, time to head over to Aunty Leo. She has had it too easy so far.”
Aunty Leo stood up, took her IV pole with her and gained careful possession of her niece. “Hello, Melody. You gave your mommy all kinds of problems. Your name was almost Cupcake.”
The baby stared at her with wide blue eyes, her lips pursed and relaxed. The dark curls made Leo smile. It seemed her niece took after her. The curls in the family were all hers.
Minny snorted. “Stop grinning. She looks like you. I agree. Unfortunately for you, she came out of me, and I am not letting you have dibs on her because of a resemblance.”
“Well, with the new job looming, I don’t see that it would be possible for me anyway. Do you know how long they are going to keep you?”
“A few more days. I am safe here; you can call off the guards.”
Leo shook her head. “You are going to remain under guard until we take care of Robert and the woman who turned him into a vampire. Just little Melody existing is breaking their rules. No family. They can’t have any family and belong to a nest.”
“He decided that he wanted to pursue a chance a
t being a vampire right before I found out I was pregnant.” Minny sighed. “He wants to kill Melody?”
“He doesn’t even know her name, and he needs her dead. I will find out what kind of clock he is up against, but until I am sure that no one will come after you, you will have guards around you twenty-four seven.”
“What can two humans do against a vampire?”
Leo shrugged and handed the baby back to Minny. “We did a pretty good job, and we didn’t even know they were coming. We were untrained, unprepared and unaware of what we were defending against. Oh, and the guys aren’t human.”
“What?”
“They aren’t human. My guess is shifters. Limross looks feline, and Timorn looks like something with avian blood.”
“How do you know that?” Minny sighed.
“You know me. I love to read. I worked at the museum for four years. I have seen my share of the extranaturals.”
The door opened, and Limross poked his head in. “I am a panther; Timorn is an eagle. We both have excellent hearing.” He pulled back, and the door shut.
Leo and Minny looked at each other for a moment and then giggled.
“When do you have to go to work?”
Leo made a face. “I have to move into the mayor’s manor house at four in the morning in a day and a half. Wow, I should probably get free of the IV and start doing stuff, like clean up your place and get the baby kit so you can take her home.”
“If your car is at the manor, how will you get home?”
Leo brandished the summoner. “With this.”
She had to wait until the IV was disconnected, but the moment she was free, she pushed the button and the timer began its count down. She had seven minutes and twelve seconds.
Leo got a list of items that Minny wanted, and she took her leave of the guards.
There was three minutes on the clock, and it was just enough time to sign herself out and get to the lobby. She left the hospital with her head held high as the town car pulled up. Without missing a beat, Nathaniel got out and opened her door. She was tucked in, and they were rolling before she had given him the address.
“If I may ask, Ms. Wicks, how is your sister?”
Leo smiled. “A lot lighter than when she went in. My new niece is named Melody.”
“Excellent. The mayor ordered your sister’s home cleaned after the XIA had completed their investigation. The reason for the attack was self-explanatory, so they only needed to document the variety of blood before the cleaners came in.”
“Where did they get the keys?”
“Your keys were in your vehicle. It is a habit to break. You should separate your domicile and vehicle by as much as you can.”
Leo made a face at the back of his head. It was a tiny bit of rebellion that made her feel more like herself.
The guards around her sister’s home were visible if you looked for them, and Leo was really looking.
“I will wait for you in the driveway.”
Leo nodded. “Right. I will try and be quick.”
“Of course.” His head nodded.
The car pulled up, and she headed for the door, only then realizing that she didn’t have her keys with her.
A shadow in the front yard moved, and a man with black hair slid forward. “Ms. Wicks?”
“Yes.”
“I am Antony. I have been assigned to your sister’s home.” He extended her key ring with his left hand.
She nodded. “Thank you. Are you here all the time?”
“Yes. I am assigned to the house itself. Mayor Matthias is very eager to have you working for him, and you need to know that your sister and niece are protected.”
“Did he read my resume or something?”
“Yes.”
She was snickering as she went in and picked up the car seat, some baby clothes and wee little blankets to wrap Melody in. The baby bag was ready to go, so Leo grabbed that and lifted the entire collection into her arms. Antony helped her carry the stuff to the car. Leo stood and stared at the room where her sister and niece had nearly lost their lives.
“Matthias’s people are very good at getting blood out of things. There was a surprising amount of vampire blood. The crew was impressed.” Antony was behind her.
“That reminds me; I need my bat.”
“It has been taken to the manor. It will be in your rooms.”
She rubbed her hands together. “Right. Why was it taken to the manor?”
“Well, it was in your vehicle, so it was examined by the XIA and then returned to the mayor’s possession.”
“Why his possession?”
“He is acting as your legal proxy in this matter. When he asks for results, they generally appear. Are you ready?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I am just... yeah.”
Leo turned and followed Antony to the car where Nathaniel was waiting.
“Back to the hospital, please.”
“Yes, Ms. Wicks.” Nathaniel closed the door and got behind the wheel.
Leo looked for Antony, but he had disappeared. She supposed that he was doing his job.
“Nathaniel?”
“Yes, Ms. Wicks?”
“How many people are on the protection detail for my sister?”
“Ten.”
“Oh. Wow.”
Nathaniel didn’t say anything else. He didn’t need to. It was a huge amount of folks to be posted just so that the mayor could get an assistant. Leo suddenly wondered what kind of work her position was going to entail.
“Thanks for bringing the baby bag.” Minny chuckled.
“Not a problem. The house has been cleaned, and there is no trace of the attack. They even repaired that broken chair.”
Minny blinked. “Wow. That is something. What did you do for them?”
“Nothing yet. That is what is making me a bit queasy. I am racking up quite a debt, and I have no idea what is going to be asked in payment.”
Leo looked down at Melody and rocked her lightly. “Whatever he asks, it is worth it. This little miss is going to be completely safe. No vampire will get his hands on her.”
Minny finished putting on her button-front shirt and smiled. “You also need to thank him for the goblin. I got all my wounds taken care of while you were out. I mean, it was a little creepy, but I get to go home today.”
“He licked the wounds closed?”
Minny grinned. “Yeah. Do you know him?”
Leo chuckled. “We have met.”
“He kept making faces. Apparently, the taste of plain and boring human is a little distasteful for him.”
“I am not surprised. We are like eating dry toast in comparison to the extranaturals. Even little Melody here is untouched by the wave.”
Leo wanted to bite back the word the moment she said it. The world was due for another wave of magic, and she didn’t want Melody to be affected by it. She liked her niece all pink and human. Heck, she liked herself all pink and human.
Minny might look nice with pointed ears or maybe a fluffy tail, but Melody was perfect just as she was.
“So, they discharged you?”
“Yup, as soon as the goblin left. Do you know his name?”
Leo chuckled. “I don’t even know if it is a him. It could be a woman.”
“Yikes. That takes the licking to a whole other level.” Minny chuckled. She set the car seat on the bed and wiggled her fingers. “Give me my offspring, Leo.”
Leo lifted Melody high and walked over to Minny. “Well, Offspring is a fine nickname. You were nearly Cupcake, you know.”
The baby flexed her little hands. Apparently, small pink people didn’t care.
Minny tucked her baby into the car seat and fastened it. “Can you grab my bag?”
“Of course. Are we leaving?”
“We are. I just have to sign out and we are on our way.”
“Okay. I will summon Nathaniel the minute you are done.”
“You carry the bags; I have the baby.”
“Let’s go, sis. The sooner we get you home, the sooner I can get groceries laid in.”
They exited the private room that Minny had been assigned. When they left the room, the guards fell in on either side.
Timorn didn’t offer to take anything, but then, he shouldn’t. As guards, they needed their hands free.
Minny went to the desk and signed out the baby. A wheelchair was brought to her. Apparently, it was hospital policy.
A fey nurse’s aide pushed Minny and Melody through the halls.
Leo summoned the car, and the clock was ticking at four minutes.
Leo noted the sweat trickling down the neck of the nurse’s aide, so she stayed closer than she normally would have, and when Minny was shoved into the elevator where a pale woman was waiting, Leo jumped past the closing doors, Timorn at her side. The nurse’s aide hadn’t made it into the elevator.
When the pale woman reached for Melody with clawed fingers, a few things happened. Timorn shoved the stranger back against the wall, his head shifting into that of a huge eagle, snapping his beak at the vampire. Minny held the carrier tightly, and a pulsing aura started to emanate from her.
Leo hit the main-floor button and pulled the wheelchair as far back from the attacker as she could.
The blue wave washed through the small, moving space and held them all in place.
When the chime announced their arrival, the bubble popped. Leo pushed her sister out of the elevator, and the door closed on Timorn and the chalky woman.
Limross was waiting for them, unruffled and not a hair out of place.
Leo checked the time on the summoner and exhaled slowly. “He will be here in a minute.”
Limross nodded. “Timorn will deal with the attackers here. My duty is to get you home.”
Leo followed him to the exit where the car was pulling up.
Minny got to her feet, cradling the baby in the carrier. “We have a car and driver?”
“My car is still at the manor. Nathaniel is an excellent driver, and he will get us home safely.” Leo was talking to Limross as well as Minny.
Leo wasn’t wrong. Nathaniel was waiting. He opened the door, took the baby carrier and placed it rear facing on the back seat in a matter of seconds that spoke of previous practice.