“No, thank you, unless you haven’t changed my bedding. That would be wonderful.” She nodded that she had, and I continued. “But I thought you were coming back. What happened to you? Were the boys acting like insolent children again?”
“No, no, nothing like that.” She chuckled. “I met Tobias on the steps and gave him my potions. He said he could handle things from there.”
“Did he now? Well, he nearly burned me alive. No matter.” I waved my hand in dismissal. “At least I’m all healed up and can finally rest. Thanks so much for everything you’ve done, Bertha. I truly appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, Catherine. I have something special for you when you wake up.” She handed me my robe after I’d toweled myself off. “It will just be the two us; a nice breakfast and a little chat. There are a few things I believe you should know.”
I raised a questioning brow. “Is everything all right?”
“Yes, yes, everything is fine. Nothing to worry about.” She turned toward the door with an odd smile. “Sleep well, Catherine.”
Well, that was certainly cryptic. I wondered what she thought I needed to know about a brothel, or maybe it was something about her personal life. Hmm. I never really had many girlfriends, other than my sister. I wasn’t particularly fond of girl talk. Oh, my. This was a bit unsettling indeed.
I would think about it tomorrow. Now, I needed to rest. I flopped on the bed and fell into a blissful sleep.
Thank God, tomorrow was another day. This day sucked arse.
Chapter 22
What time was it? “Oww.” My entire body felt as if a horde of dragons had taken turns stomping on me and then dropped me from the sky where I landed flat on my back. Was I broken? No that couldn’t be it. Tobias had healed me. Then why did I hurt so badly? Was I dead? I could feel the sun on my face, so I certainly wasn’t dead.
I peeked one eye open and even that hurt. I was alive and, in my chamber, well, the chamber I had commandeered from Tobias. I opened my other eye and looked down. Oh, my! Now it made sense. I had slept curled up in a tight ball and never once moved, it seemed.
This was going to hurt. I slowly stretched my arms and legs, wincing as my muscles protested. How the hell did I end up in that position? Oh. I fell on the bed and drifted to sleep in near mid-fall. I must have gotten cold because I was only wearing my robe and never covered up.
Sometimes my idiocy astounded me. At least I had an excuse; I nearly died last night trying to rescue Lucy. And then my heart broke all over again at the thought of my failure. Lucy… I had to leave her behind. Tears were streaming down my face when a sharp knock sounded at my door.
“Who is it?” I quickly wiped my tears away. I needed to stop crying and plan my next move. Crying wasn’t going to bring Lucy home.
“It’s only me, Bertha. Do you mind if I come in?”
“No, no, it’s fine. Come in.” I sat up on the bed and swung my legs to the side, rubbing my tired eyes. I wondered how long I’d slept. Oh, Bertha had wanted to chat this morning, or afternoon rather. Hmm.
“Afternoon, Catherine. Did you sleep well? I didn’t want to disturb you.” She set a tray of food on my bedside table. It smelled heavenly. “Here, I brought you some coffee. I thought you might need it.”
I accepted the cup and sipped. Ah, coffee. I was feeling better already. “Thank you for this.”
“You should probably eat while I talk. What I’m about to tell you may startle you a bit but I feel now is the right time. You’ve come to a crossroads, Catherine.”
Suddenly, her eyes flashed from blue to brown and then back to blue for a moment and, I saw something even more strange. Bertha’s face; she seemed different. Oh, my!
I hadn’t had enough coffee or maybe she had put something into my coffee. I looked into the cup to be sure and then sniffed it. Nothing smelled out of order. Was I dreaming again? I reached out and pinched her arm to be sure.
“Oww, Catherine. What the hell was that for?” She swatted my hand away.
Oh. So, this was real, and I wasn’t dreaming... And I’d just pinched Bertha. Damn. “Um, just making sure you were… real?” I raised a brow and smiled, then buried my face into my coffee cup and slurped loudly.
Dear God. What was going on? Wait. In dreams, weren’t you supposed to pinch yourself? I had no idea. I pinched my own arm to be certain. Shit! That hurt. Yep, I was awake.
She shook her head and grinned. “You’re an odd duck, of course I’m real.”
“Listen, I’m feeling a bit off today. Maybe it’s from stress and I’m seeing things. Who knows? I’ve just had a hell of a few days and I’m tired. I’m sorry I pinched you.” I set my coffee cup on the bedside table and then tucked my legs beneath me.
She sat in the chair near my bed and leaned forward, eyeing me intensely. “What did you see?”
Shit. Now she was going to think I was loon. “You don’t want to know. Do you have more coffee?” I changed the subject quickly, but I really did want more coffee.
“I do.” She snapped her fingers and my coffee cup refilled on its own. My eyes nearly bulged out my head. What the hell? She was a witch?
My mouth dropped open, and I was finding it hard to speak. “How? I mean… Are you a witch?”
She chuckled. “You guessed it. What gave me away?” And her eyes flashed brown again. This time I know my coffee wasn’t spiked. I saw it when she smiled. Holy hell. Was she going to kill me?
“Your face! I saw your eyes change.” I pointed in her direction. “What the hell are you and why—I don’t understand. And a brothel? That part is a bit confusing as well.”
“If you’ll calm down, I’ll tell you and no, I’m not going to kill you, silly.” Damn. She’d just read my mind. This was peculiar indeed!
I picked up my coffee and sipped. “All right. I’m listening.”
“Very well, if you’re sure.” I nodded, and she continued. “Before you ask questions, you must first allow me to finish.”
“Is that a question?”
“Oh, dear. Catherine, maybe you should eat something first.” She huffed out a sigh and rolled her blue eyes.
“No, no, carry on. I won’t interrupt.” Damn. This was going to be hard.
“All right. So, remember the day in the woods when you fought the werewolf, and an old woman healed you, then spoke to you about your future?” I opened my mouth to reply, and she held up her hand. “Don’t answer that. As I was saying, the woman spoke about your destiny and you ignored her. You didn’t want to hear what she had to say because it didn’t fit with the future you have planned for yourself.”
I had no idea how she knew these things. I nearly dropped my coffee and decided it was best to set it back on the table. Bertha was the madame of a brothel and, well, a witch, too. I wondered if she was related to the old witch in the woods, or if maybe they had a chat about me. This was truly unexpected, and I wasn’t quite sure how to process it all.
“Now you’ve come to a crossroads. Your future is already set in some ways, but you need to remember who you are; even becoming queen will never change the real Catherine. You’re to become the Warrior Queen of the Southern Kingdom. It is your destiny.” She paused for a moment and clasped her hands together. “I’m here to help you choose the correct path.”
I leaned forward, attempting to grasp the meaning of what she was saying. “Okay, now I must interrupt you. I’m to become a warrior queen? I’m not following.” I slipped off the bed and fell on my arse. Damn. That was embarrassing. “Pardon me. I’m a bit clumsy after yesterday.” I was a right mess indeed. I pulled myself up and sat further back on the bed to avoid another mishap.
Bertha couldn’t control her laughter and hell, who could blame her? I would laugh at me, too. “Yes,” she repeated still chuckling. “The Warrior Queen of the Southern Kingdom.”
“How do you know these things and why should I believe you?” I was certain this must be some kind of joke. Oh. Tobias was dead. He had to have told her about th
e old lady in the forest and they were messing with me. “Tobias put you up to this, didn’t he?”
“Now you’re insulting me. If I didn’t think you were ready, I wouldn’t be telling you these things. I tried to tell you once before, but you were too mule headed and refused to listen to reason.”
Oh, shit! This couldn’t be happening. “You’re the old lady from the woods; the same one who cast some spell on me? I don’t believe it.” I needed to scoot further back on the bed, or I might just fall off again. Damn.
She clapped her hands and smiled. “I see you’ve finally put two and two together. I thought I might have to cast another spell on you. Did you fall or take a hit to the head last night?”
Now that was just rude. “No need to be nasty, Bertha. I did have a shit day.” I rolled my eyes. “Magic is new to me, all right? This, well, everything in my life lately has changed, and I’m not quite sure how to handle it. So, about this crossroads business?”
“Right. Well, you were meant to meet the dhampir brothers; they’re part of your destiny or fate, rather, however you want to look at it, but you may only choose one—”
“What if I don’t want to choose any of them?” I cut her off. “I’m glad to have met them, and they’ve helped me along the way, but that doesn’t mean anything unless I can save my sister.” This destiny shit was really grating on my nerves.
“That’s where you’re wrong, dear. I believe you’ve already chosen, but you’re allowing fear to guide you and not your heart.”
“Just what the hell does my heart have to do with saving my sister?” I was about to throw my coffee cup at her pretty head. “I fear nothing except losing Lucy!”
“You can’t lie to me. You fear allowing anyone close to your heart because you’ve always been so independent. You’re afraid of losing yourself; who you are. However, that will never happen. Don’t you see? You can love and still be the strong-willed, independent dragon slayer you are now. Nothing will ever change that.” She picked up a piece of my bacon and chewed. I nearly swatted her arm but thought better of it. “Together, you will be stronger. You must let go of your fear and embrace your destiny if you ever want to save your sister.”
Well, that was just shit! “I’m strong enough on my own, thank you. I don’t need a man to make me stronger. I can and will save my sister, but that doesn’t mean I need a damn husband. Just what kind of”—I nearly started cursing and then remembered myself—“What I meant to say was, I will never live my life serving a man, and if that has to happen to save my sister, then I think this destiny business is bullshit.” So much for the not cursing part. I looked heavenward. God give me strength.
“Do you ever listen before you speak?” Bertha raised a brow, seemingly irritated.
“Pardon?”
“You will never have to serve a man. A mate is an equal partner not an overlord. You have this preconceived notion that giving a man your heart will somehow change you. What you fail to realise is, only you can change who you are. Do you understand?”
“Better now, yes. So, I must choose. But you didn’t say when.” I smiled wickedly. “If I choose it will be once I save my sister, deal?”
“You are as infuriating as those men downstairs.” She sighed heavily. “You will see once you’ve learned more, but that’s not for me to tell.”
“And you’re so damned cryptic. Wait. So, are you really that old and ug—I mean, is this your true form?”
“You’re like a child with all these questions.” Bertha smiled and then winked at me. “Yes, this is my true form. I only appeared to you as an old woman as a test to see if you would listen and embrace your destiny. You weren’t quite ready then. So, I gave you a little nudge.”
“Thanks for that, healing me, I mean.” I picked up my cup of coffee to take a sip, but it was cold. Damn. I set it back down. “I’ll think about what you’ve said and the whole “warrior queen” business. That part sounds kind of fun if I get to kill dragons.” I stood from the bed and giggled a bit.
“The crossroads, dear. Remember, you must choose.” Bertha clasped my hand in hers. “Allow your heart to guide you and let go of your fear.”
I nodded. “I’ll do my best. As for my choice, I’m not quite sure I can do that just yet.
She released my hand. “You will, dear. When the time is right, you will.” And then she disappeared.
What the hell just happened, and how the hell did she just vanish into thin air? I flopped back down on the bed. This was most certainly a peculiar day indeed.
And now I had to choose. I knew what my heart was telling me, but I wasn’t quite sure about my mind.
Destiny could kiss my arse, or it might just jump up and bite me. Damn the luck.
Chapter 23
After I had sufficiently mulled over everything Bertha had said, still coming up with a big “What the hell?” I dressed for the day and decided to head downstairs. I needed to speak to the dhampir brothers and find out what had happened with Julius. I’d been a bit preoccupied last night to enquire about the situation. Now I was chomping at the bit, wondering if they’d learned anything new.
I walked downstairs to find the three of them sitting at a table near the bar, having a bite to eat. Considering I didn’t eat the food Bertha had brought to my room, my stomach growled in response to seeing them stuffing their faces.
“Afternoon, gentlemen. Care if I have a seat?” I didn’t wait for a response and slid into the chair next to Eric.
“You’re looking well, Catherine.” James eyeballed me like he wanted to eat me.
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks to Tobias, I’m all healed up. Although, for a moment, I did think he was going to kill me.” I heard Eric growl next to me. Dear God. Not this again. “He didn’t hurt me, Eric, it was the healing potion. Stop growling. You sound like a bear. Honestly. Let’s have a day with no bickering, hmm?” I glanced around at the three of them and they began eating again.
I was dealing with children.
“Any soreness—do you feel any pain where the wounds were?” Tobias enquired after wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“None that wasn’t self-inflicted. But I’d rather not talk about that. Why don’t you three tell me what happened with Julius last night?”
Three pairs of eyes looked my way at the same time, all with identical expressions: fear. This certainly wouldn’t do. Just as I was about to ask what the hell was going on, Eric cleared his throat and set his fork on the table.
“It’s good you’re sitting down.” He glanced at Tobias. “Do you mind getting her a pint? I think she might need it.” Well, damn. If this story required day drinking then it certainly wasn’t good news, not good at all.
“I’ll be right back with your drink, Catherine.” Tobias stood and went to the bar.
I remained silent, wondering what the hell could have happened that was any worse than me not being able to rescue Lucy, or them being outed as my accomplices.
“Here you are.” Tobias returned, handing me my pint. I really wasn’t in the mood for a drink, but if they insisted I didn’t want to be rude.
“All right, so what happened?” I was becoming terribly impatient, especially after the morning I’d had, and I hadn’t even told them about Bertha yet. I couldn’t wait to see their faces. I was certain to get a laugh or two out of it.
“Julius has plans for Lucy,” Eric said as I was taking a drink of my pint.
“What?” I choked and spewed my beer into James’s face. Oops. That wasn’t expected but it was funny. “What plans? Sorry James.”
He was furiously wiping beer from his face and neck. I focused on Lucy, so I wouldn’t laugh in his face. Tobias didn’t hold back, though, so I kicked him in the shin. If he laughed, then I would laugh, and it simply wouldn’t do.
“Oww, Catherine. Why did you kick me?”
Well, he wasn’t laughing now. My plan worked out splendidly.
Ignoring Tobias, I turned toward Eric. “Please, do continue before I lo
se my temper.” I smiled sweetly, placing my elbow on the table and then resting my chin on my fist.
“Right. In his ransom, Julius said he would hand Lucy over once your father gave him two women in exchange.” Eric took my hand in his and I allowed it, for now. This certainly wasn’t going to end well for someone. I was fuming. “He’s not planning on letting Lucy go. In fact, he believes, in his arrogance, your father’s army will deliver the women and when they do, Julius plans on invading your kingdom. He knows your father is dying.”
“What the fuck?” I jerked my hand away, jumped from my seat, throwing my chair back behind me. “I’ll kill the bastard! If he thinks for a moment—Oh, he’s a dead dragon. He’ll die a slow and painful death. Piece of shit! Mess with my family…”
I was going off on a tangent, near enough ready to burst a vein in my neck, and pacing, imagining choking Julius until his eyeballs popped out of his head, then cutting off his manly bits, not necessarily in that order.
“Catherine, you must calm down.” Eric walked toward me. “I know this is upsetting but we have a pl—”
“Calm down! You want me to calm down when Julius is planning to slaughter my family and take over my kingdom? It’ll be a cold day in hell before he—”
Eric cut me off, embracing me tightly in his arms and then he kissed me. Not just any kiss, but the kind that made my toes curl and then my breath caught in my chest. “Calm down, Catherine.” He gently pulled away, looking deep into my eyes. I was stunned into silence. “You’re not alone. We’re here to help you and we won’t allow any of that to happen.”
Well, that certainly cooled me down a bit and then caused heady warmth and tingling in other places. Damn. “All right.” I backed away from him. “I think I’ll have that pint now and then we can start planning how we’re to deal with this mess.”
I knew if I didn’t walk away, I may very well humiliate myself in the middle of the brothel. I realised that sort of behaviour was acceptable here, but I was still a princess and well, I was just, well, I was not going to do that. It was highly inappropriate.
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