Grave (The Sanctuary Series Book 1)

by L H Whitlock

  “Hi, Nora. I’m glad to see you’re awake. I’m Vice, a friend of Helic’s from Ever.”

  “From Ever? What are you doing here?”

  “Helic called in a favor. I was hoping to help you deliver your child. It would have gone much smoother and we wouldn’t have almost lost you, but on my way here, a man named Vulnitro shot down my ship.”

  “Vulnitro?”

  “My old master,” Grave said quietly as he stepped into the room. Nora was taken aback by his form. She forgot how large he was, how imposing, how dark, and gruff his features were. His scarred face had twisted into a small smile, and his muddy brown eyes looked hopeful, yet sad. He lowered himself to sit on the edge of the bed with care, and he held out the small bundle in his arms.

  “There’s someone who’s missing their mother,” he said softly, and Nora collected the little ball into her arms. She stared into her son’s sleeping face and began to cry, her tears so violent they shot pain into her gut.

  “Try to calm,” Vice pleaded. “You’re still recovering, and even crying can cause pain. The boy is healthy. I checked him out. He is small, only five pounds, but with lots of love, food and sleep, he will be just fine.”

  Nora nodded and sniffled. “Thank you. He’s so beautiful.”

  Grave smiled, softening his face. “He looks just like you.”

  Nora started to cry all over again. Grave wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled him to her.

  “I thought he would die because of that drug Hayme gave me.”

  Vice pulled up a chair and sat on the edge, his elbows resting on his knees. “Thankfully, you were already in early labor when he gave it to you. It’s what caused so much hemorrhaging, but the toxins didn’t have a chance to really affect him.”

  “Where is Hayme now? Mighton? Did you…” She looked at Grave. Had he killed them? She didn’t pose the question, couldn’t make out the words.

  “They are fine, Naleje. Hayme is in custody, and Mighton is trying to wrap his head around his changed world.”

  “He’s dying.” She said it matter-of-factly, with no emotions and for some reason, that upset her, she felt she should feel at least a bit of sympathy.

  “He is,” Vice confirmed. “I took a brief look at him, and the poison has done too much damage, he does not have long. I was able to verify the poison and we did a search of Hayme’s quarters and found evidence of the substance. This stacked with lots of other evidence found and the blatant changes to the scrolls, Hayme will be sentenced to death.”

  “Mighton should be as well,” Grave growled. “After what he did to Nora, to all those women. Rape and banishing them, ruining their lives and killing their children.”

  “He was naïve to the truth of Hayme,” Vice said.

  “Being naïve does not make you innocent,” Grave bit out, and Nora felt him stiffen next to her, his anger rising.

  Nora brushed her hand over Grave’s arm and looked up at him until he met her gaze. “It wasn’t just him. This is the way Yunnika had been for centuries and centuries. He is old and dying. Let’s allow him to live out the rest of his days in peace. I think that would be a good start in setting this straight. We can’t rebuild Yunnika with bloody hands. We have enough work to do as it is to correct this place.”

  “We are not staying here,” Grave said. “We’ll head back to Kilton as soon as you are well.”

  “She’s right, Grave,” Helic said as he entered the room with Bella. “You have an amazing opportunity to truly transform Yunnika, but it won’t be peaceful. Fights and riots have already been breaking out all over. Hayme has a lot of loyal followers.”

  Nora gently rocked her baby, a true warmth passing over her and a joy so great she wanted to cry all over again. “Grave, you said that Yunnika was the missing piece in the trade routes, right? That the crops and land were in great need. This is our chance to open the trade lines and help bring balance again.”

  “It’s true,” Vice said. “Ever really needs help with crops and food. Much of our land has been built out, and if we starve, it won’t matter how technologically advanced we are. Ever needs to open up more and share our technology. I’ve been working with Helic for a long time to try and make headway with it, but we have a lot of ground to cover.”

  Nora saw the displeasure on Grave’s face but he nodded anyway. “Fine, we will stay. It does not matter where we are, only that I am with you,” he said looking down at her.

  Nora rested her head on Grave’s arm. Closing her eyes, she focused on the feeling of him being so close. She had thought she would never see him again, but now that she thought about it, that was silly. She should have known he would come for her.

  Helic said, “I didn’t mean to disrupt you two. I just wanted to bid my blessings before I go in search of Rikar.”

  “Rikar!” Nora nearly shot up, but Grave kept her back with a small nudge. “What happened? Where is Rikar?”

  Grave sighed, his face looking heavy. “He disappeared from the castle when he was watching you.” He looked like he was about to say something more, but he held back. “Vulnitor took him.”

  Nora gasped. “Grave! You have to go after him.”

  “I can’t leave you right now, Nora. Helic and Rikar are capable of defeating Vulnitro.”

  Nora’s chest tightened. She knew how badly Grave wanted his revenge, of how often he fantasized about the man’s death by his hand. Now to deny himself that and hand it to someone else, all for her…

  She reached up with her free hand and pulled Grave down for a long kiss. He brushed his finger over her cheek, so timid and fragile when she really wanted to feel his power but knowing he was worried about hurting her.

  He pulled away much too early for Nora’s taste, but then she remembered they had company and heat flushed her cheeks.

  “You two will have plenty of time for that later,” Helic said, his blue eyes sparkling with laughter. “I’ll have my communicator if you need to reach me.”

  “Please be safe, and find Rikar,” Nora said, worry tightening her chest. Her baby stirred and she looked down at his small face, his mouth opening into a wide yawn.

  “What is his name?” Helic asked.

  Nora looked up at the two men. “I think I want his name to be Jacob Grave.”

  “Grave?” Grave questioned.

  “Well, you don’t have a last name that you remember, so he’ll take your name as his last… If that’s okay, of course.”

  Grave’s lips pressed tight and his normally emotionless eyes glistened. “I would be honored.”

  “I’m so happy for you two. Now, I have go get going. I don’t want Vulnitro to put too much distance between us.”

  “We’ll see you soon,” Nora said. She wanted to stand, but the very thought of standing made her weak in protest.

  Helic waved his goodbye. “Until I see you then.”

  Vice stood and moved next to the bed. “I’ll show you how to feed Jacob, then I’ll let you get some rest. I plan on staying until I am satisfied with your health and stability.”

  Vice showed Nora how to latch her baby, then bid goodnight to them both, leaving Grave and Nora sitting in bed together, holding their son.

  Grave stroked Jacob’s cheek with a tenderness she hadn’t expected from him, and Jacob wrapped a hand around his finger.

  Nora smiled. If it hadn’t been for Grave, she would have died, and her son probably killed by Hayme. They had a long journey to bring reform to the lands and open peaceful trading, but she knew with Grave by her side they would be able to figure it out.

  Nora laid down and nestled Jacob between Grave and herself, using their bodies as protective walls. Grave caught a strand of her hair in his fingers and tucked it behind her ear.

  “Sleep, Naleje, you have to recover. We have lots of loyal guards standing watch outside the door, and Vice is just one room over if we need him.”

  “Thank you, Grave. Without you, I wouldn’t get to hold my son. I’m so happy you are here w
ith me.” She barely finished the words through the tightening in her throat.

  Grave wrapped a hand around her waist, being careful to avoid hurting her still sensitive body. The amount of tenderness he was capable of always surprised her.

  “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you, I thought you were going to die,” he whispered.

  Nora’s face heated with emotion again. How many times was it possible to cry? “I thought I was too. I thought Jacob was going to die.”

  Grave’s face darkened. “I can’t even bear the thought of that. I love you, Nora, and all I want to do is protect you and Jacob.”

  “Oh, Grave!” She wished she could tuck into him and bury her face in his chest, but the sleeping baby between them prevented it. “I love you, too.”

  Grave used his height to lean over and Nora tilted her head to meet his kiss. It was wild and desperate, hard and hot, sweeping heat all the way through her body. With Grave she knew she could overcome anything. She wasn’t just meek little Nora any longer, and even if she couldn’t call herself queen of Yunnika, she was the mother of the next king, and she and Grave would make sure he would lead with a tender heart.

  When Grave pulled away from the kiss, she nestled against the soft blankets, smelling Jacob’s sweet baby smell and staring into Grave’s muddy eyes.

  She smiled and drifted off to sleep, the one question she had wondered for a long time slipping from her lips. “What is Naleje?”

  Grave’s voice rumbled in the darkening room. “My hope.”

  The End

  About the Author

  Lyndsay began her writing adventure when she moved to Colorado with her husband, Joe. She has always loved science fiction, astronomy, and fantasy, and takes a lot of her inspiration from these mediums. Lyndsay has one daughter, Hayley, who was born in October of 2017, and two rescue dogs. When she is not writing, Lyndsay is helping people buy and sell homes, working around the house, or spending time with her family.

  More from this Author

  Matched: A Galactic Battle Series

  Discovered: A Galactic Battle Series 2

  Protected: A Galactic Battle Series 3

  Oppression: Miners of Zalma 1

  Captured: Miners of Zalma 2