by Penny Knight
“When should I set the meeting for?” Broderick asks.
“Don’t.” I turn. “Get the address for him and I will visit unannounced.”
“They won’t like that.”
“I don’t have time to fuck around with them. Get me the address so I can get back to Elita. This week is all about keeping her safe.”
“Speaking of her.” He cocks his head to the side. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” I don’t want to remember the look she gave me and the fact I have hurt her just like others have in her life.
“What are we going to do? We can’t stay here. We don’t have the manpower and the setup. We should go back to the military base.”
“She won’t like that.”
He looks pointedly at me. “I think that boat has sailed.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t think she likes any of this. And I don’t think she likes us very much right now, either. So, we may as well keep her somewhere safe.”
“I don’t want that.” I turn back to the defenseless rocks.
“What other choice is there?” Broderick says what I keep telling myself.
What other choice is there?
“Stop pacing, would you?” I’ve been watching Topher walk up and down the room a million times since he’s been here.
“Oh my god. Oh my god.” He continues his chanting. He looks me over one more time, his eyes landing on my bump. “Oh my god.”
“Ok, enough.” I can’t take in anymore. It had to be summer, and I had to not pack any baggier clothes to hide this bump. Bump? I drop back onto the bed. He’s right. Oh my god.
“What are we going to do?” He slumps down next to me.
“I have no idea.” I rub my head, trying to massage my brain back into thinking clearly.
“I can’t believe you had sex with Leo.”
“What?” I snap my head back up to him. “That’s what you can’t believe?”
“Well, yes. No. I don’t know. All of it.” When he looks, I realise he’s really the only one I have that is truly in my corner. “What do you want to do?” he whispers. “You want to sneak out of here and ditch them?”
I scoff.
“I don’t know if that would even be possible.” How would we even outrun the Immortalies? “Besides, you heard the doctor. I don’t think I can do this without his help.”
My eyes tear up again.
I’m unable to process the fact I have a child inside me. Let alone, six days the baby will be born. That’s not fair. Every other woman has nine months to come to terms with the massive changes in their life. Six days. Under a week and I will have this baby. I can’t, it’s too much.
Me, a mother?
To what? An Immortalie? A human? I don’t even know what’s inside of me.
The tears fall again.
“Oh Elita, please don’t cry.” He isn’t used to seeing me like this. Normally I would try to shield him from the real pain inside, so he doesn’t need to worry. But this is too big. This is just too much.
“I just want to go home.” Not back to Leo’s hotel, not some other safe house. My safe house. My home.
He stands.
“Then that’s where we are going,” he says, his chest puffed out.
I choke on a laugh in between a sob. It isn’t pretty. “Yeah, right.”
“Do I need to slap you?”
“Why the fuck would you do that?”
“Because you’re acting like a damn damsel in distress. Oh no, I’m just a measly girl and can’t stand up for what I want.”
My brows raise. “Excuse me?”
“Well, c’mon E. Let’s go there and tell that son of a bitch what is going to happen instead of sitting here waiting for his next move.”
My face hardens. “I don’t even want to see him.” I haven’t laid eyes on him since this morning. Since he confirmed what I already knew, when I looked down and saw the changes my body had been through.
“Then let me handle it.” Topher storms towards the door.
“Don’t!” I call out. “It would be a waste of time. He’s enslaved you so you might not be able to, anyway.”
His hand pauses on the door handle.
He turns slowly. “Uh, come again?”
I forgot to mention the enslavement part to him.
“Enslave. I’m not sure what that means. But from what he said it’s some mind control stuff. Like he can control you just by talking to you.”
“What the actual fuck?” his voice booms. “That. Is. It.”
This time he turns, and he storms out on a mission to confront an immortal king about enslaving him. Yep, that cannot end well.
I don’t think, I follow. I will not leave Topher alone with them. Time to face another man who has shattered my heart and hammered the final nail in the coffin of ever trusting anyone new again.
“Where is that lying piece of shit?” Topher announces to Lucas and Nadav who are minding their own business in the living room.
Lucas’s mouth gapes open. Nadav looks to the front door, his eyes wide.
My reaction mirrors Lucas’s. This is really not going to be good.
The door flies open and in an instant both Leo and Broderick appear.
“I’m here.” Leo answers Topher’s question.
Then, his eyes land on me.
Instantly, I look away. No. No. No. No way am I ready to look at him. I can feel anger rising in me, the same feeling that got me in this stupid mess to begin with.
“So you don’t deny you’re a liar and a piece of shit?” Topher is livid.
“I never lied,” Leo answers him.
I turn my head and narrow my eyes. Damn, he was still looking at me. Our eyes meet.
“Ok fine, piece of shit then.” Topher deduces. Leo does not look away. Me on the other hand, I do.
“Stop looking at her, you already knocked her up. What are you trying to do, enslave her, too? Like you did me? No wonder I was on your side. You controlled me.”
“That is not true.” Broderick answers for Leo. “He never made you trust him.”
“Of course, you’re going to defend him. You probably think what he did was ok, too. Don’t you?”
“No, I don’t.” Broderick shocks us both. I look to him. “It’s not ok, but I can understand why it was needed.”
“Well, hoo-fucking-ray for you.” Topher claps.
“Enough!” Leo’s voice echoes in the room.
“Enough? Are you kidding me?” Topher stamps his foot.
“This is not helping the situation.” Leo’s calm voice tips me over.
“What will help this situation, Leo? Please enlighten all of us,” I say. The room falls silent after I speak. “Can you rewind time? Can you make last night never happen? Can you make me never have stepped foot in your hotel to begin with?”
He winces. “No, I cannot.”
“I bet you wouldn’t even if you could.” I shake my head as tears well in my eyes. Having enough of looking at him, I concentrate on the dark skies through the window.
“Elita?” His voice is softer, trying to coax me to engage again.
I shake my head not wanting him to continue.
“You know what? There is one thing that will help this situation,” Topher says.
“What is it?” Leo is quick to respond.
“She wants to go home. To our apartment.”
“No way.” Broderick folds his arm. “Out of the question.”
“Why not? Of course, because you only care about yourself and your own agenda. Damn what the woman you tricked into having a baby wants, she’s nothing anyway, isn’t that right?”
A tear falls and I close my eyes. It hurts to know how true that is. It hurts more than I thought, knowing that’s what Leo thinks of me.
“It’s for her own protection and safety. We’re setup at the military base. We can go there. Elita, we will make you comfortable.” Broderick tries to assure us.
&nb
sp; Topher scoffs, “Yeah, for her safety.”
“Ok, would you rather you scurry off unprotected and let her be captured by The Uprising. Who, most likely would carve out the child themselves, just to stop Leo from producing an heir?” Broderick’s words slam home.
“Broderick, enough.” Leo’s voice is harsh and unforgiving. Topher doesn’t respond, and I sink further inside myself. “No more discussion.”
Hope is now over. Way too empty to fight anymore.
“Nadav, organise a team to set up surveillance at her apartment.” Leo commands.
“What are you talking about?” Broderick says. “That is not what we decided. It isn’t safe.”
“Make it safe then.”
The relief of finally going home is swamped by the hatred that I am grateful to the man who used me to begin with.
“There is one condition.” I clench my jaw as Leo continues, “Broderick and I will be staying with you.”
I can feel his eyes on me, waiting for my response.
I still cannot look at him. Instead, I nod my acceptance to Topher.
“Deal.” Topher agrees for the both of us.
Thankfully, Nadav drives Topher and I back. Leo and the others in two other cars flanking us, I’m grateful not to have to sit in a confined space with him.
Nadav is not much of a talker. This I have noticed and am happy about. Even Topher is quiet.
The long drive back home gives us all a chance to reflect. From the woman that started this journey to the one sitting here now holding her stomach where her baby is growing. It’s been tough. Every time I think about what is in store for me this week it chokes me. Drowning me in fear. So many questions I asked the doctor, and he answered them all, but not with what I wanted to hear.
He explained how my body will be expanding and my organs shifting to make way for the growing baby just like in a human pregnancy. But at a much faster rate. He explained how much pain that would cause. And that growing will occur when I’m in a resting state. To cope, I’ll have to drink an elixir to assist with pain management.
I swallow some bile that is threatening to pour out.
Morning sickness?
Winding down the window lets some much-needed air in. I close my eyes and take as much in as possible, as my watery mouth struggles to keep the sickness at bay.
Being back in the Port is comforting and gives me back my resolve. Now, I just need to wait until I get inside before I lose my dinner.
We stop right in front of our big red door. It feels like years ago when we were here last. The one thing I am not looking forward to is the mess that’s waiting for me.
I don’t even have my keys or my phone. Then I remember the lock is still probably broken, and the building is going to be under strict surveillance, anyway. So, it doesn’t really matter.
What does at this point?
My front door opens before I’m even out of the car. Estel, Leo’s maid ushers a group of cleaners carrying trash bags towards the large skip bin.
“Forgot about the break-in,” Topher says with a yawn.
My own yawn mirrors his, and nod in agreement. It helps quell my nausea.
My car door opens, Nadav is there holding it for me. “You need a hand?” His thick Israeli accent offers with his hand outstretched.
“I’m ok, thanks.” I give him a small smile.
It’s not until the door closes behind me and I walk to get inside, I hear screeching tyres. Nadav pulls me behind him and takes out his handgun.
“Incoming!” Lucas yells.
Two men appear on the roof, automatic rifles point to the side entrance of the road.
Fear grips me.
“Get her inside!” Leo roars.
Nadav grabs my arm to obey his command. I don’t resist as they descend on the small orange car that is barrelling towards us.
Wait. Is that the Bug?
I pull my arm out of Nadav’s grip to look.
He grabs again, as he forcefully drags me.
“Wait, stop!” I scream. The orange Volkswagen Beetle. Franziska’s Bug pulls to a stop. But Broderick is there, ripping the driver’s side door off its hinges before the words come out.
“NO!” I scream.
I can’t do anything but watch in horror.
But it’s not Broderick that is the victor. Franziska’s thick Prussian accent speaks a dialect of her ancient Baltic language. Her pupils dilate as her hand waves and spits on the ground. Broderick is propelled through the air, his body smashing through the Fisherman’s Market at least 100 metres away.
This has the rest of the men drawing out their weapon.
“No. No. No.” I use Nadav’s moment of surprise to my advantage and run towards her.
“HOLD FIRE!” Leo bellows.
“I know her. Stop!” I cry out, running to her. Trying to prevent a complete catastrophe.
Movement stops around us as Franziska steps out of the car, followed by Livvy, her niece from Victoria. Olivia, or as she is known to me, Livvy. I have not seen her since we were teenagers. Both are running to meet me with just as much vigour and concern.
Livvy gets to me first. “Oh my god, Elita. Are you ok?”
She hugs me hard.
That throws me off. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her.
I nod in her embrace.
She pulls back, due to Franziska pulling us apart.
She speaks in her natural language, like she does when she has lots to say and not much energy to translate. She had tried to teach me over the years. I get maybe one or two words, but I don’t need to understand the words. I get the gist. Only because she puts her hands on my belly and finishes the rest in English.
“What have you done?” she gasps, her eyes pinned on my rounded belly.
I don’t know what to say.
The only thing that comes out is my dinner. I don’t mean to, but it spews from my mouth and once I’m done, everyone is silent and Franziska’s feet are saturated.
I really had thought I could make it inside.
Air buzzes around us while we stand, in my now pristine living room. There’s not much furniture left, but still spotless.
The door swings open, hitting the wall and bouncing back. Broderick stalks in, covered in a white coat of dust. He has the room’s attention. No one’s speaking while we wait for Franziska to come out of the bathroom.
Broderick closes the door behind him and steps into our impromptu circle. Livvy, Topher, and me on one side. Leo and Nadav on the other. He stands in an open space.
All eyes glued to him.
His eye twitches.
Not sure whether it’s from the dust that covers him, or from being majorly pissed.
Lucas walks down from the spiral staircase with his rifle strapped to his back.
“All clear.” He hits the final step before he looks at our little meeting. Doing a double take of Broderick. “You got a little something stuck.” He points to the back of his own neck.
All heads turn to Broderick.
With his jaw clenched, he slowly pries out a piece of sharp debris. Throwing it directly in the path of Lucas, barely missing him, stabbing the wall behind him with force.
It must have been intentional, because just a few inches to the right, poor Lucas wouldn’t have an eye. Or a life for that matter.
Broderick is definitely mad.
It’s quiet for a good thirty seconds before I catch Livvy looking down at my belly. And I remember I haven’t seen her in a long time.
I didn’t sign up to be in the principal’s office in my own house. I don’t know what everyone is waiting for.
“I can’t believe you’re here. I haven’t seen you in ages.” I break the silence.
She peeks towards the bathroom door before she leans closer. “This is all so crazy.” Her eyes hit mine. “Are you ok?” She looks down. “Are you feeling ok?”
“I guess.” I shrug. “I don’t know.”
She looks back up at me, and he
r empathy pours out. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help you. If I had known you were involved in all this crap, I’d have been here sooner.”
“Olivia,” Franziska says, ending our conversation walking back in the room.
Livvy gives me the same look from when she’d come stay with us over the summer. The one that said if she could, she would roll her eyes right now. It never made sense back then, but somehow Franziska always knew what we did. Even when our backs were turned.
Now it all fits.
She’s a witch.
There has been so much withheld from me my entire life. It’s hard to know who to trust anymore.
Apparently, Livvy gave her parents trouble for a couple of years, so they would send her off to Franziska to whip her back into shape for the summer holidays. The last I heard she was shipped off to a boarding school because I guess they thought she needed it.
I don’t remember Livvy being trouble at all. She was just opinionated. Like any young teenager that feels safe in their environment is. I admit Franziska has always been extremely traditional, just like all the family. But I was grateful for a roof and food, so I didn’t complain.
“Elita. You must come home with us at once.” Franziska’s plea awakens the room.
“Absolutely not.” Leo doesn’t miss a beat.
Her scorn turns to Leo. “You! What did you do? I know who you are. I am not afraid.” She lifts her chin, “Elita is coming home to us, her family. We, the Divinians, will take care of our own.”
“Elita is not a Divinian,” Leo says.
“Elita is right here and can answer for herself.” My hands land on my hips. Angry either of them thinks they have the right to say where I go. At least they’re not claiming ownership of me.
Why would Franziska say I am a Divinian? “What’s a Divinian?” I finish my thought out loud.
“You are not a Divinian,” Livvy says. “Divinians are blessed with divine magic abilities.” She sighs. “Basically, it just means all witches and sorcerers.”
“You may not be blooded Divinian,” Franziska says, “but you were brought to us by Chaos himself for protection.” She pounds her chest. “You were entrusted to us Divinians for protection.”
