Diogo was kicked out an hour ago, though Doc Bishop said if he behaved himself and stopped threatening everyone, he could come back in for the birth. My admiration for the brave doctor went up as the fierce Warlord left the room to go stalk the halls of the palace.
“Here we are,” Jessa Albright says calmly as she sets an armload of supplies on a desk near the end of the bed. She peeks over the doctor’s shoulder. “Coming along nicely. Only a few more minutes.”
As Taran’s labour pains grow closer together, Jessa perches on the bed on the other side, taking her hand and talking her through the process. I’m amazed at how calm the woman sounds when I feel like as much of a mess as Taran. I’d been so excited to meet my new baby niece or nephew, it never occurred to me until now how dangerous giving birth can be.
We still have the same medicine and procedures as hospitals and doctors from before the Great Fall, but supplies are scarcer and surgery is difficult if anything goes wrong.
Jessa and Doc Bishop seem to have prepared for everything though, including the possibility of a c-section. Doc Bishop assured me already that it would be unlikely since Taran gave birth to Blaze the old-fashioned way without complications.
Taran lets out a piercing scream that sends my heart racing.
I look up as Diogo comes crashing through the door, his hand on his knife.
Doc Bishop looks at him calmly and says, “Good timing, Warlord. Your wife is about to have the baby. If you’ll please replace Jessa at the head of the bed, I will need my nurse.”
Diogo stares at the doctor as though he’s an alien, speaking an alien language.
I glare at my brother-in-law and snap my fingers, pointing at Jessa. “Diogo, move your butt, now. Taran needs you.”
My sharp no-nonsense tone gets the huge Warlord moving.
Jessa hurries to the end of the bed, hovering next to the doctor while Diogo takes her place, sitting gingerly on the bed next to Taran. He takes her hand and looks down at her with such a combination of love and terror that my heart melts for them. If I didn’t have my own love, I might be jealous of theirs. But as it is, my big tough warrior is now pacing the length of the harem, waiting for news.
Once the doctor gets serious, telling Taran to push, time seems to stand still. I hold my breath as she grits her teeth, bears down, and pushes. She flings her head back and lets out a piercing scream. Diogo does the same, letting out a battle cry as his daughter comes screaming into the world, a head full of hair and a wail on her lips.
Moments after meeting my brand-new baby niece and kissing my sister on the cheek, I run from the room and throw myself into Wolfe’s arms. He holds me close while I cry out my emotions. I’m happy, but the terror still lingers. I could have lost my sister. I’ve been bitten by a zombie, attacked, shot at and stabbed, but I think that was the most terrifying moment of my life.
After I wipe my tears away, I grin up at Wolfe, who looks like he’s been through a war zone waiting out Taran’s birth in the harem.
“I think I want one,” I say softly.
“Not a fucking chance,” he growls, his hands tightening on my arms. “I will comb a thousand cities and bring home a thousand Novas if it means you never go through that.”
I laugh and pull him from the harem, giving my sister, her husband and the new baby a chance to bond as a family. As we make our way upstairs, I think over baby names for my future children.
Forty-Three
Saying goodbye to my sister is never easy. It wasn’t when I was leaving the Tucson Sanctuary to distribute the vaccine, and it feels twice as difficult now. Especially since she’s taking my baby niece Rayne with her.
“Are you sure?” I ask, touching my fingers to the fiery red fuzz on Rayne’s head. “She’s so tiny. Maybe you should wait a few more weeks.”
It has only been one week since Taran gave birth, and while my sister seems to have recovered rather quickly from the trauma, she still looks tired to me.
She shakes her head and bounces on the spot, her daughter snuggled in a baby wrap against her chest. “We’ve been away from our Sanctuary and our son for six weeks. Though Grayson has done an excellent job of running things for us, we really need to get back. The road between here and Tucson has been repaired. It’ll take us the day to get home.”
“It could still be dangerous,” I warn her. “Primitives and Outsiders are unpredictable.”
“We have our guard and your husband has generously offered to send an extra car with us.”
“Fine, you can go,” I say ungraciously. “Let me hold the baby one last time.”
Taran laughs and hands my niece to me. “We’ll be seeing you again in a few months. Wolfe says he’s going to bring you for a visit and to return our doctor.”
I crouch with the baby so Nova can see her, too. Nova has been enthralled with Rayne since she was born and has spent almost as much time with Taran as she has with me. She touches her fingers lightly to the baby’s cheek and grins from ear to ear.
She still hasn’t spoken yet, but she makes noises and laughs. As she touches Rayne, she coos at the baby.
I look up at my sister. “Thank you for loaning us your doctor. Jessa is thrilled to learn from him. With Bishop as a mentor, she should be ready to take over some of Sheela’s responsibilities soon.”
Taran nods. “Our pleasure, or I suppose I should say its Doc Bishop’s pleasure. He’s so pleased to go through your former doctor’s work with the Primitive cure that I think it might take an army to get him to leave now.”
When Bishop discovered Sheela’s work on the Primitive cure, he became a fixture at the hospital. He’s asked Silas and the others to visit the hospital daily for checkups and is pleased by their progress.
Taran and Diogo weren’t entirely happy when Bishop offered to stay and mentor Jessa, but they haven’t stopped him either.
“Who will take over as your medical professional while Bishop is here?” I ask anxiously. My sister did just have a baby and I would be devastated if anything happened to her or my niece.
“We’ll be fine,” she assures me. “Bishop has been training several medical professionals in Tucson. One is just about ready to become an official doctor. Soon, we’ll have more than we need.”
“Good,” I say with a smile, standing and handing the baby back. “Then you can send one of them our way.”
We finish saying our goodbyes, and Wolfe and I watch from the gates as the Tucson caravan heads out with my sister and her baby ensconced in a vehicle somewhere in the middle. Though I’m sad to see her go, my heart bursts with happiness at the thought of our growing families.
Wolfe puts his arm around my shoulders and rubs my back. He mistakes my happy sniffling for sadness and looks down at me, a frown wrinkling his brow.
“We’ll see them again,” he offers.
“I know,” I say softly, smiling up at him. “I’m looking forward to going to Tucson, but I’m also glad to have my Sanctuary back. Diogo can be a beast when he doesn’t like something.”
Wolfe nods, but says nothing. I know he appreciates Diogo’s help, but he’ll be glad to have his biggest critic out of our Sanctuary for a while. Diogo had opinions on everything from wall construction to security. If Wolfe was doing something he didn’t like, Diogo was not shy about saying so.
“Think I’ll head to the wall,” Wolfe says gruffly, dropping a kiss on my head, then reaching down to heft Nova up in his arms. “I’ll take the gremlin.”
I grin at the sight of the tiny girl in Wolfe’s arms. She nestles against him and slips her arms around his neck. She’s becoming possessive of her big protector, but I don’t mind sharing.
“Have her home by supper,” I say, going onto my toes and kissing his chin. He’s great with our daughter, but sometimes when he gets caught up in his work, he forgets that she needs to eat. I’ve had to remind him more than once that it’s fine for him to pull long hours on the wall, but not our daughter. She needs nutrition and a proper bedtime.
He nods and strides away with Nova perched against his shoulder.
As I gaze out at the dust swirling across the landscape, following the tail of Taran and Diogo’s envoy, I realize I have nothing to do.
Well, that’s not entirely true, I always have something to do.
But today, I don’t have any meetings or inspections scheduled. None of my council members urgently need to see me.
I can’t remember the last time I had a free day. It’s been years. I have spent so much of my time on basic survival that free time has become a luxury best sacrificed.
Not today, I decide.
Today I’m going to have a leisurely bath, eat a sugary snack and go through the Warlord’s chambers. Though Wolfe and I have been living in there for several months, we haven’t had time to make many changes. The solarium plants can use a weeding and I’d like to get some of Silas’ things moved. Either back to him or put in storage.
It’s time to create a comfortable home for my small family. A place just for us, without a trace of the old Warlord.
A feeling of rightness and pride fills me as I think of decorating my home and I know I’m making an excellent choice. Except for a happy childhood spent in Old Canada and a stint in the harem, I’ve lived my life as a nomad. It’s time to stop and create the home I’ve always longed to have.
I make my way back to the palace, a silent Kingston trailing me.
I set out on my bed a loose, long cream coloured dress with a pattern of red roses along the hem and make my way naked to the washroom. I hum a song as I fill the tub, adding some lavender oil to the cascading water. I inhale deeply, relaxing with the scent.
I slip into the water and close my eyes, envisioning the different rooms in the Warlord’s chambers and what I’d like to do with them. I love the bright plant-filled solarium, but part of me thinks I should start over. No reminders of my ex-husband or the ex-Warlord.
As if conjuring him from my thoughts, Silas’ voice reaches out to me through the steam coming from the tub.
“I’ve waited a long time to talk to you alone.”
I jump and reach for the towel. It’s not where I left it. I cross my arms over my chest and sink into the tub as Silas steps forward from the shadowy corner of the room. How had I not heard him enter? Or maybe he’d been there all along and I hadn’t noticed him when I entered the room.
He’s holding my towel, which angers me. He wants me to feel vulnerable in my nudity.
“How did you get in here?” I demand.
He thinks for a moment, I suppose debating whether to tell me the truth. “I requested an audience with the Warlord, and when I was told she wasn’t seeing visitors today, I agreed to come back. Except instead of leaving, I went to the kitchens, where I was mostly ignored. Then I made my way up to the Warlord’s chambers through the servant’s stairs and hallways. It was easy getting into the Warlord’s Chambers. You really should post a guard when you aren’t here.”
I’ve become lax in my caution, thinking the palace is safe from outsiders. Thanks to Silas, I’ve been reminded that we can never let our guard down.
Eying him up and down, I realize that he’s looking better, healthier. He’s gained weight and the scarring to his face is healing. He’s wearing a pair of jeans, a T-shirt and work boots.
There was a time when seeing him like this, while I was in my bath and he was fully in control, might’ve set my heart to beating faster. Now, I’m outraged and wondering how best to get him away from my bath before Wolfe finds out and a slaughter ensues.
If Wolfe finds out Silas has broken into my bath, there won’t be a thing anyone will be able to stop him from murdering my ex-husband. Wolfe is already balancing on a razer’s edge with this man, and I don’t want Silas causing problems in my new marriage.
I debate what I want to say to him, then settle on the truth, “If Wolfe finds you here, you’re dead.”
I don’t add that I’m just as likely to kill him.
“I know, but it’s worth it to see you.”
I harden my voice. “You’ve seen me, now get out.”
He smiles, his lips stretching in a way that is familiar but also distant. It hits me that I no longer have any feelings for him. He’d once meant everything to me, but now he’s nothing more than a citizen of my Sanctuary who is trespassing in the Warlord’s chambers.
“I’m not leaving.” He drifts closer to the tub, his gaze on the water, as if trying to glimpse my naked body. “Not until I’ve talked to you.”
“Then talk,” I say icily.
He doesn’t say anything at first, just stares absently at the water as though gathering his thoughts. Finally, he speaks, “I want you to take me back.”
I frown. “Back where?”
I genuinely don’t get what he means right away. The thought of taking him back into my life is so far from my realm of possibility that I can’t imagine anyone else thinking it might be plausible. Then he gives me a heated look that tells me exactly what he wants.
I can’t help myself. I laugh. “You want me, your ex-slave, to take you back?”
He narrows his eyes at me. “You were never a slave and you know it. You were my valued wife.”
Anger rushes through me, erasing any traces of humour. I stand in the tub, dropping my arms to my side and allowing the water to stream down my body. “Did you buy me from an Outsider?”
He nods, his eyes on my body. “You know I did.”
“Did you give me a choice about joining your harem, or did you take me there while I was unconscious and force me to conform to your harem rules?”
He flushes as he realizes the direction of the conversation. “You were happy in the harem,” he reminds me.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
He stares at me as though seeing me for the first time. I’m not sure why. I’d been angry my first year in the harem. I’d resisted their rules, and I’d challenged the Warlord. He’d been patient with me and hadn’t hurt me, which eventually softened my opinion of him. Now that Wolfe has filled my world with choices, I see how very little choice I had with Silas.
But there’s no point in rehashing ancient history with my ex-husband. He won’t see my time spent in his harem for what it was. He thinks he was the benevolent leader who elevated us poor women from the rest of our survivalist society.
“Let me make this absolutely clear,” I say to him, infusing ice into each word. I step out of the tub and approach him, my feet leaving wet prints as I stalk toward him. “I will never take you back. As long as I have a choice, you will not be part of my life ever again. Is that clear?”
He looks stunned by my words, but rather than hurt, his face turns red with anger.
Anger is not an emotion I’ve seen often with him, so I don’t expect it when he grips my arm and swings me around toward the wall. My back hits hard and it’s everything I can do to control my wince of pain. I don’t want him to think he’s gaining the upper hand.
He covers my body with his, and I nearly gag as his heat hits me. All I can think is that he’s not Wolfe, and Wolfe is the only man in the world I want touching me.
“You were always mine and I will take you back,” he growls against the side of my face. “I died for you, and I came back from the dead for you.”
I turn my head to look him in the eyes, our lips nearly touching. His dark eyes used to make me quiver when they landed on me. They meant authority, the Warlord’s favour. Now, they mean nothing to me.
I slip my hand along his waist and feel for the hilt of the knife he has tucked away. Silas had rarely worn weapons when he was Warlord, except for ceremonial purposes, but I’m grateful he infiltrated the palace with one today or I would have had to find a way to get him into the bedroom where my own weapons are.
Valuable lesson for me… always take a weapon to my bath.
I lift my leg along the outside of his and he groans out loud at the contact, reaching for my waist. I don’t give him a chance to touch me; I kick m
y heel into the back of his knee and slam the palm of my hand into his chin, sending him crashing backwards.
As he hits the floor, I jump on top of him and press his knife against his throat. I lean over him, my hair spilling from the messy bun I’d made on top of my head. I bare my teeth at him.
“I was never yours.”
Forty-Four
I drag Silas out of the washroom, the knife still tucked up under his chin. When we’re close enough to the chamber doors, I call for my guard. Kingston comes flying through the door, his hand on the hilt of his gun.
He stops in his tracks at the sight of me striding naked toward him, the former Warlord held hostage at my side.
“Take him to the Warlord’s throne room,” I snap, releasing Silas as Kingston reaches for him.
Another guard comes rushing through the door, but Kingston points at him and snarls, “Out. Now.”
I smirk.
Wolfe wouldn’t like me walking in front of our men naked, but he would understand the circumstances called for it. At least I hope that’s the case. I don’t want him removing Kingston’s eyes.
“I’ll be down in fifteen minutes.” I turn and walk back toward my sleeping chamber, still seething over Silas’ assumption.
“The Death Kiss has rotted his brain if he thinks I would ever go back to him,” I mutter as I fold my dress away into the trunk at the end of my bed. I pull out my leather pants, corset and arm guards.
What I’m about to do needs to be done as the Warlord, not as Skye.
I walk down to the throne room, taking my time as I descend the stairs, contemplating my coming decision. It’s not a pleasant one, but necessary. I can’t have challenges to my authority, not even from the former Warlord. We’re rebuilding our Sanctuary stronger than ever. Now is not the time to show weakness.
I enter the throne room, striding past Silas, who is kneeling in front of Kingston, the other man’s hand on his shoulder. I climb the three steps to the throne and turn.
Skye's Sanctuary (The Sanctuary Series Book 5) Page 25
