The Quelling Tide (The Gifted Realm Book 7)

by Jillian Neal

  Something moved in the bushes. The man he’d shot crawled through Alfred’s window. He was bleeding badly and moaning. Dan moved to him and heard the gun chamber click.

  “You just won’t give it up will you?” Dan stomped his bare foot hard on the guys face feeling his nose and cheekbones crunch under the force. With that, he pulled the pistol from his hands, uncocked it, and emptied the bullets into his hand.

  “You go back through the house. I’m going around.” Fitz ordered.

  Dan kept his gun up as he cleared the house all the way to the back yard. There were two more near the boys’ swingset.

  He couldn’t fire. He was too afraid he would hit Fitz in his sprint. “Fitz two by the swing!” He bellowed loudly. There was no response, and Dan had given away his position.

  A bullet ripped through that screened porch door. The harrowing sound of sheering metal threads had Dan shuddering as he hit the concrete ground.

  Pushing all thoughts that Fitzroy might not have made it to the backyard because there’d been someone on the side of the house, Dan fired and took down one at the thigh.

  Another shot fired and the man beside him collapsed on top of the one Dan had felled. Keeping in the shadow of the house and low to the ground Dan met Fitz by the bodies.

  “Dan move!” Fitz shoved Dan to the ground and fired at the same moment. The last gunman didn’t get a shot off.

  “Thank you.” Dan panted as they moved the third guy to the pile and began draining them of energy. “Got anymore cuffs?” He was still unable to think beyond getting the intruders detained.

  “Yeah.” Fitz tried to chase down his breath. “There are several pairs in my bedside table.” Certain that in a few hours, he would be able to process that information and would find it humorous, he sprinted back into the house pulling numerous pairs of handcuffs from Fitz and Maddie’s bedside drawers. He took them gingerly back out to Fitzroy and helped him cuff the men lying in the backyard.

  “At some point I’m gonna want to hear about that.” Dan sank to the ground his mind reeling over everything that had happened.

  Seeming to find it odd that he was able to laugh, Fitz nodded.

  They dragged all of their captors inside the living room as Fitz called in his Elite team.

  As he raced down the stairs, Dan tried to find the words to explain to his girls what had happened. He sprinted to Fionna huddled in a corner. Aida was sobbing and wrapped in an old quilt sitting in Fionna’s lap.

  “It’s okay, baby. We’ve got them. Don’t bring her upstairs yet.”

  “Daddy!” Aida reached her hands up. Dan lifted her into his tender embrace. “It’s okay. I’m right here. You’re safe.” He soothed rhythmically.

  Fionna stood, and he held them both tightly.

  “Boys.” He shook his head. Stay down here with me. Your Dad’s all right, but you don’t need to go up yet.”

  Suddenly, Alex and Alfred were clinging to him as well. He knelt down to cradle all of the kids in his massive embrace.

  “Fitz is all right?” Maddie’s voice was ragged and terror-ridden.

  “He’s fine Mad. I promise. Just give the team a minute to get here.”

  She tried to draw steadying breaths.

  Fionna broke down in convulsive sobs. Dan shifted Aida to his right hip and held her tightly. “Shh, baby. It’s okay. You were so brave.” She’d tried so hard to fight the terror, to stay calm for Aida, and the mighty task had been more than she could withstand.

  Dan heard the thunder of boots rushing into the house from above.

  “That’s Iodex.” He let his shield encapsulate Fionna, Aida, and the boys. Maddie kept her distance while trying desperately to regain her calm.

  Incoming

  Fitzroy appeared, ragged and weary, a few moments later. Maddie rushed into his arms, and he held her tightly waging war against tears that would ultimately be his victor.

  Dan released his shield to allow Alex and Alfred to rush to their father. Fionna seemed unable to calm her energy. Her rhythms spiked and dipped rapidly. She slunk against Dan and shook violently.

  Trying desperately to think, he handed Aida to Fitzroy and carried her upstairs. He set her on the couch and located his cell from the guestroom. He touched Logan’s name on his phone and continued to soothe both Aida and Fionna. “I’m sorry I don’t even know what time it is there.” He managed.

  “It’s just after eleven. It’s okay. We weren’t asleep. What’s wrong?”

  “I need to talk to Adeline, now.”

  “Sure.”

  “Dan, what’s wrong?” Adeline demanded.

  He recounted the story, Fionna’s reaction, and her energy’s erratic pulses.

  “The fetus is too young to react to her emotions yet, but the pregnancy is affecting her energy’s ability to recover. It sounds like her blood pressure is spiking, and we can’t have that. I’m going to call the American Hospital in Paris. Do you know how to get her there?”

  “Yeah.” Dan moved in a trance. His brain wouldn’t allow him to consider what had happened. Making sure the baby was safe and Fionna was okay was the only thing that made sense to him.

  “She’s gonna be fine, but you’ve got to remain calm. I’m going to need you to cast her for the next several hours.” Adeline guided him.

  “Okay.” Thankful to have the next steps, he began drawing steadying breaths.

  “Get Aida and Fionna. Take them to the hospital. I want you to eat as much as you can before you arrive. I’ll give them all of my instructions, but I want you to cast her as soon as they have her admitted and begin giving her the medications that will stabilize her blood pressure. We’re going to use your energy to regulate hers because she’ll respond to you faster than anyone else. Once she’s back to normal, you can take her back to wherever you’re staying. She’ll need to rest for several days. She might not do well on a flight, if you’re planning on coming home. I’m going to call the hospital. You get her there.”

  “I will. We’ll leave right now.”

  Twenty minutes later, Dan and Fionna rushed into the American Hospital in Paris. The Fitzroys were right behind them. The press was out in force having heard Fitz’s call go out over the radio, but Dan was astonished as soon as they entered. Several Medios met them with calming smiles and guided Fionna into a wheelchair and then to a room in the Obstetrics ward.

  “Medio Haydenshire has given us our instructions, and you’ll be just fine.” A woman, who’d introduced herself as Medio Bridgette Capuson, soothed.

  “Now,” she guided Fionna into the bed. Her rhythms were still ragged and varying rapidly. She was panting for breath, and all of the color washed from her face suddenly.

  “Dan!” she choked.

  “She’s gonna be sick!” Dan hoisted Aida into Fitzroy’s arms as he sat Fionna up, and Medio Capuson miraculously caught everything in a large dish.

  “It’s just her blood pressure dropping and spiking. We’ll get it taken care of.” She remained steadfast and calm.

  Dan eased Fionna back against the pillows. Her head appeared too heavy for her to hold upright. He guided it back gently with his hand and fought the relentless voices, the constant buzzing of his mind, that said he’d let her down yet again.

  “Let’s start with this.” The Medio crushed two pills into what appeared to be seltzer water. “Drink that while I get everything set.”

  Without warning, she hoisted Fionna’s t-shirt up and her sweatpants down.

  “We’ll just wait outside.” Fitz handed Aida back to Dan. He held her in his lap as he sat beside Fionna.

  Suddenly, they heard the sounds that brought air back to their lungs. Fionna’s face immediately regained some of its color as she gave Dan a slight smiled and reached for his hand.

  “See, she’s fine.” Medio Capuson assured them as they listened to Halia’s rapid heartbeats over the monitors. Dan watched her tiny rhythmic pulses. “She doesn’t have any idea that you had yourselves quite a night.”
/>   “My baby sister is okay?” Aida pled in a heartbroken whisper.

  “She’s fine, sweetheart. Do you hear that? It’s her heartbeat.”

  Aida’s frightened eyes lit as she nodded. She placed her little hand on Fionna’s stomach making tears flow rapidly down Dan and Fionna’s faces.

  “It’s alright Halia. Don’t be scared. I’m right here.”

  “Mr. Vindico, the medicine I just gave your wife will settle her rhythms and blood pressure. Her Receiver’s radar is still spiking. Her energy is struggling to settle. You need to keep her casted for several hours. The fetus will recognize your patterns and allow you in.”

  “You’re certain all she needs is my shield?” It didn’t seem it could be that simple.

  “The fewer clothes either of you are wearing the faster it will work, but I understand if your daughter wants to stay with you. Just keep what I said in mind as you cast her.”

  Fionna settled Aida beside her and Dan removed his shirt. Not only was it the nicest hospital room he’d ever seen, the bed was large enough for two.

  “Dad, the more of you that you can push through to her, the faster she’ll recover and sleep. We’ll be monitoring her and the baby constantly. The results are being fed to Medio Haydenshire back in the States.” Medio Capusan placed her hands on Fionna’s stomach and closed her eyes to read her rhythms intently.

  “Are you a double predilect, Mrs. Vindico?”

  “No.” Fionna managed though she’d begun shivering again and couldn’t seem to hold her jaw still. Her teeth were chattering violently.

  “Why did you ask that?” Dan demanded. He was wondering if somehow something else was wrong as he tried to comfort Fiona.

  “Well, Mr. Vindico, because your wife currently has four energy streams, so I’m assuming you are the double Predilect.”

  “Yeah.” Apparently Fionna still had enough of his energy inside of her from their love making session hours before to be read by the Medio.

  “It’s perfectly fine. It’s good. The more of your energy we can get to her the faster we can heal hers. So,” Medio Capusan set the clipboard on a table in the room. “We’ll stay away for an hour or so and see if you can get her calmed. If she can sleep while you keep her casted, that’s even better. We’ll bring you as much food as you need. Use a low level of heat and as much soothing energy as she can stand.”

  He tried desperately not to recall of the last time he’d casted Fionna lying in a hospital bed after receiving those same instructions.

  “Just press the button if you need me.” She pointed to a call button near Fionna’s head, and then lowered the lights in the room as she left.

  Dan slid into the bed. He wrapped his shield around all three of his girls and forced as much of his energy as he could manage into theirs.

  Aida’s hand went slack on Fionna’s stomach. She fell asleep almost instantly. As soon as she was out, Dan helped Fionna remove her shirt so he could push more energy through her.

  “Fi, baby, I’m so sorry.” He let his tears of abject defeat fall into her hair as he held her tightly. She was too weak to argue, but she shook her head and buried her face in his chest.

  “Go to sleep, baby. I’m right here.” He wondered how him being beside her could possibly make her feel safe anymore, but she relaxed and a few minutes later she was sleeping soundly.

  ~Logan Haydenshire~

  “Hey, have you talked to Dan?” was Logan’s greeting to Portwood as soon as he answered his cell.

  “No, but I just talked to Fitzroy.” Portwood sounded heartbroken for the Vindicos.

  “Ad says the baby’s gonna be fine. She’s reading the scans coming off of Fionna now. She says they look good.”

  “I know,” Portwood sighed, “but my God, are they ever gonna get any peace?”

  “Yeah, I know.” Logan had to agree with his frustration. “Hey, you don’t think this has anything to do with the money and what the bank manager told Rainer?”

  “I really don’t.” Portwood said the words that allowed Logan’s lungs to release the pent up air he’d been holding. “Fitz says that the guys that attacked his house were people he’d put out warrants for around six the night before. I don’t know how they knew he’d decided to go after them, but they apparently were stupid enough to think they could take on Fitz and Dan and survive. Two of them didn’t by the way. The rest are quickly making Bertreau their new home.”

  “Did you tell Fitz about the money?”

  “I started to, but his kids were with him and his wife. They’ve been through enough tonight. I’ll call them next week when we have more information. They have to move now. He’s got a full plate, and Fi’s back in the hospital. Little Aida’s a mess, and Dan can’t even bring them home yet.”

  Logan hadn’t even thought about Aida being in the house when it was attacked. Who would do such a thing?

  ~Dan Vindico~

  Dan awoke at eight to the ring of his cell phone. Panicking, he immediately reset his cast over Fionna, but her rhythms had soothed and her color had returned.

  “I’m okay. I soothed you to sleep.” She whispered as she kept Aida cradled on her chest. She was still sound asleep.

  “This is Vindico.” Dan managed on the sixth ring.

  “Dan, it’s Stephen. Are you all right, son?”

  “Yes, sir. I’m sorry. I just woke up.” He apologized and moved from the bed to try and let Aida sleep.

  “I’ve been in contact with Adeline and the hospital for the last few hours. They both assure me that all of your girls are fine.”

  Dan studied Fionna and Aida. “Well Halia’s fine, but I’m not sure about Fi and Aida. I just can’t seem to keep them safe.” He choked desperate for Governor Haydenshire’s calming rhythmic intonation and for his wisdom.

  “Halia is a beautiful name, Daniel, and you did keep them safe, all of them.”

  “Why does this keep happening?” His voice shattered as he forced his emotion back with sheer strength of will.

  “Do you want me to come out there, Dan?”

  “No, sir. I just want to get them home.”

  “Daniel, listen to me, please. You won’t get yourself or your family anywhere if you start making rash decisions, so take it down a notch or two. Adeline says Fionna isn’t ready to fly just yet. I’m going to send my plane out there in a few days and make certain that you all get home safely. But don’t push she or Aida. They need to work through this at their own pace. Jerking them up out of a hospital bed and flying them home may not be the best thing for any of you. Listen to your wife. Follow her lead. She knows what’s best for your little ones, and to be frank, she knows what’s best for you Daniel. You’re a better man when you’re with her.”

  “Yes, sir.” He clearly needed to listen. Thus far he felt like an utter failure as a father and as a husband.

  “Aida will recover as soon as she’s certain that you and Fionna aren’t going to fall apart.”

  Gazing down at his precious little girl with her head laying placidly on his wife’s chest, Dan moved back to the bed and laced his fingers in Fionna’s.

  “I’ll do whatever she needs me to do.”

  Fitz knocked as a hospital attendant wheeled a breakfast tray in for Fionna. Dan shook his head, and he moved back out until Dan helped Fionna pull her shirt back on.

  The hospital brought food for he and Aida as well. Dan let Fitz and Maddie in as Fionna began plying the very sleepy Aida with some fruit.

  “No, thank you.” She yawned and promptly fell back asleep.

  Fitz chuckled though his expression was morose. “I’m so sorry.” He looked utterly broken.

  “Jean Paul, it was not your fault.” Maddie consoled him.

  “No, it certainly wasn’t.” Fionna agreed.

  “Look, I don’t know how the hell this happened, but, obviously, we can’t live there anymore. I’m certain you’re about to tell me that you’re taking them home. I’ll get you a plane. I’ll do anything, but you have to
be here for the trials. The Parliamentary board set them all for Friday morning.” Fitz concluded dejectedly.

  Dan felt the information try to work through his brain. He felt hung over. The exhaustion of keeping Fionna casted and of all that had happened began to make him lightheaded and weak.

  “Here, Dan! Eat something.” Fionna panicked as he stumbled forward.

  “Sit down.” Fitz stepped and helped Dan sit on the bed.

  “I’m fine.”

  Fitzroy pulled a high-powered protein bar, only available to Iodex officers and Gifted military members, out of his pocket. “Here, I picked some up at the office last night. I figured you might need them.”

  “Thanks.” Dan tore open the packaging and began inhaling the protein. As his brain received the nutrients, his breath steadied.

  “As soon as you’re ready to fly, you’re going from here to Kauai.”

  “No, I’m not.” Fionna huffed. Her tone was perforated with fear and sorrow. She handed him a small plate containing several large pastries.

  Without arguing, he began inhaling the sugar and carbs.

  “I’m not going home without you, and I’m certainly not going to Kauai without you.” She demanded with more vigor that Dan thought she had in her at that moment. “We’ll just stay in a hotel, and I assume Aida and I can go to the Senate with Dan for the trials?” She asked Fitzroy.

  “Of course, but we call it the Parliament, and I may have a much better option.”

  Strengthening his resolve to argue with his wife and his best friend, Dan downed a shot of espresso quickly. “Fi, baby, if you don’t want to leave without me I’ll take you and the girls on to Kauai. My mother will get over the reception. You’ll actually be able to recover there. I’ll come back here, do the trials, and then I’ll go home, get all of our stuff, and meet you out there. I’ll be gone two nights, max.”

  “What was your option?” She turned back to Fitz.