by Hayley Todd
I felt better, infinitely better, but that didn’t mean much considering the damage I had done to myself coupled with what had been done to me.
The house roared with activity but it was all eerily quiet. Medics and soldiers buzzed around the main room, in and out of the day room with quick movements.
We’d only made it a few steps into the house before Damien, Gabrielle, my mother, Lucas, and Will located us. They were frantic with worry but it still felt good to be surrounded by them again.
I got lost in the conversation as they fussed over Anton and I and sent us both to the infirmary. The room was buzzing with activity but there were few people left. There had been minor injuries in the assault against the manor but the previous occupants had already been evacuated.
I learned from Damien at my bedside that with our forewarning, the attack had been minor. Even in the light of dawn, his soldiers had quashed the oncoming assailants without difficulty. It made me wonder if a successful assault had been a part of their concern at all. It had all been a set up, distracting any aid that we might’ve had.
Kellic had evidently been brought to the manor and had been place in her room under the watchful eye of half a dozen guards. She had managed to break a window and fled the property where she had then saved my life.
I missed her. I desperately missed her. I missed her as she was and I was worried about how she might then be. I had already seen the devastating effect that Chaos had on its hosts and I could only hope that Kellic would be strong enough to overcome Kenos.
The next several days were a blur. Despite being well enough to maintain consciousness as Anton delivered me to medical care, I found myself falling in and out of awareness as I recovered. Kenos and Valeria’s attacks had done a number on me physically, but moreover, my body and soul needed time to recover from the overtaxing I had put it through. Without the amulet, it definitely would have killed me.
I managed to stay upright for Evelyn’s funeral. She had never truly recovered from her injuries but internal bleeding was what finally did her in. Those final moments of our conversation were her final moments on earth. They built a traditional pyre and spoke words of reminiscence at her service. It was my first vampire funeral and the camaraderie that spoke for the dead made it clear that she would never be forgotten.
Her loss was a major blow to the Magicks and the vampire communities as a whole. Evelyn was a very influential woman. She had become like an aunt to me, always there and always caring, even when she wasn’t expected to.
For the time being, her seat on the council remained open. One of the other Magick Council members, Austin Wells, had been killed in the attack on Damien’s mansion. His seat and her’s remained unfilled. The Council did finally decide that in the wake of an all out war, Anton would take over his father’s position, making him bonafide royalty again.
I had expected that. He had more than proven himself.
I was fortunate as the remnants of my circle didn’t comment on our relationship. It was the better match honestly. I didn’t like phrasing it that way but in the eyes of the vampire people, as the princess of the Magick throne, I was expected to marry within my own race. I didn’t agree with that bigoted mindset but it was all around me.
Damien repaired all of the damage to the manor and even had my car brought there. There was round-the-clock surveillance on the property and the surrounding forest. Guards and soldiers regularly walked the halls. I was glad for my private suite as I remained undisturbed.
The clearing in the woods had been rid of all of the bodies. I requested that if Valeria had nowhere else to go, she be buried beneath that ancient oak tree. It was the only tree left standing after the blast the spell had incurred. It was representative of hope to me. It still reminded me of childhood innocence but, like myself, it had experienced trauma that would hopefully only allow it to grow stronger.
I had told Anton about the events that truly occurred in that clearing but I had limited my explanations to others. On one of his outings, he had purchased a wooden plaque and had it engraved with what we knew of Valeria. Since I was still unable to go out and about, he took it to the clearing for me and placed it at the head of Valeria’s grave.
She may have been sick and twisted but I really didn’t know much of her. If there was nothing else I could have done, I would respect her in death for her sacrifice. Kellic had saved me but Valeria had been killed trying to do the same.
I was tired, endlessly so. I was also horribly depressed after everything that had happened. Anton was as supportive as he could be but there were some wounds that even he couldn’t mend. Time was the keeper of all things and I could only hope that it would be merciful on me and my family.
Though Anton was attending to Magick Council business and recovering his lands, he made sure that he stopped in to see me every single day. He fed me from his vein though it seemed that I was still getting weaker. The doctors that my father had attending to me couldn’t initially explain it but I’d had word that they may have found the problem.
I laid in bed, the TV on but not really focusing on it. I had a mound of pillows and my room was lined with flowers and chocolates and other pleasantries I hadn’t had much time to consider. Anton had been the source of most of the gifts, my parents had delivered some others, Will and Luke had their name on a few, and the rest were from a variety of vampire royalty as good faith gestures.
I finally crawled from beneath my covers, walking around the room and admiring the petals and the scent of fresh air that surrounded them. I glanced over each card as I went.
I felt pristine and calm and lovely.
Until I found a vase nearly hidden among the others whose colors were dipped in red and black. It was nestled in a pale silver vase and a dainty onyx card with crimson border hung around its neck.
The emblem etched on its cover looked familiar. It took me several seconds of staring to recognize the Caraelius family crest.
My stomach sank.
I assumed the flowers were from Augustus Caraelius and I had no desire to accept his charity.
I opened the card delicately like it might bite me. Etched across the top in a flourishing script was a brief message.
Kyra,
I wish to meet you sometime soon. I imagine you have some special news for me.
Augustus Caraelius
And beneath it was another script, more modern and less about flair. It’s words crashed into me like a freight train and all of the events I’d experienced over the last several weeks whirled into me.
The door opened then and Anton accompanied by a slight woman in scrubs entered the room.
“What are you doing out of bed?” Anton asked and his eyes were tight. Did he know? God, he already knew.
“Princess, if you want to have a seat, I have some results I’d like to go over with you. I think we’ve isolated the cause of your weakness,” the doctor said.
My heart pounded in my chest. I dropped the card and it fell from my hand as though it weighed a million tons.
I crossed the room, crawling into the bed and waiting for the words. The room was stunningly quiet.
Anton sat on the edge beside me and pulled my hand into his. He rested our mingled palms in his lap ran his other hand down my back. It would’ve relaxed me under other circumstances but right then every touch felt like electricity.
The doctor approached the bed, flipping through the papers on the clipboard in her hands. She read over some things, leading her eyes with one finger.
“Ah, yes,” she said at last.
My heart thundered. I was sure they could hear it but no matter what I tried, I couldn’t stop it’s frantic pounding.
“Princess, I am fortunate enough to deliver the wonderful news. You are four weeks pregnant.”
In that word, my world collided. Everything good and everything bad crashed into each other and with deafening clarity, I accepted that my life was about to change forever.
THE END
With utmost appreciation,
Hayley Todd
Providence Reigns: Sneak Peak
Prologue
Brighid sat upon her throne, staring down at her citizens. She was admittedly lovely. Her long hair was black now, darker than the very night sky above. There were threads of vibrant tell-tale auburn strands peaking through down her braided tresses.
It was hard for her to contain her rage even amongst her duties. When that hair turned its emblazoned orange, it was then that you ran to the hills.
She wore a wrapped silken gown today. It was crimson and while it fit well in her calmer states, the angry red she emitted while furious overpowered any red she could try to imitate.
Over her shoulders and down various patches of her body were smooth metal plates of black. And at her hip, she wore a sheath that contained her famed magic cutting blade.
She was the epitome of dangerous beauty.
I stood at her side. I regularly underplayed my own appeal to bolster the image Brighid required. I knew she appreciated it even if she didn’t acknowledge it.
She was the queen of all. I was merely one of her Ladies.
The man that groveled before her now couldn’t keep his eyes from darting in my direction between his words and Brighid has noticed.
“I-I bring offerings of meat for your table. I know it could not compare to the plates of the Tuatha Dé Danann but it is the meager offering I may provide.” And there it was. The peek and peer that was earning him Brighid’s ire.
“And what may ye ask of me?” Brighid said. Her voice made its way down the court with rumbling triplicate. Everyone would recognize the anger in it.
The man shivered. “If it would be your will I...have a pest problem. One of your maiden, Lianhan Sidhe’s people have been...harassing my village.” Sweat pooled across his brow. His rat-like eyes snapped to me before he had the grace to look at the ground.
Brighid turned her head to me slowly, reveling in the irony of her anger. “Mistress Moira, have you any relevant information?” Her maroon tinted lips widened in a smile.
I turned my head and rolled my eyes so only Bridgid could see it. She chuckled heartily before straightening up and awaiting my testimony.
I stepped nearer to the man. He peered up at me through shaggy bangs. “Mortal,” I said, letting my voice slither about the clearing, grazing every mind there. “Hath my daughter brought death upon you?” I asked. I reached down with one hand and dragged it up the man’s chest, leaving a welt from pectoral to chin.
The man shivered. “N-no, my lady. She hath only weakened some of my greatest farm hands.” He was shaking beneath my full attention.
I glanced over my shoulder at Brighid. I brought one crimson nail to my ruby lip. “Forgive me, queen of all, but I see no wrongdoing here. Our bargain with the mortals allows feeding, but no death.”
I sauntered back to my position, letting my hips sway dramatically from side to side. I could feel every eye on me. They couldn’t resist.
Brighid cleared her throat before her reply. “Mistress Moira is correct. No law has been broken. What say you, farmer?”
The man was near to breaking already. That was no fun. He shook, the tremors most obvious in his voice. “M-my men won’t return to work as long as she is present,” he babbled.
I placed my hand against my hip lethargically. “I see no complainant present. Where are your witnesses?”
The man froze, turning his head away. When he glanced up to Brighid again, there were tears running down his full cheeks.
“What ask ye as compensation?” Brighid asked. One hand was tight on the arm of her throne.
The man’s head swiveled between Brighid and myself. The poor thing had no idea what to say. I pulled him, swayed him. I reached out with my mind until it brushed his sloppy thoughts. He wasn’t a bright man. He didn’t see how his men could be lured away by some wench. He seethed.
“I think we can settle this, this darling farmer and I,” I said to Brighid. I lifted a finger and let the energy from my touch infect his every move. He went rigidly still, watching me with wide eyes.
“Is this acceptable?” Brighid asked, watching the man’s reaction with amusement. She had a system, she and I. It was our lifelong duty to one-up each other. We reveled in the competition. Just how far would you go next time?
I twisted a little more, inserting myself in the farmer’s psyche. He was afraid to want me. Some men didn’t come back from that hole once they’d fallen.
I shoved that indecision away. I purged the worry and anxiety and fear and assured him that it was okay. It was worth it.
He turned his chubby face to Brighid again and stared blankly. He was warring himself. This one was actually pretty cautious. He knew without a doubt that he didn’t want to fall into physical interaction with me. He knew it wouldn’t bode well then. What had the lianhan sidhe maiden done to his town? He feared me simply through her actions.
Don’t get me wrong, I was frightening. But that was usually on my own terms. They were easier to control when calm but sometimes their genuine fear was what really filled you up. It was a taciturn existence. We didn’t take unwillingly, however. That was the deal.
“I fear I am not worthy of the mistress’s time,” he said and backed down the aisle. “I will find new farm hands. Thank you, my goddess.” He nodded his head toward Brighid and escaped from the room.
Brighid half sighed and half laughed as she adjusted herself in her throne. She stared down into the darkness where the man had disappeared. Then, she looked over at me. “Thank you for your services, Moira,” she said, her voice still playful.
“Always a pleasure,” I replied smiling. I made my way toward the back of the clearing and headed off through the woods toward home.
The walk was long and quiet but I enjoyed the calm of the night. Bats chirped and insects groaned. It was as though nothing existed except nature for a brief moment.
My home was simple. It was over better, of more sturdy build than most but it was simple.
I got clear to the front door before I felt him.
He was like the heat of a campfire, warm and pleasant but if you got too close, all-consuming.
I pressed the door open, my eyes whipping around the room until I spied him lurking in the shadows. Ailyl’s vibrant green eyes were the only thing I could see in the darkness.
“Welcome home, Mistress,” he greeted. His voice was a low rumble that I felt in my bones. He crossed the room eagerly, wrapping his large hands up the back of my neck and tangling his fingers into my hair. His mouth found mine with no urging and I knew that the explosive passion that overtook me, was the same effect that I pressed into him.
“Hello, love,” I groaned between breaths.
He hefted me up into his arms and took me to my bed without further conversation. It wasn’t until he laid me on my back that my hand flurried to my abdomen and I pressed against his chest.
Ailyl leaned away from me, watching me curiously. He wasn’t mad but he was confused. “I-I need to tell you something. Something that might change everything,” I explained.
His eyes flicked down to my hand, then back up to my face. He lifted my free hand and pressed kisses across my knuckles.
“You are with child,” he breathed, staring at my belly as though it had grown an extra head. He marveled at the fabric about my waist. He ran his fingers delicately over the still yet flat skin. His smile was intoxicating.
I nodded and rested my hand on the back of his. He let his fingers play across my stomach gently. There was something intensely intimate about watching this gargantuan,
muscled man become so delicate and tender at merely the idea of protecting his child. He rested his cheek against my belly.
“What will we do about Brighid?” I asked him, sending a searing cold through the room. He hadn’t gone entirely rigid but it barely made a difference. His hesitation had been noticed. I knew he cared for her and I knew she cared for him. I might’ve been the only person to know the depths of emotion between them.
Ailyl’s arms cupped around my back, pushing me gently off balance. He rested my shoulders on my bed and his fingers went to my waist, pressing my dress up until he revealed the expanse of my abdomen. He kissed me, just below my belly button and my body shivered in response. There, just below the skin, was the growing presence of our love.
“Brighid will have to adhere to the old law. Our children are a rare occurrence. I don’t believe she could find a way to stop us if she tried.” He pressed kisses along my skin as he spoke, his eyes flickering up to me before he continued his gentle assault.
His fingers wove patterns on my belly and I watched him with blissful assurance. Nothing would go wrong as long as this man was near and ready to protect his child. Nothing would stop us. Nothing could.
I wasn’t sure in exactly what moment his kisses went from soft and gentle to more needy and persistent but I didn’t stop him as he climbed astride me. He took my mouth against his, his fingers kneading in my hair and we celebrated our child in the same fashion that he or she came into existence.
Chapter One
Two weeks.
Two weeks had passed since Kellic and Carson had vanished. Two weeks had passed since Valeria’s sacrifice. Two weeks had passed since bloody carnage had put the world at risk. Two weeks had passed since I had discovered the smallest victim of our circumstance.
Two weeks had passed.
