“I’ll do it,” she promised Rosalie, who sat up higher in her seat and beamed.
“Thank you,” she cried, and it was clear a huge weight had just lifted from her shoulders.
Rosa then put Wynter’s hand back onto her round belly, and she was rewarded with a kick, which made her laugh. Damn, this was not at all what she’d expected from her trip to the island.
She looked across at the two men still watching them in shock and frowned, suddenly overcome with worry.
“How long have we got?” she asked them.
“Six weeks, give or take,” Brodie replied, and he seemed to be on the same train of thought as her. “So we’d better make sure you’ve got everything fully under control by then. This baby can have no ties to Mara. Only you.”
“I agree,” Wynter replied. There was no way the witch was having any kind of a say in this, and her strength of will intensified even further with that thought. Wynter decided she would train day and night if she had to. Anything to make sure she went back to the mansion in complete control of herself, and Brodie gave her a determined look that told her he was thinking the exact same thing.
Eighteen
Rosalie was over a week late when her waters finally broke. Wynter had counted down the days and had checked in on her every chance she got, but nothing had prepared them for the moment it finally happened. The two of them had grown closer with every passing day and not once had the young girl shown any sign that she was having second thoughts regarding her decision. She had resigned herself to the fact that her baby was going to a better home than she could offer it, and Wynter knew she had to respect Rosa’s wishes, as well as support her through the remainder of their time together.
Brodie had trained her hard in the interim, but trained her well. She was in complete control of her jinni powers and even some magical abilities Mara’s heart seemed to still be sharing with her, and by the time they were preparing for the new arrival, she felt stronger than ever.
The contractions came on quickly and were just a couple of minutes apart in no time at all, and Wynter tried her best to stop Rosalie going into shock with how fast things were progressing.
“Chillin’ in there for ages and now they want out,” she joked, and the panting woman laughed through gritted teeth as she endured another strong wave of pain.
“Almost there, Rosa. Almost there,” Brodie called from his position between her legs on their makeshift delivery bed. He had prepared everything and seemed ready for every eventuality, and was standing perched and ready when Rosalie screamed that she felt the urge to push.
Her baby was born within seconds, and while Brodie tended to it, Wynter held Rosalie’s hand and stroked her face with a cool towel, mopping her brow as sweat poured down her cheeks and temples.
She was still whispering to her how everything was fine when it suddenly dawned how she hadn’t heard a sound from the other end of the table.
Wynter looked down in horror to find the baby on the bed was blue. Brodie was doing everything he could to rouse it, but nothing seemed to work.
“Give it to me,” Rosalie cried, and he reacted by quickly placing the baby directly onto her naked stomach, where she cooed and whispered to it, running her hands up and down over the baby’s back and legs.
Rosalie then looked up into Wynter’s eyes and started to tremble. “Forgive me…” the new mother whimpered, and she tried to tell her there was nothing to forgive. That they had tried their best but clearly it wasn’t meant to be, and the baby had gone onto a better place. But before she had the chance, there was a sudden jolt from them both, and then an almighty cry as the baby shot back to life and began screaming.
Rosalie shushed the babe and offered it her breast, but as her newborn latched on, her trembling returned and soon got worse.
It wasn’t long before she was struggling to keep hold of the child in her arms, and Wynter reached for them both, which was when she realised Rosalie was burning up.
“Stay with us, Rosa,” Brodie cried, but she was already losing consciousness. Her eyes rolled back into her head and her arms flopped down by her sides, leaving Wynter to have to grab the baby up off her chest to stop it from falling.
Brodie had already cut the cord so she ran to the nearby bed and wrapped the baby—a girl—up in as many blankets as she could to keep her warm, and the little angel simply watched her. She wasn’t crying any longer, nor did she seem to be in any danger, and was actually a beautiful shade of rosy pink now that she was breathing steadily.
“It’s a girl, Rosa. A beautiful, healthy girl,” she cried as she plucked the baby up into her arms and turned back to them, but then let out a cry when she saw the limp, lifeless body strewn on the bed before her.
As if out of nowhere, a woman was then suddenly standing over Rosalie. She was dressed all in white and had a gentle smile as she reached her hand out and placed it over Rosalie’s chest.
“A life for a life, as agreed,” she hummed, and Wynter was about to ask what she meant, when a white wisp seemed to rise up out of Rosalie’s chest and into the white woman’s palm. “Her soul called to me, Wynter. She made me a deal, and I never go back on my deals…” the woman added, and then she smiled wider as she took in Wynter’s confused expression. “Jakob was right about you being perfect for this task. He told me you would succeed where others have failed, but I will offer you one piece of advice. Take good care of that child, she’ll save your life one day…”
And with that, she was gone, along with Rosalie’s life.
The room fell silent but then Brodie’s voice was breaking through the bubble she’d found herself in.
“Wynter!” he cried, “is the baby okay?”
“Yeah,” she answered, nodding her head. She felt dumbstruck. Like she’d just been to hell and back herself, and when she finally tore her eyes away from where the woman in white had been, she found Brodie, Archie and Rafferty all watching her with fraught looks on their faces. She was about to ask them why when she looked down at where Rosalie’s body had been and found the birthing bed empty. “Where’s she gone?”
“Wynter, it’s been over an hour. You’ve been standing there staring at the wall clutching the baby the entire time,” Archie answered, and she shook her head.
“No, I was just watching the woman who appeared. It was only a minute or so?”
“Who?” he replied with a frown.
“She was here to take Rosalie’s soul and she told me…she told me…”
“That’s between you and her, Wynter. The White Lady doesn’t appear to just anyone,” Brodie answered with a scowl, and she was reminded of the revelation Jakob had once made. The Lady of Death, that was her name. She had tasked Jak with taking the life of Brodie’s wife. And then of course she had just mentioned him too. He was in the world beyond, and was still rooting for her. Still sending messages and assurances that she could succeed, even in the face of all the obstacles that’d been and were still to come.
“Shit, as in the grim reaper?” Archie croaked, and both she and Brodie nodded.
She stepped away and out of the room, and the others all followed, looking at her with sour, sad faces. It hadn’t really dawned on her yet, but now it began to suddenly sink in.
Rosalie was dead. She had given her life for her child in the end, and had to have seen it coming. Maybe she had known long before Wynter had arrived on the island, or maybe it was more recently, but either way she was gone. Rosalie had made the ultimate sacrifice and Wynter knew she would always honour it.
She sat down and finally released her grip of the sleeping child in her arms, who stirred but thankfully stayed asleep. She then showed her off to the others and both she and Archie began to cry.
“She’s called Rosa,” Wynter told them through the tears, and each of her friends nodded in agreement.
“Perfect,” Archie replied, and then he put his hands forward, hoping for a cuddle, which she readily gave him. Once he was sitting back in his seat starin
g down at the little bundle in his arms, Brodie stood and went to the doorway, beckoning for Wynter to follow him.
He led her out into the small bedroom they had put together for baby Rosa, and started rooting through the drawers to find her some clothes and a nappy.
“We need to get her washed and dressed. And I’ll have Rafferty make up some formula,” he said, acting all business when she could tell he was in pain.
Wynter went to the stubborn jinni and wrapped her arms around him, which he entertained for all of three seconds before shooing her away. “Damn woman, you’re always making me soft,” he grumbled, gathering the last bits they needed, but Wynter refused to let him be.
“It’s not soft to mourn, Brodie. Let yourself feel, no one is going to judge you,” she told him, and then walked back to the living area to where Archie and Rafferty were talking softly to the newborn and the alpha was stood staring down at the group with his usual scowl.
She went to her guard and looked him in the eye. “I know you’re reporting back, so tell him I’ll be home soon, okay? And Rosa’s coming with me,” she told him.
“Us too,” Brodie added from the doorway, and she turned to him in surprise. This was not what she’d expected at all, and not what she had wanted either. She had told herself all along that Marcus wasn’t going to have two jinni’s living beneath his roof, and had been foolish enough to believe she could see it through. But now things had changed for them all.
She went to tell him no, but then saw the way he was looking down at Archie, who was beaming. This was for him. Archie wanted to stay with baby Rosa and Brodie was going along with it for his sake, but he needed to know the risks.
Wynter went to her maker and wrapped her arms around him again, but was only doing it so she could whisper in his ear.
“Don’t let him get you,” she told him, and as she pulled back she knew he understood.
That night, Rafferty laid Rosalie’s body out on a pyre and they all watched as he lit it. Each took turns saying goodbye to their lost friend, and Wynter kept the baby strapped to her in a sling as they watched her body turn to ash and break down along with the wood.
The goblin then gathered the ash and buried it beneath one of the tallest trees she’d seen on the island, and he whispered ancient words as he covered them over and slowly retreated back to the rest of the group.
Dawn was just approaching and as Wynter looked around at her downtrodden friends, she knew it was time they left this island and the awful memories made here behind.
Brodie had the same idea and told Archie as he took his hand in his.
“There’s nothing here for us anymore,” the human agreed, and as soon as they all returned to the house, they set about packing up their belongings, as well as those of the baby and a selection of Rosalie’s things.
It was only Rafferty who chose not to gather any of his belongings, choosing to help the others, and Wynter went to the huge goblin and put her hand on his arm.
“Aren’t you coming?” she asked, not having thought otherwise for even a minute, and she didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to her sooner. The island was more than just his home. It was part of him. His life’s work was to take care of it along with any inhabitants, and Wynter suddenly felt sad. “We’ll be back before too long, I promise,” she told him, and meant it. He couldn’t come to them, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t go to him.
“I’m used to it, honestly,” he replied, “but thank you. It means a lot to know you’ll miss me.”
“We all will,” Archie added, and Brodie gave his trusty comrade a nod. They had to have said goodbye so many times over the years it was merely part of their routine, but for Wynter it was tough. The last time she’d gone it was under duress and whilst out cold, but now she would have to see him as they packed up and left the goblin behind. It was awful.
Once they were packed and ready, the small sombre group climbed aboard Brodie’s small boat. In it, they then sailed to the mainland and Wynter sent for her car, which she had thankfully placed in the care of a private company to ensure it wasn’t stolen or vandalised after her leaving it unattended in a parking lot for months. She’d stayed far longer than expected, but didn’t care one little bit. Of course, the pull back to Marcus had been strong, and every day she had needed to fight the urge to ring him or at least text, but she had managed it. She hadn’t succumbed to yet another spell he had put her under and was proud of the leaps she had made in her bid to become her own person again.
She knew she would see him again before nightfall, and was actually apprehensive about it. What would he make of Rosa? Would he agree to care for her and become a father? She sure hoped so. The alpha had to have forewarned him via their psychic link, so her arriving with a baby along with a bunch of misfits couldn’t come as any surprise to her husband, but that didn’t mean he would be there to permit them all back with open arms. Knowing Marcus, it’d be far from a warm welcome, just for the hell of it.
Wynter drove them north. Away from the coast and past too many cities and towns to count. She kept going and going, not tiring once, and only stopped when Archie grumbled that his bladder needed emptying. When they came to a stop, Rosa too began to cry, and Wynter grabbed the babe so that she could change her nappy and give her some milk.
By the time she was done, Archie was sauntering back with a cheeseburger in one hand and a milkshake in the other.
“Looks like Rosa wasn’t the only one grumpy and in need of food,” she teased, making him laugh.
“Do you know how long it’s been since I ate junk?” he demanded, “I can’t even tell you! Too bloody long. And, you did’ne tell me this mansion of yours was in Scotland. I’m not far from home.”
Wynter was still laughing as she put Rosa back in her car seat and secured her in, and when she looked down she was met with a wide toothless smile that melted her heart even more.
“Damn, girl. You’re gonna break some hearts,” she cooed, thinking it crazy how she could be smiling already, and Rosa’s little blue eyes seemed to twinkle back at her.
Brodie noticed too, and he leaned over to get a look at the gorgeous little one. Wynter caught him grinning down at her, having clearly melted too, and the usually so grumpy jinni simply shrugged.
Wynter didn’t say another word. She just slid back into the driver’s seat and started the car back up. They weren’t far from the mansion now at all, perhaps an hour, and Wynter could feel herself growing more and more anxious about seeing Marcus. She’d had a lovely break and didn’t want him confusing her all over again, but at the same time, she was confusing herself. The anxiety she felt was tinged with excitement.
No, it couldn’t be. Definitely not. She told herself over and over, but also couldn’t deny the twinges in her gut as she grew nearer to the vampire she knew would be desperate to have her naked beneath him as soon as was possible upon her return.
Damn him, and the way he had clawed his way into her good graces.
***
They were close, he could sense it, and as Marcus reached out to his alpha vampire with his mind, he could tell the atmosphere in the car had been tense. The male jinni was apprehensive, while the human was nervous, and quite rightly so. Every other human who came and went from his mansion was a Blood Slave, and Marcus had already decided he wanted to play on the boy’s fears of becoming one too. He could use that fear to make Archie do as he commanded—and readily would.
Or perhaps he would make him a sort of familiar. Someone who followed his commands without question and did as they were told, and all on the promise that they would one day be given the prestigious honour of becoming a vampire themselves. The alpha—his puppet—had listened in on Archie’s conversations with Brodie at Marcus’s request and he knew they were planning an immortal life for the boy, but not that of a jinni. They were hoping for something else. A way in which they could stay together permanently, rather than share one source of power and life. And Marcus knew he could readily offer th
em it, but at a price, of course. Someone else would have to sire him, but he could make it happen. Ensure the right introductions were made.
And then there was his darling wife. She was returning to him after all these lonely, desolate weeks, and Marcus was beyond ravenous for her. She’d done him proud though. So perfectly had she served him, and all without knowing she was. And so his bidding had been done. Wynter was returning and had remained in his good graces, a fact that actually surprised him given their history, and she was bringing with her an entire trove of companions.
But of course, there was more. Wynter had acted exactly as his Priestess had foreseen she would, and was now returning with the prize he was more than willing to let her believe was hers—the baby. Yes, having a second jinni was going to be a wonderful addition to his ever-growing foray of creatures working for him, but to nurture and groom a were-child? That was sheer gold dust.
Wolves kept to themselves and never, ever let their offspring fall into the hands of other creatures. Their young always started out as shifters and matured into werewolves only if led on the right path, and Marcus was going to see to it that Rosa became on of the strongest wolves to ever live. And she would be his to command.
Of course, shifter children were capable of transforming into anyone they wanted, even adults, and so with Rosa under his wing in whichever way she went, Marcus knew he would be unstoppable. All he had to do was make sure she made it through puberty without turning feral, but he would tackle that when the time came. For now, he would simply love and nurture her like she was his own, and the vampire looked forward to reaping the benefits later on.
Even in Death Page 17
