by J. D. Brown
I sensed his proximity and stepped away from the door. A moment later, Jesu entered, carrying a glass of blood. He looked at me and his brow drew together in concern.
“Ema, are you all right? You look a bit clammy.”
It was the drink. The scent elicited a sudden onslaught of nausea.
“Jesu, I—” Nope. No time. My stomach clenched as bile raced along my esophagus. I ran to the bathroom and flung open the toilet lid just in the nick of time. My insides emptied into the porcelain bowl for a good five minutes, despite the fact that I hadn’t eaten anything in almost twenty-four hours.
Jesu stood inside the bathroom doorway. “Are you okay?”
“The blood,” I groaned as the scent twisted my stomach in knots. “For God’s sake, pour it down the drain and run the tap!”
Jesu cocked his brow and blinked at me, but he didn’t ask questions. He turned on the faucet and emptied the drink into the sink. Once the scent washed away, my stomach unclenched. I stood and went to the sink to rinse my mouth, not knowing which was worse—the sour burn of vomit in the back of my throat, or the thick coating of ashes in my mouth, which was what water tasted like to a vampyre. I reached for my toothbrush.
“Was that, um…,” Jesu combed his fingers through his hair, “…morning sickness?”
“I think the blood was spoiled.”
“I supposed that is possible.”
I glared at his reflection in the mirror. “Don’t mock me.”
His cheek dimpled. “But you are cute when agitated.”
“Thanks.”
Jesu leaned against the molding and slid his hands into his pants pockets. “We should talk.”
Uh-oh.
“About the contract.”
Big uh-oh.
I put toothpaste on the bristles and proceeded to brush my teeth. “Thorry, can’t talk now.”
“We managed to avoid it thus far, with everything that has happened, but Nikolas will not wait much longer. He is already using his resources for you under the assumption that you have an agreement. You need to be upfront and tell him the deal is off. If you drag this out any longer, he will think you were using him, and that will not end well.”
Jesu was right about one thing, this wouldn’t end well. I spit, rinsed, and then wiped my mouth. Not seeing any other way to stall, I faced Jesu and let the words rip like a Band-Aid.
“I already signed the contract.”
He blinked several times, then crossed his arms over his chest. “Did you… did you just say…?”
I nodded. “I already signed it, Jesu. I had to.”
His gaze narrowed and he turned his head to the side, looking at me from the corner of his vision. “We agreed you would not sign it if you were pregnant.”
“No, I agreed to wait until we got medical confirmation, and we did. Jesu, you don’t understand. I—”
He raised his hands, palms forward. “All I asked was to be included, Ema.” He shook his head and scoffed. “I’m out of here.”
“What do you mean? Where are you going?”
Jesu crossed the room and opened the door.
A lump welled in my throat and my heart ached. “Jesu, please, let’s talk about this.”
He paused, his posture stiff, muscles tense. I thought he might turn around and come back inside, but he didn’t. Instead, he lowered his head and sighed. “You should have talked to me about it before.”
Jesu stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him without a second glance. I went to the door and flung it open, but he was already gone. His clothes and boots were strewn across the floor and I caught a glimpse of a cat tail as he disappeared around the corner. I guess he was so mad, he needed to kill a mouse or something. I went back inside and kicked the door shut, releasing a bit of my own anger.
Chapter 14
Later that night, I went to supper hoping to catch some news from Nikolas and the others. I crossed the arched entrance into the dining hall and scanned the faces at the table. My gaze immediately went to Jesu and my legs froze. He sat between Tancred and Brinnon, back in his rightful vampire form and dressed in his signature color—black. I hadn’t seen him in twelve hours. Then again, I didn’t bother looking for him. I was too afraid to continue the argument we had. I knew it where it would lead.
Jesu kept his gaze glued to the plate in front of him. He placed a small piece of ham into his mouth and chewed methodically. His jaw tensed as I approached the table. I bit the inside of my cheek and swallowed the lump welling in my throat. If he didn’t want to talk, that was fine with me. I took the empty seat next to Sara and kept my gaze down, hoping no one noticed the angry flush that burned my cheeks.
They did. The idle dinner chatter muted to an awkward silence, and I could practically feel the weight of their gazes.
Well, let them stare. I have other things to worry about. Like not breathing.
The stench of blood and raw meat upset my stomach for reasons I hadn’t associated with since I was human. True, I was famished, and my mouth watered for a taste, but at the same time, the scent made me gag.
Rudo, the butler, entered from the main hall and addressed the room at large. “Your Highness, Madam Maria has returned.”
Nikolas put his fork down and dabbed a napkin to his lips. “Thank you, Rudo.”
I wanted to thank him too, for the distraction. Maria marched into the room with a look of determination. My gaze went to the satchel hanging at her side.
“How was your trip?” Nikolas asked.
Maria waved her hand, dismissing the small talk. “The spell is in here. I looked it over.” She opened the satchel and pulled out a thick journal with Greek letters pressed into the soft leather bindings. I remembered the first time I saw Leena’s spell book. Leena had begged me to help her save a possessed Jalmari by going to the Underworld to kill Apollyon. That book got us in, but only one of us made it out alive.
“How is it possible that no one else knew about it?” Tancred asked. “Why didn’t Apollyon take the book with him?”
“Why take the recipe to something you’ve already mastered? Besides, it’s written in code.” Maria set the thick book on the table in front of Nikolas and then poured herself a glass of blood. I glanced away, fearing I would lose control of my stomach.
“Code?” Nikolas echoed. He opened the leather cover and thumbed through a few pages. “Looks like Greek to me.”
Maria flipped the book over so it laid backside-up. She opened it to a spot near the end, and then pointed. “Most of the spells are in Greek, but this one, the one we need, is written in code. I recognize some of the symbols. Apollyon had these same relics engraved on his ring. I just can’t read the script explaining how to use them. Jalmari taught Leena well. She wouldn’t leave something this powerful out in the open.”
“So how are we supposed to read it?” Nikolas’ question mirrored my own thoughts. I glanced at Jesu out of habit, but all I got in return was a view of his backside. Jesu leaned around Tancred to get a look at the book.
“The name my brother gave me,” Jesu said slowly. “I looked into it. I think he may be familiar with the code.”
Nikolas lifted his brow. “Who is he?”
Jesu lowered into his seat. His mouth twitched, as though trying to decide how much to voice. We were still being secretive because of Valafar, even though no one had seen the incubus since the incident in the woods. Well… not including my brief encounter in Brinnon’s bedroom… but no one needed to know about that.
“He was an alchemist,” Jesu continued. “A long time ago. Maybe the spell is written in some sort of alchemic code.”
“Have you contacted him?”
Jesu hesitated. “I did not reach him, exactly. I spoke to his sire. The man is a vampire now.”
“Who is the sire?”
Jesu pulled out his cellphone and sent a text to the king. Nikolas’ phone beeped to signal the transaction. He took out his phone and glanced at the screen. Maria, Tancred, Brinno
n, and Cecelia crowded behind him, looking over his shoulder. The collective gasp of surprise made me wish that I’d looked too, but I doubted I would recognize the name.
Nikolas pocketed his phone and scowled. “You’re serious? That anathema?
My curiosity rose. Calling the mystery sire an anathema couldn’t be a good omen.
Jesu nodded. “I am afraid so, and he is aware of his protégé’s talents. He won’t let anyone near his vampire without a price.”
“Is that a problem?” I asked Nikolas. “After all, you were willing to pay Valafar a huge chunk of cash for his help.” I made sure to raise my voice during that last part. If Valafar was here, spying on us now, then I wanted him to know what he was missing. “Why don’t we just use that money on this guy instead?”
Nikolas glanced at Maria and Jesu in turn. “Could this work?”
Maria tilted her head. “It’s difficult to say without knowing the extent of the spell. The only one who could tell us for sure would be the alchemist.”
“But it would be worth it, right?” I said. “Having a… you know what.”
“Your Highness.” Tancred leaned close to the king and spoke in a quiet tone. “This is a high risk. The excommunicated one will try to get his hands on the spell the moment he realizes what it’s for.”
“I’ve already thought of that,” said Maria. “That’s why I destroyed the last page.”
Nikolas’ gaze widened. He flipped to the end of the book and then ran a finger over the torn perforated remains of a missing page. Nikolas glanced in horror at Maria. “But…”
Maria tapped the tip of her index finger to her temple and winked. “Don’t worry, it’s all up here.”
Nikolas closed the book and then slid it across the table in Maria’s direction. “The three of you are without a doubt the most asinine vampyres I have ever met. However, seeing as I have already bound myself to this mission, the decision lies in your hands, Miss Ema.”
I cleared my throat. “Well… I think it’s worth finding out if the vampire can even decode the spell, right?” I looked to Jesu—who stared at his hands and silently seethed—and then Maria who, thankfully, nodded in approval. “Great,” I said. “So how do we do this?”
Nikolas opened his mouth to answer, but Jesu interrupted him, addressing the room at large instead of speaking to me directly. “We go to the vampyre and negotiate a price for his protégé’s services. If he can read the spell, then we will waste no time carrying it out.”
Nikolas closed his jaw and cocked his brow as if to say, ‘there you have it’.
I arched my brows, surprised that Jesu was calling the shots. He wasn’t exactly a happy ray of sunshine, but for the first time, he wasn’t fighting me on using a lead. Then again, it’s hard to argue with someone when you’re clearly not speaking to them.
“Oh!” Brinnon shot to his feet. “Let me plan the trip. I know the perfect little hotel right off the Grand Canal. You’ll love it.”
My nose wrinkled. “Grand Canal? Where exactly does this guy live?”
Brinnon’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “Only the best city in the entire kingdom. Venice!”
I must have heard wrong. “Venice? As in Italy?”
“Do you know another Venice worth mentioning?”
My gaze went wide and I squeaked. “I’ve always wanted to go to Italy!”
“Then pack your bags.” Brinnon turned to his father. “Let me go with them. I can oversee the operation. There’s no need for you to interrupt your work.”
Nikolas waved a hand at his son. “Go on.” The king then gave an exasperated look to his wife. “I’ll never understand why he loves Italians so much.”
I wondered what Nikolas meant by that, and opened my mouth to ask, but the aroma of blood and flesh suddenly, and without warning, rubbed my stomach in a way I couldn’t ignore.
“Excuse me.” I stood and left the dining room. As soon as I was out of sight, I flew—literally—to my room, pausing only to open doors. I raced to the bathroom and then emptied my insides into the toilet. I thought morning sickness only happened in the morning, like its name suggested, but there I stood, dry heaving and dribbling bile. Nothing else was left. I hadn’t eaten in almost two days.
I flushed the toilet and then brushed my teeth. I had just finished rinsing when a soft knock sounded at the door. My senses prickled and I inhaled the scent of sweet innocence and burned bread. Sara and a piece of toast? I went to the door and opened it. Sara greeted me with a shy grin and a silver serving tray.
“I noticed you didn’t eat anything at breakfast, or supper yesterday.”
I stepped aside to let her in. “Thanks, but toast?”
She winced. “Sorry, it’s all I could find on short notice.” She set the tray on the nightstand and lifted the lid. A baguette with blackened edges graced a small white china plate.
“What I meant was bread’s not usually on the vampyre food pyramid.”
Her mouth pursed in a knowing smile and she folded her hands together. “Not usually, no, but it will help in your situation.”
I played dumb. She couldn’t know about the pregnancy, could she? “What situation is that?”
“It’s okay,” she said. “Jalmari told me.”
“Jalmari?” My knees gelled and I sank. Sara caught my elbow and eased me onto the edge of the bed.
“I guess you didn’t realize he knew. Sorry. I assumed that was what he wanted to talk to you and Prince Jesu about.”
“Who else knows?”
Sara shook her head. “Just me.”
“Good,” I said. Then I leveled my gaze with her golden yellow eyes. “It needs to stay that way.” Her smile fell and I panicked. “Look, I know I have to tell your dad. And I will. It’s just…”
“Complicated?”
I blinked at her and then sighed. “You have no idea.”
“It always is in the beginning.” She reached up and stroked a lock of my hair. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. But Ema… it’s not as scary as it seems. Babies make life so wonderful, and everyone in Scandinavia will be overjoyed to hear their prince finally has an heir. You’ll see.”
My breath caught. I hadn’t thought about the fact that my child would be royal. Holy cow! But no, it wouldn’t be all red carpets and family jewels. More likely, Jalmari would see the child as a threat. I didn’t want anything from Jalmari. I didn’t want him around me or the baby.
“Anyway,” Sara continued. “You must eat. If you starve, then the baby starves.”
She had a point. I reached across the bed to the nightstand and pinched off a piece of the baguette. “So I can eat human food again. How comes?”
Sara chuckled, her voice tinkling like a bell. “You haven’t seen any vampyre children, have you?”
“No.”
“That’s because they’re human until puberty.”
I remembered Kirstin, the receptionist at the R.E.D. hotel in Berlin. Kirstin had brought her daughter to work one day, and I mistook the little girl for a human child. I almost attacked her. At the last moment, I had caught a whiff of her scent and was shocked to learn her true nature. She was no more than ten years old, but she already had fangs and the disposition to hiss at me.
“So, the bread has nutritional value for the fetus. Makes sense.” I popped the burned piece into my mouth. My eyes squinted in reaction to the bitter flavor. It tasted like ash, and not just because of the blackened crust. I chewed slowly while fighting the urge to gag, and managed to swallow. It wasn’t so bad once it went down. I no longer felt nauseous.
Sara stood. “I should go give Prince Jalmari his rations. You finish that bread.”
“Sara, could you do me a favor?”
“Yes?”
“Keep Jalmari quiet.”
A grin crinkled her bright doe eyes. “I’ll slip him a sedative before Father moves him.”
“Thanks.”
She nodded and then left. I broke off another small piece of bread and
popped it into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. How on earth could I raise a human child when it would smell like food to me? Then again, I wouldn’t be around to raise it. I would be in assassin training. My child would grow up hating me for abandoning it, just like I hated my parents, but at least it will be protected. At least it will grow up knowing it’s not really human, knowing where it belongs. Not feeling like an outsider. That was a good start, right?
Jesu’s footsteps sounded in the hall. I wanted to run to him and snuggle against his chest while he assured me that everything would be fine, but I bit my lip and fought the urge. It was too easy to believe in a fantasy world when I was in his arms. Letting my head go to the clouds wouldn’t help anyone. Besides, he wasn’t speaking to me.
It’s better this way. I leaned against the bed and rested my head on the pillows. Closing my eyes, I listened as his booted steps got louder. The sound paused in front of my door. He drew a breath, sighed, and then knocked.
I debated letting him in. My heart wanted to see him, hold him, but my head feared the risk involved. I turned onto my side and looked at the door, knowing my stupid heart would trump logic.
“It’s open.”
Jesu swung the door wide, but didn’t enter. His posture was hunched forward and his handsome features looked worn. His gaze found mine, and then flicked to the floor, letting his curtain of velvet hair fall forward. “You, um, need help packing?”
“I think I can manage. When are we leaving?”
“Tomorrow night.”
“Great. I’ll be ready.”
He wet his lips and then turned to leave.
“Jesu?”
He paused.
I pushed onto my elbows. “Should I know about these guys we’re going to meet?”
He took a moment to think it over. “I will tell you on the plane.”
“Okay.”
Jesu worked his jaw and then glanced over his shoulder. His brow furrowed in the center and his lips curled back to show his fangs. He clenched his fists at his sides, the knuckles so white, they were almost translucent. I tilted my chin to the side, waiting for him to say what was on his mind, but a stubborn growl rode his breath and marched out of sight.
