“You’d be amazed what you’d do during a war.” He looked ruefully at the ceiling of the cavern. “Especially when ya ain’t got anything to eat.”
She slumped on the blanket as a wave of tiredness overwhelmed her. “What’s Atlanta like—you know, before Sherman came through?”
“It was a gorgeous place,” Zach recounted with a dreamy, thought-provoking, timbre to his voice. “From the beautiful homes along the main street to the elegant plantations on the edge of town. I grew up on the Mapletree Plantation on the Overton Road. I can remember the magnolia tree–lined mile-long drive leading up to the house and the sounds of carriages pulling up for the evening barbeque.” He sighed. “Those days are long gone, and they’ll never be back. More’s the pity, I guess.”
“Was it like Gone with the Wind?”
Zach smiled in a friendly fashion. “It was better. Men still held doors for women or got up when they entered or left the room. A woman then was to be cherished and put on a pedestal, not like now. I do miss them times.”
“I imagine you do,” she answered and lay down on the nubby blanket. It wasn’t much, but at least she didn’t have to lie down on the filthy ground. “How did you end up in the army?”
Before he could answer, Zack cocked his head to the side as if he was listening for something. “Lie down and don’t move. I think the Queen has returned, and she’ll be mighty upset if she knows I been talking to ya.”
“I’m sure she already knows, Zack.”
He shook his head. “I aint takin’ no chances.”
Zach bolted from of his spot and was gone in a flash, leaving her alone to stare into the flames. Twigs crackled as the fire burned. So far her plan had worked—a little. She was gaining Zach’s trust. Perhaps tomorrow she could get a bit more out of him and garner a little bit more of his trust.
“Is Daddy coming for us?” the childish voice inquired. “Do you want me to call for him?”
Christine bolted upright. There’s that damned voice again! Why did her mind play games with her?
“I’m too little to play games, Mommy. I can help us.”
“How can you help us, little one?” She gave into the strange urge to silently speak to this part of herself. Maybe it would give the odd psychosis something to feed on then go to sleep.
“The mean lady doesn’t know what I can do. The bond between Daddy and I is very strong, and he loves me. He wants to find us.”
“What can you do, baby?”
“I can see Daddy with some other people he cares for. He can see me. He saw me sleeping earlier.” An echo of a giggle erupted. “I was sucking my thumb.”
“What else did he see, my darling?”
“He saw some things you saw, and he’s looking for us.”
Her heart raced at the thought of speaking to her the unborn fetus inside her. Could this child already have this much intelligence?
“Make your heart slow down, Mommy. It hurts me.”
“Okay, baby, I’ll make it slow down.” She took some deep and even breaths, using some old meditation techniques she’d used to control her migraine headaches. Within moments, her heart slowed down to its normal pace. “Better?”
“Much better, Mommy. I will try to see Daddy, but the mean lady is making is hard for me. I can’t see very well. She put a blanket over my eyes.”
Her heart threatened to pick up its rhythm again, but she forced it back to its normal pace. She held her breath. Zakara must have shrouded her with some sort of a spell the baby could see through partly but not all the way.
“Go to sleep for now, little one. When you’re rested and wake up, try again. You’re just too tired.”
A distinctive yawn erupted inside her mind. “Okay, Mommy, I will. Good night.”
“Good night, my baby.” She rubbed her hand over her belly and hummed an old tune she remembered from childhood, one her Irish grandma used to sing to her when Christine visited.
A tear streaked out of her eye and rolled down her cheek. Grandma had always been there with love and support. She had always wanted to live with Grandma, but Mom had refused, saying she needed Christine around the house. After a while, Mom had made it abundantly clear of why she was needed. She had looked at Christine as nothing more than an easy way to earn her drug money. Christine had run away so many times as a child to either Grandma’s or the old mill that Mom never bothered looking for her anymore.
Grandma, the victim of a vicious home invasion, had died when Christine was ten. No matter what the police or Mom thought, Christine knew deep down in her heart the murder wasn’t random. Mom had come into an awful lot of money after Grandma died and had spent it like the money burned her fingers.
Christine tucked her hands under her head and settled before the fire, watching the flames create the dancing shadows on the walls. No matter what happened to her, she’d make sure her baby would get out of this alive and to Drake.
* * * *
“Daddy, come save us!”
The childlike voice inside Drake’s head drew alarm, and he set down in the depths of the forest among the blackened trees and silver-tinted scrub. The rest followed suit.
“What is it?” Tatiana asked as she landed like the lightest of fairies in front of him.
Drake clutched the sides of his head. “I’m not sure. I heard someone calling me Daddy.”
Raphael laughed. “It might be your son calling to you, my friend. Legend says all infants have intelligence, even while still in the womb.”
Drake’s head shot up. “Fuck! Why didn’t I think of that?” He paced uneasily around the meadow, his fists clenched at his sides. No sounds echoed in the still night except for the twisting of his leather hunting suit with his every move. “The baby is half vampire and might be able to pierce through the spell Zakara’s woven tightly around them.”
Alex jumped up. “You’re right! Your baby is extremely intelligent at the moment and probably has already alerted Christine to the fact, though I doubt she’ll hardly believe it.”
Drake shook his head, allowing a snort of laughter to escape. “She’ll probably think she’s gone nuts because of the situation, knowing her.”
“More than likely, and if we’re truly lucky, Zakara will know nothing of the baby’s intelligence.” Raphael slapped his hands together. “Now the trick is to come up with something to keep that fact from Zakara.”
Siobhan stepped forward and extracted a bit of folded paper from her belt. “I took this from Zakara’s grimoire an eternity ago because I thought it might come in handy sometime.”
Drake’s brow lifted. “You carry this with you everywhere?”
She threw him a saucy wink. “Just in case I ever needed it. The trick with this spell is that it’ll cloak the baby’s intelligence enough to keep Zakara from finding out and giving you ample time to find them—before it’s too late.”
Drake pounded his gloved fist against his open palm. “Don’t say that. I’m not going to let her down.”
“No, you won’t,” Tatiana said with a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s enact the spell. Then you can try and make contact with your baby and see if the fetus can offer us anything.”
Anger pounded at the sides of his head. “All right. Let’s do this.”
They stood in a circle and held hands while Siobhan led them in the chant of the spell, their voices starting low then rising to become one with the night. A thick cloud of dust started in a small dervish in the middle of the circle and then rose higher and higher, becoming a massive black column, thick and wild.
“We invoke this spell to protect the infant inside of Christine McCall’s body,” Siobhan said directly to the six-foot-tall, tornado-like cylinder. “Go and do as you are bid. Protect the child from evil eyes.”
With that, the wild wind swept out of the area and disappeared into nothingness, the dust particles settling down again.
Drake broke the hold with the group and stepped back. “How long do we need to wait?”
; Siobhan slumped down on a nearby rock, her hands in her lap. “I don’t know. I’ve never had to use it before.”
“Fucking great.” Drake snapped and leaned against a nearby tree, his arms folded over his chest. “My woman and child are out there somewhere, and we’ve just used a spell we’re not sure is going to work.”
“Hold up there, asshole,” Siobhan said defensively. “It’s all we’ve got for the moment. It’s tenuous at best, but we’ve got to at least try something until we find her.”
“Siobhan’s right,” Raphael interjected. “We know your fear and worry for Christine, but until you can connect with her or the baby, we’re flying blind in a snowstorm. Until we get some direction, we’re lost.”
Drake drew a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.” He stood and embraced Siobhan. “I’m not mad at you. It’s just the fucking situation. I’m half out of my mind with worry. This shit is all my fault.”
He remained silent for a minute and waited for the obligatory questions from everyone but they all remained mute. He looked up. “Don’t everyone argue with me at once. ”
Liz’s face softened. “Come with me, Drake.”
She walked a short distance away from the others, and he followed, curious to see what she had to say. She stopped well out of earshot of the others. “What happened?”
Drake slumped his shoulders in a defeated pose. “I told her I loved her, but she couldn’t reciprocate the sentiment. I got pissed off and treated her like shit.”
“So you’re blaming yourself for this?”
He nodded. “I know why she was at that damned clinic. Since I acted like an asshole and I didn’t care if she loved me, then she must have figured she could sneak away and get an abortion without my knowing about it.”
Liz’s smile spread wide across her face. “She didn’t, did she? She’s still pregnant, right?”
“What in the hell does this have to do with anything?”
Liz punched him in the shoulder then smacked the side of his head playfully. “Men can be so dense at times. She didn’t get the abortion because she loves you. She might not have said it in so many words, but from everything I know of Christine, she is very much in love with you. Her actions speak volumes, not her words.”
Drake smacked his forehead. He was utterly stupid. “Why did it take another woman to point this out?”
“As I’ve stated before, all men can be dense, vampire or human. You were so focused on her words, that you ignored her actions.”
Drake threw his hands up. “You’re right. I’m as dense as a brick. Everything she’s done for me, and I didn’t see it.” He brushed a kiss across Liz’s cheekbone. “Thanks so much for helping me to see the truth.”
“Anytime,” she said in a cheerful tone as they walked the distance toward the others. Immediately, Liz glided to Raphael’s side and slid her arm around his waist.
Raphael kissed the top of her golden head. “Everything settled?”
Liz threw Drake a wink. “All taken care of.”
“That’s my Elizabeth.” Raphael beamed and hugged her tighter.
Siobhan hopped up from the rock she’d been sitting on. “Okay, now let’s try and connect with the baby. If he’s sleeping, you may not get anything. If he’s active though, you might get something.”
Drake nodded. “Okay, I’ll try.”
Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the image of his infant son in his mind. “Son, wake up.”
Nothing.
“It’s Daddy, son. Wake up. I need your help.”
“Daddy, is that you?”
“Yes, son, it’s me. I need your help.”
“I’m so sleepy, Daddy.”
“I know, son, but you have to help me.”
“I want to so much, but the mean lady is here and making Mommy afraid.”
“Don’t worry, baby. Daddy’s here, and I’m going to find you. I need your help.”
“No, don’t be afraid, Mommy. Make your heart slow down. It hurts me.”
“Okay, son, it’s okay. Shhhh, I’m here. Don’t be afraid.”
He could almost see the fear choking the baby. Rage surged through him. If he were with Christine right now, he’d be rubbing her belly and calming them both down.
“I’m scared, Daddy.”
“Don’t be afraid. I’m going to find you both and bring you home.”
“I’m so sleepy.” A tiny baby yawn erupted.
“Go back to sleep, son. I’ll be sending help to you until I can rescue you and your mother. When you wake up again, call for me and I’ll be right there.”
“Promise?”
“I promise. When you wake up, you can help me find you and Mommy.”
“Okay. Good night.”
The connection to his son broke like the snap of a twig. At least he knew they were both alive. Hopefully, the cloaking spell for the infant’s intelligence worked or else there was no telling what Zakara would do if she found out.
“What did you find out?”
Drake smiled. “Everything I need to know for the moment.”
Nicholas’s brow rose. “What do you mean?”
“Come with me and I’ll tell you all about it.”
* * * *
Loneliness overtook Christine, making her heart sink. What if Drake didn’t truly want her? He may want the baby and perhaps they could work out some sort of arrangement, at least for the next two years.
Distant voices, the rising timbre indicating danger loomed very real for her, did nothing but raise her anxiety. Blood pounded in her ears, and the constriction of her throat tightened. She swallowed hard. What exactly were they going to do now?
Strangely, she heard wind echoing through the cavern, bouncing off all the walls almost as if it had its own mind and direction. What in the hell was going on?
The soft whistling of air continued to travel down the pathway she’d tread earlier and entered the cavern with whisper softness. She froze in her spot. Was it Drake getting past Zakara to save her?
Without warning, a massive pain erupted in her abdomen, making her double over. Dear God, was she losing the baby? The pain surged and wrapped around her insides, coiling around her midsection like a snake. As powerful as it was, she was sure it would pass.
Just as she hoped, the pain slipped away as quickly as it had come. Tears fell from her eyes. Please don’t let me lose the baby.
“I found Daddy, and he said he was going to send help for us.”
“Good. When is he coming?”
“He wants me to sleep now, and when I wake up, he said he would be there and all I had to do was call for him.”
“Do what your daddy tells you.”
“I will, Mommy. I’m very tired now, so I’m going to sleep.”
“Okay, baby. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“I love you and Daddy.”
“I love you too, baby. Try to sleep and I’ll keep my heart rate low for you.”
Silence greeted her, which made her feel better. The baby had fallen asleep and hopefully would get all the rest he needed.
Footsteps, careful and slow, approached her. “Are you all right, ma’am?”
She turned to find Zach standing behind her, his hands stuffed into his jeans pockets. “I’m fine. Just resting.”
“Good,” he said and settled next to her. “I was getting kinda worried for ya.”
“Thanks for the concern.” She noticed he wore an odd, sorrowful expression. “Is something wrong?”
Zach turned and went back to the haversack and lowered himself next to it, resuming his former position. “It depends on which end you’re on.”
“What do you mean?”
He wiped his face with the open palm of his right hand. “I don’t know how ta tell ya this, but I think the Queen is gonna start breeding ya like a cat.”
“She’s already told me.”
Zach turned his head away as if he was too ashamed to look at her. “I’m the one whose supposed ta keep
ya pregnant.”
Fear tumbled in mass waves inside her soul. She trembled, but thankfully, he couldn’t see her terror because of the darkness. “Please don’t do this, Zach. She’s not worth it.”
He shot to his feet with the speed of summer lightning and paced the length of the small fire uneasily. “I don’t want ta do it, plain and simple. If’n I don’t, she’ll expose me to the sun and I’m toast.”
She urged him closer. He took a reflexive step toward her, inching as close as he dared. “Okay, I might be able to help you here if you help me.”
Zach cocked his head as if listening again. Silence greeted them. “She’s listening.”
“How do you know?”
“I can tell things. Even though she’s out hunting, she still listens.”
Time to use her cop skills some more. “Then we’ll talk in code. She won’t understand.”
Zach continued to look dubious. “I don’t know.”
“Please help me. If you do, I promise you Drake will help you get away from her and possibly join his people.”
His light eyes brightened just a speck. “Truly?”
“Absolutely. If you help save my life and his child’s life, there’s nothing he won’t do for you.”
A glimmer of hope and trust burned behind his pale orbs. “All right then. I’ll sleep when you sleep. Then when the others are resting during the day, we’ll talk some more. The only time the Queen doesn’t listen is when she’s resting.”
Christine drew another blanket over her and brought it up to her chin. “Good. I’m not exactly tired yet, so why don’t you finish telling me a bit more about yourself.”
* * * *
Zach immediately felt a sense of relief. He didn’t to be part of Zakara’s minions anymore and hadn’t for a long time. This might be his chance to get out and eke out his own existence elsewhere. “Let’s see. Well, I graduated from the Virginia Military Institute around eighteen sixty, I suppose. Not much good on dates.” He leaned back on his hands. “I wasn’t a real good student, not like some of the others.”
Ranson, Tracy L. - Prince of Darkness [Bloodborn 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 18
