by T. S. Ryder
"Bagged blood. The same supply our soldiers get. None of them are exhibiting any of these signs, though."
The physician dropped her hands. The green glow faded from them. The witch shook her head, brow puckering. "The only thing I can think is that they're getting blood from other sources as well. It could be that the blood bags are missing some essential nutrient."
"They have been tasting a little off," Aaron admitted. "But we test our sources thoroughly."
"Well, I'll get a few samples to test again, just to be sure. But in the meantime, sir, you should get some extra rest. It is possible that this is a case of sympathetic pregnancy."
Aaron's head shot up. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"
The physician smiled calmly. "It's not uncommon for men to experience some of the same pregnancy symptoms that their wives go through. She's tired, you're tired. She can't sleep, you can't sleep. She's hungry, you're hungry. I have never heard of it happening quite this way, but it is something to consider."
Aaron scowled. So the physician thought it was all in his head? That was pretty insulting in his opinion. "Don't assume that's what it is," he snapped. "I want you to exhaust every possible physical cause for this. If you find anything, I'll be in my chambers with my wife."
"Of course."
His knees had the consistency of jelly as he stood but somehow managed to keep himself upright. Sofia slid her hand into his as they left the witch's medical rooms. He could feel the worry rolling off his wife, but for her sake, he still smiled.
"I guess that official announcement of your pregnancy will have to wait," he said. "Although the nap is coming a little faster than anticipated."
She didn't even smile. "I'm worried about you."
"I know. But I'll be fine. Promise."
Sofia leaned against him, wrapping her arm around his waist. He tried not to put too much of his weight on her, but it was hard to not to. His eyes hung heavy, and all he wanted to do was just lie down and sleep.
When they got to their apartment, Sofia suddenly stopped. Aaron stumbled. He looked up and tensed. Just outside their door were half a dozen vampires. They were wealthy men, all single, and all political rivals. His eyes narrowed. Sharks scenting blood in the water? Had news of his collapse traveled so quickly?
"Get out of here," he said shortly, not wanting to deal with them right now. "My wife and I were about to go make love."
"Your wife is why we are here," one of them, Anvier, said. "The rumors are true, aren't they? She carries a child."
"My child," Aaron growled. "She did not betray me."
Anvier eyed Sofia's belly with a gleam in his eye. "I didn't think she did. But this is an amazing thing, that a human can conceive a vampire's child. We all want children. If your wife can conceive with vampires, then it is your duty to share her with the others who may benefit from her unique capabilities."
Share her? With a roar, Aaron threw himself forward. "How dare you?"
Before he reached Anvier, he stumbled. The other vampires stared at him as his arms windmilled, fighting to keep himself balanced. Sofia rushed forward, catching him. He sagged against her, fighting the black spots that danced before his eyes. His stomach churned.
"We used magic so that I could conceive," Sofia said. "I'm not unique. And if you want to have children, then I can make you the same potion to use with your women."
Anvier frowned at her. "I didn't know you were a witch."
"I'm not. But my grandmother was, and she taught me a few things and it's an easy potion to make. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be going."
"No." Aaron pulled himself up again, clenching his hands. He choked back his weakness and glared at his rivals. If he didn't settle this now, it wasn't going to end. It was a risk fighting in his current condition, but what choice did he have? By being weak in front of these vampires, he was putting his rule and his wife in danger. "You insulted my wife, you will pay the consequences."
Anvier's brow furrowed. The other vampire shook his head. "You really want to fight me, Aaron? In your condition, a stiff breeze could knock you down."
"Then that's what we fight for," Aaron snarled back at him. "The first one on his back loses."
Anvier considered him for another moment, then shrugged. "If that is what you want. But I don't think we should fight here. Certainly not when your lovely wife will be in the way. After all, once I defeat you, the rest of the vampire nation will see I'm the stronger man and make me king. I think I'll claim her as my queen… keep her in luxury and comfort when I banish you to the swamp or maybe some sort of pit where you'll never see the sunlight—"
Aaron took advantage of his opponent's monologue. He jumped forward, swinging a punch at Anvier's face. The other vampire stepped back, making Aaron stumble. But as he fell, he wrapped his arms around the other vampire's waist. With a growl, the king picked him up and threw him back, using his own weight to bring the vampire crashing down. Anvier fell flat on his back, Aaron half on him.
"Yet I still win," the king grunting, grinning. The grin didn't last long as everything around him swayed.
"Don't you dare touch him!" Sofia's voice rang out sharply.
Aaron pushed himself to his knees. His wife wrapped her arms around him, tugging uselessly to hoist him up. Though part of his mind said that he couldn’t accept help, couldn't look weak in front of the others, he already knew that he looked weak. If the fight with Anvier had lasted a second longer, he would have lost.
"You're all disgusting brutes," Sofia snarled. "I wouldn't have any of you if you put a gun to my head! Now get out of here. These apartments belong to the king and his wife. None of you are the king and you certainly aren't his wives. Now go before I call the guards and have you physically escorted away!"
Sofia didn't let the other vampires protest. The king couldn't help but smile at her forcefulness, and let her tug him into their apartment. She took him to the couch and eased him down. Once he was sitting, he dropped his chin to his chest and closed his eyes. His head felt a little lighter, but he was so, so thirsty!
"Get me some blood," he mumbled.
"Wait," a familiar voice called.
The physician-witch hurried into the apartment. Aaron found it was a little difficult to concentrate on her as she raced over to where they were. The other vampires still hadn't left and were staring in at the three of them curiously. When Aaron snarled at them, one of them shut the door. The loud complaints that followed told him they weren't going anywhere.
"Here." The witch pressed a glass into Aaron's hand. "Drink this."
He frowned at the clear liquid but drank anyway. It didn't taste how he'd expect a medicine to taste. It was… cleaner. Fresh. Sweet, almost. He gulped it down, emptying the glass quickly.
"Do you feel better?" The physician-witch peered into his eyes.
"I do, thank you." Aaron straightened, surprised when his head stopped spinning. He frowned. "You know what is wrong with me? What medicine was that?"
"It's not medicine, although I do believe I know what's wrong." The witch's shoulders slumped. "I don't know how this is possible. But it appears… Sir, you are turning back into a human."
Chapter Six – Sofia
Lucy opened the door for Sofia while Vivian scouted the area. Sofia couldn't help but feel annoyed with their paranoia today. Her nerves were a huge jumbled mess, and it felt like she had been on the verge of breaking down ever since they had found out what exactly was wrong with Aaron.
He was turning human. And it wasn't just some random magical attack that had managed to get through the walls, it was the potion. The one she had used to get herself pregnant. Had Gloria known? She had been angry with Sofia when she first announced that she was going to marry the vampire king... Could Gloria have taken that anger too far?
Sofia marched up to her friend's house and knocked rapidly. She didn't stop until Gloria answered, looking put out.
"Did you know?"
Gloria blinked. "What?"
/> "Did you know?"
Lucy put a hand on Sofia's elbow. "Not in the street."
Sofia glared at her bodyguard but pushed past Gloria into the house. Her friend protested. Lucy and Vivian ignored her cries as they followed their queen in. Sofia took a deep breath, resting a hand on her swelling belly. She turned to face her friend with the calmest expression she could muster.
"Did you know what the side effects of that fertility potion were going to be?"
Gloria's eyes widened. She rushed forward and grabbed Sofia's hands. "What is it? Are you okay? You didn't do anything out of character, did you?"
Sofia pulled away. "It's not me. It's Aaron. The potion is turning him human."
For a long moment, Gloria just stared at her. Then suddenly she turned away and laughed. Sofia's hands clenched. How could Gloria think that this was funny? Didn't she realize just how terrible the situation was? They didn't know what would happen to Aaron because of it. Did he have an immune system left? Would the change kill him? There were no answers!
And it was all Sofia's fault. If she hadn't been so reckless, if she had just made sure to take the time to talk to her husband about this…
"That's funny," Gloria said. "You had me going for a minute there. But it's impossible for a vampire to be turned into a human."
"It's not impossible, that's what's happening."
Gloria turned back, the mirth dying from her face. "You're serious? He's really turning human?"
"Yes!"
"But… you were the one who was supposed to drink it, not him."
Sofia shook her head. "I did. But he drank from me right after, and it had already entered my bloodstream. Why didn't you tell me that this could happen?"
Gloria pulled her hair to its ends, a distressed look on her face. "We have to look at the recipe again. It didn't say anything about side effects! I'll go get it."
Sofia shook her head. "I want my grandmother's spell book."
"But I got the recipe from a friend, not your grandmother's book."
"We still might be able to find a similar recipe in it, and figure out more about what is happening to Aaron. Where is it?"
"In my kitchen. I'll get it."
Gloria had always had a knack for magic that Sofia didn't have. When Sofia's grandmother had passed, she had decided to give the spell book to her friend. It seemed like the right decision at the time since most of the spells and potions in it were too advanced for Sofia's training. Right now, though, Sofia wished that she had been able to dedicate more time to lessons with her grandmother.
Sofia sagged onto the couch, resting her face in her hands while Lucy and Vivian both stood near windows, looking out. They had been with her as bodyguards from the start of her relationship with Aaron, although they only started accompanying her everywhere a month before the wedding.
Close to the beginning of her engagement to Aaron, a male vampire attempted to dance with her at a ball. It was then, when Aaron had had the man thrown from the hall, that Sofia realized that he had given her women as bodyguards because of his own possessive jealousy.
Their relationship had come so far since then. Aaron had realized that Sofia didn't see his actions as protective, but rather as a sign he didn't trust her, and had worked to overcome his issues. The incident before their wedding showed that it was still a work in progress, but he was getting better…
And now he might die because of me.
"Got it!" Gloria came back into the room, lugging a thick, age-stained book. She set it on the coffee table.
Sofia checked the table of contents, flipping to all fertility potions and anti-vampire protective wards. Her heart beat shallowly, eyes skimming over the ingredients lists. Eventually, she came to one that had the same recipe as the potion that she had made.
"Here it is. And here's the warnings. Side effects… vampires who drink a human's blood who has drunk this potion will become human. It doesn't say anything more than—" She gasped, her heart rising as she turned the page. "An antidote. A way to stop the transformation and turn Aaron back into a vampire."
Gloria frowned as she peered at the pages. "You'll have to make the potion yourself, it looks like."
"I can do it. Lucy, Vivian, we're going back to the palace." Sofia shut the massive tome and headed for the door. She stopped and turned back to her friend. "Thank you, Gloria. I'll let you know how it goes."
"Sure." Gloria gave her a wan smile. "And stop eating so much, you're getting fatter."
"I'm pregnant. Stop calling me fat," Sofia said shortly and left.
All the way back to the palace, she poured over the potion to fix Aaron again and again. There was a blood element to it that was unreadable, but other than that, it seemed straightforward enough. The final ingredient, black-capped toadstools, had to be added within five seconds of being picked under the light of a full moon, but it was the most complicated step to the brew.
Her heart rose as they arrived at the palace. They had hope again.
Sofia found Aaron in his office. He looked better than he had in the past few days. His skin didn't look as thin, his back was straighter, and overall he was better rested. It still looked strange to see him with a juice box in hand, munching on a sandwich. But his digestive system was changing, and he needed human food. Blood just wasn't giving him the nutrients he needed.
"I found a cure." Sofia put the book down over the papers he was working on and showed him the page. "I have to make it myself, but it should restore you to being fully vampire."
Aaron glanced at her with wide eyes before focusing on the page. As he read, his face first fell and then smoothed out, the way it did when he knew something wasn't going to work and was trying to hide his disappointment.
"Black-capped toadstools. They're only found down in the swamp."
"I know. But the rest of the potion can be readied beforehand and—"
"The radical sect of witches have taken up residence in the swamp, Sofia." Aaron put his hand over hers. "It's too risky to send you there. Seeing this, my guess is that they somehow set all this up in the first place, to get me off the throne. And I guess it's going to work."
Sofia's heart plummeted. "Aaron—"
"I won't lose you. We don't know if becoming human will kill me, but if you go to the swamp, chances are you will die. So no. You are not going to attempt to create this potion. I'm sorry, Sofia. I love you. But I really have to finish this paperwork off. I'll see you later."
Sofia picked up her book again. She hugged it to her chest as she glanced down at what Aaron was working on. It was an official abdication of the throne, and a document naming his replacement. Bile rose in her throat, but she turned away quickly. Her husband wouldn't see her cry…
But once she was alone, she let the tears fall. Being king was important to Aaron. He was determined to help people the best he could. He loved being a vampire. Sofia couldn’t imagine how much it would destroy him for his identity to be taken away…
It won't, she vowed. I am going to save him.
She opened the spell book again. First things first. She would need a cauldron.
***
If Aaron was still at his full strength, Sofia knew she wouldn’t have been able to sneak out without him knowing. He would have known everything that was going on for the past few days. Sofia had been using her old chambers to make the potion, and now had it in a thermos in her backpack with her grandmother's spell book as she slipped out of the palace. She had told the guards she was just going for a moonlit walk since she couldn’t sleep, but that was far from the truth.
It was the night of the full moon, and there was only one ingredient left on the list that she needed to turn Aaron back into a vampire. Black-capped toadstools.
Sofia took one of the cars and left the palace grounds, her heart in her throat as she headed for the swamp, where Gloria was going to meet her. Her friend had been scouting the area for some time and found the mushrooms they needed. Luckily, she hadn't seen any of the w
itches that were supposed to be living in the swamp.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Gloria asked once they stopped at the edge of the swamp.
It was a dark, frightening place. There were a few paths and boardwalks set up throughout it, but nothing that a car could travel over. Sofia hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders and nodded. "I'm not going to give up on Aaron."
Gloria put a hand on her shoulder. "Is it so bad to have a regular human as a husband? Is being a queen that important to you?"
"Being a queen has nothing to do with it," Sofia snapped as she headed in. "It's Aaron. You can't see how this is destroying him. He doesn't deserve to die because of my actions. And we have no idea how becoming human will affect him. A cold might kill him!"
"Sofia, I know this is hard for you, but—"
A flash of red light burst through the trees. Sofia stumbled backward, crying out as something hot seared across her shoulders. The smell of burnt hair mixed with the methane of the swamp. Gloria grabbed her arm and pulled her back the way they had come.
"It's a witch!" she shouted. "We're under attack. Sofia, run!"
Chapter Seven – Aaron
How could he have missed the signs? Aaron's fingers drummed against his thigh as the van raced from the city, wishing that he had paid for a vehicle with a little more speed. The guards he had called to come with him as he went after Sofia were sitting all around him, silent as they glanced askance at him. He ignored them, praying that Sofia was safe.
Of course she wouldn't have accepted his decision to let the magic run its course and turn him human. Not when they didn't know what would happen after he became fully human. If their situations were reversed, he never would stand by and watch. Why had he expected her to?
If Gloria hadn't phoned him to tell him about this crazy plan, would he have ever guessed Sofia was doing this? But it was too late to stop Sofia from leaving. Was it too late to stop her from going to the swamp?
"We're here," the driver said.
Tires screeched as they came to a stop. Aaron was thrown from his seat, though a dozen hands instantly reached to support him. He pushed them off.
