by Ashley Nemer
At the top of the stairs, he looked down the hallway and saw Mehmet sitting in the chair outside of Nikole’s room. He was a good Ghul, one of his better warriors. He was shocked that Mehmet had allowed Nikole to escape him earlier, but she was a resourceful woman. She always did what she wanted; she acted first and never thought about the consequences. But that was how all of this had started, Nikole’s lack of foresight into her actions and their consequences. This wasn’t the time to dwell on those thoughts, not while the grief was fresh and there was still so much unknown. Besides, he didn’t want to consider his own selfish behavior while he’d been away.
Maybe it was a family trait? Maybe something in their make-up prevented them from being logical. Or maybe was just the stress of ruling a kingdom. No one really knew what he went through, the weight of so many subjects depending entirely on his choices, protecting the only family he had left, carrying on a name that they couldn’t let die off. Yes, no one knew of the internal stress being in the Royal Family caused, but it wasn’t his job to complain, just to protect. He had left his people and let them all down, and now it was time to regain the pride that the Kadin name deserved.
“Mehmet, you can relieve yourself for a minute; I need some time with my okht,” Zayn said as he approached him. He felt his mind start to tingle when Nikole’s thoughts of this alone time with her came in loud and clear.
“Yes, sire, she’s not moved since I brought her home. She doesn’t want anything.”
“Thank you, I’ll call you when I leave so you can come back and keep watch. In the meantime, rest.”
Mehmet stood and bowed to Zayn before walking down the hallway and down the stairwell. When he was out of sight, Zayn knocked once on the door before opening it.
“Little okht?” he said softly as he opened the door.
“Go away.”
He ignored her wish and came in, shutting the door behind him before he walked over to her bed. Placing the silver canister on her bedside table, Zayn sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ve brought him home to you, Nikole.”
“This isn’t his home; he didn’t want to claim it as his.”
“You were his home. I could tell in how he looked at you, even that day I came and picked you up from his cabin. You were where his home was.”
“No, Zayn, I wasn’t. I lived with him for three months while you were gone. His home was in the cabin with his dead wife. As much as I loved him, I was never meant to have him as mine. We were doomed.”
“You can’t believe that. After everything Nikole, he loved you.”
“Not like I loved him.” Her tears were steadily rolling down her cheeks. She looked up from the pillow at her akh, and unexpectedly, she sat up, leaning over to embrace him.
Zayn stroked her hair and held her; he listened to her sobs, her heart beating.
“I’m sorry, Nikole. I’m so sorry.”
“I know you are, Zayn. It’s not your fault. Now he can at least be in the afterlife with his family.”
“Maybe if I hadn’t left, none of this would have happened.”
“This is Haydar’s fault. He puts everyone in danger.”
He continued to stroke her hair and rock her back and forth. He looked to the canister and pointed. “Do you want me to take care of that?”
She shook her head no and sat up, wiping her eyes. She reached for the canister, pulled it into her lap, and held onto it. “He deserves a warrior’s sendoff; I will have Mehmet make the proper arrangements. We can call in one of the Algula priests, and they can perform the Raheel Ritual.”
“You want to call in the clergy? We haven’t spoken to them since we brought them over from Lebanon to keep them safe. We haven’t practiced any of the traditions since Omm and Abb were killed.”
“I know, Zayn, but maybe it’s time we brought some of our traditions back. I think Omm and Abb would want us to, don’t you? And you are going to be a baba! We have to carry on how we were raised for the next generations, right?”
Zayn listened to her talk and was taken aback. Even in her state of mourning and grief, she was thinking of the people and their future. Maybe she had grown up and changed. “You are right, little okht. We need to bring our traditions back. You and Mehmet can do what you need to for Alec. He deserves that.”
The serenity of the moment was broken when his cell phone went off. “Sorry, let me see who this is.” He pulled out the phone and answered it.
“Hello, this is Zayn,” he said, his eyes centered on the wall as he spoke. “Yes, thank you for calling to keep me informed. Is she all right?”
Nikole listened to him talk; her mind went straight to Adara and the baby sitting in the hospital.
“Yes, please continue with the exam. I don’t need to be there, that’s fine. Let me know what the results are and if she can come home in the morning. Thank you, Doctor.”
Zayn hung his phone up and slipped it back into his pocket. He looked at Nikole’s expression and could tell she wanted to know what was going on. “They are going to examine her one more time, and then if she passes, she will be able to come home tomorrow morning. I’m going to bring her back here where the staff can keep an eye on her.”
“That’s good; she needs to be around people who can protect her until she delivers.”
“Exactly. The doctor mentioned that she will be on bed rest until the baby comes, but after that, I plan on having the nexus and crowning ceremony.”
Nikole nodded as he spoke. She didn’t know what she wanted to say exactly, but she knew that talking about her akh’s happiness in the midst of what she was going through wasn’t on the top of her list.
“I gave her the family ring, I hope you don’t mind?”
“It was yours to give. Zayn, I think I want to be alone with Alec, if you don’t mind?”
Zayn reached over and grabbed her hand; he squeezed it, trying to comfort her.
“No, that’s all right; I need to get things ready for tomorrow. I’ll send Mehmet back up.”
“I’m surprised you assigned him to me after…”
Zayn raised his hand to stop her; he didn’t want her to finish that thought. “He’s one of the best warriors we have, and I want you protected at all times. The past is in the past, and he knows that’s where it stays, so until this all blows over with Haydar, you are not to leave the house without protection. Sleep well, little okht, and I’ll check on you in the morning. Love you, Nik.”
“Love you too, Zayn.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Leigh returned to her compound and went straight to her quarters. She didn’t want to see anyone, and she didn’t want to strike out against her abb just yet. She had left her clothes out in the woods, part of the sacrifice for rejuvenating her powers that her omm had taught her, a gift for a gift. She walked across her floor and could smell drops of blood still left in-between the floorboards. She didn’t need the reminder of his death in her room; she made a note that the floor would need to be replaced, tomorrow at daylight.
Opening her closet door, she walked inside and perused her options. Leather was good for fighting, but her natural instincts were like her omm’s, comfort then looks. Pulling out a pair of jeans and slipping into them, she grabbed a cotton, scoop-necked shirt and slid into it. Unlike humans, the Algula were not ashamed of their bodies, at least not those in her warrior class. They dressed for fighting efficiency and then comfort, depending on the situation. Right now, despite what people thought of her, she needed comfort.
She grabbed the plans she and Jonothon had been working on from her desk and took them into her bedroom. Sitting on the bed, she began to make the final touches on where she would be taking Haydar’s life. He had loved her as a child, she knew this. She even knew he loved her now, in spite of the fact that she wanted to kill him. She didn’t care anymore. He had become shortsighted in his older years and had started making decisions about simply killing their warriors instead of progressing them along the evolutionary path, which was supposed t
o be their underlying goal. It was normal that at some point the child overtook the parent, especially with their race. The children, unless killed in war, always outlived the parent, and their powers only diluted with the breeding of humans, so each generation maintained the strength, which was what was needed for Algula like her.
Leigh shivered in disgust. Humans! What were her ancestors thinking when they were created? Giving them so much free will was a disaster. Look at what they had done to the planet. Her omm used to tell her how foolish the human men of her time were. They would chop trees down and construct useless buildings to worship in, and then they would go to war over the land. In reality, Algula owned the land and the humans.
She remembered the tales of the Bible and how her ancestors had helped manipulate and shape that. Too much effort, if you asked her, was spent on the formation of their food. You didn’t see the humans spending this much time on cows and chickens. Why should they be any different? Her abb had it all wrong. They shouldn’t want to overthrow Zayn and his okht because Haydar should be the rightful king. They should want to overthrow them because the Algula needed to be on the top of the food chain again. Period.
A knock on her door jolted Leigh from her thoughts, and she called out, “Enter.” Her men were always cautious when entering her chambers; they didn’t always know if they would come out alive. She’d trained them to give women the respect they deserved. Sarah had taught her that the only thing more valuable than the magik that came from the earth was the magik inside of a pregnant Algula. Omm and child’s powers together forged a strength that couldn’t be duplicated. Her omm said the reason Algula had low birth rates and survival of the omm was because their people didn’t always respect the power of motherhood.
“Mistress, your abb called, and he wishes for you to join him at the hospital in town,” her servant said, his head lowered and body positioned in a non-confrontational manner.
“Did he say why he needed me at the hospital?”
“No, ma’am, I didn’t ask. He just requested that you join him.”
“Please inform my abb that I won’t be joining him tonight. I am working on the layout of attack now that we are a colonel down. I will see him at sunrise when I make my morning rounds.”
“Yes, mistress,” the servant said before he retreated from the room.
I wonder what you are up to, Abb, she silently said.
Haydar walked through the Algula portion of the hospital, searching the different wings for his ebn’ amm. He could feel someone of his blood here; he knew there was a presence. Had one of his soldiers been in combat with Zayn and injured him? He did not appreciate Leigh blowing off his request for her to accompany him. He would have to address this rebelliousness with her soon. He couldn’t afford for her to take the same path as her useless akhs, but something told him disappointment was inevitable.
“Make sure you keep the king’s mate and child comfortable overnight. I’ve released her to go home in the morning, and I’ve informed the king.”
Haydar’s head perked up as he heard one of the doctors talking in the hallway next to him. So that was why he could feel a member of his family in the hospital. Zayn had a child. Perfect.
“Yes, Doctor, I will go check on Miss Adara one last time before she takes her rest. I also have her chart for you. All that’s missing is your signature. I’ve noted the cervix is still slightly dilated, and she has been listed as bed rest only.”
“Thank you. Now, please someone get me something to drink. The stress of keeping the king’s woman safe is making me thirsty.”
Haydar gave a low chuckle and waited for the two to leave before he rounded the corner and went in search of this mate. Walking up on what looked to be two guards, he assumed this was her room. He slipped into the nearby staff lounge and pulled on one of the doctors’ white coats and stethoscope. Returning to the hallway, he walked up to the two guards and began to reach for the door handle.
“You may not enter,” one of the guards said as both guards moved their bodies in front of the door.
“I’m the Chief Resident; I’m here to sign off on her before she leaves in the morning.”
“We were not informed about this; all doctors’ access must be cleared through Nasir or the king,” the other guard stated.
“I’m a very busy man. Please let me pass, and I’ll just be a moment. I just spoke with her attending doctor, and he told me he finished his last exam.” Haydar was maintaining his calm composure, barely. He was focused on manipulating the two guards, but they were not taking his bait.
“Sir, you need to step aside, or we will kill you. The king’s orders.”
Haydar had lost his patience. He reached his arms out and grabbed one arm of each of the guards and flashed them to the roof of the hospital. He threw one to the ground, and the other he bared his fangs at. The guard on the ground stood, withdrew his sword, and charged Haydar. The guard Haydar had in his clutch was rendered useless. Haydar’s fangs quickly sank into his neck. When Haydar pulled his head back, the guard’s throat came out along with part of his spine. Haydar turned toward the guard who was charging him with his sword.
The guard was taken aback by the sight of Haydar coming at him, his fellow guard’s blood all over Haydar’s body and the spine hanging from his mouth. Fuck, he thought.
Haydar spit out the remains of the first useless man and charged back toward the other guard. The man swung his sword towards Haydar’s head, but he used his arm to deflect it. The chainmail that he wore under his clothing protected his body from most of the impact. The guard kicked at him, and Haydar used this opportunity to grab the man’s foot. He then dug his fingers into the man’s ankle, slicing the Achilles tendon.
The guard let out a yell as Haydar sliced into him and swung his sword back around, slicing Haydar across the cheek. Haydar jumped toward the guard which knocked them both to the ground. They rolled around for a moment before Haydar bared his fangs and drove them into the man’s neck. Instead of ripping out his throat, he began to drink from him. Haydar took every drop from the guard and left his lifeless body under him.
When he was done, he stood and looked around on the roof. He would leave these bodies to be found since he didn’t care if the humans knew about him or not. He was going to make them bow before him, like they had done to his ancestors. He was God compared to the worthless cattle, and it was time he was given his respect.
He flashed back into the staff lounge and put on someone else’s clothes. They were tight, but he just needed to wear them for a moment. He walked out of the lounge and back down the hall to the now unguarded door. He reached for the handle and opened the door, walking inside to find a sleeping woman. He shut the door loudly enough to wake her, and only when she turned on the light did the reality set in for Haydar that he hadn’t snapped to beforehand. She’s pregnant. Sarah made me vow never to hurt the pregnant Algula. Shit.
“Can I help you with something?” Adara said in a sleepy voice.
“No.”
“Are you one of my doctors?”
“No.”
“What do you want then?” Adara’s internal alarm started to kick in. Zayn would never have allowed someone who wasn’t one of her doctors to enter the room, let alone be alone with her.
“You know who I am. Stop the charade.”
Haydar waited two seconds before walking up to her bed and putting his hand around her throat. “One scream and you are dead along with your child. Now, you are coming with me.”
Adara felt her heart speed up, and her gut told her this was it, she was dead. She began to protest and holler as they disappeared from the hospital and back to the compound Leigh had forged.
Nasir was making his security rounds; he’d made a habit every hour of walking through every square inch of the hospital. He was approaching the east wing just as his phone rang.
“Zayn?”
“Nasir, they gave Adara the clearance to come home in the morning. She called and spoke to he
r omm, and she will be joining us at the house.”
“That’s good. She will need her omm during the next few months, and I will see to it that there is a guest room made up for her family to use at their convenience.”
“Thank you, Nasir. I want her to feel at home. I also have Mehmet standing guard on Nikole’s room in case she tries to leave again.”
“Have you two spoken?” Nasir asked calmly.
“Yes. We did speak about my expectations of keeping my okht alive. I trust he won’t make the same mistake again, because he knows it will be his head if he does.”
“I meant you and Nikole. You two need to come back together during this time and recreate the bond you both had before three months ago.”
Nasir could hear the pause and deep sigh Zayn took before he responded. “Yes we talked, and I know you are right. We all have done so much damage to one another that moving forward is the only option. I brought Alec’s remains home to her, and now she wants a priest to come and do the Raheel Ritual.”
“I am surprised she is falling back on the traditions that you both have avoided since your parents’ deaths.”
“She said we need to bring them back, for the baby, for us. I think she is right.”
“I will make the proper arrangements. We will have someone out there in a day or two.”
“I know you will take care of everything, Nasir. Thank you.”
“Rest, Zayn, as tomorrow will be a long day, and you will need to have your strength for your future queen. I’m going to finish my security rounds; I have one wing left, and then I will stand guard inside Adara’s room until you arrive in the morning. See you then.”
They both hung up the phone, and Nasir started on the final wing. He had seen those two grow up, and now so much was changing for them. He’d feared that the worst they had seen would ruin the goodness in them. So far, that wasn’t the case, and he was relieved.
