“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
“No, I’m going to be sick.” I scrambled to my feet and stumbled to the bathroom, making it just in time to empty the meager contents of my stomach into the toilet. My only solace was that I’d managed to swing the door closed to limit an audience. I’d just cleaned the floor myself the day before, so there hopefully weren’t too many germs sticking to my knees and hands.
Von let himself into the bathroom, his shirt tugged on in a hurry and his hair rumpled from our horizontal rumble. “Oh, bollocks! Are you alright?”
“’m fine. Go on out. You don’t want to be here for this.”
Von ignored me and gathered my hair into his fist, making me love him even more as another wave hit me all over again. I cringed as I gripped the toilet, holding on for dear life as I degraded myself in front of my non-boyfriend. “Did you eat some bad fish or something?”
“Ugh! Don’t say fish.” I braced myself for the next roil, but thankfully there was nothing in me left to throw up. “So embarrassing. I can’t believe you came in here, staying for the whole disgusting show.”
“I’m not going to leave you when you need me most.”
Yes, you will. I flushed the toilet and looked across the bowl at him, grateful for so many reasons, and he was at the top of that list. “You love me?”
“I think we proved that on the floor of Finn’s bedroom. That’s going on my top ten list of coolest places I’ve ever made out with a woman. Captain Finn’s bedroom. How many people can say that? I bet not even old gill-neck himself.” He shook his head at himself. “I should’ve listened to Danny. He said he and Mariang couldn’t find each other if either of them had been drinking. I didn’t think it would apply to sleeping pills, but it was the only way I could sleep without you next to me. I was trying everything to reach you, but maybe I’m the reason we couldn’t find each other. I’m sorry, darling.” He frowned in concern. “Aw, you’re white as a sheet.” He felt my forehead for a temperature, pulling my stress over the bathroom germs that were now crawling all over me, and making me love him even more. “Come. Let’s get you washed up, yeah?”
“Thanks.” I leaned against the sink and Von as he helped me to stand so I could wash my hands up to my elbows. I brushed my teeth probably too many times, but, you know, barfing.
I looked up into his eyes when I finished rinsing my mouth the last time, noticing something slightly off. “Your gold eye. It’s different. I mean, it’s still gold, but there are flecks of blue in there now.” I frowned. “It didn’t used to be like that. Your one eye was completely gold. How’d that happen?”
Von shrugged. “I don’t know. Worried me at first, but I’ve been feeling so much stronger in my resolve to stay human lately. I don’t know what did it, but in the past month, I haven’t been so bloodthirsty. I can get by on one blood bag a day. Sometimes less. When the Ekeks bled me dry, that was rough, but even that I bounced back from far quicker than usual.” He shook his head. “I don’t understand it, but I’m not about to question a little of life’s mercy.”
“Seriously? One blood bag a day?” My spirits lifted at the beautiful thought that perhaps Von would be able to control himself far easier – that he wouldn’t be temporary, but a permanent fixture by my side. “Von, that’s the best thing I’ve heard in a long time. See? I knew you could control your cravings.”
“I’m working on it.” His arm remained around my hips, his hand supporting me as I leaned into him when he led me out to the couch in the living room, setting me down gently. I would’ve told him not to baby me, but I’d spent too much time missing him and thinking he’d moved on to care about pride. “Easy, now. Do you want me to get you a trash bin in case you need to blow chunks again?”
Garrick brought me a piece of dry bread and a glass of water, as he always did after I barfed. “She should be alright. She usually only throws up once in the morning, then she’s okay for the rest of the day.”
I took the bread with gratitude, chewing slowly before testing my stomach with the water. “Thanks, Garrick.”
“Usually?” Von asked in time with Mason, who came out of the kitchen with a sympathetic smile for me that was laced with concern.
“Mason!” I was slower to close the gap between us, pacing myself so I didn’t throw up all over him. I squeezed him around the neck, glad that he was gentle when he hugged me. “I missed you.” And I truly had. I missed the smile in his slate eyes that had no agenda, and finally, there it was.
“Oh, hani. Never again. This whole you getting kidnapped thing? It’s not for me. Let’s not have that happen again, alright?”
“Oh, fine. If you insist.” I leaned up to kiss his cheek, but his lips met mine in a closed-mouth gesture of friendship that told me how scared he’d been, despite his efforts not to be outwardly emotional. In that simple kiss, I could feel us forgiving each other, moving from the rocky abyss to something more solid we could actually lean on without the foundation crumbling.
“What’s this about you getting sick? Huh, even pulling from you, I feel something different.” Mason asked as he led me back to the couch.
“It’s nothing. Just a stomach bug.”
Garrick waved off my answer and pursed his lips. “Yeah. It should go away in about nine months.”
“Shut up, Garrick. Don’t start with that nonsense again.”
Von looked from me to Garrick in confusion. “What nonsense?”
“They don’t know?” Garrick pointed to Von and Mason with a “you’re busted” face.
“It’s nothing. Finn and Garrick were teasing me earlier. Don’t pay attention to them.”
Finn came out from his bedroom, dressed and ready to go, his knife strapped to his thigh outside of his black pants. “We ready to talk about the plan?”
“Sure, but then we get her out of here. Ezra’s anxious to have her back at the mansion. She’s been in Dagat too long.” Mason plopped down next to me on the couch, his stomach rumbling. “Forgot to give you these.” He tugged my prescription bottle out of his pocket that was sealed in a Ziploc, and I nearly cried.
“Thank you! Poor Garrick does his pulling thing all day, and by morning, it’s like he hasn’t done a thing.” I shook a small pill out into my hand, downing it quickly as the relief spread over me at finally being within arm’s reach of not feeling so neurotic anymore. “Thanks, guys. That’s exactly what I needed. Go Team Terraway.”
Von sat down next to me, his arm draping around the back of the couch behind my shoulders casually after he relit his cigar and took a puff. I wanted to smell like Von, to bathe myself in his scent. With both of them actively pulling, I felt lighter than air, soaring away from my OCD, and not questioning my actions at all as I leaned my chin toward Von, silently asking him for a puff of the cigar I’d missed. He put the stick to my lips, both of us jumping when Finn barked, “What are you doing? You know you can’t smoke when you’re pregnant.”
I choked on the mouthful of smoke I accidentally inhaled while both men flanking me on the couch went completely rigid. “Would you knock it off with that? They’re going to think you’re serious.”
Finn threw his head back, pacing the living room. “I am serious! I know you’re pregnant, you know you’re pregnant, Mason’s stomach probably already knows you’re pregnant.”
As if on cue, Mason’s stomach rumbled.
Von shot up from the couch, livid. “Who’ve you had sex with?” He cast around the room for the culprit. “Was it Finn? Did you sleep with Finn while we were off burying my brother and killing all the Manas we could get our hands on so we could bring you home?”
Finn puffed out his chest. “She could do worse. What’s it to you who she’s having sex with?”
“Because she’s my girlfriend!” Von shouted, aiming his anger anywhere and everywhere.
I scoffed, affronted. “Excuse me? I thought you were allergic to that word. Don’t go throwing it around when it’s convenient. It’s either all in or all out, a
nd you took yourself out.”
Von winced. “Well, you’re almost that. We were headed in that direction.”
“Not good enough,” I argued with a glower.
“You’re the non-boyfriend? You’re the one who kept her on hold? You?” Finn scoffed. Then he turned to me, indignant. “This clown? This is the love of your life? Give me a break!”
I leaned forward, my head in my hands as my elbows rested on my knees. “Oh, this is so out of hand. Seriously, I’m not pregnant. And Finn, I told you I was seeing someone. Here he is, in the flesh. Someone. Von, calm down. I don’t know why Garrick and Finn thought it’d be funny to tease me about being pregnant, but it’s time for the joke to die. You guys, the astronauts in outer space, science, and the friggin’ Easter bunny all know I’m a virgin.”
“You didn’t have sex with Finn?” Von challenged, waving his cigar in Finn’s direction as he gestured with his hands.
“Of course not! I would never do that to you. Give me a break. Do you even hear yourself?” I lowered my eyes to the floor to muscle out the very private thing that was now public. “We’ve kissed, which I have every right to do, but nothing more.”
Garrick held up his hands. “If she doesn’t know, that’s one thing. Mason, you’d be able to tell. You’re Matruculan. You know what the hunger’s like around a fetus. Do you feel it?”
Mason showed me his hand before slowly moving it to my stomach, as if his palms had sonar or something to be able to detect a baby moving inside of me. His eyes widened as they met my confused ones. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Von jerked Mason up, not caring that Mason was bigger. “You knocked up my girlfriend? I stepped aside when you wanted to be with her, even though I knew we would be right together. How could you?” Then before anyone could stop him, Von took a swing at Mason, snapping his head to the side.
Mason’s gaze slowly returned to Von, both men glaring with their nostrils flared and fists clenched. “You get one of those in your lifetime. I hope you enjoyed it.”
I leapt up and shoved Von away from Mason. “Von, stop! I’m not having sex with Mason. Jeez, are you insane?” Then I turned, touching Mason’s sore cheekbone. “Honey, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. A swat from a very stupid, reckless fly.” Mason leaned into my palm while he glared at Von, choosing not to retaliate, thankfully. “Von, you’re a fool if you think I’d try to mess October up any more than I already have. Even kissing her was too much for us to handle. Of course we haven’t had sex.” Then he lowered his face to look at me, his expression one of no negotiations. “But she is pregnant.”
Forty-Two.
Brawling Bulls and Breaking Curses
Von was livid, which didn’t help the situation any, since it was a tossup which dude was angriest. I was at a loss as to why Mason would say I was pregnant when I knew I couldn’t be. I tried to keep my head down and my mouth shut, since everyone else seemed to think arguing with each other and barking at me was a swell idea.
Garrick had to be the only adult in the room and took up the task of calming us all down so we could talk rationally. “Go to your corners! Everyone pick a spot and march.” He pointed to the wall, lowering his arm only when we were all in our separate spaces. Mason was angry at Von, Finn was miffed at me and annoyed with Von, Von was mad at all of us, especially me. Me? I was just plain lost.
I’d gone from having one casual guy my whole life to being in a room where it would be feasible for an outsider to think I’d been with any one of the three men who were now in my life. I didn’t like how that felt one bit. I don’t think Mrs. Brady ever had this problem.
When Garrick was satisfied no one would try to hit anyone else, he took the floor. “Alright. We’re not discussing the pregnancy issue anymore, since clearly everyone’s got their heads up their arses. Everyone assume October’s pregnant, which means no fighting around her, got it?” When no one responded, Garrick clapped his hands together, his voice deepening and barking out at us. “I can’t hear you, soldiers!”
We responded with various tones of “Sir, yes sir!”
“That’s more like it. Now Finn and I’ve got a plan. He’s been trying to disband the harem, but Banak’s not pleased. It’s time Banak and his son are taken off the throne. We all know it. Terraway knows he’s a selfish pervert, and that Finn does everything the king should be doing for Dagat.”
“I’ll burn this place down before I see Finn on the throne in Banak’s place,” Von spat. “I’ll not trade one bloody asshole for another.”
Finn’s eyes narrowed with too much attitude. “That’s not how Dagat works, you idiot. There’s a system in place. I wouldn’t rule after Banak. If I could, do you think he’d still be alive?”
“You can’t kill Banak. You’re under his control.” Von snarled at Finn, not bothering to hide his superior disgust.
Finn straightened, and I groaned, knowing the catastrophe that was going to tumble out of his mouth. “Actually, my curse was broken. It seems the woman who wasn’t good enough to be your girlfriend has a little gift. October kissed me, and it broke my curse.” He looked up at the ceiling as if in thought. “Not our first kiss, but the one where I sucked on her tongue. That’s the one that did it. The ones after that were just for fun.”
I kept my head down, moving my chin from side to side. “Oh, you are such a jerk.”
All three men whipped their heads to gawk at Finn, then at me.
I thought Von would spout something cruel to either one of us, but he touched his lips as his eyes saw something in his memory. “That explains it. My bloodlust is far less. I used to need three blood bags a day, and even then I could smell October’s blood when she walked into a room. But since we kissed… Yes. That makes sense. I’m down to one blood bag a day now, and I haven’t felt the urge to tear into your neck for any nefarious reasons so far.”
I met his eyes with unconcealed hope. “Do you think there’s a chance? There’s a chance you’ll live a normal lifespan? We get to keep you?”
Von softened at my words and returned my gaze with his own that was filled with affection. “It looks to be that way. I didn’t know an Omen’s kiss could break a curse.” He pointed to the blue flecks polluting his gold eye. “That explains the discoloration. I’m still part vampire, but I’m at least more than half me now.”
Finn was none too pleased with this conversation. “Could we get back on track?”
Von turned back to the room. “Where were we? Oh, right. Killing Banak, and why it’s not been attempted before.”
“No one’s killed Banak because I protect him, and also his son’s even worse.” Finn’s full lips twisted into an evil smile. “But you already know Prince Julius’ dark side.”
Von’s fists tightened, and I saw the spring before it happened. Von lunged from across the room at Finn, and I stood back and let him. Von had been sold into sexual slavery to a very cruel man. Finn deserved what he got making cracks about it.
Garrick and Mason acted as referees and finally as restraints for the two while I remained in my corner with my arms crossed. “Look, it was a bad plan to begin with, guys. Kudos to you for trying, but we can’t even work together to discuss a plan, much less execute it.”
Garrick shot me a look of frustration for being unhelpful once the guys were back to their corners. “As I was saying, we need to take out Banak and his son to end the rule. After they’re gone, the throne will fall to Mathias of the Green Lakes.”
“Mathias? But he’s at least eighty years old!” Mason protested.
“Exactly. He won’t keep the harem, and it’ll give Finn enough time to get someone suitable for ruling ready for the task. We’ve already discussed a few names. Any objections to Mathias of the Green Lakes? How about Henri Clearwater to replace him when he passes?”
Mason tilted his head from side to side, weighing the options while Von remained focused only on his fury. Mason finally nodded, his arms crossed. “I think that could work. Really, anyon
e’s a better candidate than Banak’s son. But how?”
Garrick addressed Mason, since he seemed to be the only rational one. “That’s where you guys come in, or more specifically, this one,” he said, pointing to Von.
“Me? For what? I’m not staying in Dagat a moment longer than I have to.”
“You wouldn’t stick around to kill Prince Julius?”
Von exchanged his fuming for intrigue as his ears perked up. “How’s that, now?”
“We need to make it look like Banak and his son fought and killed each other. Otherwise we’ll be in the same boat as Lumipad when civilians murdered Sylvia. We don’t want to undermine the whole idea of the monarchy; we just want the poison replaced with an antidote,” Finn explained, his anger cooling. “I’ll pick one of the stronger, more prone to fight girls from the harem to give to Banak for the night. And if you’re up for it, Von, I’ll bring you in as a gambler with too much debt you can’t pay, just like the last time. Only this time I’ll make sure you’re armed with a knife.”
“Like what last time?” Mason asked, in the dark about the truth concerning Von’s previous time in Dagat.
“No! Stop this right now!” I shouted, stomping my foot. Von quietly and succinctly explained his time in Dagat to Mason, who paled. I was livid that Von’s private business was being spilled out for open dissection. “I already said last night that’s not an option. Where do you get off asking Von to do something like that? Who do you think you are? I expected this from you, Finn, but Garrick? You’re supposed to be a good guy.”
Garrick leveled his gaze at me. “I am a good guy. I’m giving Von the opportunity for revenge, letting him be a key player in taking a corrupt monarchy down. There’s not many who deserve to deliver the final blow more than him.”
“You’re horrible for asking Von to be in the same room as that criminal! I work with sex offenders. Most of them fake remorse when it suits them and go right back to their old habits as soon as no one’s looking. Only this guy has no prison to be afraid of. Julius doesn’t even have to fake giving up his disgustingness. I’ll check myself into the harem and put an end to it all before I let Von volunteer himself again. I’m telling you right now, I won’t have it. I won’t let it happen.”
Treat (Terraway Book 5) Page 23
