The Medici Queen

by Emily Bex

  Luca smiled at him. "If he survived the day, he’ll be fine. But I'll go check on him."

  He turned to Shannon. "Will you be all right for a few minutes? Why don't you grab something to eat, then you can take a quick shower in my suite. I know you slept on and off, but you're exhausted."

  Shannon nodded, passing the baby off to Cory. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. You do what you need to do."

  Luca teleported to Shade and Kate’s bedroom, and made a quick inspection of Shade. He could see Kate watching his face as he inspected him. Luca gave her a soft smile. "Believe it or not, I've seen worse. He'll be fine, Kate. I'm going to go to the camp and see if I can help Marco."

  Kate nodded as he teleported out.

  Cory returned to their bedroom, cradling Lorenzo awkwardly in his arms. "I’m not sure I'm holding him right."

  Kate chuckled at him. "You're doing fine. Come, bring him to me."

  Cory handed her the baby, as she lay back down next to Shade, the baby curled up between them. "Join us, Cory. Lie next to him. He’ll feel us. We’ll heal him together."

  Cory climbed back on the bed, lying on the other side of his father. Kate had Lorenzo lying on his chest as she lay with her head on his shoulder.

  Cory slid his arm across his father, tucking his head next to Shade’s. He whispered in his ear, "Dad."

  Shade felt his sluggish body come awake, his brain thick with the fog of his deep death slumber. He remembered feeding from bel, and he could smell the acrid scent of the salve that was Theresa's homemade remedy, and knew she’d nursed his wounds.

  He felt a weight on his chest and opened his senses to what was around him, and knew the weight was Lorenzo, sleeping on his chest. He felt bel’s hair on his shoulder, and recognized Cory’s scent.

  His eyes remained closed. There was so much to face, yet he wanted a few more minutes of this peaceful bliss. They were here with him, all of them, safe.

  Kate lifted her head as she felt him stir. "Lover? Do you need to feed? We’re all here. Your family is safe, we’re with you."

  Cory rose up to his elbow. "I can hold Lorenzo if he needs to feed."

  Shade’s eyes fluttered open to see his family around him. He turned his head to his beautiful bel. He smiled and pulled her closer to him. "Kiss me and tell me you are fine."

  She covered his face in soft kisses before landing on his lips. "We’re all fine. Tell me what you need."

  He tried to sit up and scrunched up his face in pain, slowly laying his head back down. "I need to get out of this bed and get to the camp. So much to be done."

  Kate placed her hands on his shoulders. "You’re going nowhere. Everything’s under control. I called Marco, and he’s here. I know Marcello is SIC, but there were so many injured and Marcello was tired as well. Marco took over, so you know the camp is in good hands. I kept Lorenzo in the bunker all day and had Luca stay there. I wasn't sure if Max would come back, but it’s been quiet, so Luca’s in the camp as well, helping Marco. Everything that can be done is being taken care of. Now I just need you to heal."

  Lorenzo squirmed and began rooting around.

  "Cory, can you take him to Nita please? He needs to feed again.”

  Cory jumped up, happy to have something to do, "Of course!" He kissed his dad on the cheek before lifting Lorenzo from his father’s chest and leaving the room.

  Shade’s eyes followed Cory as he left the room with Lorenzo. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and pulled Kate to his chest. "Bel, I need to take care of things, I’m the damn master here. They need to see I am okay, that I can lead and take care of them. I am injured and let them down, I lost so damn many, I lost... "

  His words caught in his throat. He felt his breath leave him. "I know if I just get up, I will feel better, I can get moving. I need to go to them. Marco may be there, but they need to see me."

  Kate sighed. "Shade, I’m in no mood for your stubbornness. We’re all tired here. The camp is fine. They’ll see you when I say they’ll see you. Marco can deliver any message you want. But you’re not leaving this room."

  He grinned as he pulled her close. "So, my queen has taken charge. May I remind you who is master in this house?" He ran his hand over her hips, looking deep into her eyes. "I am so proud of you. Are you all right? I know this cannot be an easy thing to witness.”

  She laid her head on his chest. "Lover, I’m fine. I was so afraid. I saw when you were injured. I saw you go down. I tried to run to you but Luca grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. That's when I called to Aegis. I told her to help you. I had no idea how she’d respond. I was thinking only about Night Stalker, Riparo, and the others. I had no idea she’d call so many."

  He let his hands slide through her hair and down her back, comforting her, as she comforted him. They needed to heal together, physically and mentally. He closed his eyes as he remembered the scene. "I had no idea myself. Everything was fuzzy for me. I felt the damn earth move under me. I had to feed from Marcello to get off the field. But what I did see was something to behold. They will all know now, the gift you bring to our coven. You have solidified your legacy to Medici. No one here ever doubted you, you need to understand that. But others doubted what you could do for me and my familia. They will question it no longer.”

  Kate lay with her head on his chest, nestled under his chin. "I wondered what the point of my gift was. I envisioned it as better protection for the children, as they grew older and played outside. I never considered the animals for battle. What will be done with all the fallen warriors? I haven’t looked outside since the blinds closed, but the number of warriors down...it was more than I could count."

  "Mi amore, the Medici have all been buried on the grounds of Bel Rosso, where they fell in honor, true warriors to our coven. Fee is still whole because I carried her inside, but she won’t stay in that condition too long. She is a warrior of rank, so she will have a different ceremony."

  He felt his throat close just speaking of her. He wouldn’t get over her death any time soon.

  Kate bit her lip. Fiamma had been on her mind all day. Her friend gave her life so they could live theirs.

  Shade heard the whir of the electronic blinds and knew the sun was going down now. "There is a special ceremony for warriors of rank who have proven they are valiant and brave. We will hold one for Fiamma inside the camp. She meant so much too so many. It is important to me that we do this for her."

  He gingerly slid from the bed. "I need to get to the window. I need to see the grounds before the sun is completely gone."

  She walked to his side of the bed, standing next to him as he stood for the first time.

  Taking her hand, they walked to the window. He steadied himself on her shoulders as they stood looking out over the land that is theirs. The snow and blood seeped into the soil, the heat from the sun taking away all the visages of war. His warriors had cleared the field, removed the weapons, and seen to the proper burial of the Medici. Movement caught his eye and he noticed Aegis and Night Stalker as they prowled close to the house.

  "Look, bel, your warriors. I owe them my life. I owe them so much. Without them, we would have been slaughtered. They came when you called them, their allegiance to Medici solid and strong. I saw Raven with Poe. What in the hell do you think that was about?"

  Kate leaned her head against the glass, the memories of the carnage of the night before playing out in her mind. She shook her head. "I'm not sure. Whatever it is, Poe’s drawn to him. I’ll ask Poe next time I see him. So, what does this mean now? Is it over? Max retreated. How do you know he won't try again?"

  "Max surrendered the field of battle. He withdrew. It is a master’s prerogative to fight to the death or to retreat. However, to retreat from a battle means he forfeits the rights to the land he is fighting over. Fan Shen provided many warriors for him to fight this battle, and he will not be pleased that Max has lost Virginia to me. Max still has Maryland and Delaware, but most of his coven was here. He has very little left here.
It all belongs to us now. Everything, including his mansion, and whatever remains of his Virginia coven, now belongs to Medici. I am now Master of Virginia. Fan Shen will punish him severely for such a grave loss. He has failed the Shen Dynasty."

  Kate looked up at him in surprise. "What? You mean you have all of Virginia now as your coven? Not just Bel Rosso? The vampires that reside there will have to pledge to you?"

  He was a bit surprised. He thought she understood the immensity of this battle went far beyond Bel Rosso. "Oh, si. Max challenged me for Bel Rosso, but by surrendering he loses it all. With Alec having D.C., and I Virginia, we are well protected now.”

  He stepped back from the window, sitting down in the large chair and pulling her to his lap. “Unfortunately, we will need to replenish the warriors I have lost. Many of my new recruits went down. I did not know Max would bring so damn many. The new recruits were not battle-hardened. Fan Shen's warriors are equal to my own in their skills. The carnage was proof of that. So, my lady, your warrior has secured for you the entire state and another mansion! I think I should be duly rewarded, si?”

  Kate raised her eyebrows. "Another mansion? What am I going to do with another mansion? We already have more homes than we can visit. Maybe I’ll open another inn."

  He chuckled. “Whatever pleases you.” He pulled her to his chest and kissed her when they heard Lorenzo. "Our son is restless as hell…giving Theresa a fit, I might add. I want to hold him in my arms, mi amore. I need to see him, look in his eyes.”

  "Of course, that we can do."

  Kate called Theresa to bring the baby and she quickly responded, bringing the baby into their bedroom “I was just getting ready to bathe him, my lady. Nita has fed him, but he seems a little fussy."

  Kate took Lorenzo and shushed him. "Come on, my beautiful boy."

  She turned to Shade, thinking a dose of domesticity might be good for him. "Come. You can help me give him a bath. He loves to play in the water and it will calm him."

  Kate laid Lorenzo down on their bed where she stripped him out of his onesie, and then wrapped the blanket around his chubby naked body, carrying him to the bathroom. She ran a little water in the tub and placed Lorenzo in, supporting his back so he was seated.

  Shade gingerly squatted down beside her as the baby gleefully slapped his hands on the surface of the water, splashing both of them as he giggled with delight. This was what he’d fought for, this simple pleasure of being a family, at home with his mate and his son. Lorenzo splashed them both and laughed out loud. Huge blue eyes gazed into his, coal black lashes with small droplets of water blinked up at him. Wet dark curls surrounded his handsome innocent face.

  Shade knew the time would go by quickly. Soon, he too, would be on a battlefield defending all he loved. Shade gently splashed Lorenzo as he giggled and sputtered, still slapping his hands on the surface of the water. Shade felt all the hell melt away from him. "I think we have a water baby, mi amore! Was he born under a water sign?"

  Kate smiled at Lorenzo’s joy in playing in the water and laughed. “Quite the opposite, lover. He is Sagittarius. A fire sign.”

  He watched as she put shampoo into her hands, massaging the baby’s head, creating a rich foaming lather as she washed his thick curls. Lorenzo cooed at his mother in satisfaction.

  Shade smiled. "I like when she does that to me as well. She is a good madre, si? She takes care of her warriors, and I am glad she is ours. Now, I do believe you need to get out of this water and come lay with us, padre is starving for your madre."

  138

  Shade was going over the details for Fiamma's memorial. It was a traditional ceremony, reserved for ranking warriors, and would be held the following night inside the warrior camp. Many of the warriors from Florence would attend, in addition to the warriors from Bel Rosso, those that were left. Marco would be present for certain. Marco had remained at Bel Rosso since Kate had called him, making sure everything ran smoothly, and giving Shade time to heal.

  Shade had made it down to the camp, checking on each of the warriors personally, making sure they’d been cared for and their wounds were healing. He and Marco had reviewed how many warriors were lost, the toll the battle took on their forces and what their next steps should be. They’d need to reassign warriors in Florence and Greece, as well as some major recruiting for the Virginia camp in the spring. The recruits that survived this battle would continue on with their training.

  He was healing quickly, but bel still worried and asked him to take it easy. She found him in his study, and he smiled at her. "What are you up to, mi amore?"

  "Checking on you. How were things in the camp? Is there anything I can do for them?"

  He shook his head. "No, I think I have everything ready for Fiamma’s ceremony. It is something I dread, but I must do this for her."

  The cell phone rang, interrupting their conversation and he picked it up. "Medici!"

  "It's Jacks. I heard about Fee. I’m so sorry, Shade. I know you’re having her memorial tomorrow. You know I loved her. We were like sisters. I know your mate has banned my presence. Is there any way you’d see fit to override that decision and let me attend? I wish to be there for Fee."

  Shade listened and said nothing, just handed the phone to Kate. "It’s for you."

  Kate looked at him quizzically. Who’d be calling her on his cell phone? She took the phone and answered, "Hello?"

  Jacks was taken aback, that bastard put his mate on the phone! She knew it was going to take a miracle to get his mate to ever let her step foot inside Virginia again.

  "Kate? I'm sorry, this is Jacks. Please don’t hang up. Look, I heard about Fiamma. I was calling to ask you to please allow me to come to her memorial. It’s very important to me. She was my sister and my friend, and her loss is felt deep in my heart."

  Kate was surprised to hear Jacks' voice and flashed a look in Shade's direction. She listened to her request, her back stiffening at the sound of her voice. She knew Fiamma considered Jacks her friend, and this ceremony was for Fee. "You may attend. Fee would want you here. Yes, you were her friend."

  Jacks sighed in relief when she heard Kate’s decision. "Thank you. I appreciate your letting me attend. Please give my regards to Shade, and I’ll see you tomorrow. Fee was special, rare in her skills and leadership. She’s one of the originals who forged the path for female warriors. You’re very gracious."

  Kate listened to Jacks express her appreciation but didn’t want her to hang up with the wrong impression. "Just to be clear, nothing has changed between us. You’re welcome here for the ceremony, and you’ll be treated with respect. You may spend time in the camp with your friends after the service, but then, I expect you to leave. Understood?"

  "I understand. I won’t linger. I just want to pay my last respects. Thank you." Hanging up, Jacks pitched the phone down on the couch and wondered how that small little mortal snagged the most sought after master in the world.

  Kate ended the call and handed the phone back to Shade without comment.

  Taking the phone back, he sat down in his leather chair and stared at her. "I thank you for being so generous in your heart to allow Jacks to attend. She was close to Fee. It would have been important to her to have Jacks here. I am glad you understand that."

  "I do understand that. I do this to honor Fiamma. Besides, I don't have to concern myself with the likes of Jacks, or flirtatious female warriors like Britt who show up at camp."

  She climbed in Shade's lap and leaned her forehead against his. "I'm pretty sure I'm the only queen who has a pack of wolves at her disposal."

  Chuckling, he issued a playful growl, kissing her mouth softly. "Si, and I am one of the wolves!" Picking her up, he winced a bit, his injury still healing as he carried her up the stairs. "I have a need to see my son. And perhaps, ravish his madre in the process!"

  139

  Shade found some solitude in the stables, attending to Impavido, checking him for any injuries and rubbing him down. Angelo gave him a wid
e berth, knowing he needed to be alone. The ceremony for Fiamma was later tonight, and he needed some time to get his head around what lay before him.

  He heard Marco telepathically call to him, telling him all was ready. He finished up with Pavi, giving him a few carrots, before leaving the stables and walking down the long path to the camp. He let his bel know where he was and for her to get ready, have Lorenzo and Cory ready as well, as they’d all go to the ceremony together.

  He walked slowly, his head down, his mind blank, but his heart saddened. This was his sister-in-arms. And for the first time in a very long time, he’d perform the simple ceremony to honor her death, and to celebrate her dedication and sacrifice to Medici.

  The large gym inside the warrior camp had been set up to receive all that would attend. It was the largest indoor space to accommodate all the attendees. The large space was oddly quiet as it was normally filled with the sound of the warriors working out.

  His warriors were suffering from the loss of so many, healing in their bodies and minds. Tonight, they’d let go of their grief, as they let go of Fee. He passed several warriors on his way to the gym, walking in silence.

  This would be a private affair for Medici only, no outsiders would attend. Jacks would be the only warrior who was not a Medici, but she’d trained with them for a while and understood their legacy. As he walked past the warriors, no words were spoken. He gave them a simple nod of recognition. She’d been loved by so many.

  As he approached the gym, the doors were closed and Marco stood outside, as if guarding her. He looked up at Shade and their eyes locked in a look that connected them as brothers. They hugged each other tight. Neither of them would find this night an easy process.

  Marco's voice was soft in his ear. "She’s ready, brother. Say your goodbyes now. No one is allowed inside until you come out. Take your time."

  Marco opened the door and Shade stepped inside, Marco closing it behind him.