5
Wednesday morning, I was a bit excited for my date night with Branko. He always planned something nice but also relaxing and without pressure.
Plus, the sex we’d been having was something any sane woman would look forward to.
It also made me think that I needed to come up with something for Kristof. He’d been working like mad and pushing harder and harder to try and take everything off my plate.
I didn’t want to become lax and not appreciate everything he did just as too many had done to me. I was a lot of things, but I refused to become a hypocrite.
“Princess, can I speak with you?” a woman called out. “Please, I beg you to hear me out and—”
“We said no, and do not try to go around us again,” a man cut in as he grabbed her arm.
“Release her or learn how to survive as an amputee,” I warned him, my voice ice-cold.
He was smart enough to let her go. “I apologize for grabbing you. I shouldn’t have done that.” He let out a heavy sigh when it was clear that wasn’t going to be enough with either of us. “But there is a process and chain of command for a reason. There would be anarchy otherwise and—”
“The only chain of command is the one I set,” I told him firmly. “You want your chain of command and to control people, you go back to your settlement and good luck to you. We are not having little factions or people breaking off to deem themselves leaders. I am the leader. My husbands are the leaders and authority.”
“Not of the humans,” he argued. “The shifters have their—”
“My knights are in charge of the area, outpost, or settlement. I put them in that position and power and yes, in charge over the humans.” I moved closer and got in his face even if I was much shorter. “This isn’t about vampire, shifter, or human. It is about my coven . I am the boss. You came into our fold, and that is the way things work.”
“I will figure this out,” Cerdic promised as he glanced around. “Lorenzo and Adam are in charge of New Orleans, but the convention center was run by us and then the new vampires to get people out of Fort Knox. They probably have been keeping their structure in place for the sake of order.”
“Understandable, but they need to be made aware that there won’t be any more silencing, especially not of women. Not in this coven. Order is appreciated, deciding the fate or lives of others in my coven is not.” I gave the guy a look that he would be wise to remember that before facing the woman. “I have a meeting I have to attend.”
She nodded in defeat as if she’d blown her chance after risking a lot. “Of course. I’m sorry to have bothered you, Princess.”
“You didn’t, and I will speak with you,” I promised her. “I just—everything is crazy and people stopped what they were doing for this meeting. Are you safe to travel with my security? Could you hang out at my castle for a bit until I can find time?”
It took her a moment to get her mouth to work. “Yes, yes , of course. Thank you. Really, thank you. I knew—thank you.” Tian went to grab her since he was on my security and she cleared her throat. “I also think I can help with the aftereffects of us traveling this way.”
“How?” all of us asked, our eyes going wide.
“I have some ideas, but one is lemon juice. Could you have some at the castle to test this?” she hedged.
I nodded, glancing over at Tian. “We’re heading right there and fine. Talk to a few of the people here and get a better idea of what’s going on and how bad this situation is. We’ll get Nick or someone to have it ready for you at the guard station.”
“Yes, Princess,” he accepted.
“What’s your name?” I asked the woman, realizing that I hadn’t even asked.
“Vanessa. Thank you, Princess,” she whispered, relief thick in her eyes.
I nodded and we headed back to the castle. It was all good news. Not a lot of updates but good ones. Things were going well in France with the Sisters of the Earth handling the Pinault coven for me. They were killing corrupted at ridiculous rates with my blood and the jets. Joi wanted to set up other sites in Africa and Russia.
She thought Erebus would act soon and I agreed.
I gave approval as long as it was really workable logistically. Plus, safe. And the pilots weren’t my knights, so I wasn’t swarmed with too many ghosts.
Princess Lawan, my ally from a coven in Thailand, sent me a side message asking for tanks and bigger weapons and our people to use them. She made it clear that it wasn’t something her coven would keep nor touch. She wanted our trained personnel to assist her coven to kill more corrupted.
Also, if we could give her fishing ships, she wanted to help provide more food to Hanna.
So did Princess Leonor in Portugal and two others.
All four of them had sent as many people as Nora and Matilda and they weren’t my in-laws. It was very clear that they were on our side and wanted the same.
Plus, Princess Leonor was thrilled that the Pinault coven was gone since they were a serious risk to her. She’s been pressured many times to be adopted and force her whole coven into the Pinault one.
Seriously, Eddie’s mom had been a real piece of shit.
“We can make this work,” Trisha said firmly, nodding when I met her gaze. “Everyone has been diligent on getting cross-trained. That’s part of the reason Lorenzo and other clan leaders suggested which vamps to accept permanently. They were all over learning more and not just going through the motions. If you snuck over there for an hour and put together what they needed, we can have our people—it’s a good plan.”
“I agree,” James muttered after a minute. “We need more intel on how to make it work though. How big is the airstrip? What do they have around them? We need a full map and even a head count of their covens to make sure we do this right.”
“True, but the best way is to start small,” Trisha said after a moment. “Send a few JLTVs and the right ammo to start. Make their vamps supply more ammo for them and our people use them. We can build on that if it works out which I believe it will given it’s these princesses.”
“Do it,” I agreed. I looked at the nobles there who were representing those four princesses. “ Quietly tell your princesses that I will figure out a way to sneak there soon and get them a few ships back online. This cannot be made public or even throughout the coven. You can go ahead when we manage it in the next few days, but tell them to have the right ships ready for me.”
People were shocked that was my answer, but I wanted to meet with the princesses in person—even if quickly—and give Aether a chance to warn me if they had changed sides or there could be an issue. I prayed to Her after the meeting asking for Her guidance and any help She was willing to give in this area.
Next was one of the generals from Fort Knox who slipped in with something urgent.
I sighed when I saw it. It was a slippery slope. I understood wanting to get information out, but giving people information could also be dangerous.
Basically, it was a recording of him explaining how there wasn’t really a US left, but we had figured out a way to make great strides against the corrupted. We had a lure and it was effective. That we had gotten a lot back, and if they hadn’t already, they would see our jets. And to leave them alone because we were beyond fighting each other.
All we fought now were corrupted.
There was more like warning them that the corrupted had evolved and were stronger and more agile so to be wary of that. Also, even if they saw less, nothing was safe yet, and we were not raiding in their areas or clearing intently.
Basically, my warning to never assume that a building was safe and corrupted could always be behind a closed door or in a damn closet.
“I think the idea has merit, but I don’t like the framing,” James objected.
I wasn’t the only one shocked that it was him of all people. “What part?”
“The part where it sounds a lot like what’s left of the US government and military are the ones who managed all of this and should take the credit,” he replied firmly, staring down the general.
“That was not my intent,” he promised.
“But if that was the outcome of their assumptions, you wouldn’t lose sleep over it either,” James practically purred, chuckling darkly at whatever he sensed off the general. “Yeah, and you want our people to be the messengers.” He snorted when the general got mad. “I agree with the idea, but do it our way.”
“I fully understand that, but I do think it will be more effective coming from someone who’s human when the rest of the world finds out later,” the general said firmly.
“Many parts already do,” I told him, nodding when he couldn’t hide his shock. “Most of the covens have now come out. Some needed to when handling problematic remnants of governments like your governor crazies. Others have known for a while because the coven was helping them.”
“I understand,” he accepted.
“Plus, if I’m ready to hate anything not human, you giving the message wouldn’t do much,” I added. I shrugged when a few people gave me curious looks. “They’ll think we forced him or it’s all a setup. We’re puppetting him—hate thinks what hate wants instead of what’s right in front of their faces. We’ve all seen it. Even from other covens.”
“True, but it’s important for people to see you and understand you’re our leader right away,” Kristof said firmly.
I snorted. “I don’t have a penis. Vampires might think princesses rule—even though many undermine them—but the rest of the world will see young, little, female me and think easy pickings.”
“You’re not wrong, so it should be a man, but make it clear we have a leader who put this all together and made this possible,” James said, giving me a sad look. “The idea is good, but we should be the ones to do it. They were about to implode at Fort Knox just like the other settlements. They don’t get to act like they’re the reason we’re ahead of others.”
I nodded. “Whoever you and my husbands think is the right person to be the visual for this—discuss it with the nobles and visiting nobles. It will affect the other covens. I do agree that it’s time to reach out, and if nothing else, warn them that corrupted are changing.”
“I’m glad you like the idea,” the general said as I turned to leave.
I froze and was going to let it go but then realized I shouldn’t. “I do, but I don’t like your attitude and mindset. You were all looking down on me for how I ran things and not trusting you.” I met his gaze. “And then you just tried to worm this move for your own goals. I’ll accept your apology that I was right not to trust you any time.”
I left him stunned and headed to what was next… Except something else popped up.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Vanessa said loudly, her hands raised and moving back from the doorway. “I have no idea why you’re getting so upset, but I apologize.”
“Chill out,” I said to the guards. “She’s about to faint, she’s so damn scared.”
They both bowed to me, the one I knew better responding. “She arrived with Tian, and he was clear to stay in the dining hall. We saw her wandering and walking into the courtyard on the security monitors.”
“I’m sorry,” Vanessa whispered, her eyes a bit too wide. “I figured the main areas near the dining hall were fine. I just was going to stretch my legs while your people set up dinner. I’m really sorry. I didn’t think going outside in the castle was a problem.”
“Thank you for being diligent,” I told the guards. They relaxed and left us. I waved for Vanessa to come back by the door and held it open for her. “Everyone needs permission to enter this courtyard. Even if you have now, it’s not a blanket pass unless you’re my husband or knight, understand?”
“Yes, I am very sorry,” she whispered, her hand shaking a bit as she came out with me.
“I get it. It seems no big deal.” I gestured to the now huge tree in the center. “That is a species of tree that isn’t recorded. It’s not—”
“It’s a tree of life,” she muttered. “I did just get up to stretch my legs and move out of the way, but something about it—I thought I had to be seeing things. It just felt like the mythical tree of life.”
I nodded. “It’s a long and complicated story of how it all came about and even how it happens with covens, but every coven has one. I’m the first new bloodline of princess in—longer than anyone alive knows of I think.” I nodded to the tree again. “I grew that seed with my blood and a lot of power while growing my court with my now husbands.”
The look she gave me at how crazy that sounded was amusing.
“I know how crazy it sounds, but it’s the truth.” I snorted as I rubbed my hand over my neck. “It’s actually one of the least crazy things about my life and how things have played out.”
“Forgive me for saying this, but you sound angry and a bit resentful about that,” she said gently.
“No one likes to feel like a mouse in the maze,” I replied easily. “I have time now to—”
“We all are to a certain point,” she told me, giving me an understanding look. “Normal people feel that moving through what was our social construct, Princess. I felt it going through the obstacle course I did with school, college, and more education. Training as I did. The steps to branch out. It’s all a bit of a mouse in a maze that we all feel at some point in our lives.”
I let out a slow breath. “I know you say that so I don’t feel so alone and not to diminish what I’ve been through, but it’s a bit different when our Goddess picked me to be Her champion. Laid out a map for me to follow. Picked this location for my coven.”
“Yes, that is more complicated, but from what I understand, She hasn’t ever punished you for not listening, right?”
I studied her a moment. “You’re a shrink.”
Her eyes flashed shock. “Yes. You’ve talked to one before.”
I slowly nodded. “Briefly after I woke up without memories. He was condescending and basically accused me of being weak and my amnesia was trauma-induced, but—most people don’t talk about feelings during the apocalypse. Plus, I can feel your worry. And now you’re worried about me.”
“I am,” she agreed. “And I’ll explain, but I hope you answer the question first. I think it will help you in this.”
I nodded and crossed my arms over my chest. “She has. I used to get nauseated when I skipped marks of my quest or had to move past them. She would make me feel physically ill until I did Her will.”
She did a double take. “I’m very sorry. That must have been—I can’t even imagine how terrifying that had to be having that come from your Goddess.”
I rubbed my neck again. “I didn’t know that’s what it was. I thought I was nuts and just always confused.”
“I wonder what was so important that She pushed you that way,” she muttered. “Or maybe She didn’t understand how bad it was given She isn’t like you. Your Goddess might be all-knowing, but we can only understand what we know. No matter my knowledge or insight, I can never truly know your feelings or mind. Even if you tell me.”
That actually made a lot of sense. “She’s backed off when I’ve asked. She gave most of my visions to my husbands.”
“Sounds parental to back off when they realized they went too far,” she muttered. She cleared her throat. “I apologize. It’s hard to take off the hat sometimes.”
“No, that’s actually helpful,” I admitted. “Thank you.” I studied her a moment before looking up and wondering if this was Aether. “What made you call out to me today? I’ve been there many times and you could have grabbed me then.”
She seemed stunned and then she went pale. “I felt nauseous this morning at the—I thought it was my anxiety at the situation getting worse, so I took the risk. Are you saying I was pushed?”
I shrugged. “I told my husband and lover that I wanted to talk with Hope who has trauma counseling experience. That I thought I needed to. And not even two days later, a psychiatrist falls into my day? I asked Aether for help and any sign I’m on the right path.” I chuckled when she seemed flabbergasted. “Yeah, now you know how I feel all of the time.”
“It’s a bit disconcerting but also comforting.” She nodded when I frowned. “I would love whoever is really in charge to care that much. I get you’re Her champion, but you’re the one saving all of us. Yeah, that’s very loving.”
“I’ll think about that,” I muttered, wondering if I had been looking at it all wrong. Or maybe that I needed to just look at things differently. “Let’s sit in my private dining room away from everyone else and you can tell me whatever is going on that you took the chance.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
“Inez is fine privately. I don’t like the title. I think it’s pretentious and too much, but I’m a female leader, and we both know how people will all dismiss too much if they see others do it.”
“I’m glad you understand that. It protects you and the ones who protect you. It wouldn’t be your fault, but sidestepping issues is the sign of a good leader,” she praised.
I didn’t disagree, but I also wondered if she was buttering me up for something.
It wasn’t quite time for dinner, but the kitchen was always amazing, so they brought in some snacks and drinks. She was excited to have one of the sparkling juice drinks, groaning it was so good.
“How was the trip here with Tian?” I asked.
“The lemon juice helped,” she told me, nodding when I couldn’t hide my skepticism. “It might not for everyone or fix it fully, but lemon juice is something doctors told pregnant women to smell if they had morning sickness. I was recommended it for the motion sickness I had as a child and grew out of.”
“Interesting,” Kristof said as he joined us, leaning in and kissing my cheek. “I thought you weren’t going to let people and issues invade your private time in here?”
“Yes, but I also think I found the right person to start having therapy with, so I’m willing to be a bit lenient with the boundaries we’ve set up to help me,” I explained for both of them. “Also, I have dinner with Branko tonight, so we’re pre-dinner and you can work out the logistics with her when I leave.
“I’m glad you’re putting yourself first,” he praised before making sure we all had what we needed.
She waited until the others joined us and we were all settled with drinks. “My mother died a couple of years ago.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I mumbled, the topic making me uncomfortable.
She frowned, clearly sensing my upset but left it alone. “Not from corrupted. She died from not being able to get the medication she needed. Fort Knox ran out of insulin a long time ago and she couldn’t get her blood pressure medicine either. And the apocalypse is incredibly stressful.”
“I’m sorry, that’s horrible,” Darius said gently. “We’ve made getting medicines to the humans a priority.”
“You have, and you’ve done a good job with it,” she hurried to say. “This is not chastising. This is looking to what comes next and seeing some of the priorities aren’t what they should be.” She met my gaze then. “None of the children born have had access to vitamins. We’ve all been without for years and years now.
“And yes, we’ve been getting more now and the medications you were letting us find or whatever, but they’re all expired. They lose their efficacy then and we can’t accurately prescribe for that. Are expired pills of over five years something I should say would be a pill and a half now? Or two? We just don’t know, and it’s a bandage slapped on a gushing wound.”
“Or one that will gush soon,” Jaxon muttered. “That’s what you’re saying. You see this wound becoming one that will be gushing soon and it will be too late by then.”
Her eyes flashed shock. “Yes, exactly that. We’ve all aged faster because of the apocalypse. My blood pressure is a problem and I need to be on medication and I’m years early from what I assumed given my family history. But I spent years eating whatever was available. You might not understand this, but given where we were at, it’s not the normal at my age.
“Mid-thirties is a bit soon. I could probably handle it other ways but—how? Not in this environment. I don’t control my diet. I can’t take time off to de-stress. And that’s pretty impossible. So more people like me will need more medication to counter the issues we cannot fix like we used to. Plus, there’s the problem medications themselves carry.”
“Wait, you’re going to have to explain that to us,” Jaxon hedged, gesturing between us vampires.
But I already knew the answer having spent time with humans while on my own at different settlements.
“One of the first places I stayed a woman was scared about not getting her medications,” I explained for Vanessa. “The medication she took for her blood sugar issues made her nauseous. So she took something for that but also tended to eat salty foods because that helped. And that gave her high blood pressure early like you’re saying.
“The blood pressure pills made her sleepy and sometimes anxious, so she took anxiety meds, but those or one of the others were hard on her stomach. So she took a fiber supplement for that and it gave her heartburn which was a different pill. Plus, she needed iron for her anemia and bananas for the potassium the blood pressure medication zapped.”
She bobbed her head as I spoke. “You understand this a lot better than I’d thought after hearing you guys don’t get sick. Yes, you’re hitting the nail right on the head. I do need bananas for my potassium now on the medication. I know the signs though as a doctor. We’re not taking blood work from everyone, and others will fall through the cracks.”
“So, you’re asking for more medical facilities to be put back online?” Kristof checked. “The hospital is back online in New Orleans. We have them in Albuquerque as well.”
“You’re going to need more, and we need to start training people,” she said firmly. “You saw first responders and doctors jumping in to help and especially before people understood what was going on. What was the result of that?”
“They normally died,” I answered.
She nodded and studied me for a minute. “That woman you were talking about died, didn’t she?”
I wasn’t the only one who was shocked. I nodded. “She was one of the first people I saw die. They didn’t secure a section of the place and I woke to screams, seeing her get bitten.” I swallowed loudly. “And then I saw her ghost later because she’d asked me to kill her so she didn’t become one of them. She didn’t remember that I’d killed her.”
“I’m getting a clearer picture of what you’ve been through and why those around you are so worried,” she muttered. “It’s too much.” She gave me a kind smile. “I’m willing to work with you no matter the outcome of this meeting. You clearly care, and you’re smart enough to understand this is important.”
Branko choked on his food. “Wow, if that isn’t manipulating, then I don’t know what is.”
Fear filled me. Was she doing that? Had I been so wrong about her and I had let a snake near us?
No, that didn’t sound like me… Right?