CHAPTER 28 A MORNING ALARM
Eric and Kat lay peacefully asleep. The warmth under the blankets were a stark contrast to the frosty morning outside.
The fireplace was still warming the room with its glowing coals, letting out the occasional pop or crackle.
Servants were only just starting to begin their days, as the sun had yet to crest the horizon, and the quiet brought a calm that even the most troubled of minds would find soothing.
That is until Katarina sat up in her bed with a jolt and jumped out in a hurry.
Due to his years making his living as a mercenary and surviving in dangerous situations, Eric was wide awake in an instant after her, his hand already reaching for the dagger on their bedside table, his gaze flying about the room.
“What is it?” he asked when he didn’t see any imminent threat.
Kat gnawed on her cheek, her hand flying to her middle.
“Pardon me a moment.” She then turned and fled the room.
Eric opened his mouth to ask another question, but after a moment, his tired mind caught up and he lowered his gaze to Pina, who was curled up comfortably by the fireplace on a royal blue folded blanket Kat had set down for her.
“I told her not to try the marinated hot peppers before bed,” he informed the familiar with a shake of his head before a yawn claimed him.
The prince had just about fallen asleep once more when their chamber door opened again and Kat returned. After closing the door behind her, she crawled back into bed.
“What did I tell you? Spicy food before bed is a bad—”
“I’m not pregnant.”
Eric’s eyes flew open, and he rolled over on his side to stare at his wife. “Pardon?”
“My courses just started. I’m not pregnant,” Kat explained as she snuggled back down under the coverlet.
“Ah.” The prince nodded and eased onto his back. However, after spending a bit of time absorbing this information, he rotated back to his side to face Kat, whose eyes were already closed.
“What are your thoughts on this … ?”
“That now I have the perfect reason to drink a lot of moonshine all day.”
“Then you aren’t upset we got married when we could’ve pretended our encounter never happened?”
Kat opened her eyes again and raised an eyebrow. “I was relatively certain I wasn’t pregnant even before getting married. The timing wasn’t right.”
Eric failed to give any outward reaction.
“Are you upset?” she questioned with a chuckle lurking in the back of her throat.
“A bit disappointed.”
Kat blinked and shifted back to better stare at her husband and show him her astonished expression.
“It would’ve been a lot easier to make you go home and stay away from the conflict that’s brewing if you were,” he explained hastily when he realized belatedly how his words could have been misconstrued.
Kat relaxed a little, but instead of being angry, she found herself annoyed. “Even if I were expecting I wouldn’t leave. I told my da the same thing, and nothing either of you say would’ve changed that.”
Eric paused.
Admittedly he had become distracted with how beautiful his wife looked thanks to not quite being free of his groggy mind.
He marveled over her magnificent eye color and the way her loose sleep shirt exposed her narrow collarbone …
Rather than responding to his wife’s bold declaration, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead.
“There’s no point in being mad about it now. I’m sure we’ll find new things to fight about in the future.”
Kat let out an irritated grunt.
Eric simply pulled her closer to him and closed his eyes. “Shh … You can be mad at me after the sun rises.”
Kat didn’t immediately relax into his embrace, as she was still sorely tempted to pursue a fight right then and there … but then Eric started gently combing his fingers through her hair and occasionally giving a small scratch on her head, and before she knew it, she was lulled back into a restful doze once more.
That is, until loud, repetitive pounding on the chamber door roused the couple yet again.
“Godsdamnit,” Eric mumbled before rolling away from Kat so that she might be able to see who their impromptu visitor was while he rubbed his eyes.
Rising to her feet and hastily throwing on a robe, Kat crossed the small room that she and Eric still didn’t feel the need to vacate in favor of a bigger one, and she opened the door.
Her father stood there with Kraken at his side, bags under his eyes and an indescribable amount of fear and pain in his face.
“Kat, is Eric with you right now?”
Alarmed at her father’s state, Kat frowned and was about to ask what was wrong when her husband interrupted her.
“I’m here, Fin. What’s wrong?” Grasping the door and pulling it wider, Eric stepped beside his wife.
“It’s … It’s Likon. I went into town yesterday to try to talk with him about the powdered Witch’s Brew, but the innkeeper said he disappeared days ago. He left all his belongings in his room, so he didn’t just bolt … Something’s wrong.”
“Was there any sign of a fight?” Kat insisted as her hand holding her robe closed tightened into a fist.
“No. Nothing like that. Kraken says there is an inordinate number of pixies in the tavern, and some are talking about an imp that was there not that long ago with a strange man …”
“It’s the devil.”
“Ansar.”
Both Kat and Eric said at the same time.
The couple looked at each other, both surprised at the other’s response.
However, Kat was far more concerned than her husband was by that point.
“If it was a man and an imp, it sounds like the one who tried to bind my magic more than a month ago … The man’s name was Ansar, and when he attacked, he had both the imp and the stone golem with him.”
Kraken let out a long meow.
Fin looked down at his familiar before translating. “He wants to know if you caught the name of the imp?”
Kat shook her head, then looked down to answer Kraken directly “No. I didn’t hear one … Gods. The stone golem disappeared into thin air after attacking the keep … What if they took Likon to another realm?”
Another shorter meow was Kraken’s response.
“He says that it doesn’t make sense that the golem disappeared before. Once an exchange has been made between realms, they shouldn’t be going back and forth.” Fin shook his head wearily.
“What if it’s because the rock golem was a lot bigger? What if it’s harder to keep in our realm with just a lone soul?” Eric questioned while glancing to his wife, then back to Kraken.
The familiar chirped.
Fin tilted his head side to side. “That might be why. Either way, I have no idea where Likon is. I spent the night visiting every business in Vessa we have ties to, but no one has heard a thing. Or if they have, they are keeping their mouths shut.”
“Da, have you not had any visions? If not, then Likon isn’t afraid!” Kat pointed out earnestly as her father began to rake a hand through his unkempt hair.
“That’s true, but I didn’t see anything when you were kidnapped either. It’s also possible they are keeping Likon dosed.”
“Shit …” Kat cursed, her throat growing tight.
“I’ll throw on some clothes and come with you to the king. We can speak with Mr. Kraft about joining me in Vessa. I know a few well-hidden haunts in this city, and with his magic of sight, I might be able to find something.”
“I’m coming with you,” Kat announced.
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible,” Fin admonished, his gaze meeting his daughter’s. “The matter of your familiar being arrested has not been entirely settled. Lord Ball is kicking up a fuss, though he still remains bedridden after his fight with Joshua and now Lord Herra is supporting him. Both are claiming everything that’s going wrong is your fault and Pina’s.”
Kat’s eyes narrowed. “Cleophus didn’t finish the job and deal with Ball?”
Fin blinked. “Did you … pay a knight to kill a nobleman?”
“Of course not. He wanted to do it all on his own. I just didn’t stop him.”
The duke looked at Eric, who gave a shrug and a nod of confirmation.
Close enough of a recounting.
Letting out a long, burdened breath, Fin looked down at Kraken. “Of all the bloody ridiculous things people have done to oppose me in my life, getting a cat arrested to oppose you my dear, Kitty Kat, has me soundly beat.”
Kat gave a brief half smile before her worry for Likon quashed the momentary reprieve of seriousness.
“I’ll let you know the second I learn anything,” Eric assured his wife.
Kat faced him, terror and concern bright in her eyes.
“Eric, I’ll wait for you to get dressed out here. Kat, you’re to go to the council room after breakfast. I’ll be present for all the meetings here on out. At least until every finger stops pointing in your direction.”
A hiss near the trio’s feet had everyone looking down to see that Pina had poked her nose outside the door curiously. Kraken was backing away from her, his fur already rising.
“Kraken, just what on earth is so terrible about my familiar?!” Kat demanded feeling far from patient given the progression of her morning.
The emperor let out a threatening grumble that had Pina freezing in place, her eyes already wide in the dim lighting of the day.
“He’s still bent out of shape because he doesn’t understand what language she’s speaking and he thinks now she’s doing it just to irk him,” Fin clarified.
Kat looked down at her adorable familiar and scooped her up into her arms while sliding outside her chamber so that Eric could dress himself.
“Pina, you can trust Kraken. He’s like … He’s like an uncle to me. Or a stepfather to you!”
The feline didn’t respond, only purred.
Kraken wasn’t having any of it, however, and so he proceeded to turn and saunter down the corridor.
Fin watched the fluffy haunches retreat while shaking his head, closing his eyes, and rubbing the back of his neck.
“You should go sleep for a few hours, Da.” Kat suggested quietly. “I’m worried about Likon too, but if you’re too tired to think clearly, you won’t be much help to anyone.”
The tip of Fin’s nose was pink from having spent his night outside in the cold, and his brilliant blue eyes were dull with exhaustion, but when he smiled at his daughter … he seemed the untouchable hero she had always seen him as when she’d been a child.
“I will. I’m really hoping your mother gets here soon.”
“Well … I … I guess.” Kat briefly grimaced.
For a moment, Fin was taken aback by his daughter’s lackluster reaction to hearing that she’d get to see her mother again so soon, but then his eyebrows shot up. “Holy antlers … I completely forgot about your alarming amount of news with everything going on.”
A slow smile climbed Kat’s face. “Oh-ho. Now do you see what I mean? It’s easy to forget things!”
Fin’s unimpressed look did not convey a shared sentiment. “Your mother will be able to help us manage these Troivackians … She’s always been a lot better at this politics business.”
“I know, but I only just got used to the idea of being married, and I’d hate to die right when we’re all getting along.”
Fin looked at the ceiling. “Whatever your mother does in reaction to your news we’ll handle it then. One thing at a time. First, we need to find Likon, then we need to figure out just what in the hell is going on with the devil, the mystery woman, and this rebellion in Troivack.”
Kat scratched Pina’s cheeks and tilted her head in agreement with her father, and by the next breath, the chamber door was opening and Eric stepped out in a fresh set of all-black clothes.
“Ready to go?” the prince asked Fin while pulling on his coat.
Fin gestured toward the corridor before them in answer, and so Eric hastily dropped a kiss on Kat’s cheek and set off ahead of his father-in-law.
“Oh, by the way …” Kat cleared her throat and summoned her father’s attention back to her. “You … You aren’t going to be a grandfather in the imminent future.”
Fin stared dumbly at his daughter for a long while before he closed his eyes, pursed his lips, and turned away.
“Great … Great news …”
“Are you still uncomfortable hearing about my courses?”
“It’s uncomfortable when you scream about it during a bout of food poisoning and when it now has … implications …” Fin cleared his throat. “I’ll see you later.”
Kat waved off her father, who was already falling far behind her husband who had decided not to give any sign of having heard the interaction between his wife and father-in-law.
Turning to stare at her familiar in her arms, Kat pressed a long kiss on Pina’s forehead.
“I really hope they find Likon soon … We never even got to make up after our fight.”
As she retired back into her chamber, already feeling awful about the day ahead, Kat hoped with no small amount of optimism that maybe, by dinner, they would have at least found Likon and brought him back safely.
Amazingly, if all that was worrying Kat was the thought of having to confess everything that had happened in Troivack to her mother, she felt like things wouldn’t seem quite so grim …