Movement No. 35
Yasmeena
The days following the battle were wild and exhausting in their own right.
From minor injuries and concussions, to death and near-death experiences, Haeresis Hospital had their hands full.
Hel’s Carnival closed down temporarily for renovations, and I had to explain to the felion and other lupion packs what happened.
I sit on the edge of Tempest’s hospital bed, just watching her sleep as I have these last few days. The doctor said she’s not technically in a coma, but I haven’t really seen her awake yet. Her eyes are fluttering, and my heartbeat accelerates as she finally wakes up.
“Welcome back, princess,” I say, and Tempest yawns.
“Am I in the hospital?” she asks, squinting.
I give her a dead-pan look. “No, Hel’s Carnival is giving out IVs now. It’s a new act.” She stares blankly back at me, and I chuckle. “Yes, you’re in the hospital. What do you remember?”
“Did I kill my father, or was that a dream?”
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Not a dream. Cain is definitely dead.”
“How dead? Are you sure?”
I furrow my brows. “You ripped his heart out, Tempest, he’s definitely fully fucking dead.”
Her eyes seem to bug out of her head before her mouth forms a shit-eating grin. “Woah, really? That’s so cool.”
“What meds do they have you on?” I ask and lean in to kiss her.
“How should I know?” she whispers against my lips. “I’ve been asleep.”
There’s a knock on the door and a nurse walks in. Her hair is thick, curly, and bright red. She’s a felion, though I’m not sure I’ve ever met her before.
“Oh, good, she’s awake. Hey, my name is Lauren. You are in Haeresis Hospital. I’m not sure how much your visitor has filled you in, but you had an accident that put you out of commission," she starts to explain. It’s incredibly sweet, but it also makes us both laugh.
“It wasn’t an accident, I definitely did all of that on purpose,” Tempest says, and the nurse’s eyes widen.
“Well, you came in with two broken ribs as well as a fractured tailbone and have been mostly asleep on and off for three days. You had a small operation, and it’ll take a little while for you to recover. The doctor will be in with some more information on the next steps,” she says with a smile.
“Thank you,” Tempest says, and the nurse checks her vitals before disappearing through the doorway. “Could’ve been much worse.”
It was much worse, for many of the others. “Yeah.”
“How is everyone doing?” she asks, and I consider telling her everyone died but her, before I decide I better not. I’m not sure she’d find it funny right now.
“Team Escalus or Team Carnie?” I say, half-joking, and she smiles.
“Let’s start with Team Escalus.”
“Gregory and Sampson have concussions, and Stephano came out unscathed, but none of the other lupion made it.”
“There was no hope for Adrian, was there?”
My mind flashes to his cold, limp body, impaled by the ice. I didn’t know him, but I’m forever grateful for the sacrifice he gave so that Tempest could still be here today. “No, I’m sorry.”
“I can’t believe he fucking died,” Tempest says, and she’s silent for a long while, her face somber. “I’m scared to ask, but how are the carnies?”
“They’re okay. Absinthe has a minor concussion, Gemma has one broken rib. Draven’s left… or maybe right tibia was fractured, and he pulled a few muscles. Leo broke his arm. Everyone’s fucked up,” I say, and she looks concerned.
“Your brother?”
“Khalid’s okay! Three broken fingers and a sprained ankle, but overall alright. Reina and Rowan—the assholes—are pretty much unscathed, and honestly, I’m pretty lucky too. Some stitches for a few cuts, but I’ll be just fine.”
She adjusts herself, sitting up. “Aida?”
“Totally fine,” I assure her. “Oh, and Taryn has been asking about you. She’s been worried.”
“Please tell her I’m okay. So wait, none of the carnies died?”
“Nope. Well, almost, but no. Baelor is in critical condition,” I say, and she gasps.
Tempest’s eyes go wide. “What happened with him?”
“Well, during the battle—”
“No,” she cuts me off. “What happened before, with Absinthe? I feel like we glossed over a lot of things because of Cain.”
My lip twists. My mind’s been thinking about this on an endless loop.
“Absinthe was going through a series of older cases of serial rape, remembering something familiar, and found a thread of evidence linking them to him. When she went to confront Baelor, she caught him attempting to sexually assault someone, and then she beat the ever-loving fuck out of him with a baseball bat.”
“Holy fucking Hel. And he’s here in the hospital?” she asks, and I nod.
“Yes. We initially agreed to give Draven twenty-four hours to sort things out for Baelor’s execution, but then with Lilian’s pregnancy announcement and the situation with Cain, we had to keep it wrapped until the situation subsided.
Now that the battle is over, Draven has informed Raph and Luc,” I explain.
“Luc has stated he’ll handle it, and we’re to take no further action. ”
“Do you think he’ll kill him?”
I know in my heart that he will, but I don’t say that. I trust Tempest completely, but I have no idea who in this hospital might be listening in or even secretly recording us. “I think Baelor will get what he deserves.”
Tempest nods in understanding, and she looks so pale and fragile like this, hooked up to an IV and other wires. For a moment during battle, I genuinely wasn’t sure what would happen to her, but tears well in my eyes again, I’m endlessly thankful she’s alive.
A doctor comes in, and I squeeze Tempest’s hand, excusing myself for a moment to give them some space. Heading down the hospital hallway, I pause, making note of my surroundings to calm myself down.
I feel the soft fabric of my shirt. I hear the loud, obnoxious beeping of machines. I smell cleaning supplies—a mixture of citrus and chemicals. I taste… nothing. Deciding to rectify that, I head towards the hospital cafeteria.
There are at least thirty different smoothies and juices on the menu, and I order something with papaya and mango.
I go to order Tempest one as well, when I realize I don’t know what she likes. I mean, I know some things. She likes to wear baggy clothes. She doesn’t eat fish anymore because of Taryn. She’s right-handed, but she often starts movements with the left side of her body.
I know these things, but there’s so much about her I’ve yet to learn.
I want to know her top five fruits, and how she likes her eggs.
I want to ask if she has a preference of which side of the bed she sleeps on, and if she has a favorite color.
We’ve spent all this time in this arranged engagement, focused on politics and performing, that we missed out on all the mundane joys of falling in love.
And now I’m afraid we won’t ever get the chance.
When I return to Tempest’s bedside, she looks sleepy, her eyelids drooping.
“Alright, Alpha, I’ll let you get your rest,” I say, but she doesn’t let go of my hand.
“Do I have to leave right away?” she asks, and I freeze in place.
“The hospital?”
She lets out a quiet chuckle. “No, the doctor said I’m in the clear tomorrow. I mean, do I have to leave the carnival right away. Can I take a few days before I go back to the den? I want to make memories with everyone without the guilt of my father’s orders weighing me down.”
One corner of my mouth curls up. “Of course.”
I want to ask her to never leave.
“I think I’m going to propose to Reina,” Khalid says as we lie parallel to one another on my bed, just staring at the ceiling. “Not now, but in a few months, when all of this dies down.”
At that, I genuinely smile. “Good. I think you should, soul bond and all.”
“Yeah.”
“Assuming vampires have souls,” I say in jest.
“What do you think will happen with you and Tempest?” he asks, and my mind goes to places I don’t want to travel to right now.
I shrug. “I genuinely don’t know. I mean, our next step is signing the treaty. Draven and I just finished composing it.”
He sits up, and I follow suit. “But what’s next between you and her?”
“I’m not going to ask her to stay, that would be fucked up. It’s best for her and her pack if she returns to the den,” I say, and he nods.
“That makes sense. What if she asks you to go with?”
I would follow her anywhere.
“I would have to think about things logistically speaking, but I would probably go,” I say.
Khalid rolls his eyes. “You’re full of fucking shit.” He gets up and crosses towards the exit. “Follow your own advice, Yasmeena.”
I stay in bed, just letting my mind wander. I’ve been so busy with this treaty and my engagement, I haven’t fully taken the time to process what’s happening with Lilian. I feel like a shitty fucking friend, except I can’t even really talk to her about things, because she doesn’t know.
It feels like a betrayal, but I also understand why we can’t tell her.
We don’t know what Luc is going to do. He could throw Baelor into prison, and tell her why, but he also might just kill him…
and then what? We tell her that her dead husband was a serial rapist, and she stresses out so badly she loses the baby?
Would she even want the baby if she knew the truth?
Of course she would. I wouldn’t—granted, I don’t want a baby at all—but Lilian has begged and asked for one for so long, she deserves this. The child may never know their father, but they will always have their mother’s love.
I just hope Luc is smart about this. Calculated.
If he kills Baelor, he can’t tell Lilian about The Legion’s letter…
not yet. Otherwise, she’ll be suspicious, and she might never forgive him.
He’ll have to play the long game. Wait it out a few years before he proposes, and even then, she still might say no again.
I wish she had’ve just married him to begin with, then none of this would’ve happened. Baelor would still be the villain, but it wouldn’t have to hurt so bad.
There’s been too much loss this year. Roxanne, Adrian, and all the other lupion. They weren’t on my side, but I still didn’t want anyone to die. I just want everyone to find the happy ending they deserve. Is that too much to ask for?