Chapter 20 Priorities
SOUNDTRACK: Let the Heavens Split by Shune
~ JANN ~
An hour later, I tugged Diadre with me through the tunnels, grinding my teeth, wishing I could roar. We’d stood there in front of all of them, and Melek looked at me like I was under suspicion? After everything I’d done to prove myself?
“Jann—” Diadre said faintly.
“I’ll get you back as quickly as I can.”
“I know, but—”
“We can sleep late in the morning. I don’t have any meetings,” I muttered, plowing forward and pulling her with me. I did as I was asked. I carried the weight and danced the line, and still—
Diadre suddenly yanked her hand from my grip. I whirled, snarling, only to find her bent at the waist and emptying her stomach among the stones.
God, I was a self-centered prick sometimes.
With a whispered apology, I grabbed at her hair, twisting it to draw it away from her neck, and leaning over her, placing an arm under her shoulders so she could lean on me if she needed.
My weariness and anger from moments earlier were gone, replaced by the conflicting lows of worry for her, and the high of being reminded she was having my babe.
My chest swelled. To hell with Melek, bending his ear to his conniving mate. To hell with Hever’s pointed question designed to deflect attention from himself.
My mate was growing a baby.
My baby.
Diadre coughed and heaved, her body convulsing in my arms. I did my best not to squeeze her, but to offer support, and whisper reassurance through the bond.
‘Sorry. I’m so sorry, beautiful. We’ll slow down. I’ll carry you.’ I stroked her hair as gently as I was able—a sensation she’d told me she loved.
By the time she was done, we both crouched at the side of the path, but my arms were full of her. I tugged a cloth from my pocket that I used to keep my hair back sometimes, and gave it to her to wipe her face.
She trembled and coughed, but nothing more came up. When she finally stood, I rose with her—leaning down to pick her up and swing her into my chest.
“Jann,” she said weakly. “I can walk—”
“I know you can,” I murmured, doing my best to keep my steps from bouncing her. “I can get you back to bed much faster. And besides, I owe you for being an asshole.”
“You’re always an asshole,” she murmured with a sickly smile.
“All the more reason you should give me a chance to make it up to you,” I muttered.
She laughed, but it turned into a cough and she still looked pale. When she rested her head against my shoulder I was thrilled—then fearful.
Was something more wrong than just the pregnancy?
Frowning, I picked up my pace, keeping my strides as even as possible so she wouldn’t be jarred. The moment we made it out of the cave, I leaped into flight, not even stopping to strap her to me.
She protested again, but then just clung to my neck more tightly and buried her face under my jaw—which made me resolve to fly with her this way far more often.
It would usually be a twenty-minute flight to the balcony of my chambers, but I pushed hard enough that I was panting by the time I landed, fifteen minutes later
Diadre took a deep breath when I straightened on the balcony, and I felt a lot of the tension leave her.
Despite the weeks of travel and the fun we’d had in the air, making love during flight before we arrived in Ebonreach, my mate still found flying unnerving.
When all this shit was over, and we actually had some time to ourselves, I’d have to give her more opportunities to enjoy herself with me in the air.
I liked nothing more than to fly with her.
But despite the heat that raised in my blood at the thought, that was a problem for another day.
I didn’t know how Caelan did it, but she always managed to know when I left the chambers. She was dozing on a cot in the corner of the sitting room when we strode in, and leaped up, her eyes wide when she saw me carrying Diadre.
“Is she hurt?”
“No, but the babe has made her sick. Run a bath while I get her undressed. Then as soon as that’s done, call for the midwife or whoever you’d recommend—”
“Teen,” Diadre whispered against my neck. I went still, but Caelan nodded.
“I know who she means. I’ll go get her myself.”
“Thank you. Now quickly with the bath please.”
Caelan dropped her chin once, then hurried into the bathing room.
Something about that niggled, but I didn’t have time to analyze it.
Instead, I hurried Diadre into our bedroom and set her in a chair, warning her not to move, as I rushed back out to the bathing room to get a wet cloth—only to have one fly through the air and slap me in the chest when I reached the doorway, because Caelan had already prepared one.
“Wipe her face, and give her a leaf to chew—it will help if she can’t taste it.”
I caught the damp cloth dumbly, and turned on my heel, picking a mint leaf from the plant under the window, before hurrying back to our room.
“Chew on this. It will help,” I said quietly, thumbing Diadre’s chin so she’d open her mouth, and placing the leaf on her tongue.
She chewed experimentally once, twice, then nodded and kept chewing while I tied up her hair with one of my leather ties, then wiped her face clean, and down her neck.
“Lean forward,” I murmured, placing a hand between her shoulders to press her forward. She did as I instructed.
As I unbuttoned her, I heard her sigh of relief and realized that the bodice she wore—a slave’s garment designed to display her assets—was uncomfortable on her.
“Did that hurt to wear?” I asked, surprised.
I knew she was going to be fine when she raised her head and sent me a scathing look over her shoulder. “Fucking men—you even have to ask?”
I frowned as I peeled the boned bodice off her. I’d need to find something else for her to wear, so that she was more comfortable.
Now, as she sat on the chair, naked, and let her head slump back, she closed her eyes. “I’m fine now. Thank you. I’ll just rest for a second then—”
“We’re getting you clean, then putting you to bed.”
“I feel much better now that my stomach is empty. I’m just tired.”
“Well, you’ll be tired and clean in a moment. Then you’ll stay in bed in the morning, even when I leave. I can be contrary and refuse to bring my slave to lunch. You are, after all, such a chatterbox. Sometimes it’s just easier to leave you at home.”
She opened one eye to glare at me, and I winked, relieved when her lips twitched.
Minutes later, I heard the door click closed which meant Caelan had gone for the midwife.
I carried my protesting mate into the steaming bathing room, and settled her into the copper bath that was so hot, her entire body prickled with goosebumps when she sank into it.
But then she gasped and had to catch herself, pulling up to sit properly.
The bath was sized for a Nephilim, and Diadre was not a large woman.
While she resettled herself, sitting upright, I changed the plan and pulled the stool over where Caelan had left a soap, cloth, and towels. Then I quickly stripped myself.
“Lean forward,” I murmured, using my hands to press Diadre forward, but pressing my thumbs in arcs up the sides of her spine as I did so, so she groaned with pleasure.
My cock twitched, and I frowned at it as I crawled into the tub behind her, settling myself into the higher back, then gripping her hips and pulling her back against me, urging her to lay back against my chest.
We both sighed when she reclined.
Then I took the soap and cloth from the stool, wet both, and began to wash her.
Holding her to me so she didn’t slip down in the bath, I washed her neck, shoulders, chest and back.
Then her arms one by one, kneading tight muscles wherever I found them, and stroking skin softly wherever I didn’t.
I washed her in slow circles with the soapy cloth, letting the water trickle down her body.
“God, that feels divine,” she whispered, her eyes closed and head resting on my chest, as I dropped the cloth into the water and began running my hands up and down the muscles of her arm, gripping and kneading until she groaned again.
That was a noise I’d pay money to hear her make every day.
“Just relax,” I said gruffly, angry with myself. I’d been so focused on trying to keep them safe, that I hadn’t thought about how she felt. I needed to do better.
Only God knew how I would find it, but she needed more time from me. The truth was, I needed more time with her, as well. Who knew how much more we had left to us?
I swallowed hard.
“Just breathe and rest,” I said as quietly as I could. “I’ll take care of you. Both of you.”
“We’re not unwell, Jann. I think it’s just because I didn’t get much sleep.”
“And that’s my fault. I’ll do my best not to take you out at night again.”
“Don’t you dare suggest I’m missing important meetings for sleep—”
She jerked up, water rippling, and twisted around to glare at me. I smiled, and took hold of her chin, pulling her back so I could kiss her—and when she sighed again, I let her go and settled her back against my chest once more.
“We’ll figure it out,” I said, non-committal.
“But, for now, you rest and leave this to me. You stop worrying about any of it. I’ll handle it.
I’ll make sure you have food when you’re ready, and Caelan will get the midwife to check just to make sure that there’s nothing wrong.
This time of sickness and weariness will pass. Don’t worry—”
“Jann,” she sighed, lifting a hand to cup behind my neck. “The only thing I’m worried about is you… And how weak I’ll be to help you. What you’re facing—”
“Shhhh,” I hushed her, wincing behind her back. “I don’t need you to carry my weight—I’d crush you,” I tried to joke, but it fell flat for both of us. “I need you to stay healthy and strong, and bring our babe into this world safely. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that happens.”
Diadre slumped back against me, a breath rushing out of her.
She was so tired, and so worried, too.
I resolved to do whatever was needed to help her be strong. No matter the cost. No matter what was needed. I would do anything.
“I’ve got you,” I murmured, stroking her hair back and massaging her temples. “I’m here. And if I get distracted, you just remind me. Nothing is as important to me as you and our son, Diadre. Nothing.”
Absolutely, fucking, nothing.