Chapter Eighteen
H ad I planned to make the vast transition from healer to murderer this morning?
No. I do not believe so.
But when he came, it was as if my heart could simply take no more.
It had to end.
He had to end.
Although his demise was much cleaner than that of his despicable sister, Laeryne. That scene will play through my nightmares for many years to come.
Once my hand made the decision to slit his throat, I immediately tapped into the latent genetics of my royal mother. I provided orders and instructions for the guards, as well as announcing my own punishment.
I am not truly sure how much of a punishment it is to give someone what they always wanted, but I would certainly not be sharing that information any time soon.
“So that happened. Am I the only one of us that isn’t feeling particularly murdery today?”
“Yes.” Forsythia, Lucian, and I all manage to say in unison.
“Speaking of murdery… when were any of you assholes going to tell me that I’m pregnant?!” I knew this was coming. Forsythia has every right to be angry, but I can not let her men take the blame when I tried my hardest to prevent her from finding out until we left the fae realm.
“Listen, I tried–” I interrupt Blake’s ramblings to set the record straight.
“It was my fault, Miss.” When Forsythia turns and faces me, she doesn’t seem mad or upset, just simply confused. “When they brought you in and gave you to me for care, I noticed something unusual about your magicks. I did not know at the time that you were the Noctifer Witch, but what I did learn was that every time you tapped into your abilities, the fetus went into distress. I believe it is because you pull a lot of your magickal energy from the shifts in the earthen realms sun?” She covers her stomach with one hand protectively and nods.
“I knew escaping would be rough, and we would need you to use your magick to some extent. I begged your mates not to say anything to you and even tried to interrupt them from telling you a few times. I worried that if you found out, you might become a complacent prisoner and lose interest in trying to leave.”
Her face morphs into one of hurt. “You put my baby at risk so you could escape?”
“No! No, not at all. The reason why you have not felt anything is that I placed a very small protective bubble inside your womb. It doesn’t stop you from pulling a small amount of energy from your child, but you are unable to pull too much. I would feel better if we waited until we passed through the portal before I removed the bubble. I am not quite sure how the baby would react to portal travel. Generally, pregnant women do not travel between realms.”
Forsythia bites her cheek for a moment but nods in agreement.
Lucian and Blake move to either side of their mate and hold her hand before stepping into the portal and out of my sight.
I spare a moment to look around me. Taking in the familiarity of this realm’s flora and fauna. Sending a silent wish to my sister that she may have a long and happy life. Hopefully, with Pim.
With a deep, steadying breath, I step forward and into my new life.
Now, I am not quite certain what I expected when we reached the earthen realm, but I would never have wished to have four adult beings all doubled over and vomiting profusely. It would seem portal travel was not kind to our equilibrium.
“Oh my Gods, I have never been so dizzy in my life! Why didn’t you tell us Midori?”
“Listen here– err… Miss. I had no idea… Oh Gods, this is terrible.” My stomach lurches again, and this time, I simply fall on my side.
The ground feels wondrous and alive. My magick tingles under my fingertips. I reach out and gently touch Forsythia’s stomach. Calming her unease and removing the bubble protecting her babe.
My own stomach begins to settle, and I take several deep breaths. Smelling the herbaceous ground below me. While the colors here seem much less extravagant, the smells are wondrous. And the air is so… fresh.
Blake rolls closer, and I manage to touch his stomach, calming his muscles as he sighs in relief. Lucian quickly follows suit, taking the comfort I can offer.
Never in all of fae had my magicks been this easy to access. Or this simple to wield.
I smile as the witch in me feels more at home than ever before.
I am home.
And what’s better?
I am finally free.
We lie there, focused on regulating our breathing when Forsythia screams.
“What?! What is it?” You would think I was her mate with how quickly I made it to her.
“There is something. I feel something! I think… I think I feel the baby moving.” Her tone is pure joy, but I can’t help correcting her.
“Babies, Miss.”
“What?!” The single word is echoed by all three. Perhaps my bubble was a little stronger than I anticipated.
“There are two babies, Miss. It’s too early yet to know the sex if that is something you would like me to determine, and we won’t know their magickal affinities until closer to term.” Their expressions are priceless. Forsythia looks like she might faint. If Lucian preened any harder, he might pull a muscle. And poor Blake just keeps shaking his head and holding two of his fingers in his opposite hand.
Their reactions make me wonder. “Are multiple babies not a common happenstance in this realm?”
Forsythia answers, as I am sure Lucian is not fully aware of the answer, and Blake is now… rocking himself like a baby?
“No. They are much more rare.”
“Oh, I apologize. Twins and triplets are actually much more of a common occurrence in pregnancies in the fae realm than single babies. I assumed it was the same everywhere. It must mean the Gods have blessed you twice.” I look to her two mates and add on, “again.”
Forsythia laughs, and the sound draws her men closer. They share an embrace as her mates run their hands across her stomach.
The intimacy of the situation brings a nervous thought to the front of my mind.
What now?
“Midori, you are free to go wherever you would like, but if you wanted to come with us… that is, I mean. I don’t have many females in my life, and now I am pregnant, and I have no clue what I am doing. Oh Gods, what am I doing?”
Her rambling calms my nerves. I had worried they would send me off. “The truth is, Miss. I would be honored to go with you. I have never had a friend before, and I had hoped, well, that is if things aren’t awkward–”
“Have you met her? Shit is always awkward!” Blake’s words are punctuated with Forsythia’s elbow straight to his gut, knocking the wind out of him.
“In that case, I would love to go with you.”
I stand and extend my hand down to Forsythia, helping her stand.
And for the second time, she shocks me into silence.
She pulls me into her embrace and holds me tightly, whispering in my ear. “Thank you for protecting them.”
Overcome with emotion, all I am able to offer her is a smile and nod.
What she doesn’t know, and what I will never understand, is the soul-deep compulsion I felt to help them.
They needed me.
She will need me too.
And maybe, just maybe…there is something else in this realm pulling me closer.