Chapter Five
Hannah was in their room, sitting and towelling her hair. “Did you know Jennel shoots lightning, too? The poltergeist didn’t. Kapow of ectoplasm.” She smiled. “How was Isocar?”
Neekil walked over and kissed her softly and then with deliberate intent. “Isocar is awake and conversing in the hospital. Stay where you are, Hannah.”
Hannah laughed. “I just had a shower.”
“I will take responsibility for everything and make sure you are tidy before we sleep.” He pulled her to his chest and pressed her back to the stone bed.
“Take off your body armour, or this all stops now.” Hannah tore at the fasteners.
Neekil leaned up and peeled his stab vest off. She tore his shirt, and he unbuckled his clothing.
There was nothing like the feel of Neekil against her, and she was getting the idea that he felt the same. The moment he was naked, she grabbed him, rolled him to his back, and muttered, “Now, get inside me, and this time, stay out of my panty drawer.”
He gripped her hips and rolled with her, lying between her thighs. He grinned. “Never. It’s my happy place.”
She snorted and leaned up, her robe parting and sliding free of her newly dark skin. “We are going to revisit this.”
He slid down to kiss her breasts. “I certainly hope we do, over and over and over again.”
Hannah closed her eyes as he used everything he had learned about her responses and seduced her into a stupor.
His people smelled and tasted like sex on two legs, but Neekil blended it with a fun sense of humour and a strange obsession with being in contact with her at every moment.
When he grabbed one of the condoms they kept bedside, she relaxed enough to enjoy herself to the fullest. He cared for her will, and she gave him his way because of it.
* * * *
Parking the ambulance outside the mayor’s mansion was amusing as hell. Nylora left Skip in the rig and headed inside.
Leonora met her in the hall and said, “Cutting it close.”
“Busy night. I am wearing a lot of people.”
“This concerns one. Come with me.”
Nylora walked with the mayor’s assistant to his office. Matthias was behind the desk, and he looked up with a scowl. “What the hell did you do, Nylora?”
“I saved my cousin, as I told you I would do when I checked in and gave my blood.” Nylora stood there.
Matthias looked at his screen. “That’s her?”
“That’s her. She does not know me, has never known me, but this was the day I have seen since I gained a little foresight.” She smiled. “Today I did what I had to, to save my blood. What is the punishment for following all the rules and protocols?”
He paused. “What? You mean that these were all allowed actions?”
She smiled at his less-than-astonished features.
“Of course. The height of emergency travel was set at thirty-two to forty feet above ground level, the protocol for internal hospital flight is a drilled behaviour, and the dark fae blood bank was begun five years ago and stored in Danforth General Hospital.” She looked at him with challenge.
“Even dark fae are allowed to show their true seeming if they are not trying to seduce the unwilling or unwitting. So... where did I goof?”
He looked at her and sighed. “You abandoned your post.”
“And resumed it an hour later. Personal and family leaves are accounted for in our contract.”
Matthias rubbed his eyes with one hand. “Fine. But what do you think will happen next?”
“Call Elsinor and have her send a virus to remove me from the internet.”
Matthias stared. “You know her?”
“Yeah. We have met. I don’t have the means to have myself scrubbed or the image of me removed, so what do you want me to do? I can leave town.”
He groaned. “You are an excellent medic, so no. Remain. How did you pull so much power?”
“Uh, I went on vacation and ended up at the wedding of a satyr and his bride. It’s close to the gateway for the old gods, and there was some... spillage.” She wiggled her fingers. “Every time someone stares at my ass now is a teeny bit more power than I had the day before.”
Matthias paused. “You are kidding.”
“Yes, I am. My ticker goes up with lives saved.”
He exhaled. “Oh. That’s more reasonable.”
“Yeah.”
Leo asked, “Seriously. You got exposed to deity energy?”
“Demi-deity. Isocar was there as well. We each wore our power so our resemblance wasn’t noted. Neither of us was selected as a bridesmaid, so we just left after the governor tossed his bride over his shoulder and walked away. The party started, and we left for our different hotels.”
“So, you have met.”
“No, my human seeming met her human seeming. I was looking for her, but she didn’t know I existed. We were just two extras who had been invited to a party.”
She didn’t mention that they had both made connections with demigods who were operating locally, but the governor had summoned as many singles with power as he could.
Matthias looked at her. “Can you tell me why there are two heartbeats in your body?”
Nylora jolted. “Oh, shit, I must be dropping my glamour.”
Leo shot up. “You are pregnant?”
“Oh, yeah. Didn’t I mention it?”
Matthias laughed. “Do you have prenatal records?”
“Yes, under Nancy Mills.”
“Clever.” Matthias typed and nodded. He looked at her with raised brows. “Six months along? Must have been a helluva party.”
Nylora shrugged. “It let me know when I was needed to help Isocar. Now that I have, I can see the next moment, and the next moment is ten years down the line.”
Leo chirped up. “Who’s the father?”
“Oh, my partner for those few hours was a local... here. He’s on an XIA team.”
Matthias looked at her. “Really? Who?”
“Uh, I never got his name. I call him Stomp, and his partners are Snort and Buzz.”
He grinned. “I know who you are talking about. Your partner would be... Stomp. That makes a certain weird sense.”
Leo came around and covered her mouth as she giggled. “Oh, wow. I didn’t realize we had one of those in the city.”
Nylora snorted. “Doesn’t matter what he is. I am going to get going unless you want to make up a flying dark fae law or some kind of speeding statute.”
Matthias smiled. “Go. Get some rest. You will need to go on leave shortly.”
Leo chortled. “I throw a mean shower if you don’t have anyone to do it.”
Matthias sighed. “That means she’s throwing you a shower.”
Leo laughed. “Right here in the mansion. Some of the staff will be delighted, and others will be horrified. I am going to place bets on which will be which. Oh, and you should probably tell the father before the baby arrives. He might notice that folks are talking about your mat leave. Even horny guys can do math... eventually.”
Nylora nodded. “I will take that under advisement. Good evening to you both.”
She left without being dismissed and prodded Skip awake. “Do you want me to drive?”
“Yeah.”
She moved between the seats and swung into the driver’s seat, buckling up and waiting for Skip.
She drove off, and Skip asked, “So, did the vampire detect the second heartbeat?”
“Yup. Leo’s going to throw me a baby shower as soon as I am on mat leave.”
“Well, I am down for the bassinet. I already have it with a big ass bow on it.”
“Skip, you are the only one who knows about this pregnancy aside from my doctor and midwife.”
“What about the uh... him?”
“The him doesn’t know, banged me after a party while on vacation, and I haven’t been out with anyone since.”
Skip paused. “Where did you last see him?”
She glanced at him. “That isn’t fair.”
“Oh, I know you can’t lie, but this has stopped being a joke.”
“I saw him tonight.”
“Where?”
“The werewolf attack.”
“Oh, shit, so my guess is Stomp because while Snort leers at you, he never tries to talk.”
She sighed. “Fine. It’s Stomp. As far as I know, his name is Agent, so I couldn’t give him any other moniker. It wasn’t our idea.”
Skip put his hand on her shoulder. “Aw, I didn’t know.”
She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Right. I know, but we were caught in the backlash of a fertility demigod finding his wife. It was very motivating.”
Nylora straightened her shoulders. “I will take you home and then bring the rig back to base.”
“Don’t. I got the order while you were in there. Take it home, and someone will come get it. There is a worshipful crowd waiting at the base to take pictures. You were striking.”
“They don’t know it’s me.”
“They have your number on your uniform.”
“Oh, shit. Right. Home for you, and then home for me.”
He nodded. “Excellent plan.”
“Fortunately, I have a roommate who likes to cook.”
“Is she still single?”
“Yeah. She works too much for anything else.”
“I love a girl who smells like cookies around the clock.”
“Love her from a distance.”
He chuckled. “I will seek solace in the cupcakes you bring to shift.”
“Good place for solace.”
She drove him to his apartment building and let him out. “You have your lunch kit?”
“Yes, you have your baby?”
She chuckled. “Still safe under glamour and a light corset.” She patted her belly.
He grinned, closed the door, and patted it twice. She watched him walk into his building and drove to her home. She was hungry again. The taco truck had been off her menu since month three.
She drove home just as the sun firmly perched above the horizon and prepared to launch. She flicked her sunglasses on and hummed calmly as she headed to the cute house that she shared with Kaitha.
Kaitha was raised as her sister, and both of them were raised by parents who were a giant and an elf, respectively. They understood the difference. Kaitha was also a midwife by trade. That was handy.
She parked in the drive and concealed the ambulance from any but authorized personnel.
After that, she grabbed her lunch kit and headed into the house.
If they didn’t pick it up, she would have to go in extra early.
She was just happy that they had a chance to restock when they stopped to wash out the interior. Mermaid slime was not pleasant.