43. Secrets and Protein Smoothies
Aleiraah
Seated inside the castle, Baz clears his throat and begins. "Upon leaving Duat, we were spit out in the human realm. We—"
"Shouldn't you wait for your cold-hearted comrade to be back?" I interrupt, arching my brow skeptically.
"We have mind-linked him, he can hear our conversation." Alistair informs, taking me by shock.
"You all can initiate a mind-link to Azael?" My mouth falls open. Azael is a deeply private person. To allow such liberties to the rest of the septet is unbelievable.
"Yes, Azizam. And you can mind-link me anytime, anywhere you want as well." Azael's voice tinged with dry amusement flows inside my head, startling me.
Really? Why didn’t he ever tell?
In our decade long marriage, he never extended this courtesy to me.
Another assholish move I guess.
"Yes, he gave us his feathers to communicate with him back in Duat and then never took them back." Rinn adds helpfully.
"He gave you feathers from his wings?" I whisper, aghast at this development. Am I in an alternate reality?
"Rhazien says your delicate jaw is hanging open. Have I shocked my pretty Azizam?" Azael's sardonic voice echoes in my mind, irritating me to no end.
"Really, Azael? You're now giving out your precious feathers as beads at Mardi Gras? When you never even gave me one all this time! I had to steal one for Alistair's talisman!" I snark mentally, wondering how we're communicating since I don't have a feather.
"You do not need my feather, Azizam. You can reach me without one. You're my mate. That is all." He says with a finality that sends an unreasonable shiver down my spine. And I mentally scowl at his arrogance.
"And how did you expect me to find that out? Was a banner in the sky going to let me know?" I hiss in my mind and Azael's mental voice goes strangely quiet.
"Yet another strike against me, Azizam." He sounds solemn. "I thought you knew."
I scoff and realize everyone's watching me. Shutting out Azael’s voice I sit up straighter and observe the motley males.
The display of camaraderie has taken me by surprise. They had never banded together like this––except for when we fuck. It rivals the coordination seen during mermaid ballets!
Flapping my hand twice in an impatient gesture I signal them to continue.
Baz says smiling slightly but his voice hardens toward the end, "Let's say we got a hint from a reliable source that you planned to visit that mortal scum."
"You mean Anubis disclosed my intentions?" I ask incredulously.
"I can neither confirm nor deny my sources." Baz states with a straight face.
"Oh, come on!" I raise my hands, exasperated that Anubis sold me out. Baz smiles again as I huff in annoyance.
"Once we found that pissant, we got the story from him. About the favor, and the compulsion he was put under most certainly by goblins and your plan to lure out Vroc of Haalbeg." He shakes his head as if disappointed. Well luckily for me, I don't fucking care!
"We came to the conclusion that based on the attacks on your family and how that human was planted, the goblins wanted to isolate you, causing discord in our marriage.
Which I'm ashamed to say they succeeded at.
But, planning to provoke their leader all by yourself!
What were you thinking, Aleiraah?" Baz huffs, sounding agitated.
"Maybe I was thinking that I'm on my own and need to take care of whatever conspiracy seems to be afoot!" I respond archly with a look of disdain and the six have the sense to look contrite.
"It's still too risky, Kitten!" Silas jumps in, ranting like an irate spouse. "Thankfully you ended up here. What would have happened if the goblins had found and abducted you? No one knows where their hidden dimension is!"
"I actually can scry for their location."–––"I'm not an easy target." Ispahan and I speak at the same time. I shoot an annoyed glare at him for giving away a vital part of my strategy. He looks sheepish for a moment but then shrugs.
"So you knew that the Nephilim King could trace this Vroc fellow?" Rinn asks, coal black eyes widened in disbelief.
I nod reluctantly and Rinn's eyes shine with awe. "You have an amazing mind, Flame."
Archie nods like an obedient wolf while Rhazien snaps at them irritatedly, "Don't encourage her! She'd have gone hunting the scum of Mytherra without us."
"Azizam, I'm on my way back. We need to have words." Azael chimes in, sounding grave. I roll my eyes.
Zenith who has been quiet so far looks sharply at Ispahan who avoids his gaze studiously.
"More than safety I believe it's a matter of stability.
According to the intel I've gathered over the years, if any species other than goblins travel to this hidden dimension, it causes dimensional instability.
Goblins had caused this rift in Mytherra in the first place using dark magic, and it's coded to them.
Going there is extremely risky and I wouldn't advise it.
" Zenith keeps staring at Ispahan pointedly.
"I could scry for it using my innate magic. Nephilims are known for their quests and you know I'm the strongest of them." Ispahan informs Zenith with the authority of a born King.
"I don't disagree. But as your general and your mate, I should have been informed. And I'd still advise against it, Your Majesty." Zenith states in a voice devoid of emotion. They stare at one another, unwilling to compromise and Zahara’s gaze darts nervously.
Feeling bad about causing discord, I intervene, "Let’s calm down. I'm not charging into Haalbeg right now. And I’d never willingly put you in harm's way, Ispahan."
Zenith inclines his head while Ispahan bristles, "As a King and a friend I gave my word and shall honor it. If you so wish, I'll help you locate Vroc."
Zenith inhales sharply, switching to a dangerously soft voice, "Is that so?"
Ispahan stares at him defiantly. Zenith pins me with a calculating look and exposes my carefully kept secret, "And what about you, Aleiraah? Are you willing to put yourself and the younglings you carry, at risk so easily?"
"What?" Ispahan shouts, springing from his chair. But strangely my husbands, including Azael, who has just entered the foray don't show any reaction. Perfectly calm at this revelation.
"You all knew..." I whisper in disbelief, studying them carefully.
"You are pregnant? And you wanted to travel to Haalbeg? How did I not know this? And you told Zenith and not me?" Ispahan lobs question after question, his voice rising with each one, then exclaims as if struck with a sudden epiphany. "Oh! That's why you hog all the meat during meals!"
"For the hundredth time, I do not hog all the meat! Do not make me sound like a dinosaur, Ispahan!" I yell, then glare accusingly at my husbands who appear cool as a bushel of cucumbers, except for Silas who looks ready to pounce on me.
"How did you know?" I fire at them.
Baz holds out his palms in a calming gesture that increases my irritation. "We suspected at first. But knew for certain when Azael discovered that you’re carrying our young. But wait—"
"That's why you were staring at my stomach in the garden after I told you about Jadeth!" I point a finger at Azael, interrupting Baz. Rage simmers in my voice. "You tricked me! I bared my soul to you and you tricked me! How the fuck did you even find out?"
"I didn't trick you, Aleiraah," Azael states in a maddeningly calm voice.
"I held you in my arms, because my need to comfort you exceeded your desire to avoid my touch. But I also touched your bare skin. For the first time after...that night. And my powers helped me accidentally discover you’re expecting. "
"Younglings." Baz whispers before I can come up with a scathing remark. He pivots to Zenith with wide eyes, who stares at me in contrition but I'm feeling too ragey to acknowledge his apology.
"Zenith, you said ‘younglings’ and not young. You're certain there’re babies? Plural?" Baz's gaze swivels between the two of us.
"Why don't you do the courtesy, Zenith? Since you can't seem to keep a bloody secret!" Snarling, I fold my arms across my chest.
"That's not fair, Aleiraah." Zahara chooses that moment to butt in and I've had enough.
"What's not fair is being brutally violated by the people you trust the most!
What's not fair is not having your husbands by your side to offer comfort when you're drowning in anxiety about an unanticipated pregnancy!
What's not fair is being saddled with babies I’ve no idea how to feel about!
And what's not fair is the constant realization that I'll be doing all this alone. Even when I’ve seven fucking husbands who refuse to accept the separation papers!
" I end on a screech, my chest feeling tight with unshed tears, breaths heaving out.
"Flame, please calm down. You’re not alone, baby." Rinn pleads as he rounds the table, drawing near. So does Alistair and Silas but I hold out my palm and they immediately halt in their steps, visibly disappointed.
"It's not fair, Aleiraah, since your husbands have been taking care of you from afar. Everyday. They want to be by your side if only you'd let them." Zahara says softly, but disapproval is thick in her voice.
"Zahara, no." Archie warns her.
"You are on a first name basis with her?" I ask Archie in surprise, feeling suspicious.
"Yes, because I've been helping them keep you fed and nourished. You didn't tell me but they did, that you are pregnant. You need to keep your succubae energy up so that no harm comes to you or the…babies." Zahara replies with a slight tremble in her voice.
"What do you mean?" My voice drops as I stalk closer to her.
"Zahara, don't say another word." Archie growls.
"Don't growl at my mate, wolf!" Ispahan growls back but Zenith presses his hands on Ispahan's chest whispering something into his ear that settles him. Then he glances at Zahara who looks cagey.