Chapter 20 – Empusa
EMPUSA
Idon’t even remember nodding off, but when I wake up, there are birds chirping outside the window, and sunlight creeps through the curtain.
Groggily, I sit up, and then I stare in surprise.
My men are all over the room, lying on the hard floor.
Each has a pillow and a little blanket, but it’s a shock to see them there.
Is this how they’ve slept since I was injured?
My heart warms. I’m sure there were other places to sleep, better places, and yet they wanted to remain close to me. That shows a level of devotion that makes me feel even safer in their company.
I carefully creep to the bathroom and use it, wash my hands, and sneak out the door.
Grabbing a coat I find by the door, and slipping into some flip flops I know are my mom’s, I go outside into the quiet morning air.
I wander around, smiling at the porch with its little swing and wondering if we could have a swing like that at our house.
I go to the back and find a beautiful garden and a bench near a little pond with a fountain.
Sitting down, I breathe in the sweet air and feel grateful in a way I never imagined.
My hands go to my stomach, and I feel my little girl move.
This. This is happiness and love.
“You’re okay!” I turn to see Conley half-dressed in the garden. His feet are bare, his hair is a mess, and he’s shirtless. But more than that, he looks terrified.
“I’m fine. Sorry, I just wanted some fresh air.”
He seems to take several long, slow breaths.
“Conley, come sit. Everything is fine.”
He nods and stands up straighter than goes and sits down so softly next to me. It’s like he’s scared to break me. “Are you…hurting?”
I shrug. “I’m a little sore, but I’m healing.”
And then, I gasp as the baby starts moving and kicking up a storm.
Conley is on his feet in an instant. “I’ll get your mom!”
“No!” I shout as he’s already begun to run. “It’s just the baby moving. Come here!”
He looks terrified, but he comes back, and I place his hand just below where my wound has been wrapped and onto my baby. For one moment he seems confused, and then the baby starts to move again, and his eyes widen.
“That’s the baby?”
“Yes,” I tell him with a smile.
“That’s her moving?”
I laugh. “Yes.”
“That’s…that’s incredible!” A smile blossoms on his face that seems to brighten the entire morning.
“She really is.”
His gaze meets mine. “I want to thank you. Not just for coming into our lives. Not just for the baby. Something about you brought us all together. Narath actually came to me and said he wanted me to be part of our Brotherhood. I honestly thought it was impossible, but I agreed, and he’s treated me like one of them ever since. ”
“That’s wonderful! I knew he’d realize how stupid he was being, eventually.”
“And all of us…I don’t know. It was like we were lost, and then you found us, and now we’re not lost any more. Ugh, that sounds stupid. I don’t know--”
“No, it’s not stupid. I feel the same way.”
Leaning forward, I press a kiss to his lips, and he smiles at me like I’m the best thing in this world.
And then we hear chaos unfold. I turn to see my three gargoyles racing around the house, all half naked, looking scared as hell. They’re in boxers, no shoes, and they all have the same panicked look that was in Conley’s eyes before.
I can’t help myself, I burst out laughing.
Their gazes go to me, and then they’re running right at us.
“Are you okay?” Rokad says, almost shouting.
“I just wanted some fresh air,” I tell them, still laughing. “You realize I’m a half-demon monster, right? I can go for a walk and be fine.”
“You’re a half-demon monster who almost died just a short time ago,” Lucas says, running both hands over his shaved head like he’s trying to calm himself down.
“Well, I don’t plan on that happening again.”
“You better not,” Narath says, but he sounds terrified.
I smile at all of them, and then the baby kicks again.
Grinning, I say, “Would you guys like to feel the baby moving?”
They inch closer to me like they’re ready for an attack, which is strangely darling, and then one hand after another rests on my stomach. I swear they all hold their breaths, and I beg my daughter to move. And…she does.
The looks of wonder that crosses their faces steals my breath.
Narath has tears in his eyes as he says, “She’s so strong.”
“And healthy,” Rokad says, choking on the words.
“And I’m sure she’ll be beautiful, just like her mom,” Lucas whispers, locking eyes with me.
How in the hell did I doubt these men? They will absolutely die for me and my child, which is more than most women have.
“Can I tell you guys about an idea I had?”
They nod.
And I let it all out. My thoughts on the cabin, our home, and the future I can see. Then, I hold my breath, waiting for what they might say, even if I’m already sure I know their answer.