“I don’t hate you, Aeval,” he says, drumming his fingers on the table. “I don’t feel anything for you one way or the other. You are merely an incubator for the destined child. Once you have done your job, you will become redundant.”
I try to hide the shock on my face that he could be so malicious, but it doesn’t go unnoticed and he smiles, showing me his sharp teeth. He pushes on, “Once you start to show, you will reside here until the birth. Afterwards, you may leave, and you don’t have to return. Maurelle and I will raise the child as a true Fae worthy of this Kingdom. Your presence won’t be required.”
I gape at him openly now. He thinks he is going to take my child from me and push me out of its life? There is no way in Hell, I am letting that happen.
“Over my dead body,” I snarl at him. “If you think that I am going to let you and that witch wife of yours raise my child, you are sorely mistaken.”
He looks surprised that I have dared to defy him, and he stands again. “You don’t have a choice. If you think that I am going to allow you to return to the Earth Realm to raise the child to be accepting of creatures such as yourself, you are the one who is sorely mistaken.”
I make a decision on the spot. A hasty one I’ll admit, but there is no way he is taking my baby from me.
“In that case, I renounce you,” I say, pulling myself up and mustering all of my Empress authority that usually has people quaking in their boots. Not him though, no, he just looks amused. “I no longer wish to be a part of your Court; I won’t marry Kalen and we won’t be having a baby. You are just going to have to keep trying to have another daughter to fulfill this prophecy. I am done with you.” I turn on my heel and head for the door. As I open it, he grabs me by the arm and spins me back around. The look on his face terrifies me, but I stand my ground. Mentally speaking that is, as when he places his other hand on my stomach, I back up into the corridor, catching sight of Sebastian who is leaning casually against the wall. He jumps up when he sees us, striding forward with anger on his face.
“Too late, my dear,” Drake says as he increases the pressure on my stomach, his sharp black nails digging into me. “You are already with child.”
I stare at him in shock. How can he possibly know that after only a couple of days?
“Oh, the essence is slight, Aeval, but it is there,” he says, reading my thoughts. Or, more likely, my face. “Return to Earth and get your affairs in order and return in two days,” he snarls at me as he moves his hand from my stomach, to my throat. “If anything befalls this child in the meantime, I will have your head.” He lets me go and I step back, my hand over my heart that is beating rapidly. He glances at Sebastian, who is staring at me, also in shock, and he adds, “You had better pray to whatever gods you worship that the child is a girl.” He stalks off, leaving me shaky, horrified, and afraid.
“Aefre,” Sebastian says, taking my hand. “Is he right? Are you with child?”
I shake my head stupidly. “I have no idea. It has only been a couple of days,” I say and gulp, thinking that I wasn’t even there at the conception. “Sebastian, we cannot have this baby,” I say.
He looks at me in confusion. “What do you mean? It is our destiny.”
“No,” I say forcefully, grabbing his hand. “You don’t understand, Drake is going to take the child and raise it Dark. He is going to cut us out of its life.”
“No, we won’t let that happen,” Sebastian says. “He cannot take the child; my father will never allow it.”
“He will find a way,” I say desperately. “We cannot let him take our child.”
“We won’t,” he says again. “He can’t. The child is neutral. He cannot influence it either way. It is against the rules. Besides which, the baby has the full force of the Light blood behind it. No offense, my love, but you are only half Fae. If anything, the child will be more my side than yours.”
I stare at him. No offense? “I see,” I say to him stiffly. “You are already staking a claim for it for your side.”
“What?” he asks and looks askance. “No, Aefre, of course I’m not. This is our child, ours, and we are going to go home and raise it as we see fit. No one else. When the time is right, he or she will take their rightful place here.”
I unfreeze slightly, but then I think back to everything that Drake said and shake my head. “No. This child is going to be nothing but the cause of war. I will not allow it. I need to get outside and Shift.” Meaning to my Dragon form, that is.
“No!” Sebastian says as he grabs my arm in a death grip. “If you do that, you will kill it.”
“I know,” I say sadly.
“Aefre!” he says, shocked to his core. “You cannot do this. The child is destined to prevent war, not cause it, and…and it is ours.”
“And already we are fighting over it. Don’t you see, if even we cannot agree, how is everyone else supposed to?” I ask desperately.
“There is nothing to fight about, Aefre. This isn’t about choosing sides. This is about a new life, one that we created.” He caresses my stomach gently. “Destiny aside, I want this with you more than anything. More than a marriage, as this is ours. Something that you and I made together. Just us. You cannot take it away from us,” he says quietly, taking my face in his hands.
“But if I don’t, then Drake will. This was his plan all along. This is why it is so important to him. He knows how powerful it will be and wants it firmly on his side.”
“No. We will go to see my father at once. Aelfric will ensure that never happens. I promise you, Aefre, no one will take this baby from us.”
I snuffle into his chest as he pulls me close. “Please, promise me that you won’t do anything foolish,” he begs me. “Please, promise me.”
I nod. “Protect it, Sebastian, at the birth. I will be incapable, and I need you to promise me that you will keep it safe. Don’t let him take it,” I murmur to him.
“I promise you, Aefre, with my last dying breath I will keep our baby safe.”