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“I’ve got to get back to give the baby the antidote,” I told Alice.
She nodded, her back straightening when I got to my feet. The others stayed seated, their stares evident now that I was no longer trying to comfort my boss. They were fascinated with my soulmate. I glanced at her before smiling. She was pretty with her blonde hair and pale cheeks.
“I’m so glad my antidote worked for the others.” Alice stood suddenly, her eyes downcast as her cheeks flared red.
She wasn’t as arrogant as I had initially thought. In fact, she was riddled with the same insecurities as anyone.
“Yes, you did a fantastic job. You’ll have to present it to Gary so he can implement it for proper testing.”
Her gaze moved to meet mine, a quick smile passing over her lips before she looked at the others. “Thank you for keeping me safe.”
Waving away her gratitude, the others got to their feet. “It’s our job,” Scorpio said.
Leaving us alone at the door, Libra and Scorpio went to get the van. We had stayed with Alice for an hour to explain who Nick and his men were. She had taken it fairly well, considering. However, her hands shook when we spoke about what our mission was. Did she understand what part she played in that?
“I’ll come and see you tomorrow evening,” I said, patting her arm.
Grabbing my hands, she squeezed them. “I’d like that.”
Letting go, she stepped back. I left her to go to the van. I’d spoken to Mother and the baby seemed stable. However, I didn’t know how long she would cope without the medicine, so I had to hurry home.
Waving to Alice when I got to the gate, I indicated that she should lock the door. She nodded, a small smile on her face. As if she noticed how anal I was when it came to...most things.
The van pulled up in front of me. Climbing in, I ignored the other two when they made smooching sounds with their puckered lips.
“Alice and Virgo sitting in a tree,” Scorpio sung.
Libra took up the second sentence. “Probably brewing up some herbal tea.”
Smacking her arm as I joined in the combined laughter, I turned to look out of the window. I may be the serious one of the group, but I knew how to have a good time, too.
“Let’s hurry,” I said as we sobered. “I need to cure the baby.”
The journey home was smooth. It helped that it was the middle of the night. In fact, a massive yawn shook me as we stood in the lift.
“You need to sleep,” Libra said, stroking my forehead.
I smiled at her, unused to the affection. She grinned back, a sparkle in her eye. “You’ve managed to save everyone’s life as well as meet your twin flame. I would’ve crumbled under the pressure by now.”
“Virgo got everything right, just how she always does.” Scorpio winked at me as the doors opened.
It was quiet in the house, most siblings having gone to bed once Libra had texted to let them know that we were all safe and Nick had gone.
“She’s still clammy,” Mother said quietly as she came out of Aries’ room cradling the baby.
Going to her, I asked her to lie the baby on the sofa. She did as I asked while Scorpio went to check on the parents.
“Nick gave me this antidote. Do you think I can trust that it’s what he says it is?”
Mother nodded. Her experience with Nick had been...a little too personal for our liking, but she knew how his brain worked. “Yes. If he makes a deal, he sticks to it. Which is why he made the threat in the first place.”
Libra must have told her the details regarding the whole showdown. My family were always aware of what was going on with the person who was trying to achieve their union. On one hand, it was really helpful, but sometimes it made life difficult.
“Okay,” I said, setting up the needle for the injection. “I’ll give it to her now.”
She was wide awake, watching me with her big, brown eyes. She blinked a few times, probably trying to bring me into focus. Her throat gurgled when she opened her mouth. She was adorable.
Giving her the injection made me cringe as her face screwed up. She didn’t cry, which was a surprise. As soon as I’d done it, I placed the whole syringe in the biohazard bag that my mother was holding ready for me. Picking up the little girl, I cradled her to me, kissing her gently on the forehead.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Mother said, sitting next to me and putting an arm around my shoulder.
Nodding, I tried to fight the tears that popped into my eyes but they trickled freely down my cheeks, landing on her soft cream blanket.
“You’re allowed to let it all out.” Cradling me the way I was the baby, Mother rocked slightly, kissing the top of my head.
The simple nurturing gesture made the sobs come harder. Libra came over to take the baby so my mother could hug me properly. The tension of the last week or so poured from me, leaving me spent.
“Go to bed,” my mother insisted, pushing me to my feet. “We’ve got this now.”
“Thank you,” I whispered to them, unable to say anymore.
Sleep pulled at me, making my eyes heavy and my body shaky. Going to my room, I instantly fell to my bed, my eyes closed before I even hit the pillow.
*
“What’s your name?” The girl next to me whispered.
Glancing at her, I smiled. She had a beautiful bone structure to her face, even if she was slim from lack of food. Her dark skin was smooth, unmarred, unlike my own. Why was she speaking to me?
“Hatty,” I replied, my cheeks burning when she winked at me.
“Well, Hatty, I’m Ceely. Let’s hope we get the same master.”
Glancing over to the men who were examining each slave, I hoped so, too. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. My mother was by my side, chained to me. If they didn’t take all three of us, I just knew that I would crumble.
Luck was on our side. A tall French man with grey eyes came up to our pen. There were three men and six women. He clicked his finger and ordered his man to buy us all.
“He looks nice,” Ceely whispered, her hand reaching out to grab my fingers.
I let her hold them, unsure why she was paying attention to me. I was just an ugly slave. I had been told so many times. My afro hair was shaved, completely gone, and my eyes were a greeny brown, making them stand out.
“He ain’t nice,” I replied. “They’re never nice.”
She actually snorted a laugh, which made me smile. The others looked at us, my mother nudging me in the ribs. If the new master caught us laughing, he would probably leave us behind.
Ceely fluttered her eyelashes at me. “Try to be positive. We might have the time of our lives. You never know. Plus, you’ve got me by your side now, which means life will never be boring.”
A smile flowered on my face as she rubbed my thumb with hers. The touch was intimate, not like any other I had experienced from a woman...or a man. Not yet, anyway.
Mother had told me what to expect from our new master and his men. She warned me that they would likely do things to me that weren’t nice, but that I had to endure. I wasn’t looking forward to that.
The gate was opened as the master jumped onto his horse. We climbed onto a wagon, our chains clashing together.
“Why do you believe that life could be good with this new master?” I asked Ceely as I sat next to her.
My mother scowled in our direction, but I ignored her. The master rode ahead and his men were talking among themselves.
“Because anywhere is going to be better than my last place. Plus, I have you to keep me company. You’re a pretty little thing.”
My cheeks burned again, especially when one of the men turned to study our faces. Did he hear what Ceely had said? If he did, he might report us. It was against the law for same sex appreciation. Or anything else, either. So, why was she saying it?
“You’re all shy,” she said, her eyes watching me. “Don’t worry, you’ll be safe with me.”
For some reason, an emotion I had never felt bloomed in my chest. I would be safe with her. That was something I had craved for a long time, the feeling of safety. And something about Ceely made me instantly like her.
“And...if you’re lucky, we might become very good friends.”
“You!” one of the men shouted, pointing at Ceely. “Stop talking! You ain’t here to talk.”
Ducking her head, Ceely kept her mouth shut for the rest of the journey. She had been forthright and unnerving, yet, the butterflies in my stomach weren’t because I was going to a new home, they were because for the first time in forever, the woman beside me had made me feel alive. Had given me hope and excitement for something I had never experienced. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what that was, but somehow I knew that my life would be different with her in it.
*
Jolting awake, I yawned as I glanced at the time. I had slept for ten hours. Stretching, I decided to shower and check on the baby. If anything had been wrong, they would’ve woken me up.
“Morning,” I whispered to myself, now able to think about the possibility of romance for the first time in a while.
Alice was...making my heart beat. The very thought of her sent my stomach into flutters. Why was that? We hadn’t actually shared anything close to romance, so why would I assume that we would?
Pushing up from the bed, I cringed when I caught my reflection in the mirror. My long, thin hair was greasy and my cheeks were red from sleep. My collar bone jutted from my neck, revealing just how small and skinny I was.
My stomach rumbled hard at that exact moment. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten, which was crazy considering I knew how important it was to get a good nutritional intake.
Forcing my way up, I quickly tidied my room, making sure everything was in its right place. Once I had showered, I skipped down the stairs, ready to face the...afternoon.
“Hello, healer.” Natalie was sitting on the sofa, bottle feeding the baby.
I had suggested that it was safer to give the baby formula until all the drugs and toxins had left Natalie’s body. It was good to see her sitting up. Her frame was drawn where she’d lost a lot of weight, but her cheeks were blushed from pride as she looked down at her daughter.
“I’m so glad you’re feeling better. You’re looking good, although I do need to check you both over.”
Nodding, Natalie allowed me to grab my bag and take both of their temperatures. They were normal, which made me smile.
“I’m feeding you!” Aries announced as he came out of the lift, a supermarket bag in his hand. “You deserve a hearty brunch.”
Holding my arms out, I hugged him, almost falling over when he picked me up with one arm. “Thank you,” he whispered in my ear, a choke almost closing his throat.
Tears popped into my eyes as he lowered me and stood back to look down into my eyes. His gratitude didn’t have to be spoken, I could see it in his gaze. I would never forget the look he had just given me. It spoke more than words ever could.
“You’re welcome,” I said, looking at Nat and the baby, too.
She was crying, tears pouring down her cheeks. I went over and sat next to her, hugging her against me. The baby hiccupped as she enjoyed her feed.
“We’ve got a name,” Aries announced as he started to set about cooking food.
He winked at Nat, who smiled at me. “We’re naming her Althea, which means healing power. We wanted her to have a name to associate with you. You were her healing power.”
Sobs racked my body suddenly, the grief and tension of the last week completely freeing out of me. The kind thought that had gone into naming Althea broke me. I had been holding it together for so long, but as Nat stroked my hair, I allowed it all to come out. I had nearly lost my future sister-in-law and my niece, at the same time as finding my twin flame.
“Let’s eat,” Aries announced when I had finally settled.
I was starving, ready to devour the meal as the baby gurgled at her mother. They looked so comfortable together, it was amazing to watch.
“What are you doing today?” Aries asked. “We’re finalising the wedding plans.”
Smiling, I took a sip of tea, glad that the big day would go ahead in two months’ time. It had been a hit and miss situation, but their faith had kept them both alive and well.
“I’m going to see Alice.” My simple admission made them stop eating.
Aries put his plate on the coffee table in front of him and sat forward on the seat. “Do you want me to come with you? I know Nick kept his word to cure Althea, but he’s still determined to stop you from uniting.”
Shaking my head, I moved forward to face him. “No, I need to do this alone. I have no idea how Alice will react to me. We don’t know each other well enough to be in a relationship, so...” I sighed, scared of what the next step would entail.
“You’ll figure it out. Just keep an eye out for Nick. He knows where she lives now.”
Aries grinned at Nat when the baby let out a huge burp, drawing their attention away from my life. That was what was happening, my mission was unfolding. But, I had been consumed in saving the others. I hadn’t had a chance to work it all out.
“I better go,” I muttered, impatient to see Alice.
They let me go without a fight, which was handy. They knew that I wasn’t going to let anyone come with me to face my twin flame. They understood that I needed space to figure it out on my own.
But, I couldn’t figure it out on my own. I had to think of someone else, and I had no idea if she would even talk to me, let alone fall in love.
