My fever broke, my head felt better, and I regained a good bit of my strength after sipping on the antidote of mugwort and pine needle tea throughout the night. It was vile tasting, but I cared less and less as its effects took hold.
By the time we broke camp, I was almost myself again and ready for the journey from hell Jason promised us the night before.
Luthias hadn’t shared our plans to meet Gwendoline until it was time to take the detour needed to reach the location she’d be waiting at. It was then that I realized just how careful Luthias was in all matters with all people. By waiting until the last minute to share the change in plans, he eliminated the risk of it leaking to the enemy on the off chance Pierre managed to recruit someone in our party. Jason seemed unbothered by the secrecy; which led me to believe he’d used the same strategy at some point. He was, however, openly delighted about the prospect of seeing Gwendoline again.
She awaited us at a small cabin in the woods. It belonged to an ancient looking hermit, who was later identified to me as a magus named Nikodem. Because he was a human who walked on the edge of the supernatural world, he made it a point of staying out of the radar of the New World Order.
Nikodem befriended Luthias in his early years after Luthias helped him escape from a band of rogue mutants. When Gwendoline introduced herself as his mother upon her unannounced arrival, he welcomed her with genuine warmth. By the time we’d arrived, Gwendoline and Nikodem were sharing light hearted stories about their younger years.
Even though it was mere days since I’d left Verso, I couldn’t get to my friend and mentor fast enough. After paying my respects to Nikodem and thanking him for his hospitality, Gwendoline and I took a short walk to allow us to speak freely while Luthias filled Nikodem in on our mission. Gwendoline listened intently while words flew out of my mouth about all that happened up until that point. I left nothing out. When I finished, she remained in quiet contemplation for so long I began to worry.
“I need to examine ye,” she finally said.
“Do you think they hurt my baby?” I asked fearfully.
“Another grandchild,” she said with a slight shake of her head and a smile. “I never expected one, let alone two. Won’t Millie be surprised?”
“Providing it isn’t dead,” I said woefully.
“I get feelings about these things, as you know,” she said. “I don’t believe that nasty cook did the baby harm. ‘Tis lucky for him he didn’t. I’ll know best after I examine ye.”
We spent a little more time walking and talking about Pierre’s plans to take over the kingdom and me along with it. Although the cook’s plot to poison me and the villager’s plot to kill me on sight shocked her, Pierre’s sinister plans did not.
“I should have considered the fact that Pierre would want to impregnate ye to solidify his position by your side. It’s just that it is so difficult for vampires to conceive,” she said with a sigh, “and I forgot about that troublesome magician he employs. He’s a powerful one, he is.” She tossed her had back and laughed. “This is one time when I’m going to have to pat my boy on the back for not keeping it in his pants!” Almost as quickly as she found humor in the fact that Luthias beat Pierre to my bed and impregnated, she got serious and said, “I’m not sure how funny his brother or Arthur are going to feel about it.”
“I dread telling them,” I said. “I’m happy about the baby, of course, but I don’t have a clue what to say to Geo. I don’t know why either of your sons love me. I’m a terrible, fickle, female. If I were them, I’d walk away from me.”
“Thank the gods ye aren’t them then,” she said forcefully. “’Tis normal how ye feel. Ye did not set out to love them both. ‘Twas the way things happened. Had Geo not been thought dead, and ye shared blood with Luthias, I doubt ye would have opened your heart to Luthias. Ye are a good girl with good intentions. ‘Tis just the way things happened.”
On the outside, I was nodding in agreement, but on the inside I was questioning the truth of her words. Would I really not have fallen for Luthias if I hadn’t shared blood to save him and Geo hadn’t been thought dead? Could I be that loyal to one male? I’d never know for sure, since fate set me on a path of sharing blood with two charismatic and practically irresistible vampire brothers and I became a vampire with a high sex drive.
Nikodem tucked Gwendoline and me away into a small herb shack that closely resembled the one on the farm we’d only recently stopped at for medical care. He hustled the rest of the party outside and guarded the door to assure our privacy. All but Luthias was fine with this. He felt that, since it was his child I was carrying, he should be there during the examination. Nikodem, on the other hand, felt since he and I were not mated, he belonged outside with the rest of the ruffians. I smiled warmly at the old magus as he forced Luthias out the door with surprising determination before the door behind him. My grandfather would like this man. Of that I was certain.
****
Nikodem was surprised to discover I was the queen of not one, but two vampire kingdoms; one of them being a mutant-vampire kingdom. He’d only had exposure to human mutants, but his opinion of all mutants favored mine. The only creatures he disliked more than mutants were the representatives of the New World Order. In particular, General Bartholomew. When he heard the news of the approaching army, he readily agreed to join us on our mission to unite the supernatural world against them.
His merging would open a whole new world of wonder for me.
Nikodem was a gate keeper of sorts between the human world and the supernatural world. He not only interacted with vampires and werewolves, but also with fairies, elves and other creatures I’d read about in books, but never thought would be real. It made sense that they would be. I was walking proof that fairy tales are based on fact.
“Ya have a bewitchin’ effect on those ya meet,” said the sprite leprechaun, Lorcan, only seconds after meeting me. He circled me slowly while inspecting me with his eyes. “There be a bit o’ the old mixed with the new in ya.”
I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, but I have to admit I found his perkiness delightfully refreshing.
“Go away with ye, Lorcan,” Gwendoline scolded. “Don’t be teasing the lass with your riddles.”
“’Tis no riddle, Gwen,” Lorcan retorted, “’tis fact. The lass has an air about her like no other. Surely ya are no’ so daft as to miss it.”
“Are ye really going to stand there and accuse me of being daft?” she bellowed.
“Now, now,” Nikodem said as he stood between Gwendoline and Lorcan with his arms spread wide. “This is a time to join together. Let’s focus on the mission before us, shall we?”
“Can ya no’ feel it about the lass?” Lorcan asked Nikodem.
“I called you here because we seek your help in uniting the supernaturals against the human army that’s approaching,” Nikodem said firmly. “My sources tell me they have cleaned up quite a few human mutant camps with swift efficiency. It is only a matter of time before they focus on the supernatural.”
“Arrogant bastards, these humans,” Lorcan spat. “Do they no’ realize the state they’d be in without the help of the fae?”
“I thought you were a leprechaun,” I said curiously.
“That I am, lass,” Lorcan said with a chuckle. “Did ya learn nothin’ from no one about the fae world?”
“Fae is a term used for all of the magical supernaturals,” Jason offered. “That incudes fairies -of which a leprechaun is one type- elves, fauns, brownies, dwarfs, leprechauns, bogies, banshees, succubus, sirens, etc. They help keep humans safe, for the most part.”
When I looked confused, Gwendoline added, “Just like with the vampires and werewolves, there are good ones and bad ones.”
“We prefer the terms dark or light,” Lorcan said.
“Which are ye,” Gwendoline asked tauntingly.
“Light, ya ole’ cow!” he bellowed.
I had no idea why Gwendoline took a disliking to such a jovial character as Lorcan, but she clearly had issues with him. Nikodem called him for help, so he must trust him. I found the little guy delightful. I saw no adverse reaction from Luthias, Jason, or any of Jason’s men. Her reaction to the funny little man was a mystery. I made a mental note to ask her about it when we were alone.
For the next few hours we were joined by more and more fae as the call for meeting spread. It was as if characters from my story books stepped from the pages and came to life to join against the New World Order. I was in such awe at the variety of characters gathering around the fire pit Jason had his men activated for the meeting that I was able to do little more than utter a few ‘wows’ and ‘oh my’ between gasps of surprise and delight. I can only imagine how my childish, ignorance was interpreted by these creatures.
“You are the new queen of Vampire Land, are you not?” whispered a pert little three-inch fairy named Belle, as she buzzed next to my ear.
“Are you friends with Vampire Land?” I asked.
“They do not harm us and we do not harm them,” she replied. “Even so, we keep a watchful eye on them.”
“They require a watchful eye?” I asked with surprise.
“Vampires and werewolves have a tendency to interact with humans in a negative way,” Belle explained. “It is our duty to protect the humans whenever possible.”
I couldn’t imagine how such a tiny creature could protect a human from a vampire or werewolf, but I knew better than to vocalize my thoughts. Instead, I just nodded.
“We can be whatever size needed for the occasion,” she said as she grew to a size that made Jason look puny. “Being tiny burns less energy. I like to keep as much as I can on reserve. You never know when you might need it.”
My expressions must have amused the group as I watched this tiny creature grow to an enormous size and then return to its tiny size within the blink of an eye.
“Welcome to my world,” Lorcan said with a chuckle.
“What a world it is,” I mused softly.