Chapter Twenty-Three

 

 

Soap

Pressing my hand to my head, I closed my eyes, the weight of the world seeming to press in on me. My visit with my mother had not been a pleasant experience. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see her again any time soon. It was kind of Shade to allow her to stay in The Scren Palace for now. She could be in Teleen in a cold, dark prison, but Shade knew I wouldn’t want that.

But the way I felt leaving her chambers had left me exhausted beyond belief. I sat on the grand staircase of the palace. Benton had arrived with a couple new visitors, Rowan and Ciaran, along with his new love, Isolde. I was too tired to converse much with them, drained by the interaction with my mother, but I nodded and shook hands with them before they were led to their chambers. To my surprise, Rowan and Ciaran were staying together.

Things never ceased to amaze.

“You’re tired.”

I peered up to find Shade smiling down at me, holding out her hand. I took it and jumped to my feet. “Nah. Just feeling emotionally drained. Iana can be a handful.”

She nodded as we turned to walk toward the dining hall. It was dinnertime, and the day felt like it had lasted forever. “Now that my brother has returned, we can head toward Ursad’s or awaken Arthas. What do you think we should do first?”

“I think we should wake up the Ancient. That’s the most precarious task, so let’s get it over with, right?”

She agreed, and we walked along in silence. She wrung her hands together, appearing like she wanted to say something, but the words did not come.

“Are you all right, Shade?” I’d asked her that same question so often as of late. I wondered what was going through her head. I’d always wonder, it seemed.

“Yes, I’m fine. More than fine, actually. I have some news.”

I cocked my head to the side and watched her as we neared the dining hall.

“What is it?”

“I’m pregnant.”

I inhaled sharply, feeling a sudden rush of exhilaration inside me. “But that’s not the only news, is it?”

She pursed her lips, stopped walking, and took my hands into hers. “You’re right. You could always read me so well, Soap. There is something about the pregnancy I must tell you.”

My face fell. “It’s Dylan’s baby, isn’t it?” My heart hammered in my chest, my face flushing at the sudden jealousy brewing beneath. Try as I might, I couldn’t make it settle and go away.

“Yes, but I’m pregnant with twins, and… and you’re the father of one of them.”

This was unexpected. “Twins?” My mouth hung open. My heart continued to beat at a dizzying pace. What did it mean? “I’m the father of one of them? How does that work?”

“Evangeline told me. She’s an experienced midwife and witch. She could see the sexes of the children and that I was having twins. She told me their auras are different, which means they have different fathers. I’ve only been with you and Dylan. I’m not very far along.”

“I see.” I swallowed back the rock forming in my throat, my tongue dry. “That’s great, Shade. Wow. I don’t even know what to say.”

She studied my face, and I could tell she wondered if I was happy or upset.

“That’s wonderful, my love. I’m going to be father!” I reached over, picked her up, and swung her around, elated. Her smile returned, relieving me of the strain of emotions running rampant through my head. Any doubt that I was happy about the news was erased as I placed her back on the ground and pulled her close to my chest, inhaling her sweet, honeysuckle scent.

My wife-to-be was going to have my baby. And Dylan’s baby.

I pulled away softly, curiosity burning in my veins. “Have you told him yet?”

She shook her head, and her smile fell. “I haven’t had any contact with Dylan since leaving Teleen. He won’t answer my messages and blocks my magical communications. It’s even getting hard to feel his emotions. I—I’m afraid he’s done with me.”

I pulled her closer again, rubbing circles on her back as she fought her tears. I wanted to be happy, but seeing her miserable made my heart break. “Just give it a bit. He’ll come around. I told you, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him. He just needs space.”

“I know. I’m just… this pregnancy makes me kind of crazy in the head. I don’t know how to control these emotions.” She pulled away, sucking in a breath, and paced in a line near me. Her face was flushed, but there were no tears. Good.

“I know. Pregnancy does that.”

She chewed on the tip of her finger for a moment and then sighed. “Come on, let’s get dinner. I’m starved.”

“Not feeling sick anymore?”

“No. Evie gave me a potion for that. It works wonders. I’m glad she stopped by.”

I wrinkled my nose at the mention of her aunt. The last time I’d seen her, she’d stuffed me in a room with Benton and Dylan to hold us prisoner while she took it upon herself to oversee a mission we’d been tasked with. Fortunately, it had not ended well for her when we escaped.

“Why was she here?” I asked.

“She needed Nautilus removed from The Withering Palace. My sister has grown too fond of him.”

“And that’s bad?”

“Yes.” She looked at me, horrified. “She must marry Oran. If she goes back on her vow and marries another, there’ll be war between the courts.”

“Ah, yeah, we don’t want that.”

She groaned. “I wish I could give her what she wants. They love each other, but it just isn’t possible.”

“Wow. I bet she’s upset he’s been taken away from her.”

“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to Anna yet, but yeah, she more than likely is.”

The dinner gong sounded, echoing across the palace, and we continued on to the dining hall. Nautilus was waiting by our table and sat after Shade made her way to her seat and took it. Seeing the guy threw me off, even though he’d never been anything but friendly to me. I liked the guy, but without Dylan there to give him the stink eye now and then, I felt like there was something missing. Nevertheless, I shook off the awkwardness. I had always eaten at her table, but never on her right side, where Dylan usually sat. Maybe that was what was throwing me off about everything too. It all was different now, and the balance was off.

Brushing it off, I settled in for dinner, enjoying it as much as I could. Shade seemed to want to linger, and after the dessert, more wine and spirits were brought out, and we all drank deep into the night. Shade kept to the juice, but I could tell that giving me the news had lifted a weight off her shoulders. Her mood was light as she laughed at the many jokes pouring out Nautilus’s mouth. The guy was hilarious, but I suspected he was trying to keep on the cheery side, for now and then I saw a gloom pass over his face. He was missing Anna; it was more than apparent. I felt for him, but Shade was right. It wasn’t worth it to cause a war.

Now if only Dylan would come around, I might just get my old Shade back. To see her light up again was my one mission, and I was determined to complete it at all costs.