New Roots (Fate's Intent Book 8) (14 page)

Chapter 35

Jaylyn

I spent my time in the dining room having what I thought was a light snack that looked more like a buffet laid out in front of me while I read from a small book. It was a nice quiet time for me until I was nearly jumped by a voice right next to my head. “What’re you reading?”

I didn’t even pay attention to anyone approach me and looked back to the surprise. “Troy!” I pushed my chair out and Troy leaned down to hug me before I would have sprung up to my feet. “Oh, I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too.” He sat in a chair next to me and his eyes immediately found my little belly. “And you. May I?”

“You don’t have to ask.” I took his hand and brought it towards me. “Here, he’s moving over here.”

I put his hand on me but he shook his head. “I don’t feel anything.”

“Then it’s probably just me. You’ll get to soon when he gets bigger and ready to come out.”

“I’m so sorry we took so long.”

“It’s okay. I know you had to. Did you think about what I asked before you left? I haven’t been calling him anything specific.”

“Well, I did think about that actually, a lot. I think we should name him after your father, Bryce.” I paused for a moment and just looked at him. “What? Don’t like it? I thought you’d approve. I know he meant a lot to you.”

“No. That’s a wonderful idea. I just thought—you sure you don’t mind?”

Troy laughed. “It was my decision and I think we should go with it.”

“Okay. I love it and I love you for thinking of it.” I leaned in and had to kiss him for it. “I knew you’d come up with something great.”

“Well, from what I hear, he was and still is great.”

I smiled and glanced at the food. “Hungry?”

“It’s not dinner yet.”

“Dinner? This is just a snack.”

He laughed. “A snack?!”

“Well, I don’t eat all of it. It’s just a good variety of stuff.”

“All right, sure.”

We kissed again and Troy shared in some of the food through a pause.

I was eating too and he kept looking over at me. I knew he wanted to ask something but I wasn’t prepare for what. “So, how are you doing? Father told me about what’s happening with Ruby.”

I succumbed instantly to sadness with a heavy gulp. “Not well. You should have known that already.”

“I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I know. Sorry if I sounded rude. It’s just been a little hard to think about.”

Troy turned in his chair and rubbed my back. “You should know that Darius would never let that happen. They’re both going to be okay. We’ll do whatever it takes.”

“I know I like to hear that but I don’t really know what we can do. I’ve tried but it never lasts more than a day.”

“Well, she hasn’t started labor yet. That shouldn’t last a day. Maybe there’s something you can still do.”

I looked over at him and my eyes shown signs of being hopeful again. “I didn’t think of that.”

“See? We’ll find a way.”

I kissed him with a smile and felt much better after hearing his comforting words. Maybe there was still something I could do. That was something to be optimistic about and I was good at that. It’s how I’ve always been and just knowing that there was something out there we haven’t tried made me feel more like myself again.

I suddenly didn’t live in doubt. I just knew there was one obstacle we’d have to overcome to get the chance to try and that was getting Ruby away from the strict nursemaids who have already thought they decided her fate. We’d have to kidnap our own sister.

Chapter 36

Zayden

Everyone joined together for dinner except for Ruby and Darius and we ate in total and complete silence with my mother and father.

“So, Zayden darling, how was your trip?” My mother asked.

“It went well, mother. Just as planned.”

“No one seemed too disappointed about how you had to split things up, I hope.”

“Oh, no. Of course not. Everything seemed normal enough. We’re just glad to be home.”

“And we’re glad that you are.”

There was another long pause while everyone continued to eat without looking around at each other.

My father saw it and narrowed his eyes in curiosity. “All right. What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” Adele wondered with an innocent look on her face.

“I’ve seen this behavior before. You’re up to something.”

“Up to something?” Jaylyn asked with the same innocent look that was shared with Adele.

“Yes. What are you planning? I know it has something to do with Ruby.”

Adele’s look immediately changed and I tried to defend it. “Father, you really don’t expect us to just sit back and let that happen, do you?”

“Based on what the experts have already told me, it’s the only thing that can be done.”

“And how experienced are they when it comes to delivering a gifted child?”

“It shouldn’t matter. It’s just the same. I’ve done it.”

“Apparently, something’s different with this one. They couldn’t know for sure that it’s the only way. It hasn’t happened before with someone of that particular gift.”

“Then what is it you suggest?”

“Something! We’re not excepting their decision!”

“And yet you don’t have one of your own. Let it go. Let her go. You all know she’s suffering the longer she goes on like this.” He walked off through the pause and my mother got right up after him, following.

“We won’t do that.” Jaylyn muttered. “We can’t.”

“Shh!” Adele snatched. “Not here. We’ll take this upstairs.”

Everyone got right up from the table, leaving all our uneaten food behind.

We went into my room and waited until the door was securely closed.

“What are we going to do?” Jaylyn asked. “I don’t think Izin is going to let us do anything because we’re not the experts.”

“Now I don’t think we have much of a choice.” I said. “We have to get her out of here, away from the palace and them.”

“How are we going to do that?” Adele wondered. “She’s really sick and where would we go?”

“It’ll have to be somewhere in the city.” I answered, taking a glance over at Troy. “Somewhere safe.”

Troy knew exactly what I meant and sighed. “Oh, no. I was afraid you’d say that.”

“What?” Jaylyn wondered.

“Julianna’s.” I said.

Jaylyn looked over at Troy and knew he didn’t like mention of the mother he disowned let alone going to see her. “Troy—”

“It’s okay, Jaylyn. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean that Zayden’s wrong. Father would never guess that’s where we went.”

She put her arm through his and moved his hand onto her stomach. “But she doesn’t know. I know you didn’t ever want her to.”

Troy put his other arm around her and kissed her head. “It’s okay. This is for Ruby. Don’t make it about us. It really is the only place within the city we could take her. It’s just minutes away. She should be able to make that trip if Darius carries her.”

“That’s right.” Adele agreed. “She won’t have to do anything. We’ll make it.”

“Then we all agree?” I asked. Everyone nodded. “Good. We leave tonight when everyone sleeps.”

“Shouldn’t we let Darius know about this plan?” Jaylyn wondered.

“Yeah but I haven’t even seen him since we’ve been back.”

“Well, you should know where he is.” Adele said.

“No, he means he doesn’t know what state he’s in.” Troy replied. “I’m sure father tried convincing him there’s no other way but to accept her death. If that’s the case then he could be too irrational to want to talk.”

“We can get him to listen.” Jaylyn said. “He will if it has to do with saving her. That I know is true.”

“Well, let’s go find out. Rift, you stay.” He whined when I walked to the door but obeyed and laid in his chair.

Everyone else followed me out to the next door down; Darius’s room. I let myself in with the others just a step behind and looked towards the bed. Darius was sitting up on the edge of it with one leg hanging off and his eyes focused down in front of him.

Troy and I got our first look at Ruby and saw for ourselves how bad it really was. She didn’t even seem to look like her to me except for her red hair.

“Darius.” I said.

Everyone pause where they were when he slowly started to lift his head. His eyes looked exhausted and were filled with an obvious sign of hurt. “Don’t come any closer.”

I put up my hands to show I wouldn’t. “We won’t. We just―”

“Should have seen it?”

“No. I wasn’t going to say that.”

“How would we have seen it?” Adele asked.

Darius was seriously struggling to keep his emotions at bay and it was an awful sight. “That vision you showed me, the one where I was putting him in bed when he was a baby. Ruby wasn’t in it and you want to know why? She was dead and I just didn’t want to think of it until now.”

“That’s not why.” Jaylyn said.

“Don’t lie to me. I said he was all I had left.”

It was so long ago that we’ve seen that vision but Darius seemed to remember it word for word.

“That future is going to change because we can save her.” Adele said. It caught Darius’s attention and Adele walked to the end of the bed carefully. “But to do that we have to take her away from here. Take her away from everyone who thinks there’s only one option.”

Darius looked a little worried as he looked down at Ruby again and spoke softly, still trying to hide his emotion of it all. “It could only get worse if we move her. She can’t go far.”

“She won’t.” Troy said, stepping up next to Adele. “We’re going to take her to—” He paused and couldn’t even come to say it.

“His mother’s.” Jaylyn said.

“Really?” Darius seemed a little surprise. “You’d do that?”

“It’s not for me. She needs to get away from here for us to even try anything. It’ll all be worth it.”

“How do you plan on doing that? They’ve been in here a dozen times since I have.”

“We leave tonight.” I said. “They don’t check on her in the middle of the night, do they?”

Jaylyn shook her head. “Not constantly like during the day. It’s usually twice. About midnight and then just before dawn. We’d be able to get out of here before they even check in on her the first time.”

“Okay. Then we should do it by then. Darius, you think you can handle carrying her? I mean, you’re looking a little sluggish.”

“I haven’t slept in twenty-eight hours but yeah, I’ll make myself handle it. I don’t want anyone else trying. You can’t carry her like I can.”

“Good. Then we’ll all meet back in here before midnight and make sure we all get out unseen, all right?” Everyone nodded. “So, until then, please, everyone try and get some rest. We have no idea what will happen when we get her there but something has to.”

Everyone nodded again and we started leaving Darius’s room to go back to our own.

“Zayden?”

I paused to my name and let everyone go ahead of me. “Yeah?”

“Do you really think this could work?”

He tone told me he needed more than a simple yes and I closed the door to go to him. “You’re not going to lose her, Darius. Okay? We won’t let that happen.”

“I know everyone keeps saying that but what if it doesn’t work? What if you’re wrong? I can’t―”

He succumbed to his emotions as if it wasn’t possible to hold them back any longer. I haven’t seen him like this since we were children but I forced myself to re-ignite his hope.

“Darius, you’re thinking too negatively. You won’t have to live without her, okay?” I embraced him because he needed it but it wasn’t getting better. “There’s still something we can do but we only have one shot. We have to get her out of here.”

“And if it doesn’t work? Zayden, I can’t―”

“It will work. We’ll make it work even if we have to get your son out first. He’s strong enough; he’s ready. He’s just stubborn like you and doesn’t want to come out.”

It made him laugh just a little but he was still upset about this. “Then they’ll both be okay?”

“Yes. I promise. You’ll have them both.” I pulled back to looked in his eyes so he knew I was serious. “But you have to stay strong for them. You have to be here for them.”

He nodded, trying to collect himself. “I will.”

“Good. Get some rest with her now. We’ll be back at midnight to put this worry to rest.”

“Thank you, Zayden. Just don’t tell anyone about this.”

I smiled to his need to protect his pride even now. “Don’t worry. No one would blame you. I’ll be back later. Rest.”

He nodded and I turned to leave, meeting Adele back in my room. Rift was on his chair and only looked up when I entered like he were tired too.

“What’d he want with you?” Adele asked.

I tried to be vague about it since Darius didn’t want anyone to know. “Just to talk. It’s settled.”

She already looked sad for him. “He vented on you, didn’t he?”

I nodded. “He needed to.”

“I know but do you really think this will work? Honest opinion.”

“It has to. There isn’t another choice.”

Adele sighed and sat down on her side of the bed, facing the white bassinet. “I know. It does have to.”

“Hey, Love—” I turned to her from hearing her saddened voice. “It’ll be all right. She’ll make it.”

“I hope so. I just can’t—”

She trailed off with her tears and I crawled across the bed to sit behind her and rubbed her back. It was just like Darius but I could be a bit more sensitive with her. Darius would have shunned me if I treated him like a baby. “Then don’t. We’ll all get through it and she’ll be with us.”

“I know and I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“Being like this.”

“Don’t be sorry. You have every right to be upset about this.”

“I just wish I didn’t have to be but this pregnancy is messing with my emotions and turning me into such a girl.”

I let out a quiet laugh and sat closer with my legs hanging off the bed around her. “Then maybe there’s something I can do to distract you from it.” I kissed the side of her neck and Adele almost let out a shiver and moved away. “Love? What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry.” She turned around with her arms held in close to her chest and a nervous voice. “This feels—I just—I haven’t been touched in—”

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s just me.”

“I know but I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“Like what? You’re beautiful.”

“I’m still wearing clothes. You don’t want to see me without them.”

“How could you say that? You’re not going to be any less beautiful to me. You’re carrying our son and you’re hardly showing.”

“I’ve just been really self-conscious about how I look. You’re not going to want me.”

I sighed lightly and stood in close to her, making her look at me. “I’ll always want you. You shouldn’t doubt that.”

“Even now?”

“Even now. If you want.”

Adele finally moved her eyes away shyly as she stepped back towards the bed. “Wow. Why am I nervous?”

“You don’t have to be.”

“I should know that but it’s been so long. It’s like we’re starting this all over again.”

“Well, if I recall, you weren’t the least bit nervous when we first got together.”

“I guess. I’m just not used to having you around and maybe I don’t want to because I feel like you’re going to go away again and I’ll be alone.”

I pulled her into me as her tears started to fall and held my arms around her gently. “I’m not going anywhere, Love. I’m back and I’m staying.”

“It’s still hard to believe. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’m right here. It’s all right. Maybe you should just get some rest. We have something else to do soon and I want you to be ready.”

Adele nodded against my chest through her sniffles and I helped her into bed. She laid on her right side, facing the edge and I went around to get in on the other side.

“Can you hold me?” She muttered in a broken voice.

“You want me to?”

“Yes.”

“Then of course I can.” I moved up behind her and put my arms around her.