“Many were lost, Nathaniel and Kellen and many Watchers and Elite guard, as well as one of Arthur’s knights, Galeron. But the fight was won and Cain killed Meil and Arthur killed Auguste. The others can tell you more when they get here. Come inside now and I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Good, we’re starving!”
Sarah laughed and handed me a hanky so that I could wipe the tears away as we walked together, arm in arm into the lodge.
A bright light greeted us so we knew someone had come through the portal.
“Allwain!”
“Katrina! When, how?”
He hugged us both as we rushed into his open arms, “The others are right behind me. Except for Letta.”
I started to sob again, “What’s happened to Letta?”
“Oh nothing,” he said pulling me close again. “She went with Liridon to look for his family in Althar, that’s all. Everyone was at wits end and needed something to do. It must have been Cain, that’s all I can think of.”
“What do you mean?”
Before he could answer the portal opened again and Marcella, El, Kate and Rosa came through.
When they saw me standing with Sarah and Allwain, their hands flew up in unison, they screamed and ran towards me and I towards them.
We hugged and cried and then the portal opened again. This time Eric, Kale, Thomas and Simon came through. It was quite a celebration.
I let Eric call to Damien and knew he would be here any second, but I wanted Quinn. More than anything else, I needed to see him and tell him myself about the baby.
“Allwain, I need you to bring Quinn back here tonight.”
“Of course, I’ll be right back.”
“This room is getting crowded. I was just going to get some food for Katrina, when the rest of you started to arrive. How about I fix something for all of you now? No sense waking Klaus.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Kate said. “I hope there are pastries.”
“I’d love some meat. The Faun are vegetarian and I haven’t had meat since I left.”
“Faun? Oh you must have stories to tell,” Rosa said.
“I do.”
Then I could see they all came to a realization at the same time and looked down at my big belly.
El’s hands were shaking as she looked back up at me. “It’s all right El, go ahead.”
She placed her hands on my stomach and closed her eyes. “Oh, Katrina, he’s beautiful.”
“We want to see,” Rosa pouted. So they put their hands on El and closed their eyes. “El’s right, he’s gorgeous.”
“It won’t be long now,” El added.
Just as we sat down at the table, Damien rushed in followed by Alex.
“I’m fine. Damien I…”
He just grabbed me and pulled me up into his arms. The big, bad, male vampire just sobbed into my hair making us all start to cry again.
“Thanks Damien, we had just stopped doing that,” Rosa said.
He didn’t say anything, he just squeezed harder.
“Have you heard from Cain, Damien? Whatever he did in the underworld had to be what brought Katrina home,” Allwain asked.
After he composed himself he let me go. “No, not a word. I called to him, but there has been no reply. I sense he is alive and that’s all. That’s all Cathos could say as well. We will just have to wait.”
“Damien, let Katrina eat,” Sarah said, “There will be plenty of time for everything else now.”
“It’s good to see you all. I can’t tell you how much. And Gunter will be so glad to see you, Thomas and you Simon,” Sarah said as she set down platters of food.
“I called Quinn, he will be here in the morning. He had just gotten back to South America, where Reynold had found some of the hidden treasure. They also were watching those that were holding it, hoping they would lead them to more. He wanted me to tell you how happy and relieved he is.”
“It’s good to hear he and Reynold are making progress. It’s an important task. Maybe we will all be able to help in that now,” Kale said.
I saw the Damien sneer. This wasn’t going to be easy. He was thinking this was his baby, but I knew it was Quinn’s, it had to be.
We ate and talked for hours about Faralea, Paris and everything that had happened since.
“Sarah, you can stop bringing dishes of food in,” I laughed. “Even I am full.”
Everyone started to get up to leave. They were on a different time clock from me and totally exhausted.
“You all go ahead. I am just not tired. It was early morning when I left Faralea. I think I will go a see the horses.”
“Are you sure, we really would stay with you,” El said.
“No, I’m fine. Alex will be with me, won’t you Alex?”
“That is my job as your Watcher. A job I am very glad to be doing again,” he said giving me a smile and a wink.
“I’ll go with you too,” Damien said.
“Not tonight, Damien, please?”
His jaw tightened and his fingers drew up into tight fists. He was angry, and frustrated I supposed, but I couldn’t handle anymore today.
“We’ll talk tomorrow, I promise. Shall we go Alex?”
“I’m ready, if you are.”
“I ate too much,” I said as we walked together.
“See you in the morning, Katrina,” Kate said as everyone came and gave me another hug before pairing up and heading to their rooms or separate quarters. El hesitated. “I really don’t want to leave you, Katrina.”
“Really El, I know you are all exhausted. I really am fine. I just need some time to adjust again. Go get some rest.”
“We need to talk though, promise?”
“Promise.”
Damien waited for the others to leave. “
I do love you. I have always loved you,”
he said with his mind.
“
I know. Things are different now, I’m different. See you tomorrow,”
I replied.
He stalked off.
“I’m going to my laboratory to check some things. If you need anything that’s where you’ll find me,” Allwain said. “Good to have you back, Katrina. I hope we will all have time to rest now for a while.”
“I hope so too.”
We walked slowly to the stables where the horses were sleeping. “We came here just before the party, remember?”
“I do. It brought you peace then, I hope it will again.”
“Well for as long as it lasted. You really have your hands full as my Watcher don’t you?”
“When I first got the job, you didn’t think much of your father’s choice.”
I winced, remembering how nasty I had been. “I really am sorry about that.”
“I have thick skin. Watchers are supposed to be in the background. I had never heard of Royals taking Watchers into their families before I joined yours.”
“You found out right away that there is nothing normal about us.”
Nulla and Theo both came to the door of their stalls and tossed their heads.
“I know, it’s late, Nulla, Theo. I just wanted to say hello.” I patted her neck and stroked her face before moving to Theo. “Theo, Damien is here too. You will be seeing him tomorrow.” He snorted and tossed his head again and then pawed the ground impatiently. “Easy boy.”
I scratched his neck until he settled down.
“How do you do this?”
“What do you mean, Alex?”
“How can you be so calm after each traumatic episode? You just go on like nothing has happened. Where were you? Oh, I was just in another dimension. Oh, I was just in the underworld…That’s what I mean. How do you do that?”
“I don’t know exactly. It doesn’t make sense or seem possible to anyone else, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“I am resigned to it I guess. In order to do what I have to do, I have already accepted my death. When you come to the realization that you are going to die, it makes you fearless.”
Alex turned and leaned against the stall, thinking about what I said for a moment.
“So if you never worry about dying and you never thought you were coming back; it made acceptance easier for you.”
“Yes, I think so. Thinking about things without emotion is off-putting to some though. I sound unfeeling and callous at times. It’s just the only way I can deal with things.”
“It’s why you were chosen. Very few could actually do what you do, in the way you do it.”
“I am always given help of some sort. I know that. That helps too. Things that are supposed to happen, happen. If there is more that I am to do, I believe that somehow I will be helped to be able to do whatever it is.”
“Is that going to all change now?”
I rubbed my belly, “Yes, I think it is.”
We heard someone running towards the stable and both Alex and I drew our swords.
“Katrina?”
“Quinn? Quinn, I’m here!” I yelled.
We ran into each other’s arms. “I thought I lost you. I thought I lost you both.”
“I’ll leave you alone.”
“Thank you, Alex.”
Alex gave Quinn a quick nod before he stepped away.
“I missed you so much. I didn’t think you would be here until tomorrow,” I said as I kissed his handsome face over and over again.
“Reynold finally couldn’t stand my pacing and grousing any longer. Are you all right?”
Quinn pushed me back and looked down at my belly, just like El had.
“We are fine Quinn.”
“I can’t believe it. When Kate told me you were missing, I went straight to Paris. Damien couldn’t wait to tell me you were with child, his child. I was stunned.”
“This is not Damien’s child, Quinn,” I assured him placing his hand on my belly. “This is a Voss baby, a Voss baby boy. Say hello to your father.”
“What was that?”
I laughed, “He kicked you. He wanted you to know he understood. He’s very smart.”
Quinn bent down close to my stomach. “I love you. I can’t wait to meet you…son.”
Tears started to silently flow again. I looked up to see that Damien was just walking away.
Deep beneath the city of Paris, the catacombs echoed with a baby’s wail, “Shhh, shhh my prince,” Genevieve whispered.
Look for a new series
from Elizabeth Loraine this summer!
Look for Royal Blood Chronicles