The Empress' Rapture (16 page)

Sierra scooted against the wall next to the little girl. “Did you not hear the Queen died yesterday? I’m her granddaughter Sierra and now Queen. So whatever you wanted to ask her, you can ask me.” She glanced up at her guards, embarrassed she had to ask, but this child was cold and hungry. “Would you please go into my grandmothers office to see if there is a blanket in there I can cover her up in.”

The guard frowned and nodded, not asking any questions. Elisabeth scooted closer to her and glanced up at her face. “You’re the Queen now? Why can’t you use your magic to get a blanket?”

Sierra laughed and pulled her closer. “Because I was bad and my mates locked my magic up for now. So I’m afraid it’s just normal me, but we will get you covered and get your brother. You two can stay in the extra room I have in our quarters and I’ll make sure the rest of the kids have rooms too.” She brushed a lock of her blond hair out of her face as the guard returned with the blanket.

“You would do that for me and my brother?” Hope stirred in her little eyes and Sierra smiled wrapping the blanket around her.

Sierra stood and pulled her into her arms carrying her towards the door when a woman taller than her pushed into the throne room. The guards stepped in front of her as Elisabeth trembled in her arms and buried her head into her chest. “Please don’t let her take me,” she cried.

Tightening her arms around the child, she rubbed the child’s back she glared at the beautiful woman. “Who the hell are you and why are you in here?” she growled.

“The woman bowed before her. “I am the guardian of the orphanage and I was looking for that child in your arms. If you’ll give her to me I’ll make sure she never bothers you again.” She smiled and stepped forward, but the guards blocked her way.

“You won’t be touching another child. You are now released from your position. I suggest you go home before I lose my temper and tear you to shreds.” She growled and stepped forward. “And if find out you have taken one thing that belongs here in this place don’t think I won’t personally come looking for you.”

The woman jumped back and glared at her. “You can’t do that, the order has to come from your council first.”

Sierra smiled and stepped past the guards. “You want to bet, bitch? Push me and we’ll see who wins. Get out of my way you have one day to remove yourself and your belongs.” She brushed past the woman and glanced back at one of the guards. “Have one of the guards escort her to gather her belongings and make sure she is removed from this place.”

The guard nodded when another guard appeared at the door and grabbed the woman forcing her out the door.

“Okay, Elisabeth, the woman is gone why don’t you show me where your brother is and the other children?” Sierra pried the little girls head out of her chest and smiled at her as she made her way towards the staircase she had seen earlier.

Sierra had just turned the corner and stepped down the stairs as Chandler approached and stared at her and the child. “Where are you going, Sierra?”

She sighed adjusting the child in her arms to her hips. “I’m going to get the children from the orphanage from the cellar and bring them up here. If that is a problem too bad, I won’t have children starving and cold.” She glared at him and proceeded down the stairs as the little one showed her the way.

By the time they reached the small room, Sierra was furious. Rats had scurried out of her way a number of times as the guards kept brushing them from her path. Opening the door, the stench of urine and rotten food turned her stomach. There was no light in the room, two small thin mattresses lay on the floor with a small wool blanket covering a tiny body.

The little boy turned to glance at them and Sierra gasped at the blue bruise on his face. She carefully kneeled down and traced the bruise on his face. “What’s you name, little one?” she gulped out as the guards moved out of the way, her mates stepped in behind her and hissed.

She ignored them while the boy glanced at his sister in her arms than at her. “I’m Travis, are you going to hurt us?” he whimpered.

“No, sweetie, I’m going to take you to your new room. It’s connected to mine. I’m going to get the doctor to look after you, get you some food, a bath and some new clothes. How does that sound?” She held out her arm and he climbed into it next to his sister.

“Really, we’re not going to live here anymore?” Hope in his little voice brought more tears as she shook her head.

“Nope, you and your sister can live with me. How does that sound? Of course you’re going to have to get use to those two huge men around, but don’t worry, they just have this problem with their throats. They get something stuck in them sometimes and they sound like bears, growling.” She smiled as she moved past her mates and outside the door.

“Garth, there are more children down here I want them brought up fed, given baths, clothes and find them rooms. I don’t care where. Have Amy, Jean, Lily, and my mother meet me in our room please.” She stepped away from them as both children curled up to her laying their heads on her shoulders.

They should have been heavier, but instead they were piles of bones under the blankets that wrapped them.

Roman reached around and opened their door to their apartments as the guards entered and checked the room.

She smiled down at the children as she stepped inside. They both gasped as they glanced around the huge living room. She set both of them down on the couch carefully and kneeled before them. “I’m going to start a bath for Travis first. We need to get him cleaned up for the doctor to look at him.” She reached behind her and grabbed two apples from the basket of fruit. “You two munch on these for now, when we’re all done with baths and get you all new clothes we’ll get some good hot food into you.” She smiled and patted their cheeks as both kids tore into the apples.

She turned to see Amy and Jean run into the apartment and gasped at the children. “What happened?” They glanced up at her.

Sierra smiled and walked into the large bathroom starting the water. “I was going to go through grandmother’s office when I found Elisabeth.” She nodded to the little girl on the couch. “She told me about the orphanage in the basement and what the head mistress had done to them. I don’t know how many children there are, but I need you guys to help. Garth is having all the children brought up. I need the dining hall opened up and food set up for them. After they all eat we’ll find them rooms, clothes and make sure all of them are healthy. These two are going to stay here with me.” She smiled and reached down collecting Travis in her arms.

Her mother and grandmother Shannon came into the room as Roman leaned against the wall not saying anything.

Her mother stepped up and nodded to the boy. “Why don’t I take him and give him a bath. I think you need to talk to your mates about this before you decided anything else.” She reached for Travis, but he held onto her and buried his small head into her chest.

“Please don’t let them take us away they’ll lock us up again,” he begged.

Roman stepped away from the wall and stepped up to her, glancing down at the child in her arms. “Travis you’re not going anywhere I promise. This lady is Sierra’s mom all she wants to do is help you get a bath while I talk to my wife. She’ll be right out here when we’re done talking.” He lifted the child out of her arms and kissed his swollen cheek. “Is that okay?”

Travis glanced back at her than at Roman as he nodded and slipped his arms around her mother. She had tears slipping down her cheek as she whispered to him taking him into the bathroom.

Amy smiled up at Sierra and nodded. “Go on, I’ll keep Elisabeth company till you guys are done.” She handed Elisabeth a banana as she finished the apple.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist and guided her to their bedroom. Garth stood inside leaning against the wall as Roman shut the door behind them.

She tensed and glared at both of them. “I’m not changing my mind. I want both of them here with me.” She glanced down at the ground. “No child should have to go through what they did. I need them here with us please.”

Garth stepped away from the wall and stepped in front of her lifting her chin. “You told the little girl and the guards about us taking your magic, why?”

“I’m not going to lie. Elisabeth asked so I just told her the truth. It didn’t matter if I was embarrassed what mattered was building a trust between us.” She tried to pull away, but he held onto her and smiled.

“You are an amazing woman even though you keep us on our toes. We have no problems with the children staying her. Do you want to adopt them? Make them ours?” He asked gently and cupped her cheek.

“I’d like that, but I want them to choose they have been through enough.”

Elisabeth busted into the room and hugged her legs stepping in between all three of them. She glanced up at her. “Please can we stay? I want you to be my new mom and I’m sure Travis will too.” She begged as Amy stood in the doorway smiling.

Garth and Roman knelt down next to her as she brushed the child’s hair away from her face. “We would love to have you as our daughter. Would you mind having two daddies too?” Garth asked the little girl.

She glanced at both men holding tight. “You won’t hit us or let the other men hurt me?” she asked so innocent, but so wise.

Sierra let a little cry escape as she kneeled down to her. “What men hurt you Elisabeth?” Tears streamed down her face.

Elisabeth shrugged her shoulders. “The Mistress would come take me away from Travis. I don’t know where she took me, but they hurt me.”

Roman and Garth stood growling as Elisabeth grabbed around her neck. “They’re not mad at me are they?”

Both men turned to her and smiled. “I’m afraid we were mad at the other men and that woman not at you Elisabeth. They should have never hurt you and know this no one will hurt you like that again. We’ll protect you we promise.” Roman kissed her cheek as her mother came in with Travis wrapped in a towel.

“Okay, it’s little girl time.” She smiled at the little girl who went to her, but turned to Roman and Garth. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me and I’d love to have two daddies to protect us. Thank you.” She slipped her little hand into her mother’s as she handed Travis into her arms.

“Well, look at this I see a clean little boy now.” She smiled and nibbled on his neck.

Travis giggled and glanced up at her than at her mates. “You’re going to be my new mommy and daddies?” He questioned as they all stepped out into the living room.

“Only if that would be okay with you.” Roman roughed up his hair and smiled.

He clapped his hands and smiled. “Two daddies are better than one we can do more stuff.”

Sierra’s grandfather came into the room and smiled at her. “Well, I see I have some great, great-grandchildren I get to spoil now.” He laughed and knelt to the boy who sat in her lap on the couch.

“I thought I would come and heal you myself since you’re going to be family, is that okay?” He patted Travis’ knee who smiled and nodded.

Her grandfather reached for the boy’s arm where a nasty infected bite was. “The rat that bit him Roman was infected and if there is one there is more. We’re going to have to be careful. We should get some men down there and have the place exterminated. I hate the idea of killing animals, but this can’t spread.” He put his hand over the wound.

Travis flinched but didn’t cry out as the poison seeped out of his body.

“The only other time I’ve seen this happen is when…”He gasped and stepped back from the boy glaring at him. “Roman, Garth, grab the girl now.” Her grandfather demanded and disappeared from the room with the boy.

“No! I promised them.” Sierra jumped up and ran for the door, but her mother stopped her and held onto her.

“Sierra, stop there has to be a reason they took the children.” Mary Ann glanced at the door then back at her.

 
Chapter Twenty

Sierra stepped out of her mom’s arms and glared at her. “Would you have let Father take me?” she snapped.

“You know that is different, Sierra? You just found those children surely you’re not so attached to them like I am with you,” she yelled.

Inside Sierra worked at releasing her powers. Slowly she worked around the magic spell trying to open the door. “You're right, Mother, no one could attach themselves so quick to a child that had been abused, and beaten. What was I thinking?” She sneered and turned away from her storming into her bedroom slamming the door.

Mary Ann banged on the door. “Sierra, honey, there are over a hundred children in the dining room you can choose from. Come on we can go there now.”

Her body shook from the anger at her mother’s words. She smiled as the spell snapped and the door flew open. “I’ll have no other children!” she yelled and disappeared from the room going to the children.

She didn’t even hesitate as she stepped into the room where the children were held. Sierra put her finger to her mouth to silence them and stepped up to Travis putting her hands on his head. She scanned his brain and found the link to the other and smiled.
So you thought you would use my children, well think again! s
he yelled through the connection, her necklace heated and surrounded her with power as she pushed it through the connection closing the door forever.

Elisabeth glanced at her nervously as she stepped up to her and held out her hand. She shook, but placed her smaller one into it. “Trust me, Elisabeth, please.” She closed her eyes and went inside her brain scanning her memories when she felt her mates enter with her, but she didn’t’ stop until she found the connection. Her power flowed once more around the room and she aimed it back the same way the connection came sealing the door.

Sierra stumbled, but grabbed onto the children disappearing from the room. No one would take her children anyone. Let them be kings, but not one child will be hurt because of them.

She sighed as they appeared in her small cabin once more protecting her surrounding from everyone. Sierra walked into the bedroom carrying the children and placed them into the bed. “Now I’m going to go and make a huge lunch for us. I want you two to relax and watch some TV. The house is protected no one will be able to get in at all.” She sighed and caressed Elisabeth’s cheek.