The Royal Hunter (30 page)

He was surprised by the question and her apparent disapproval of the possibility. Odd that she didn’t mind him having wild sex with Talia in her own castle, but was unhappy thinking it might be more than that. However, now was not the time for arguing about his worthiness or lack thereof. Especially given his answer. “There are no plans. Talia’s only commitment when she came here was to help you and your unborn child. It remains that way.”

“How very mature, your love for her. I don’t think I could be quite so generous.” Her gaze drifted to her stomach and she covered it almost protectively with her hands.

Archer realized how distinctly different she was now in contrast to the day she’d hired him. It was clear now that this baby meant a great deal more to her than insurance that the House of Dalwyn would continue their rule.

“Surely if she’s come this far, you should let her try. You said yourself you had nothing to lose.”

The queen didn’t look at him. She just kept rubbing her hands over her stomach.

Archer felt something primal shift within him as he watched her stroke her unborn child. He had always valued the preciousness of life, or he wouldn’t have fought so hard to keep his intact. But this
touched him in some deeper place. The vulnerability of the child within her called to a part of him he’d thought long buried. And despite the fact that he better than anyone knew that not everyone shared the value he placed on it, he couldn’t look at the queen’s face at this moment and not believe that she felt the same way.

“Please,” he said as gently as he knew how. “Let me get Talia. Let her try.”

She was silent for so long that Archer finally wondered if he shouldn’t simply make a quiet retreat, find Talia, and bring her back here to try and do whatever could be done. He couldn’t accept that Catriona wouldn’t at least try.

Then a smile slowly curved the young queen’s lips. There was such heartbreaking sadness in it that he couldn’t look away. And yet, when she looked at him, what he saw in the depths of that unimaginable sadness and pain … was hope.

She reached to her side and pressed a small device that lay on her bed. “Bring Talia Trahaern to me.”

Archer’s heart began to pound. She was going to fight! But even as he tightened his fist in silent victory, he worried about Talia. It had been one thing to offer Talia’s help when he was thinking only of the dying woman in front of him. But now that the queen was calling for her, Archer’s concerns shifted to what Talia would be put through and damned himself for being so anxious to put her there.

Still, he knew that if she were here, she’d be pushing the same issues, doing whatever she could to help and damn the toll it took on herself. That was who she was. There was always the hope for a miracle.

“Allow me to escort her,” he said, thinking at least
he could prepare Talia somewhat, warn her, comfort her.

The queen was once again staring at her hands rubbing her stomach. “She is already on her way.” She looked up at him, her expression now almost beatific. “Finally, I think I have found a solution.”

T
alia left the healer’s chamber in the company of six personal royal guards. She wondered where Archer was. The head guard stopped short just outside the room. “Your gazzer, please.”

She almost ran into him. “My—what?” The guard sent a pointed look to her side pocket. He extended his hand. “Please.”

“Oh.” She fumbled in her pocket and handed Archer’s zapper thing to the guard, who promptly handed it to another one next to him, who in turn headed off down a different passageway. “It’s Archer’s,” she added, not wanting them to dispose of something that wasn’t hers. He’d be mad enough when he discovered she’d given it up without a fight, though frankly she was relieved not to have the deadly thing in her pocket. She wasn’t cut out to be armed and dangerous. In fact, she was surprised Archer had been allowed to remain armed inside the castle. Maybe the queen felt better with him guarding her as well as her own guards.

“It is being returned to him now. Follow me, please.”

She fell into step behind him. “Is he still with the queen?”

“The queen wishes a private consultation with you.”

Talia nodded, but her knees felt a bit wobbly. Consultation? Was she expected to be a full-fledged healer now that she’d spent an hour or two with her mother’s things? She hoped not. Tears threatened again and she pushed them away. She’d gotten to see her mother, hear her voice. She had new memories now. She’d cling to them.

She stopped suddenly as a shocking wave of pain assaulted her. Instinctively she threw up a mental block against it, but it still left her breathless and leaning weakly against the wall. Her head throbbed.
Where had that come from? And who?

“Are you all right, Miss Trahaern?”

Two of the guards stopped beside her. One turned to bark orders at another but Talia quickly intervened. “No, that’s okay. I’m okay.” That was a lie, but a necessary one. “Let’s continue. Please.”

The guard paused, looking to his commander, who finally nodded tersely.

Talia was given no time to analyze what had just happened to her, however, and less time to fully recover.

They stopped moments later and the guard motioned for her to move in front of him. A large painting of two golden lions graced the wall in front of him. “You will be admitted now.”

Talia nodded, then blew out a shaky breath. The screen turned transparent and she stepped into a dimly lit room. She took a moment to try and adjust her eyes. It was lighter in here than yesterday, but darker than the hallway.

“Come closer.”

Talia started, then peered through the gloom toward the towering four-poster bed that dominated
the far end of the room. She looked quickly around for Archer, but he wasn’t there. Talia could see the queen resting on the bed. Actually, she looked more like a child from this distance, her small form hardly taking up any space at all.

As she moved closer, the first thing she noticed was the mound under the blanket that was her stomach. Talia felt her own stomach grip tightly.
Dear Lord, what had she honestly thought, coming here?
This was no game. She had no skills to help this poor woman. And what if she died, and God help her, the baby, too, while Talia was with her? Her steps faltered.

“Closer, please.” Her voice was well modulated, and quite beautiful, but much weaker and not nearly as imperious as it had been the night before.

Talia took a steadying breath and stepped closer. The instant her gaze landed on Catriona’s face, it was as if her body had stepped beyond itself. She froze as her mind leaped forward without her even attempting it. She’d been so busy worrying that she hadn’t put up any guards at all. The connection was swift and more powerful than anything she’d ever felt in her life.

And she knew immediately who she’d connected with in the passageway.
Intense and overwhelming pain
. Talia’s knees buckled under the force of the pain, but she held her ground.
No one must see. Must stay strong. For the kingdom. For my child
. Talia gripped her stomach, feeling movement where she knew there was none. Such a sweet sensation of fullness.
Joy, such indescribable joy, feeling him move inside me
. Talia’s throat closed over.
Fear, deep abiding fear of the world I’m bringing him into. Just let him live, please God, just let him live
. Tears burned in her eyes.
Give him my strength and he’ll be okay. Strength, must have strength
. Talia locked her knees and focused her own strength, wanting nothing more than to send it to
that unborn child. Oh, but the pain, the squeezing, wrenching pain.
Now that I’ve found her. Just a little longer …
Found who?

Talia wrenched herself back. Her skin was so damp her dress clung to her. She felt as if she’d just run a dozen miles. Her breath came in short gasps and she pressed one hand over her stomach, another over her galloping heart.

“Talia?”

She jumped. Realizing she must look like a loon, standing there panting and swaying, she tried hard to regain her outward focus, but the experience had been overwhelming. So overwhelming that she was afraid to even look at the queen again.

“Don’t be afraid of our connection,” Catriona said softly.

Talia kept her gaze fixed on the foot of the bed. “I’m—I’m sorry,” she managed hoarsely. “I wasn’t even trying to—”

“Don’t be sorry. I had wondered about it yesterday when there was no apparent connection. You must have developed a great deal of control over your gift.”

The queen sounded somewhat stronger. Talia shivered as she realized what she’d done. She knew that during a connection with an animal in pain, taking on that pain lessened the animal’s suffering. At least for the duration of the connection. Unfortunately, when the connection ended, so did the respite for the animal. Nothing else would be changed. She was not a healer.

Talia thought of the suffering of the woman before her and was almost overwhelmed again by what she’d just experienced during their connection. She’d had no idea the queen was in such constant agony. Despite her fragile appearance, she managed to give such regal authority to her every word. Talia
felt humbled and wished there was something more she could do for her.

“Have no fear, Talia, you just soothed a goodly number of my remaining fears.”

Talia worked to steady her breath before she finally faced Catriona once again. This time she stayed within herself, but her legs shook and her fingers trembled with the effort. “I think you did just the opposite to me,” she said with a shaky smile.

Catriona smiled then, and Talia was startled by the beauty that lay beneath the illness-ravaged face. She was so thin, too thin to be facing impending motherhood. Talia looked toward her stomach, reliving that miraculous moment when she’d felt the pressure of a child in her own belly.

“How far along are you?” she blurted, then stopped as the queen’s words echoed in her ears.
You just soothed a goodly number of my remaining fears
. Did the queen really think that because she had taken on a measure of her pain, however temporarily, she was truly a real healer?

“Twenty-nine weeks,” the queen answered.

Talia’s attention returned to the queen’s stomach.
Twenty-nine. That was good, wasn’t it?
Even in her time they managed to save babies who were born extremely early. Certainly they’d improved on that over time.

“I don’t want to build up false hopes,” Talia said, knowing she had to get this out now. “I have no natural healing abilities like my mother did. I know you said it’s hereditary, so I don’t know why I don’t, but I don’t. As an empath, I can take on your pain, but that won’t heal you. Surely there are doctors who could—”

The queen was shaking her head. “They exhausted their skills early on. The only method left to me now has only a small possibility of working and would
certainly end my baby’s chance at survival. I can’t do that.” She rubbed her stomach, then smiled at Talia. “Please stop worrying. I am not expecting to survive this. I only want to ensure that he does.”

Talia was more confused than ever. “How do you think I can help the baby?”

“Not in the way I’d hoped when I first sent Archer after you.” She motioned to a large chair positioned near the bed. “Please, sit. I’ll have Marletta bring some tea.”

Talia sank gratefully into the chair, but waved off the offer of tea. “No, thank you.” She looked up to find the queen studying her with disconcerting frankness.

“You really do bear an amazing resemblance to your mother.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course I never knew your mother but my father kept images of her close by for the remainder of his life.”

That information made Talia pause. “I found some sort of cube today, in my mother’s chamber. Apparently she locked the contents of the room under some sort of spell or illusion. There was a message in it, though. She said she had the key to open it, or, failing that, the next healer would. But I don’t know how. I tried. The cube cannot be taken from the room, either. I’m sorry.”

Catriona waved away her concern. “I am sorry there wasn’t more for you to look through, for your own sake. But there is little to be done for it now.”

Talia paused, then said, “My mother … she mentioned your father’s name …”

The queen’s gaze sharpened. “Yes? Explain yourself.”

Talia straightened, reminded again whose presence she was in. “It was nothing, really. Just the way
she said his name. I got the feeling they were close. I imagine my mother’s role was a trusted one, so that makes sense. I guess I was just warmed by the idea that she seemed close to your family. I know it wasn’t easy for her to leave.”

The queen’s focus intensified. “You know why she left, do you not?”

“She was pregnant with me. Baleweg told me it cost her a great deal to turn her back on her obligations and leave, but there had been threats against her and she was afraid for my life if she didn’t.”

The queen closed her eyes and Talia started to rise, automatically opening herself up to find out what was wrong.

“Don’t,” Catriona said, her eyes remaining shut. “It’s all right. I’m just … a little overwhelmed. I already had the proof but … I suppose I had to hear it from you.”

Confused, Talia had pulled back before connecting with her. She had no idea what the queen was talking about. “Hear what from me?”

“Did you not wonder at the depth of our connection? You do know that empaths only connect with those they care deeply about, or are connected to in some way.”

“Yes, I know that. I assumed it was because you are a royal, and I am destined from birth to … to serve you somehow.”

Catriona shook her head. “Many rules apply between royal and healer, but that is not what forged the bond you felt today. Empathy is not exclusive to healers. In fact, it is a somewhat common ability. At least in this time, if not in yours—the one in which you were raised.”

Talia opened her mouth, then shut it again. So she knew.

The queen smiled lightly. “Yes, I am aware that
the Old One helped to hide your mother in the distant past. Again I wish to tell you of my gratitude that you so willingly came to my rescue. I would like to think I’d have made such a selfless gesture, but I am learning that I am a far more petty and closed-minded person than I thought myself to be.”