Oh. I hadn’t thought of that. It did make sense; however, we were trying to outguess and outsmart a million different events that had all led us to this exact moment. “Honestly, I feel like we’re trapped in an impossible, dizzying maze of variables my brain can’t come close to comprehending.” Arch started pulling on a lock of my hair. I unwrapped his chubby little fingers and switched him to the other hip.
“Mia, what I’m talking about is bigger than trying to influence the variables. Think of it as if we’re playing chess on a giant board, only we’re going to remove the board altogether.”
The fact that she believed in this plan so concretely gave me reason to question my doubts, but at the end of the day, we were all still guessing.
“I need to think, Teddi. It’s…a lot. A lot-a lot.”
“A lot. Got it.”
“What have you done to my brother?” growled a deep voice from the open doorway. We both turned to find King standing there, fists balled, face rage red, lungs pumping. His gaze was locked onto Teddi.
I instinctively stepped between them. “Calm down, King. She didn’t do—”
“Silence!” he yelled. “This has gone far enough.” He looked over his shoulder. “Put them in cages.”
Several men in red skirts rushed into the room.
“You can’t do this to us,” I said.
“You think you can come to my home and try to take over? You think you and the Seers can do as you please? Disobey me? Put spells on my brother? You do not know me.” His nostrils flared. “You do not know how far I will go to protect my people from the likes of you. Take them.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Fearing that Arch might get hurt, I didn’t fight the guards, who were apparently not Spiros because they did not seem to give a flying Minoan fuck about putting two pregnant women and a baby into cages. At least, I’d hoped that was where Teddi went, because they’d separated us.
But as I sat there in a crudely built cage made of branches and barely tall enough for me to stand, my mind quickly plummeted into a fit of panic. Shit, shit, shit, it’s starting all over again.
The moment the Seers found out that King had jailed us, they would come to our aid. The people had already begun to see Teddi as a gift from the gods with her healing powers. And if Mack truly felt a connection with Teddi, he might not be so happy about this outcome either. I could see a million different ways this situation would end in tragedy, King dead and cursed.
My skin began to crawl, remembering how sadistic and cruel King had become when he’d been cursed. Even he called himself a monster during his more lucid moments.
No. No. This can’t be our fate.
I knew I would have to do what Teddi asked and try to steal King. I would have to take a bold leap and pray it was the right choice.
“Hey!” I called out to the guards on the other side of the fenced-in area that looked like a twisted people zoo, with several rows of cages. Thankfully, it was winter, so we weren’t cooking as the sun hit high noon. “Hey!” I called out. “Tell the king I need to talk to him. Tell him I’m ready to leave.”
The guards didn’t pay me any attention.
“Look,” I said. “I understand you probably sit here all day, listening to people beg and complain. But you and I both know the Seers are not going to let this go unpunished. Fighting will break out. People will die. And I’m sure you don’t want that.”
The guards didn’t even blink in my general direction.
I continued, “I’m not asking you to free me. I’m just asking you to tell the king that I want to speak to him, that I’m willing to leave. Today. I just need to see him first. Please.”
One of the men gave a slight nod and waved over another guard. “Stand post. I will go see our king.” He walked away calmly, but as the hours passed, I realized he wasn’t coming back.
Fuck. This just kept getting worse and worse.
About three or four hours later—didn’t have a watch, so who knew for sure?—another man with light brown hair and scars on his chest came to let me out. From his size and temperament, I had the impression that this man was a warrior.
King thinks I’m dangerous. Wonderful. How would I get close to him now?
The man let me and Arch out of our crude jail cell and led us out of the fenced-in area and through a tall set of wooden gates outside the king’s compound.
“Where are we going?” I said, bouncing a now screaming wet baby, following along a dirt road filled with sharp rocks.
Dammit. I miss shoes.
“Lema’s home. You are expected there.” He pointed toward a small cluster of whitewashed houses with a pen filled with goats to one side. “It is the one to the far right.”
“Thanks.” I gave him a quick nod and carefully walked to the small dwelling. “Hello?” I peeked my head inside the two-room cottage with plaster-covered walls and hearth. No windows or door.
“Mia!” Teddi sat at a small table in the corner with Lema. Her eyes looked all puffy and red.
“Miss me?” I said.
“Oh God.” She rushed over and gave me a hug. “Are you two alright?”
“He put me in a cage. It was lovely. And you?”
“Same. But I wasn’t there long. Mack got me out.” She looked at Arch, who kept crying. “Oh, you poor thing. Did your evil daddy lock you up?” she said in a pouty tone. “Here. Let me change him. I’ve got some boiled milk and barley already started.”
Arch stopped crying the moment she touched him. Soothing Seer powers. They need to bottle that stuff.
“Thank you.” I sighed exasperatedly.
She smiled and took him into the other room.
“So what happened?” I asked Lema, who sat at her little table, sipping from a clay cup.
“Please, sit. Can I offer you some wine?”
“Normally I’d say yes, but I’m pregnant and have a feeling I’m going to need a clear head to deal with whatever is happening.” The air around us buzzed with tension, and it was not coming from me.
“There has been much debate and negotiation with our king. A deal was struck. The Seers promised not to harm Hagne if he released the two of you.”
I really hadn’t wanted Hagne killed, despite her black heart, but that was only because her death seemed to be a catalyst for so many events. Other than that reason, however, she didn’t deserve to breathe. Not after everything she’d done to me.
“Okay. So no war?” I asked.
“No.”
This was good. This was great! Except…Hagne would still be a threat to King and Mack. Dammit. Dammit. We were going down the same path. I could feel it in my heart. I could taste the doom in the air.
“And what about Hagne? She’ll try to hurt Teddi and Mack.”
“Teddi has agreed to cure Hagne. She will remove whatever sickness is in her soul, but as Teddi is now learning, there is always a cost when a Seer uses her gifts.”
“So it could be dangerous?”
Teddi came into the room, holding a happy, laughing little Arch. His bright blue eyes and happy pink lips melted my heart.
“Are you going to cure Hagne?” I asked Teddi.
“I’m going to try, but I’ll wait until after the baby is born. In the meantime, we’ll have to keep an eye on her.”
I nodded, trying to think it through. “So you still want to stay?”
She took my hand. “It’s okay, Mia. I spoke to Mack—I mean, Callias—he understands what’s happening. And I have faith in us. Especially since seeing each other here feels like the first time.” For them, it had been love at first sight, their connection deep and unbreakable. “I love him, Mia. Just like I always have.”
“But you know he’s not exactly the same man. Things will be different.”
“It doesn’t matter. I can’t leave Callias.”
“Did someone say my name?” Mack stood in the doorway with a slight twinkle in his eyes, which were stuck to Teddi.
Teddi’s face lit up. She was
so in love with him, and it made me jealous. I hated the mishmash of feelings inside me that coated the love in my heart like a dirty blanket.
“Hi, Callias,” I said. “Thank you for helping us.”
He dipped his head. “A man knows when fate is calling, and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t deserve to live.” He winked at Teddi, who sat with Arch, feeding him a little milk mush. He was too hungry to squabble.
Callias walked over to her and kneeled in front of Arch, watching him with a sort of loving fascination. After several long moments, he sighed. “This will not be easy for me, losing my brother. But there is nothing I wouldn’t do for him or for our people.”
“So you told him?” I asked Teddi, referring to the plan to bring King home with me.
“I needed him to put his faith in me, so I put my faith in him first.” She beamed at him.
That had been a risky move, but it was helpful to have Mack on board.
“So you see, Mia,” said Lema, “the pieces are falling into place. Now you must go to the king. It is time for you to leave before fate molds the events in a nonreversible direction, as they once were.”
Fate was already hard at work. I could feel something bad, something horrible floating in the air, waiting to strike.
“And, Mia,” she added, “the ancestors say that your gifts will never be returned. A deal was struck to create balance. It cannot be undone.”
I stared down at my dirty, sore feet. “I figured that.”
Lema got up and walked over, laying her hand on my arm. “They also say you must leave this place immediately and never return. You or the child inside you. It would only create more risk.”
I hadn’t planned on returning, but God only knew what would happen when I went back. The possibilities were endless. I would also miss Teddi with all my heart. She felt like more than a friend. She was like a sister.
“Christ.” I drew a deep breath and then looked at Callias, who stood and took hold of a messy, but happy little Arch. “Please, promise you’ll take good care of Teddi.”
“I will do my best.” He bowed his head of long black hair.
I looked at Teddi. “And please be careful. Hagne is dangerous.”
“We will make sure she’s no longer a threat once we find her,” Callias replied.
“What do you mean, find her?” I asked.
“She has run away,” Callias said.
“Oh, great.” Psycho-Seer was on the loose.
“It’s okay, Mia,” said Teddi. “She can’t get far. We’re on an island.”
“Let us handle Hagne. It is time for you to go.” Lema scooched me out the door. “Hurry now.”
“Okay, okay. I’m going.” I grabbed Arch, who watched the drama with wide blue eyes, from Callias. I then looked at Teddi. I couldn’t bear to say goodbye. Especially like this. I would never see her again.
She hugged me and Arch. “Take care, Mia. I promise to write every day.” She pulled away and smiled. “You’ll feel like you were right here with us.”
My eyes teared. She’d be long dead the moment I got back home. Wait. I glanced at her hand. “You’re still wearing the ring.”
It used to be King’s, but he gave it to her right before he’d saved Mack. King told her to take good care of his brother, and the ring would keep her from aging and dying as long as she wore it. He’d made one for Arch and me, too. I had taken mine off after King left us. I couldn’t stand the thought of living forever without the man I loved. Arch’s ring was in the safe with mine. King had thought to give it to him when he was grown.
Teddi glanced at her finger with the shiny little diamond embedded securely in a gold band. “I…I don’t think I’ll keep it on, Mia. I don’t want to watch everyone else get old.” Meaning, she didn’t want to live forever. Not if that meant leaving everyone else behind.
“I understand.” I squeezed her hand, feeling my heart tear just a little more. Everything was happening so fast, and little by little, I was losing everyone. “Have a wonderful life, Teddi. And give that baby a big kiss for me when she comes. Okay?”
“I will.” She gave me a hug, and I couldn’t let go.
“My brother will be in his chambers,” said Callias, urging us apart. “Come this way, Mia.” He gave a longing glance at Teddi. Yes, those two were already goo-goo ape shit over each other. “I will return shortly,” Callias said with a cocky little smile and began walking.
I took one last look at Teddi, committing her face to memory. “Good luck.” Holding Arch tightly in my arms, I followed him back the way we came, up the dirt road to the tall wooden gates that led to the outer perimeter of the king’s compound. The two sword-toting guards let us pass immediately.
“What’s King going to do when he sees me here?” I asked.
“Let me handle him. You focus on making things right for my nephew.” Callias flashed a smile over his broad shoulders. I loved his confidence, but it wasn’t enough to calm my nervous stomach.
We passed through a small fig orchard and reached the building overlooking the ocean. It had big pillars in front and elaborate patterns in blue and red paint on the outside. Suddenly, memories of being here with King during my first trip hit hard. The way he’d made love to me—ravenous and passionate. The long soaks in his tub. Talking for hours about his parents and how he felt growing up, knowing he’d be responsible for so many people. The time we spent here had been short but cemented this man in my heart. Funny how he couldn’t stand the sight of me now.
Just wait until you kidnap him. He’s going to hate you on a whole new level. My heart and stomach knotted with sadness. God, my feelings were so messed up. I had been through so much with King—the deepest love, the most crushing heartbreak—I didn’t know which way was up, but I knew I loved him. I always would. Still, given the way things had turned out, I had to wonder if we were simply never meant to be. I mean, look how Teddi and Callias turned out. The events had done nothing to dull their passion.
Besides, it doesn’t matter if King doesn’t love you anymore. You still have to do this, Mia. I lifted my chin. I had to be fast and just take him. Band-Aid. Rip.
“Brother!” Mack called out as we approached the doorway guarded by two more men. It seemed there was an endless supply of soldiers on the island. “I have brought someone to see you.”
King emerged looking pissier than ever—dark brows pulled together into angry ridges, nostrils slightly flared, lips mashed together, and jaw tighter than a pair of bolt cutters. The moment he saw me, he exploded. “You dare bring this witch to my doorstep?” King yelled.
Mack held out his hands. “Listen to me. We don’t have much time.”
“Time for what?” King spat.
Callias looked at me. This was my cue. I began to focus my energy on the tiny little life inside my belly, but she was quiet, possibly sleeping.
Dammit, sweetie. Wake up. Wake up. But did I really need that? Her blood and power ran through my body. I knew because King had used it to resurrect his evil posse.
Okay. Just focus. How did I trigger it last time? I’d been in a state of high emotion. Death and fear. Jesus. Did my life always have to be in danger in order for a miracle to happen?
“What is she doing?” King snapped.
“Mia?” Callias urged. “Do you have something important to say to my brother?”
My gaze toggled between both men. “Yes. It’s just…I need a moment to gather my thoughts.” I closed my eyes. Come on, little one. Give Mommy some Seer juice. Help Mommy take Daddy home with us.
Nothing happened, even though I could feel her little warm light glowing inside me.
Maybe I needed to retreat and see if Lema knew what to do? What other option was there? I couldn’t stand here all day. Not when King was damned ready to toss me out of his compound on my ass. Okay, just tell him you’re here to say you’re very sorry for everything you’ve done. I didn’t want him to become suspicious that I was up to something and throw me in the twig stockade again. r />
“King, I just want to say—” I opened my eyes just as a female figure with long brown hair came charging around the corner behind King, with a dagger posed to strike.
Hagne!
Still holding Arch, I instinctively pushed King to the side and twisted my body to shield Arch. I felt the knife slice along my shoulder blade and into my back.
I screamed but managed to stay on my feet, unwilling to let go of Arch or risk falling on him.
Callias jumped on Hagne and began wrestling the blade away. Meanwhile, King got his footing straight. The look in his eyes as he met my gaze, only for a second, was sheer confusion.
King quickly grabbed Arch from my arms as I fell over.
As I lay there, I heard the faint sounds of Hagne grunting and then a crunching noise mixed into Arch’s cries.
“Go quickly! Bring that Teddi woman now,” King called out right before I lost consciousness.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Well, goddammit. How many times did a girl have to die before she deserved a little happiness? I mean, hell. What was this, number three?
The first time, I’d been wearing that special ring King made for me. It was awful because the ring didn’t actually prevent death. I still had to go through the pain of dying. The ring then sort of woke me back up. Terrifying. The second time I’d died, I’d made a deal with the Seers to give up my powers if they allowed me to come back. This time? Ugh. I had nothing to bargain with.
“Fuck you, death. You suck,” I muttered to myself.
“Ah, but I am not death,” I heard King’s deep hypnotic voice, “and you are not dead.”
The pain in my body became sharper as my brain clicked back on. “Ariadna?” I gasped. “Is she alright?”
King’s bloodshot blue eyes greeted me. “Lema says you will both be fine, though you will be weak for several days and have lost a lot of blood.” He sat on the edge of the padded stone bed right next to me.
I drew a painful breath. My lungs didn’t feel right, my arms didn’t feel right, and my back felt raw.
“What happened?” I mumbled weakly.