“Cir –”
I pulled my arm from her hold but grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Really, honestly, honey, like I said… no. He’ll be fine, I’ll be fine and my baby will be fine. No witch. No going back. And I want another baby shower after I have this kid and at that one…” I grinned, “you serve alcohol.”
She stared at me. Then she grinned back.
Marlene was over the moon she was giving me my shower. She’d been planning it since she found out I was keeping the baby which was the day she first saw me back and learned I was pregnant. Half of Seattle was attending. She’d asked my friends, her friends, her friend’s friends and had probably put an announcement in the paper with an open invitation (just as long as they brought gifts). When I’d registered at the baby store, she’d jerked the scanner thing out of my hand, made my selections and I could swear I saw drool on her lip once, she was so rabid. She was baby bonkers. She couldn’t wait for me to have this kid.
Okay, I was back to loving Marlene.
Therefore, I let her hand go, pulled her in my arms and hugged her.
“Love you, baby,” I whispered in her ear, she gave me a squeeze and whispered the same words back.
I pulled away and turned my head when I heard my father shout, “Time for fuckin’ cake!” and I saw him walk out of Ernie’s kitchen (Ernie was one of Pop’s best friends, Pop and his boys ate lunch at Ernie’s greasy spoon practically every day if their move was even a little close to it and therefore Circe’s party was at Ernie’s).
He had a big, rectangular cake in his hands, the kind with white frosting, thick frosting swirls around the edges and massive frosting flowers, these yellow. His face was brightly illuminated by the candles burning on the cake and his eyes were brightly lit at the thought he’d soon be eating birthday cake.
Seriously, my Pop was birthday cake mad. He’d serve birthday cake with candles if a new day dawned if he could.
He walked toward Circe and he was, for some reason, starting a chorus of “For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow”.
I looked to Circe who was beaming.
She was happy, no doubt about it. She was safe in this world, my friends and family had accepted her (and our story, weirdly) without qualm (well, by the time I got there they had).
She was no longer the toy of a tyrant or the plaything of a ship full of pirates.
She was free.
This was good.
Very good.
Two good things came out of this. Circe was smiling, her eyes alight and I had a life I knew I’d hold precious currently kicking in my belly.
I smiled.
“Circe?” Marlene called and I turned to look at her.
She looked alarmed.
“Circe!” she shrieked and I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn’t get words to come out and everything, Marlene, the restaurant behind her, the booths, everything was… it was…
It was melting!
Oh fuck!
My head snapped to my father.
“Pop!” I screamed but nothing came out even as I saw the wavy vision of him drop the cake to the ground and start running my way.
He didn’t make it.
All had gone black.
Then it went bright with sparkling shots of pure gold.
Then I was standing in the middle of a cham, a fire burning behind me and a woman with wild, ratty-assed hair wearing a rough sarong tied around her neck fell in a dead faint to the stone at my feet.
I saw movement in the shadows.
It came toward me.
I looked up as it formed into a man’s body and when I did I looked into Lahn’s dark eyes.
“No,” I whispered as he kept coming at me.
I lifted a shaky hand, palm up toward him as my eyes drifted down to the woman at my feet. She was out like a light.
She’d depleted her magic bringing me back.
My eyes went back to Lahn to see he was upon me, the hard muscle of his chest at my palm. I took a step back, he moved fast as lightning and I was lifted in his arms.
I arched my back and screamed, “No!”
“Rayloo, kah rahna fauna,” he whispered, his arms going tight and strong as iron.
I closed my eyes hard and my body went slack in his arms.
“No,” I whispered.
Then we were out of the cham, my ass was on a horse and I felt Lahn immediately swing up behind me.
I opened my eyes to see the Avenue of the Gods in front of me and feel Lahkan under me.
Lahn’s arm got tight around my protruding ribs, he bent me low to Lahkan’s back, he buried his heels in his steed and we shot down the avenue toward Korwahn.
Fuck.
Chapter Thirty-One
The Search
Six weeks later…
Tigresses purred.
I knew this because my now full grown one was lying on her side in bed with me, I had my big belly pressed against her back, my hand was sifting through her soft, thick fur and she was purring.