Eternal Faith - Book 4 (The Ruby Ring Saga) (3 page)

“No,”
he said.

“Sarah!”
Charles said as he burst into the room. “Are you okay?”

“Oh
my gosh!” Liz yelled as she walked in. “Why are you tied up? What kind of hospital
ties up a poor, innocent woman? Talk about medical malpractice. I’m gonna sue
this place!”

“Apparently,
I tried to take out half the staff,” I said, wincing.

She
let out a long breath and shook her head at the straps that held me prisoner. “I
don’t believe this. I wanna talk to somebody in charge!”

“They
thought I was high on drugs, so they sedated me. I can’t really blame them, but
I’m worried it might have hurt the baby.”

“You’re
Immortal,” Charles said. “Hopefully, your body warded them off before they even
reached the baby.”

I
glanced up at Victor for validation, and when he nodded, the tension in my
shoulders released.

Victor
untied the restraints, and I jumped into his arms. He embraced me in a tight
hug. “Are you okay?” he desperately asked.

“I’m
fine now that you’re here.” I squeezed him tighter.

Anger
rose in his features as he massaged my red wrists. “How can we stay in a world
that treats you in this manner?”

“I’m
not a queen in this world, Victor. They really were just doing their jobs, and—”

“But
you’re a pregnant woman and should be respected, held in the highest regard.”

I
squeezed his hands and whispered, “They drew blood from me.”

Liz
touched my shoulder. “Charles and I are on top of it. We’ll find the lab and
some white coats so we can sneak in.” She nudged him. “Right, baby?”

Charles’s
eyes were bloodshot, and I knew how worried he was about Della. He reached for
Liz’s hand, and they headed out the door. I knew Liz would get those vials of
blood back, come hell or high water.

I
gazed up at Victor, staring into the grim lines of his face. “I couldn’t break
free from the restraints, and I couldn’t compel the nurse to let me go,” I said,
and we both knew what that meant. “In my delirium, I swear I saw a woman with
short, black, curly hair, wearing the same blue ring as the man I met in the minimart.”
I let out a sigh. “Then again, I also thought I saw Ethano, and that was only a
hallucination.”

“Indeed.
If it had really been Ethano, he would have already swept you away, back
through the portal,” Victor reasoned. “My powers are paralyzed, so the woman
you saw must be nearby. We have to find her.”

“Let’s
go then,” I said.

“Not
so fast, Miss Larker,” a man in long brown coat said, then flashed a badge at
me. “I’m Detective Franson, and this is my partner, Detective Mara.”

I
held out my hand. “Uh...it’s nice to meet you, Detectives, but we were just—”

“Sarah
is in no condition to be questioned,” Victor said. “I will not allow an
interrogation, not in her delicate condition. She’s been through enough for one
night.”

“May
I have your name, sir?” Detective Franson asked.

“He’s
my boyfriend,” I explained. “His name is Victor Fesque.” I couldn’t tell them
Victor was my husband. For starters, I didn’t have a marriage certificate; our
marriage wasn’t even legal in California, and there was no way I could even
begin to explain that Victor was really a king from Tastia. After all, I’d just
been freed from my bonds, and I had no desire to be wrapped up in a
straightjacket and tossed in a rubber room.

“We’re
not here about Sarah’s alleged drug abuse,” the woman said. “We were already in
the hospital to check up on an assault case, and we thought we could save
making a trip to your house since you’re already here.”

I
cocked a brow and wondered what I had done to warrant police attention.  

“We’re
here to question you about a robbery that happened on Wednesday December
twentieth,” Detective Franson said. “Where were you around five p.m. that day,
Miss Larker?”

“Not
robbing a bank, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said, carefully choosing my
words since he hadn’t mentioned the minimart. “I was home, and Victor and my
sister can both corroborate my story.”

Victor
shook his head in confusion. “What’s this about?”

The
woman inched closer and met my gaze. “Sarah, you were identified as a witness
in a robbery that took place at John’s Minimart on 5
^th
and Stanton. The
witness recognized you from television. He says you were there and that you
were shot.”

“Shot?”
I laughed. “Do I look like I was shot?”

“The
witness mentioned that you are pregnant,” Detective Franson, “and the nurse we just
spoke to confirmed that.”

“What
ever happened to doctor-patient confidentiality, Detective?” I questioned. “That
nurse is not allowed to give you information about my health or medical
situation. Maybe I should take legal action.”

Detective
Mara met my gaze. “I know a simple way to clear this right up.”

I
arched a brow at her. “How?”

She
continued. “May we send in a nurse to examine you for a gunshot wound?”

“No!
I will not allow it!” Victor said. “As I said, Sarah has been through enough,
and—”

Detective
Franson looked at him and smirked, interrupting him to ask, “Gee. It sounds to
me like you and your girlfriend must have something to hide.”  

I
didn’t like the way he was talking to Victor, and I was growing weary of being
treated like a prime suspect. “Do you have a court order, some kind of warrant
or something?”

“No.
It’d be completely voluntary.”

I
stared at the man long and hard. “I’m pregnant. Don’t you think I would have
sought medical treatment if I were shot?”

“We
just want to eliminate you as the witness we are seeking,” Detective Franson
said.

Victor
broadened his stance. “I won’t allow you to treat Sarah like this.”

I
gripped his hand. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. If it’ll get me off their little
list, I’m all for it.” I wasn’t in the least bit intimidated by the detectives.
I knew I could easily refuse the exam, but since it would clear me, I decided
not to. The last thing I needed was the police breathing down my neck, thinking
I was their prime witness in a robbery. There were plenty of other witnesses
who had seen the gunman. I would never be able to explain how I’d survived a
gunshot without any medical treatment or a single scar, so it was best to get
myself off the hook as soon as possible.  

Detective
Mara waited for my answer. “Well?”

I
nodded. “If you can kindly ask Detective Franson to leave, I’ll let
you
look. Just please don’t send that wretched nurse in here to examine me. She
already thinks I’m a crack-head, and she reminds me of that old grouch from
One
Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
.”

“Not
a problem,” Detective Mara said.

“If
you don’t mind, I’d like to ask Victor some questions out in the hallway,”
Detective Franson chimed in.

“I
will try to be of help,” Victor said, leading him out of the hospital room.

“Looks
like it’s just us girls,” Detective Marta said, snapping on a pair of latex
gloves.

“Right.
Can we just hurry up and get this over with? I have nothing to hide.”

Lifting
my hospital gown, she started to gently examine my body. “You’re quite the
celebrity since you came back from the dead, Miss Larker,” she said. “Have you
been enjoying the limelight?”

“No,
not at all.”

“Hmm.
Well, what about your work? Did you enjoy being a paranormal researcher?”

I
smiled as all the memories flooded back. “Absolutely.”

“What
did you hate the most about it?”

“Skeptics.
I loathe skeptics.”

She
laughed. “Yeah, there’re lots of those in the world. Would you mind if I
examined your back and legs?”

“Have
at it.”

She
inclined her head. “How far along are you, Sarah?”

I
touched my stomach proudly. “Not quite two months.”

“Congratulations.
I have three kids myself, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“Any
advice for a first-time mom, Detective?”

She
smiled. “Get lots of sleep while you can...and, for the love of God, let them do
an epidural.”

I
met her gaze and smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

She
snapped off her gloves and threw them in the trash. “You’re clear. Obviously,
the witness was mistaken.”

“Right.
I think I would have noticed if I’d been shot.”

“I
said the same thing, but we had to check it out. You’re officially ruled out. Good
luck with everything,” she said, “and thanks for your cooperation.”

A
tall, dark-skinned woman with light blue eyes and a long white lab coat walked
in, and I recognized her immediately.
So I wasn’t hallucinating
. The
woman I’d seen in the emergency room was very real, and my gaze was drawn to the
ring on her right hand; I was sure she was one of the blue-ringed Immortals. She
had the same blue-eyed gaze of the man in the minimart as she stared at me
inquisitively, and I wondered if she had any idea who I was.

“I’m
Dr. Meyers,” she said, smiling and shaking my hand.

“It’s
nice to meet you,” I said.

She
raised an eyebrow. “Do you remember anything you said in your delirious fit last
night?”

My
stomach clenched. “I know I said some off-the-wall things, but I’m fine now.”

The
lines in her face softened, and compassion flickered in her dark eyes. “I’m glad you’re
feeling better.”

I
gazed down at her finger. “That’s a gorgeous ring. It must be one of a kind.”

“Thank
you. It’s very...special.”

“Do
you know where I could find a ring like that?” I asked nonchalantly. “Maybe my
boyfriend could get me one for Christmas.” When she didn’t answer, I asked
again, “Where do I get something so magnificent?”

“It’s...priceless,”
she said, hidden meaning lurking in her words.  

“I
doubt that. Everything has a price,” I said.

She
stared at the ruby on my left hand. “Not this ring. It’s probably as rare as
yours or your husband’s.”

My
eyes widened.
My husband? How does she know I’m married to Victor?
Even
if I had blabbed about it, I was sure no one would believe a word out of my
crazy mouth during that rant. I met her gaze, but she didn’t back down; it was
obvious she knew I was Immortal. I tried to remember exactly what I had said,
but everything was a blur.

She
shot me a questioning look. “My staff is anxious to know how you had the
strength of ten men.”

I
stared her down, and from the stern look on her face, I knew she wasn’t going
to let it go. “We both know it wasn’t drugs, don’t we?”

“Yes,
just as we both know that everything you said last night was true,” she
retorted.

“I’m
leaving,” I said. “Can you please release me?”

As
I spun to leave, the door slammed shut in my face. My breath quickened when I
realized the woman was using her superhero powers.

“I’m
afraid I can’t let you go.”

I
shifted my stance and glared at her. “I don’t appreciate being held against my
will.”

“I
simply want to talk,” she said in a soft voice, as if she was trying not to spook
me.

“You’ve
alerted the others,” I accused, my voice frantic. “Those lunatics tried to kill
us. We have no idea who you are. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

Amused,
she raised an eyebrow. “The better question is, who are you?”

“We
don’t mean you any harm,” I said. “We’re not trying to steal your turf.”

Heavy
wrinkles burrowed into her forehead. “You’re dangerous, Sarah. You don’t know
how to conceal your identity. You let yourself get shot by a gunman on camera,
not to mention within the sight of several eyewitnesses. Luckily, Jackson was
there to fix everything.”

“Jackson,
huh?”

“We
call Cameron by his last name.”

“Oh.
Well, Cameron or Jackson, I met him...and I was glad he was there.”  

She
looked at her watch.

I
couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take for the troops to arrive. “Did
you call the others?” I asked.

“No,”
she said. “I’ll keep your identity secret for now.” She took a deep breath,
then let it out slowly. “Two detectives were just questioning you over the minimart
incident. We can’t let you destroy everything we’ve built here. We’ve worked so
hard to blend in here, into this life.”

“I
didn’t come here to mess up your perfect lives,” I said.

Her
face scrunched up in obvious irritation. “Perhaps not, but you messed things up
further by coming here, to Mercy Hospital.”

“I
was unconscious! My friend Beth called 911.”

Anger
seeped into her features. “You let them draw blood from you.”

“They
did that without my consent, but my sister’s taking care of that little problem
as we speak,” I said proudly.  

“Your
sister?
I’ll
fix it,” she snapped. “Why doesn’t the royal family go find
another place to live? Preferably in a castle in England, someplace far, far
away.”

“My
parents live here. Besides, we’re only here temporarily. There’s a man in our
world who is trying to steal my baby. I only need to stay here until my son
turns eighteen, and then we’ll go back and be out of your hair.”

“Eighteen!
We cannot allow you to stay here that long. It will jeopardize our identity.”

Intense
frustration swept over me. “I demand a meeting with somebody in charge. I think
we can all live in peace, at least for a few years, and I wanna plead my case.”

She
looked into my eyes. “Sarah, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I’m sure
many grim diagnoses have been given in this very room before.”

“Grim
diagnosis? What are you talking about?”

“Sarah,
you’re not going to live long enough to raise your son. You’re dying.”

My
stomach knotted as the reality of the words hit me full force, and I gripped
her hands. “If what you’re saying is true, can you help me?”

“The
energy surging through you is unstable. There’s nothing this hospital can do
for you. You and I both know that.”

“Only
this
hospital? Are you suggesting that there’s another place, another
hospital that can help me? One that deals with special people such as
ourselves?”

“How
very perceptive of you, Sarah.” She shook her head. “I’ll see about getting you
some help this time, but our people can’t keep taking risks to help you. You
need to stay off the radar. I’ll be in touch.” Her voice remained calm and
reassuring, as though she was trying to regain my trust.

“Thank
you, Dr. Meyers,” I said. “I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate your
help.”

“We’ll
have to set up a meeting. We need to know what’s going on and how many Immortals
we’re going to have to deal with. I’ll try to make sure you’re protected, but I
can’t make any promises.”

“Thanks,”
I said.

Without
another word, she turned around and left. The nurse told me my clothes were in
the small dresser and I quickly got dressed.

* * *

L
iz
drove my mother’s spare car that we had borrowed. After she pulled in and
parked, Victor helped me out, and we retired upstairs to my bedroom.

I
watched Victor strip off his pants, shirt, and underwear. My gaze darted from
his powerful shoulders to his rippling abs and his perfect chest, sculpted with
hard muscles. I watched his muscles stretch as he put his arms over his head
and yawned; his hair fell in disheveled waves across his forehead.

“I’m
exhausted,” he said.

I
slipped into a low-cut, silk nightgown with spaghetti straps. “I was too, until
that little strip-tease you just did.”

He
lifted a brow. “What?”

“I
can’t help it. It turns me on so much when you take your clothes off in front
of me.”  

He
suddenly wrapped me in his glorious arms and kissed me softly on the lips. My
heart beat hard in my chest, always my reaction to Victor’s sexy touch. I could
never get enough of him. When I let out a soft moan, he started softly kissing
my neck. His hot breath felt like fire against my skin. His fingers slid down
my back and around the curve of my waist, and his mouth slipped down to my
cleavage.

“Promise
me you’ll never stop sleeping naked,” I whispered in his ear.

“Never,”
he purred.

“Good...and
I promise that once I have the baby, I’ll do the same.”

“Seems
we’ve struck a deal, milady,” he said as he softly nibbled on my earlobe,
drawing another moan from me.

“I
want you,” he whispered seductively in my ear.

“I
want you right now, inside of me,” I breathed, then collapsed in his arms. Spots
started to fill my vision, and I tried desperately to blink them away. “I-I...”

“Sarah?
Are you okay?”

Rubbing
my temples, I gazed up at him. “I feel woozy, and I’m getting this headache.
I’m sorry, Victor.”

“It’s
all right. Are you sure you’re okay.”

“I
just think...well, maybe we oughtta take a rain-check on this.”

“A
rain-check? Hmm. Making love to you in the rain was how I got you pregnant in
the first place.”

I
chuckled. “No, it’s an expression, a way to say we can do this another time. I
think I just need some sleep.”

He
gently broke our embrace. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I was getting a bit carried
away. How selfish of me when you need your rest.”

I
laughed. “It isn’t your fault. My breasts look humongous under this silk
nightgown.”

He
looked at me hungrily. “It makes my blood boil.”

I
winked. “Maybe pregnancy has its advantages. I’m sorry I started something I
couldn’t finish. I promise, though, that I’ll rock your world tomorrow night.”

“And
I shall hold you to it!” he said.

My
body was drained from the energy surge and in desperate need of deep,
comfortable sleep. I crawled under the sheets, my eyes heavy from the ordeal I’d
been through. I’d probably sleep for hours, in spite of my bladder, which
seemed to have shrunk three sizes since I’d gotten pregnant. I smiled as Victor
climbed into bed and encircled me in his strong arms; nothing in the world
could have felt so sublime at that moment. I cuddled against his strong chest, inhaling
his intoxicating scent.

After
we cuddled and talked for nearly an hour, he suddenly sat up. “I need some air,”
he suddenly said.

“You
learned that line from me,” I retorted.

“Hmm.
It seems you’re right, my dear. Perhaps I’ll learn to fit in here after all.” He
flashed me a fake smile that confirmed that he had no intention of staying in
my world for a moment longer than we had to.

“What’s
wrong? Where are you going? Aren’t you tired too?”

“Get
some sleep,” he said softly. “I’ll be back soon.”

My
jaw dropped. “It’s five a.m., Victor.”

“I
need to think.” He kissed my cheek and left without another word.

I
didn’t want to fall asleep by myself, but I had to give him some space. I had
finally drifted off to sleep when my mom knocked on the door, waking me up.

“Hi,
honey,” she said. “I thought you were staying the night at Beth’s. Was
Christopher having a bad night or something?”

I
couldn’t bear to tell my mom I was in the hospital. I knew she’d freak and ask
me a million questions I wasn’t ready to answer. “It’s hard to sleep anywhere
but in my own bed. It was a dumb idea to even stay there in the first place.”

“I
know the feeling,” she said, “but I don’t think it’s safe to be traveling at
night, especially with all those people missing. Haven’t you been reading the
newspapers?”

“We
can handle some psycho, nutcase serial killer. We’re
Immortal
, Mom.”

“I
suppose you’re right.”

I
glanced around, expecting my husband to be with her. “Where’s Victor?”

She
smiled sweetly and handed me a glass of water. “I thought he was here, with you.”

After
thanking her, I took a long sip. “I haven’t seen him.”

“We’re
having roast. It’ll be ready soon, honey.”

“Roast
for breakfast?”

My
mom chuckled. “You slept all day, dear.”

“What
time is it?” I asked.

“Dinnertime,
of course.”

I
ran a hand through my hair. “Wow. I must have been really tired. I’m gonna get dressed
and look for Victor. I’ll be back soon.”

“All
right. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Any morning sickness?”

I
smiled. “I’m fantastic now. It’s amazing what a little shut-eye can do for a
girl.”

She
smiled back at me. “Great. See you in a few.”

“Okay,
Mom.”

As
soon as she left the room, I decided to get a glass of water for my parched
throat. As soon as I walked down the stairs, I smelled the roast. A wave of
nausea overcame me, and I headed for the toilet.
How can I puke when I have
nothing in my stomach?
It felt miserable, absolutely miserable, but once I
was done bowing before the porcelain throne, I felt better and wiped my face
with a cool washcloth.

My
parents had no idea I’d gone to the hospital. Liz had written a note saying we
were staying the night at Beth’s house, so they never questioned where I was. I
thought it was best not to tell them what was going on. My mom worried over the
simplest things, and I definitely didn’t want her to know her daughter was
dying; I knew she needed to know, but I couldn’t bear to put her through
mourning my death once again.

I
picked up a blue teddy bear with a blue ribbon, a gift I’d bought for Alexander
when I’d gone baby shopping with mom. I hugged the bear tightly and swallowed
hard as I contemplated Dr. Meyers’s words: “Sarah, you’re dying...” Emotion
flooded through me as I realized my mom might never get the chance to meet her
grandson.

I
got up, pulled my hair back in a haphazard ponytail, washed my face, brushed my
teeth, and threw on a clean outfit. As I ran down the stairs, my mom yelled my
name. “What, Mom? I’m coming!”

“I
know you’re in a hurry to find Victor, but you must be starving,” she said in a
concerned tone.

The
smell of Mom’s roast, an aroma I used to dream about, now nauseated me. I wasn’t
even sure I’d be able to eat, even though I typically loved my mom’s cooking
too. The only remedy I could think of was fresh air, and I needed to find some
quickly. “I’m gonna, uh...go take a look around,” I said, trying not to gag from
the overpowering smell of cooking meat. “Victor just went for one of his walks.
We’ll both be back for dinner.”