Fated Blood: A paranormal erotic romance series (The Twisted Destiny Saga Book 5) (14 page)

CHAPTER 22

Marella watched Nathanial sitting at their dining room table, pushing his food around his plate with his fork and staring into space. He’d been that way since they’d made dinner together. And it wasn’t because he was a vampire and didn’t eat. He did eat every now and then, especially with her. They always had dinner together. They always
made
dinner together, just like they had done tonight. No, she knew something was wrong. He’d been distracted all night. Normally he told her what was on his mind, but tonight that hadn’t been the case and it concerned her greatly. It meant that whatever was bothering him was extremely serious.

She couldn’t take it anymore and so she finally asked, “Nathanial, what is it?”

He looked up, startled by her sudden question cutting through the long silence between them. “I’m trying to determine my best course of action regarding a sensitive issue.”

“Would you care to elaborate on that guarded response?” she pressed with amusement.

He stared at her for several moments, clearly trying to decide whether he should let her in on it or not. And then he smiled. “Well, you
are
my wife. So I suppose I should.”

She grinned. “Yes, you should.”

He set his fork down and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “Cora is going to kill Oriana.”

Marella almost shot out of her seat. “What?” she exclaimed. “When?”

“Tonight.”

“How do you know this?”

“She revealed it to me today after the Royal Court meeting when I confronted her about her recent activities.”

Marella took his words in and pondered the situation for a moment. “I can sense your desire to act. But you should do nothing, Nathanial. Let Cora do this.”

He shook his head. “I can’t.”

She leaned across the table and took his hands in hers. “You need to let it go.”

“Marella—”

“Nathanial, I know you always envisioned that
you
would be there to witness her demise. But Oriana is your past. Everything she did, all of that. This…” she said, gesturing between them, “…is your
future
. This is what matters.” She eyed her pregnant belly. “And our daughter.”

“Angel, you misunderstand. I
have
let it go. I don’t have any emotion towards her. No anger, no need for vengeance.”

“Then what is this about?”

“I am concerned about Ryan.”

“Ryan? I don’t follow.”

He gazed at her intensely as he revealed, “Cora is with child.”

Marella gasped in surprise. “You are sure? She didn’t look as though—”

“She is concealing the pregnancy.”

“Does Ryan know?”

“I’m not sure. But I am certain that he doesn’t know about her plan to take on his mother tonight.”

“She is strong, Nathanial.”

“Yes, but the child is wolf, just like Orion. She is already expending a tremendous amount of power just to sustain it.”

Marella nodded her understanding. “She won’t be at full power when she confronts Oriana. Oh my God, Nathanial.”

He rose from the table and ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. “I know. It is why I must go to her. But she is currently blocking me. I can’t reach her. I have no idea where she is.”

“Who did she meet with about Oriana?”

“Kristoff, Michael, and Davidas.”

“Davidas?” she muttered with distaste.

“I believe he gave her something of faerie magic to assist her with Oriana. She must have used Kristoff and Michael’s black magic to locate her.”

“They’re both in the castle. Let’s ask them.”

Nathanial shook his head. “They will not tell us anything. And I don’t have enough time to force it from them through torture.”

Marella cringed at his mention of such torture.

“I am sorry, angel. I know you disapprove of such methods. Sometimes it is necessary, but as I said, it will be of no use in this case. Both Kristoff and Michael are too experienced for me to be able to break them in time. It would take days. They will protect Cora’s secret, because they both want Oriana dead, especially Kristoff. Oriana murdered his wife, after all. As Cora is blocking my dark magic, there is only one person who can track her right now. Ryan. I am hesitant, however.”

“Because of his temper,” Marella realized.

“Which is at its most uncontrollable when Cora is in any sort of danger.”

“You wish to go along with him?”

“Yes. Cora will need my assistance if she is not at full power. But not just me. Kristoff. There is no one more powerful with regards to
black
magic.”

A knock at the door startled them both.

“It’s open!” Nathanial called out.

A moment later, Kristoff walked in.

“You heard us?” Nathanial asked.

“Yes,” Kristoff said, closing the door behind him and walking into the room. “Marella,” he greeted politely before turning his attention to Nathanial. “Oriana is at the one place where she believed Cora would never dare to go back to. Marlowe Grove.”

Marella could see that the place rang a bell for Nathanial. His brow furrowed, though, as though he were surprised that Oriana was apparently holed up
there
. “The village that Vazra leveled with his
burning fire of white light
in a fit of rage a few years ago?”

“Yes, but it has more significance than that. I didn’t think he’d have told you.”

“Told me what?” Nathanial snapped.

“That village was collateral damage. Cora’s mother lived there. The home that she resided in is the only thing left standing, actually. Cora was visiting her that afternoon. Her mother left the house when she sensed Vazra’s power. She didn’t fight him. She sacrificed herself, allowing him to cut her down with his magic in a bid to protect her daughter inside the house.”

“You’re saying that Vazra killed his wife? Cora’s mother?” Marella asked, shocked.

“Yes.”

“How do you know this when the rest of us are clueless?” Nathanial demanded.

“Because none of
you
were sleeping with her.”

“For goodness sake, Kristoff!” Nathanial exclaimed. “Cora’s mother?”

Kristoff held up his hands. “Look, she came to me. It was a brief affair. That is all. She was lonely. I was…between women. Anyway, that day, she contacted me when she sensed Vazra’s magic. She wanted my help. But Vazra attacked in the afternoon, and being vampire, I couldn’t go to her until the sun went down. By the time I got there all I found were scorch marks on the ground.”

“And Cora?” Marella asked.

“Gone.”

“She doesn’t know that Vazra was responsible for her mother’s death,” Nathanial said.

“She probably assumed it was a revenge attack brought on by her mother’s job as a Seeker at the time,” Kristoff said.

“Let’s leave it that way. She doesn’t need to know. She’s already been through too much,” Marella suggested.

“Indeed,” Nathanial agreed.

“Oriana will tell her anyway. She knew all of Vazra’s secrets and I am sure that this is no exception,” Kristoff pointed out.

Marella watched with irritation as Nathanial and Kristoff proceeded to argue for the next several minutes, each of them clinging firmly to their own point of view.

Suddenly, a sharp pain ripped through Marella’s belly and she cried out.

Instantly, Nathanial was by her side. “What is it, angel?”

Her eyes were wide as she placed her hand on her belly. “Our child,” she rasped through gritted teeth as another painful contraction assaulted her.

Nathanial gathered her in his arms and carried her in a burst of vampire speed to their bed at the back of the room. He laid her down gently and pressed his hand to her belly.

“Yes, the baby is coming.”

She grabbed his arm tightly. “Don’t leave me, Nathanial.”

“Of course not, angel,” he said, smiling down at her. “I will not move from your side.”

“Nathanial,” Kristoff called. “There isn’t time. I must go now. Are you coming or not?”

Marella watched Nathanial glare at him. She knew he was worried. With Cora not at full strength because of her pregnancy, she would need powerful dark magic on her side, not just Kristoff’s black magic.

“Nathanial?” she said, worried he was going to have to leave her.

He shook his head at her. “I’m not leaving you when you are about to give birth to our child, angel. I will remain by your side to help you through it.
You
are my priority above all else.”

She smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

“Of course. You are my wife.” He stepped back from her and called out, “Luca!”

A moment later, Luca teleported into the room.

His shirt was open and his pants were undone. He look flustered and out of sorts. His eyes landed on Nathanial and he grumbled, “Father, I expected you to be alone.” He hastily hurried to zip up his fly and button his shirt.

Marella noticed Kristoff’s less-than-pleased expression. It was obvious that Luca had been in the middle of
romancing
his daughter.

“I apologize,” Nathanial told him. “This is urgent.”

Marella saw Luca’s eyes stray to her lying on the bed and writhing in pain. “Uh…I’m not exactly qualified to help with this,” he said nervously.

“Relax. That is not why I called you here. I need you to go with Kristoff in my place. I cannot leave my wife. She is about to give birth.”

“Sure. Where am I going?”

“To help Cora to defeat Oriana. Outside of me, you are the only being that possesses enough dark power.”

Luca blinked hard, evidently, more than a little shocked by what his father was telling him. “What? Cora is going to kill Oriana?”

“Yes.”

“Well, let her.”

“It’s not that simple,” Nathanial said.

“She has more power than all of us combined. It seems pretty simple to me. Oriana can’t hurt her.”

“She will not be at full power, Luca. She is with child.”

“What? Again? She just gave birth to Orion not long ago. Does Ryan not understand the concept of protection?”

“It is not our business,” Nathanial said. “Perhaps they wanted another child.”

Luca rolled his eyes. “Unbelievable.”

“You should worry more about
your
business in that area,” Kristoff cut in.

Luca spun around and snarled. “I told you already that Aerona will not be bearing my child any time soon. Drop it!”

Nathanial growled in disapproval at that news. “Excuse me? There will be no child?”

“Not yet, father. In time, I promise there will be,” Luca quickly amended.

“Nathanial!” Marella called. “Can we concentrate on
our
child right now?”

He took her hand and kissed her palm gently. “I am sorry, angel. Of course.” He looked at Luca and Kristoff. “Discussion over. Go to Cora. Leave us now unless you wish to witness what is about to happen here.”

Marella watched Luca look between them uneasily. “No, I’m fine never having to see anything of the sort.”

Kristoff grabbed his hand. A moment later the two of them teleported away.

Immediately, Nathanial’s full attention was on her and he set about making her comfortable and preparing for the imminent birth of his daughter, like the amazing husband that he truly was to her.

CHAPTER 23

“Come closer, my love,” Ryan murmured sleepily as the fact that Cora was no longer nestled against him roused him awake.

He reached for her but he only made contact with her pillow. He opened his eyes and looked over at her. But she wasn’t there. A rush of adrenaline shot through him and he sat up, suddenly wide awake.

“Cora!” he called out.

There was no answer.

He drew on his wolf senses to locate her. He could feel her but it was very distanced. It meant she wasn’t in their apartment. Hell, she wasn’t anywhere near. “Fuck,” he breathed anxiously. Not again. He hated it when she disappeared without telling him. Did she really think he wouldn’t notice? He was a wolf for fuck’s sake. There was no question that he’d notice if she wasn’t by his side.

He heard Orion’s disgruntled cries coming from the next room. He could feel his father’s anxiety. As he climbed off the bed to go to him, he knocked something off the bed. He reached down to pick it up. It was a note with his name on it. Cora’s handwriting. He opened it and read:
There’s something I had to do. Be back before morning. Nothing to worry about. Don’t follow me, Ryan. Love, Cora.

“Like fuck I’m not gonna follow you, woman.”

He tossed the note back on the bed and snatched up his cell before hurrying out of the bedroom to Orion’s room. He crossed to his crib and lifted him out. Holding him in the crook of his left arm, he murmured softly, “It’s okay, Orion. Sorry I woke you. Everything is fine. Go back to sleep, my boy.”

As he rocked him back and forth, he dialed with his free hand.

“Ry?” Josh’s voice came. “It’s 2 a.m.,” he complained.

“Cora’s gone.”

“What? Where?”

“I don’t know. On some sort of mission. She left a note but it didn’t tell me much.”

He heard Josh’s hesitation down the line and Shaye’s hushed voice in the background. He thought he heard a familiar name.
He has wolf hearing, Shaye,
he heard Josh chastising her.

“Josh, tell me,” Ryan said as calmly as possible.

“You sound too calm,” Josh pointed out.

“My son is upset. I’m calm for him.”

“Right, well, try to maintain that after what I’m about to tell you.”

There was a pause and Ryan realized he was waiting for his response. “Yes. Just say it. Fuck, J.”

“We think Cora has gone after Oriana.”

“What?”

“The other night at the party she was talking about her, how she hadn’t forgiven her for what she did to your marriage and taking Orion and everything. It was pretty clear she wanted vengeance. I guess she managed to find her somehow.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because you were already torn up about what happened with your marriage thanks to Oriana. I didn’t want to bring it up again. Plus, Shaye and I never thought Cora would be able to find her. She must’ve enlisted some help.”

“I need you to come here now and watch Orion.”

“Ry, I think you should stay out of this. She’s so powerful now that she can kill Oriana with a flick of her wrist.”

“A lot of her power is being redirected elsewhere right now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s pregnant.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes. A girl.”

“Wow!”

“Josh, focus! Get over here. I need to go after her. She’s in danger, as is my daughter now.”

“All right. I’m on my way. You’re sure you can track her? What if she’s blocking you?”

“She can only block magical trackers like Nathanial. She can’t block my wolf sense. I can find her anywhere. Now, hurry.”

Ryan hung up and gazed at Orion. “Your mother is trying my patience again, son. Let’s hope that your sister doesn’t inherit her stubborn streak.” He blew out a heavy sigh. “Boys are much easier than girls, huh?”

Orion growled in response.

“Yeah, you know it too.”

Shit, I can’t believe she did this. Wait—of course I can—she’s always pulling shit like this. Fucking hell, Cora! I can’t lose you again!