King Cave (75 page)

The king-size bed I now rested on was next to the dressers, its sheets burgundy with plush pillows, and covered with a leopard print fur bedspread. It was big enough to fit three people comfortably, but only one ever lay on it, the bed always icy and empty, too large for only me. Two cherry wood end tables sat on either side of the bed and held black wrought-iron lamps. The end tables were large enough for portraits of family and friends, but none sat there, for I had no friends. My mom was dead, and the man I considered my dad didn’t care enough to even try to help me, even if he endlessly told me he loved me, and somehow in his twisted, cruel mind it was always the
truth
. Over the brown grass that lined the foot of the tent’s walls was an oversized black and burgundy plush rug where my only faithful companion lay, my Vizoac, which was sad in itself as I had been reduced to an elderly person’s distraction. But it was how I liked it, if I really liked anything anymore. Well, that, and the silence my solitude afforded me.

I was Queen Ruckler and everyone wanted a piece of me. At all times. Always for their own diplomatic needs, never once asking honestly or earnestly if there was anything they could do for me, only the kiss asses asking that for their own gain, and those individuals I completely tuned out. But oddly, I didn’t mind those I did speak with keeping things strictly professional. I knew they did it because of the wall I had erected between myself and those in power, the individuals I may have similarities with. Because, point blank, I just wanted everyone to stay the fuck back. I had a hard enough time dealing with my own issues, so the last thing I wanted to do was deal with anyone else’s.

I debated going through the small flap at the back of the tent and taking a bath before opening the spelled, sealed letter I held in my hand, so I stared at the flap mutely in my silent tent, seeing if I gave a shit enough to get up and do it. That was how I did most things in my free time. If I actually got up to do it, then I did it, otherwise, I would zone out and try to remember what had been taken from me. My head cocked at the small flap. When we had first arrived in this camp, it had actually surprised me that there were magically enchanted bathrooms inside the tents, but now I just wondered where all of the waste disappeared to, the ‘enchantment’ gone for me.

When I didn’t get up, I blinked and glanced down at the envelope I held. Maybe I should open it now. It looked vaguely important. When it came to work, I tried to pay attention — anything to keep my mind off what I inevitably came back to after I entered my ‘home’ in the wee hours of the morning. I didn’t sleep much, getting up before dawn and heading back out to do my duty as Queen Ruckler…because, really, what else was there for me to do?

So I opened it.

Read it.

Didn’t feel much of anything as I stood and patted my leg for Bonnie to follow me outside, and she did shadow dutifully as I walked through the camp filled with hundreds of white enchanted tents lined close together, a few wooden chairs and rockers sitting outside their openings on the dead grass. As I moved, I gazed up at the golden bubble that domed the entire encampment. It was transparent and let in the elements, the moon and stars shining brightly through, but Antonio had told me no Com could pass, and neither could any weapons aimed at us, and it masked our whereabouts. It was something special one of the Mages had concocted, making me bet that Mage had also taken the idea from King Cave’s protection, since it resembled it.

Arriving at the lone black tent of the camp — headquarters — Bonnie and I entered. To the right were black leather couches all aimed at the many flat screen TVs magically suspended in midair, all focused on news channels that covered the broadcasts of the world’s major cities. To the left was a wooden oval table and a fridge, sink, and cabinets. Directly in front of us was a long wall of black tent material with a sheer curtain flap for an opening in the center. The entire tent’s material was also sparkling with Mage privacy magic, so it was loud when I entered, since the place was full of Elders and commanding Mysticals — those that I, and the Elders, had hand-selected for our Commanders — on the couches or sitting around the table eating, waiting for the inescapable.

They went mute only a moment later, seeing me enter and stand in place. I nodded my head toward the back of the tent and moved, without asking them to follow, toward the black sheer tent flap, brushing past it to the larger section of the headquarters, which housed the computers and technologically skilled Mysticals. I continued walking, everyone following me silently and continuing the journey with me to the back of the tent where another black wall of tent material separated the large tent in its final, third piece. Mage magic protected this room entirely, the flap I passed under solid, instead of sheer.

I went to the head of the large black marble table, which was identical to the one in King Cave’s main conference room, and continued standing while the others filed into the room around the conference table. When the flap closed, the last Elder or Commander having entered, I cleared my throat in the silence and reopened the missive in my hands, reading aloud its contents word for word. “
Queen Lily Ruckler, negotiations have ceased with the Commoner leaders of the world. The time for attempting peace is over. There is no other viable option. Mystical-Commoner World War II has been officially declared. Strike now. My heartfelt regrets, Elder Richard Harcourt
.” I lowered the missive while Bonnie jumped onto the table, sitting regally but watching everyone warily in front of where I stood, and I stated, “We’re officially at war. I want to strike Sydney’s defenses within the hour, before they realize what’s happening.” My dead gaze landed on Antonio. I blinked, and then moved on to every gentleman and lady in the room, letting my power touch each of them so that no one would dare argue with me. “I will lead the attack alongside Elder Farrar.”

I did.

I relished it, my rage finally finding a useful outlet.

Surprise, surprise, I fucking finally found something I excelled at.

Bloodshed.

Waking the same way for the third morning in a row, I rolled out of bed and raced to the bathroom. Dropping to my knees in front of the toilet, I heaved the contents of my stomach into its porcelain depths, no longer giving a damn where the waste went, just as long as it did and I didn’t have to smell it, nauseating me further. Sweat beading my forehead, I choked, then heaved again until all that came out was stomach acid, burning my throat and nostrils.

Catching my breath, I fumbled for the handle, flushing the toilet. I knew I needed to call Antonio. But the only time I ever spoke to him anymore was on the battlefield when it was necessary, ignoring him the rest of the time, even when he found where I was hiding every night to have my dinner and interrupted my solitude to sit next to me, as if I wanted him there and as if he wanted to be there, always having a one-sided conversation with himself while I zoned out and ate, not hearing a bit of his forced ramblings.

But now I needed to call him.

It had been one month since MCWWII had begun, and before that, two weeks since my memory wipe. During that entire time, I hadn’t had my period. At first, I had brushed it off as stress, but now, with the nausea in the morning, which was in no way normal for a healthy Mystical, I dreaded the worst. But dreading facts didn’t make them go away, so I washed my face and made the call asking him to bring Bindi with him to my tent.

They arrived within ten minutes, both of them appearing harried, surprised, hopeful, and even a tad worried that I had asked for their presence.

Voice as cold as a winter’s night, I stated bluntly, “I think I may be pregnant. But I don’t know how that’s possible because the last thing I remember was having a Mage tie my tubes, and I don’t remember having sex with Finn, or anyone else, any time after my last period.” Both of them appeared about ready to faint. “I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I think I might be.”

Bindi was the fastest to recover, her face going physician-worthy. “If you had your tubes tied, I’m sure by an extremely talented medical professional, then the chances aren’t likely.” She cracked her knuckles on her right hand. “You stated you haven’t had sex since your last period, but not when the first day of your last menstrual cycle began. Can you remember when that was?”

Nice choice of wording.
“The last one I remember was around eight weeks ago.”

She froze, her eyes going wide. “And you’re just now mentioning this?”

“I thought it was stress-related.”

Her nostrils flared, but she nodded once. “That is a viable reason for a missed period,” she growled, “or two.” She cracked her knuckles on her left hand. “Have you had any other symptoms?”

I nodded once. “I’ve been throwing up for the last three mornings.”

Neither said a word.

I added the kicker. “I tried to shift before you two arrived, and I couldn’t.” A pause. “In fact, that was the first time I have tried to shift since waking on the cargo ship.” I hadn’t had a need for it, fighting in my regular form since my wolf was tiny.

Antonio actually wobbled where he stood, and Bindi’s arm jerked out like it was automatic, grabbing his arm to steady him, but her attention was steadfast on me.

When neither said anything, I continued my one-sided conversation. “Is there any other possibility that explains my symptoms?”

Antonio’s gaze flew to Bindi, and she nibbled on her lip a moment, her eyebrows puckered, before she stated almost happily, “You’ve been shot a couple of times during combat with silver bullets. There may still be a fragment of the shell inside you somewhere, which fits all of these symptoms.” She nodded quickly, gesturing to my bed. “Lie down and I’ll do a scan, and if we don’t find anything, then I can do an internal exam as a last resort for pregnancy.”

I did as told, lying on the bed, not bothering to tell her I still had my powers, so the silver excuse wasn’t viable. The exam needed to be done anyway. Feeling cold and bereft, I stared at the ceiling, while Antonio hovered, as Bindi started at my head, her hands glowing. Slowly and methodically she moved her hands over me, an inch away from my skin, leaving not one area untouched as she moved down over my shoulders, each arm, breasts, rib cage, and stomach. But when she got to my lower abdomen she froze, her hand hovering and then glowing brighter. Her body trembled, before her face blanked completely. In a monotone voice, she said, “I’ll need to do that internal exam, Queen Ruckler.” She licked her lips. “It’s not a shard of silver. You are, indeed, pregnant. I can feel the baby’s pulse, beating so faintly I’m positive even a Vampire wouldn’t be able to hear it yet, but it’s strong.”

In that instant, at the verification, something splintered inside my soul. If I thought I had been cold before, this was the arctic that slipped into my veins, uncontrollable as I stared at the tent’s shimmering ceiling.

I’d had sex with someone.

I couldn’t remember him.

Even that memory stolen from me.

So now I was having a stranger’s baby, when I didn’t even like brats to begin with, having spent time in King Cave babysitting the tiny monsters. Why had I babysat? I couldn’t remember, or even begin to guess why I had every other day stepped foot in a nursery when I loathed it so much. But peculiarly I…placing a hand over my flat lower stomach…yes, I wanted this stranger’s child.

My
child. I definitely wanted it, and I didn’t have to remember anything to know that was all my own current knowledge. The baby was
mine
.

Eyes unblinking and my brows puckered, my thoughts began to coil as I began feeling nauseous again.

Why…

It didn’t make sense.

Why the hell would those memories have been taken from me?

A crime yes, but sex with someone?

No, that didn’t make sense.

I blinked as if waking from a dream, a new snaking coldness rushing through my veins.

Unless
…

I lifted my right hand, and gently slid off the ring on my thumb. The one I stared at every night, wondering what it meant. I scrutinized it in a different light. Black
and
red. I blinked slowly, remembering there had once been a scent on the man’s grey t-shirt I wore to bed. The one I wore right now.

Abruptly, a cold tear trickled down my icy cheek.

I now understood the symbolic nature of the ring.

Black and red. Vampire.

Air left me, my gaze flying to my stomach, as realization dawned, only to demolish like morose obscurity, ripping away any real clarity because the possibilities were endless within the Vampire faction. I was mind raped because I’d had sex with a Vampire. Law 6002, one of the newest.

Breathless, I shook my head, letting it fall back on the pillow. My breathing hiccupped repeatedly. Someone had fucked with my mind because of who I’d had sex with. I placed the ring in front of my blurry eyes, tilting it to read the inscription as I had done a million times.

It read:
The Beauty Is Found.

The Vampire must have loved me, just as I must have loved him — I wore his ring — for both of us to have risked something so dear as losing stages of time, our past. My
mind
. This was enough to make anyone go insane, and I sure as hell was already halfway there.