The Banshee's Revenge (The Banshee's Embrace Trilogy) (11 page)

Deep inside her, Death laughed at her thoughts.

You are so stupid, Jacqueline. You can't ever have a normal life again
.

She brushed aside Death's words as Toby came in the room. In one hand he held a plate with a sandwich and fruit, while the other grasped a tall glass of milk.

"You need to be eating better." He put down the food on the dresser. "You're too skinny."

"Not anymore."

Jacqueline turned to show him her profile.

For a moment, Toby just stared. Disbelief flickered briefly in his eyes before he nodded in acceptance.

"What the hell happened?"  He scratched his head. "I thought sex was okay when a woman was pregnant."

"It is!" Jacqueline laughed but something in his manner made her nervous. He didn't seem as shocked as she was by her sudden girth. "This has nothing to do with sex."

Toby stepped forward, reached out a hand, and placed it on her rounded belly. His face lit up as the baby kicked in response to his touch.

"I felt her," he said. "She's strong."

"How do you know it's a girl?" Jacqueline watched the emotions streak across his face, feeling her own heart warmed by them.

"I just know."

He placed both hands on her stomach, measuring its growth.

"This is impossible," Toby said. "You look like you could give birth any minute."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment, but I know what you mean. Our baby is special. She's different from us, different from anything on the planet."

Toby's face darkened, but he kept silent.

Unease stirred in her.

"Toby, what's wrong?" she asked. "Besides the fact that I've gone from a little bit pregnant to a full-on jelly belly."

"I'm worried about you and this child."

"We're fine."

"But how do you know that? You haven't been taking care of yourself these past few months," he pointed out. "As far as I can tell, you've been on a diet of revenge and hardly any food."

"The baby is fine. I would know if something were really wrong."

"Would you?"

"Of course!"

"Until I placed that charm around your neck, I'm not even sure you cared that you were pregnant. Your rational reasoning skills have been lacking lately." Toby's voice was neutral and calm, but Jacqueline heard the underlying judgment in them. She fought hard to push away the ready anger. "You've got to be more careful with your emotions. What if the baby is feeding off the anger and hate you've been feeling? What if it's absorbing the bad energy of Death? Would you really know these things?"

Her hand reached up to touch Morrigan's Kiss as she thought about his words. He was right. She hadn't really been experiencing maternal instincts until she'd put the necklace on. That part of her had been silent, pushed into some back corner, and held hostage by her anger. It was only now that it dawned on her that she had a life--a living, breathing baby inside her womb that was dependent on her.

The baby was counting on her for survival, for love.

Overwhelmed, Jacqueline started to cry, but a sharp pain in her stomach had her doubling over and falling to her knees.

"Jacqueline?" Toby rushed to her as she gasped for air. "What's going on? What are you feeling?"

"Pain," she mumbled, trying to breathe as the sensation happened again. "Something's wrong."

Toby picked her up and carried her to the bed.

"Lay still." He placed her on the sheets and ran a hand over her forehead. "You're warm."

"It just caught me off guard." She brushed his hand away, trying to ignore a second hitch of pain. "It's alright now."

"Why don’t I call a doctor or better yet, take you to the hospital?"

"And tell them what? That I have a baby with wizard and banshee DNA inside me?" Jacqueline shook her head. "No. I'm not taking any chances that something might show up in one of their tests as an abnormality. We don't need that kind of attention."

"Still--"

"Hospitals are hard places for a banshee to be, Toby. There's too much death lingering there. Besides, it's better now. The pain is going away."

"I'll bring a doctor here then."

"I just said I don't want to draw attention to our baby!"

"I know a few people who practice medicine in the human world, but also work with supernatural creatures, too," Toby explained. "Let me just call one of them. Please, Jacqueline. This is for the baby."

Damn. Why did he have to make so much sense?

She sighed and leaned against the pillows propped behind her.

"Fine. But don't tell them too much. Let them think this has been a regular pregnancy and that I didn't suddenly balloon up five minutes ago," she said, watching the relief cross Toby's face.

And yet, there was a strange shadow in his eyes that she didn't like.

He was keeping something from her.

"Okay, let me make a few calls. I need to get my books from my house, too. There may be something in them that's useful for our situation." Toby stood. "Will you be okay alone for a little while?"

"Toby, I'm pregnant, not dying of cancer. Women have done this forever. I think I can manage. I’m not going anywhere."

He gave her a wry grin before fetching the sandwich and milk from the dresser.

"Then manage this, too. You need to eat."

She grabbed half of the sandwich and took a big bite.

"Happy?" she asked after swallowing it.

"Some. I'll be back soon."

The soft kiss he planted on her lips made her tingle despite the creature stirring in her womb.

"I love you, Jacqueline. No matter what happens, don't ever forget that."

After he'd gone, Jacqueline forced herself to keep eating the sandwich. She could still feel little flickers of pain in her abdomen. Though she had never given birth before, Jacqueline knew the pain was too high up to be the stirrings of labor.

Maybe it was a growing pain.

An awful thought occurred to her.

What if Death was waging war with the unborn child?

"No." Jacqueline shook away the thought. "That's impossible. Morrigan's Kiss is supposed to protect me from harm."

Soft and low, she could hear Death's response.

It protects you, but not the baby…

Cold fear washed over Jacqueline.

That's right, little banshee. You're safe, but the baby is up for grabs--so to speak.

"Leave her alone."

You can't control what goes on in here. I'm just playing with her a bit. Sorry if our fun causes you pain. Besides, I have no desire to harm this baby. She's my ticket out.

"If you harm my child…" Jacqueline shook her head, too angry to finish the thought.

You'll what? Kill me?
Death laughed
. Too late for that! Oh, how I do like that man of yours. Clever fellow! I'll be sure to thank him for all he's done.

"What do you mean?"

Haven't you figured it out? His little deal to keep you safe? The charm?

"He made a deal with Morrigan."

Yes, that's true. He made a deal to keep you safe. But as for the baby…I happen to know that Morrigan does not give her protection without gaining something in return.

"She asked him to make himself available to help her with magical issues involving the wizards."

This baby is powerful. She’ll want it.

"No. Toby wouldn't agree to that?" Jacqueline protested, but she couldn't quite forget the strange darkness she'd seen hiding in his eyes.

Not too sure, are you? He didn't seem all that surprised to see your stomach, did he? And why do you think your baby is suddenly ready to be born? It started after you put Morrigan's Kiss on. She is anxious to get her hands on the child.

Jacqueline touched the necklace, pondering Death's words.

Tears welled up in her eyes as her emotions betrayed her.

Don't cry little banshee. Take comfort in this thought. Morrigan may want your baby, but she won't expect me to be tagging along. I'll take care of her for you
.

"Stay away from my child!" Jacqueline screamed the words. "You can't have her!"

Yes, I can, little banshee. But if I were you, I'd be angrier at the wizard you love so much. He's the one who made the deal. Morrigan would have been very clear on her terms. It's not like he didn't know that he would have to give her the child.

Angered, Jacqueline forced herself to get up from the bed. She paced the small room, panicked by Death's words, unsure whether or not she should believe them.

And by the way, this charm may protect you from those who wish you harm, but it also dims your power. Have you noticed that?

"Shut up!" Jacqueline fought to block Death's voice. "Get out of my head."

Oh, I will. Eventually. But back to my point. If I'd said these things to you earlier, your power would have rose up and helped you fight back. You could have blocked my voice in an instant or even prevented me from coming through earlier to Toby. The charm mutes your power. They have you right where they want you. You're vulnerable now. Toby's got you trapped.

Was it true? She had been calmer since putting the charm on. All of her emotions had been easier to keep in check.

But what was wrong with that?

Didn't it feel good to let some of the hate go?

"I'll ask Toby about this," Jacqueline said. "He'll tell me the truth if I ask."

Will he? You really think he'll admit that he wants to give your baby away, perhaps even have it killed? I didn't think you were that big a fool
.

Killed?

Toby wouldn't do that to their baby. He wouldn't make a promise like that.

Would he?

*****

Arwan was back in his own kingdom, feeling thoroughly pleased with himself.

He hadn't gained any insight into what Morrigan wanted with the banshee's child, but he had got to spend a wonderful few hours in her bed.  Who cared why she wanted some kid when you had the opportunity to have sex with a goddess of her caliber?

She had asked him for a favor and charmed by her as he always was, Arwan had agreed.

Gwydion was screwed, he reflected. The wizard had no chance at the banshee with Morrigan's Kiss around her neck.

Neither did he for that matter.

Fine. Pregnant chicks were not his thing anyway.

"Arwan!"

Hades appeared before Arwan, startling him from his thoughts. Tiny beads of sweat immediately broke out on Arwan's forehead, partially from the heat Hades always carried with him, but also from fear.

Not that he hadn't been expecting it--but a visit from Hades himself was never a good thing.

"Hades, what a pleasure," Arwan began, but the older god cut him off with a fierce look.

"Cut the crap, Arwan. You're not doing your job and I want to know why."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You don't? Are you an idiot then? Have you not noticed a serious lack of souls arriving in your division?" Hades frowned and crossed his burly arms. He wore a black, hooded robe that hid his hair color, but his eyes burned bright in his round pale face. They were a mix of fiery orange and yellow. "You've got a problem with souls going back into their bodies instead of being properly assisted to the other side. My job is to keep the scales of life and death balanced. You're fucking that up."

"Well…it's not my fault. There's this banshee…and…" Arwan despised the stammer he heard himself creating, but couldn’t stop doing it.

"I know about the banshee. That shit isn’t my problem. It's yours. I'm going to make this real, real simple since you're just some low level Welsh god who can't keep his dick in his pants half the time." Hades sneered and leaned in close enough for Arwan to feel the heat singe the hair on his forehead. "Kill the banshee, collect the souls yourself, and get your shit together. I don't want hear about whatever personal drama this woman is causing you or anyone else.  I don't care what deals you have to make to get the job done. Just make it happen!"

"Yes, Hades." Arwan bowed his head humbled. "As you wish."

"And Arwan, if this doesn't happen in the next day or so, I'm coming back here and ripping your soul into so many tiny pieces that no one will ever put them back together again. Are we clear?" Hades eyes sparkled with anger. "Speak up! I can't hear you."

"Yes!"

Hades disappeared as quickly as he'd come.

Arwan let out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Anger and shame crept through him as he thought about Hades' orders. The older god was right. Arwan had been too lenient. Technically, Jacqueline wasn't one of his subjects since she was still alive and those that worked in his realm were dead. However, there were always loopholes in their world.

The charm prevented him from killing Jacqueline, but there was no use in trying to explain that to Hades. Nor did he particularly want to fall out of Morrigan's good graces. He had agreed to grant her a favor. She wouldn't be pleased if her plans were messed up.