AFTER CECIL'S NEWLY GAINED MATE, SALEM,
COLLAPSED IN THE BEDROOM, ALL HELL BROKE
LOOSE. In the chaos that ensued, Ulrich almost burned the house down
and Thoren nearly deafened everyone with a howl so loud it could pierce
the heavens. To shifters like them, Salem's timing was 'impeccable'. And
by that, Cecil meant horrible.
Compiled with the fact that they'd just made love—and likely
conceived a baby in the process—and Cecil's mates were absolutely
freaking out.
Cecil was, too—but fortunately for him, Valencia swooped in during the
fallout and soothed the scene like rain to a fire. In no time at all, she had
Salem tended to, the room and bedsheets cleaned, and everyone clothed and
settled in for more snacks and wine. Salem's housemaid was a force of
nature. The magi didn't know how she managed it all.
Eying his mates, Cecil could sense Ulrich and Thoren's discomfort with
the situation. Few shifters had the gall to drink wine when one of their own
was in trouble. Valencia had insisted, however, and put her foot down.
"This is a cause for celebration," she insisted. "You three are expecting
now."
"But why is he so sick?" Thoren demanded. "He can't even celebrate
with us in his current condition."
"Because the ritual took," Val retorted.
The housemaid's answer made Cecil feel simultaneously relieved and
anxious.
Valencia dabbed Salem's face with a wet cloth, then laid it across his
forehead. She reminded Cecil of his mother whenever he was sick. Despite
being the queen of Sorcerea and having plenty of maids around while Cecil
was growing up, she always insisted on tending to him personally. He knew
it was a small gesture of love on his mother's part—and was grateful Salem
also had someone as caring and experienced as Valencia to help with the
pregnancy.
Cecil had a feeling they would be lost without her.
"That's amazing news!" Ulrich grinned.
"It is," Cecil agreed. "But is his condition going to get worse?"
Valencia pulled out a handheld fan and fanned Salem's face with it.
"I'm afraid I cannot answer your question. Only time will tell."
"When will we know more about the baby?" Thoren inquired.
"When Master Salem is further along, we can check on the status. It will
take time, though. I must procure certain equipment."
Cecil wondered if the housemaid was referring to magical technology
Sorcerea used to scan wombs. But Salem wasn't a woman and his
pregnancy was far from normal. Cecil hadn't a clue what kind of device
they'd use. "What kind of equipment?"
"The kind that can see through a vampire's thick skin," she chuckled.
"Vampires have thicker skin?"
"Yes. We can only conduct ultrasounds with special machines. The last
time we needed them, the late king requested help from the king of the
Wilds."
Thoren quirked an eyebrow. "Who would've guessed."
"It was a worthwhile exchange, bargaining for the use of one," Valencia
sighed. "But the late king's pregnancy was uneventful, and he only
consented to using the device when it was necessary."
"Wow." Cecil's eyes widened. "Wasn't that risky?"
"Not exactly. Vampires have very resilient bodies. They adapt to
pregnancy quickly. This is all the more true with Blue Bloods. They are
wired biologically to conceive and produce healthy babies even if their
pregnancies are unmonitored."
"That's incredible."
Valencia gazed at Salem. The softness of her eyes and the small smile
on her lips made her look angelic. "It is a gift," she said. "The burden and
sacrifice you four shoulder will save us all."
Cecil's heart filled with an emotion the magi hadn't experienced before.
Perhaps the image of a goddess like Valencia caring for his child did it for
him. Or maybe it was the sacrificial bit in her speech, which made him puff
up with pride.
Then there was the elephant in the room: Cecil and his mates were now
fathers. Cecil couldn't pinpoint which moved him the most.
Before he could ponder the matter further, Ulrich spoke. "How can we
help him? There must be a way to make the pregnancy easier for him."
Valencia smiled at him. "Clever dragon, there is."
"There is?!" Cecil gasped.
"When the late king was pregnant with Master Salem, we purchased
supplies from a shop in the Wilds. I believe that shop still exists today."
Ulrich and Thoren exchanged concerned looks. "You mean we have to
go to the Wilds?"
She nodded. "Unfortunately, there is no other way."
The three of them sat quietly as they processed her words. His mates,
who were much more versed in the geography of the Wilds than he was,
seemed worried about her proclamation. Their reactions made perfect sense
to Cecil, who understood the politics of the Wilds like the back of his hand.
They forced him to study them, and knew their laws well. Without
clearance, entering the Wilds was the quickest way to start life anew. As
romantic as it sounded on paper—it wasn't. Once you entered the Wilds,
you weren't allowed to leave again. If you did, fleets of Seekers—
mercenaries who worked for the king to reign in deserters—would track
you down.
Ulrich fretted with the belt of his robe, twirling it around his finger.
"Will we have clearance to go there?"
"You three bear Master Salem's Mark. So long as you have that, you are
untouchable no matter where you go."
Thoren didn't seem convinced. "Are you sure about that?"
"I'm positive," Valencia huffed. "Disobeying the Mark is an act of war."
Cecil let the gravity of her statement wash over him. He'd heard
magical things about Bloodborne's Mark since he was a child. It was a
coveted title, one befitting a prince like Cecil. With it, he had authority to
go wherever he pleased, unbound by the rules of other kingdoms. He
imagined traveling with Ulrich and Thoren to the Wilds and couldn't help
the sigh that escaped his lips. He'd always dreamed of sightseeing there,
and perhaps now he'd finally get his chance.
"We should go!" he suggested before either of his mates could think
otherwise.
Ulrich and Thoren narrowed their eyes at him. "No way," Thoren
disagreed. "The dragon and I will go. You stay here with Valencia and
watch over them."
Cecil wanted to argue, but Ulrich interrupted before he could get a word
out. "Besides, you're the only one who can upgrade the wards and with the
baby on the way, shouldn't we do that?"
Ulrich had a point. Cecil sighed and kissed his dreams of traversing the
Wilds goodbye. For now. "Fine, but bring me back a souvenir."
"Deal," his shifter mates said in unison.
Cecil laughed, and the others joined in. Now that they had a plan to help
their pregnant mate, the tension in the room eased up. Just like magic, Cecil
thought gleefully. He loved solutions that worked.
Valencia pushed to her feet and snapped her fingers. Faster than the eye
could see, she disappeared and returned with a box in hand. Her movements
—which were faster than Cecil could track—never ceased to amaze the
magi. He knew vampires were fast, but Salem's housemaid was on a whole
other level.
"I'll get supplies ready for your journey," she told them. "In the
meantime, please monitor him. He'll need lots of ice. Keep the room cold.
Oh and feed him these when he's hungry." Valencia handed Cecil the box
and shimmied out of the room.
He peeled the box open and peered inside. Upon examining the
contents, he passed the box off to Ulrich. "Salem's a vampire, all right.
Looks like she left us with pouches of blood."
Thoren curled his nose. "Do you think the baby will drink blood, too?"
The dragon pulled out one of the plastic containers that looked like
something children would eat from and chuckled. "Anything is possible."
Cecil imagined Salem giving their child a bottle filled with blood and
gagged. "Thanks for that mental image."
The werewolf snickered. "You're welcome."
"Do you think it needs to be refrigerated?" Ulrich wondered.
"Most likely," Cecil sighed. "Blood is stored at very low temperatures."
"You're very knowledgeable about that." Ulrich winked.
"Comes with the territory, being a prince and all."
Ulrich opened the suite's small fridge and arranged the pouches inside.
He adjusted the temperature gauge before closing it. "That should do it."
Cecil explored the room until he found the thermostat and cranked it
down as Valencia suggested. It wasn't long before the room cooled to
inhuman levels of coldness. When he returned to the bedroom, he found
Thoren and Ulrich perched in chairs, watching Salem's every breath.
"Aren't you guys cold?" They looked at him like he grew three heads.
Cecil smirked and rolled his eyes. "Oh, that's right. You're both Shifters.
How could I forget?"
Of course the dragon and the werewolf would have innate protection
from the cold. Cecil rubbed his arms and checked on Val while his mates
kept watch.
He found her in her usual spot—the kitchen—filling containers with
rations of snacks. "Is that for Ulrich and Thoren?" he asked.
She smiled at him and nodded. "Yes. They have a long journey ahead of
them."
"Really?" Cecil frowned.
"Yes. It will take them at least two weeks to arrive in the Wilds."
"Two weeks?!" Cecil nearly had a heart attack. "But Salem can't wait
that long!"
"I'm afraid we have little choice," she said. "Without a portal, they will
have to traverse the land. Even if Ulrich flies them, the journey will take
time."
"A portal, huh?" Cecil cracked his knuckles. "I think I can help with
that."
Valencia's eyes widened. "You can?"
Cecil rubbed the tip of his nose and grinned wide. It was about time his
magic was put to good use. "What kind of magi would I be if I couldn't
summon a portal?"
"In that case, I'll pack less." The relief on her face was almost palpable.
"Do you need anything to aid you with summoning it?"
He thought for a moment. "It takes a lot of magic to summon one..."
"I see. I'll have a feast ready to replenish your resources."
"Are you a mind reader?" Cecil loved how attentive and mature
Valencia was. With her around, he needn't worry about being the most read
person in the house like he did at home.
"I've had years of training and practice," she answered, stuffing a few
less containers into a travel-sized bag.
Cecil sauntered over to the island and pulled himself up onto a barstool.
He leaned against the counter and eyed her as she worked. "You've been
with Salem for a long time, huh?"
"I have." Valencia turned toward the refrigerator and placed the bag
she'd prepared inside.
"Then you must know a lot about him."
Valencia laughed and looked back at him with eyes that read him like a
book. "And you must want to know more about him," she concluded.
"You really are a mind reader."
"I'll make some tea." She readied a kettle on the stove and retrieved
some cookies from a jar before spreading them out on a plate. When the
water boiled, she poured it into prepared teacups and waited as the tea
steeped.
When it was ready, Valencia prepared everything on a tray and slid it
onto the island. She took a seat next to him. "What would you like to
know?"
"Everything?" Cecil thought for a moment. "But that's too vague. What
was Salem like as a child?"
She stared into her teacup, deep in thought. "The late king, Salem's
father, had high expectations of him. He had to grow up too quickly."
"I can relate to that," Cecil sighed. He bit into a cookie and munched on
it while Valencia continued speaking. "Did he hate it?"
"Sometimes," she mused. "But Master Salem was a mature child. He
took on his duties with diligence. From the outside looking in, it seemed
like he wanted to please his father whether or not he bemoaned his fate."
Cecil took a sip of his tea and imagined a younger Salem taking on
inheriting a throne. Unlike his mate, Cecil had never worried about
assuming leadership of a kingdom. His mother handled it all herself. "My
mother's kept hold of the throne so long, I never had to worry about taking
over. Do you think he...?"
"Regrets it?" she surmised.
He nodded.
"If he was a normal vampire, ruling the kingdom would be easy for him.
I think the only thing he regrets is his nature."
"That's sad." Cecil couldn't imagine ever regretting becoming a magi.
The magic that flowed through his veins was his lifeblood. Without it, he
would be like a fish out of water.
She gazed into her tea as if it contained life's deepest secrets. "Yes, but I
believe you three will change that."
Cecil thought about that for a moment. He reached for another cookie
and took a bite. "I hope you're right."
Valencia grinned. "Trust me, he will change quickly once he sees the
baby."
Her words filled the magi with a warm, bubbly feeling. "I can't wait to
meet them. I've been wondering who the baby will take after more. Can
you imagine my eyes, Salem's smile, Thoren's nose, and Ulrich's hair?"
Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. "Can you imagine if the child was a
shifter like Ulrich or Thoren?"
Cecil paled at the thought. "I have no experience with dragon babies
and werewolf pups."
Valencia giggled as she poured him another cup of tea. "It might be time
to learn."
"You're probably right." Cecil raised his teacup to his lips and
considered asking Thoren and Ulrich about it later.
"Or," Valencia paused, "what if the baby is a vampire?"
The image of a baby bottle filled with blood returned to his mind's eyes
and he choked. "I don't think I'm prepared for that, either," he admitted.
She looked at him for a long moment before turning her gaze down to
her hands. "You will be ready when the time comes."
Cecil imagined all the problems he could run into with a dragon,
werewolf, or vampire baby and shuddered. "How do you know? What if I
mess up? Or worse, what if I'm a terrible dad?"
He could see it now. Once their child reached the rebellious stage,
they'd give Cecil a run for his money. Whether it was by burning down the
house, changing one night on a full moon and raising hell—or goddess
forbid—subsisting on blood, he'd have his work cut out for him. The magi
hoped raising paranormal babies wasn't as difficult as it sounded in his
head.
"Try to remain hopeful," she advised. "Children are a handful, but you
have three charming mates to help with that."
"You're right." Cecil's mind shifted to imagining his mates as dads.
There was just something about it that got his blood pumping. When the
blood started rushing to his groin, though, he shut those thoughts down and
returned to innocently sipping on his tea.
Valencia excused herself after they finished the cookies. Cecil sat at the
island a while longer, musing over thoughts of what his future child would
be like. He remembered what Val suggested, slid off the barstool, and
headed back upstairs to ask his mates about baby books.
He secretly hoped their child would be a magi like him, but for now Cecil would keep that thought to himself.