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Chapter Twenty Five

Tardieh climbed the stairway three steps at a time. He was hurt; he was aching; he was absolutely fuming. Despite everything they had gone through, all the promises of no more lies, Zoricah had kept this secret from him. Not any secret. This was bigger than anything. She knew how much an offspring meant to him. He had never touched on the subject because he knew it would take a miracle for a vampire to have young with a dragon. Only humans were able to breed with supernatural creatures, so, yeah, for a miracle he had been silently praying. And for some reason Apa Dobrý had smiled upon him and granted it.

And she had kept it from him.

Fucking. Hiad.

A mighty roar reverberated in his chest.

There was no excuse. But why? Why couldn’t she trust him? More to the point, would she ever?

He heard Yara and the new girl running behind him, panting as they tried to keep up with his long strides. He didn’t give a fuck if they did. He barged into his royal chambers, not bothering about keeping the noise down. He couldn’t care less if Z was still sleeping or not. It was time for her to wake up and face his wrath.

Samantha was sitting by the bed. She turned around and lifted her index finger to her mouth, telling him to be quiet. He was about to tell her what to do with her request when he noticed Zoricah resting on the bed. She was laying on her back, a slight frown creased her forehead. Dark shadows encased her almond eyes.

Oh, merciful Soartas, she looked so frail! Her cheek bones had gotten more prominent, her usually lush lips were thin and purple. She had lost a lot of weight in a matter of days. She was withering away.

His love was dying.

All because of him.

Tardieh’s chest felt suddenly too tight and his vision went blurry as unbearable grief took over him. He tried to swallow but it got stuck in the lump that had formed in his throat.

His love was dying.

Fuck, no.

Forgetting his manners, he turned around, grabbed the glass of the strange brew from Yara’s hands, then rushed to Zoricah’s side and shooed Sam out of his way.

“Here, my love,” he whispered. “Drink this. It’s Yara’s potion. It will make you better.”

Z battered her eyes open, acknowledging his request, but when she tried to lift herself up, she faltered.

“Let me help you, don’t waste your energy.” Tardieh cupped the back of her head with his hand, lifting her lips to the glass.

Slowly, through tiny sips and long pauses, Z managed to drink the smelly concoction. When the glass was only half full, she lifted her hands and held it herself. By the time she’d finished it, color had returned to her cheeks.

Thank you, Apa Dobrý! Tardieh let out a long sigh of relief, as he slowly let his love’s head rest on the soft pillow.

Zoricah finally opened her eyes and gazed at him. His heart filled with overwhelming emotion. It was so strong that no words could describe it. By Apa Dobrý, he’d do anything to keep her safe and healthy. To Hiad with his offspring! He’ll kill the fucking bastard himself if it put his love’s life in danger again.

He lifted her bony fingers to his lips and placed a tender kiss on the top of her hand.

A small smile lifted her lips. “Never knew you had a knack for nursing, Tardieh,” she said weakly.

He tried to smile and failed miserably. He didn’t want to worry her but he was still too raw for lighthearted jokes.

Her beautiful honey-hazel eyes left his and focused on her friends behind him. “Yara,” she exclaimed surprised. “I’m glad you made it back. And you brought a friend?”

Yara turned around and the young woman, who looked just like her, tried to hide further into the shadows. “She’s my sister, I mean, more like a cousin, but we call each other sisters. I’ll explain later,” Yara replied. Her voice was a bit huskier than usual. “It’s important that you rest now.”

“OK,” Z replied weakly. “Later it is, then.”

Sam, Yara and the new girl took the hint and started leaving the room.

Tardieh kissed Z’s hand one more time then placed them both under the duvet and adjusted the covers over his love’s shoulders. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me,” he whispered in her ear, then gave her a tender peck on the lips and stood up to follow the others outside.

“Tardieh.” Z held his hand, halting him half way up. 

He turned and gazed down at her.

“Please stay. We need to talk.”

Chapter Twenty Six

Zoricah gazed at Tardieh’s green eyes and tried to find words to explain the rollercoaster of thoughts in her mind. She had just met their future child! And yet, she still couldn’t simply tell him that she was pregnant. He was staring at her, waiting. A few months ago that same blank face would have driven her insane with speculations, but not anymore. She’d learned how to read Tardieh like a well written book. And today’s particular page was saying – he was onto her. Big time. But the truth was, even if he did suspect she was with child, nothing changed. They hadn’t talked about having a baby together; they had barely discussed how they’d survive the inquisition from both their races, and the certain retaliation after they got married. Never did they mention babies. Never. Did he even want a child?

A sudden rush of warmth went up Zoricah’s spine, making her entire body tremble.
Whoa, what was that?

“Are you alright?” Tardieh asked, a slight frown set between his dark eyebrows.

“Yeah, I … I need to wash my face,” Zoricah replied.

He nodded in agreement and helped her up. He threw the heavy duvet out of the way and lifted her in his arms. The unexpected movement made Zoricah’s head spin but not in an “I’m gonna be sick” way. It was more like when she’d had too much to drink. She rested her head on his shoulder as he crossed the room and went into the en-suite bathroom. Its black and white motif was an ironic representation of their relationship, and it struck home in Zoricah’s heart. But then, she saw the double shower and the large indoor Jacuzzi where they had spent a number of days enjoying each other. Yeah, those were also a good representation of their relationship. They were completely different people but they had built safe havens in their lives and hearts where they could escape the madness and allow themselves to be together. Tears flooded her eyes as her heart filled with immeasurable love.

“Are you alright?” Tardieh whispered against her neck, not giving a hint of letting her go.

She nodded. “I just need a moment by myself.”

“Are you sure? I can stay and help…”

“Thanks, my love, but I’ll be fine,” she reassured him, without looking into his eyes. She didn’t want him to be worried for nothing, or to explain why she was crying, again. Seriously, those stupid female hormones would have to ease up on her. She couldn’t spend her entire pregnancy crying about everything!

Her bare feet touched the cold floor.
Hmm, nice.

After ensuring she could stand by herself, he closed the door behind him.

Zoricah walked slowly to the double sink and finally turned the lights on. Whoa! What a horrible mess she looked! Her hair was all tangled up, her face was drawn and had enormous bags under her eyes. And who in Hiad had put her in those ugly pajamas?

Something had to be done about that, pronto! She was a newlywed, after all. It would be a long time before she let herself go in this marriage! She quickly shrugged off the pink PJ’s and jumped in the shower. The strong water flow hit her aching back, taking a bit of the tension away. Delicious.

Another wave of heat coursed through her body, instantly clearing up the last cobwebs in her mind.
By Apa Dobrý!
That must be Yara’s potion taking effect.

She stepped out of the shower, dried herself off, brushed her hair, her teeth, then, opened the cabinet and grabbed one of Tardieh’s silk robes. It was a few sizes too long, but it would do. After taking one last glance at her reflection in the mirror, she took a deep breath and opened the door. Time to face the king.

She found Tardieh pacing up and down the large chamber. He turned around as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom. The deep wrinkles between his eyebrows melted as soon as he saw her. “Wow, you look much better.”

“I
feel
much better,” she replied sincerely, “Yara’s new potion is nothing short of miraculous.”

His gaze roamed up and down her body. “It’s been a long time since you wore my robe.” A flash wickedness crossed his green eyes, sending tingles up Zoricah’s legs. She knew exactly where his mind had gone – to the first time she had worn his robe, the first time they had made love. Images of him holding her from behind, nibbling on her earlobe, opening the robe to reveal her peaked breasts flooded her mind. Zoricah swallowed as she felt a powerful urge rush along her entire body and take firm hold between her legs. Mighty Soartas, she had been in a near-coma state just minutes ago! She couldn’t be horny already, could she?

Tardieh seemed to have noticed her out-of-place hunger, but if he did, he decided to deny it. He tore his gaze from her, and ran his hand through his dark hair. It needed cutting and he had a five o’clock shadow covering his chiseled jaw. Despite thinking that the scruffy look suited him nicely, a tingle of regret crossed Zoricah’s heart. She had never seen him so disheveled before. And she was the reason why.

She sat on the bed and motioned to him to do the same. “Tardieh, we need to talk.”

He obliged and waited
–
as always, never giving a hint of what he was thinking.

She adjusted the silky robe over her legs, buying time to take courage.

“I had a very weird dream,” she said slowly. “Well, it’s safe to say it was more than a dream. I was transported to the spiritual plane.”

“What do you mean?”

“I wasn’t just out. I was called into the gardens of Apa Sâmbetei.”

His eyebrows lifted in surprise. “But I thought no calathor could cross the Third River and return unharmed.”

“So did I, but apparently that rule doesn’t apply to me.”

“How so?”

Z bit on her lower lip. “Don’t know for sure, but the important thing is that I met someone there.”

“You met someone.”

“Yes, I met a –
breathe, Zoricah, breathe
– a little girl.”

“A little girl,” he repeated.

“Yes, she was with my father, Ucidhere, and then with Zmyzel, the Goddess of – “

“Goddess of Life, yes, I know who Zmyzel is,” he stated.

O-Kay. Someone was losing his patience.

He leaned forward and took her hands in his. “Z, you know you can tell me anything, don’t you? I’m your husband, I love you. Nothing you tell me will change the way I feel about you.”

The chill of uncertainty in Z’s heart faded with his warm words.

“Only what you
don’t
tell me can spoil it,” he added.

And the chill came back.

Z swallowed dry.
Come on, grow a pair, will ya?
Her inner warrior yelled at her. And it was right.

She took a deep breath, lifted her chin up and looked straight into her husband’s eyes. “Tardieh, we’re having a baby.”

Chapter Twenty Seven

Tardieh stared blankly at his wife.

Even though he had connected the dots back in the kitchen and had known she was pregnant, hearing it from Zoricah’s lips was a brand new experience. His mind went into overdrive at the same time that his heart swelled.

“Tardieh, did you hear me?” Z asked, touching his hand with hers.

He managed to nod.

“Look, I know this is much unexpected and ridiculously unprecedented, since only humans have been able to carry through a full-term pregnancy until now, but my father confirmed it and I met her.”

“Excuse me?”

Zoricah’s ranting did the trick. It managed to snap Tardieh out of his trance. “Slow down a bit, Z. What are you talking about?”

She stood up and started pacing up and down the room. “I don’t really know for sure. But what I experienced in Apa Sâmbetei wasn’t a mere congregation of two gods partying with the pure inmãs.”

“What congregation?”

“Well …”

As Z told him what had happened in Apa Sâmbetei, a wave of erratic thoughts took wing in Tardieh’s mind. The first was, Z was ranting again. She was talking really fast in tempo with her pacing. This wasn’t like her. The second thought was,

“You met our unborn child.”

She paused and looked blankly at him.

Tardieh ran a hand over his tousled dark hair. “That’s incredible, even for you.”

“It is, isn’t it?” she asked in reply. “By Apa Dobrý, it’s so warm tonight!” She crossed the room and opened the sliding doors to the balcony. The bright lights of the Big Apple were displayed beyond it, reminding Tardieh that what she was saying would change the lives of many more inmãs than just the two of them.

He followed her out and rested his elbows on the balcony’s rail. “Did your father explain what you must take through to the end?”

Z shifted her troubled gaze from the scenery before them. “What do you mean?”

“Well, he could have said the pregnancy but, it sounds like it’s more than that, I mean it’s…”

“Bigger than just the pregnancy,” she said, finishing his sentence. “He never explained who he was talking about when he said ’They will win,’ if I fail. I mean who in Hiad is they?”

“The main question is who can help us find out.” Tardieh ran a hand through his hair and contemplated the possibilities. Z mentioned she had found very strange but somewhat heartwarming when Zmyzel and Ucidhere danced and played with the baby. Tardieh recalled his first face-to-face encounter with the Goddess of Life the year before. She was tall, with long midnight black hair, almond eyes and striking features. Just like Zoricah. He had even mistaken the goddess for his wife.

Tardieh reached across and trailed his fingers through her long damp hair. “Have you noticed how much you look like Zmyzel?”

“Have you noticed it too? It’s so weird.”

He nodded slowly. “You have the same hair, the same eyes, the same thick enticing lips.” He paused then leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Don’t tell anyone, but you’re infinitely more beautiful.”

A small smiled lifted her lips then she regarded him intently and all the jest vanished from her eyes. “She had your eyes.”

“Who? Zmyzel?”

“No, our little girl,” she whispered in reply. “She had your beautiful green eyes.” She took a long breath. “Oh, Tardieh, she was so adorable.”

“We’re having a girl?”

Z paused and stared wide eyed at him. “You don’t want a girl?”

“Oh, no! I mean, yes, I do! I’d love a little girl!” he replied quickly.
Way to go, muppet!
“Look, Z,” he took hold of her hands again. “I will love our child if it’s a boy, a girl, a reptile, whatever – I will love this child no matter what.”

He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. When he pulled back, he noticed her eyes were filled with emotion. And so were his.

“Good,” she whispered, trailing her lips down his neck. “Because I have no idea what’s going to be – a draco, a vampire, or maybe a combination of both … a drapire?”

Tardieh chuckled. “A drapire?”

“Have you ever heard of an offspring of a draco with a vampire?”

“No, but I’m sure we’ll find a way of raising this…drapire girl,” Tardieh replied tenderly, trying to ignore her warm hands caressing his abs. Surely, she wasn’t doing it on purpose, but it was sending sparkles straight down to his loins. He enveloped her hands in his and brought them to his lips. “You should get some rest.”

“I don’t feel tired,” she answered taking a step closer. Her naked thighs rubbed against his jeans.

“Z …” he warned against her lips.

“Yes,” she replied then trailed hot kisses along his jaw.

“I love your heat, my love, but I truly believe you need some more time to …” Her hands found naked flesh underneath his shirt. His brain short-circuited.

Holy Apa Dobrý, she was succeeding in firing him up. His tiredness vanished and was instantly replaced by unbearable need
–
need to have her, need to be inside her, need to drink from her, need to show her how much he loved her. But her words rang in his mind, and woke him up.
We’re having a baby. All is lost if we fail.
She was carrying his child, an impossible feat even for a demigoddess. She would need all the strength in the world, and if that meant he’d have to tame down his
needs
, he would.

He grabbed hold of both her wrists and slowly pulled her off him. “Z, I’m serious. You were in a semi-coma not even an hour ago. You must rest and get your strength back, not only for your sake, but for our child’s.”

She paused for a moment then ran her hand through her hair. That gesture brought a smile to his lips. She was picking up his quirks.

“Yes, yes you’re right, I must rest,” she repeated his words almost to herself. But then a shiver shook her shoulders and her gaze met his, and he saw his own hunger reflected on them.

“I can always rest later.” Her husky voice reverberated all the way deep into his loins.

Oh, Mighty Soartas. This “no-sex” mission was going to be a hard one. No puns intended.

She took a step closer.

He took a step back.

Fuck, he had no idea why she had suddenly turned into a sex addict but one thing was clear: he had to be strong for both of them, for the
three
of them. She had to rest, she was still bony and weak. Period. No sex until she ate something solid and had at least twelve more hours of…

Her hands swept down her long neck, along the vale on her chest, then slowly clasped the lapels of the silky robe and nudged it open. A pair amazing breasts came into view. Her peaks were already tight with need, ready for his mouth.

Fuck. His brain crashed. His resolve melted. His shaft jumped awake.

The robe fell down on the tiled floor. “Tardieh …” She stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Her naked hips swayed from side to side, drawing him in, hypnotizing him with the promise of utter bliss
–
the kind that could only be found buried deep between her legs.

It took all his mind power to not jump on her and take her right there and then.

Wicked hands caressed his chest, his shoulders, down his tense biceps. “I need you,” she whispered. “You won’t hurt me …” Tantalizing hot lips touched the naked skin between the V of his shirt. “I need you inside me, my love, I need you to fill me, stretch me, make me scream. It’s been too long.”

Mighty Soartas, please give me strength to pass this test!

Tardieh grabbed one of her wrists to try and catch her attention. His shaft protested underneath his jeans. “Z, I need you too, but we must control ourselves, for the sake of …”

Her other hand travelled down his zipper and rubbed pitilessly against his aching cock.

Tardieh let out a long moan as his already weak grip on his control shattered. With unexpected power, and delicious determination, Z shoved him against the wall as her hands made their way inside his pants. He was going to Hiad for this, but, damn, it felt so good! He let her take control. She freed him from his shirt, pants and shoes. Her burning hot hands grabbed the edge of his trunks and pulled them down. His long rod jumped free.

She looked at him under her long lashes as her tongue moistened her lips. Then, she knelt down on the cold floor and breathed against his shaft.

“By the gods, I want you to taste me, but not here, my love,” he rasped. Picking her up into his arms in one swipe, he stalked inside.

“Tardieh, no! I need you,” she started complaining, but stopped when he threw her on the soft bed. “Oh, that’s better,” she consented with the wickedest smile of all times.

He stood by the foot of their king-size bed and contemplated the view. Zoricah knew how much she affected him and of course, was relishing in the knowledge. She wriggled herself up the bed, writhing and moaning, then she pinned him with her topaz eyes, and slowly opened her legs, displaying her intimate folds to him. They were already glistening with moisture, ready for him to take her. His hand searched his own shaft and he noticed he too was already dripping for her. The whiff of blue mist flowers reached his nostrils.

And that was the last rational thought his blurry mind registered.

Tardieh let out a deep growl and dove down, happily drawing in her juices. He vaguely remembered her screams as she reached her first orgasm, but he wanted more. He craved more. Without letting go of her intimate folds, he swung around and positioned his cock above her face. Her hands braced his inner thighs as her lips wrapped around him, relieving his throbbing need.

Mighty Soartas, she was so good! The more he licked, teased and nibbled her, the more she rasped, sucked and swallowed him deep into her throat. His balls went rigid, ready to explode. But she didn’t let him. Not just yet. She kept him on the brink, bringing him to the edge several times only to retreat and slow down again.

Maddening woman!

“Z,” he whispered after coming up for air. “You enjoy torturing me too much.”

He felt her chuckle tingle against his scrotum, which only made his aching worse. “No, my love,” she finally replied. “I told you, I need you to fill me, stretch me, make me scream.”

She didn’t have to ask him twice. He rotated on the bed and positioned himself at her sweet entrance.

“I am but your servant, my queen.” He clutched onto her hips, spread her thighs wide open and plunged himself deep inside her, with one, long thrust.