Total pages in book: 20
Estimated words: 18410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 74(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
Despite Leon’s doubts and his advisor’s arguments, Oberon was not one to question fate.
He might have been wary when Fosch and Bella had met – by chance – soon after the dark witch had completed the ritual, but Oberon couldn’t have asked for a better turn of events. He had contemplated snatching Bella the moment she had conceived, as had been arranged with Arianna. But it would be to him Fosch would come first, and the dark witch had reassured him by the end of the trimester the residual of the ritual would be all sucked inward, a last layer of protection for the scion. So, against some protests, he had let Bella to her own devices, to live as much of the mortal’s life as she had wanted to. The reminiscent of the ritual the dark witch had used was fading as promised, and soon Oberon would be able to claim his prize from Fosch and fulfill his agreement with Arianna.
Oberon watched as Fosch rubbed Bella’s foot gently, brushed his hand over her belly. If he hadn’t known any better, Oberon would have guessed Fosch was in love, or very much besotted.
Oberon chuckled to himself, shook his head in amusement. Fate, that mysterious force.
It complicated things, yes, he understood his advisor’s warnings, but this, this scion was so much more than what they had expected. He understood there would be need of treachery, of carefully treaded steps to acquire this particular scion, to return Bella to the Seelie land for protection until the Sidhe healers could find a way to make her recover. Yes, this hadn’t been part of their agreement with Arianna, but both Queen Titania and Maeve had decided upon it, already sent inquiries over their lands respectively.
He frowned into the night, knowing that this part would be trickier.
“Do you believe, Leon, that Zantry is no longer?”
His enforcer contemplated his question. “It has been a long time since his return. I cannot say.”
“Perhaps,” Oberon mused, “If he happened to return, then Arianna would not be inclined to stay human.”
Leon angled her head, looked at the couple on the sofa. She had been a fierce advocate against the couple, had predicted a gruesome feud between the court and the Dhiultadh. “Arianna claimed he had not registered for more than a full cycle. She would not make such claim lightly,” she replied, then turned to face her liege. “We have found another patch of death. It seems like the third have opened another portal.”
Chapter Nine
The Pay-off…
The moment Bella entered her third trimester Fosch knew. The flicker was barely present now, gone entirely for most days. The pregnancy hadn’t been kind on her, and it tore him apart to watch her wasting away, little by little. He had seriously contemplated getting rid of it, and even danced around the topic, testing the waters to see how Bella would react, but the mere possibility of losing that scion had put such distress, such despair in her eyes that Fosch put the topic aside without really broaching it.
She was thirty-five weeks along when Oberon came. By then, no traces of the magic could be seen – or felt. Bella’s aura had become plain blue, completely human two weeks earlier.
There was nowhere to hide from Oberon, and he was ashamed to admit to himself he had considered that coward’s path plenty the past weeks. But because of the bargain, Oberon would be able to find him wherever he went, and he couldn’t leave Bella alone, now that she tired merely by standing up too long.
He had taken her to a shaman far in the wilderness of Prague, a witch in the deserts of Egypt, a human healer. All concurred the scion was fine and in good health, all showed confusion when Fosch explained the aura angle.
There was nothing to do but wait and pray Oberon wouldn’t show.
But show he did, one evening when Bella was taking a restorative nap before they had to go see the human healer again.
Fosch stepped aside for Oberon to enter. There was no need for pretense. If Oberon was here in such a time, it was because he knew. Fosch abhorred nothing more than a liar, and to deny Oberon now would make him a poor liar at best. So he invited Queen Titania’s consort into his home and offered him hospitality, per the Sidhe code.
Oberon moved to the window on the far side of the comfortable living room, glanced out at the spot where he usually watched Bella from, before turning to face Fosch.
“You have met the bargain, Dhiultadh Yoncey Fosch. I have come to collect.”
The room flashed in Fosch’s mind with denial. Although he had been expecting it, Oberon’s words felt like a blow to his heart. He wanted to howl in protest, to shout the injustice of the world to the universe.