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Alwar waves a hand over my stomach. “What do you think?”
So he knows. He knows I slept with Gabrio.But does he know that Bard was there, too? “Did Bard tell you anything else?”
“You mean that he possessed Gabrio while fornicating with my wife?”
I swallow hard. “Yes?”
“He told me everything.”
“And you’re not mad?”
“I was. At first. But Bard was quick to remind me of our vows. You acted honorably by setting the rules of our marriage—in name only. And I cannot lie. With Gabrio gone, I have begun to feel like the gods gave us this blessing for a reason. After all, you and I cannot have children. This is the next best thing.”
“You’re being pretty damned understanding for a warlord,” I say while the rest of his words hit me straight in the chest. “Is Gabrio really gone?”
Alwar nods solemnly.
“He saved me. That’s why he’s dead.” I look away at the fire and try to let it all sink in. I’m no longer a vampire. Gabrio’s dead. And I’m pregnant with his child. Or maybe it’s Bard’s?
I push my hands through my hair. I’m in shock. I’m devastated that Gabrio’s gone even if he wasn’t the love of my life. “How am I still here, and he’s not?”
“I am glad you are, Lake. You have proven to be good luck for the War People. Their spirits remain high.”
“Where do things stand now?” I have to be, well, fuck, pretty far along. Seven or eight months. How should I know? I’ve never had a baby. The point is, Monsterland is still here all these months later. It’s not exactly a good sign. It means there’s still an invasion coming back home.
“The vampires retreated to the Blood Lands, but we know there is an even larger army coming for us.” Alwar stands and grabs a very long poker next to the fireplace. He prods the log, causing it to crackle.
“When are they coming?”
“We do not know.”
“But it’s been months. Have you really been sitting here all this time, waiting for them?”
“Months?”
“Um, yeah.” I point to my stomach.
His expression turns stark. He takes a long breath and turns away from me, staring into the fire. “This is where we part ways, Lake.”
“Huh?”
“You have only been asleep for seven days. You cannot stay here any longer.”
I jump from the bed, instantly regretting it. My chest hurts like a sonofabitch. I clutch the fabric over my heart. Underneath are bandages. I’m still healing from my wounds.
It takes a moment for my distracted mind to fill in the blanks. “This isn’t seven or eight months later.” I sink onto the bed. “Oh, God. It’s a giant.”
Alwar sits next to me and places a warm hand on my back. “Yes. Which is why you must cross the bridge and return home. The child must become your size. Soon.”
I snap my head up and look at his beautiful face, searching for answers. If I return home, will he keep fighting? Or does he have some other plan?If he doesn’t stop the invasion, I’ll be living in a world that’s about to be violently attacked.I’m almost safer staying here. Except, I can’t. My hand floats to this foreign object attached to my body.A baby. There’s a giant baby inside me.
“What happens next, Alwar?”
“I do not know, Lake. But if you stay, you will die. That baby will die with you, and I cannot live with that.”
“How do I know I can trust you? That you won’t try to save this world, and we’ll all just end up repeating history?” My home is invaded; people fight back and trash the planet; Monsterland is born. It’s one big horrific time loop that keeps feeding itself.
“Have I ever told you the story of Mahra Norfolk?”
