SWNOVELS Chapter 17
I look out the window, my heart pounding so hard in my chest I fear my ribs will break. Panic crowds my mind, filling it, not so much with words, but horrifying images of all the things that could be happening to my baby.
Outside I see only sheets of snow blurring the town I know so well, covering it all in a blanket of white that earlier looked ethereal and beautiful, but now has a sinister undertone.
Rain is hungry. Cold. She needs me.
And someone has taken her.
Fear jolts me into action, turning to rage in a blink, and I raise my voice as I race downstairs as fast as my still-healing body can go.
"Which one of you assholes took my goddamned child?" I scream, storming into the bar so hard the door hinge comes undone. The building seems to shake, startling me for a moment. The storm outside must be worse than I thought, which only makes me more angry and scared for Rain.
The three Sexies and AJ all turn to look at me, and none of them are holding my baby.
Darius is the first to blink over to me, and I don't even reprimand him for using his superspeed this time. "What has happened?" he asks, his eyes burning into my soul with their dark intensity. "She's gone," I say, tears springing up as a wave of emotion threatens to drown me. "Rain is gone."
And then, Darius is gone. Presumably upstairs to investigate. I don't even know. My stupid human eyes can't track his movements.
I cover my face, sobs shaking me, and feel strong arms wrap around me. "We will find her. Trust us on this," Rune says, and his words hold power that seem to calm me despite myself.
With a howl, Zev, already back in wolf form, leaps across the bar and crashes out a window. Dude is really going to have to learn to use doors, but that's a lesson for less urgent times. "Aren't you going to help search?" AJ asks Rune, who is still holding me close, like I might fall apart if he wasn't there to keep me together, and maybe that's not far from the truth.
"I must stay to protect Bernie. We do not know what we're dealing with yet, though I have my suspicions."
"If you're staying with B, then I'll go."
I push against Rune's chest just enough to create a bit of space between us. I need to clear my head, and whether it's his magic or natural magnetism, I can't do that when he's holding me. "I'm going too," I say.
"Not a chance, B," AJ says with a frown. "It's freezing out there. You just gave birth. You'll be no use to Rain if you get sick or dead."
AJ glances at Rune, who nods. But though her words make sense on some level, it feels wrong for me to stay behind doing nothing while my child is in danger.
As if reading my mind, AJ reaches for my hand. "I know this goes against everything inside you. You're a badass, no question, but you. Just. Had. A. Baby. Most women are still in the hospital recovering and getting fed sad, alcohol-free jello shots. You shouldn't be dealing with any of this. Let me help."
"Werewolves and vampires are the best trackers you can find," Rune says. "And however else I might feel about Darius and Zev, they are powerful, even amongst their kind. They will find your child."
"And I've never been sick a day in my life," AJ says, and with a start I realize that's true. I never thought about it before, how odd that was. "Turns out, the cold never bothered me anyway." She shrugs with an impish smile. "Snow is just water in a different form, and apparently that's my jam. So, I'm gonna go out there and see what I can do."
She kisses my cheek. "I'll be back soon."
Then she glances at Rune. "Get her a shot, make her rest. And protect her with your life or I will carve out your liver and feed it to that wolf out there."
"Duly noted," Rune says with a glint in his silver-blue eyes.
I watch helplessly as my best friend heads outside, into the blizzard, and hiccup softly as a new wave of emotion overwhelms me.
My breasts feel about ready to burst, and when I look down I notice I'm leaking. Fantastic. As if I needed one more problem right now.
Rune takes my hand and guides me to the bar, indicating I should sit.
My legs are wobbly, my head is spinning, and now that the adrenaline is wearing off, the ache in my body from my recent birthing experience is returning, so I take the seat normally reserved for Joe and marvel at how odd it feels to be on this side of things. Rune moves around like he belongs back there, pulling out two glasses and the finest whiskey we have. He pours a generous amount into each tumbler, then takes something from a hidden pocket and sprinkles it into mine. It makes the liquor sparkle, like liquid gold. I take the glass, staring at the mesmerizing drink. "What did you do to it? And honestly, I shouldn't be drinking this while nursing. A tiny bit once a week is fine, according to Doctor Internet, but more than that could be harmful for... for Rain."
Saying her name brings up a surge of terror once again, and Rune comes around the bar to sit next to me. He takes my free hand, and at the touch of his skin that calmness I felt before flows over me. "That powder will change how your body perceives the alcohol. It will excrete it more slowly, breaking it down and keeping it from passing through your milk. I've also added something that will help you recover more quickly from the birth. It's quite safe, I assure you."
My eyes widen. "We could make a lot of money selling your magical drinks here," I say, sipping at the concoction. It dances on my tongue and burns going down in the kind of smooth, rich way only the best whiskey can offer.
Instantly I feel my body melt a bit. Every nerve is still on fire, worried for my child. Wondering what's happening. What the three of them are out there doing.
But the drink and Rune's presence take the edge off--which part of me resents. I have a right, a responsibility, even, to be hysterical and in full-on rage mode right now. At the same time, AJ is right. I'm no use to Rain if I'm sick, and I don't want to--I don't know--feed her angry milk. Is that a thing? I don't even know anymore, but I don't want to risk it.
So I continue sipping the magic whiskey as my gaze locks with Rune's pale blue eyes. "You don't look like a fae," I say at last. "At least not how I imagined."
His lips twitch in a smile. "I appear how I must in this realm to not stand out too much. Would you like to see my true form?"
I suck in a breath and nod.
With a flick of his wrist, his appearance shifts. It's subtle, but I take in each detail. The irises of his eyes are larger, more luminescent. His face is more defined, his skin so perfect it doesn't look real. His hair glows silver, like moonlight. But the most striking difference is his ears. They are longer, with pointed tips.
"You're beautiful," I say with a shaky breath, temporarily overwhelmed by the vision of him.
He lifts a hand to caress my cheek, his gaze consuming me. "Would that you could see yourself through my eyes, to truly know real beauty."
His words send a shiver down my spine, but the temporary distraction is short-lived as my mind crashes back to why we're sitting here.
When a new tear slides down my cheek, Rune uses the pad of his finger to wipe it away. "They will be back soon. With Rain." "How can you be so sure?"
"I just am," he says, as if that explains everything. "The cost of failure is too high."
"Tell me what's really going on here," I demand. Since these guys walked into my bar, it's been madness. The irony that this is the first pause we've had to actually talk is not lost on me.
"Your child is at the crux of a prophecy that will have a profound impact on all of us. Human, vampire, werewolf, fae, and all others. It is said she is the Last Witch that will be born, the last one of your kind who can save us all from extinction."
"My kind?" I ask, sure the magical alcohol is now playing with my hearing.
"Yes," Rune says softly. "You're more special than you know, Bernie. In time, this will all make sense, and you'll understand the true importance of your beautiful girl."