* * *
“Do ye not thinkthe woman will attempt to flee when she sees the lot of us entering the kitchens?” Tamhas counted them off with a bent finger. “The five of ye and Gray? Lore, how big is this woman to warrant such an army?”
“Colum is guarding the door leading out to the gardens in case she makes a break for it.” Trulie pulled Granny to the front of the group and pointed her toward the archway leading to the kitchen. “We are all going to walk into the kitchen. As soon as you see her, let me know. Gray and I will do the rest.”
Granny folded her spindly arms across her small frame and gave Trulie a strange up-and-down look. “You still don’t know what the girl looks like?”
“I was going to ask you about that. Why would you receive the new vision but I didn’t? I saw the last one about Gray and Colum, but that was before a lot happened that apparently changed the outcome of that particular vision. This time, you said you saw so much more, and I didn’t get the vision at all. Am I losing my touch, Granny?”
A thoughtful scowl narrowed Granny’s eyes. She bowed her head.
Trulie held her breath. She knew what Granny was doing. She was replaying the premonition in her head. Uneasiness rolled Trulie’s stomach into a nauseated knot. If she got through this ordeal without puking, it would be a miracle.
Granny finally lifted her head, looked at Gray, and frowned even more. “Now, I remember seeing Colum stretched out on the stone, but I did not see Gray.” She pressed both hands to her cheeks, scowling as if straining to bring the vision into focus. “Even though I don’t see Gray, I know his body is in that mausoleum. I felt Trulie’s heart breaking.”
Trulie put a reassuring arm around Granny. “It’s okay if you can’t tell for sure.” With a nod toward the kitchen, she continued. “But that still doesn’t explain why I didn’t get the vision too. Am I losing my touch?”
“No.” Granny smiled. “It just means you are pregnant.”
Trulie’s knees nearly buckled as Granny’s words sunk in. “I can’t be pregnant.” A tiny voice inside her head counted off exactly how many days had passed since her least favorite time of the month. The realization hit.“But I’ve been drinking those nasty seeds. You said they would work.”
Granny just chuckled in response.
Gray made a strangled coughing sound as though someone had just knocked the wind out of him.
She has to be wrong, Trulie silently prayed.You know she is right,a nagging inner voice insisted.
Gray cleared his throat as he lightly settled both hands on Trulie’s shoulders. “A child? Are ye sure?” he asked Granny.
“Positive,” Granny affirmed. “Your bloodline is now blended with ours. That also explains why I no longer saw you in the vision. We cannot portend the future for our own.”
“I drank all those freakin’ seeds,” Trulie repeated. Why wasn’t anyone listening to her? “I can’t be pregnant. I have been careful—very careful.”
Granny shook a bent finger just inches from Trulie’s nose. “What did I tell you was the only way to guarantee you never got pregnant?”
“Don’t have sex,” Trulie said.
“You got it,” Granny agreed. “Congratulations,” she added with a wink.
Gray turned Trulie in his arms and cradled her to his chest. “A child. We are already blessed with our first bairn.” He brushed a tender kiss to her forehead, then touched his nose to hers. “Now a firm wedding date must be set. All yer stalling must cease.”
“I have not been stalling.” Trulie clenched her teeth against a wave of nausea. Her stomach rolled again as if now that the news was out, it had free rein to churn at will. She pushed Gray away, glared at Granny, and turned toward the archway leading into the kitchen. “We will firm up our plans later. Right now we have an assassin to catch.”
CHAPTER24
Gray struggled to put the excitement of Granny’s revelation to the back of his mind.A child.He wanted to roar it to the world. Trulie carried his child.
“Gray!” The irritation in Trulie’s voice broke through his reverie.
“Aye?” He stepped forward and pulled Trulie behind him.
“What are you doing?” She thumped him on the back, then elbowed her way back around in front of him.
“Keep yourself behind me. Ye have no idea if the woman will fight or flee when she realizes she has been found out.” He firmly set her back behind him.
“I am going to kill you myself if you don’t stop this nonsense.” She nudged him hard with her hip and wormed her way back in front of him. “You watch and make sure Granny is safe. I can protect myself.”
“You might as well let her be,” Granny said, chuckling, as she patted Gray’s arm from the other side. “Life will be a lot easier if you figure out early on which battles are worth fighting.”
