Nerissa’s tonics smell like mud, barn, and goat manure. There’s no way I’m drinking that. My stomach roils, and not just because of the threat of Nerissa’s medicine. Little Bean has proven to me more than once over the last several days that she is not, in fact, done making me throw up.
“I’m not sick,” I answer. Although lately, it feels a lot like I am.
Egeria gasps. “You’re pregnant!” Her expression lights up in a way I didn’t know was possible, turning her into a beauty to almost rival her younger sisters.
I wasn’t going to announce the news now, here, like this, but I nod, since Egeria has already guessed anyway and looks like she could suddenly dance in place. Beside her, Nerissa’s face positively glows for the first time since we’ve been back. Grinning, Griffin’s mother folds me into a soft, herb-scented embrace.
Her delighted voice is soft in my ear. “Thank you for giving me my first grandchild. You’ll be a wonderful mother, Cat.”
Nerissa rocks me a little in her enthusiasm, shifting my balance to and fro. I hold on to her, powerless to stop it. Actually, I don’t want to.
My heart expands almost painfully in my chest. Coming from the woman who secretly made me want to crawl into her lap the first time I saw her, those heartfelt words mean a lot. They also make me feel achingly fragile inside. Will I make a good mother? I don’t know how to handle a child. Half the time, I hardly know how to handle myself.
Off to the side, I hear Anatole gruffly congratulating Griffin and pounding him on the back. Griffin says something equally gruff in response, but all I keep thinking is that Nerissa said the one thing I needed to hear above all else. Now I just need to believe it myself.
I pull back from Nerissa’s arms and catch both Bellanca and Ianthe staring at us from atop their horses. The twin disbelieving expressions on their faces are almost comical, but I don’t laugh, because really, it’s not at all funny. They already know I’m pregnant. It’s the warm hug that’s taken them so thoroughly aback. I understand their astonishment, but if anyone can teach them that parental affection is possible, it’s Nerissa and Anatole. It might be a slow process. I’m still learning myself.
Already mounted, Carver ambles up alongside Bellanca and Ianthe. “Blink, ladies. Chins off the ground. Especially you, Bellanca. I can see halfway down your throat. I know it comes as a complete shock, but yes, Cat does know how to hug.” He winks in my direction. “Almost.”
I refrain from a rude hand gesture, because Nerissa would scold me. Kato and Flynn chuckle as they finish readying their horses.
Ianthe’s green eyes brighten with humor, and I love her even more.She’sunbreakable. Does Elpis get an Elpis? Or two? Because along with Griffin, I think she’s mine.
In typical Bellanca fashion, the redhead lifts her switch and bashes Carver over the head with it. He yelps in surprise, and maybe some pain, and then glares at her like he’s seriously considering knocking her off her horse. Or pulling her hair. Given half a chance, the two of them would brawl like urchins in an alley. Luckily, Carver still has some control over his physical impulses, despite consuming a truly worrisome amount of wine lately.
He opens his mouth, and I’m curious to hear what he’ll say, but Nerissa beats him to the verbal punch with something I’m guessing will set Bellanca even more firmly on her ass.
“Bellanca!” Nerissa calls out sharply. “Is that how a young lady behaves?”
The Tarvan ex-princess’s face goes stark white. Then bright red. “He’s unbearable!”
“Men often are,” Nerissa responds philosophically.
“But he’s always needling me!”
“Rise above,” Nerissa and I say at the same time. We turn to each other and laugh, and the sudden twinkle in Nerissa’s eyes goes a long way toward healing the guilt I feel over Piers’s permanent exile.
Bellanca looks like she’s been swallowed by a whirlpool and spit out in Atlantis with no idea which way is up or down. Her eyes are huge and confused. Her mouth still gapes. I think she has a lot to say, but for once, she’s actually questioning the wisdom of blurting it all out.
The second Nerissa turns her attention away, Carver gives Bellanca an epic smirk. Bellanca’s eyes narrow, zeroing in on the smug turn of his lips like she’s perfectly capable—and willing—to rip his mouth right off his face with her bare hands. Carver stops smiling and gets out of reach.
I smother a laugh. I’m glad Bellanca is here. Carver doesn’t seem to react to much of anything besides her anymore.
When everyone is mounted and ready to go, Griffin gravitates naturally to my side. Panotii and Brown Horse lead the procession out of the castle and through the crowded, colorful streets of Sinta City. Bellanca, Ianthe, Nerissa, and Anatole follow us, trailed by a good portion of Griffin’s Sintan army. Beta Team accompanies the soldiers, a large unit under each of their commands.
I wave to the cheering crowd almost as often as Griffin does. The people of Sinta City love us. Griffin because he’s theirs. Me because I chose them.
But the attention is still something I can’t get used to, don’t really want, and am not sure I truly deserve. Relief feeds my lungs like fresh air when our slow parade finally exits the city and winds its way toward the sloping olive groves. Unfortunately, the respite is short-lived.
Griffin leans his dark head toward mine. “Next stop—Lycheron.”
My shoulders slump, and I whine like a baby. “Do we have to?”
He chuckles. “At least there are no Ice Plains to cross this time.”
No. Only half of Sinta. We’d wanted to confront Lycheron looking our strongest, with our soldiers behind us, so luck had been on our side when we didn’t see the disturbingly virile Ipotane Alpha on our way to collect the army. A group of the warrior creature’s sentries and their Nymphs—I’m still not sure howthatworks—stopped us instead. We asked them to find Lycheron so that we could speak to him on our way back.
“Do you really think you can get him to switch to guarding the border between Tarva and Fisa without making you go through a whole new challenge?” I ask. Lycheron will only bargain male Alpha to male Alpha. The first challenge involved riddles, forfeits, and Artemis—all of which I could do without.
