Eternal Faith - Book 4 (The Ruby Ring Saga) (5 page)

“I’m
not going out that easy. I’m gonna fight till the end.”

“We
need to tell your family what’s going on.”

I
stammered, shocked by his words. “No, we can’t. Mom...she’s been through enough.”

“She
needs to know, Sarah, so she can prepare. It’s cruel to keep it from her.”

I
tried to change the subject. “So...what did the good doctor tell you?”

“She
said your body can’t handle such an energy surge. If there is one more attack
like that, you’ll be dead in minutes.”

“Is
there a way to prevent another attack?”

He
handed me a brown bottle of pills. “Dr. Meyers gave this to me to give to you.
The medicine will not cure you completely, but it will help control the energy
surges. You must take one every twelve hours, without fail.”

I
stared at him, my lips parting in astonishment. “And you trust
her
?”

“I’m
a very good judge of character. You’ve said so yourself.”

Confusion
swept over me. “Why is she so willing to help me?”

His
eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “Because I pleaded with her to save your life.”

“And
she handed you these pills, just like that?”

“I
told her our wonderful love story, how we’ve overcome all the obstacles life
has thrown in our way. I told her about our beautiful baby and how much we love
him already. I spilled my heart out to a stranger, something that is not within
my nature to do. I love you enough to embarrass myself, Sarah, and that’s
saying something!

I
touched his face. “That’s beautiful, and I’m touched, babe, but we need to
learn more about her and her race before we can trust her one hundred percent.
For all we know, swallowing these could mean pouring poisonous toxins into my
body. What if she has deadly intentions for me?”

“I
don’t believe she does. She seemed genuine and only asked for one thing in
return.”

“My
first unborn child?”

He
flashed his eyes at me. “Of course not. She only asked that we stay
inconspicuous and follow their rules.”

I
snorted. “We don’t even know what their rules are. Is she gonna give us a
handbook soon? The latest edition of
Immortalism for Dummies
?”

He
wrinkled his brow in confusion. “Will you please just give the pills a chance?”
he asked.

I
shook my head. “Uh-uh. I can’t risk my baby’s health,” I said.

He
shook his head right back at me. “Don’t you think they have modern technology
that can save you?”

“I
think so, but I’m just as scared as you are to put my trust in anyone. This is
my baby’s life at stake. I’ve already been pumped full of drugs, and now she’s
telling me to take more.”

“She
assured me it will cure your headaches, without bringing any harm to the baby.”

“She
said I’m dangerous because I’ve been drawing too much attention to the Immortal
world. What if this is her version of an easy, merciful way to get rid of me?”

“Can
you use your gift of sight?  Perhaps you could gaze into the future and find
out if Dr. Meyers is really friend or foe.”

“I
haven’t been seeing any more visions. I think I’m short-circuiting or
something.”

“I
won’t lose you, Sarah. Please take the medication. It’s our only chance.”

I
threw the bottle at him. “No! I will not take the risk, for me or for
Alexander.”

“Then
you’ll be dead in less than a week.”

I
shivered at the intensity of his gaze. The grim expression on his face said it
all, and I could feel the tears stinging my eyes. So many emotions were
barreling through me. “Well, maybe that would be a good thing. Then you can go
back to your precious world and reclaim your throne. You won’t be stuck here
anymore, wearing those awful jeans you hate so much.” I took a deep breath,
then let it out slowly. “Clearly, meeting me was the worst thing that could
have possibly happened to you. You lost everything because of me.”

I
turned around and ran through the trees.

“Sarah!”
he yelled behind me.

My
pulse accelerated. I ran so fast that the trees started to blur. I raced, with
all my might, through the vegetation, until I was sure Victor wasn’t following
me. I sat on a rock by myself and pondered for hours, then finally returned
home and sat on the porch to watch the sunset. I’d been threatened with death, and
that meant I didn’t want to miss out on anything in life, big or small.
How
could fate tease me with the idea of a beautiful child, a son, and not allow me
to deliver him into this world?
It seemed cold and heartless, and I wanted
to scream. I had never felt so alone. And I didn’t mean to yell at Victor. It
was my raging hormones or maybe all this energy coursing through my veins. I
wasn’t myself. I was having all kinds of crazy mood swings that I couldn’t
control. I hoped Victor would forgive me.   

The
front door creaked, and I glanced up as Victor stepped onto the porch. I hated
fighting with him. I missed his touch, his smile, and the sweet nothings
whispered in my ear, his soft voice telling me how much he loved me. I took in
all his perfect features, from his sharp, smooth jawline to the five o’clock
shadow that surrounded his luscious lips.

He
handed me a cup of hot, brewing coffee. “I thought this might warm you up.”

“Thanks.”
I took a sip and almost smiled when I tasted just the right amount of cream and
sugar. “It’s perfect. When did you learn how to use the coffeemaker?”

He
stared down at me. “Your father showed me.”

The
little things my husband did to capture my heart never ceased to amaze me.

His
blue eyes were crinkled in a smile. “Watching the sunset without me?”

My
shoulders slumped as I set my mug down. “Aren’t you mad at me?” I whispered,
looking off into the distance.

His
lips set into a firm, thin line. “I’m sorry, Sarah.” He walked over and sat
next to me, then caressed my cheek with his hand. “My life is better because
you’re in it.”

I
cupped his face. “No,
I’m
the one who’s sorry. I didn’t mean any of
those awful things I said.”

His
hand grasped the back of my head and pulled me close. All the nerves in my body
danced in celebration as my blood thumped through my veins. My heart raced at
the thought of being captured in one of his amazing kisses. He kissed me
gently, then softer and softer, till his lips were barely touching mine. His
slow style heightened my intensity and desire, and suddenly, his lips crashed
against mine in a powerful, intense collision of passion. His mouth was greedy
and hungry, but I loved every second of it. Our tongues swirled in perfect
unison, and my heartbeat spiked as he weaved his fingers through my long hair.
I lost all track of time and didn’t even realize how long we were making out. I
was so caught up in the moment that I could barely remember my own name.

“I
love you so much,” he whispered.

I
intertwined my fingers with his as he pulled me against his strong chest and lowered
his luscious lips onto mine. “And I love you. I don’t want to fight with you.”

I
stared into his eyes. Sometimes when he looked at me like that I could barely
breathe. He was a dream come true, and I couldn’t believe Victor was as smitten
by me as I was by him. My heart melted at the sight of him. The light shone in
his pretty eyes as a breeze ruffled his thick, messy hair.

I
was just a fair maiden who had fallen in love with a handsome king, and I
wanted to be with that beautiful man with every fiber of my being. I wanted to
share a home and raise our beautiful son together, to be his wife forever in
every way, and I would have done anything to make that dream come true.

“I’ll
take the pills,” I conceded.

“Thank
you,” he said. “I don’t want to see you suffer. I think these pills could
help.”

“If
it’ll give me extra time with you, then it’s worth the risk.”

“You
have no idea how hard it was to convince her to give me that medication.”

“I
can imagine.” I kissed his hand. “Thank you.”

“There
are some rules that must be followed.”

“Of
course. I’d expect nothing less.”

“You
must not draw attention to yourself, and you are never to visit another hospital.
She gave me her number and told me to call anytime if we need her, day or
night.”

“I’m
not going to stay in this house all the time. I’ve been a prisoner before,
remember, and I didn’t like it one bit,” I reminded him.

“Of
course, but we must be careful not to attract any undue scrutiny.”

“When
should I take my first pill?”

“At
nine a.m. and nine p.m., according to the doctor.”

Craving
his touch, I leaned in for a hug.  

“We
will get through this, Sarah,” he reassured me, entirely calm, cool, and
collected.

I
hated it when he guarded his emotions. Knowing that my child’s life and mine was
at stake made me a nervous wreck. “I will do anything to bring our son into the
world.”

He
stared lovingly into my eyes. “I love you, and I promise we will be fine. Nobody
said marriage is easy, Sarah.”

I
smirked. “Yeah, throw Immortality into the mix, and it’s a whole big mess of
marital bliss gone crazy!”

He
let out a deep chuckle. I snuggled into his chest, and we both watched the sun
lower into the horizon. Victor was a man tortured by his past. I desperately wanted
to take away his pain, yet I feared that I was actually hurting him further.
What
if I die or the baby does? How will he ever go on then?
I feared he could
revert to being the monster from his past, that he’d go after Ethano with a
crazed vengeance that might leave him vulnerable. Victor would shut down, and
the darkness would consume him; that scared me even more than my own potential
demise.

He
kissed me once again, and his hot breath sent chills through my entire body. I
flung my arms around him as his lips trailed down my neck and back up to my mouth.
I would never tire of my warrior king. He was mine for eternity, and I planned
on enjoying every single moment of the ride.

W
e
never did find Della. She just disappeared into thin air, and since William
never came looking for her, we just assumed she’d somehow made it back through
the portal.

Staring
out the window, I watched the big, fluffy flakes waft to the Earth. I reached
in my purse and pulled out my bottle of pills. I wasn’t too excited about
taking the medication, but I’d made a promise to Victor, and I wasn’t going to
break it. When we questioned her about it, Dr. Meyers said the big horse pills contained
Disclosium, a drug I’d never heard of and one that somehow even managed to
elude Google. I could only assume it was an Immortal property.

Taking
the pills without knowing exactly what was in them made me nervous, but Dr.
Meyers assured me it would help to balance the energy in my body. After three
days, my headaches completely disappeared, and I began to feel much better. In
the process, though, my powers seemed to lose their edge and barely worked at
all. I felt more human than I had in a very, very long time.

I
popped a pill in my mouth, then swallowed it with a full glass of water. I
slipped the pills back into my purse.

Liz
walked in, sipping on a can of Coke.

“How
long do you think Mom will drag Victor and Charles around that grocery store?”
I asked.

She
laughed. “I can’t believe they even went with her.”

“Mom
insisted and told them that if they’re going to live here, they need to learn
how to shop.”

“Good.
Maybe they’ll learn how to use coupons. Besides, it will be a chance to bond
with Mom.”

“Over
groceries?”

“Yeah.
They’re learning how to blend in and survive here. Mom’s been teaching them
everything. They need to know how to get food, because it isn’t like they can
just go out and kill a deer around here.”

“Right.
Somebody’s gotta teach them how to pull into Burger King,” I said.

Liz
chuckled. “I must admit, I’d rather have a Whopper than venison anytime.”

“You
don’t enjoy medieval cuisine.”

“I
do. My medieval cooks made the most delicious boar’s head, plum pudding, and
mincemeat pie.”

“I
did love the bread, ale, cheese, and the delicious wine.”

“That
wine was to die for, wasn’t it?”

“Nothing
like our wine here.”

“My
first year in Tastia, I missed Christmas something awful, so Charles made me a
Christmas feast. He put up a pine tree, and his servants decorated it the way I
described to him. It was so beautiful and touching that he’d gone out of his
way to do something like that for me.”

“Liz,
he’s the sweetest.”

“He
even had presents for me.”

“And
what did his cooks make for your Christmas dinner?”

Liz
smiled. “There was a platter of barnacle surrounded with oysters, mussels, and
clams.”

I
giggled. “Sounds divine.”

She
held up a hand. “Divine? No, that was dessert.”

“I
agree wholeheartedly. Victor’s pastry chefs were amazing. I loved this one dish
they made, apple muse. The cooks told me the recipe included honey, almond
milk, and delicious apples. There was also that bake mete, a pear and custard
pie. Talk about mouthwatering. The cook, Rita, even taught me how to make it.”

She
smirked. “No apple muse or bake mete for me.”

I
cocked a brow. “What!?”

She
tried not to break into laughter. “Bean cake.”

We
both burst into laughter.

She
continued, “There was this tradition where they’d hide small articles in the
food. If you found a pea or a bean in your piece, you were declared queen or
king of the party. If you found a coin, it meant you’d have wealth in the
future. If you found a ring, it meant there was marriage in your future.”

“I
remember Victor telling me about that. High schools should start doing that to
decide the prom queen.”

“I
know, right?”

“So
you found a bean?”

“Sure
did.”

“Queen
of the festivities then, huh?”

“Yep.
I was crowned and everything. At that moment, when I was dubbed the bean queen,
I started to realize I really loved this world, and I was crazy about the guy
who lived here. I never wanted to leave Charles. I was utterly and madly in
love with him.”

My
heart melted at her romantic story. Charles was quiet and reserved, and I
couldn’t imagine him falling for my wild and crazy sister. Nevertheless, they
were the perfect complement for one another. Charles adored her; I could see in
his eyes that the man loved my sister more than life itself. They were living
proof that opposites do attract. “That’s so sweet.”

“I
asked Charles nicely if we could exchange the clams for turkey, and he agreed. The
following year, his cooks made the biggest, juiciest, most delicious turkey
I’ve ever had, next to Mom’s of course. We had such a marvelous life, like
something right out of a fairytale. It was perfect until Charles and I got mixed
up in everyone’s grudges. Ethano locked Charles up out of spite for Della, and
over the last year, my world has been turned upside down.”

“I
know the feeling,” I said. I glanced outside at the blinding snow. “Do you
remember when we were kids, back when we had no real worries? We’d spend our
whole day sledding, hiking, and making snow angels in the front yard.”

“Yeah.
Remember the giant snowmen we built? You always wanted to be the one to put the
carrot nose in.”

I
playfully threw a couch pillow at her. “Excuse me, but a snowman
has
to
have a carrot nose. At least
I
didn’t dress the snowman with a hat
stolen from Grandpa’s head while he was sleeping.”

She
laughed. “Oh my gosh. He was so mad at me.”

The
more we thought about it, the more laughed, and within a few moments, we were
both holding our sides, giggling up a storm.  

“Liz,”
I said.

“Yeah?”

“I’m
so glad I found you again, and even if it sounds corny, I want you to know that
I love you.”

“Ugh!
Mush alert! Must be those raging hormones. I hope I’m not like you when I’m
pregnant.”

“I
think it’s just from being in this house. It’s stirring up all these memories,
and I can’t get them out of my head. You and I had so much fun. I couldn’t ask
for a better family.”

Liz
wrapped her arm around me. “I know, sis. I get it. It’s wonderful to be back
together again.” She peered out the window. “Look at Dad go with that shovel.”

I
grabbed Liz’s shoulder. “Maybe you oughtta give Dad a hand.”

“You
know how much he hates when I use my powers.”

I
reached for my coat and slipped into my boots. My dad didn’t even hear me over
the clanking of the shovel against concrete, so I quietly lifted my hand and
tried to create a fireball. A few tiny sparks ignited, then promptly fizzled
out.

“You’re
wiring’s all messed up, sis, remember?” came Liz’s voice from behind me.

I
shook my head. “Guess so.”

Liz
waved her hand, and a ball of fire swirled in the air. “Dad!” she yelled. “Look
out.”

With
his eyes wide, he stepped off the sidewalk and into the snow-covered grass.

She
rolled the fiery sphere like a bowling ball down the sidewalk, melting all the
snow in its path.  

My
dad smiled and hurried over to us. “Thanks, Liz.”

“What?
You’re not mad?”

“Nah.
You just saved me a ton of work. I already shoveled once today so your mom
could get out and go grocery shopping, but with all this snow, I woulda been out
here all day. Thanks for twitchin’ your little nose or whatever you did, kiddo,”
he said, flicking Liz affectionately on the tip of her nose, as if she was
still five years old.

“This
isn’t
Bewitched
, Dad.”

“Well,
it’s something.” He chuckled. “Would you mind fire-balling the driveway too?”

“Dad,”
I said, “are you getting more comfortable with our powers?”

My
dad’s lips pressed into grim lines. “You’ve already got them, and I can’t
change that. Why not put them to good use?”

“That’s
exactly what I’ve been saying all this time,” Liz said.

He
gripped the shovel. “I get scared about the neighbors, but they’re a good
distance away.”

I
could tell my dad was slowly getting used to our powers, slowly coming to terms
with the fact that both of his daughters were Immortal, married to Immortal
husbands. It wasn’t what he had envisioned for his little girls, but he knew he
couldn’t change things.

Part
of me hated that I had no control over my fate. When I’d initially arrived in
Tastia, there was no way I wanted to stay there, but after meeting Victor, I
had to follow my heart. I fell deeply in love with him, and I knew I could
never leave without him. I was determined to learn how to live life as an
Immortal so I could be with Victor, even if that meant living in his ancient
world, away from everything and everyone I knew.

My
dad knew there was no going back. What was done was done, and there was no way
we could fix things. The best we could do was accept our fate and try to master
it. I decided it was time to control my destiny, to make the most out of my
life. I didn’t want to dwell on the bad things, because there were lots of
positive things too.

“How
about putting your powers to good use?” my dad asked. “Can you girls make those
dishes wash themselves?”

“No,
Dad,” I said. “I’ll tell you what though. Liz and I will get them done so Mom doesn’t
have to worry about them when she comes home.”

My
dad grinned. “I’ve got the best daughters in the entire world.”

“Damn
straight,” Liz said.

Suddenly,
waves of nausea rose up as my stomach cramped. No matter how much I willed it
not to happen, I couldn’t stop the inevitable.

“Sarah?”
my dad asked.

“I’m
gonna puke!” I said, holding out my arm so they’d keep their distance; there
was no way I was going to make it to the bathroom, so I ran into the bushes and
heaved into the snow.

“Are
you okay?” my dad asked.

“Dad,”
Liz said rather nonchalantly, “she’s pregnant. This is completely normal. You
should know that. Mom had two kids.”

“Right,
but it’s been a while. I’ll go get you a glass of water,” my dad said.

Liz
held my hair back as I puked my guts out, and then she rubbed my back. Spots
flooded my vision, and I felt hot and sweaty, almost feverish, as heat spread
across my body.

I
was relieved when my father returned with a glass of water and a soft towel,
but the saltines in his hand only made my stomach churn. “No crackers, Dad.”

“Dad,”
Liz said, “stop looking at Sarah like that. She’s not Linda Blair. I mean, it
does look like she made some pea soup in the snow, but I’ve never seen her head
spin around. She’s only pregnant, not possessed!”

“What
can I do to help?” he asked.

“I
got this,” Liz assured him. “The best thing you can do is to go back inside and
give her some space.”

“But
my little girl needs me.”

“Hmm.
A hangover, and it’s not even New Year’s,” I heard a neighbor say.

“Hey,
Ralph,” my dad answered.

Great.
Now the neighbors are coming out to watch the show,
I thought as I
glanced up at a tall, skinny man in a red coat.

“I
have the perfect remedy,” he said.

“She’s
pregnant,” Liz said. “She doesn’t need a hangover remedy.”

I
reached for the towel and wiped my face, then headed inside. Not more than ten
minutes passed before another wave of nausea flooded through me. This time, I ran
to the bathroom, squatted on the ground, and practically hugged the toilet,
heaving and gagging like some kind of sick animal.

“I’ve
never felt so miserable in my entire life. I puked in front of the neighbor!
How humiliating!”

“You’re
growing a miracle in your belly,” Liz said, stroking my back and trying to
comfort me.

I
sat up and wiped the tears from my eyes. “I’m Immortal. Shouldn’t I be able to
skip this kind of stuff?”

She
laughed. “Heh. If only we could be so lucky. We’re also still human, and we
have to experience everything humans do, Sarah.”

I
flushed the toilet. “It sucks. I’ve never vomited like that before.”

“This
will pass, but in the meantime, maybe it’s best that you skip greasy and spicy
foods. I’m sure that bacon did you no favors. Drink a ton of water and eat
several small meals throughout the day.”

“Great
advice, Liz.” I ran a hand across my forehead. “I’m sweating.”

“Hey,
it’s hard work bringing up breakfast. Just think of all those muscles you just
used. It’s like an involuntary aerobic workout.”

I
felt as if I might throw up again, but I only broke out in a series of dry
heaves that had me feeling like I’d done a hundred sit-ups. I rubbed my sore
abdomen. “Wow. Maybe you’re right,” I said. “Workout or not, though, morning
sickness blows.”

“Yeah!
It blows...chunks!” Liz said, trying to laugh it off.

Pregnancy
definitely had its ups and downs, but I had a great support system to help me
make it through.