Page 77 of A Fate of Blood and Magic (Fated #2)

Chapter

Thirty-Three

ELIAS

With the castle in ruins, Leah no longer had access to her old clinic or any of the machines she’d used. Thankfully, the small clinic Padern and Dela typically worked from had most of her usual equipment.

“Leah, I think you, Teddy, and I have been through enough these past few months that you can start calling me by my name,” I said.

Her eyes widened, and she gave her head a slight shake.

“I insist. Actually, I’d prefer to think of you as a friend rather than our healer. Let’s start over.” I stuck out my hand, waiting for her to shake it. “I’m Elias, and you are?”

She huffed out a disbelieving breath while Teddy rolled her eyes at me. If she still had her mind-speak magic, I was certain she’d have called me an idiot.

“You truly want me to call you Elias?” Leah spoke slowly while she stared at my outstretched hand.

“I do,” I said. I gave Teddy a mischievous grin, knowing she’d scold me for what I was about to say. “Are you refusing my friendship? ”

“Elias,” Teddy warned.

“No, no,” Leah rushed out, shaking my hand with a firm grip.

“Good.” A knot in my stomach loosened. In the past, I’d rarely ever asked anyone to call me by my name out of fear they’d refuse my friendship, seeing me only for my royal status.

Leah let out a nervous laugh, wiggling the wand in her hand. “May I?”

“Yes, please,” Teddy said.

I didn’t know how to explain it, but after Teddy joined our souls a week ago, I swear sometimes I could hear her thoughts and sense her feelings as if I were the one feeling them.

Her fear fastened around me. Not for me—that fear had lessened the previous night when the blisters had almost disappeared after another round of Leah’s healing.

She still fretted over them, careful not to touch anywhere Pietro’s fire had licked my skin unless it was to apply the medicated cloths, but she also didn’t shy away from the scars that marred my skin.

And every night, she spent hours combing her fingers through my hair.

Even after I’d fallen asleep, she continued playing with my hair.

When Leah pressed the wand to Teddy’s stomach, her fear soared to the point my gut turned with a painful twist. I did my best to soothe the threads of her soul, and she squeezed my hand.

The small room filled with the sounds of our sons’ heartbeats. Although she was only thirteen weeks pregnant, there was a small curve to her belly where she housed our babes.

I forced my hand to still so I wouldn’t reach for her stomach and interrupt Leah’s examination. But, Guardians, I wanted to touch her or press the side of my face against her belly so I could hear our babes from within her womb.

As she’d done at each of our appointments, Leah isolated one of our son’s heartbeats. It took a few tries, with her magic winking before it held steady.

I hated the way her expression grew frustrated with her magic when it didn’t respond right away.

I brought Teddy’s knuckles to my lips for a kiss while a smile spread across her face.

Leah let us listen to our son’s heartbeat for a while, and I took in the way Teddy listened with her eyes shining and a radiant smile on her pretty face. Then Leah searched for the second one. It didn’t take long for her to find it, but it didn’t sound as loud or fast as his brother’s had.

Drawing her brows together, Leah looked puzzled as she moved the wand across Teddy’s belly.

“Do you mind if Dela’s magic joins mine?” Leah asked.

Teddy’s fear spiked, making my chest ache, and I squeezed her hand again.

Everything’s fine, I tried to tell her through the threads of our soul. Our sons are fine.

Her worried gaze trapped me, and once she gave Leah permission, I dropped my head to press my forehead to hers. She gripped the back of my head, bringing me closer to her while Leah and Dela ran their magic through her.

She wrapped the threads of her soul with mine, squeezing as tightly as her hand held mine. Her fear reared up, ripping down the facade of normal we’d clung to since the attacks on our kingdom. We couldn’t hide from this, though. We couldn’t mask away her anxieties and concerns for our babes.

I ran the ribbons of my soul across hers in a gentle caress. Without using words, I reassured her I was here. Whatever was wrong, we’d face it together.

It took a few beats, but with Leah’s and Dela’s joined magic, our son’s heart rate eventually came louder although it remained slower than usual. They kept working on him, and with both their magics working together, his heartbeat strengthened.

I loosened a breath, kissing Teddy’s forehead before I drew away. A tear fell down Teddy’s cheek that I wiped away. I felt the relief that flooded her along with the terror that still clung to her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice low and filled with worry.

“Two of his heart valves aren’t working properly.

Ill-functioning valves cause the heart to work harder,” Leah said.

“I apologize for not having caught it earlier. I don’t know how I missed it, but the strain has weakened his heart.

I’ll need to see you once a day to work on his valves and his heart until it grows stronger on its own.

It would be helpful if Dela worked on him with me. ”

“I can join you,” Dela said.

Leah nodded while dread gripped my chest.

This couldn’t be happening. After everything we’d been through, everything Teddy had endured, this couldn’t possibly be happening. Not when all we yearned for was some peace.

“I’d like to recheck him with our machine in three days,” Leah said.

“Shouldn’t you check him sooner?” Teddy asked.

“I’d prefer you to stay home and rest,” Leah said. She withdrew the wand and handed me a clean towel to wipe Teddy’s stomach. “There’s no reason to make you come out to Somnio every day when Dela and I can see you at your house.”

“We can stay in Somnio,” I said, certain George and Everly wouldn’t mind.

“There’s honestly no need, Your Majesty.

Elias,” Leah amended. “You have all been through a lot, and the best thing for your mate and your sons is to rest. Have your family and friends go over and spoil her with love and attention, but don’t overdo it.

Teddy, this is the perfect time to catch up on the romance novels you haven’t had time to read. ”

Teddy’s laugh was forced, but she did her best to give Leah and me a smile.

“Should you notice a difference in their heartbeats, bring Teddy to me,” Leah told me.

“Teddy, if you start feeling more tired than usual, feel any sort of pain in your abdomen, or really if you notice any differences at all, come see me. It doesn’t matter the time or if I’m occupied with another. My time is yours.”

“Of course,” I said, bringing Teddy’s shirt down when I finished wiping her stomach.

I helped her off the table and held her to my side when she stepped beside me. As if I could shield her from this when I knew I couldn’t. This was beyond anything I could do, even if I still had my magic.

“That doesn’t mean you’re going to listen to their heartbeats obsessively.” Teddy frowned up at me. “The boys need their father not to drive himself insane.”

I nodded, knowing it would be exactly what I’d do. How else would I be able to catch any changes?

But our boys, our sons would be fine. There wasn’t room for doubt, not when it was my turn to be strong for Teddy.

Hayden waited for us outside the clinic, his face stern and the veins on his neck popping.

“Did something happen?” Teddy asked him.

“I’ve been thinking and I have reason to believe Garrison is among the fae who betrayed our kingdom,” he said.

Teddy held a fisted hand to her chest. “The castle’s truth-teller? He helped us that night, after Pietro had strung up those people.”

“He grew up in the castle, as many of our traitors did,” Hayden said.

“His mother is a castle employee,” I said, trying to taper down the rising anger. “The others . . . their parents were charged with treason. His mother never was.”

“He grew up with Pietro and the others, Your Highness,” Hayden said. “I think it’s wise if we at least question him.”

I shook my head, not wanting to deal with this today. Not when Teddy needed me.

“Can you handle this?” I asked him.

“Yes, Your Highness.” He tapped a fist to his chest.

“You don’t want to stay and question him yourself?” Teddy asked, her eyes wide and pleading with me.

“My place is with you. Can you take us home, Hayden?”

Just as he’d brought us to Somnio earlier, he bent space and took us home.

I felt bad using him for such a menial task and would eventually have to find another fae who could bend space to take us places, but I trusted Hayden in a way I found I no longer trusted anyone outside our inner circle of family and friends.

Teddy looked around our yard and took a few steps to the hiking trail. Her shoulders hitched up, and I scented the tears she fought to hold back. Hayden stared at the back of her frame with worry etched across his face.

“Thank you for using your magic to take us to our appointment today,” I told him.

Casting a worried glance at Teddy, he bowed before he bent space and left.

From behind her, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She wiggled to draw her back closer to my chest.

“The boys are going to be fine,” I said.

Nodding her head, she turned around to hug me back.

“They’re going to be born healthy and strong,” I continued.

Her fingers wrapped around the back of my shirt as she dug her head against my chest. She molded herself against me as if trying to absorb my warmth.

Through our connected souls, I felt how much she wanted to believe my words. How hard she latched on to that hope, and I knew it would now be my duty to give her that hope whenever it felt like her world was crumbling around her. I’d hold on to faith and pray to whoever listened.

Our boys would be fine. Just as Teddy would be fine.

There was no other alternative.