Page 30 of Princess (Marinah and the Apocalypse #5)

Marinah

The baby had fallen asleep a few minutes before. I lifted her to my shoulder while staring at Beck in shock. It took a moment to form a sentence.

“The Shadow women are here?”

His expression showed something. Not quite disdain, but something close. “If they are who they say they are, then yes, they are here. We shouldn’t trust them.”

I stood up and gave Beck my hard stare. “Shut up. No one asked you.”

King made a noise low in his throat. It sounded like a laugh. I ignored him and directed my command at Beck. “Escort their representatives into the citadel and take them to the sitting room. Have food and drink delivered while they wait for me.”

“Sitting room?” Beck questioned like I’d grown two heads.

“Yes, the room on the bottom floor with comfortable couches and chairs.” I had trouble not adding “duh” to the command.

It was rarely used but it was a place for guests and any idiot knew that.

Okay, it was obvious one did not. “Make them feel welcome, and if I hear you haven’t done as I’ve asked, I’ll send you to the southern part of the island until I calm down.

” I glared. “It could take a year or more. Have I made myself clear?”

Beck stared for a split second too long before lowering his gaze. “Yes, Alpha.”

“Why are you standing still? Hurry,” I said and made a shooing motion with my hand.

A second after he left, King began laughing. It didn’t help the turmoil rolling through my stomach.

“You deal with him so much better than I ever did,” he said when he could speak.

“Take her.” The baby had fallen asleep, and I thrust her gently into King’s arms. I needed a very quick shower before facing the women. My brain began going in a hundred different directions.

“What do I do if she cries?” King asked, looking at me like I was out of my mind for handing him the baby.

He must have forgotten caring for her when I took the long shower.

I was slightly upset that he hadn’t assisted earlier when I changed her diaper.

I’d struggled, and he’d only watched. That would end right now.

I looked at his chest that was covered in straps. “You have large pecs; she might enjoy one.”

He looked down, then up. The expression on his face said I had to be joking. I left him standing there with his child in his arms. If a Shadow Warrior couldn’t handle his own child, he needed to kick himself in his own ass.

Men.

I scrubbed myself thoroughly, got out of the shower, and found one of the thick pads the women made for me. They had thought of everything. If it would have been left to me, I would be wearing a T-shirt between my thighs. My old clothes from before I was pregnant were tight, but they would work.

I gave a long sigh. King and I had set aside time after the baby’s birth to simply be a family.

With all that happened these past few days, family time had to wait.

I had no aches or pains left from labor and delivery.

Shadow Warrior healing was miraculous. The only thing bothering me was an overall sense of tiredness.

I needed the downtime I wouldn’t get. I smiled and shook my head.

Forward, oh great leader of the Shadow Warriors.

Ms. Beast whispered inside me. Baby .

She had been unusually quiet. I couldn’t sense Nova at all but didn’t have time to worry about it.

I left the bathroom and found King sitting in the chair I’d vacated. The baby slept. He gave me a relieved look. It would become abundantly clear very quickly that raising our child was a team effort. He led the Warriors before me, and if he could do that, he could handle one small infant.

“I’m going to speak with the women alone,” I said. “I’ll send someone for the baby if I decide it’s safe.”

He nodded his head like he’d expected this and he was resigned. Her last diaper had been black tar. King needed a good, solid dose of newborn poop, but I most likely wouldn’t get that lucky.

How many Shadow Warriors does it take to change a dirty diaper? I thought to myself as I quickly left the room.

I turned several corners and almost ran into Cosway.

“You had the baby?” she asked with a wide smile.

“She’s with King. He’s learning to be a dad. Could you come with me now? The Shadow women are here, and I think they want to see the baby, but I need to know what their intent is first.”

“Yes, I will protect you,” Cosway said.

I didn’t correct her. Cosway thought about life very differently from the rest of us. Her simple ways didn’t show how smart she was, but I knew the truth and had no problem listening to her wisdom.

I entered the sitting room. Beck stood inside the door along with Caleb. My eyes zeroed in on Endura, who walked toward me. Her calming essence was in full force along with a smile that enveloped me with serenity.

She wore jeans and a T-shirt, which made her appearance disconcerting for some odd reason. I always pictured her in the same loose cotton dress that had flowed around her the first time we met. She looked different now. More modern.

I turned to the men. “You may leave,” I told them.

Caleb moved immediately, but Beck hesitated. I narrowed my eyes, and he followed Caleb.

“It’s good to see you,” I said when I turned back to Endura.

“I did not think we would meet again,” she said, and before I asked why, she continued, “You have had the child.”

“How did you know I was pregnant?” I asked instead of answering.

She turned to another woman, about ten years older. “This is Amissa. She sees that which has not happened.”

Amissa was dressed very similarly to Endura, but her T-shirt held the slogan, "I predict I need more coffee." Did this mean she had a sense of humor? It was something lacking in our current world. Fighting hellhounds will do that to a person.

Amissa bowed her head.

“You see the future?” I asked somewhat skeptically.

Amissa looked into my eyes. “The gift was passed down from my mother. I knew you were having a daughter. A few weeks ago, I understood that we, the Shadows, have a part in what is to come. We are here to protect Nikayla.”

Beck had said the name, but it had no effect on me. Now, it hit like a lightning strike, and I stepped back slightly. I looked at Cosway, and she appeared shell-shocked. Then her eyes took on a dreamy look, and her lips curved upward. She swayed slightly.

I looked back at the women. “Can she feel your essence?”

Endura smiled. “Most humans cannot, but she does feel it. She has a pure heart.”

Strange. I knew there was nothing pure about mine, but the essence was stronger since they said that name. Nikayla. It buzzed strangely through my body.

“Who is Nikayla?” I asked.

The women smiled.

“She is your daughter,” Amissa said. “Nikayla is her given name.”

“You seem very sure,” I replied a little stiffly.

“When you hold her and say the name, you will know.”

I already knew, but that didn’t mean I liked this mystic shit.

“Why Nikayla?”

Amissa smiled again. “The name has two powerful meanings. The first, 'No One is Like God.' Your enemies think they are God. Nikayla strikes that down. The second meaning is 'Victory of the People.'”

Hmm. The name continued to buzz as I repeated it inside my head. “Is this why you are willing to fight now?” I tried to keep ire from the words but failed.

“We are not here to fight. Our presence will help in some way. The prophecies are never clear, but I know we must be here while you wage war on the continent. If you survive the coming battle, Nikayla will assure lasting peace.”

What could I say to that? A lot, but I decided it best to think about it before I caused an incident.

“How many women did you bring with you?”

Endura gave a small laugh and spoke, “One hundred and forty women and children took the voyage with us. No one stayed behind.”

This shocked me. They had all come. “What about your husbands?”

“We have no husbands. The men who lived with us left to fight. We told them not to return. Most died early in the hellhound battles. We do not make binding ties with the men who father our children. It is a lesson we learned several generations ago.”

I wasn’t going to touch that.

“May we see Nikayla?” Endura asked.

There it was again. Maybe “buzz” was the wrong word. “Zing” fit better.

“I am Cosway. I will fetch Nikayla,” she said and smiled at the two women before she left the room.

Cosway had accepted what the women said. I couldn’t believe someone else was naming mine and King’s child, but arguing against it seemed futile.

“What condition are those who traveled with you in?” I asked.

“They are tired of being cooped up on the ship. We bring no illness with us, just grumpy children who wish to run and play without boundaries,” Endura replied.

“We can provide rooms, food, and a place for the children to run. My worry is that if the Warriors leave the island, your unwillingness to fight will endanger those who stay behind.” I shook my head before Endura could speak.

“I’m not saying you will bring danger, but if they need to protect their families and you, more of the island people will die. ”

It was Amissa who spoke. “We are tasked with keeping your child safe and will give our lives to do so. We will not endanger the people here.”

Endura nodded in agreement.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about any of this, but I needed more time to think on it.

“Then welcome to my home,” I said.