Page 40

The beeping of the machines, while annoying, was welcomed. Bullet’s static, chaotic heartbeat played throughout the room. Running my fingers over my abdomen, I studied the babe’s reaction to my prodding.

A smile stretched over my lips as the babe removed the fingers they’d been sucking on, then turned its strangely shaped head. I’d asked one of the healers about the shape of the skull, but she’d merely chuckled and assured me it was perfectly normal.

The door cracked open. It forced my attention from the perfect little creature to their father as he stuck his head in the door. As I watched, he slid his regard to the monitor, and a proud smile played over his full, kissable lips.

“Have you been able to rest with all the noise?” Azure eyes glowed with pride as Rhys studied the fetal monitor, then lowered to meet mine.

“I’ve managed to sleep a bit.”

Entering the suite, I noted he still wore the same rumpled suit he’d worn last night. His hair was disheveled, as if he had shoved his tattooed fingers through the silky ink-colored strands all night or he’d been pulling at them.

I’d very seldom, if ever, seen Rhys look out of sorts. The fact that he was sent caused worry to slither through my mind. My heartbeat increased quickly. It caused the machines to begin beeping to alert the healers. Rhys’ azure eyes widened in worry as he reached me, then carefully searched my face as if it held the answer to his question.

“Nyota?” I asked, lips quivering with worry. “Nyx?” My stomach twisted when no one spoke. It took everything I had to blink back my tears. It felt like an invisible fist was squeezing my heart, working it free of my chest.

“Nyx is fine. Acyn has ensured she’s tended to and protected.” Grabbing one of the chairs, Rhys pulled it over to the bed, then sat down as healers flooded the room. “She’s fine. Go tend to Lady Nyota. She’s to feel no pain.”

“Rhys?” I whispered as fear gutted through me. “Please!”

“She’s—” Rhys hesitated, throat bobbing as he tried to choose the right words. “Nyota’s condition has taken a turn. It’s not for the better, I’m afraid.”

My stomach twisted at the pain in his voice. Nyota had barely been a year old when their mother had been murdered. Rhys and his brothers had raised her themselves. Their father had been inconsolable and out of sorts after Verity’s death. It had fallen upon them to protect, raise, and care for their sister.

“You have to let me—”

Rhys stood abruptly, scraping the feet of the chair over the sterile, white flooring. The sound of it crashing as it toppled was deafening. “I don’t have to do shit, Silversmith. If my only choice is between losing you and our child or losing her, then I must listen to reasoning. You won’t survive if you were to heal her. I’d lose you and Bullet. Nyota wouldn’t forgive me if I allowed you to sacrifice yourself for her. Two lives for one, do the math for the equation.” The raw pain in his voice made the tears fall freely as he allowed me to see his pain.

“You don’t know that I’d die, Rhys. It’s my silver that was used to harm her. I’m the only one who can save her.”

“I don’t know that I won’t lose you, either. I can’t make that choice. I won’t.” The way his voice trembled told me he had considered the cost before making his choice.

“I’m willing to try . . . even if the cost is—” I squeaked as Rhys grabbed the front of my gown, twisting the material as he jerked me forward.

His forehead pressed against mine as he made an animalistic sound from deep in his chest. The hand not twisted in the gown slid around the back of my neck to thread through my tousled strands, winding through them.

“Rhys,” I whimpered his name on a plea, uncertain what his intention was.

Pulling back, he stared straight into the marrow of my soul. “I won’t lose you, Remington. Don’t ask me to choose between you and my sister. She’s made peace with what is happening. I suggest you do the same. You’ve got another life to consider besides your own. Our child is at the mercy of every choice you make. I can’t sacrifice you and our child for her. She made me promise that I wouldn’t choose her over the two of you.”

“That’s not fair. She shouldn’t have made you promise that.”

“Shut up, Remington. Stop talking,” he snarled, anger radiating through the words.

His mouth crushed against mine, ravenously kissing me as if I were oxygen and he was deprived of it. His tongue slid over mine, then tangled against it, drawing me into the kiss.

Rhys lifted me and then pulled me onto his lap as he sat on the hospital bed. The wires tangled around us. It caused his lips to leave mine as he shook his head, as if confused by what happened.

“Bloody hell, Love.” Rhys sat me down before he backed up, slipping his fingers through his silky tresses, then bowing his head. “The choice has been made. It cannot be undone. Nyota made a choice. She’s being kept comfortable and, when the time comes, I’ll take you to her to say goodbye as she’s asked,” he explained.

“Is she here, close to me?” I whispered as I leaned back, eyes swimming with tears.

“Yes,” he said as a muscle in his cheek jumped.

Obviously, she was in the same corridor. That was comforting. I didn’t want her to pass away before I could get to her. The tears that swam in my eyes escaped, trickling down my cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, Rhys.” What else could I say to him? Losing a sibling felt like losing your arm. It felt like a part of you was amputated, leaving you broken and spinning in a downward spiral.

“You just lost a sibling. I’m sure you know it’s never easy.”

“My loss and yours aren’t the same,” I whispered thickly. “Losing Colt was hard, but I have other brothers. I didn’t raise him, either. You’ve all raised her together. I didn’t even see Colt on holiday. You are losing someone you’ve spent centuries with.” Rhys’ eyes softened as he nodded, then stepped forward to press a kiss against my forehead.

“Rest. I’ll send one of the healers back to hook up the fetal monitor. I enjoy hearing the baby’s heartbeat. It’s soothing during this rather dark, terrifying time.” Rising back to his towering height, he stared at me as if he wanted to say more but decided against it. “They’ll be in shortly.”

“No,” I stated hesitantly. “If they’re tending to Nyota, don’t pull them from her. I’d feel better knowing she isn’t in pain.”

“You’re not healed yet, Love. Until you are, the monitors are required.” Aiming a longing look at me, Rhys spun on his heel, then moved to the door, pausing. “Please just let them replace the monitors without issue. Right now, I need to be able to focus on keeping everyone grounded. My brothers are spiraling with the weight of what is coming.” With that, he was gone.

Sitting up, I wiped the tears away angrily. This wasn’t happening. It wasn’t fair. Nyota hadn’t even begun living yet. She’d been treated like another boy by her brothers. She’d never even dated yet, either. No one brave enough had ever tried to date the only Van Helsing sister.

Nyota deserved a chance to live. She deserved to be rewarded for her loyalty, not merely tossed away because someone here had wanted to frame me for her murder. It was my silver that had been used against her. I’d been present for the use of it as well. I was there but couldn’t stop it.

The door opened, and a healer walked in, her eyes rimmed red from crying. I noted the way she moved, sluggish with exhaustion from days of fighting to save Nyota.

“If you’ll lie back, I’ll hook up the monitors, ma’am.”

Nodding, I leaned back on the pillow and rested my arm behind my head. “How is Lady Nyota doing?”

The dark-haired healer sniffled, then bowed her head as she wiped away the tears. “Not well. I don’t think she’ll make it through the night.”

“Where is she?” The healer turned, eyeing me with suspicion. “I only ask because Rhys said she wished to see me. I don’t want to be far from her if she requested me by her side before . . .” Swallowing past the constricting in my throat, I forced out the words. “I want to be sure she gets her last wishes met.”

“She’s in the room beside you, ma’am. Her brothers have gone to change their clothing to ensure they’re in the finest suits to be present in her last hours,” she divulged.

I blinked as she answered my next question without me needing to ask. Studying her sluggish movement, I slid my regard to the door. Slowly, I threw my legs over the edge of the bed, then grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her body.

“Make a sound and I’ll end you. Understand me?” I hissed, uncaring that what I’d thought was a gown wasn’t, in fact, a gown at all. It was a delicate mossy green camisole with matching shorts. As she nodded, I reached past her, grabbing a scalpel from the tray on the counter. “Take me to Nyota. I promise to leave you unharmed if you take me to her. She doesn’t deserve to die like this. Silver poisoning is one of the more painful ways to go. You think it’s bad now, I assure you, it gets much worse. Nyota’s my friend. I won’t let her die like this, not with my silver being the weapon used to kill her.”

“You’re not strong enough to heal her, ma’am.”

“I’m much stronger than I look. No one’s dying.” I wasn’t feeling strong, but I’d be damned if I admitted it aloud.

“Think about the heir you carry. The baby may not survive, either.”

I’d considered it, but if losing Bullet was the price I paid for saving Nyota, then I’d pay it. Losing my child wasn’t something I wanted to do. Far from it. Nyota was alive yet hadn’t lived her life. I couldn’t live knowing I’d chosen my child’s life over hers, not when she’d sacrificed hers to protect us.

She deserved a chance to live her life how she wanted. If it costs me my happiness, so be it. Rhys would hate me, surely. I’d hate myself as well, so I wouldn’t blame him for doing so. Nyota was one of the few people who hadn’t abandoned me in my darkest hour. I’d be damned if I abandoned her in hers.

If Nyota died, it wouldn’t only be her life lost. There’d be a war started over her death. It would be the beginning of the end of our bloodline. Rhys wouldn’t be able to stop the downward spiral of those who blamed us for all that was wrong in the world. If I could stop the war by saving Nyota, then I had to try.

“I am thinking about my child. Rhys won’t ever forgive himself if he chooses between Nyota or us. His choice will always taint every aspect of our relationship. Whoever used my silver against her has ensured that she would be tortured for eternity. I refuse to let them win. They are trying to turn his family against him while destroying any chance of happiness for him. Fuck that and fuck them for being heartlessly cruel enough to carry it out.” Jerking her toward the door, I felt exactly how weak I was.

“You’ve thought this through, then?” she muttered but wisely moved toward the door. Once there, she opened it and we both peeked out.

I glanced out at the empty corridor, then pushed her and myself outside the doorway. The healer walked only a few feet before we stood silently in front of the room beside mine. Inside the room, Illeron stood beside Nyota, pain contorting his harsh features.

“If you free me, he won’t allow you near her. He’s made it clear that he despises you. Put the scalpel to my throat, ma’am, at least make it look like you’re willing to murder me. He likes me. He’s also under oath to protect me, as are all Van Helsings.” Blinking slowly, I brought the scalpel up, but lifted my thumb, slicing into the pad of it. “That was clumsy. Are you sure you’re up to this?”

Snorting, I made a mental note to work on my villain-era persona. “Just be ready to scream once we are inside the room. Where are the other healers?” I asked in confusion.

“They’re depleted. Her pain’s too great for us to ease anymore.”

“Let’s go before the brothers return.” Swallowing past the uneasiness clawing its way up my throat, I squared my shoulders. The moment the door opened, I pressed my bleeding thumb against her throat, ensuring it looked like her blood instead of mine. “Move and I’ll slit her fucking throat, asshole.”