Page 10 of The Child of Rue Royale
I want to tell him. I want to tell him so badly of my plan. How a diary could help me with intentions, could help me connect to Bastian’s soul in the afterlife. But I bite my lip instead and nod.
“Nicola is off the hook for Franklin’s murder. The Vampire Alliance has conducted their investigation, and the case has been closed.”
“That’s great,” I say, relieved Cassius won’t be losing his mother too. I want to ask more, but I see how badly he wishes to escape. So I let him. “Thank you, Cassius.”
“You’re welcome, Aster. And remember, you want more of Bastian? It’s growing inside you,” he says and disappears into the night.
I have no interest in lying on the top bed that Bastian used for “entertaining”. So I slide it open and crawl into the vampire bed we both slept in. The sheets, freshly laundered and smelling of coconut. Vacation.
The house looks just as it always did. Clean and tidy with all the tropical-scented products he bought once I told him about my desire to smell like I was on vacation, lined up in the laundry room. He couldn’t believe I hadn’t been on one since I was a girl, that I had longed for a vacation.
My heart clenches like it’s going to shatter, and I roll into a ball on the sheets. I think about all the people who have lost those they love, the people who can’t even dream about bringing their loved ones back. And if my pain is this intense, how must theirs be?
I stand, walk into the bathroom, looking at the tub we soaked in together as I nursed him back to health after he overdosed on thepotion I created for him. The closet where he picked out his attire for his nights at the speakeasy. The colognes lined up in a row along the countertops. My stomach flutters, my legs liquefying under me, and I collapse next to the tub, my fingers pressing into the porcelain so hard they could snap. Memories are all I have, and they kill me and keep me alive at the same time.
I slip into the tub, lying back as I whisper his name into thin air, his smile coating my mind with warmth, that mouth that soothed me in so many ways. We had argued that he was careless. And I was right. He was careless, and that’s why he’s gone. But I loved him despite every fault. And he loved me back despite my many.
My hand finds my belly. A moment of intense pain turns into that feeling I’ve come to recognize as hope for a brighter future. It’s all I have left to hold on to, so I’m going to hold on tight and never let go.
“Aster,” Chantal calls, finding me in the tub, a sympathetic look on her face. She slips in across from me, her mouth in a hard line. “Maybe staying here isn’t the best idea for now. Until at least the baby is born.”
“I don’t know what the best ideas are anymore,” I say, meeting her eyes. I open my mouth just as Mother calls for us then leans in the doorframe, arms crossed.
“It’s some house. A safe place for the baby. It’s the right thing.” Mother knows I’m hesitant, that staying here doesn’t feel right just yet.
“We don’t have to rush it. We can bring the baby furniture here at least, get her room set up, since there’s no room at Chantal’s. Our house won’t be done by the time she comes. How does that sound?”
“I think that sounds great,” Chantal says. “I’m not ready to be all alone again.”
“Okay.” I give in. It won’t be easy, but I’ll go back. Because one day, I’ll be living there with Bastian again.
“SO NICOLA GETS OFF SCOT-FREEfor killing the Vampire King?” Mother asks, face full of shock. She props an elbow on Chantal’s kitchen table as she chews on her lower lip instead of her dinner.
“I guess vampires aren’t as strict as witches,” Chantal says, and I huff.
“They’re more emotional. That blood bond is intense,” I say, moving my pasta around my plate.
“I’ve concluded it was a bayou witch that put the protection spell on Franklin. Another coven, trying to cash in when we were weak. Jade has been sniffing around for months, listening to the thoughts of our coven members and heard nothing. I can’t find any clues.” Mother sighs, frustrated by the lack of answers.
“Maybe,” Chantal pipes in, running a napkin over her mouth. “Right now we need to focus on this homebirth.” Her eyes broaden with anxiety.
“A homebirth scares the shit out of me.” I sigh, heart palpitating from the thought. “More than a bayou witch.”
“We don’t know what kind of baby we’re having. A midwife at Bastian’s house is the best option so we can keep things in our court. People do it all the time. Don’t worry,” Mother says.
“We need to think of all possible scenarios. Like, what if she comes out and needs blood? What if she can’t be in the sun?” The thoughts keep me up at night, every scenario running through my mind until I’m paralyzed with fear. I wish I could just push them down and ignorethem, but how can I when the stakes are so high? When my daughter’s life could be on the line?
“We’ll be in a light-proof house, and we’ll get some blood bags.” Mother raises her arms like it’s a stupid question, and I take a steep breath.
“Get some blood bags? From where?”
“Well how would I know? I don’t associate with vampires, but you do. Cassius told you he would help.”
The scowl on my face makes her laugh as she takes a sip of her martini and ticks her head to the side. “We always figure it out. We’ll figure this out.”
“I’m just freaking out, and every possible scenario is racing through my mind. The baby’s a vampire, and I’m going to have to keep her in the dark for her entire life. I’m terrified.”
She gives me that look I know so well from when I was a child, that “You made your bed now lie in it” look, and I don’t want to lie in the bed I’ve made.
