The Darkness Within

41 - Memories, Magic Practice, and Plans

She found herself in the Castle of the Dark One, in a very familiar room on the highest floor of the castle: the war planning room with the large silver table. It was a memory dream, she knew, as she had been having them often, most of them from her past life that fought against the humans in the War of Life.

She stood at the head of the table with Light standing at her left in shining golden armor, a sharp contrast to the blood and gore-covered armor that she'd seen in some memories. In this memory, her past life was intimidatingly tall, also another key difference from her current incarnation that she immediately noticed. To her right, sitting in one of the chairs that sat around the table, was her shapeshifter mate who had chosen a female form- a black-haired witch- for tonight's occasion. They looked nervous and in the memory, she herself felt nervous too.

"Are you sure we should tell them?" her mate asked, their beautiful features shifting into borderline threatening. She knew her mate would do anything to protect the growing life in her belly, the bright future of their child.

"They need to know," Light said, her voice calm. "You want your mate safe? You want your unborn cub safe?"

"Of course!" they exclaimed, and she could feel they were distressed at the implication that they didn't want their mate and child safe. She could feel that her mate was on the verge of shifting, or attacking, she wasn't quite sure which.

"Then her leaders need to know so they know to plan around it," Light continued, and she knew that her power-bound was reassuring the shapeshifter that their cub would be okay. Mates were extra protective when their mates were pregnant, bordering on unreasonably protective, and that was exactly what was hindering the shapeshifter's rational thinking. "They need to know that they can't plan for her to be on a mission for three days that has no time for rest, they need to know that they can't expect her to be as invincible as she once was considered. Them knowing, although it might leak to the humans and be a danger, will also allow them to know to protect her."

"I can protect her," the shapeshifter protested.

"You will come nowhere near any battlefield," she ground out, teeth snapping threateningly. Her shapeshifter mate was fragile in comparison to her and was afraid to let them near any form of danger.

"I will go everywhere you go," they countered, "you're my mate and you carry my pup. I will be there whether you like it or not to protect the both of you."

She closed her eyes, distressed, but she knew it was unfair of her to ask her mate to stay at home while she went and fought humans that were deadlier than they had any right to be. Had their places been reversed, she wouldn't have stayed at home either.

Gentle hands found their way to her hips and she allowed her mate to pull her into a hug which she reluctantly returned after a moment. Having her mate close calmed her nerves a bit. They were a good fighter, letting them on the battlefield wouldn't be too bad.

"Fine, you can come with me but my Champion stays with you at all times," she conceded.

"Understood," the shapeshifter replied and then pulled away as the dark stone doors to the room boomed open with the arrival of her demon generals, the Dominus, the vampire King, and the representative High Priestess.

"Goddesses," half of the arrivals said with a bow.

"Deas," the other half said at the same time, bowing as well.

"Take your places, we're going to be busy today," she said, and her subordinates did as they were told. "First thing's first, I have some important and ill-timed news." She gave a pause and they all looked at her, worried. "I'm pregnant."