Beautiful Torture *Book Two of the Beautiful series*

23) Gods of Fate

Alexander had almost fallen asleep when Lucy's body jerked, causing his head to snap up. "What are you doing?"

He was surprised to find one of the monks from the council standing on the other side of the cot. The black haired man looked down at the two of them, drawing his hand away until it was behind his back. "Akeso asked me to check on the girl while she was busy with that shape-shifter," his tone was even, with no hint of fear or hesitation.

The monk was either telling the truth, or he was an extremely good liar, Alexander thought. "She is fine." He did not like the idea of anyone touching his woman, barely making an exception for the healer. He took in a deep breath, exhaling in a heavy sigh. The smells of the goddess' work space were so intoxicating it made his head spin for a moment.

"Let us hope so," the monk continued, the corner of his mouth twitched. "Then maybe she can tell you how clumsy she is," tisking by clicking his tongue against his teeth, "Slipping in the bath like that. She should be more careful in her condition." Although he held back any menace from the loaded words, it was clear he did not believe she had been telling the truth, thinking she was simply trying to trick her way into staying. The dragon king shot to his feet, just as the door opened, revealing Akeso and Hunter, who was carrying a basket full of freshly picked herbs.

"Rickton?" Her eyes darted between the two men in the room and her patient, before landing on her fellow monk. The goddess of healing looked surprised to see the man who had supposedly been asked to drop in. "What is going on here?"

Alexander opened his mouth to call Rickton out on his lie, but the monk cut him off, "I was just leaving." He brushed past the two in the doorway, avoiding touching Akeso, and bumping Hunter with his shoulder. Alexander watched the familiar jerk away as if the man had somehow caused him physical pain from such a small tap.

Hunter stared after Rickton, shook by the sensation of the monk touching him. It had the most intense fear he had ever felt before in his life, similar to what he had felt earlier when Lucy had called for him. Only it had been his own fear he had felt, completely different from when feeling the feelings of his paired Forged.

"What was that?" Alexander asked, "When he touched you," he clarified when he received a look of confusion from Akeso beside the familiar.

Shrugging, Hunter's gaze remained down the call at the point where Rickon disappeared around a corner. "I do not know," his brows pulled together in thought. "But whatever it was, that man is rotten." His tone was distant, like he had not meant to say this aloud.

<><><>

"I...I do not understand," Lucy stammered looking up into the face of her grown son, a son who had not even been born yet. A horrific thought brought immediate tears to her eyes, surprised she could cry in a place like this. "When I was attacked, were you..." A hand flew to her stomach, as if she would be able to tell if there was still a living child in there. "Were you killed?"

Shaking the same dark hair as his father, he gave her a tight lipped look. "You are still with child," holding his hand out, he gestured for her to start walking again. Only this time, there was no fear as she continued through the silver mist, Caspian at her side. "I am just a manifestation of your subconscious," he walked like a prince, his hands linked behind his back, head held high, except for when he spoke directly to her, in which case he looked down at her. "I am here to help you along your path, to prepare you for the Three Fates."

"Prepare me? For what, do I not just have to stand before them and tell them I am ready to go back?" She had to find them first, somehow she had to get through the mist filled swamp. Was that where Caspian was leading her?