Only Him

Chapter 34

"You're on medical leave," Hans told me.

"I'm twenty-eight weeks pregnant, I'm not diseased!" I objected crossly, flinging my hands up in exasperation. Lissa rolled her eyes at my theatrics. "I'm perfectly capable of sitting at a damn table with you and planning a strategy."

"I know you, Guardian Hathaway," my boss informed me dryly. "You won't drawl the line with planning. Next it will be helping check supplies, then meeting and personally vetting all guardians involved. Next thing you know you'll have wheedled your way onto the plane with us and be headed for Boston."

I glowered at him. "I would not!" I objected. Then paused. "Besides, would that be such a bad thing?" I asked. "An extra set of eyes couldn't hurt."

"No," he and Lissa chorused. "You're staying at Court."

I glared. "What good can I do here?"

"You can stay safe," Lissa said. "You got another note today, didn't you?" I didn't respond but my silence was as good as saying yes. "Exactly," she said. "Its not safe for you to leave the wards."

"And its safe for you?" I queried sarcastically, hands on hips. The action only worked to emphasize the sizable dome of my belly, which probably didn't help my case.

"No," she admitted. "But unlike you, I have to go. Plus, ever since you started telling people the truth about the baby you've generated a lot of attention."

I scoffed. Attention. Try all out media scandal. It seemed like we were all that people talked about anymore. When I'd finally set the record straight about my son's paternity at the gym one day I hadn't anticipated the veritable hurricane of public opinion to follow. I'd known it would be interesting and a bit messy, but I hadn't expected to need a full on FEMA cleanup team to handle the situation.

There were currently two main groups in regards to the news: those that outright denounced me for my debauchery and lies and those that believed me and not only viewed me with excitement and hope but downright worshiped Lissa for her role in the situation. Both groups made me uncomfortable though I found myself better equipped to deal with my enemies than those that wanted to hear again and again how my baby was conceived. I'd gotten frustrated after the fiftieth or so time explaining Lissa's role in the matter and instead started telling people in exact detail how Dimitri had done his part in fathering our son. Dimitri was downright scandalized that I'd publicly and accurately described what he was capable of. Most women were impressed.

It wasn't the rude comments and not so subtle threats that I received within the wards that worried Lissa though, it was the notes I'd been receiving. Not including the one Marlen had sent with the baby clothes, I'd received three other notes from him in which he liked to detail the gruesome plans he had for me and my son.

I knew a lost argument when I came across it, besides Dimitri and Christian had already assured me that they would be attending the conference, adding extra muscle and fire magic to Lissa's defenses. It was the best I would get in that regard. But that didn't mean I couldn't participate in any way possible.

"How about a deal?" I said instead, rubbing my forehead wearily where I felt the beginning of yet another tension headache coming on. I'd been getting them more and more often lately. "You agree to let me participate in the planning and I'll promise not to argue about leaving the wards anymore."

Both Lissa and Hans gave me a skeptical look, assessing my expression for any signs that I was lying.

"And you won't do anything stupid on Court grounds while we're gone either?" Lissa asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue at her. Part of me was already planning on how I'd sniff out the Court rat in their absence. While we'd received no outward threats from Marlen's anonymous partner, Marlens notes had been making their way into my care without detection. After the package was dropped off at the dhampir housing complex security had been tightened. Since then the notes were completely random. I'd found one in my gym locker, one taped to my apartment door and, perhaps the most terrifying, one slipped into Lissa's pile of Council documents. The rat needed to be found and dealt with before they did something worse than pass on information and deliver notes.