The Demon Queen (Otherworld Series #5)

Chapter 13- Pawns

PrincessAmaraM22

I stood at the entrance to my room. It had been cleaned for my arrival except for that little detail, there was nothing else that was different in the room.

It was just as I had left it.

Even the shoes I had been choosing to wear before leaving and had left out in the open were right there. Just left out in the open for me. Like I had left them before leaving.

I could smell Hanes in the air.

The traces were old, like he had been here a long time ago, but not very long ago. A few days perhaps.

"He comes here for peace and quite." A low voice said from beside me.

I turned to look at the female.

It was Catra June Wyatt, now know as Catra Vitely. Her hair was left open, her face looked fresh but tired all the same, she wore an off white night gown that stretched over her pregnant belly, the just-got-out-of-bed look was completed with white fluffy slippers that had bunny ears.

Did I mention that she was holding her son, Peter against her shoulder? No? Well she was. And it was scary how it made her look like she was an ancient fertility Goddess....if you did not look at the bunny slippers.

"Hanes?" I asked, like an idiot. Of course, Hanes would come here.

My hands automatically reached out to take Peter from her. I did not know the reason....maybe its because I had been the servant who had watched over him, or maybe it was because Catra looked really tired all of a sudden.

She leaned against the wall. "Yes, Hanes." She replied.

Peter wrapped his tiny arms around my neck and nuzzeled my neck. A strange satisfaction filled me, I was glad that he remembered me even though I had been in disguise.

Catra touched her belly.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "I can't climb so high. Peter sensed that you were here, he ran up. "

I smiled, looking down at the toddler. " He missed me, then?"

Catra smiled back at me. It made her eyes light up. "He missed you." She agreed.

Peter was a smart observant kid. I'd had a vision of him dying from a bullet, it had been hard to not act against it, to not try and save him but then I'd seen Catra and had a vision of her saving him, it had been a relief, I had gotten attached to Peter, I used to tell him my evil plans to kill Nikolai.

Holding Peter in my arms and thinking of Nikolai made me think of our own child...if we would have one. Would he be like Peter? Silent and observant, I was silent and observant. Or he would be his own different personality...Nikolai's personality. Scheming...secretive.

Both personalities were almost the same. But maybe our child would be a charmer like Nikolai. Maybe he or she'd be a friendless weird freak like me.

Wow, he or she will be a major freak anyway. Nikolai was a freak. I am a freak.

I signed. I heard footsteps approach. It was Pius. I'm sure.

"That's Pius, I guess. " Catra shrugged. "I was told not to climb stairs. He's gonna give me a lecture."

Peter squirmed as he and I both saw Pius appear behind Catra. He was scowling.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, taking a hold of her upper arm.

"Daddy!" Peter smiled and raised his arms. Pius took Peter from me and started admonishing Catra about stairs.

I turned towards my room. Giving them privacy, I walked into my room.

The room had so many good memories. Hanes used to tell me bedtime stories. We used to look over war maps together. My life had begun here.....it had also ended here.

Pius and Catra were silent now. They stared at me from the doorway. Pius held Peter in his arms and Catra, who had one arm over her belly, had her other arm around Pius' waist. They resembled a happy family. A future I would have had if that bitch Runeria hadn't interfered...or maybe I wouldn't?

For all I knew, my love for Nikolai wasn't real either. It was all a carefully plotted game. We were all pawns.

"Are you going to stay here?" Pius asked, like he knew exactly what was going through my head. My indecision must have been seen on my face. My emotions warring with each other.

"I...will stay." I said, finally. Or maybe it was just a ploy to make them leave. Catra looked ready to collapse.

"I think you should be in bed." I told her.

She nodded, sheepishly. "I was warned to not do much."

"But, you never listen." Pius scowled down at her. He placed Peter down on his feet and bent down to carry Catra into his arms.

"Hey!" She said and argued with him as he took her away.

A pale face stared back at me from the doorway. Ancient blue eyes, like my own father's looked at me with knowledge.

"You got something to say to me, kid?" I asked, my chest suddenly feeling tight. I felt naked under the scrutiny.

Peter suddenly smiled at me creepily. "It's a secret. One of the many you have to unravel." And with that he followed his parents.

Boo-fucking-hoo as if I needed Mr. Blue-Eyed-Mysterious-Manuel to tell me that.

I turned towards the bed and the first thing I did was dump the shoes back in the closet.

Peter was right, though. There were many secrets surrounding me. And starting tomorrow, I had to find out the truth.

I looked out the window. Last night was spent travelling. This night, I would dream of Nikolai.

I closed my eyes and imagined his face.

"Can't wait."