For the Love of a Woman

Chapter 26

It was almost one thirty in the morning when Magna walked to the back deck of the mansion to smoke a joint Negan had swiped from the palace. Magna took a drag and blew the smoke out into the cold night sky.

Magna had to hand it Daryl. She didn't think he'd be able to pull it off. But, tomorrow afternoon wasn't in the bag, yet. D'artagnan was one of the best fighters Magna had ever seen.

The door opened. Aaron stepped outside wearing a heavy winter coat. "Hey. Couldn't sleep?"

Magna nodded. "What are you doing up?"

"I woke up an hour ago and couldn't get back to sleep. I started thinking about breaking into the palace last night."

"You didn't say anything went wrong."

"It didn't per-say. We got separated from Negan when we got there. When Daryl and I had gone to look for him, we stumbled into a room that belonged to the high priestess."

Magna's eyes widened. "Was she there?"

"Yes. She did a reading with tarot cards for us," Aaron said. "I don't mind telling you it chilled me to the bone."

"Vivian has that effect. What did she foresee?"

"You know her?"

"Not personally, but I am more than aware of her. What did she say?"

"She claimed that Connie was pregnant with a child that is not D'artagnan's. Daryl wouldn't admit that it was true or not."

Magna's eyes widened. "What else?"

"She said Daryl could win this whole thing as long as he survived the night - this night."

"What!" Magna's nerves stood at attention. "What did Vivian say about tonight – exactly?"

"She said that D'artagnan's soldiers were going to attack Daryl tonight. That they knew where he was staying because someone had betrayed him."

"Damn," Magna hissed as she stubbed out her joint.

"What is it?"

"Aaron, Vivian is practically never wrong. We need to wake everyone and get to Daryl."

"Are you serious?" Aaron asked, flabbergasted.

"It's true," a male voice said in the dark.

Magna and Aaron stilled like deer caught in headlights.

The man who owned the voice rounded the corner of the deck. Aaron put his flashlight on him. It was Carlson. Magna and Carlson went way back, way before D'artagnan had decided to build a safe zone. "And you don't have much time. The attack will happen in twenty minutes."

***

Daryl had gotten up to take a leak. He walked tentatively on the wood floor, careful not to wake Brenda in the other bedroom. He stopped at a window and looked out at the night sky. This was going to be the last night he was going to spend without Connie. Daryl glanced down.

Across the street, Brenda was talking to someone who had the same color hair as she did. He was wearing a lieutenant's uniform. There were about ten other soldiers with them.

Brenda and the lieutenant hugged.

"What the hell?" Daryl mumbled. And as if someone cut on a CD, the high priestess's voice played in his head.