Magic Rises
Jarek snarled. “You’ve done enough.”
Radomil shot back something in a language I didn’t understand. A torrent of words spilled from Jarek.
“You’re a pig!” Radomil snarled back in English. “A filthy pig. Leave Desandra alone!”
“Get out of my way!” Jarek roared.
“If Kral doesn’t abide by the agreement, why should we?” the blond woman said.
I let them scream at each other. It didn’t affect me unless one of them tried to enter the room.
A tall, dark-haired man closed in on us. Where Radomil’s face had a healthy, sun-tanned glow, this man radiated intelligence and weary awareness. He saw Jarek and Radomil. His dark eyebrows came together. His lips narrowed into a hard line. Yellow light rolled over his irises. Uh-oh.
The man accelerated. It had to be one of the Belve Ravennati brothers, but which one I couldn’t tell.
Without slowing down, the Italian raised his fist and swung at Jarek. The big man moved aside and the Italian hammered a punch into Radomil instead. Radomil snarled like an animal and lunged at the Italian.
More people flooded the hallway from the left, an older dark-haired woman in the lead.
Jarek spat something. Radomil and the Italian grappled, snarling.
“If they change shape, we bar the door,” I murmured.
Derek nodded.
Radomil shoved his opponent forward, tripping the Italian. The dark-haired man dropped to the ground with a lupine growl. Any moment now they’d go furry, and then things would be infinitely worse.
An eerie hyena cackle rolled through the hallway, a high-pitched, insane laugh that made you shiver.
Suddenly everyone stopped. Aunt B stood in the hallway.
“So this is what our European brothers and sisters have been reduced to,” she said, her voice carrying through the castle. “Brawling in the hallways like spoiled schoolchildren. No wonder you had to send for our help.”
Go, Aunt B!
The alpha of Clan Bouda looked at the dark-haired woman. “Hello, Isabella. It’s been a long time.”
“Hello, Beatrice,” the dark-haired woman squeezed through her teeth.
“Is that your son on the floor?”
Isabella snapped a short command. The dark-haired man rolled to his feet and strode over to her. Isabella slapped him. The sound rang through the hallway. The Italians turned and left without another word.
I looked at Jarek Kral. He pointed his finger at me, opened his mouth, clamped it shut, turned, and walked away.
The blond woman said something to Radomil. He pulled away from her and stalked off.
“You must forgive my brother,” the blond woman said. “He is a very kind man. He just doesn’t understand politics.” Her eyebrows came together. She pointed over my shoulder. “Who is that man?”
“He is a medic,” Andrea answered.
“A medic? Is something wrong?”
“No,” I said. “He is just performing a routine physical exam.”
She actually looked concerned. “Is he going to draw blood? Desandra, I can hold your hand if you need me.”
“It’s fine,” Desandra called.
I pulled my official Order voice out of the mental trunk where I’d kept it stashed for months, ever since I quit my tenure with the Knights of Merciful Aid. “I’m sorry, I have to ask you to leave.”
“Fine, fine. Just . . . Don’t torture her. She’s been through enough.” The woman turned and hurried down the stairs after Radomil. I glanced over my shoulder. Doolittle was holding a large syringe filled with pinkish liquid. Desandra petted her stomach.
“What is this for?” I asked.
“Amniocentesis,” Doolittle said. “It’s a routine screen of amniotic fluid. We want to make sure everything is proceeding as it’s supposed to.”
Aunt B approached us. “Well, that went nicely.”
“You told my father no,” Desandra said to me.
“Sure.”
“He’ll kill you for it,” Desandra said.
“He may find it much harder than it appears, dear,” Aunt B told her. “Dinner is coming up. Kate, you may want to change. You smell like the sea. You two go. Derek and I will watch after Desandra while you’re changing.”
I turned to Derek. “I will send Eduardo. When Desandra is ready to go, the two of you will follow her. Nobody comes in the room if she doesn’t want to see them.”
“Got it,” Derek said.
“The rooms are just down the hall,” Aunt B said. “Here, I’ll walk partway with you then head back.”
We strode down the hallway.
“I told you so,” Aunt B said quietly.
“Told me what?”
“Please,
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