Dead Man's Deal The Asylum Tales - By Jocelynn Drake Page 0,71

won’t get me killed.”

“Arianna, please,” Trixie said.

I frowned at the queen. I didn’t need a reminder of the danger my presence posed to Trixie. “I believe you mentioned something about needing my assistance.”

Arianna chuckled lightly, a soft, dancing sound that somehow pushed aside my anger and growing tension. She was smiling again. Some of the earlier cold I had seen in her had melted away, making her look even younger and lovelier. How had her husband so easily tossed her aside? Fucking moron.

“Then again . . . maybe he isn’t such a bad choice.”

“You can’t have him,” Trixie warned.

“I know. For better or worse, my heart has made its choice,” she said absently, then turned her attention back to me, her expression growing serious. “As I’m sure you’ve been made aware, the reason my husband and I parted was that we couldn’t have children. The royal line needs to be protected, or we will face a dire threat from both the Winter Court and the Svartálfar. That is part of the problem. The larger issue is that most of our people are having trouble bearing children, and we’ve not been able to determine why or even trace it back to see if it is an issue with the mother or the father.”

Resting my elbow on the arm of the chair, I leaned my temple against my fist, trying to quiet the knots twisting in my stomach. “And you want me to help you conceive in hopes that it will result in helping the rest of your people as well?”

“It would go a long way to healing the wound caused by the Towers,” she added.

I was out of my depth with this, but the request wasn’t unexpected. Sure, I knew how babies were made. I was quite fond of that act and firmly believed in regular practice, particularly with Trixie, but all the other stuff that went into conception and whether it worked I didn’t know. With magical creatures like elves, I had a feeling a little more went into it than introducing a horny sperm to a sexy egg.

“I’m guessing that you tried the usual route of potions, prayers, and special herbs,” I hedged while I mentally dug through the knowledge I did have about childbearing.

“No, my husband and I didn’t try everything as he wasn’t interested once the difficulty was discovered,” Arianna said stiffly, but then added, a little more softly: “But others have and they still are childless.”

My eyes fell shut, blocking out the look of worry on her face. “I need some time to think, to research. I don’t think this is something I can fix with a quick spell and I’m not interested in being there to hold together a spell while you try to make a baby.”

Arianna gave me a smile that had me blushing a bit and Trixie clearing her throat. Yeah, didn’t need that mental image.

“If you’ve got any notes or research your own people have done, anything listing what has changed since you could have kids, it would help.”

The queen turned and reached behind a large pillow on the bench, pulling out a white book that she handed to Trixie. “It contains all the notes we’ve made. The problem started shortly before the Great War. It’s written in elvish, so Rowena will need to translate.”

I nodded. I spoke several languages, both human and other. The only words I knew in elvish were what Trixie occasionally shouted during sex and I didn’t think I’d find those in the queen’s little white book.

“I need some time.”

“Unfortunately, that’s something I can’t give you,” Arianna said, her tone once again becoming cold and brisk. “It’s now early September. In a few weeks, it will be the fall equinox. I will need to be with child before then so the baby can be born with the summer. My husband knows that I am meeting with Rowena. If something is not arranged soon, I am quite sure that he will make another grab for her.”

“Fine. A few days, then. Leave us with some way of contacting you in case we find something,” I said with an irritated wave of my hand. “I’m assuming that you have a . . . consort chosen should I come up with a solution.”

“I will have someone.” She was sitting up so straight that her spine could have been made of steel.

At the same time I slouched a little lower in my chair, balancing my left ankle on my knee as I turned