Falling for Angels - Hazel Hunter Page 0,28
’tis obvious he’s terrified of something harming the lass.”
Unlike my guy I understood exactly what Velvet meant, thanks to something Lola had told me. “Not something. Himself.”
“Why should you reckon thus?” Kendric demanded. “Velvet’s only fought calpa when they’ve attacked us.”
Sometimes I really wished I wasn’t a doctor. “Not that kind of harm, sweetheart. Before I say anything more, I need to speak to Lacey.”
I found the halfling’s girlfriend in the great hall, where she and Conor appeared to be looking for something. I discovered why when Lacey grabbed hold of some water that seemed to be floating through the air, and a squealing foal suddenly appeared in her arms.
“This stinker thought he could sneak inside and steal some apples,” she said as the stablemaster took the little horse from her.
“My thanks, my lady.” Conor tucked the foal under his strong arm and nodded to me before he departed.
Rather than blurt out Velvet’s confession by scroll, I asked Lacey to take a walk with me. I stopped when we reached the big pasture where the mares and foals grazed during the day so we could admire the herd.
“Gorgeous, aren’t they?” Lacey reached through the fence to stroke the nose of an inquisitive filly.
“All babies are.” I watched the foal change from a gleaming chestnut to an almost transparent blue as she nuzzled the girl’s fingers. “Immortality rendered the clan sterile, so most of the Angels won’t be having children. Only those who mate with villagers or druids have to deal with childbirth.”
Lacey eyed me. “Are you and K-pop pregnant?”
“Not yet.” I smiled a little. With the way we couldn’t keep our hands off each other, that wouldn’t last. “You saw how large newborn foals are when the mares delivered.”
She nodded. “This one here stood four feet tall, and weighed over a hundred and twenty pounds.”
“Imagine giving birth to that.” Hopefully that was all she’d have to do.
Lacey frowned at me. “Why should I? I’m not a horse.”
Now came the hard part of the conversation. “Neither was Ruith.” I told her about the scroll, and then added, “I know what he was trying to say. Lola had a vision of his birth as a foal. Delivering him killed his mother. Since Velvet’s half-druid, he could be fertile with humans.”
Her expression turned sad. “Not with me, Doc.”
I listened as Lacey revealed her grim diagnosis of stage four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The disease had also caused her ovaries to fail, a rare but devastating complication.
“Passing through the sacred grove portal cured your cancer,” I said after I thought it over. “It may have also healed your reproductive issues. Until we know for sure, you and Velvet need to be safe.”
“No more baby-making sex, you mean.” She sighed. “That’s going to be fun to explain.”
“Let me do it,” I offered. “I need to talk to him anyway. Where is he working?”
“He’s been on patrol with Tory and Tyree.” Lacey nodded toward the glittering waters. “I’ll go with. The laird doesn’t want anyone near the water alone.”
We reached the loch a few minutes later, and waved at Tyree, who was paddling a small boat. The water around the hull churned wildly before the boat flipped over. I saw Tory surface a few yards away, spines shooting out all over her body when she saw a now-bloody Tyree swimming toward her.
Velvet shot up out of the water in stallion form, and his lips peeled back from jagged teeth as he lunged toward Tyree. A second Velvet got between them and attacked the first one, and the two shifters thrashed wildly as they reared and tore at each other. By that time someone on watch had blown the attack horn, and clansmen came rushing toward us.
Lacey and I helped Tory drag Tyree from the water, and a few moments later one of the shifters came limping out of the loch. Of the second Velvet I saw no sign. I drew the dagger I always carried, but as he shifted back into human form I saw his many wounds and the shame in his eyes.
“It’s okay,” I said, gesturing for the others to stay back. “Velvet?”
He nodded before he dropped to his knees before Lacey. “Sorry. Try to warn K-poppa. He here now. Kill many. Kill Lacey, hurt me.”
“The other shifter?” I asked as I knelt down beside him.
“Iloren. Hate me.” Velvet met my gaze. “Iloren my brother.”
That night Lacey came to tell us what more she had learned.
“Velvet wasn’t an only child,” she said. “Something was wrong with