Blood and Hexes (After Darkness Falls #4) - May Sage Page 0,32

so long, she was set in her ways, and no Adonis was going to change that.

She glanced up at the gray sky. "Maybe, but it's a cute bikini, right?"

She'd found the adorable twopiece at the back of her wardrobe. The white crocheted ensemble was also going to be packed up with her stuff when she left.

"Extra cute," Chloe replied. "Right, Mikar?"

The barbarian had the gall to snort. "I wouldn't call it cute."

Diana scowled. "Good thing no one cares what you'd call it." To Chloe, she chirped, "Fancy a drink?"

She pointed to a carafe filled with Sex On The Beach. Her bloodlust had faded over the last few days. She was back to sipping the occasional Olla every other day.

Chloe wrinkled her nose. "I'll pass. I don't feel that hot today. I was hoping Alexius could check me over, maybe give me some of his potions or whatever."

That snared Diana's attention. Vampires didn't get sick—not in a human way, in any case. Some viruses could have effects on them, but they were specific to vampirekind, and none of them were good news. They could also get hexed.

Concerned, Diana focused all of her mind on Chloe, not letting anything else register. Chloe didn't feel sick to her. In fact, she felt radiant. Wonderful. Her scent had become sweeter, sharper, and more complex, though it was a subtle difference. Like she was…

She blinked, her jaw falling open.

"Yeah, getting Alexius to look at you is a great idea." She turned to Mikar. "You want to go get him?"

The guard frowned, looking at Chloe.

"Come on, you can leave her with me for two minutes,” Diana pleaded. “I'm too comfy to move."

His jaw tightened. For a moment, Diana thought he might refuse, which said tons about how little he trusted her. But then he nodded and walked away. Diana let him reach the wolves, before she shot to her feet, grabbed Chloe's hand, and dragged her inside the house, out of earshot. It was no one's business but the girl's.

Chloe opened her mouth to ask what was up, but Diana cut her off, words rushing out of her mouth. They only had seconds before Mikar and the others hurried back. "You're not sick. You're pregnant."

Chloe's jaw fell open. She said nothing, staring at her in horror. "I can't. I can't be…I'm…"

"An Eirikrson. Born vampires from those turned directly by Ariadne can bear children."

But that wasn't what Chloe had been about to say. "Twenty-five. I won't be twenty-six until Halloween. I can't have a child now. I'm not…ready."

"If you don't want to share with the class, you have about five seconds to get your face back to normal, or they will nag until you spill."

Diana was surprised to see that Chloe managed to school her features into something fairly neutral, though her eyes remained too wide. Poor kid. And at the same time…Diana didn't feel sorry for her at all. While it was no doubt a shock, she was certain that Chloe was going to rock this.

With everyone on the hill, that baby was going to be so spoiled. It'd learn to kick ass before getting permanent teeth. And it was going to be seriously strong, thanks to the genes of the Eirikrsons mixed with the De Villiers.

Diana found herself suddenly sad, because she wouldn't see it. She wasn't going to stick around for the six months a vampire pregnancy took to reach full term. Right?

"What's going on?"

Chloe looked at Diana for help. She shrugged. "We're going to my room. Chloe wants to try my bathtub."

She leaped at the improvised idea like it was a lifeline. "Yes! A bath. That's exactly what I need. I think the blood I drank was stale or something."

Alexius nodded. "Yeah, that'd make you feel groggy for a while. Make sure you lie down and rest."

Diana led Chloe to her room, and ran her a bath with her favorite bubbles and lotions, before heading back downstairs. Mikar was waiting for her on the landing.

"What, you watch her while she bathes, too?"

He ignored the jab. "Just so you don't think you can fool me, I know you lied. You said something to Chloe. What was it?"

"That would be none of your business," she shot back, shrugging. "Where's my brother?"

"Cooking." He stared at her, intense, threatening, and damn if it wasn't a beautiful sight. "And everything relating to Chloe's safety is my business."

Diana rolled her eyes. "Awesome. Go ask her, then."

She walked toward the kitchen, but the heathen snatched her hand, pulling her back.