a viable replacement host and moved into it to try to keep it alive.”
“Abandoning the mother,” Elvi murmured.
“Like rats from a sinking ship,” Mabel said with disgust.
“Drina didn’t tell me she was pregnant,” Katricia said now with a frown.
“I didn’t know either,” Elvi admitted.
“She didn’t want anyone knowing until we got past the fourth month,” Harper said quietly. “She wanted to be sure she wouldn’t lose the baby.”
“Will she lose it?” Mabel asked.
No one had an answer.
Finished with the IV, Katricia stepped back, peered down at Drina, and commented, “Allie really did save her life, then.”
“Most likely,” Magnus agreed, and thought now he just had to save hers.
Allie woke abruptly and opened her eyes before she stopped to think. It didn’t increase her pain much, but then she was already hurting pretty good. Not as bad as the last time she’d woken, though, and supposed she had Abaddon to thank for that. The bastard had forced blood on her the last time she’d regained consciousness. Knowing it wouldn’t be bagged blood, she’d tried to refuse, but he’d simply forced her mouth open and poured mug after mug of the tinny liquid down her throat. It had still been warm.
Not wanting to think about that or where the blood had probably come from, Allie lay still for a moment, waiting to see if the pain in her head would increase. It didn’t, and remained a constant, dull throb that was at least bearable. Actually, it had eased enough that she was now aware of other aches and pains. Her back and hip, for instance, Allie noted, and shifted to her side, drawing her legs up almost into a fetal position in an effort to ease her discomfort.
“There you are.” Abaddon’s cheerful voice was not what she’d hoped to wake up to, but there it was, coming from somewhere behind her but moving closer. “When you stopped screaming I knew you would wake soon.”
Allie didn’t comment. She simply waited.
“Now that you are awake again and feeling a bit better, we really need to speak.”
He could speak all he wanted. It didn’t mean she had to answer, Allie thought grimly.
“First, I should thank you for raising the boy for us.”
That made her stiffen. She hadn’t raised Liam for these two monsters.
“I fear I am not good with babies,” Abaddon continued in a chatty voice. “But then, really, all they do is cry, scream, shit, and stink up the place. It bewilders me why so many mortals and immortals are enthralled with them.”
The screech of what sounded like metal on concrete accompanied the appearance of a chair in front of her. Allie ground her teeth against the brief increase of pain in her head that the sound caused and raised her eyes to look at her tormentor as he settled himself in the chair.
Abaddon was just as Stella described. He looked utterly average. An accountant in a jogging suit, she thought grimly, and then glanced to the man who appeared behind him. Stella’s husband, Stephen, looked a lot like his photo, and at the same time, nothing like it at all. It was the same face, the dark hair cut in the same preppy style, but the eyes were different. In the photo, his eyes had almost sparkled with happiness, now they were bleak and empty. Of course, his clothes were different too; instead of the wedding tuxedo, he was wearing the mailman’s uniform, but while it had been clean when he’d come to the door of Casey Cottage, now there were several bloodstains adorning it.
Stella would weep to see him like this, Allie thought, and shifted her attention back to Abaddon. They stared at each other silently for a moment, and then she asked, “If you dislike children so much why did you tell Stella how to keep from losing her baby?”
“You misunderstand. While I dislike babies, I do like children,” he assured her, and then turned to Stephen. “Help her sit up, my love. I will get a crick in my neck staring down at her like this.”
Allie started to try to sit up herself to avoid his touching her, but she’d barely shifted her hands to push herself up when Stephen was at her side. Grabbing her by the upper arm, he raised her to a sitting position, and then dragged her back several feet until she felt the wall at her back. Releasing her then, Stephen returned to his position a little behind and to the side of Abaddon.
Like a