Axiom Theory: Book Four of the Shadow Series (23 page)

“I’m fine,” he replied. With a pause for concern, he asked, “Are you okay?” He felt the pressure of her head on his shoulder as she nodded.

“I am now.”

Prim looked up and saw the four others sitting on the floor with a deck of cards and three spoons. His eyes locked on Test who looked as though he were about ready to burst at the seams to ask a question.

“We’ve got a problem,” said Prim calmly while continuing to caress Lauren’s hair. He felt her lessen her hold on him.

“What?” she asked.

Pulling away from her embrace, Prim to
ok her hand into his and led her to the couch. He sat on the far end and guided her to the center. Iku followed silently behind and sat on her other side.

“I…,” began Prim. He pursed his lips and looked blankly at the wall to his left. “I messed up.”

Test climbed to his feet and sat in the chair opposite the couch. “What happened?”

“I got too close,” replied Prim.

“
We
,” interjected Iku. “You are not alone in fault.”

Before Prim could re
fute Iku’s comment, Cliff spoke from the floor. “You found them then?”

Lowering his head, Prim replied
with a shameful sarcasm. “Yeah, we found them.”

“And the boy?” asked the old man.

Prim looked to his right, past Lauren, and met eyes with Ikuhabe before returning to Cliff. “He’s with them, and he’s already more powerful than we could have ever imagined.”

Seeing that he
was beating himself up, Lauren took Prim’s hand into hers and gave it a squeeze. He looked to her as he continued.

“
We found their house and walked up behind in the alley. When Iku said he could feel them—that was when I realized my mistake. I didn’t want to risk losing them so I quickly came up with a plan to take them on.”

“What?” exclaimed Lauren as she sat up straight and released Prim’s hand. “You did what? What the hell were you thinking?”

“There wasn’t time to think,” he replied defensively.

“I can’t believe you would…”

“Miss Lauren,” interrupted Cliff, shouting mildly over the top of her rant. “I understand your feelings, and I’m inclined to agree with you, but let’s let Prim finish, alright?”

Lauren glared at the old man as she folded her arms across her chest and leaned back into the couch. She ignored Prim’s hand as it rested on her thigh, even though his touch
felt good.

With a sigh as he looked at Lauren’s bitter expression, he continued. “It should have been pretty simple, and it worked too. The only problem is that we didn’t take the boy’s powers into account.”

“We couldn’t have planned for that,” said Iku.

Prim looked over to him and nodded his head subtly.

Wanting nothing except to hear what had happened, Test laced his fingers together in front of him and squeezed until they hurt as he tried to keep himself from sounding like Lauren on a bad day. It didn’t work. “Do you two want to fill us in on everything or are you just going to keep giving each other looks all night while we sit in the dark?” As he glanced back and forth between Iku and Prim, he caught a glimpse of Lauren and could’ve sworn he’d seen her smile.

“The boy can take our power,” said Iku as he leaned forward. “We had Casper and Ashley in our grasp, and then the boy used his gift.”

“Wait a minute,” said Lauren with a look of disbelief. “You’re telling me that the kid beat both of you—at the same time?” As she glared at Iku, Prim answered.

“Yes. He has a power like nothing any of us have ever seen or heard of in a Shadow.”

“Reaper,” said Iku. “The boy proclaimed himself a Reaper.”

Wrinkling his brow, Prim replied curtly. “Semantics, Iku. Do
you
want to tell the story?”

With a lowering of his head, Iku conceded without response.

“Anyway,” continued Prim. “There was nothing either one of us could do. It was bizarre. The kid’s power almost seemed to flow in reverse. The glow of his energy raced backwards from his hands to his chest. It almost felt like we were opposite ends of a magnet and I was being pulled towards him.” Now regretting snapping at Iku moments before, Prim revealed the truth that he knew would send Lauren over the edge. “If it hadn’t been for Iku, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Prim watched Lauren for a response, and was confused by the lack of one. She sat in a reclined position, continuing to have her arms folded across her chest as she stared at her knees. After a moment, he heard her voice in a whisper.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

“What?” he asked, turning slightly.

Lauren’s mouth hung open and the bags under her eyes seemed to grow two shades darker. “I can’t do this anymore,” she said, this time with more force.

Prim watched her face as she looked to him. He’d never seen her look so broken before. “What do you mean?” he asked.

As she began to stand, she felt Prim grip her forearm and, with an explosion of fury, she ripped it from him. “I can’t worry about whether or not our baby is going to have a father anymore! I can’t worry about if you’re going to be there for us, or if you’re going to be some bullshit dad that puts everything else before us!”

As Lauren stood in front of Iku while leaning towards Prim, the room seemed to enter a vacuum. Everyone, even Alyssa and Cliff who knew the truth, looked at her with a profound, jaw dropping amazement.

Prim’s ears were ringing in the silence. He rewound her words and tried to process what it was that she had said. “You…you’re pregnant?” he asked in amazement.

Not knowing if she wanted to hug him or punch him, Lauren replied
bluntly. “Yes—I’m pregnant.” She watched as he continued to stare. He wetted his lips and swallowed a couple of times as she awaited his response.

Glancing to the floor and nearly breathless,
Prim whispered to himself. “I’m going to be a father?” He looked back to Lauren. “We’re going to have a baby?”

Lauren looked down on Prim and saw a warm, happy glow wash over his face. Her words failed her. All she could do was nod. She watched as he stood and, as he reached out both hands to her, she took hold of them as her own hands trembled.

“How long have you known?” he asked.

The lump in her throat could have choked a blue whale. “For a while,” she replied.

Prim looked down to her stomach. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was afraid.”

As he caressed her hands with his thumbs, Prim asked the question tenderly. “Of what?”

Lauren couldn’t stop the tears from coming as the swell of emotion burst. Her bottom lip quivered and her chin dimpled as she tried to speak. “I don’t know,” she replied as she rolled her eyes. “My only experience with a father wasn’t so…”

“Lauren,” interrupted Prim. “I’m not your father.” He pulled her closer to him and rested his hand on her stomach. “I love you and I’m never going to leave your side. Do you hear me?”

With her head hanging low, her hair draped over her shoulders, Lauren collapsed into Prim’s arms. He hugged her with a desperate affection that he’d never thought himself capable of. “We’re having a baby,” he whispered in her ear.

With her voice muffled, Lauren asked, “Are you happy?”

He pulled her away from him and placed his hands on her face once again. “Happy?” he asked with a twisted look followed by a grin. “No—I’m not happy. I’m ecstatic.”

Everyone in the room felt warmth in their hearts as the couple shared their moment; each of them forgetting, just for a moment, how dangerous the days ahead could become.

It was late
. Though each of those that required sleep were tired, they were unable to put away the excitement and anxiety that the day had produced.

Test had gone to his room while Iku had decided that a night under the stars would do his spirit some good. Cliff, Alyssa, and Aiden had all gone out for a late night stroll through the forest, hoping to see some of the nocturnal animals that might be on the prowl. Aiden was particularly excited about seeing an owl or some bats.

Alone in the living room, Prim sat on the far end of the couch with his head leaning back and resting on the wall while Lauren sprawled out the length of the couch with her head in his lap.

She fel
t calm in what seemed like the first time in forever. She held her eyes closed, relishing each passing of Prim’s fingers through her hair. If he paused, she would turn into him and nuzzle into his stomach, hoping to spur him to continue.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked softly.

With a grin, she replied without opening her eyes. “Nothing—nothing at all.”

“You’re beautiful.”

Her grin turning into a smile, she opened her eyes and looked up into his. “You’re not too bad yourself,” she replied.

Rolling his eyes, he rested his right hand on her stomach. “
Say thank you. You need to learn how to take a compliment.”

Marveling at how warm his hand felt as it rested
on her belly, she closed her eyes once again and ignored him.

“Have you felt him kick yet?” asked Prim.

Her eyes shot open. “
Him
? What makes you think it’s a
him
?”

“Oh, I don’t know.
I didn’t mean that I thought it was, that’s just how it came out.”

“No,” replied Lauren.

“No it’s not a boy?”

Squishing her face comically, she replied. “I haven’t felt it kick yet, doofus.”

He gazed down into her eyes and studied her face for a moment. “How far along do you think you are?”

Looking away from him while in thought, she replied. “I’m not sure.”

“Do you think we should go to a doctor?”

Lauren lifted herself from Prim’s lap, sitting up on the couch next to him, and turned. “Are you serious?”

His head recoiled. “I don’t know. I guess? Maybe? Isn’t that what people do?”

“That’s what
humans
do, but what do you think would happen if a Shadow walked into a gynecologist’s office?”

“The same thing he does with everyone else. Check under the hood
?” he replied with a smirk.

Finally realizing that he was egging her on, she slapped him on the chest before she leaned in for a kiss. As she pulled away, she spoke
with a feisty tone. “You’re bad, Primus. You are bad.”

“I must be,” he replied. “You never use my name like that unless I’m in trouble.” He paused for a second and looked at her with hopeful eyes. “
How bad have I been?” he asked.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Dream on, lover boy. We’re having a baby. Those days are over.” Before he could reply, she stretched back out on the couch and rested her head on his lap once again. “We’d better get some sleep. You’ve had a rough day and tomorrow we’ll have to figure out what we’re going to do.” As she allowed the peace to envelop her once more, Prim’s stern voice fractured the moment.

“We?”

She opened her eyes to his brow forked with concern. “Well, yeah; you, me, Test, and Iku; we have to figure out what we’re going to do next.”

Shaking his head adamantly, Prim replied. “No, no, no—you’re out of this conversation.”

With a
sudden swell of resentment flooding through her, Lauren shot up again. “What are you talking about? You need me. If this kid is a strong as you say he is, then…”

“No!” shouted Prim.
“Things are different now. You have to think of the baby.”

“So what, I’m just supposed to let you go off and die without us?” she snapped.

“That’s not what I mean!” he shouted.

Lauren stood from the couch, her words echoing in the tiny room. “Then what
do
you mean?”

“I mean I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you!” he shouted back as he stood in front of her. “What if you go? What if you’re the one that is killed and I survive? I could never forgive myself! I won’t take that chance!”

“What in the hell is going on in here?”

Both Prim and Lauren spun towards
the doorway where Test stood wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. In unison, they both roared. “GET OUT!”

Flinching
at their volume, Test held up his hands and quickly retreated.

Turning back to Prim, Lauren continued her barrage. “That’s pretty selfish of you, don’t you think?”

“What, that I want you and my child to be safe?”

Lauren stammered for a moment; her thoughts coming too fast. “No!” she shouted back.

Prim’s head tilted to the side as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make sense of her response. “Look,” he said. “I don’t know that it’s even safe for you to be shifting to the other side. I don’t know anything.” He stopped and thought for a millisecond. “To be honest, I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of a Shadow being pregnant before.” He opened his eyes and looked at his love as she stood before him with tears beginning to well in her eyes. Closing his, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. As he opened them, he watched as her bottom lip jutted out slightly. Seeing her so upset, upset in a way he wasn’t used to seeing, he felt the intensity of the moment melt.