The Sacrifice (43 page)

“Riana killed Baldy; they caught
Rat-Poop, and threw him in prison?”

Cy and Oz cut their eyes toward each other
with raised brows. “Who is Rat-Poop?” Oz asked.

“That
’
s
what Iggy calls Vind,” Lily said. “He says that rats poop every ten seconds,
and they are full of it, just like Vind.”

Cy
didn
’
t think it was possible to laugh, but Iggy had an
uncanny ability to bring it out of everyone.

Kyra
strode over to Cy. “How
’
s Riana?”

He
glanced toward the operating room. “I
’
m about to go check
on her.”

“If
it
’
s alright with you, I
’
ll
take Lily and Iggy over to the kitchen and have the cook fix them something to
eat. I don
’
t know how long it
’
s been since the boy
had a decent meal. Lily said she snuck food for him the last couple of days she
was there. I suspect he hasn
’
t eaten since she left.”

Lily rushed over to them. “Can Iggy
stay with us tonight?” she pleaded.

Cy
looked at Oz, at a loss for words. He
’
d never been
responsible for another person.

“It
’
s
all right with me,” Kyra said. “I
’
m sure you
’
ll want to stay here
with Riana.”

“Yes,
I
’
m not leaving here without her. It would help out
if Iggy stayed with you guys.”

“You
’
re
spending the night with us,” Lily squealed.

Iggy hesitated. “What if Riana wakes
up in pain and needs me?”

“Doc Regan will keep her pain under
control,” Cy said.

Iggy chewed his lip for a second.
“Okay, but call if she needs me.”

He gave Cy another hug and it tugged
at his heart. Iggy was right where he belonged.

Cy pushed through the doors of the
operating room.

Doc Regan stood over Riana applying
gauze to her incision. He glanced at Analae. “You want to fill him in on how
the surgery went?”

Cy
’
s
stomach flip-flopped at the tone in Doc
’
s voice.

Analae
removed her surgical gloves and gown. She took Cy
’
s
arm and led him toward the door. “She
was
pregnant. I
’
m sorry, but she
’
d
lost too much blood to save the fetus.”

Cy
realized they thought the baby was his. He didn
’
t want to give them
any explanations without talking to Riana first. So he kept his face vacant and
waited for Analae to continue.

“The
bullet ruptured one of her ovaries. Although it would have healed, it was so
mangled it wouldn
’
t have been functional. We believed it was best
for Riana
’
s health to remove it.” Analae laid her hand on Cy
’
s
arm. “This doesn
’
t mean she can
’
t conceive. Since we
already have to take extra measures to become pregnant, it could be more
difficult for her. ”

“
I don’
t care about that. I only care about what
’
s best
for Riana.
”

“Good,
I hoped you
’
d see it that way. I just hope Riana will. She
’
s
always wanted a houseful of children.”

Analae and Doc Regan went into the
treatment room to care for the other Protectors’ injuries.

Cy
sat beside Riana
’
s bed and watched for signs of her waking up. Her
eyes jerked beneath closed lids as if she were having a bad dream. What if she
thought she was still at Vind
’
s castle being held captive? Or worse. Cy couldn
’
t
stand the thought of it. He went to the sink and wet a cloth with cold water
then brought it back. He wiped her face and neck until she responded by turning
her head to the side. At least he
’
d interrupted whatever she
’
d
been dreaming about.

Moments
later, Riana
’
s lashes fluttered, and beautiful green eyes
stared into his.

As Riana focused on Cy, he launched
into an onset of questions.

“Hey, how do you feel? Do you need
anything? An extra blanket or pillow? Water? Oh my God, I sound like Iggy.”

Riana
attempted to smile but her face didn
’
t want to cooperate.
Her throat felt like she
’
d been for a jog in the Sahara. “I could use a few
ice chips.”

Cy ran to the machine and got the ice
and a spoon. He returned and spooned a few small chips into her mouth.

Riana
savored the cold, wet pieces of ice trickling moisture down her parched throat.
She opened her mouth for another spoonful, and noticed Cy
’
s
vibrant blue eyes appeared dull and weary. He
’
d washed his face but
the rest of his body remained covered in dried blood.

“How did the surgery go?” she asked.

“It
went well.” Cy glanced into the paper cup as if the ice could tell his future.
He took a long breath before he spoke. “They had to remove one of your ovaries.
The bullet caused too much damage, and you
’
d lost too much blood
to sustain the pregnancy. But your mother said we can still have children.”

Riana
’
s
breath hitched. Not because she
’
d lost the baby. Even though it was a part of her,
she couldn
’
t make herself mourn Vind
’
s
child. She may have to deal with those feelings later, but right now all she
felt was relief. And fear. Fear that her chances of having children had been
cut in half.

After
Sivadians came to Earth, it took years before they figured out why females
couldn
’
t get pregnant. Once they did, it had never been
an easy process. The only time it was a definite, was directly after the
initial fertility ceremony. And Vind had robbed her of that. Most females went
to the magnetic field lines numerous times before becoming pregnant. Their difficulty
conceiving was why there had never been a Sivadian population explosion.

She
was marrying a king, and would be responsible for producing an heir to the
throne. Tears welled in Riana
’
s eyes.

Cy held her face in his hands.
“Sweetheart, we can still have children.” He wiped a tear pooled in the corner
of her eye. “Do you want me to go get your mother? She can explain the
details.”

Riana
nodded. “Why don
’
t you run home so you can bathe, and lay down to
rest for a while? You
’
re trying to get over some pretty severe injuries
of your own. I
’
ll be fine.”

“I
’
ll
go take a quick shower and then come back here. I
’
m
not sleeping anywhere that you
’
re not.” He bent and gave her a gentle kiss. “Nor
will I ever leave your side again without saying I love you. I
’
ll
send your mother in on my way out.”

“I
love you too,” she whispered as he left. What was she going to do? She couldn
’
t
marry the man she loved. After everything that
’
d happened, she wasn
’
t
worthy to be his life-mate—definitely not worthy to be his queen. But their
souls were joined. Could they even survive apart? Riana
’
s
heart ached at the thought.

Her mother came in with Oz close
behind.

“Hey Dad, did they take care of your
shoulder?”

Oz
wrapped his large hand around hers. “Yes, sweetheart, I
’
m
fine. How are you feeling?”

Riana
’
s
throat tightened and tears burned her eyes.

Analae
hugged her. “Honey, it
’
s okay. You and Cy will have more children.”

They
believed the child she had carried belonged to Cy. Right now, she didn
’
t
have the energy to tell them different. “Mom, will you take me home to
recuperate. I need to be alone to think for a few days.”

“Sure,
honey. With my supervision, you can recuperate there as well as here. Let me
finish up a couple of things in the treatment room. I
’
ll
grab some pain meds for you tonight.”

“Don
’
t
bother with that. The pain med from surgery will get me home. I
’
ll
be healed enough in a few hours that I shouldn
’
t need more. And I
’
d
really like to leave now…before Cy gets back from his shower.”

They
both stared at her wide-eyed, but didn
’
t ask questions.

“I
really don
’
t want to go in to the reasons why. I promise to
tell you both tomorrow. Please take my word for it. I need time alone to clear
my head.” Riana reached one arm toward Oz. “Would you mind helping me off this gurney?”

Oz jumped to her side, slid one arm
beneath her back and slowly raised her to a sitting position.

Riana dangled her feet for a moment
before standing. “Dad, would you tell Cy what I said? Try to make him
understand.”

“Honey,
I
’
m not sure I understand myself.”

“Cy knows my reasons. I just need time
to think.”

***

Cy
jumped out of the shower and dried off. He glanced at the red welt on his
stomach from Vind
’
s knife, all that was left of that painful memory.
It wasn
’
t the first time Vind had stabbed him. But he had
every intention of it being the last.

The
memory of Riana beneath his brother in that cell was the only thing still
hurting. Cy shook his head. What the hell was wrong with him? She was back and
safe. That
’
s all that mattered. Once he executed Vind, this
whole chapter of their lives would be over.

Cy
slipped on a pair of jeans and grabbed a T-shirt. He pulled it over his head
while walking into the living room. As ice clinked into a glass, Cy froze and
then spun around. Oz stood at the bar pouring whiskey into a glass. “Damnit,
Oz! You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing here?” An uneasy feeling
crept up Cy
’
s spine when Oz said nothing, and downed the
contents of his drink.

“I
want you to tell me what happened to you and Riana before we arrived at Vind
’
s,”
Oz said.

“Can this wait until later? I need to
get back to Riana.”

“You have time now. Riana left with
her mother. She asked me to tell you to give her a few days to clear her head.
I want to know exactly
why
she
needs to be alone after being away from you for over a week.”

Cy
’
s
knees went weak. He lowered his rear onto the edge of the sofa, propped his
elbows on his knees, and scrubbed his face with his hands. “She can
’
t
do this, now. She
’
s not thinking clearly. She believes this is what
’
s best
for me. It
’
s not. Riana is all that matters—not an heir—and
certainly not what Vind did to her.”

Oz
came over and placed his hand on Cy
’
s shoulder. “Son,
tell me what happened.”

Cy took a shuddering breath, and then told
Oz the whole sordid story.

When
Cy finished, Oz sat silent for a few moments before he spoke. “Riana hasn
’
t
had centuries to deal with the repercussions of Vind
’
s
actions like we have. As far as I know, Riana
’
s never been the
target of another person
’
s cruelty. She was right to leave and give herself
time to process what happened. You need to allow her that.”

Cy
’
s
chest tightened and his breathing increased. “I
’
m not sure I can stay
away from her. I
’
m about to have an anxiety attack knowing there
’
s
no one guarding her right now.”

“I
’
ll
go and stay at Analae
’
s until Riana
’
s ready to talk. I
’
ll
keep her safe. You have my word.”

“Just
go, and call me once you
’
re there so I
’
ll know she
’
s
all right. I
’
ll do my best to stay away.”

After
Oz left, Cy downed several shots of Jack, hoping to take the edge off his raw
nerves. This night wasn
’
t turning out as planned. He was supposed to be
with Riana, holding her, comforting her. Even though Oz made some good points
as to why he should give her time, knowing she didn
’
t
need him as much as he needed her, twisted him in knots. Cy tossed the shot
glass into the sink, turned the bottle up and killed it. Passing out was the
only way he would keep his promise not to go find Riana.

***

Riana
looked at the clock on her bedside table. Sleep had evaded her all night, but
she
’
d forced herself to remain in bed to heal her
injuries. At least dawn was finally breaking and she could get up.

After
she and her mother arrived home last night, Elle came over and imparted her
wisdom as to why Riana should have stayed and talked to Cy. Most everything
Elle said was right—especially the part about none of what happened being Cy
’s fault
—and the part about him loving her no matter what. How did someone
who
’
d only dated humans get so wise about
relationships?

Voices,
along with the aroma of fresh brewed coffee wafted up from the kitchen. After
twenty-five years, last night was the first time she
’
d
slept under the same roof with both her parents. It would
’
ve
been kind of nice—if her life wasn
’
t in total shambles.

Someone knocked lightly on the door.
Her mother entered with a tray that held a glass of synthetic blood and a cup
of coffee. “How are you feeling?”

“I miss Cy, and my heart aches like
someone stomped it all night with their boots.”

Analae
handed her the glass of blood. “I hate to tell you this, but it doesn
’
t
get much better.” She sat on the bed and took Riana
’
s hand
in hers.
“Honey, your father
made Cy tell him what happened. I
’
m so sorry you went through any of it. But if you
let it come between you and Cy, you
’
re allowing Vind to
still hold power over you. Please don
’
t let the past rob
you of happiness the way I did.”