Underworld Queen (18 page)

Carl could feel where Molly had taken position behind him, peeking around his right elbow. When Jonas saw her, he seemed to relax.

“I’d be in your debt if I could borrow your car,” Jonas said.

“Ah, no. I won’t do that, but I will take you anywhere you want to go.” Carl rethought the logic of that remark and cursed himself. “You can trust me. I am a friend.”

Jonas looked down at his companion and frowned. “You pick up anything from the bushes?” he said to her.

“No. But, Jonas, I need to rest. I don’t feel well at all.”

“Damn.” Jonas looked over at the two of them.

Molly was shaking, still cowering against his back.

“She needs to lie down where she can relax a bit.”

“Then come with me,” Carl insisted.

Carl’s Mini Cooper groaned as Starling took a seat beside the blonde woman in the back. Starling practically filled the entire space and his large head blocked the rear view mirror. Carl rolled down his window to look back and did not see anyone lurking in the shadows, but he heard the sound of sirens. No doubt the fire had gotten the attention of the local authorities. Molly’s frozen stare out the front windshield further chilled him. He quickly started the motor and left the scene in a cloud of dust and gravel.

No one said anything all the way to Carl’s campus lodging. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and sweat. The blonde was breathing heavily. Every once in a while she moaned. He could see Starling was concerned. He kept kissing the top of her head, rubbing up and down the length of her arm as she leaned into him, clutching her belly.

Molly turned around, gave Starling’s companion a long look, her eyes following down to the woman’s lap and then whipped around to face front again. Carl noticed she didn’t want to look at him.

You know something. Please tell me.

Molly looked up at him and whispered, “Later.”

The sight of his own front door was welcoming. After turning off the ignition, he immediately went to Audray’s door and opened it, but allowed Starling to push him away as the big man picked her up and carried her with little effort towards the cottage. Carl ran ahead and just barely opened the door before Starling kicked it open.

“In here,” Carl called out, heading towards the only bedroom.

Jonas laid Audray on the bed and whispered to her softly, kneeling at her side, kissing her, brushing the hair from her face and blowing on it, as if cooling her down.

“Is she running a fever?” Carl asked.

Molly jerked his arm in an indication to leave them alone.

“Tell me,” Carl pleaded.

“I will. Wait just a little.” Molly gave him that half smile of hers that told him not to worry. But when she walked to the window in the living room, he saw the fear resident there.

“They can’t stay here, Carl. It isn’t safe. It might not be safe for you either.”

“Why? What is going on? Molly, I need some answers.” Carl was going to insist, but he heard Starling in the doorway, and turned around to face him.

“She’s right. Our being here puts you two in jeopardy. Do you have relatives you can stay with?”

“There’s my place,” Molly spoke up.

“But I thought…” Jonas’ eyes sparkled, as if realizing they were a couple, but not yet living together as man and wife. “So be it. I will let her rest a bit, and then I think it’s best to take off. You should pack some things. Not sure when it will be safe to come back here.”

“What is this all about?” Carl said, his eyes moving back and forth between Starling and Molly. Somehow he knew that the two of them had the answers, or would be able to put it all together, if they could talk unfettered.

“Well, I’ve got some questions before I can answer that,” Jonas started. “I thank you for your assistance, but I need to know how come you two happened to be there just when the house went up in flames?” Jonas looked at the both of them, but fixed himself on Molly in the end.

Carl began as best he could. “She gave me…”

“She. She who?” Jonas asked.

“Glenda. The woman who hired me to get information about you, or your ancestor Jonas Starling.”

“But I am Jonas Starling,”

Carl shrugged his shoulders. “Yes, and I believe you, but I was researching the Jonas Starling who was born in 1667 and died on Antigua.”

“I am the only Jonas Starling, and I assure you—” He looked over his shoulder at his resting companion before continuing in a whisper. “I am he, the man you are searching for.”

“Explain how can that be. That would make you over three hundred years old.”

Molly touched Carl’s arm. “Wait, let him finish. He’ll tell you.” She gazed back at the large man and Carl wasn’t sure he was going to like what the man told him next.

“I am—” He looked back to the woman again. “
We
are dark angels and we come from the Underworld. We are immortal. I am over three hundred years of age.”

Carl was ready to pee his pants. “Angels?” First he’d been told Molly was a witch, and now this reveal. Had he been living in some kind of human bubble, oblivious of these creatures breathing the same air as he did? And now there was an Underworld. He sat down quickly on the couch as if willed so by some invisible hand. Starling advanced, but for some reason, Carl wasn’t afraid.

“I need information, and then I won’t trouble you any longer. Who is this person who asked about me and what does she want?”

“That’s a good question. I don’t like her. Don’t trust her.
Molly
says she’s—”

“I told him Glenda is a witch. She’s a dark witch,” Molly finished for him.

Starling seemed to let this settle before he asked his next question. “So, how did she pick you, and what was she interested in?”

“I’m a Professor of English History at the college. My specialty is 17
^th
and 18
^th
century England, and I’ve done extensive studies on the monarchy.” Carl sat up straight, hoping to impress the man.

“Go on.”

“I gave her your background, and she told me you were still alive, which I disputed, of course. She ordered me to do some followup or…well, she threatened me and Molly.” Carl saw no reason not to be honest with Jonas Starling. He had great respect for the man, after researching his past.

“So how did you find Audray’s house?”

“Audray? Oh, yes, I see. Well, Glenda told me where you lived. She said that you would make an appearance there, and she wanted me to report back to let her know if in fact it was you.”

“So how the hell would you confirm that if we were destroyed?” Jonas asked.

“Because I think she knew you would survive,” Molly said flatly. “And I think she plans to read Carl’s memories. Anything that is said here is not safe information as long as Carl is present.

“So she is the one responsible for this fire?” Jonas asked.

“I’d bet on it,” Molly returned. “Tell us what happened before you came here.”

“We’re being chased by someone, and we don’t know who. Her mother’s home was burned. They killed her. Now today we’ve been followed, and when we escaped and came here, her home was destroyed.” Jonas sat down after checking the view from the living room window. “Besides that, it’s complicated. I’m not sure I can explain it clearly. Almost like they were trying to force us to Audray’s place for some reason. Where they knew we’d go. I can’t explain it.”

“I know who they are,” Molly said to Jonas. “They are witches. Jealous, hate-filled witches and they want something from you and from her.”

“Witches?” Jonas looked like he’d been run through with a spear. “I don’t understand. What would witches want with us?”

“This dark witch, Glenda, you know her from your human life?” Molly asked.

“No. We’ve seen only a man following us. Someone dressed in dark clothing, and he has blue eyes. Deep blue eyes.”

“Because you would recognize or somehow be able to sense her. I’m sure of it,” Molly continued.

Jonas searched the toes of his boots. He shook his head. “I know no such person. I’ve had no knowledge of witches, until today.”

“Today?” Carl asked.

“Audray said she felt like there was an evil presence that had inserted itself into her mother’s life. I was making fun. I told her it must be witches. But, to the best of my knowledge, I’ve never met one, never been under one’s spell. And I have to say right here and now, I do not believe in them.”

Carl looked at Molly to see how she would answer him. “You need to, because even though you are both immortal, they can hurt you both.”

“I’m just not following,” Jonas said.

“The only reason you both are alive is because they need something from you.” Molly walked over and took Carl’s hand as she spoke. “They want one thing from you, and they want something else from her.”

Carl’s stomach was filled with dread. Molly stood up to deliver the message he knew he wouldn’t like.

“Search your past. I think she wants your progeny. I think they’ve searched for hundreds of years to obtain this goal.”

“But I can’t father a child. I’m a dark angel now, and we don’t father children.” Jonas’ brows furrowed and his fists balled at his sides. He spoke so loudly Audray was awakened. Her pale figure appeared in the doorway behind him, yet he was so furious he did not sense her.

“Yes, you can,” Molly answered. “The child growing in her belly,” she pointed to Audray, “is what they want to take from her.”

J
onas’ body was
riddled with a wide variety of emotions, all of them vying for dominance. On one hand, he was elated with the notion that Audray was carrying his child. On the other, he knew this fact put all of them, but especially Audray, in grave danger from those who would either want the child or want to terminate the pregnancy.

And then the gnawing question came forth: how could Audray, an immortal, have a living being inside her? Will the child be immortal or human? How could it properly grow, how could Audray possibly carry the babe to full term? What was full term? Or would she stay pregnant throughout her immortal life? As he looked into her ashen face, he wasn’t entirely sure this new life growing inside of her wouldn’t cause her own death. It obviously wasn’t agreeing with her biological makeup, whatever that was.

And there’s no one who has the answers.

But then he reconsidered this question. And a name came to mind. He needed to protect this name, so would not utter it in front of the others. He even put it out of his mind in case the witch could hear him. Molly didn’t react, so he hoped his secret was safe. For now.

Audray was so weak she needed to sit while they quickly stowed some things they might need. Jonas made a quick call to his men. He asked that the Underworld Council be told that the Director’s home had been destroyed by fire, and that there had perhaps been some injury to the Director. They might be delayed a day. He didn’t want to make the call himself to the council, raising too many questions he didn’t want to answer yet. He knew his men would do their job. He hated not telling them the good news, but it was best for all concerned.

They exchanged Molly’s address at the car rental. Jonas told them he needed to take Audray someplace for an exam, and then would meet up with them afterwards. Watching Carl take off in his Mini, Jonas knew he never intended to follow them, so after renting the black Hummer, he made a reservation at a local out-of-the-way inn. They would be closer to the transport station in case they needed a quick escape. But first, Jonas had to find out what was safe. Could Audray travel between worlds now? Or was this travel what was making her sick? Would the pregnancy affect her other powers? Or would those activities affect the baby?

He looked over at the face of the woman he would gladly die for. Her peachy complexion was now sweaty and sallow. Her color had turned such a flat pale shade, she almost looked dead. He held one of her hands as they drove toward the old part of town.

“Are you hungry at all, love?”

“No.” Audray barely spoke.

“Are you worse?”

“No. I feel weak, so frail. But it isn’t getting worse.”

Jonas had difficulty reading her thoughts, as if her life force was ebbing and wasn’t strong enough for him to pick up. It worried him, but he decided to keep it to himself.

“I am thrilled we made a baby.” She smiled and even in spite of her color and the beads of sweat forming on her forehead, she looked happy. “I never thought I would be a mother…”

She looked over to him with her big doe eyes, asking the question he heard inside.

“Yes, my love, I am delighted you carry my child.” But he also had concerns about her previous liaisons with Peter, the former Director. Audray had seduced him as part of the strategy to delay him interfering with Josh’s plans. There were only a couple of months since that event. He knew in his soul the child was his, but what if it turned out to be Peter’s?

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“To see a familiar face.” Jonas knew his former boss, indeed, Audray’s former boss, Joshua Brandon, now a human, was the only person with the information they needed. He turned down the wide tree-lined street that signified the old district. Historic houses lined up like grand old ladies, many of whom were painted to their Sunday best. Immaculate gardens, gazebos and flowers—all the things a human family with means would covet, displayed in their finery. He watched the humans out in their yards, oblivious to the war going on around them.