The King's Consort Ch. 07

"Zakari." His voice echoed through the empty room as he entirely ignored her declaration. "Take Caitlin to the master suite."

The head of the Shadow Company stepped forward, looking apologetic. "If you'll follow me." He splayed out a hand towards the exit.

She went rigid, facing Kalen. "No. You will not march me off to bed again. You can't just-" She froze upon seeing the look in his eyes.

Kalen glanced down at her, blackness smoldering in his sockets. "Caitlin. Do as I say." His tone left no room for argument, making her nearly swallow her own tongue. This wasn't his usual nature. This was... something else, something so deadly, even his words had fangs.

She gave a quick and pitiful glance to Sara, not knowing what Kalen had in store for him. "Don't hurt him, please."

He didn't answer her, bringing out a key from his vest pocket and putting it into the lock. "Zakari?"

Rather than a polite escort, Zakari caught her by the arm with the same, apologetic look, leading her towards the door. When she struggled, Richter caught her other arm and they easily carried her off. "Kalen, what are you going to do to him?!"

She tried to dig her heels in, but the vampires lifted her easily as she bucked against their restraining grip. The last she saw was Sara bowing out of the undersized cage, and Kalen looking up at his creation. Then the door shut.

"No! Let go of me!!" She wrenched against their steely arms, but she gained no ground. When they'd finally dragged her across the hall and into the master suite, they deposited her on the long couch in front of the fireplace, where Marianne was lighting the logs.

"There's no need to shout, dear." She was facing away from her, bending over so her wide hips were all Caitlin could see. The fireplace slowly started glowing, and the matron stood and turned, an anxious look on her face. Without a backwards glance, Zakari marched out of the room, followed shortly by Richter, then even that door closed.

Caitlin stood, running her fingers through her long hair, realizing the mansion seemed to be bustling with shadow energy, and not all of it she recognized. She found herself glancing up at the higher levels. Though her weak, human eyes couldn't see through the ceiling, she could feel the press of darkness above them. Her voice was small in the wide suite. "What's going on?"

Marianne cleared her throat, paced to a chair, looked at it a moment, then seemed to decide to sit down, but couldn't remain for long. As she stood up again, her doughy face was crumpled with worry. "We just received word." She'd never seen Marianne so worked up. Usually, she was the calm one, while everything else went to hell.

"Word?" Caitlin shook her head. "Word of what?"

"The King." The servant finally spoke. "He's coming here. Tonight."

*

Kalen entered the master suite after the longest hour of Caitlin's life. She stood as he entered and shut the door silently behind himself. His usually cool demeanor seemed cracked, and she felt his energies coiled inside him, as if ready to spring at any moment. It wasn't anything like his darker nature, for that, though he might say otherwise, was cruel but calculated.

She teased a fingernail, worrying over the news, and of Kalen's sudden call to action. "What's going on, Kalen?"

His eyes were troubled as he turned and marched at her, catching her suddenly by the shoulders and leaning in so that he could have easily kissed her. He didn't. "I have a car around back that will take you away from here."

"Where?"

"It doesn't matter, just so long as you're not here when he arrives. Sara and Zakari are going with you, and so are the rest of the humans. How quickly can you be ready?"

His worried hazel eyes bore into her, making her swallow hard. "Ten minutes?"

"Make it five." He straightened, glancing down at her, then over to Marianne. "Assist Caitlin in gathering everything she needs for a week. If it is any longer, the entirety of my funds will be at her disposal."

"What's going to happen with-"

"Caitlin," he interrupted, turning back to her. "There's no time. Your mother, Edmund, and Lev are already waiting in the car. Marianne?" he asked, never turning to look at the servant. "You're to make sure she's in that car in four minutes. Do you understand?"

Almost a sigh of relief came out of Marianne, but she stifled it. "Yes, Master."

Kalen caught the nape of Caitlin's neck gently, his eyes softening. "I know things haven't been exactly... easy between us these last few weeks. But you know I love you more fiercely than life itself."

Her lips quivered at the thought of never seeing him again. Caitlin, never breaking eye contact, reached out and touched the rough spot on his cheek. Of course, she was furious at him, she had every right to be for what he'd done, just as the doctor had said. But that all fell away in the moment at the prospect of never seeing him again, knowing a life without him would be unbearable. "I love you, too." She stood on her tip toes, so their lips almost touched. "Win for me, okay?"

His fingers traced up her scalp so he had her auburn hair clenched in a fist. This close, she could taste the sweetness of his breath. "As you wish, my Queen."

Her bitter simper only lasted a fraction of a second before he closed in for a crushing kiss. She accepted wholly, allowing him to mold her body to his in his passion. Caitlin felt her heart flutter as she caught him around the shoulders, letting him savage her mouth with his. As he grudgingly broke away, he smiled down at her as if it were their first encounter, though it could very well be their last. Kalen closed his eyes and pressed their foreheads together, sighing. "I'll come to collect you before you know it. But if anything happens, you..." He fell silent as they both felt the little thrum between them.

Kalen's eyes flared in utter surprise, and the feeling made Caitlin nearly weep with the torrential emotions whirling inside of her. Then, the child kicked again, making him glance down at her rounded stomach and caress it. She blinked away the tears before they fell, putting her hand over his. "I will keep your family safe."

"I know you will, Caitlin Stone." He gently released her, catching her chin gently before dropping his hand, his face hardening once again. "Now, go. We're running out of time."

"You'll meet us at the car?"

She could see his resolve crack, just a little. "Of course."

"Good." Her brows knit together in consternation, then she paced to the door, giving him one last look before adjourning to the hall. Marianne followed after, urging her up the stairs faster than she was comfortable going. She clutched at her stomach while taking the stairs two at a time, rounding the corner and slipping into her own quarters.

The servant began to pack her things feverishly, but Caitlin was numb, only her lips still burned from the kiss. And the child? She leaned against the wall, tilting her head back as she held her stomach. As both Amandine and Kalen said, the child understood. No matter how tiny, he was already comprehending the world outside of her, and that in itself was breathtaking. She was tossed a long, concealing coat, which she caught without thinking and donned.

"Do you want your dresses?" Marianne interrupted her thoughts, tossing several pairs of pants into a black suitcase.

Caitlin only shook her head, then she remembered something. "I'll be right back."

The servant looked up from the packing. "We only have one minute, Caitlin."

"It won't even take that long," she said, pushing aside the hanging curtain to reveal the door to her private study. She left Marianne to finish up and went to her desk, opening the deceptively shallow drawer and feeling for the false backing.

She pulled away the wooden panel and revealed the obsidian blade. In silent triumph, she grabbed the blade by the handle and tucked it into an inner pocket of the jacket. Even though she was only human, it didn't hurt to be prepared.

The servant eyed her as she returned to the bedroom. "What did you grab?" The question was almost accusatory in nature, so unlike Marianne's warm demeanor.

Caitlin balked at the question a moment, then shook her head. "Just some stationery, why?"

Marianne's hands, paused over the work, continued their task as she glanced away. "Nothing. I've got everything ready. Let's get you to the car." She moved to grab the luggage when the servant stopped her. "You're not carrying anything in your state. Let me do it."

The matron had some trouble getting it down the stairs, but Caitlin did not protest. She knew better to, nowadays. They'd taken longer than his allotted five minutes, but he was there at the side door of the limousine when they arrived through the back. It was parked on the grass with its lights off, around the corner from the sheltered side entrance of the property.

With preternatural speed, he packed her things into the trunk, then scooped her up and set her gently in the open seat. She noticed the others: her mother, Lev, Zakari, and Edmund, but didn't care to acknowledge them. If this was the last she saw of Kalen, she wouldn't forgive herself for allowing him to rush off. Caitlin clutched at his shirt. "You will call us when it's over?" she asked, feeling the burn of her mother's scrutiny from across the compartment. And she felt Sara's presence up front, with the driver. Marianne had skirted around the other way and entered the car, as well.

Kalen unlatched her hands and set them in her lap, catching her cheek in a gentle caress. "The moment he's dead, you will hear from me." He left only the lightest kiss on her lips, then thumbed her lower lip before standing. "Until we meet again."

A sob caught in her throat as he shut the door, watching her through the tinted glass as the car began to drive away. She curled up against the soft cushions and folded into herself, resting her head on her knees. No one broke the timid silence, even after they'd left the mansion far behind.