Love & War
Chapter 18

Illiana

These false labor pains hurt. Badly. I bite my tongue and put a hand on my belly. Elliot keeps looking over at me. I know he is concerned.

Dian frowns at me. “I can see that hurts. You really should sit down.”

“I will be okay, Dian. When we go inside I will replace a chair, okay? I do not want to worry Elliot right now. This is important.”

I smile over at Elliot. He smiles back at me then faces his soldiers again. They are all watching Elliot intently. Some of them will glance at me from time to time. They are probably wondering how I got the information about the outposts.

“My son, Garret, will be used as a decoy. When we get there, everyone will move to prepare for an attack. I will be in the sycamore tree in the center of the tree line. That’s when you, Joben, and your unit will breach the border and circle around behind them and their forces. We will attack them from all sides,” Jess speaks calmly and clearly.

I do not think I would be able to hold myself together if it were me in her shoes.

“That is all for now. We will leave in three days’ time. I expect you all to train the first two and rest on the third. We have much to do. Dismissed,” Elliot’s voice booms out.

All of the soldiers disperse almost instantly. The archers run up the beams to the walkway on top of the gate. They look so graceful doing it like they are using minimal effort.

“Let’s go inside, Lia.”

Elliot extends his hand. I place my hand in his gently and hold Dian’s hand with my other one. Elliot points to a long building to the left of where were standing, just across the training field. Arrows and daggers are flying through the air to their intended targets. Two or three out of the hundreds miss. Elliot puts himself between us and the training ground.

“They know not to aim this way, but sometimes the arrows or daggers veer off course. This is the safest route possible,” he explains as we walk.

I wave of pain erupts from my pelvic area.

Fiddlesticking toadstools this hurts!

I am careful not to make a pained expression. Elliot stares down at me then looks over to Obsidian.

“Illiana is in pain again. The false labor is happening again.”

“Why didn’t you say anything, Kona?” Elliot stops and stares at me.

I pause and look up at him. “It is nothing I can not handle. This meeting is important, and it is not real labor.”

He frowns at me and locks his fingers with mine. “Promise me that you’ll tell me when you do go into labor no matter what is happening.” It almost sounds like he is begging.

“I promise.”

Elliot sighs and quickly leads us to the building. He holds the door open for us. Dian and I walk in cautiously. The inside looks like a dining hall. There are four long tables with chairs on either side, lining them. Two on the left and two on the right. Directly in the center of the four tables is one slightly shorter table with a royal purple runner. On the wall behind that table is a carved map of Fyoria. Red pins dot the fae kingdom border.

“We need to go to the map.” Elliot points to the back wall.

Once there he has Dian hold open the map I gave him and he adjusts the red pins stuck into the wall. I shift my weight from one leg to the other and take a deep breath. Elliot snaps his attention to me.

“Here.” He turns and pulls out a chair from the purple table. “Sit down and catch your breath, love.”

I nod and sit in the cushioned chair. I lean my head back against the headrest and close my eyes for a moment.

“Illiana, My Queen, wake up. We need to start heading home.” I hear Elliot’s voice from beside me.

What does he mean wake up? Did I fall asleep?

I force my eyes open and blink a couple of times before my eyes focus on Elliot.

“Did I fall asleep?”

He smiles at me and bends down to be face to face. “You have been asleep for two hours, my Queen. We had the meeting while you napped.”

I feel myself start to blush.

Gods that’s embarrassing.

“What’s wrong?” Elliot cocks his head to the side.

“Why did you not wake me?” I ask avoiding his gaze.

“You looked peaceful and relaxed. You were in pain before, so I wanted you to rest as much as you could.” He is so serious and so sweet.

I sigh and smile. “Well, thank you for that.”

I lean forward and kiss his cheek. He raises an eyebrow and then leans forward. He pauses inches from my mouth. I feel his hot breath on my lips.

Is he teasing me?

I lean forward and close the space between us. My lips meet his roughly. He smiles into the kiss. I pull away and look at him.

“Ew! Get a room!” I hear a familiar voice coming from behind us followed by giggles.

“Shouldn’t you be sparring and training with Joben Garret?” Elliot narrows his eyes.

“Mom told me to come see if Aunt Lia wants to walk home with her. She said she’d get her nasty apricots.”

Garret pokes out his tongue. I smile and look up at Elliot.

“I will meet you at home tonight. I am just in the way here anyway. Dian can stay with you and I will go with Jess.”

Elliot nods and kisses me softly again. My skin is still hot from the first kiss.

“We will be home by nightfall, my love.”

Elliot holds his hand out to help me stand up. I scoot to the edge of the chair and then use his hand to pull myself up.

“Okay. I will see the two of you at home. Try not to get too hurt.” I smile at both of them.

“I won’t get hurt! And if I do, I’ll just heal myself!” Dian pokes himself in the chest with his thumb.

“Watch out for Elliot too then?”

“Okay! I’ll do it!” He grins at me.

I look back up at Elliot and give his hand a squeeze before letting it go and walking over to Garret.

“Where’s your mom?”

“She’s waiting by Lucinda for you. She said she knew you’d agree.”

That sounds like Jess.

We walk back to Lucinda, avoiding stray arrows and daggers. Jessilyn is propped up on a post beside Lucinda looking over at us.

“Hey, Jess. So you want to walk home?”

“And you want those apricots.” She laughs to herself.

“Well yeah to both. You know how these babies are.”

Jessilyn snorts and shakes her head. We walk out to the main road and I look over at her.

“We will get him back, Jess.” I pat her arm.

“Oh I know we will. I will kill all of those flying bastards myself if that’s what it takes.” She narrows her eyes. A strange look crosses her face and she looks down at me. “No offense to you.”

“None taken. My father and Trey are awful people. They deserve whatever should come to them.” I shrug.

I look up at Jessilyn and see two shadow-like figures looming around her. I blink a couple of times and they still do not go away.

There is no way they can be shadows. The sun is behind us and they are on the wrong side.

Jess pokes my arm. “Are you okay, Lia?”

“Yeah, I am absolutely fine. Sorry, I was just lost in thought.” I look forward. The market is in sight now.

“Come on, let’s go get my babies some fruit.”

Jess smiles at me and walks in the direction of the vendors. She pauses once she is a few yards away. I waddle to catch up to her.

“Why are we stopping?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Engelina.”

Ah. Her. Elliot’s almost wife. I frown.

“I have some fruit at home. I really do not need more right now.” I look at my belly.

“No, I said I’d get you apricots and I fully intend to. Come on, Lia.” Jess hooks her arm with mine and marches right up to the stall, half dragging me behind her. “One tin of apricots,” Jess says as she puts tral on the counter in front of her.

“Oh! Jessilyn! I’m surprised you haven’t come to see me sooner! We were almost sisters you know.” Engelina glares over at me.

Jess’ eye twitches. “Listen here you stuck-up, delusional, two-faced whore. You were never engaged to my brother. He has never and will never even like you. You were my friend until you used me to try to get close to him. So you can shut the hell up and do this transaction so I can move on with my day without having to see the likes of you.”

Oh. My. Gods.

I bite the insides of my cheeks to keep myself from laughing. Engelina looks like she has been slapped in the face. Though, if she keeps talking, she probably will be. Engelina silently sits a tin of apricots on the counter and picks up the trail.

So it seems she is not a complete moron after all.

Jess picks up the tin and hooks arms with me again.

“I told you I would get my babies their apricots.” She grins down at me.

“I can not believe you said that to her!” I laugh as we walk away from the stall and toward the road leading home.

“It felt damn good too. It’s been a long time coming for that.” Jess shakes her head.

“It sounded like it!” I giggle as we reach the road home.

Jess’ tone changes. “Thank you for the map, Lia. You have no idea how much it means to me.”

I look up at her. “Of course! Anything I can do to help, I will.”

There are two other people following us from the market now. A man and a woman. Both of whom are staring at Jess with sympathetic smiles. I look at them and raise an eyebrow. The man elbows the woman’s arm and she looks at me too. They look surprised.

“Jess, do you know them?”

I point back to the couple behind her. Jess turns her head and looks in the direction of the market. Like she can not see them at all.

What the hell is going on? Is this a Theos type situation?

We reach my house and Jess hands me the tin.

“Thank you for walking with me, Lia.”

“Absolutely! Do you want to come in for a bit?” I point to the front door.

“I would but I have to get Dawn ready for the day. Maybe later?”

I smile and nod. I watch as Jessilyn walks next door. She waves at me as she walks inside.

“So you can see us. Arabella was right, dear. This is a strange little one,” the man says.

He looks to be at least as tall as Elliot. He has ashen skin and long black hair that is tied back loosely. His dark blue eyes look intense. The woman he is with has reddish-brown hair that is braided back to a loose bun on the top of her head. She has a beautiful golden tan and eyes so brown, they are almost black.

“Are you two elven deities as well?” I look at the woman.

“We are. I’m surprised you can see us. You must have a rather high magical ability. Interesting,” she says as she circles me.

“Can I help the two of you?” I raise an eyebrow. I just really want to sit down. My lower back and feet are aching from the walk.

“Perhaps. I am Brielle, Goddess of the night and the hunt. This is my husband, Cassius. God of death and shadow. We wish to help with Zander’s retrieval.”

“And what does this have to do with me?”

Cassius smirks at Brielle. “We need you to pass a message to Jessilyn. Tell her the two have heard her pleas and the answer to which she seeks is in the trees.”

What the heck kind of cryptic message is that?

“Okay. I will tell her,” I say.

As soon as the words leave my mouth, the two of them vanish into thin air. I sigh and walk over to Jess’ door. I knock twice and she pokes her head out.

“Lia? What’s up?” She raises an eyebrow.

“I have a message for you. The two have heard your pleas and the answer to which you seek is in the trees.”

Jess looks gobsmacked. I hold my tin of apricots and look over to my house.

“I am- uh- going to go now. I will see you later this evening.” I smile at her and walk back to my door. I feel her staring at me still.

These elven deities are making me look insane.