Queen of Ruin(Book three of the Immortals Series)
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT MOSCOW

Wringing out every second they had left together in the quiet mountains of Romania, Tessa and Rafik did everything but sleep in the bed that Teddy offered to give up last night.

In this morning's light, Rafik caressed Tessa's belly as he watched her catch the last few minutes of rest before they left for their next destination.

Leaning into her neck, he breathed in a nose full of his favorite childhood memory and placed a soft kiss near her ear. As his musical voice vibrated through it, he remorsefully woke her from her much-needed sleep. "I'm sorry, Tessa, but Teddy is already awake. We should get ready to leave."

"No!" Her gritty morning voice whined like a spoiled child as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. "Please, love me a few more minutes before we go."

Climbing on top of her, he hovered over her face and swept her curly hair away. "That is easy for me, Rohi." He pulled her bottom lip between his and grasped her hair in his fingers as he delivered one final deep kiss.

No more words were said after Rafik's instructions the evening before, but they weighed on her mind, and a sick queasiness rose within her the more she thought about it. Before she could fall over the cliff of worry and doubts, his arms were surrounding her.

In his warm, healing embrace, she was as limp and helpless as a rag doll, and his face was a blur as her sleepy, half-opened eyes tried to steal glimpses of him kissing her.

In this confounded world of misery, he was the only stable thing in it as she held on to his muscular arms for dear life.

Whimpering for more when he pulled away, she sucked on her swollen bottom lip and stared into his eyes as she pleaded with him. "Don't you ever stop loving me." Furrowing his brows as he swayed above her face, still punch drunk on her lips, he shook his head. "Never."

Sliding her fingertips to his cheeks, she remembered the words her father told her if death separated them. "Meet me in the Northlands, Rafik. Promise me you'll replace me." His curly black hair tickled her cheek as he rubbed his nose against hers. "I swear, I'll replace you, no matter how long it takes."

When they came down from the loft, Teddy was tucking the blanket back into the trunk. She put her forehead against Rafik's chest as her tired body began to betray her. "You two about ready to go?" Teddy pulled the straps of his bag tight before he buckled it and threw it around his arms.

She left the sanctuary of Rafik's arms as she pulled her face back from his chest and looked at her brother. "Whenever you are, I guess."

Threading her arms through theirs, she closed her eyes and thought of the black-and-white checkered floor of their flat in Moscow. Of all the things she remembered about the lively Russian city, it was the floors that reminded her of the ones in her parent's foyer that she recalled the most clearly.

As the swooshing sound of the whole world atomizing wrapped around her head, she felt the hardwood planks of the cabin floor disappear beneath her feet and the air being sucked from her lungs.

Hearing the three heartbeats between them, the mist pounded against her head like a drum until the world reconstructed and her feet landed on the tile floor of their Moscow apartment.

The blackness evaporated like dust in the wind, and she wobbled on her feet and her knees buckled underneath. Catching her in his arms, Rafik lowered her to the ground against his lap. As he searched her face, she fanned the clammy skin of her cheeks. "Are you alright, Rohi?"

Blinking her eyes rapidly, she nodded as she tried to chase away the double vision. She'd misted a thousand times in her life, but this time seemed to take all her strength. "I think so." Panting to catch her breath, her eyes rose to meet Teddy. "I think I need to lie down for a while. That kicked my ass."

Taking a blanket from the wardrobe, he waited as Rafik laid her down on the bed. "Can I get you something, Sugar?"

When Rafik covered her, she shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Just too much excitement for me this week, I reckon."

Coming to the bedside, Rafik put his hand to her head and lifted his chin to the door. "Can you replace something sweet to drink or eat? Juice is best."

Teddy glanced behind him and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, sure. Let me see what I can replace."

Rafik shook his head and brought her hand to his lips. The craziness of their life was unsustainable. "We need to be someplace stable for a while. All this traveling is taking its toll on you."

Rolling her eyes away to the wall, she snickered to herself. Rafik had the luxury of living in one place the whole time he was hiding, but she was used to ping-ponging across the globe. "Oh, baby, I'm fine. Just with the screwy sleep schedule the past few days, I'm all out of sorts. Stop worrying so much."

"Don't dismiss me, Tessa." Pushing her wet hair back off her face, he leaned down to her lips and kissed her. "You are all I have to worry about in this whole world. You are my everything." Lifting his brows, he pushed on the tip of her nose with his pointer finger. "And you need to rest for a few days. That is not up for discussion."

Teddy trilled his lips as he walked back through the bedroom door carrying a glass of soda. "That's about all there is. I'll have to run out in a bit to replace something to eat."

He slid his arm under her back and pulled her up to sit as Teddy handed her the glass. Seeing the drink hit her lips, Rafik sighed in relief and peeked over his shoulder at Teddy. "I'll go. I don't have any offensive powers, and I don't want her left unguarded for a moment."

As he stood to leave, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to her. "Un-un. No way. Don't you leave me."

Taking her empty glass and setting it on the table, he guided her back in the bed and spoke over his shoulder to Teddy. "Do you speak Russian?"

Crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorway, he shook his head. "Point in fact, no. Not a word."

As he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, the corner of Rafik's mouth turned up as he shrugged his shoulder. "Well, I suppose it's settled." "Nope!" She pinched her lips together and shook her head. "Go with him. I don't need a damn babysitter."

Standing up, Rafik opened his bag and searched for money. "I'll not be gone long. If anything happens, I'll mist back."

Pushing herself to the side of the bed, Tessa grabbed his bag away and threw it to the floor. "After that conversation we had yesterday, there's no way in hell I'm sending you anywhere alone. We'll all go."

He growled in frustration as he kneeled before her, but Tessa was in no mood to be reasoned with. "I'll get some sleep when we come back. No one goes anywhere alone anymore; we have to stay together." Rubbing his forehead with his fingertips, Rafik sighed because he knew he would never win an argument with her. "Fine. Let's be quick. You need a decent night's sleep, my love."

After helping her put her coat on, he buttoned the front and smirked at his feisty, foul-mouthed bride. "Will you always be so defiant?"

She shrugged her shoulders and pushed out her lips. "Probably. Things will be a lot easier for you if you go along with it."

He pulled her into his arm after kissing her on the lips and ushered her to the door. "I see that."

While Rafik held the food basket, the twins threw in all the essentials as they scoured the few aisles of the corner market. "We should be going soon; this is enough for now."

As they stood at the counter, Rafik exchanged pleasantries with the clerk as Tessa's attention turned to a woman with a baby carriage walking by the shop window.

Remembering the visions of the baby she hoped to have one day when their lives were less of a mess, Tessa snapped her fingers. It was nearly time for the Season she didn't realize was already over, and she didn't want to be left unprepared. "Damn!" Her hand slid to Rafik's arm, and she shook her head. "Hold on a minute. I forgot to get something."

Quickly walking back the aisle, she peeked along the merchandise when she heard the shop window smash to the ground and her brother yelling out to her. "Alamo, Tessa!"

Time stood still as she turned to see the black mist spread out over the space where they had been was standing. Her heart beat in her ears as she raced back to make sure Rafik went with him. "Rafik!"

Sliding to a stop in front of the counter, she came face to face with her Uncle Odion. He held up his hands, and a kind look of sincere concern grew on his face as he beseeched Tessa not to lose her temper. "No one's going to harm you, Tessa. I swear it. There's no need for violence."

She lifted her shaking finger to the man with her mother's face, and her teary eyes begged him. "Please, just leave us alone."

Her parched lips were like sandpaper as she licked them and tried to envision Haldir's simple home in her mind as the black fog rose from her feet. Before the mist consumed the weakened witch, a woman's voice came from behind her. "Codladh leanaí anois."

As she fell forward, Tessa sucked in one last breath before her eyes knitted shut, and her uncle caught her against his chest. With a groan, he tugged her up into his arms and presented her to his mother.

The glowing Queen Isoke gazed at the grandchild she'd only seen in her visions and smiled as she stroked her cheek with the back of her fingers. "She is beautiful."

Glancing up to Odion, she lifted her chin to him. "Put her in the cell."

The guilt taking over as she took in Tessa's sweet face, she raised her finger. "Make sure that she is comfortable and has everything she requires. She's no prisoner. We want her to join us, not fear us." The heat of the Firestarter's forehead against Isoke's lips was like going back in time to the days she rocked Isabelle in her arms. "You are going home, child."