Aeromancist (SECOND EDITION): Art of Air (7 Forbidden Arts Book 3) Read online

  “Don’tch tellsj Daddysj. Daddysj angrysh.”

  “Who’s Daddy?”

  “Godfreyjs. Godfreyjs. Godfreyjs.”

  Her throat went even dryer. Keeping her tone even, she said, “You better go before Margaret wakes up.”

  Nicolas came to Kat’s room every night after that. She read to him, and he carried off one book at a time, always returning it before taking another. Whatever physical problems Nicolas had, he was intelligent. His speech was sometimes incoherent and slurred, but he understood everything he read, and he read fast. The speed with which he consumed books surprised her. She had to ask Margaret for more books, but she didn’t do it too often, so as not to arouse anyone’s suspicions. Obviously, Nicolas knew how to override the cameras, because he was never caught. How he did it, she didn’t know. She once asked, but he closed up like a clam.

  Three months after starting to read to Nicolas, Kat felt confident enough in their secret relationship to broach the subject on her mind.

  “Who makes me well, Nicolas? Who makes the serum?”

  He looked up at her from where he sat by her feet. “Nicolasjh. Nicolasjh. Nicolasjh.”

  Nicolas was the genius who fabricated the serum that would save her life? She allowed the information to sink in. Nicolas was Godfrey’s son, and Adam was his brother. She wondered if they had the same mother.

  “What is Adam’s mother’s name?” she asked.

  “Oliviash.”

  Olivia? So, Nicolas and Adam didn’t have the same mothers. Was Olivia Godfrey’s second wife? Then what is Vanessa to Godfrey?

  She was going to ask more about the serum, but a contraction stilled her. The book she was reading dropped to the floor. This one was different from the countless others she’d had since the first one in the garden. This one hurt. Really hurt. It lasted five seconds before easing.

  Nicolas picked up the book. Holding it to his chest, he rocked himself.

  “Nicolas,” she said gently, trying not to frighten him, “go back to your room. The baby’s coming. They can’t catch you here.”

  A tear dropped from his eye.

  “It’s all right,” she said, clenching her teeth as another contraction hit. “Go. Quickly.”

  He nodded. “Gojs. Quicklysh.”

  She was only able to breathe again when he’d left her room and the band of pain faded. She set the timer on the watch Adam had given her, and walked around the room, as it seemed to help with the pain. She let it carry on for an hour. In between the contractions, she got dressed, why she didn’t know, brushed her hair, and washed her face. When her contractions were three minutes apart, she went down the hall and knocked on Margaret’s door. As she waited for Margaret to answer, something like an elastic band snapped in the lower region of her body, and water gushed down her legs just as the door opened.

  Margaret took one look at her before she rushed down the hall and pushed a button on the intercom.

  Kat was leaning against the wall, breathing through another contraction, when Adam sprinted down the hallway with Gerda on his heels. For once, his smug look was absent. His hair was ruffled and his clothes askew. Gerda didn’t look much better. Her usual braid was a mess of tangled hair around her face.

  Still buttoning up her shirt, Gerda said to Adam, “It’s too early. She’s only eight months. The serum… We’re not on maximum dose yet.”

  “Early or not, it’s happening,” he said in a clipped voice, “so get the room ready.”

  When Kat was able to find her voice again, she gave a hysterical laugh.

  Adam shot her a strange look.

  “This is the moment of truth,” she said, “when you find out if your serum works.”

  Chapter 19

  They took Kat into the examination room. Gerda helped her fit a hospital gown before making her lie down on the bed. Nicolas hovered in a corner, rocking himself, while Gerda threw a sheet over Kat’s lower body and examined her. Adam stood silently by the bed.

  “She’s nine centimeters dilated,” Gerda said. “I’m not equipped here for an emergency in case something goes wrong. You should have listened when—”

  “We were going to take her to the clinic next week. You know that.”

  Kat grinded her teeth when another contraction hit, longer and more severe in intensity this time.

  Adam took her hand. “Breathe, angel.”

  “I’m not ready,” Gerda said.

  “Do your fucking job,” Adam bit out.

  Their anxiety didn’t have a calming effect. She wanted to pull away from Adam’s touch, but she did need a hand to dig her nails into. A perverse part of her was satisfied when he winced.

  As soon as the pain ebbed, she jerked her hand from Adam’s and addressed the doctor. “You two stressing isn’t helping. I’m having a baby. Thousands of women do it every day.”

  She was only trying to make herself feel better with her pep talk. She was dead scared. She faced reality like never before. Dying had been an abstract idea, but now it stared her in the face. It was no longer a vague concept. It was a real possibility.

  However, there was only one way forward. At least she would’ve done something great, something wonderful, by giving birth to Lann’s son. That was enough. She let the feeling of contentedness ground her and sink into her soul. If she was to die, she wasn’t going to do it screaming and fighting. As she embraced the acceptance, a new serenity washed over her.

  Another contraction built. She clenched her teeth as it swept her to an even higher crescendo of pain. She needed Lann. She longed for him with all her heart.

  Adam bent over her and said with wonder in his voice, “You look beautiful in your suffering. I’ve never seen anything more magical than the pain of birth.”

  The contraction gave way. Kat used the moment to swing back her fist and bring it down hard on Adam’s jaw. The impact sent him staggering. Stroking his jaw, he gave her a look of surprise.

  Gerda stifled a laugh. “Never mess with a woman in labor.”

  Adam narrowed his eyes at Gerda, but didn’t comment.

  “The baby has descended,” Gerda said. “When I tell you to push, push hard.”

  Kat nodded.

  “Push.”

  She took a deep breath and pushed with all her might. Nicolas’s whimpering came from somewhere in the corner, but she couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the pain that wracked her body.

  “It’ll be quick,” Gerda said, “I can already see the head. Ready? Push.”

  But it wasn’t quick. The contractions continued until she had no more strength. Adam wiped her brow with a wet cloth, but she couldn’t even bring herself to care that he was touching her.

  He brought a cup with a straw to her lips. “Glucose, for energy.”

  She managed to take a few sips before the next contraction set in.

  The door opened and Vanessa stepped in.

  “Get her out of here,” Kat said.

  Gerda glanced over her shoulder. “You better leave.”

  “Excuse me?” Vanessa laughed. “This is my parade.”

  “Wait outside,” Adam said, his voice cold.

  Vanessa glared at him. “What did you just say?”

  “I said, wait outside.”

  Kat’s scream tore through the room. She wasn’t going to scream, she’d promised herself, but she couldn’t help it. Adam came around the bed, took Vanessa by the shoulders, and moved her through the frame before shutting the door in her face. Even in her pain, Kat registered that Vanessa and Adam weren’t best friends.

  “Come on,” Gerda said.

  Kat shook her head. “No more. I can’t.”

  “Give me your hand.”

  “What?”

  “Give me your hand,” Gerda repeated. When Kat obliged, she guided her fingers down to stroke over something warm and soft.

  “The baby’s head,” Gerda said.

  She’d just touched her baby’s head. It gave Kat the extra boost she needed for th
e last push, and then his little shoulders came free, and the doctor pulled her son into the world, into a room that should have been filled with love, but was full of danger.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. A beautiful baby boy.

  “We did it,” Gerda said, staring wide-eyed at Adam.

  She was alive. She was still breathing. She couldn’t see Nicolas in his corner, but he was quiet.

  Gerda placed clips on the umbilical cord and handed Adam the scissors. “Want to cut it?”

  He took the instrument wordlessly, his eyes fixed on the baby as he cut the cord. As soon as he had done it, he took Thomas, wrapped a blanket around him and walked to the door. Thomas wasn’t crying.

  “Where is he going with my baby?” Kat asked in a choked voice.

  “Now the placenta,” Gerda said.

  “Please,” Kat begged through her tears, “let me hold him, just for a second.”

  Gerda started cleaning her, but Kat didn’t pay attention to what was happening to her body. A huge hole opened in her soul. It was an ache that would never go away.

  After covering her with a blanket, Gerda said, “You didn’t tear much. I gave you one stitch. I have to wash up. Rest for a few minutes. I’ll be back to take you to your room.”

  Kat couldn’t stop crying. “Bring him back!” she shouted at the closed door. Sobs wracked her body until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  A tear rolled over Nicolas’s cheek. “No crysj.”

  “I want my baby,” she said through her sobs. “I just want to hold him.” She clutched Nicolas’s hand, holding onto the only thing there was for her to hold onto, the only person who’d showed her kindness.

  When the worst of her sobbing subsided, she wiped her eyes and looked at the disfigured man offering her comfort. “You did it, Nicolas. You saved me.”

  “Nicolasjh happysj.”

  “What a heartbreaking scene,” Vanessa said, standing in the open door. “You two have bonded.”

  Nicolas let go of Kat and took a step back.

  Vanessa entered the room and stopped next to the bed. “Who would’ve thought the experiment would work?” She gave Nicolas a once-over. “I didn’t think he had it in him. It was a complicated process. The dosage as the pregnancy evolved was of the utmost importance. Godfrey will be pleased.”

  “You’re working for him,” Kat said with accusation in her tone.

  “Working?” Vanessa laughed. “No, darling, I’m not working for him. Godfrey is my lover.”

  Kat stared at her in shock. “Adam…”

  “Yes, technically, when Godfrey marries me, I’ll be Adam’s stepmother.” She pouted. “Isn’t that sweet?”

  Adam’s animosity now made sense. Adam and his future stepmother were almost the same age. Was Adam’s mother, Olivia, dead?

  Kat glanced at Nicolas.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Vanessa said. “I’ll be stepmom to both Adam and this freak.”

  Nicolas flinched.

  “Now that we know the serum works, you have no further use for us.”

  Fear gripped Kat. They weren’t going to let her go. She got up on her elbows, testing her strength. She was too weak to fight Vanessa.

  “Going somewhere?” Vanessa asked with a mocking lift of her eyebrow as she took a scalpel from the stainless steel tray on the gurney.

  “Why?” Kat asked. “You’ve got what you wanted. Why kill me?”

  “Because Lann loves you.”

  She pushed the scalpel against Kat’s throat. Kat wiggled away, and Vanessa let her. She was going to play cat and mouse. Getting to her feet too fast, Kat felt dizzy. It was the blood loss. She fought the weakness in her legs, making it halfway to the door before her head started spinning.

  “Please,” she begged to no one in particular, falling to her knees as her legs caved, “help me.”

  “Yes,” Vanessa said. “Beg. I want to hear your pleas before you die.”

  No begging. There was no one who cared, no one to listen. She was on the verge of collapsing. Darkness bled into the edge of her vision, but she wouldn’t stop fighting. There was too much to live for.

  Vanessa grabbed a fistful of Kat’s hair, pulling back her head and pressing the blade against her throat. Kat struggled, but she was still too weak. Every muscle in her body trembled with exhaustion.

  “Let her go.”

  Kat lifted her gaze to the sound of Adam’s voice. He stood in the door, aiming a pistol at Vanessa.

  “What are you going to do?” Vanessa chuckled. “Shoot me?”

  “Let her go.”

  “You weren’t seriously going to send her back to her husband, were you?”

  “No,” Adam said, not sparing Kat a glance. “I’m going to keep her.”

  “What do you men see in her?” Vanessa jerked on her hair, causing Kat to yelp. “She’s weak.”

  Adam smiled. “She’s anything but weak.”

  Vanessa pressed the blade down harder. A burning sensation cut over Kat’s skin.

  “This is your last chance,” Adam said.

  “Do you think your father will let you live if you kill me?”

  Adam clicked his tongue. “You think my father has feelings for you? He’ll never leave Olivia. You were nothing but a means to an end.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Vanessa lifted her arm high, aiming the sharp point of the instrument at Kat’s heart, but before she could bring down her hand, a gunshot tore through the room.

  Vanessa stared at Adam with wide eyes. The scalpel made a clanking sound as it dropped from her hand and fell on the tiles. Gaping, she looked down at her chest. A dark stain bled through the fabric of her dress. She opened her mouth, but her body hit the floor before she’d uttered a word.

  Nicolas screamed. Gerda came running into the room with two guards on her heels. Kat couldn’t stop shaking.

  “What happened?” Gerda asked.

  “She tried to kill Kat.” Adam handed the pistol to one of the guards. “Take care of the body.” To Gerda, he said, “Take Nicolas to his room. Give him a tranquilizer.” He scooped Kat into his arms, and ripped the blanket from the bed to cover her hospital gown.

  “What about Godfrey?” Gerda asked.

  “I’ll deal with him.”

  He carried Kat to her room, lowered her onto the bed, and pulled the comforter over her body.

  She was still shaking like someone who had no control over her body.

  Adam regarded her solemnly. “I could give you a tranquilizer, but I love seeing you so vulnerable.” He traced the line of her trembling lips. “Try to sleep. I’ll be back later.”

  He left, shutting the door behind him. She lay in the dark, exhausted and weak. She had no idea what Adam’s plans were for her. The monster had saved her life, but for what? Crying silently, she tried to come up with a plan, but her mind was a blank. She’d survived. She’d come this far. She couldn’t give up.

  A short while later, Gerda entered and injected her with what she said was a tranquilizer. Too weak to fight, Kat didn’t have a choice but to accept the drugs.

  Sometime in the morning, she woke with painful breasts. Her first thought was that she had to escape. She had to get Thomas and get away. She had to get a message to Lann. She was about to get up when Margaret stepped into her room with a tray.

  “Breakfast,” she said, handing Kat the tray that was laid with a mug of tea and boiled eggs.

  As she left, Adam entered. “You’re looking better.”

  “Where’s my son?”

  “He’s not your son anymore.”

  She flinched at his words. “I just want to see him.”

  “It’s better this way.”

  “You said you’d let me go.”

  “I didn’t.” Adam smiled. “My father did.”

  “Are you going to kill me?”

  “Suspense is a wonderful thing.” He stroked her hair. “Eat. You need to regain your strength. Margaret can help you shower.”

&nb
sp; “I don’t need her help,” Kat said through clenched teeth.

  “That’s what I expected you to say.” His gaze dropped to her breasts. “Sore?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I’m not going to give you medication to dry up your milk. Your body will do it automatically when it realizes there’s no baby to feed. It will hurt a bit, and I’ll enjoy watching.”

  She projected a hateful look at his back as he turned and left.

  The day passed with Kat confined to her bed. She was waiting for the dark, praying that Nicolas would come. If he did, she’d ask him about Thomas, and try to work out a way of escaping. After Margaret had served her dinner, she had a quick shower and pulled on a clean nightdress. Her heavy, aching breasts were a constant reminder that her son needed her. She felt stronger, but was still exhausted and fell asleep early.

  She woke in the night from noises. Shots. She sat up, her heart in her throat. More shots. Moving quickly, she got out of bed to peer through the window. In the bright light that lit the garden, she saw the guards crouching behind the shrubs, their weapons aimed at the perimeter of the wall. They were under attack.

  With her heart hammering in her chest, she hastily pulled on a robe and rushed to the door. When she pulled it open, Nicolas all but fell into the room.

  “Nicolasjh scaresjd.”

  “It’s all right.” She took his arm. “Come. We have to hide.”

  Where was Margaret? Was she hiding too?

  Kat steered Nicolas down the hallway toward the examination room. When they reached the kitchen, a small explosion shook the building. The front doors blew outward, glass flying through the air. The force of the explosion threw them to the floor. Disorientated, Kat got back onto her feet. Her ears were ringing from the noise.

  She dragged on Nicolas’s arm. “Get up. Come on.”

  He whimpered as he obeyed. She glanced over her shoulder as she pushed Nicolas toward the end of the hallway. Men dressed in black gear had infiltrated the garden. She couldn’t distinguish the guards from the attackers. They were all dressed the same. She stopped in front of the door of the examination room.

  “Open it,” she said to Nicolas.

  He pushed his thumb on the scanner and the door clicked open. Kat pulled him inside and shut the door.