Dangerously Charming (26 page)

Mick's eyebrows rose toward his forehead. “But we hadn't even met up with him yet at that point. How could he have possibly known?”

“That's a damn good question, isn't it?” Barbara gave Mick a not-so-gentle shove toward the door. “I suggest you park your steed where no one will bother it and get back in here. I'd like to get Jenna to the hospital before she gives birth in my trailer. The damned thing is already temperamental enough as it is; I'm pretty sure that playing midwife would only make it crankier.”

*   *   *

AS
the dawn crept sleepily through the hospital window, Day sat in a chair next to the institutional bed and watched Jenna nurse her little girl, who she had named Flora after her grandmother. He thought he had never seen anything so amazing in his entire long, long life.

Jenna's pale face was glazed with exhaustion and incandescent with joy, and the baby was about as perfect a Human being as he had ever seen, plump-cheeked and healthy, with her mother's dark hair and icy blue eyes. The one thing she didn't have was a curse hanging over her head, for which he was eternally grateful.

In truth, he was grateful for so many things; he could have listed them all day and not run out. Not being dead—that was a big one, since it turned out that he had much to live for. The success of their mission, being reunited with Gregori, and
finally being free of most of the burden of guilt he had carried for the last year. He still needed to seek out Alexei at some point and clear the air between them.

But mostly he was grateful that a woman like Jenna could actually love him, the man who had charmed many but loved none. That was the greatest miracle of all. Especially since he occasionally turned into a light green Paranormal creature.

But somehow she had come to trust him, just as he trusted her. He'd never given his whole heart to anyone other than his brothers before. It felt strange and a little bit unreal, like a fairy tale come to life. He had thought he was saving Jenna, but in the end, she had saved him from the black hole of despair he'd been wallowing in, and given him back at least one of the brothers he thought he had lost forever. Now he just had to convince her to let him stick around so they could take care of each other, and that beautiful baby, forever.

He'd formulated twenty different ways to suggest such a thing—and discarded them all—when the door to the room swung open and a man burst in, a large bouquet of red roses in one hand and a gigantic teddy bear with the price tag still dangling from it in the other. Day's teeth bared in a growl, but the unruffled expression on Jenna's face told him that whoever this was, he wasn't a threat.

The man's suit was expensive, and his haircut probably had been once, although it was overdue for a trim. Lines of strain curved around his mouth and Day could see a hint of desperation in his eyes, despite the bright smile he aimed at Jenna and the baby.

“Jenna!”

“Hello, Stu,” Jenna said in a calm voice. “This is a surprise. How did you know we were here?”

This is Stu?
The
Stu?
Day didn't think the man meant Jenna any harm, but he scooted his chair a bit closer to her anyway. She patted his arm softly, signaling the beast to stay quiescent.

Stu took another couple of steps into the room, holding the flowers and the bear carelessly, as if he'd forgotten they were there.

“When you disappeared six months ago, I set up an alert for any woman answering your description who showed up in a hospital to give birth around this time. It was the only way I could think of to find you.” He shook his head. “Where the hell have you been, Jenna? I threw all my money and power into tracking you down, but it was as if you'd disappeared off the face of the Earth.”

Jenna and Day exchanged glances, and Jenna giggled. Of course, it was the literal truth, but there was no way they were telling Stu that.

“It's not funny,” Stu said, the anxiety he'd been trying to hide surfacing more strongly. “When I couldn't find you, my father disowned me. I lost everything. The money, the influence, everything. He thinks I'm an idiot. A failure who can't even keep track of one pregnant woman.” His voice cracked. “But now I've finally found you again, and if the baby is mine, maybe taking it to my father will earn me my place back.”

“Her,” Jenna said gently. “Her name is Flora. And I'm sorry, but that is never going to happen.”

“I'll give you whatever you want,” Stu said. “When my father reinstates me, I'll be able to buy you and the baby anything you could ever desire.”

Jenna shook her head, her long dark hair sliding over one shoulder. “No, Stu. You don't have anything I want.” She smiled up at Day, her arms tightening around Flora's swaddled little body. “I already have everything I desire.”

“But that's my baby!” Stu protested. “You told me so.”

“I was wrong,” Jenna said, looking her former lover in the eyes. “At the time I said that, I really did believe it. But I've since discovered that the baby's true father is someone else. I'm very sorry.”

She shifted the baby into the crook of her elbow and put out her other hand. Day took it, feeling as though he had been
kicked by a mule and given the greatest gift in the world, all at the same time. He thought he'd lost everything, and it turned out that he'd been given a miracle.

Stu's patrician face suddenly turned red and blotchy. “You've ruined my life, you bitch! What am I supposed to do now?”

The sound of a throat clearing came from behind him and Barbara's low voice said, “You might want to consider running away before I kick your ass into the next state.” She stood in the doorway, all head-to-toe black leather, scowling at Stu with her arms crossed over her chest.

When Stu didn't move, Day rose from his chair and took one step forward, allowing his eyes to glow and his form to shift subtly so that he somehow took up even more space in the small room.

Stu gave an alarmed squeak, dropped the flowers and the stuffed animal, and left in a hurry, rudely shoving his way past Barbara. She raised one eyebrow and twitched a finger, and from beyond the room Day could hear the sound of someone tripping over what sounded like an entire cart full of hospital breakfast trays. The cursing wafted down the hallway for a minute or two and then stopped.

Barbara ignored the mayhem and stepped into the room, holding one hand out to Day. “I heard,” she said, a tiny smile hovering at the corner of her mouth. “Congratulations, Dad.”

“I'm not really the baby's father,” he protested. “You know that.”

“Yes, you are,” Jenna said in a firm tone. “A child's father is more than the person who happened to be there at the conception. You were there for all the moments that mattered afterward.”

“And I will be there for all the ones that matter in the future,” Day said, feeling as though he was going to explode with pride and joy. He sat on the edge of the bed and put an arm around Jenna and Flora.

Barbara patted the baby gently on the head, then touched
the tiny nose in wonder with one finger. “Speaking of the future,” she said. “Do you two have any idea what you are going to do now?”

They looked at each other, and Jenna nodded slowly.

“I think that once Jenna and the baby are up to traveling, we are going to go to the deep forests of Russia and see if we can find my mother,” Day said. “I don't know if she is still alive or not, but if she is, I think she might like to know she has a grandchild. After all, as Gregori said, family is important.”

“Maybe she'll be able to give us some insight into Day's new powers,” Jenna added. “Something that will help him to figure out the best way to use them.”

“Oh?” Barbara said. “Did you have something in particular in mind?” Mischief glinted in her amber eyes.

“Well,” Day said, smiling at Jenna, who nodded as though she had read his mind. “Jenna told me once that just because I wasn't a Rider anymore, that didn't mean I couldn't be useful. It seems to me that the Baba Yagas still might have need, from time to time, of a strong and loyal friend. Even if he isn't technically a Rider.”

Barbara gave him one of her rare grins and winked at Jenna. “I think that's a great plan,” she said. “After all, Baba Yagas have never been all that good with technicalities anyway. Besides . . .”

“Besides?” he asked.

She chuckled. “Besides, I am going to enjoy watching you fall under someone else's charms for a change.” A tiny fist closed around her outstretched finger. “I think you've finally met your match, Mikhail Day. I suspect that nothing in either world is ever going to be the same again.”

WHEN
Flora was a month old, Day and Jenna took her to court.

After all, Jenna had promised the Queen that she would return once the baby was born, and it was never a good idea to break a promise to royalty. Especially that royalty.

For the moment, the three of them were living in a small rental property not far from Barbara's farmhouse while they planned out what they were going to do next and adjusted to their new circumstances. Day figured that eventually they would build a home of their own, but at the moment their hands were full enough tending to a very small, very demanding baby, and working with Barbara to explore the boundaries of his new abilities.

Babs and Liam were always happy to entertain the baby, and Babs in particular was relishing her role as honorary elder cousin, so being close by meant they had not only each other, but an extended family as well. It was more than Day would have ever dreamed of, and he gave thanks every day for the
miracle that was his new life. The fact that it was now limited in length only made every moment that much more precious. He supposed that was what it was like to be a Human.

When Jenna decided that Flora was old enough to take through the doorway, they all dressed up in their best finery—Flora looking particularly adorable in a frilly pink dress covered with embroidered roses—and passed through the closet in the Airstream to emerge into a glorious meadow filled with matching blossoms in every shade from the palest blush to the darkest crimson. A mossy green path led to the castle, which could be seen in the distance, but still much closer than usual, as if to make it easier to reach.

“What?” Jenna exclaimed, turning around in circles as Flora chortled merrily. “How did she know?”

Barbara shook her head, looking half impressed, half resigned. “She is the Queen. She always knows.”

Day thought that was a bit of an exaggeration, since they were all well aware that
certain individuals
whose names were not to be uttered in court had managed to sneak things past the Queen from time to time. But it was true, she was almost always aware of what was happening with her subjects. Apparently, she had decided that Flora fell under that heading.

They strolled slowly down the plush corridor, pointing out the sights to a fascinated Babs and to Flora, who mostly blew bubbles and gazed about her with the same wonder she displayed for the world on the other side of the doorway.

Once they arrived at court, a glossy purple lizard wearing a striped black tuxedo ushered them down to a lake nestled behind the castle. Its waters were a crystalline blue, edged with lavender shadows where the shallows met the shore. Lime green frogs and lemon yellow fish jumped over lily pads in some complicated game involving musical balls and silver rackets they held in their mouths as they swam. Courtiers in silk and velvet crowded the waterline, making bets and cheering on the competitors. The water's clear, clean smell could
be detected even over the clashing perfumes of the ladies (and some lords) of the Queen's entourage.

Overlooking the water, the Queen and her consort sat in throne-like chairs carved from ebony and decorated with gleaming rubies, emeralds, and citrine. As always, Their Majesties were glorious and resplendent, the Queen attired in a flowing violet gown with actual violets growing across the bottom hem, and the King in a mouse gray tunic and purple breeches with lavender hose. The Queen's white hair was piled high on her head with jeweled pins, and an enormous faceted amethyst drop that matched her eyes exactly swung between her perfect breasts.

“Welcome,” she said as the functionary bowed the group in. “We are most pleased that you have come to visit Us at last.” She actually rose to meet them, a rare honor Day was quite certain had nothing to do with them and everything to do with the tiny babe in Jenna's arms.

“You are all looking quite well,” Her Majesty said, nodding her head regally at Barbara and Liam, and venturing a tiny smile for little Babs. Then she ignored them and turned all of her not-insignificant attention on the new parents and their charge.

“She is so very lovely,” the Queen said in a wondering tone, putting out a slim hand to touch the baby's cheek. “Worth all the trouble she caused, one supposes.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty,” Jenna agreed, curtsying the best she could considering her current burden. “And we are most grateful for all your assistance in the matter.”

The Queen waved one white hand languidly through the air. “We did nothing more than give you a small space of time in which to arrive at the solution yourselves,” she said, although Day could have sworn he saw her wink at Barbara, almost too fast to see.

“What have you named the child?” the King asked from where he sat. “Not one of those foolish modern appellations
your people have become so fond of, One hopes. Apple or Pear or something.”

Day grinned at him. “I assure you, Sire, we stuck with the traditional. Although I did vote for Turnip. Her first name is Flora, after Jenna's grandmother, who fought so hard to end her family's curse.”

“Ah, lovely,” the King said. “So her full name is Flora Quinlan? Or, perhaps, Flora Day?” He returned Day's smile, seemingly confident of what the answer would be.

Jenna gazed at the Queen. “If it pleases Your Majesty, we named her Flora Titania Quinlan Day. Mick told me that Titania was one of the names you were known by, and we wanted to acknowledge her connection to this world.”

Day held his breath, since you never knew how the Otherworld's volatile sovereign was going to react, but it appeared that Jenna had chosen well, as the Queen's normally solemn face lit up with unambiguous delight.

“Indeed, it pleases Us greatly,” the Queen said. “We are quite honored.” She looked unaccustomedly hesitant.

“Would you like to hold her, Your Majesty?” Jenna asked.

The Queen nodded, and Jenna put little Flora gently into her arms. One tiny hand rose up to grab on to the amethyst pendant with a grip like steel. Jenna winced as the priceless jewel was tugged downward toward Flora's rosebud lips, but the Queen just laughed, apparently not at all concerned about drool on her jewelry. The King rose and came to join them, standing tall by his lady's side.

“I had forgotten how small they are,” he said softly. “And how fragile.” He looked at Day. “Are you not afraid you will drop her, or injure her in some way?”

Day exhaled loudly. “You have no idea, Sire. But apparently babies are tougher than they look.” He grinned at Jenna. “Or so I am repeatedly told.”

The Queen finally handed Flora back to her mother, and she and the King returned to their seats.

“You must come back to visit Us often,” she said in a tone
that made it clear that this was a command and not a suggestion. “Perhaps it will be good to remind our people of the joys of having little ones around.” She and her consort exchanged a glance that held longing so intimate and raw, Day had to look away.

“We would be honored,” Day said.

“Of course you would,” responded the Queen, sounding more like her normal self. “Now that we have met Our namesake, perhaps you would all like to join Us in a picnic.” She swept her arm out to indicate the many tables laden with food that surrounded the scattered seats and benches nearby. The aromas that rose from the plates were enough to make any five-star restaurant on the other side jealous, filling the air with the scents of exotic spices and hints of sweet caramel, chocolate, and strawberries.

Day bowed low. “That would be very nice, Your Majesties, but I wondered if first it would be possible to ask a small boon.”

The royals smiled at each other, looking the tiniest bit smug. “We believe we have anticipated your requests,” the King said. “And are happy to grant them.”

Requests, plural? They had only one. Still, it was never good to question the King or Queen. He supposed they'd find out soon enough. Hopefully, their exalted majesties hadn't seen fit to gift tiny Flora with her own dragon, or something else equally unsuitable.

The Queen snapped her fingers and a small page ran off to a canopied tent tucked into a sheltered glade nearby. He came back with three people in tow: an attractive elf couple with delicately pointed ears showing through long straight hair as blond as Day's and fine elegant features. The man wore a dark blue velvet tunic and hose and the woman was dressed in a Grecian-style toga made of white silk and decorated with complicated embroidery.

With them was a dark-haired boy of about nine with striking icy blue eyes. The boy simply looked excited to be at
court, but his parents both wore matching expressions of anxious apprehension, inadequately hidden behind their polite formal demeanor.

Next to him, Day could feel the tension vibrate off of Jenna like a lute being strummed. She'd been afraid the Queen would refuse to let her meet her brother; neither of them had considered that her Majesty might have anticipated their request and been prepared to grant it on the spot.

“We introduce to you Larissa and Kelvin, and their adopted son Syrius.” The Queen inclined her head toward the couple, and then back toward Jenna and Day. “Larissa and Kelvin, you are probably acquainted with the former White Rider, Mikhail Day; this is his lady, Jenna, and her infant child, Flora Titania. We believe you have much to discuss.” She sat back on her throne-like chair, looking as satisfied as a cat with cream on its whiskers at having brought them all together.

Day and Jenna glanced at each other, not sure what to do next, when the boy walked up to stand in front of Jenna and bowed, his innocent face alight with curiosity.

“Is it true?” he asked, gazing up at Jenna's features, so much like his own. “You are my sister from the other side of the doorway?”

Jenna handed little Flora to Day and knelt down to be at the boy's level. “It is,” she said. “I wasn't sure if your parents would have told you about me.”

The boy nodded solemnly. “After you and the White Rider saved me from the faery Zilya, they told me all about the curse and how our mother was forced to give me up. They said it must have made her sad, but that having me in their lives has given them much happiness.” He looked back over his shoulder at them, and Larissa nodded, biting at her lip but encouraging him to continue.

“It did make our mother sad. More sad than you can imagine,” Jenna said. “But she would have been very happy to know that you had people who loved you and took care of
you. And now you have a sister, too, and a little niece. I hope that is okay.”

Syrius nodded. “It is a good thing to have a sister. Will I be going to live with you now? On the other side?” A shadow crossed his face, wiping away his cheerful manner like a sponge. “I am not sure I would like it there. I have always lived here.” He looked back at his parents again, lower lip trembling a little, and they took a few steps forward until they were standing behind him, one hand each on his narrow shoulders.

Jenna stood up. Day could see all the emotions crowding her thoughts, but they had already discussed this moment many times, and he knew what she was going to say.

“You love him very much, don't you?” she said to Larissa and Kelvin.

Kelvin's visage was grim, like a man facing a fatal blow. “We do. We are sorry for the tragedy that has befallen your family, and we know we should have turned away the faery when she came to us all those years ago with an infant in her arms and lies on her lips, asking for gold and favors in return.” His hand tightened on his son's shoulder until the boy let out a muffled squeak of complaint. “But he was so beautiful and we wanted a child so much.”

A tear trembled on the edge of Larissa's pale lashes. “We have raised him from that day onward and given him all a boy could want. He is well treated and treasured and knows only this world and us as his parents. Please, please, don't take him away from us, I beg of you. We offer you all that we have, knowing it can never be equal to his value. Please do not take our son from us.”

The Queen leaned forward, her face as calm and unrevealing as the lake behind them. “You have the right, Jenna. He is your kin, wrongfully stolen from your family. If you choose to reclaim him, We will not stand in your way.”

The courtiers who had been watching the entire scene unfold all grew so silent, Day could hear the grass growing
under his feet—although admittedly, in the Otherworld, grass grew with greater than usual exuberance. Even the betting stopped, although those in the court tended to wager on anything at all. Immortality could grow boring after a while.

Jenna leaned down and hugged the boy, her brother for whom she had longed her entire life. And then she gave him a gentle shove in the direction of the two who stood behind him.

“I know what it is like to lose someone you love,” she said to Kelvin and Larissa in a soft voice. “I fought Zilya so she would not take my child from me; I do not have it in me to do such a thing to another.” She gave them a tremulous smile. “He is your son. It is enough for me to know that he is cared for and loved. And perhaps, you will allow me to visit you from time to time, and get to know him better?”