Enigma:What Lies Beneath (Enigma Series Book 1) (21 page)

Chapter Thirty-Six

Abbie awoke alone in bed. Her muscles ached in places she never realized she had, and her head felt as if it had been packed with cotton.

She opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings. Hauke’s room, she mused with more than a little awe.

“Hauke?” she croaked, pulling the cover up to her chin and rolling to her side. She tried again. “Hauke?”

When no answer came, she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

The floor felt cool beneath her feet as she stood and stumbled toward the chamber they’d passed through the night before. Or
was
it the night before? A wave of dizziness assailed her.

Gripping the edge of a small stone table that sat against the wall, she took several deep breaths in an attempt to stop the room from spinning. Nausea reared its ugly head.

“What are you doing out of bed?” Naura burst into the room, rushing to Abbie’s side in an instant.

“Where is my mate?”

Hauke’s sister glanced away, but not before Abbie caught a glimpse of her expression.

“Naura?”

“I have been instructed to keep you in bed,” Naura hedged, leading her back to the bedroom.

“Is he coming back soon?” Abbie grew more anxious with every step they took.

“He will return as quickly as he can. In the meantime, you are to continue to rest. You gave us quite a scare.”

At Naura’s insistence, Abbie climbed back into the oversized bed. “How long have I been asleep?”

“For three moons,” Naura answered, tucking the cover against her sides.

Abbie’s mouth fell open. “How is that possible?”

“The healer came to see you the night we arrived home. He induced a sleep to give your body time to heal.”

“He drugged me?” Abbie’s hand immediately went to her abdomen.

“The child is well, as are you. Or you
will
be once we get some food into your belly. You must be hungry?”

Abbie was starved, actually, but she needed to grasp the verbal bomb Naura had dropped in her lap. “The baby is really okay?”

Naura smiled and got to her feet. “The healer wishes to see you now. May I invite him inside?”

“Yes, please,” Abbie quickly agreed. “I would love to see him.”

“Zaureth?” Naura called, leaning her head back enough to see into the other room. “You may enter.”

A tall, good-looking man entered the room, wearing similar clothing to that which Hauke had worn when he’d found the bunker several weeks before.

The man’s hair appeared dark black save for the white streaks running from his temples and disappearing into the ponytail he sported.

But it was his eyes that stood out the most; a green so pale they were nearly white.

Abbie couldn’t seem to find her voice. She found it impossible to look away from those intimidating yet extraordinary eyes.

He waved a hand toward the bed. “May I sit?”

“Yes, of course.” She slid over to give him some room.

“My name is Zaureth,” he began before taking a seat. “How do you feel?”

She cleared her throat and pushed up higher on the pillows, but still had to crane her neck to see his face. He had to be taller than Hauke.

“You do not need to fear me, Hauke’s mate. I will not harm you.”

She relaxed under the gentle coaxing of his voice. “My name is Abbie, and I would like to thank you for saving my life.”

“I did nothing more than help you sleep. The child that grows inside of you?” He laid a palm over her stomach. “He alone is why you did not die.”

Abbie’s heart skipped a beat. As a doctor, his explanation fascinated her. As a mother, it warmed her very soul. “I don’t understand. How did my baby save my life?”

“The child carries Bracadyte blood in his veins. Enough so that his developing venom began to release, attacking the bacteria before it consumed your cells.”

With a degree in pathology, Abbie understood the healer’s explanation. “It’s the immune system. I’ve become immune to the virus because I’m pregnant with Hauke’s baby.”

She glanced up to see Zaureth staring at her in curiosity. “You are not ignorant as I imagined human’s would be.”

Abbie laughed. “I’m a healer among my people also. We just use different methods than you, that’s all.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Explain.”

“Well, okay. For instance, you heal with energy; we heal with medicine.” A thought struck her. “Naura?”

Hauke’s sister poked her head around the corner. “I am here.”

Abbie pointed toward the alcove where Hauke had stored her things. “Will you look inside my bag and grab the clear plastic baggie that has several kinds of bottles inside it?”

Naura hurried to the alcove and dug through the bag until she found what she searched for. “This one?”

“Yes, that’s it.” Abbie thanked her and accepted the baggie with a smile.

Opening the top, she pulled two bottles free and held them up for the healer’s inspection. “This one is aspirin. It helps with pain and fever. This one is antibiotic. It attacks infections.”

“Humans have strange ways. It baffles me how a race can be intelligent enough to design and build entire cities, yet lack the understanding to heal their sick with the power they were given at birth.”

Abbie’s indignation surfaced. “Perhaps since we weren’t born with the same genetic makeup as you, we don’t possess the same so-called power as you.”

“Perhaps,” he conceded, “but not likely. All creatures of land and sea alike are derived from energy. You only need to embrace it.”

“Maybe you can teach me sometime.”

“We shall see.” He stood to go. “Your child grows hungry. Remember that he is Bracadyte and will have the appetite of his father. You must eat now.”

“Speaking of his father, where is Hauke?”

“Once you have eaten, Naura will take you to him. Now I must be going.” He bent and kissed her hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Hauke’s mate.”

“The pleasure was all mine, Zaureth.” And she meant it. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. I won’t forget it.”

“I did nothing, Abbie. Take care of yourself and feed the child.” And with that, the healer turned and left the room.

“I do not know what these are, but Hauke insisted you have them when you awoke.” Naura returned, holding a box of saltine crackers. She set them on the bed next to Abbie.

“I ate a lot of these down in that bunker,” Abbie confessed, opening the box and pulling a pack of crackers free. She quickly tore into them and popped one into her mouth. “Ah, God, that’s good. Would you like to try one?”

Naura inched forward and took a seat next to her brother’s mate. “I must confess that I enjoyed the human hamburger your uncle prepared for us, but I have never had a cracker.”

Abbie handed her one, which the other female ate in one bite. “It is salted,” she pointed out rather enthusiastically. “May I have another?”

With a chuckle, Abbie retrieved another sleeve of the crackers and offered it to her.

“How did Hauke manage to get his hands on these?” Abbie didn’t recall them being in either one of the bags.

“He sent Vaulcron south to gather supplies from Miguel. Would you care for some water?”

“I would love some.” Abbie watched as Naura bounded from the bed and disappeared into the other room before returning with a bottle of spring water.”

“What do the Bracadytes drink?” she asked, twisting off cap off to take a healthy swallow.

“Water. The same as you.”

“But saltwater will dehydrate you.” Abbie stared at her as in shock.

“Although the gulf water will not harm us, we prefer to consume water not layered with salt.”

“Surely you don’t get enough from this Miguel to hydrate everyone?”

Naura smiled and patted Abbie’s hand. “We have a water source near the bathhouse. I will take you there when you are well enough to walk.”

“I would like that.” Abbie couldn’t imagine a fresh water source in a cave five hundred feet below the surface of the gulf.

“Can you tell me when Hauke is supposed to be back?”

Naura lowered the cracker she was about to bite into. “I do not know for certain when he will return. He is being punished.”

Abbie’s stomach dropped, and her heart began to pound in dread. “Punished for what?”

“For disobeying the king and…” Naura paused.

“And for bringing me here,” Abbie finished for her.

“I do not know the extent of what he is being punished for. I only know— ”

“What did they do to him?” Abbie interrupted.

“Bracadyte law is very strict, my sister.”

“Damn it, Naura. Tell me.”

“The strap is used in cases such as this one. They gave him one lash for every day he did not return to Aukrabah. And twelve more for bringing a human into their midst,” Naura whispered, tears swimming in her jade-green eyes. “He has one lashing left before he is released.”

“What?” Abbie jumped from the bed so fast her head spun, but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered except finding Hauke and killing whoever had harmed him. “Take me to him at once.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Hauke lay on his stomach, listening to the sounds of footfalls moving closer to his cell.

“Maulkryth, open the door.” His mother’s voice, gentle yet firm, had a commanding tone that brooked no argument.

“But the king gave me specific orders not to allow anyone inside. Not even the queen, Your Majesty.”

Hauke didn’t need to see Maulkryth’s expression to know the guard feared the king. He could hear it in the way the guard’s voice shook. Of course, Laurel’s intimidating form no doubt added to his anxiety.

“If you value your head, you will open this door at once,” Laurel softly threatened, “or I will have it removed from your shoulders immediately upon my departure.”

“At once, my lady.” Maulkryth jumped to do her bidding, the sound of his keys clanking together echoing off the dungeon walls as he ran.

The door swung open, and Hauke’s mother rushed inside. “I would like some privacy with my son, Maulkryth. You may wait outside.”

Hauke would have laughed if his back wouldn’t have screamed in protest. The dozen fresh lashes he’d received that morning would take days to heal at the rate they were going. He needed blood to replenish himself and food to regain his strength.

“Hello, Mother,” he mumbled as she moved to stand in front of him.

“I cannot bear to see you hanging there in this painful position. Why do you push your father to such great lengths, my son? It pains him to punish you in this fashion.”

“Not as much as if pains me,” he rasped, the corner of his mouth slightly lifting.

“Do not joke, Hauke. This is not a laughing matter.”

He knew all too well the situation lacked humor. His mate lay ill in his bed while he stood in a cell, his arms stretched across a beam and his back on fire from the lashes he’d been forced to take every morning for the past three moons. “How is Abbie?”

“Zaureth has been to see her. He reports that she is awake and mending quite well.”

“And the babe?”

“The child has not been harmed by the sickness.”

Relief poured through him at her words. Abbie and his son had survived the virus. His shoulders relaxed for the first time since his punishment had begun.

“Mother?”

Tears sparkled in her eyes as she stepped closer, lifting her hand to touch his face. “Yes, my son?”

“I love Abbie more than my own life. I refuse to live without her. If father insists on sending her away, know that I will go with her.”

She stared at him for a long moment before taking a deep breath and blinking back her unshed tears. “I will not allow him to send her away. But you must understand that she can never leave here. If she is spared, she will not be permitted to return to the surface.”

“I understand.”

“Your father does what he thinks is best for Aukrabah, fili mi. He takes no pleasure in your punishment. He cannot show favoritism amongst his people…not even with his own flesh and blood.”

“Keep Abbie away from the dungeons, Mother. I do not wish her to see me like this.”

Leaning in, she kissed his chin and took a step back. “I will do what I can, but I must first speak with your father. Stay strong, my son. It is soon to be over.”

Hauke stood completely still as she left the cell. He waited until her footsteps faded and the dungeon door clicked behind her before allowing his head to drop forward.

The sound of Maulkryth closing and locking his cell door did little to appease Hauke’s apprehension.

If Abbie was made aware of the punishment he’d been subjected to, she might do something drastic, drawing unwanted attention to herself. And Hauke would kill anyone who dared to touch her.

“Would you like a drink, my lord?”

Hauke stared down at the drops of blood on the floor near his feet, clenching and unclenching his jaw to fight the pain throbbing in his back.

“Thank you, Maulkryth,” he rumbled, hating the weakness of his own voice.

The sound of pouring water could be heard from behind him before Maulkryth unlocked the cell and stepped inside.

“Drink it slowly.” The guard tipped the cup to Hauke’s lips, pulling back before he could choke.

“To my knowledge, you are the only one, save for your brother, that did not cry out from the strap after numerous lashes.”

Hauke raised his gaze to Maulkryth’s huge eyes. “Vaulcron never mentioned a punishment to me. I would have known had father held court over it. What was his crime?”

Maulkryth dropped his gaze. “He took the punishment meant for me upon your escape, my lord.”

Guilt assailed Hauke. He should have known there would be repercussions for his actions, no matter how pure his intentions.

His brother had not only helped him escape, but he’d also taken the strap meant for Maulkryth.

“I wish to see him,” Hauke rasped. “Send him to me.”

* * * *

“Another report similar to the ones in Destin has come in, sir. This one from Alabama.”

Reuben nodded toward the chair situated in front of his desk. “How in the hell has it reached Alabama? Only one patient escaped from that lab. Are you sure it’s the same virus?”

Doug Jefferies glanced down at the paper he held before once again meeting Reuben’s gaze. “Rabid behavior, fever, sores, foaming at the mouth, dementia— ”

“Okay, I get it,” Reuben barked, effectively cutting him off. “What has been done to contain it?”

“The patient has been quarantined, and the CDC will arrive in the morning to make an official statement.”

“Have they been briefed on how much information we want shared with the press?”

Jefferies nodded. “Of course. They will simply announce that we have recently discovered a bacterial virus in the state of Florida, that may have traveled as far as Georgia and Alabama.”

“I would hope the CDC understands to use discretion in this, but one never knows with them. They have their own agenda, that’s for certain. If not for them, this virus would not have mutated into a damn zombie apocalypse.”

“Zombies would be easier to handle,” Doug pointed out. “They’re already dead and move at a snail’s pace, whereas the ones infected with this particular strain of bacteria seem to be rabid, psychotic monsters on speed.”

“Damn it, Jefferies, we have
got
to get this under control. God knows how many people have been exposed from that one test subject who escaped Winchester Industries. The election be damned! I have a family to think about—two beautiful daughters in college and well on their way to being successful. I swear to you, I will nuke the entire southern hemisphere before I allow my children to be at risk for the CDC’s screw-up.”

“At least we have one thing in our favor,” Jefferies murmured in a low voice.

“What’s that?

“The virus is bacterial and not airborne.”

“Yet,” Reuben, corrected, picking up his phone to have his next appointment canceled. “Not yet.”