Eternal Faith - Book 4 (The Ruby Ring Saga)

T
he
cry of a baby jolted me awake, and my eyes fluttered reluctantly open in a sleepy
haze. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was, but as my vision and my
head cleared, I recalled that Victor had brought me to my best friend’s house
because he didn’t want to leave me alone. I glanced at the alarm clock on the
dresser.
Four a.m.? Why aren’t Victor, Liz, and Charles back by now?

Della
had suddenly gone missing from her hotel room, and they had gone to
investigate. I wasn’t sure if Ethano had come back through the portal and
harmed Della, but if that was the case, Victor could have been stepping right
into a trap. I let out a breath.
Maybe it wasn’t Ethano at all. Maybe it was
those...the blue-ringed Immortals.
They hadn’t seemed too happy to discover
us in their territory, but while we’d taken precautions to make sure they didn’t
follow us back, I wondered if Della had taken the same precautions.

The
baby continued to cry, and something jumped to life in me: my motherly
instinct. I jumped up and walked down the hall into Christopher’s room. I’d
never held an infant before, and I felt like a bundle of nerves. I switched the
light on, then glanced around the jungle-themed nursery. Giant wall stickers
with adorable baby animals and trees decorated the room. Dark green carpet,
white trim, and pale yellow walls gave it a cheerful feel. Even the crib was
decked out with the cutest animal prints on it.

As
I gazed around that perfectly adorable nursery, a tinge of jealousy tickled me.
Victor and I needed to settle down. We needed our own home, our own nursery to
decorate.
Oceans! My baby will be surrounded by every shade of blue. And
I’ll have dolphins, fish, and whales in the most amazing nursery ever.  

I
snapped out of my thoughts and walked over to the crib when the baby whimpered
again. “Hey, little man. What’s wrong?” I asked in a soothing voice. “Don’t
cry. You have the most beautiful room in the entire world.”

Tears
streamed down his face as he clutched the crib and stared up at me.

I
picked up a stuffed bear and handed it to him. “Look what I have. Mr. Teddy!”

He
reached for the bear and threw it.

I
wasn’t sure how to comfort him.
Maybe he’s hungry or needs a diaper change.
Does he drink milk or formula? And how on Earth do I change a diaper?

The
blue-eyed baby held up his arms.

I
couldn’t resist lifting him. “Hush, little baby, don’t you cry...Mama’s gonna sing
you a lullaby...” I sang, making up the words where I’d forgotten them. As I
started to dance around the room, Christopher began to smile, and
a
reassuring, nurturing wave washed through me.
Maybe I can do this after all.

Faint footsteps echoed in the hallway, so faint I
never would have heard them with my regular human ears before. Now they were
loud as day, and I spun around to greet whoever was coming. The door creaked
open, and I let out a breath of relief.

“The nursery is gorgeous,” I said, running a hand
over the dark green dresser with light green leaves stenciled on the
trim.  

Beth was dressed in a fluffy white robe, and her hair
was in total disarray. She touched my arm gently and shot me a questioning
look.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, blowing out a
breath.

“A little better, I guess.”

“Get any sleep?”

“Yeah, some,” she said, yawning.

“Great. You needed it.”

“Any word on Della or the others yet?” she asked.

I swallowed hard. “Not yet.”

“Don’t worry. They’re probably just investigating
things.”

“Don’t worry? You have no idea how dangerous Ethano
is,” I said.

Her mouth pressed into a hard line. “Don’t forget that
the fiend dragged me to Immortal Court while you and Victor were off looking
for those Minerals of Life. I, of all people, am painfully aware of how
horrible he is. But let’s think positive. We’re not sure any of this has
anything to do with him. Innocent until proven guilty, right?”

My brows furrowed. “Nothing about that man is
innocent, but I suppose it could be the men who shot at us when we were at the
tree-lighting ceremony.”

“Right, and since we don’t know, we shouldn’t waste
our time worrying. Your Victor is a powerful king. The man was in charge of
armies and conquered countries. Surely he can handle himself in the little ol’
twenty-first century, right?” she said confidently, as if her words could do
anything to put a stop to my anxious thoughts.

“You sound just like Liz. These people can
paralyze
his powers, Beth. Royalty means nothing in the face of that.”

“Victor is smart, and he’ll know what to watch for.
I’m sure he has a hundred military strategies up his sleeve.”

“I don’t doubt that,” I said, softly patting
Christopher’s back, “but he’s entirely unfamiliar with this world. Fighting
with swords isn’t gonna cut it out here—no pun intended.”

“Stop worrying, will ya?”

I sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll tone it down a
notch when they come back safely. Until then, I’m not going to be naïve about
what could happen to them.”

She smiled. “Look at you with Christopher. You’re a
natural,” Beth said, changing the subject.

“I am?”

Her face lit up. “You’re gonna make a wonderful
mother someday, just like your mom.”

I grinned back at her, taking it as the grandest of
compliments. I aspired to be like my mom and hoped to emulate her. She had raised
Liz and me to have value and morals, and there was nobody more loving and
compassionate than my mom. She was my hero.

“He’s so beautiful,” I said, glancing down at
Christopher’s precious face. “You’re so lucky.”

“He’s a precious blessing.” She reached for her
darling son and kissed him on the head, then laid him down on the light green
changing table. “This little guy’s soaked. No wonder he woke up.” She grabbed a
diaper and started to change him like a pro; it was quite a sight, considered
she’d gone from wild child to Wonder Mom in only a short time. “Christopher
might have my hair and eyes, but he totally looks like Frank,” she said.

We both stared at each other for a minute, as the
mention of Frank’s name made us both feel uncomfortable.

“Um,” she stuttered, “speaking of Frank, I told him
you slept over, but I also made sure he knew he isn’t allowed to come over
under any circumstances.” She bit her lip. “He said hello.”

“There’s nothing between Frank and me, Beth,” I
said.

She
forced her mouth into a cheery smile. “I know that. I only wish he
did.”

“He had his chance and lost it. It’s over now. I
love Victor more than I could ever love another man, and Frank knows that.”

She glanced at the floor. “Yeah, he told me, but he’s
still having a hard time accepting it.”

“It’ll sink in sooner or later. It’s just gonna take
a while through that thick skull of his.”

“A while, huh? It’s been a whole year. But you know
what? It’s my own dumb fault. The night I slept with Frank, I’d seen him in
that stupid bar where we all used to hang out. He was sulking over you,
drowning his sorrows in far too many glasses. I was hurting over my breakup, so
I joined him to drink the pain away. We were both so heartbroken, and we just
leaned on each other for a little comfort. As cliché as it sounds, one thing
really did lead to another and...” She pulled the tab and fastened the new
diaper on. “And here I am, all this time later, with
his
baby, yet he’s
still sulking over you. He hasn’t changed a bit, not since the first time we
ever met.” She blew out a breath as her voice quivered.

“You deserve better than that, Beth. You’re
beautiful, and you shouldn’t settle for a man who’s all hung up on another
woman. I’d kill for your blonde hair and blue eyes. You’re sweet, funny, and
adventurous. So many guys would love to get to know you.”

She picked up Christopher and patted his back. “But
Frank has my heart, Sarah. I love him so much, not to mention that he’s the
father of my child.”

“Hmm,” I said, thinking back. “I suppose Frank does
have a certain charm about him.”

Her eyes sparkled. “And he’s so damn hot. Just ask
him.”

We both burst out into laughter.

Beth sat down in an overstuffed, brown armchair with
jungle animal-shaped pillows. “I can’t imagine Warlord Victor being a
father. I still remember him dressed in medieval clothes, swinging his sword in
battle as he fought the Immortals when they dragged me off. It was like a scene
out of a movie.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, but Ethano
had taken me, and I couldn’t move or speak. Charles rescued me and ran Ethano off.”

“He took out his anger on us when he caught up, but
Adam, Steven, Frank, and I were ecstatic that you guys got away.”

“I’m so thankful that horrible situation is behind
us,” I said.

“Yes, and we should dwell on better things, like our
children.”

I couldn’t stop smiling. “Speaking of that, I
experienced something pretty awesome.”

“You did?”

“Yup.”

“Well? Don’t just stand there. Spill it!”

I smiled, beaming. “Before Victor left tonight, he pulled
one of his Immortal tricks.” A surge of joy swelled in my chest as I remembered
the moment.
“I heard my baby’s heartbeat for the first time. It was the most
awesome thing in the entire world.”

“You did?” A gleam of excitement shone in her eyes. “But
you’re only six weeks pregnant. That’s too early for an ultrasound. I had to
wait till I was four months along.”

“I know! It was like an early ultrasound.” I touched
my stomach. “I feel so bonded to this child, especially now.”

“I wonder if it’ll be a boy or a girl,” she said.

“It’s a boy. We’re naming him Alexander.”

Beth cocked a brow in excitement. “A boy? Really?
How do you know?”

“I saw him in a vision. He will have thick, black
hair and blue eyes, just like Victor,” I said, recalling the vision that was
still as clear as day, etched in my memory forever.

“How adorable!” Beth exclaimed. “I’ll buy all blue,
and Chris and Alex will grow up as best friends.”

“I know! I can’t wait to meet my tiny Alex!”

“Me neither. Victor doesn’t have any magic tricks to
hurry up a pregnancy, does he?” She let out a long giggle.

“What?” I asked.

Her face beamed. “Just think, Sarah. A year ago, we
were traveling around the United States, looking for our next big adventure.
Now we’re moms. How’d things change so fast?”

My lips curled into a smile. “I know, right?”

Her
forehead wrinkled as she seemed to ponder “Do you ever
miss it? The night ops? Casting prints? Collecting evidence? Baiting
techniques?” She met my gaze, curiosity brewing in her eyes.

My thoughts took me back to the forest, to when I
was sitting by the fire, fumbling with equipment on the very day I’d met
Victor. When I walked through the cave that night, I had no idea that the love
of my life was waiting on the other side. My whole life changed the second I
stepped through the portal. I didn’t regret meeting Victor, but I had to admit
that a part of me did miss the adventure. “I miss the guys,” I finally said. “How
are Steven and Adam?”

“They’re investigating some paranormal activity in
Washington. Part of me wishes I was with them, but I couldn’t bear to leave
Christopher here with a babysitter.”

Pushing
my fears about Victor and the others to the back of my mind, I took a deep
breath to focus. “Who
says we have to leave Rockcliff? If you’re lookin’ to solve another mystery,
there’s one happening right here in our hometown. At the very least, we’ve got
ourselves some blue-ringed Immortals.”

She gave me a high-five. “We’ll track them down.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“We’re paranormal researchers,” she said, with a
note of pride in her voice. Then her voice became a bit uneasy. “Why couldn’t
we
find him? That’s what we live and breathe for.”

I
had tremendous confidence in our abilities. “Don’t worry. We’re
the best researchers on the planet. I didn’t give lectures in front of hundreds
of people for nothing.”

She gave me a fist-bump. “Damn straight. We did this
for a living for years. You’ll need to run over your story, from beginning to
end. I wanna know every single detail about the strange man in the minimart. Let
me put Christopher down for bed, and then I’ll grab a notebook.”

My heart raced as I settled into researcher mode. “First,
we can Google any strange occurrences in Rockcliff and map them out with
colored tacks.”

“We’ll interview witnesses too!” she said in an
excited tone, then laid Christopher down in the crib.

More and more ideas struck me. “We should open up a
paranormal detective agency.” I chuckled. “We’d have a few more skills than the
average detective.”

A sudden wave of nausea rushed over me. “I feel
sick.”

“Ah, morning sickness. I remember it all too well.”

“It’s not morning sickness.”

“Lucky you.”

I shook my head. “No, what I mean is, it’s morning,
afternoon, and evening sickness.”

She touched my back. “It’ll pass, Sarah. Just be
brave.”

I gripped my stomach and doubled over.

“Let’s get you to the bathroom,” she said.

A flash of light suddenly flooded my vision as a
throbbing headache pushed on my skull.

“Sarah!” her voice thundered.

I could hear Beth through the fog in my mind, but
everything was spinning. In a trembling heap, I crashed to the floor. The next
thing I knew, there was only...darkness.