Jonas stared at her, feeling completely helpless. “Damn it. What can I do? Is the baby coming already? Please don’t tell me the baby is coming.”
“No, it’s not . . . I don’t think it’s time yet. But this—” When she screamed, the sound sliced through Jonas like a cold blade. “Take me to my family! Please!”
The princess’s face had gone stark white against her raven-black hair. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she dropped to her side, unconscious.
“Princess,” he said, trying to shake her awake. “Come on, there’s no time for this.”
Lucia didn’t wake up.
Jonas turned to look in the direction of the riots. It wouldn’t be long before the Paelsian mob found weapons and came after him and the sorceress.
Finally, swearing under his breath, he crouched down and picked the princess up in his arms, finding her much lighter than he’d expected, even with the child she carried within her.
“No time to get to your family,” he said, “so I’m taking you to mine. They’re much closer.”
? ? ?
Jonas’s sister, Felicia, opened the door to her cottage and stared out at Jonas for a long moment in utter silence.
Then she looked at the unconscious, pregnant girl he carried in his arms.
“I can explain,” he said quickly.
“I would certainly hope so. Come in.” She opened the door wider so Jonas could enter, careful not to knock Lucia’s legs against the rough door frame.
“Put her on my bed,” Felicia instructed Jonas. He did as she said before returning to his sister, who didn’t greet him with a hug. Instead she stood there, her expression drawn and severe, her arms crossed over her chest.
He didn’t expect her to be happy to see him.
“I’m sorry I haven’t visited,” he began.
“I haven’t seen or heard from you in nearly a year, and you show up tonight with no warning.”
“I needed your help. With . . . the girl.”
She snorted. “Yes, I’m sure you do. Is the child yours?”
“No.”
She didn’t look convinced. “And what do you expect me to do for her?”
“I don’t know.” He rubbed his forehead and began to pace back and forth in his sister’s small cottage. “She isn’t well. She had stomach pains and collapsed. I didn’t know what to do with her.”
“So you brought her here.”
“I knew you would help me.” He let out a shaky sigh. “I know you’re angry with me that I’ve been away so long, but it’s been too dangerous to return.”
“Yes, I saw the wanted posters. What was it? Ten thousand centimos for your capture, dead or alive?”
“Something like that.”
“You killed Queen Althea.”
“I didn’t. It’s a long story.”
“I’m sure.”
He glanced around, checking for any sign of his sister’s husband. “Where’s Paolo?”
“Dead.”
Jonas’s gaze shot back to hers. “What?”
“He was taken from me, forced to work on the Imperial Road. They wanted Father too, but they decided because of his age and his limp that he was useless to them. Paolo didn’t return when the workers were finally released from their duties. What am I to think except that he was killed along with scores of other Paelsians who were treated like slaves?”
Jonas stared at her with shock. Paolo had been a good friend of his back when life was hard but simple. “Felicia, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“No, I’m sure you didn’t. Just as I’m sure you didn’t think keeping that little Golden Princess locked in our shed would nearly lead to his death as well.”
“Of course I didn’t know that.” He cast his eyes downward at the dirt floor. “You . . . you say Father wasn’t taken?”
“No. But from the moment he learned of the chief’s death, he became very ill—ill with grief unlike anything he felt when either Mama and Tomas died. It’s like his will to live began to slip away. I lost him two months ago. I run the vineyard now. Long days, Jonas, with very little help.”
His father had died, and Jonas had had no idea. He sat down heavily in a chair. “I’m so sorry I haven’t been here for you. I don’t know what to say.”
“There’s nothing you can say.”
“When this is over, when this kingdom is back to how it should be, I will return here. I will help you run the vineyard.”
“I don’t want your help,” she spat out, anger that she’d been holding back until now spilling out like an overturned cask. “I can do it fine on my own. Now, I feel that’s more than enough catching up. Let’s deal with your current problem so you can be on your way as soon as possible. I’m no healer, but I’ve helped plenty of pregnant girls before.”
“Whatever you can do to help is much appreciated. I just hoped you might know how to stop the pain.”
“Some pregnancies are more difficult than others. Who is she?” She looked at him sharply when he didn’t answer. “Tell me, Jonas, or I’ll send you back into the night.”
His sister was different now, harder, angrier. Every word from her mouth made him cringe.
He felt foolish to think that he could return here and nothing would have changed after being gone for so long. He’d meant to send a message, to check in, but it hadn’t happened. And time had gone by.