“Are you sure he wasn’t referring to two babies?”

“I...” Yelena swallowed. “I thought he meant me and the baby. Can you see?”

“I can try.”

She lay back down, and Valek slid his hand under her shirt, resting it on her warm stomach. Reaching with his magic, he sought the baby...or babies. But his power was taken from him before he could sense anything. The more he tried, the greater the drain. He stopped. “Sorry, love. Guess we’ll have to find out the old-fashioned way.”

“Easy for you to say,” she muttered.

“If it helps, the baby has grown in strength as well as size. You’re even more protected from—” Struck by an idea, he mulled it over.

“Magic?”

He chased the logic. Excited, he turned to her. “Do you think you could wake those under Bruns’s influence with a touch? The Cartel uses magic to manipulate their loyalties, so if you drain that magic away, wouldn’t they wake up?”

Yelena gaped at him. “I’m... But Loris was able to control me.”

“That was three months ago. And even then, you said you were able to shake off his magic after a few hours.”

“What about Cahil?”

“What about him? Did you touch him skin to skin? Or his crew?”

“No.” Her face lit up. “It might work.”

And if it did, that might just be the break they needed. Valek snaked his hand up her stomach. “This calls for a celebration.” Desire purred in his voice.

She grabbed his wrist and plucked his hand from her body. “No. You are to rest, recuperate and recover.”

Right. “If I follow your orders, will I get a reward?”

“Yes.”

The future had just brightened even more.

* * *

Five days later, Valek was finally declared healthy enough for travel. He received his reward the night before they left.

Breathless, and with their heartbeats in sync, they lay together. Valek wondered aloud if their bedroom exertions endangered the baby.

“No. Medic Mommy said we can have relations—those are her words, by the way, not mine—up until the last couple of weeks. However, I’ll be huge by then and probably resemble a turnip with legs. I doubt that you’d even want to have relations.”

He cupped her cheek. “You are more beautiful to me today than yesterday. Each day, when I think I can’t possibly love you any more than I already do, you prove me wrong. So I’m very confident that even if you turn into a turnip with legs, I will love and desire you.”

She turned and kissed him on the palm. “I love you, too.”

He nuzzled her neck, then nibbled on her ear. “Besides, turnips are my favorite vegetable.”

“Am I supposed to melt in your arms after that comment?”

He pretended to be confused. “Turnips don’t melt.” Which earned him a hard smack on his arm. “Ow.” He rubbed his bicep.

“Any other comments?”

“You’re even beautiful when you’re annoyed.”

“Nice save.”

“The truth is easy, love.” He pulled her closer and breathed in her scent. Contentment filled him as he drifted to sleep.

Morning came too soon, but Valek refrained from complaining as Yelena studied his face for signs of fatigue. They said goodbye to Fisk. He’d reluctantly declared the farmhouse his new headquarters until the Cartel was gone.

“It’s too quiet. It smells weird. And it’s dead boring,” Fisk said. “How do people survive out here?”

“Some people like dead boring,” Yelena said, smiling at him.

“Well, I don’t. Better hurry up and evict those bastards.”

“Glad you’re feeling better,” she said.

He grinned back at her. “Me, too.”

Carrying their bags to the stable, Valek and Yelena saddled their horses. When Valek mounted Onyx, the big black horse pranced underneath him, energetic and ready to go.

Fisk followed them. Before they left, he asked, “How will I know if you rescue the Councilors?”

“When we knock on your door,” Yelena said.

“Oh.”

“If we’re not back by the beginning of the hot season, we failed.”

“And you’re in charge of taking down the Cartel,” Valek added.

“Lovely.”

“You’re the best man for the job,” Valek said.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m the only man for the job. Better not get caught, or I’m gonna be stuck here and might have to...gasp...farm.”

“Well, if that’s not incentive to survive, I don’t know what is,” Valek teased. “Thanks for the pep talk.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Fisk headed back to the house.

As soon as Valek tapped his heels, Onyx exploded into motion. Kiki ran right beside him. Even with a few detours to avoid patrols and using extra caution when entering Longleaf, they arrived near the Greenblade garrison in three days.

The town was mid-size and had a number of inns. Ari and Janco had a safe house nearby, but Bruns had probably plucked that location from Fisk. Valek doubted the Cartel would be actively searching for them here, but he ensured they wore disguises when then rented a room at the Thermal Blue Inn for one night. Since they couldn’t plan a rescue in a public establishment, Valek would find another dwelling tomorrow while Yelena chatted with the locals. The horses remained in the forest surrounding the town.