Page 9 of Arthur

“You’re lost in thought. How are you feeling? Any better?”

My eyes widened before I ducked my head. “No, Master Edison. My stomach still won’t allow for anything. Not even water.” And I was thirsty. I was sure that added to my irritation.

“I have a tea that will help. Sadly, it smells horrid, and I can’t seem to figure out a way to change that. One of the roots in it is rancid-smelling when ground up and brewed.”

“I’m willing to try anything at this point,” I told my One’s father. It was still sinking in that my One’s father was the very first warlock.

“Good. You should be able to keep down some soda bread after. And if you’re feeling better, later, I’d like for you to try some of the meat. It’s important for—”

I looked at Master Edison when he didn’t continue. He looked as if he was horrified for some reason.

“It’s all right, Master Edison. I’ve already come to the conclusion that I’m with child. If the constant loss of anything I eat or drink wasn’t enough, the fact that I can sense the aura of another inside me would be a big indicator.”

“Patrick, please call me Edison. Or even better, Father? I’m more than just Master Edison to you. You’re my son’s One. The other half of his soul.”

I nodded but wasn’t sure it would be an easy request to fill. Master Edison was the created warlock. You didn’t just call him Father.

“How is he?” Arthur asked as he rushed into our place. I smiled lovingly at him. He was so good to me. Always fretting about me, seeing to my needs. Every last one of them.

“I’m okay, Arthur. Please calm down. Father said he had a tea for me,” I said and smiled at Edison. That had simply come out and wasn’t quite as difficult as I’d thought it would be. The smile Master Edison gave me told me that he was thrilled that I’d taken what he’d suggested to heart. Now if I could think of him in that way all of the time.

“Tea? What does he need tea for? He’s sick. What’s—wait.” Arthur walked over to me and knelt in front of where I was lyingon our bed. I’d not been able to get up for long this morning before I threw up in the pot and tried to go back to sleep.

“Is that…I sense another being. Something that I sensed this morning but assumed was someone close outside the house.”

Arthur looked to his father, and I reached out and squeezed his hand, drawing his attention back to me. “Listen, my love. Listen to our son’s aura talk to yours,” I told Arthur. I could feel our child, as young as he was, already reaching out to his sire.

“Son? Your fertile period caught?” Arthur asked, and then he gathered me up in his arms and pulled me onto his lap as he sat on our bed. I looked for Edison but saw that he’d left, giving us some privacy.

“It did. I first sensed him this morning after I retched in the pot.”

“I thought you’d eaten something that didn’t agree with you. When I didn’t sense anything last week, I’d assumed it didn’t work. We’re going to be parents?”

I smiled at Arthur. I’d just discovered that I could cause him great emotion, even for such a powerful warlock. “Why are you crying? This should be a happy time,” I said as I reached out to wipe the wetness from his cheeks.

“Oh, my heart, I’m thrilled. Even without the baby, you’ve made me the happiest warlock. I love you, Patrick. So very much. I know it’s quick, but I’ve loved you before you let me claim you.”

I smiled. Arthur had said that every day since he’d claimed me. He didn’t deny me his words, ever. That was something that I found endearing about him and made it so much easier to give myself to him so freely.

“I love you too. We’re going to have a baby in the spring. Isn’t that exciting? Do you think we’ll have any issues with having another little one around here? You know, because there are so few females.” That would always be a worry.

“Father will take care of it. He always does. He and Dad do so much to keep us all safe. And now that I have you and our little one on the way, we’ll join him and Dad in helping to protect those with us.”

My One was a good warlock. He had a huge heart that was always thinking of others. That might be at least part of the reason I’d been so drawn to him when I was younger. That and the fact that fate probably had something to do with it. He was my One, after all.

“Knock-knock. Is it safe to come in?” Edison said from the doorway.

“Yes,” I called out. When Edison came in, followed closely by Wallace, I smiled. Until I got a whiff of the pot that was on the wooden tray. Arthur beat me to the thought that was going through my mind.

“What in fate’s name is that stench?” Arthur asked.

“That is what your One is going to drink to calm his stomach, so remember that in a couple of months when he feels uncomfortable and asks for you to rub his back because it hurts. He’s going to go through a lot of very uncomfortable things for your son.” Edison walked over to us and held out a mug. I wrinkled my nose before I picked it up and looked up at him. “I’ve tried to alter the taste, and when I do, the effectiveness is lessened. Drink up. I’ve found that if I hold my breath and drink it really fast, it’s not nearly as difficult to get down as it is when I sip it.”

Determined to calm my stomach, I did exactly as instructed; I took a deep breath and guzzled the horrid brown liquid down—then immediately proceeded to throw it back up all over Edison, who couldn’t get out of the way fast enough.

I would have felt bad about it, except I couldn’t because my stomach was in such knots that I could think of nothing beyond the pain I was experiencing. Arthur quickly sat me on the bed,then produced a cool cloth that he used to wipe my face. He held out a cup of water, and although I wanted to shake my head, Arthur argued.

“Just rinse your mouth and spit it out,” he told me. I nodded and did as instructed. Arthur took the mug away, and when it disappeared, I was thankful because even looking at it seemed to make my stomach knot even harder.

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