Page 29 of Princess Takes Academy
With a shriek that made every Blood in the room snap into full alert, I jumped to my feet. “YOU’RE PREGNANT AND NOBODY TOLD ME?”
5
Xochitl
Queen Shara laughed softly. “You’re actually the first person I’ve told other than your mother and Gina. My Blood just knew.”
“It was very hard to keep the secret,” Mama said. “But she wanted to tell you herself.”
I gaped at Queen Shara, my mind frantically sparking as if my unicorn was galloping around inside my head. Another queen, pregnant. The first Aima queen would be born since I’d been born seventeen years ago. Mama had kept my existence a secret from the very beginning, for fear that House Skye might finally find a way to overwhelm our defenses and either kill or take me.
She’d even hid me from Queen Shara in the beginning, afraid of what the new queen would do to a rival, even a baby.
When I was little, Mama had told me the story of how she’d researched and traveled for thousands of miles to find Tepeyollotl so she could have me. She’d searched for the jaguar god for over twenty years before she found him. She’d refused to give up her search, because without a god, she’d never be able to have a queen of her own. The Aima magic had weakened too much, not just in our family, but in all Aima houses.
“Did you call a god? Which one?”
Shara reached up and curled her fingers around Rik’s arm. “Not a god. Just a very formidable rock troll.”
“And the king of the depths.” Mehen snapped his teeth like his dragon. “Maybe the knight, too. We’re not sure yet, but our queen definitely carries multiple heirs. We can’t tell if they’re twins or triplets.”
My mouth fell open again. Twin or even triplet queens?
An impossible feat.
But of course nothing was impossible for Shara Isador.
“It’s very early yet,” Shara warned in a soft voice that echoed with love, and yes, fear that she might lose what she’d fought so hard to have. “Anything could happen. Anything at all.”
Which was exactly why every Blood was camped out here with their queen, shielding her precious cargo from even the floor with their bodies.
I sat back down by her and took her free hand in mine. “Are you feeling okay? Is there anything I can do? Maybe I should foster here with you instead of the academy.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You should definitely go to Keras and have some fun on your own. I feel fine right now. Just ravenous all the time.”
Daire smirked at Mehen. “One of the babies must have Leviathan’s appetite.”
Mehen grinned—the first time I’d ever seen the short-tempered Blood not glaring or frowning. “Naturally.”
Shara’s skin seemed to glow with the soft pearly light of a full moon, but she’d always carried an inner light that called to me, even as a child. Her eyes shimmered like dark obsidian waters. It was hard to tell in the shapeless shirt if she had a tummy yet or not, but if she was truly carrying twins or triplets, she was going to get big. Quickly. She’d need help getting around, and then lots and lots of help with the babies.
There’d be diapers and bottles and stuffed animals and cute little bibs and jumpers and—
“I’m so glad to see you.” Her voice echoed slightly with weariness. I didn’t need her alpha’s narrowed gaze to tell me we’d visited long enough despite her words. “I hope you have a wonderful time in Scotland. Their national animal is the unicorn. Did you know that? You’ll fit right in.”
I made myself smile despite the sadness spreading like a dark, aching hollow inside me. I had lost my unicorn when I lost Keras. “Thank you so much, Your Majesty. I won’t…” I hesitated, remembering Grandmama’s caution about making promises I couldn’t keep. Especially to my queen. “I’ll do my absolute best to stay out of trouble.”
“Rik will have a fit if I give you any of my blood right now, for fear it’ll weaken me. So someone who carries my blood will need to go with you, at least to open the ways.”
“A colossal fit,” Rik agreed in a voice that rumbled like an earthquake. “One of us can easily take her to the academy’s nest for you. You can’t afford to spare a single drop of blood right now. Not while you carry heirs.”
Mama frowned. “I’d feel better if someone was there with her who could whisk her away through the secret ways in case she gets into any trouble. I’ll go after her in a heartbeat, but I’d rest easier if she had someone with her other than Keras. He doesn’t carry your blood either, my queen.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.” I was pleased that I managed to keep my tone smooth, even while inside I was seething. “Once I’m reunited with Keras, I’ll have all the help I need. The two of us can hold off anything until you get there, Mama.”
My eyes ached with the memory of searing heat and pain. We’d held, alright, but had lost our bonds in the process, and I’d lost my magic. I might never regain my power or my unicorn, but I didn’t care as long as I had Keras. He was everything to me.
“I’ll go,” Carys announced as she strode into the room. “Though goddess help you if you’re as annoying as you used to be when you were little.”
