Chapter 27 Impossible Life
Three weeks after Voss's death, I woke up feeling wrong. Not sick. Not injured. Just wrong. Like my body was fighting something internal. Something that should not be there. I tried to ignore it. We had too much to deal with: rebuilding the palace.
Calming the nobles and integrating half-bloods into society. Every day was crisis after crisis. But the wrongness persisted. It got worse when I tried to feed. Blood tasted strange. Metallic. Off. I could barely keep it down. Kael noticed. Of course he did.
"You are not feeding properly." "I am fine." "You are lying. I can feel it through the bond." He touched my forehead. "You feel warm. Vampires do not get warm." "Maybe I am getting sick." "Vampires do not get sick either." His eyes narrowed.
"When was the last time you fed properly?" "Yesterday. I think. Maybe the day before." Time blurred together lately. "It does not matter. We have work to do." "It matters if something is wrong with you." He grabbed my hand. "Come.
We are seeing a healer. Now." "Kael, I do not need—" "Now, Sera." The tone left no room for argument. King's voice. Not a lover's voice. I followed him to the healing wing. An ancient vampire named Mira examined me with hands that glowed faint blue. She checked my pulse. My eyes. My temperature. Frowned.
"Your Majesty," she said to me. "When was your last cycle?" "My what?" "Your monthly bleeding. When was it?" I had to think. Vampires did not menstruate. The transformation stopped all that. So why was she asking? "I have not had one since the transformation.
Months ago." "And before? When you were still human?" "I do not know. I did not keep track. Why does it matter?" Mira's frown deepened. She placed her hand on my abdomen. The glow intensified. Then her eyes went wide. "Oh. Oh no."
"What?" Kael's voice was sharp. "What is wrong with her?" "Nothing is wrong. But something is unexpected." Mira pulled her hand back. "Your Majesty. You are with child." The room went silent. Dead silent. "That is impossible," I said. "I am a vampire.
Full vampire. We cannot—" "Normally, no. Vampires are infertile. The transformation kills that ability." Mira looked between us. "But you are not a typical vampire. You are Shadowborn. And he is Draeven—two of the oldest bloodlines in existence.
And you are fated bonds." "What does that have to do with anything?" Kael asked. His voice was hollow. "Fated bonds are ancient magic. Reality-altering. They can do things normal bonds cannot."
Mira's hands twisted together. "Including apparently overriding biological impossibilities. The child growing inside your queen should not exist. But it does." I sat down hard. Pregnant.
I was pregnant. With a child that should not exist. "How long?" Kael asked. "Three weeks. Maybe four. Very early."
Mira gave me a pitying glance. "I have to tell you, Your Majesty. This is a risky pregnancy.
Your body was not meant to carry life after transformation. The child is growing at an unbelievable rate. You will give birth in three months rather than nine at this rate.
"Three months?" "And that is if you survive. The child will feed on your magic. Your power. Your life force." She hesitated. "There is a very real chance this will kill you. Both of you." Kael's hand found mine. Squeezed hard.
"There must be a way to stop it. To end the pregnancy safely." "No." The word came out before I could think. "No. We are not ending it." "Sera—" "I said no." I looked at him. "You heard her.
This should not be possible. But it is. This child is a miracle. I am not throwing that away because it is dangerous." "It could kill you."
"Everything we do could kill me. That has not stopped us yet." I stood. "Thank you, Mira. For telling us. But we are keeping this child." She bowed.
"As you wish, Your Majesty. I will monitor you closely. If anything changes, you will tell us immediately. We understand." We left the healing wing in silence.
Since I refused to terminate the pregnancy, Kael had remained silent.
He eventually spoke when we got to our rooms.
"You cannot do this." "I already decided." "You are being reckless. Foolish.
You are treating this pregnancy like it's nothing, even though it might kill you. He raised his voice. "Are you aware of how that affects me? "Knowing you could die and still deciding to let it happen?"I am aware that it frightens you. I'm also afraid of it.
But I am not ending this." "Why? Why risk everything for a child we did not plan? Did not expect? Did not even know it was possible?"
He took hold of my shoulders. "Give me one good reason why we should let you die for this," since I was informed that I would never be able to have this. Never start a family.
Never have something normal and human and good." Tears burned behind my eyes. "I gave up my humanity. My sunlight. My future. But this? This is something I get back. Something that is mine and yours and impossible and real." "And if you die?" "Then I die having created life instead of just taking it. Is that not worth something?"
He gazed at me. His face was etched with pain. "Not if it means losing you." I won't leave you.
I am stronger than you think." "You were strong as a human, too. It did not protect you from everything else that tried to kill you."
He released me. Turned away. "I cannot do this. I cannot watch you die." "Then look away. But I am keeping this child." Silence. Heavy. Suffocating. Then he walked out. Slammed the door behind him.
I sank onto the bed. Touched my stomach. Felt nothing yet. No movement. No sign of life. But Mira said it was there.
Growing. Impossible.
Mine.