Hell's Revenge by Eve Langlais Read Free Book Online Page B

g-g-girl.” Tears pricked my eyes and seconds later, I sobbed noisily against his chest while his arms held me in a hug tight enough to crush a mortal’s ribs.
    “Don’t cry, Muri. You’re pregnant, not dying. I know it’s sooner than expected, but we’ll work something out. David and I aren’t going anywhere; although, we’ll probably have to move. What do you think of selling the loft and buying a house? Hell, if we get a big enough place with a gated property, you can even get one of those damned hellhounds for the baby if you want. Just please don’t cry.” I wailed louder. “You … you don’t understand,” I said, hiccupping through my tears.
    “The baby is growing like superfast, and … and it’s already like majorly powerful.”
    “So she’s special just like her mother,” he placated, stroking my hair.
    His understanding seemed to make it all worse. “Stop being so nice. Our baby has the potential to destroy the world.” I spat the words out in a rush and Auric’s body went still.
    “Um, what did you just say?”
    “Stop being so nice.”
    “I meant the part after that, Muri.”
    My lame attempt at a joke made him sigh and my shoulders sagged in defeat. I gave him the unvarnished truth. I loved Auric. How could I do any less? “Nefertiti thinks I should abort because the baby might cause Armageddon all on her own.”
    “Holy shit, Muriel. Why the fuck didn’t you tell me this yesterday?” He pulled away from me and stood. However, news of this kind required action and he paced in front of the bed, his face and body taut. “This is fucking serious, Muri. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner. I thought it was too early in your pregnancy for the crone to tell you anything and that’s why you kept quiet. Shit.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair.
    “Now that I know, we need to make plans.”
    “I know,” I sniffled. “And I wanted to tell you but see, I know you’re like the world’s champion and I already know what you’re going to say. The fate of one isn’t worth the lives of many, but … but I think I want this baby, Auric.” It wasn’t until I said it aloud that I truly realized it. Yes, I wanted this baby, this child created of love, a part of me and Auric and David. I just didn’t know if I had the strength to fight my lovers and everyone else who it seemed would want to kill her.
    Auric spun and regarded me with green eyes that blazed in fury. “You thought I’d ask you to kill our child? Are your pregnancy hormones driving you out of your fucking mind, woman? I would never, ever do that to you. To our daughter.” My heart stopped. Had I heard him right? Had he understood what this child might be capable of? “Are you sure? What if she ends up being some crawling nuclear weapon in a pink bow?”
    Auric’s smile was filled with such tenderness and love I think I would have faced the Legion of Hell single handedly to prove I was worthy of it. “When I said make plans, I meant to protect you and our unborn child. I care about the fate of the world, but I love you more. This child, even if shared with David, is ours. If she has powers, then we will teach her to use them with compassion. A child is the product of her parents. And really, could she have a more wonderful mother?”
    My eyes brimmed even as my lips curled into a smile so wide my face almost split.
    “You are the most awesomest man ever and I the luckiest woman alive.” This time when we hugged it was for more than comfort. I tore at his annoying clothes, ripping them from him in my haste. He danced out of my reach though and wagged a finger at me. “Much as I’d enjoy that, we’re not done talking. We still haven’t addressed the whole mommy issue.”
    “I thought you said I’d be a great mom?” I replied, my sulky tone going well with my jutting lower lip.
    “You will be. I wasn’t talking about you though. I meant your mother, Gaia.” I pouted for real at her name. “Do we have