Broken (The Captive #5.5)(88)
My dearest Genny,
It's a girl. She was born this morning; I didn't bother to hold her and didn't care about the name though I'm told it is Melinda. I've yet to reveal that I know the child isn't mine. That is my secret to have and when the time is right, I will use it.
CHAPTER 29
May 23rd, 2064,
My dearest Genny,
It has taken over a thousand years but Anna has been removed from my life, hopefully forever…
Anna looked up at him as he closed the door between their rooms and leaned against it. She straightened away from the crib where Melinda lay, curled up on her side with her thumb in her mouth. She was a beautiful child with her mother's golden hair and dove gray eyes. Atticus barely glanced at her though as he focused on Anna.
He'd seen the troubled look in her eyes often since he'd begun to exert his presence over those within the palace more forcefully. He still progressed cautiously with his plans but with his age, and the fortress he had created, he'd risen further into the role of the leader. He'd been nominated the head of The Council just last month. There were still more steps to take but the biggest one stood across the way from him now.
She was well loved by everyone; her death would be a blow to them all, when it came, but for her death to occur she couldn't be within these palace walls. It had to be the humans or at least it had to appear to be the humans that ended her life.
The apprehension in her eyes grew as she folded her hands before her and continued to stare at him. He imagined that part of her unease around him was because he hadn't touched her since she'd revealed her pregnancy to him. They'd kept up their pretenses in public but in private there was nothing between them anymore, finally.
"Milord?" she asked hesitatingly.
"It's time for you to leave the palace." The color drained from her face so rapidly that even her lips paled. It felt freeing to be able to talk to her so bluntly. She wasn't his wife and she never had been. His fingers brushed over the ring tucked into the pocket of his shirt, when Anna was gone he'd be free to wear the ring of his true wife.
"Milord," she squeaked. "I don't understand."
"Oh but I think you do. You are going to leave here, you are going to take that child with you, and you are going to do so without protest."
She looked as if he'd slapped her but fire began to burn in her eyes as she glanced at the toddler staring at them from her crib. A mother bear protecting her young. "I will do no such thing. You have no reason to cast me aside in such a way. The people will turn on you, they'll see you for the monster you are!"
Atticus released a harsh bark of laughter. "They haven't seen for over a thousand years and neither have you. The people love you, I'll admit it, but they won't be able to blame me when they learn of your infidelity."
Her eyes flickered with fear but her jaw remained thrust forward. "Such a baseless accusation will not stand."
He advanced on her so quickly that she never saw him coming until he was pushing her against the wall and pinning her there. "I cannot abide a liar Anna." Those words seemed so strange coming from him, the biggest liar of them all, but there had always been a reason for all of his lies. "So why don't you just drop this charade of yours. That child is not mine."
"That's not…"
Atticus slammed his hands against the wall beside her head, causing her to jump in response. "Do not lie!" he bellowed.
Tears formed in her eyes as she shrank away from him and the child began to cry. "I'm sorry! It was only one time!" she gushed out. "Please, you must forgive me milord!"
She grabbed hold of his arms. A ripple slid over his skin, his stomach turned as bile surged up his throat. He threw her hands away from him. "Don't ever touch me again!" he snarled at her.
Her eyes widened, her lower lip began to tremble. She grabbed for him again but seemed to change her mind as her hands fell limply back to her sides. "Atticus please forgive me, I was just so lonely. All of our children were grown, we barely speak anymore, my father is dead, my sister is dead. I had no one else!"
Jane had been killed in a plane crash five years ago while going back to visit Italy. He'd expressed his condolences to Anna but he hadn't spoken to her about it since then.
"I don't care," he said flatly and straightened the edges of his jacket. "If you take that child and leave without complaint I won't reveal that she isn't mine. I'll allow her to come back one day to take her place amongst the court. She will have a life, but you will not continue to have one amongst these walls. If you put up a fight or deny the truth, I will kill the child." Anna's hand flew to her mouth; she shook her head in denial. "Do not doubt it for a second."
It was a lie. If his plans went right neither of them would live long enough for the girl to be able to come back to the palace, but he wasn't going to reveal that to her. "Atticus…"
"Pack your things; you are to be out of here before nightfall."
He turned on his heel and walked toward the door separating their rooms. "Where will we go?" she whispered.
"I've had a home set up for you in the woods, far from here. You will be taken care of and you will have servants, but you will not be welcome amongst your peers again."