Broken Dove (Fantasyland #4)(192)

She looked about ready to move to do just that but she didn’t when Apollo called in a strangely tight voice, “Tor?”

I looked to Apollo then to the couch Cora and Tor were sitting on.

He had her tucked close to his side, as Apollo had me, and Frey had Finnie, and also (at a quick glance their way), Lahn had Circe.

And my glance was quick to Lahn and Circe because Cora looked stricken and Tor looked alert, and not Apollo’s earlier my-cousin-just-suddenly-announced-(somewhat inappropriately)-he-was-going-to-be-a-dad-again alert.

And both their eyes were on Circe and Lahn.

I looked back to Circe and Lahn.

Lahn looked scary and not his usual hot guy scary. A hot guy concerned scary which was a whole lot worse.

Circe look worried.

Uh-oh.

“Cora’s with child,” Apollo guessed quietly.

“Yes,” Tor replied curtly. Then he clipped out, “Lahn?”

Everyone looked their way.

“My golden queen carries another warrior or princess,” Lahn confirmed.

Uh-oh.

All eyes came to me.

Oh shit.

I threw out a hand. “I’m not—”

My hand suddenly dropped into my lap as I did the mental math.

Then I got freaked out and redid the mental math.

Then my entire body strung tight.

“Poppy?” Apollo called.

Before Brunskar.

My last period was before Brunskar.

How could that be?

Slowly, I turned my head to Apollo.

“Does pennyrium always work?” I whispered.

His eyes held mine but they weren’t entirely focused.

He was doing the mental math too.

He got the same result as I did, I knew this when he did something Apollo Beautiful.

His eyes warmed and his arm curled me so I was forced to twist into him. When I did, he pulled me close.

“You carry my child?” he whispered like he wanted the answer to be yes.

I wanted the answer to be yes too.

Only when Chris had accepted me, Apollo and I had been married and no one was targeting anyone I cared about with extreme malice.

“I’m taking the powder,” I whispered back.

He dipped his face closer and his voice lower (all for nothing, I was sure; I felt everyone’s attention on us but at that moment I didn’t give a shit I was entering a discussion about my period in front of two queens, two princesses, a prince, a king and whatever Frey was).

“You have not had a cycle in some time, my dove.”

“Does the powder always work?” I repeated.

“It is rare when it does not, but it’s been known to happen.”

I stared at him as my lungs seized.

Then I let out a huge breath, doing it chanting, “Oh crap, oh shit, oh crap.”

He pulled me even closer. “My dove—”

Suddenly panicked, I fisted my fingers in his sweater and cried, “We have to go back to the other world!”

His head jerked and his eyes narrowed before he stated, “We will not.”

I shook my head and pressed even closer. “We have to, Lo. If I’m knocked up, I need vitamins, and ultrasounds, and prenatal tests, and—”

He gave me a slight shake. “Calm yourself, dove.”

“You calm yourself!” I nearly shouted. “I’m pregnant in a world with no epidurals!”

He probably had no stinking clue what I was talking about.

He also didn’t ask.

He lifted a hand to cup my jaw, dipped his face close again and repeated in a sweet whisper, “Calm yourself, my dove.”

I deep breathed.

He didn’t.

He stated, sounding happy and proud, “You carry my child.”

“We’re not married,” I replied.

“We’ll rectify that,” he returned immediately.

“Chris hasn’t accepted me,” I reminded him.

“He’s getting there,” he reminded me.

Then I gave it to him.

“I haven’t done real great with this before, Lo,” I stated quietly.

His thumb stroked my cheek as he replied, “Then if you feel more comfortable carrying our child with the medicine you can receive in the other world, after we see to these troubles, we will all go there so you can have that and we’ll return when she’s safely arrived.”

He’d do that.

He’d so do that.

For me.

God.

I loved this man.

I didn’t tell him that. I’d share it (again) later.

Instead, still whispering, I said, “She?”

He was still whispering too when he replied. “Your hair. Your freckles. Your spirit. Yes, my dove. She.”

He wanted her to have my freckles.

Tears welled in my eyes so Apollo’s smile was blurry.

Oh yes.

I loved this man.

Queen Aurora broke into our moment when she declared, “Now we must have champagne.” I turned my blurry eyes to her as she went on. “Or sparkling cider for you, child, if you are like my Finnie and don’t drink spirits while expecting.”

While expecting.

I was expecting.

Huzzah!

I cleared the frog in my throat before I confirmed, “I don’t.”