As Harper took her jacket from the coat rack, the girls gathered close – their expressions sad, eyes shiny with unshed tears. She rolled her eyes. “For God’s sake, I’m not going off to war or anything.”
“It just won’t be the same without you around,” said Devon, shoulders drooping. “I’ll bet Knox is delighted that this was your last day at work for a while.”
“Oh, he’s ecstatic,” said Harper. “He doesn’t even have the courtesy to pretend differently.” Earlier that morning, he’d given her a self-satisfied, lopsided smile as they parted ways. She’d bet he’d been doing a mental countdown, ticking off each day with utter pleasure.
“You decorated the nursery yet?” asked Khloë.
Slipping on her jacket, Harper flicked her hair out of her collar. “No, I decided to leave everything until I started maternity leave or I’d have nothing at all to do.”
“If you need any help with anything, just let us know,” said Raini.
Harper smiled. “Thanks.” The days since she’d found out she was pregnant had passed so fast. It had also passed without incident. Nonetheless, her demon had become edgier and edgier as time went on. It looked upon each stranger as a threat, and craved Knox’s company more than usual – he was the one thing that made her demon feel safe and secure. The entity needed that sense of safety right now.
Tanner raised a brow at Harper as he and Keenan rose from the sofa. “Ready to go?”
She grabbed her purse. “Yep.” Each of the girls pulled her into a hug one at a time.
Raini bit her lip. “It’s going to be so weird not seeing you every day.”
“Same here. And it’s also going to be weird not coming here every day. I’ll pop in occasionally.” At Tanner’s disgruntled growl, Harper shot him a hostile look. “I will not confine myself to my home, no matter how totally cool that home is.”
“I’ll miss you.” Devon patted her arm. “But one good thing will come from you not being here so much. It means the pooch won’t be here so much either.”
Tanner grinned. “Ah, kitty, we both know you’ll miss me. Want a tissue?”
“For my tears of joy? No.”
“We went shopping for baby clothes.” Raini held up her hand. “Don’t worry, we took Aunt Kayla, so it didn’t look suspicious. Next time we come see you, we’ll bring the little outfits with us. Wait till you see how cute they are!”
Khloë tilted her head, frowning at Harper. “You don’t look good.”
“I don’t feel good,” she admitted. She felt a little flushed and just… off.
“And you didn’t say anything earlier?” Raini shook her head in frustration. “I know you’re used to soldiering on, no matter what happens, but you don’t have just you to think about now. Your body’s telling you it needs to rest, so listen to it.”
“I didn’t say I was tired, I said I didn’t feel good. But I haven’t exactly felt ‘right’ since the moment I conceived.” As Dr. Rodgers had predicted, the fatigue was gone, her appetite was back, and she no longer had a problem sleeping. She’d also regained the weight that she’d lost and had a noticeable pouch going on. She’d so far been able to conceal it with baggy clothes, but she wouldn’t manage that much longer, so it really was best that she started her maternity leave now.
“Fine,” said Raini. “Just take care of yourself, okay?”
Harper saluted her. “Sure thing, Mom.” Slinging her purse on her shoulder, she gripped the strap as she gave the studio one last look. She was going to miss her job big time.
Tanner opened the door for her, but he didn’t usher her out. He just stood there, patiently giving her a few moments.
Harper shot the girls one last smile. “Don’t be strangers.” With their goodbyes ringing in her ears, Harper followed Keenan out of the studio. The two sentinels flanked her as they stalked down the strip. The Underground was busier than usual, making both her and her demon feel crowded, and she found herself repeatedly blowing out a long breath to stay cool and calm.
Soon enough, they were heading up the elevator and then leaving the club. The valet waited outside with the Audi. As usual, Keenan rode shotgun as Tanner drove them back to the mansion. Taking off her jacket, Harper slung it aside and fanned her face. The cool leather and the blast of cold air from the vents felt so good.
She relaxed in the seat, feeling… conflicted. While she knew that spending the last stage of her pregnancy at home was the right thing to do, it was going to be damn weird. Since the age of fourteen, she’d had one job or another – even when she was attending many of the different high schools during her traveling years with Lucian. It would be strange to not have her days filled with work, to not have her own money, and to not be doing what she loved.
She wasn’t going to renege on her promise – she’d made the right choice for her, Knox, and the baby. But being at home all the time was going to take some adjusting to.
Feeling a jab on the left side of her stomach, she smiled. Now that the baby was bigger, its movements were more noticeable – just as the doc had predicted. The fluttering sensations had become light jabs, thuds, and sometimes she could swear she felt it turn and roll. She put a hand on her stomach, feeling yet another jab. The kicks weren’t hard enough to be uncomfortable, but they soon would be. It was scary to think that in another twelve weeks, she’d be holding the baby in her arms. Yep, seriously scary… but she was looking forward to it. Couldn’t wait to see what this little person looked like; whether it was a boy or a girl; what abilities it would have.
A dark, familiar mind touched hers. I’m on my way home. Where are you?
She knew from Knox’s telepathic check-in earlier that he’d attended a long-ass meeting in one of his Vegas hotels, where he’d fired a board member who’d been doing a little inside trading. Her mate was known for being ruthless, so she had no idea why anyone would even try to cross him, but whatever. I’m in the car, on my way back too.
A vibe of contentment tinged her mind. Good. I’ll see you soon.
Soon. Puffing out a long breath, she said, “Tanner, could you turn up the air conditioning please?”
“It’s already on full blast.”
Twisting in his seat, Keenan eyed her curiously. “You all right?”
She shifted against the leather, which seemed to be heating beneath her. “Just feeling a little warm, that’s all.”
By the time they drove through the iron gates of the estate, she was no longer feeling just “warm”. Harper scrunched up her hair to bare the nape of her neck. “God, I’m hot. Isn’t it hot?”
“No, it’s not hot.” Keenan reached over and put his palm to her forehead. “Shit, you’re burning up. I mean really burning up. Tanner, check her.”
Once Tanner braked outside the steps of the mansion, he turned to press his hand to her forehead. “Your temperature is way too high.”
Keenan cursed. “I’ll tell Knox she seems to be running a fever.” He opened the rear door, helped her out of the car, and guided her inside, passing a concerned Dan. “Knox and Levi are almost here,” Keenan assured her as he tossed her jacket at Dan, so she guessed he’d contacted Knox telepathically.
“Is something wrong?” asked Dan, following them into the living room.
“Yes. She’s fevered.” Keenan led her to the sofa and urged her to lean back as Dan disappeared down the hall, calling out to Meg.
Harper almost jumped out of her skin as fire burst to life in front of her. It crackled and popped as it died off, and then Knox was there – the image of concern.
He crouched in front of her. “What is it, baby?”
“I’m just hot.”
Anxiety skittered down Knox’s spine. Heat seemed to be literally radiating from her. Knox touched her cheek with the back of his hand and almost snatched it back with a wince. “You’re dangerously hot. Feverish.” Alarmed, his demon snapped to full alertness.
She shifted restlessly. “My blood feels hot. Isn’t that weird?”
Knox blinked. “Your blood feels hot?”
“Is it a pregnancy thing?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” He’d never heard of such a thing in his life. Meg rushed inside with a glass of cold water, and Knox took it from her gratefully and handed it to Harper. “Baby, drink this.”
Harper took it, but her hand was shaking so badly that he had to help her guide it to her mouth. She was thirsty, but it was hard to drink because it felt like the water was curdling in her stomach like sour milk. Still, her demon urged her to swallow more.
Knox took the glass from her when she gagged. “Are you going to be sick?”
She shook her head and leaned back, taking deep breaths. “I’m okay.”
No, she damn well wasn’t. “I need to call Rodgers.” Knox stood and pulled out his cell phone just as Tanner entered the room and headed straight for Harper. The moment Rodgers picked up the phone, Knox said, “Harper’s running a fever. She says her blood feels hot.”
A pause. “Her blood feels hot?” The doctor’s words rung with confusion and disbelief.
“Yes. What’s wrong with her?” The question came out through gritted teeth.
“I can’t say without examining her. Put me on speakerphone so I can talk to her.”
Knox did as he requested, and then crouched again in front of Harper as the doctor addressed her – asking her various questions that she drowsily answered. The whole time, Knox rubbed her thigh. He could feel the feverish heat of her skin even through the denim of her jeans. Insane with a worry it wasn’t used to feeling, his demon snarled and roared.
A moan slipped out of Harper as she began to tremble. “It’s like my blood’s sizzling.”
“Sizzling?” Rodgers echoed. “That doesn’t sound good.”
She scratched at her skin, eyes wide. “Shit, I feel like my veins are going to explode.”
“That’s not good either,” said Rodgers.
Knox’s hand tightened around the phone. “We’re fucking well aware that it’s not good. I’m going to send a teleporter to collect you. Are you home or in your office?”
“Home.”
“They’ll be there in a minute. Be ready.” Ending the call, Knox spoke to Tanner. “Send Armand to collect Dr. Rodgers and bring him to the mansion.”
Levi jogged into the room, expression hard. Watching as Harper reluctantly sipped more water, he asked, “What’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t know.” Knox urged her to drink more. “Does the water help, baby?”
“Yes, I’m okay.” Harper handed him back the glass. “I’m cooler now.”
Knox looked at her, dismayed. “No, baby, you’re not. I swear, I feel like I’m sitting next to a damn radiator.”
Shaking her head, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m cold. Ice-cold. But my blood still feels hot.”
Knox’s jaw clenched. “Your skin is still burning. You’re not cold.”
There was a knock at the front door, and Dan left the room only to swiftly return with Rodgers. The doctor pushed his way past the people gathering around and spoke to Knox, “Armand says he will come back when you need him.”
Standing, Knox nodded. “Find out what’s happening to her so we can fix it and make her better.”
Harper looked at Rodgers through squinted eyes. “Something’s wrong, Doc,” she said, teeth chattering.
Rodgers put his hand to her clammy forehead and grimaced. “You say your blood feels like it’s hot?”
Harper nodded. “But I’m freezing. Where’s the damn blanket?”
“As you’ve seen for yourself, she’s roasting hot to touch,” Knox said to Rodgers. “Tell me you know what kind of fever this is.”
Levi’s brow creased. “Give me a second.” At that, he fished his cell from his pocket and backed out of the room.
Knox stood there, arms folded, as Rodgers used a penlight to check her eyes and pottered around, checking her temperature and other things. Knox fisted his hands, impatient for an answer. Harper seemed to have drifted off, which only increased his worry. “Rodgers…”
The doctor sighed. “I truly have no idea what’s the matter with her.” And he was now panicking.
Knox’s demon growled and shoved its way to the surface. “How can you not know?” it demanded of Rodgers. “You are a doctor. Do something. Make her better.”
Rodgers paled. “Th-there’s nothing physically wr-wrong with her,” he stammered. “I’m a gynecologist. This sort of thing isn’t my specialty, but I know enough to be sure that this isn’t pregnancy related.”
Knox forced his demon to retreat before it scared the doctor away. “What would normally cause a fever this intense?”
Rodgers seemed relieved to be once again dealing with Knox. “Honestly? Nothing I’ve ever come across.”
“Could it be some kind of allergic reaction?” asked Meg, hovering close enough to stroke Harper’s hair. “Some demons develop allergies when they’re pregnant.”
Rodgers shook his head. “It’s too extreme to be an allergy.”
Levi dashed into the room. “Knox, you need to get her in a cold bath fast.”
Knox’s muscles went rigid. “Why? What is it?”
“She’s been hexed.”
A shocked silence hit the room, and everyone froze. The word “hex” could instill fear in just about any demon, because there was no way to counteract it. Knox knew that a hex was no small, simple, common thing. It was nothing like in books or movies. Hexes were rarely used and extremely serious, which was why Knox shook his head. “She can’t have been hexed.”
“Want to bet her life on it? Because that’s what you could be doing if you ignore this.” Levi turned to Meg. “Could you run her a bath?”
With a nod, the housekeeper hurried away.
“You spoke to Mia,” Knox guessed. She was Levi’s friend and an incantor.
“Yes,” said Levi, a manic glint in his eyes. “I’ll tell you everything she said once we get Harper in the bath, I swear. Mia said you need to do it now… unless of course you are willing to bet Harper’s life on it.”
He wasn’t. Knox wasted no time in scooping Harper up and carrying her through the house and into their bathroom upstairs. Knox held a limp Harper in his arms as, with Meg’s help, he whipped off her shirt, jeans, and socks before lowering her into the shallow bath. Her eyes snapped open and she tried literally throwing herself out of the tub, splashing cold water everywhere. It took Knox, Meg, and Tanner to hold her there.
Knox kissed her, hoping to soothe her. “No, baby, you have to stay in the bath. We need to cool your skin.”
Breathing hard and fast, she struggled to be free, tears in her eyes. “It’s hot!” she said through chattering teeth.
Guilt tightened his chest. “It’s not hot, it just feels that way to you because you feel cold.” Knox swiped her tears away with his thumbs. “Ah, baby, you’re breaking my heart here.”
“I need to get out,” she sobbed, still struggling against their hold. “It’s burning!”
“I swear to you, it’s not. If I could let you out, I would.” It was literally killing Knox to keep her there, knowing she was hurting. The plea in her teary eyes made his stomach churn. “As soon as —” He cut off as she abruptly hunched over, pressing down on her stomach as if it were cramping.
Tanner glared at Levi. “What did Mia say? Tell us what’s happening.”
“According to Mia,” began Levi, “this kind of fever is a sign that a body is fighting a hex. She’s sweating it out. Mia said she may have cramps or vomit. We need to cool her down and keep her hydrated, and she needs sleep.”
“Sleep?” Keenan echoed, incredulous. “How the hell is she supposed to sleep through that?”
Levi thrust a hand into his hair. “I’ve no idea. I’m just telling you what Mia told me.”
“What hex exactly is this supposed to be?” demanded Knox.
Levi shrugged. “All I know is that the worse it hurts for Harper to fight it, the worse the hex was meant to be.”
Knox watched her shaking, sobbing, and clutching her stomach while Meg whispered reassurances. “Could it have been a death hex?”
“Possibly.” Levi shrugged again. “There’s just no way of knowing unless she fails to fight it off.”
“She won’t fail,” Knox clipped.
Tanner’s jaw hardened. “No, she won’t.”
“Mia is sure that she’s been hexed?” Keenan asked. “Absolutely sure? Because from what I understand, cursing someone isn’t whatsoever easy and it can’t be done by just anyone.”
“You’re right,” Levi confirmed. “It’s not a petty case of burning someone’s photo with a black candle and whispering some bitchy chant. Only incantors and practitioners can cast hexes. To successfully hex someone, they need to do four things: one, go without food and water for three days. Two, feed a few drops of their blood to their victim. Three, take something that belongs to their victim and burn it into ashes. And four, sprinkle those ashes around their altar before performing the hex, which can take hours and very easily rebound back on the incantor or practitioner. That’s why demons rarely take the risk of trying to perform one.”
Tanner rubbed his nape. “I can’t imagine Harper drinking someone’s blood.”
“It could have been put in her drink at work,” said Levi.
Keenan clicked his fingers. “One of Harper’s jackets went missing from the studio last week. She thought Khloë had taken it. Maybe an incantor or practitioner got their hands on it, or maybe someone nabbed it for them.”
Which would mean the motherfucker or one of their minions might have been in her studio. Knox ground his teeth at the thought, and his demon let out another roar. “Could a hex harm the baby too?”
“I asked Mia that,” said Levi. “She said no. The hex is directed at Harper – it will only harm her. But, obviously, if it is a death hex and it manages to kill her, the baby won’t survive.”
Knox looked at Rodgers, who was pale and looked completely out of his element. “She’s in pain and has a fever. Will that harm the baby?”
Rodgers hesitated to answer. “It’s more serious in human pregnancies. If you keep Harper hydrated and get her fever down soon, the baby should be fine.” He didn’t say there were no guarantees, but Knox could hear it in his voice. And it spooked the shit out of him.
“She’ll be okay, Knox,” said Keenan. “She’s a fighter.”
Harper again tried to get out of the bath. “Let me the fuck out! It’s too hot!”
Again, Knox held her down. He hated to force her to stay there, hated the accusatory glitter in her eyes. “I’m sorry, baby.” His head whipped around to look at Levi. “How long do we have to keep her in cool water?”
“Mia didn’t say. I’ll ask.” Digging his cell out of his pocket, Levi left the room to make the call.
Harper grabbed Knox’s arm. “Something’s happening to the baby, isn’t it?” Her shoulders shook, eyes tearing. “I’m losing it, aren’t I?”
“No, no, no,” Knox quickly assured her. “Someone tried to hurt you with magick. Your system is fighting it. That’s a good thing.”
She grimaced. “It doesn’t feel like a good thing.” She sucked in a breath and then hunched over again.
Knox rubbed her nape. “If I could do something, if I could help, I would.” But despite how powerful he was, he couldn’t do a damn thing to take away her pain. He was built to destroy, not to heal. And for once in its very long existence, his demon regretted that.
Levi re-entered the bathroom. “Once her skin cools, you can take her out of the bath, but you need to keep her covered with a towel or blanket. Basically, we just have to wait it out.”
It took half an hour for her fever to break so that they could take her out of the water, but the cramps lasted for over an hour. It was a further forty-five fucking minutes before her blood no longer felt hot. Then, wrapped in her snug terry robe and huddled under the bed coverlet, she finally fell asleep.
Stood over the bed, Knox scrubbed a hand down his face. His jaw ached from how hard he’d clenched it as he’d fought to keep his demon from rising. The entity was a little calmer now that she no longer suffered, but it demanded vengeance.
“Thatcher,” Knox spat. “It fucking has to have been him.”
“Maybe, but we can’t just go to his house and grab him, Knox,” said Levi. “He’s a powerful Prime. His lair is almost as large as ours.”
“I don’t fucking care. Look at her, Levi. He’s an incantor; she was hexed. Are you not seeing the correlation here?”
“I’m seeing it. But I’m also seeing the consequences of you killing him without proof. You remember what happened to the last demon when he killed another Prime without evidence of wrongdoing, don’t you?”
Yes. Most of the other Primes had united against the demon and killed him. “You don’t think it’s Thatcher,” Knox sensed.
Levi sighed. “You said yourself that he’s too smart to do anything that would cast suspicion on himself. Think past your anger, Knox. I know it’s fucking hard, but try. For Harper.”
Knox inhaled deeply, rolling back his shoulders. Before Harper, he’d never let emotions get in the way of his decisions – mostly because he hadn’t felt many. He called on that practical side of himself as he paced, thinking it through. “The person who sent the emails was very careful to conceal their identity. Hexing her would not be a careful move for Thatcher; it would be damn stupid. He’s not a stupid person. And, yes, it would be odd for someone who’s been so cautious to then repeatedly act in ways that led back to them – I know all this. But what do you want me to do? Sit back and wait for whoever it is to make another move? If it is Thatcher, he’s notorious for being like a dog with a bone. When he has an issue with someone, he doesn’t let it go. He won’t just stop.”
Larkin, who’d arrived half an hour earlier, raised her index finger. “Um… about people with issues.”
Knox turned to her. “Did you find a direct link between Thatcher and Harper?”
“Not one, so I checked to see if he’d had any problems with Jolene. I wondered if maybe he had beef with her and he was using Harper and Heidi to hurt her or something like that. Thatcher’s never had any major issues with Jolene, from what I can tell. But Jonas has.”
Keenan’s brows snapped together. “Jonas?”
Larkin nodded. “And it was very recent. It’s not clear what happened. Just that he wanted something from Jolene and she refused him, so he threatened to make her pay for it – something along those lines. I’m not saying this is related to everything that’s gone on lately, but I thought it was worth mentioning.”
Tanner’s eyes narrowed. “Jonas may have planned to hurt Jolene by taking Heidi and by hiring hunters to steal Harper’s wings.”
Larkin shrugged. “Possibly.”
“Fuck.” Knox pulled out his phone, dialed Jolene’s number, and stalked out of the room. He was in the hallway when she answered. He got straight to the point. “Why didn’t you tell me you had problems with Jonas?”
There was a silence of sheer surprise. “Why would I? That’s my business, not yours.”
“It is my business if he has something to do with your granddaughters being targeted, since one of them is my mate.”
Jolene sighed. “Knox, I’ve had problems with many Primes. It’s the curse of having a small lair. What’s this about? You really think Jonas is responsible?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. But I’m not willing to rule out any possibilities. I need to know what problem you two had.”
“Jonas saw me and members of my lair talking with Lou at the anniversary shindig you threw at the Underground.”
Knox ground his teeth. “It wasn’t a shindig.”
“In any case, he later came to me with a rather surprising request.”
As Jolene repeated her conversation with the Prime, Knox’s jaw hardened until it ached. “How long ago did he approach you with this?”
“A few weeks before the hunters went after Harper.”
“And you didn’t think the two things could be linked?”
“No. I assumed it was the Horsemen, given that they’d already targeted both of you twice before.”
Knox couldn’t even fault her for that, considering he’d done the same damn thing. “It was a reasonable assumption for you to make,” he allowed. “Jonas was no doubt counting on people to blame the Horsemen.”
“Can we be sure he’s our boy? We have to be completely certain before we take action, Knox.”
Halting, Knox inhaled deeply. “At the moment, no, we can’t be sure. I’ll be calling for all the Primes to meet with me tomorrow. I need to look him and Thatcher in the eye. I need to see how they react to me and what I have to say.” While the practical side of him believed that Thatcher wasn’t at fault, Knox’s emotional side wouldn’t allow him to take chances.
“I’ll be there. Now, why don’t you tell me what this has to do with Thatcher and why you sound as though you’d like to see someone drowning in a pool of their own blood?”
And here was where Jolene would lose her mind.