Mark of Betrayal (Dark Secrets #3)(120)
Author: A.M. Hudson

On the bright side, at least Mike and Arthur shared one thing in common, for once; they both wanted to flatten Jason.

The same conversations we’d had nearly every night continued down the table, except, tonight, Jason was joining in. I tuned out most of it, since it was all irrelevant; my husband was alive, so, who the father of my child should be really wasn’t important.

“These discussions have gone on long enough,” Walter said. “Fact is, we need a new king and an heir—the prophecy is of little significance at this point.”

“Well, I’ll do it.” Jason shrugged; everyone looked at him. “Even if the queen doesn’t love me, I’ll be more than happy to step into my brother’s role.”

“And what a powerful king you would be, too,” Old Margret said, grinning bashfully at Jason. “I’ve only heard stories of your talents.”

He winked at her. “Even then, I bet you haven’t heard the half of it.”

You tease!

He looked over at me and scratched his nose, attempting to hide his laughter.

“Yes, imagine the gifts their child—our future queen—would possess,” Walter said.

“Remarkable,” another said.

“I still believe she should pair with Arthur. He is, after all, a firstborn son,” a vampire woman said. “Perhaps we can achieve the prophecy child, and I am sure Arthur would make a great king.”

“Can we stop deliberating who my best friend needs to have sex with, please?” Mike said and dropped his head into hands. “We’re at the damn dinner table, for God’s sake.”

I reached over and pried his hand away from his hair. “It’s okay, Mike.”

“No. It’s not.” He looked around at everyone. “Forget the prophecy child. She is not having sex with him or him!” He pointed at both Arthur and Jason.

“I disagree. I think she should unite with her former husband’s brother. If the prophecy child was supposed to be with blood of David Knight, then surely his own DNA would suffice in place.”

“Yes, in magic this works, too,” Grey Beard said. “With a spell based on one’s blood, a twin can offer themselves up in place.”

“But,” the other grey beard man said. “Our runes never predicted anything which indicated your child need be blood of a firstborn, or that she would be powerful—only that there were two options; one path would lead to the end of all this, the other would see it resolved but not final.”

A few arguments broke out across the table. I looked at Morgaine.

“Ara, what matters is what Drake believes,” she said, obviously sensing my confusion. “He’s the one we’re running from.”

“Okay, but, what does it matter if we have a prophecy child or not, I—”

“Because she is the one foretold to free the Damned,” Morg said, practically singing each word out in an impatient tone.

“I disagree.” I folded my arms, finally ready to challenge her. “You said the prophecy foretold her making a change, seeing an end to Drake, not that no one else could.”

“I agree with Ara,” Jason said, smiling as if he’d been in our conversation the whole time. “Our queen may be the key.”

“Shut up, Jason. You’re just saying that because you want to be the one who fathers the child!” Morgaine spat.

Jason sat back in his chair, his smug grin making him look incredibly cute. “Last I checked, prophecies foretold events that happen. If this child were meant to be with my brother, he wouldn’t have died. It was always meant to be me.”

“I agree,” said a woman. “I say they marry at once.”

Mike spat his food out on his plate, coughing.

“Well, for now, we’ll just see what happens.” I looked at Mike then Arthur. “Jason and I aren’t even together.”

“Well, your majesty, you have a duty to uphold.” Margret sipped her drink, her pinkie in the air beside her goblet. “I agree with Francine; you should marry tomorrow and conceive immediately.”

“Now, just a minute.” Mike stood up. “Ara is only nineteen. There are plenty of years for a child.”

“That may be so—” Arthur stood too and glared at me, “—but she has a responsibility to her people. If there is a possibility of a child, she should take it.”

“That’s it. There are to be no more discussions about this,” Mike said, slamming his hands on the table.

“Perhaps you’d be more willing to discuss it if you were among the options,” Arthur said.

“This has nothing to do with my feelings for Ara. She is a young girl, goddamn it, and I won’t see her forced to have a child with someone she doesn’t love.”

“Well you’ve got no choice. Neither does she.” He pointed at me, his face red with fury. “None of us bloody well do.” His voice softened on the end and he walked briskly from the room, shaking his head.

A wash of stunned silence rolled over the table until, one by one, everyone went back to their meals and Mike sat down.

“Mike?”

He looked at me, clearly biting his teeth together inside his mouth.

“None of this matters.” I motioned around the table, referring to the topic of childbearing with other men. “Our informant will see to it.”

He looked around, probably checking no one caught on to my not-so-cryptic remark. “That’s not what this is about, Ara.”

“Well, what are you so upset about?”

He sat back in his chair, shaking his head, then exhaled and pushed out from the table.

“Mike?” I called, but he kept walking.

“Wow, this party is getting smaller and smaller,” Morgaine said.

“What’s wrong with him, Morg?”

“He’ll be all right,” she said. “He was kind of hoping the people wouldn’t support a union with anyone else for a while.”

“Why?”

“Because they can make you marry and sleep with Jason if that’s who they choose.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Why do you think Lilith hated Peter so much?”

“Oh.” I smiled down at my empty plate. “And Mike’s worried I might end up with more than one husband?”

“Yes.”

“He’ll have to get over it,” Jason said, sitting in Mike’s chair.

Morgaine’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “You’d better hope Mike doesn’t come back and see you sitting—”