"Leena?"
The voice was soft and at the back of her mind, not even really hearing it until she felt a soft touch on her arm, giving her a gentle shake.
"Leena, wake up," the voice beckoned again.
Leena slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the voice, her brain slow to wake up and her vision full of sleep. As she stirred, she realized how stiff her body felt and noticed she hadn't moved at all during the night. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up, only then noticing a pair of blue-gray eyes gazing at her from behind short, absolute black hair. She gasped and she dove into his arms, instantly sobbing again. "You idiot!" she cried out angrily. "Why would you leave me alone!?"
He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, trying to comfort her. "Leena, I'm not Shej," he said softly, his heart aching for her. Cerno felt Leena's muscles briefly tighten in his embrace as she realized her mistake, but it didn't last long before her body sort of drooped again. "Guard's reported no one was answering the door. I can sense your movement but I can't sense your source like I can with my sister. You hadn't moved at all, I had to come and make sure you were okay."
"What time is it?" she asked quietly as she sat back, noticing it was daytime but outside the windows, the clouds were dark and the rain was falling hard. "Did Shej show up?"
"It's almost two in the afternoon. And no, sadly."
"Shej's never done this, I'm really worried," Leena said, getting up and walking up to the floor to ceiling windows, looking out over the city. She placed her hand against the glass and realized it was cold.
"She's in the city though, I've had the gates on lockdown."
Leena sighed with a groan, her fingers leaving streaks on the glass as her hand trailed toward the floor. "If only we knew where. I don't understand why no one has been able to find her."
"Leena, while you have a Control and Summoning dual source, Yaya and I have Fluid sources. We have multiple types of magic at our disposal and one of hers, as we both know, is transfiguration. She could be anyone down in the city."
With her back to him, Cerno heard Leena sob again. As he got to his feet to try comfort her again, she spoke again.
"I want to take a shower. Will you and the guards please return to your manor?" Her voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the downpour of rain hitting the roof.
"Sure. I'll leave Kurt out fro—"
"No. Please, take everyone," she said abruptly. "I feel watched. I feel crowded. I can even feel them inside the treelines. I need to know I'm alone for a little bit, I just want to shower and rest some more. Please."
"You'll let me know if Sheja shows up?"
"Of course."
Leena walked to the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind herself. She turned on the shower as Cerno and his bodyguards turned to leave, but the moment she felt them all gone, she shut the water off and hurriedly dressed herself. Knowing Cerno wouldn't immediately be tracking her for now if she was correct about how he used his ability, she set off down into the city to look around. She figured if Shej saw her alone, maybe she would show herself.
Within minutes of walking, Leena was already soaked from the rain, but the heavy rain made it easy to move about downtown. She ducked into different bars and restaurants, some of the shops, and even the hospital.
She popped into the lodge and while they currently had no occupants, she stopped and stood in front of the fireplace, trying to warm herself. It was still summer, but the rainstorm brought in an odd cold front. She hugged herself tightly as she stood with her back to the fire, realizing some of her joints hurt from letting herself get so cold. Her own flames had become too exhausting to use as the rain kept her extinguished.
A clock on the wall started to chime as it hit the hour.
Five o'clock. I'm surprised Cerno hasn't come gotten me yet, she thought. He's going to be so pissed....
Once she felt warm enough to move again, she made her way back out into the rain.
Another hour passed as she walked up and down streets and alleys, no one daring come out into the rain unless they had a dire purpose to. Her hair hung straight down and her clothes clung to her body, she kept her arms wrapped around herself as the cold had long since set in again.
"Leena," a voice growled dangerously.
"Shit," she muttered under her breath. She turned around to see Cerno only about 40 feet away from her.
"You lied to me. I showed you trust but you lied. You didn't want me to remove the guards for your privacy, you wanted them removed so you could come look for Sheja!" He was clearly angry. As he came up to her, he continued to yell. "All you had to do was ask, Leena!"
"I wanted to look alone!" she yelled back at him, angry tears running down her face instantly washed away by the continued downpour. "I figured she might come out if she saw just me!" Her voice broke as she continued to yell back at him, "But she either hasn't seen me, or doesn't care!"
Cerno's anger broke as he watched her own anger surge. "Leena, you're the one person Shej cares the most about. Well, one and a half."
"Then where is she?" Leena fell to her knees, not feeling the puddle she sat in since she was already soaked.
"I wish I knew, but I do know she better have a damn good reason." Cerno leaned down and hooked his hand under her arm. "You're freezing cold. Come on, let's get you back up to the house and get you into a hot shower."
As Cerno helped her to her feet, Leena suddenly felt the exhaustion of walking for almost four hours start to set in. Without a word, Cerno hefted her back up into his arms and there was no fight in her against it.
"I've still got my guards combing the city, some going door to door. I've put out an announcement even but I think she's turned into a disguise we would never recognize," Cerno said softly to her. He held Leena close as she folded her arms across her abdomen, turning her face into his shoulder and closing her eyes.
As they got back up to Leena and Shej's home, he set her down on an ottoman in front of the fireplace and using his source, the fire roared to life. He quickly grabbed some towels, a change of clothes, and blankets.
"Here are some towels and fresh pajamas. Are you able to shower and change on your own, or should I have Rosie help you?"
Leena chuckled softly. "Rosie."
Cerno blinked in confusion at the tone of mockery in her voice.
"I haven't even set up your blind date with her yet, but you just called her by a pet name."
Cerno instantly blushed. "She's who you had 'seen around the city'?"
"Yeah. I've seen how you two giggle at each other from time to time. I really think you should kick it up a notch with her, see where it goes." Leena's voice was soft as she slouched, arms still wrapped around herself. As she let her head hang down, her long hair fell around her face, barely brushing along the floor. She realized she needed a haircut.
"Never you mind Rosalie and I for now. Answer my question—can you manage on your own or not?"
She flinched at his suddenly rough-again tone. "Why are you being so harsh?"
His voice instantly dropped, "Because I'm still upset that instead of trusting me, you lied to me and snuck out while my back was turned. I'm angry with you, Leena, that's why. Now can you, or can you not?"
"Yeah, I can," she said as she started to stand. Just as she went to take a step, her legs gave out and she instantly started for the floor.
"Nope!" Cerno exclaimed as he made quick to catch her. "You are definitely too exhausted for a shower. Rose?" he hollered and she immediately came around the corner. "Can you help her change, please? She's too exhausted to do it on her own."
"Sure," she said, stepping up and taking Leena's arm. "If you'll step into the other room, Sir, I'll change her here so she doesn't have to walk anywhere."
As Cerno quietly obliged, Rosalie helped Leena change into a pair of sweats and a new sweater. Leena noticed Rose was rose-colored.
"You heard, didn't you," Leena asked softly.
"You really think Mr. Angevin and I would make a good match? He would never fall for me though, I'm just a hireling."
"I've seen how he looks at you. I just don't think he's seen how he looks at you. Let him take you out on a date. If it doesn't work out romantically, you'll still have respect for each other professionally."
Both of the ladies heard a lot of loud noises coming from upstairs and as soon as Leena was tucked into a chair by the fire with a blanket, Rose went to investigate.
"What are you doing, Sir?" she asked as she walked into the master bedroom. She watched as Cerno put the final touches on a new fireplace in the corner.
"This way their room will stay toasty in the winters, too," he said softly as a fire in this new installment came to life as well. The room instantly felt warmer. "Let's bring her up here and get her into bed. You and I can stay in the living room to make sure everything's okay."
"Sir? Permission to speak freely?"
"Sure," he said, pausing before exiting the room.
"I overheard that Madam Leena thinks I would be a nice match for you," she said softly, blushing again. "Do you find that as silly of a thought as I do?"
He looked at her for a moment then smiled, "I find it silly that I didn't see such a brilliant thought sooner myself." He gestured to the door. "Let's get her into bed, then we can talk more."
Even though it was still early in the evening, Leena fell sound asleep within minutes of being laid down in her own bed. Rose had covered her with a blanket warmed by the fire, the warmth contributing to Leena's quick submission.
Cerno sat on the edge of the bed and pulled back the blanket just enough to slip his hand under Leena's sweater and lay his hand flat on her stomach. He closed his eyes.
"Her core is still so cold," he said quietly. "I can feel him, but he's so silent. The strength I felt yesterday isn't there."
"She isn't having a miscarriage, is she?" Rose asked, worry in her voice.
"I don't think so, but I can't tell with how cold she is. He might just be as weak as she is from it." He let her sweater down and made sure to tuck her in tight to keep her warm. "I will check on him again in the morning. Let's go downstairs and let her sleep."
Rosalie sat down on one end of the couch, laughing softly as Cerno came and sat down right next to her. "Sir, there are many seats available. Wouldn't one of the others give you more space to be comfortable?"
"Hmm, you have a point, but there is just something oddly specific in relation to comfort right here." He reached over and took her hand into his, running his fingers across her palm. "I would like your opinion, your honest not-just-because-you-work-for-me opinion. What would you say if I said I would like to try Leena's theory about us?"
"From a not-because-I-work-for-you standpoint, I would ask why you haven't asked me out to dinner yet."
Cerno laughed lightly. "I guess that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be." He gently kissed the back of Rose's hand. "Rosalie, once I know my sisters are both safe, it would be my honor if you had dinner with me."
"The honor would be mine," she said with a smile.
Cerno and Rosalie sat and talked quietly through the night, Cerno occasionally going up to check on Leena.
"Her core has finally warmed up, but baby remains unchanged. We also have a new problem though," he states softly, running his hands through his hair. "Leena's started to run a fever."
"I'll warm up another blanket to put over her so we can try break it," Rose said as she stood. The same cupboard that held blankets at the lake house held blankets here as well. She grabbed two, taking them up and warming them on the fireplace housing before covering Leena with them.
"Where is Shej?" Cerno asked as Rose joined him in the living room again. "I don't understand why she would leave Leena alone for this long."
"Didn't you tell me Leena said Shej thinks you're the one trying to kill her?"
"I can see her avoiding me because of that, but not Leena though. Not for this long. She's got to know this worry is hurting her wife."
"Let's focus on Leena for the moment. It's obvious that she's coming down with a cold from being out in that rainstorm for so long yesterday. Shej will come home when she's ready."
He looked out the window, the sun starting to peek up over the hilltop behind the house and light up the city below. "I hope you're right. And I hope it's soon."
As the morning progressed, Cerno went up and checked on Leena again. She was still deeply unconscious and her face was a deep red as her fever had spiked and was raging. He placed his hand on her stomach again and groaned. "Leena?" he spoke gently as he lightly shook her. "Leena, sweetie, I need you to wake up for a bit," he repeated. She still didn't stir, not even a twitch. "Shit. Rose!" he called as he scooped Leena into his arms, blankets and all, and carried her downstairs.
"What's going on?" Rose asked, having quickly set down her cup of coffee and got to her feet.
"She's not waking up and I can't feel him at all," he said, trying to keep his panic at bay. "This isn't something I can help her with, I'm going to take her down to the hospital."
"What? I'll run ahead and let them know," she said opening the door for him and closing it behind them.
A bed with several Healers was waiting at the doors for them and Cerno laid Leena down on it. They quickly rushed her inside to assess her, one of the Healers advising Cerno and Rose to wait in the lobby.
Everything moved so quickly from the moment he had checked on Leena, he wasn't even sure how he got where he was or what was happening. But he knew the next two hours they spent sitting in this lobby had felt like an eternity.
"If that baby dies, I'm going to be more of a danger to my sister than she thought I was," he growled angrily, head in his hands. "This is Sheja's fault."
"While yes, this is because Leena went out looking for Shej in the storm, we need to still remember why Shej is behaving the way she is. Don't fault her for being scared."
"But she's scared of me," he growled flatly.
"She's scared because she doesn't know," Rose replied. "If she's staying away from Leena, it's because she probably thinks someone will turn Leena against her next. And what if Leena were to succeed? Then Shej is dead, and Leena lives with the guilt of a murder she was forced to commit."
"This is why you're the head of my security, you know," he said, knowing she was right.
"Mr. Angevin?" a Healer said softly as he walked up. He gave a polite bow as Cerno and Rose got to their feet to meet him. "We've given her some fluids and started her on an antibiotic. Her fever hasn't broken, but it's come down just slightly."
"And the baby? She's pregnant, please tell me the baby is okay?"
"I'm sorry, it's too soon to tell."
"I want to see her," Cerno said, starting towards the doors they had taken her through. The doctor instantly stopped him.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Angevin. Her status is still too fragile for me to allow anyone back to see her, including you. I will send you a notice once she's able to have visitors."
"How long will that be? I'll wait here if it's just a few hours."
"Go home, Mr. Angevin. I will send notice," he repeated, sounding a little more sullen, implying this wasn't going to be just a few hours.
Rose placed her hand on Cerno's back as he stopped just outside the doors. He looked out at the city in front of them. "Am I destined to lose everything I love, Rose?" he asked quietly as he turned and looked at her.
"Not everything, no."