Broken Dove by Kristen Ashley
He cupped her cheek and dipped his face close before he began, “At first, we missed it.”
He watched her blink in confusion but he went on.
“The time she carried Élan, like with Christophe, was uneventful.”
When understanding dawned, Apollo felt Maddie’s body tighten under his but he continued.
“The birth, however, was complicated. Christophe slid easily into this world. Élan gave Ilsa more difficulty.”
“Apollo—” she whispered and he pressed the pads of his finger in.
“Listen,” he whispered back.
She closed her mouth and nodded again.
“Looking back, due to the birth, we both missed it. Even she, a physician. We thought her body was taking its time recovering from bringing Élan into this world. The extreme fatigue. The constant lethargy. Though, even if we caught it, there was nothing to be done.”
“All right,” Maddie whispered when he didn’t go on.
“And then it happened fast,” he told her softly. “She just started wasting away.”
She closed her eyes.
Apollo slid his hand to her neck and she opened them again.
“We disagreed about Christophe, Ilsa and I,” he shared. “She thought like a physician, sometimes clinically. Thus, she felt that life was life and, even for children, it was not wise to shelter them from it too much. He was only four. So very young. I did not want him to see his mother that way. To remember her that way. She was energetic. Lively, in her way. Not like Élan, the way she had was all Ilsa’s. I didn’t want him to see her thin, gaunt, in pain. I didn’t want him to remember her that way. She wished to see her son, but I denied her. I did this for Christophe. I struggle still if I made the right decision.”
“You did,” she said gently, her arms around him tightening.
His Maddie, so loyal, telling him what he wanted to hear.
“I will never know if you speak true, my Maddie,” he murmured. “They had a bond, much like what he has with me. And if it were me abed, my power stripped, sickness eating away at me, pain crippling me, I would wish him not to see me like that. I would wish him to remember his father as vital. Jovial. Whole.”
“So you did the right thing,” she replied.
“He did not see her at all the three months before she passed. I robbed them both of each other to protect my son.”
Maddie swallowed but said nothing.
“It was torture,” he whispered.
She pulled her arms from around him so she could slide them up his chest, his neck, to frame his face as she murmured an aching, “Honey.”
“All of it was, Madeleine, watching her waste away, watching the pain consume her, keeping our son from her. Torture. Every moment.”
Her hands on him lightly squeezed.
“Tonight, the black mist took you, and I felt all that torture, months of it, condensed in an instant,” he declared and her eyes grew wide. “It was the most excruciating moment of my life.”
At that, he watched her eyes fill with tears.
“Baby,” she breathed.
Suddenly, he found his fingers shoving up into her hair, the pads digging into her scalp and he brought his face to a breath from hers. “Tonight we learned we must hold tight to happiness, my dove. Every day…every moment…is a gift. We must hold tight to that, Madeleine, and never let go.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He slid his nose along hers until their eyes were so close, if either of them blinked, their lashes would sweep the others’.
“I will not lose you,” he growled.
“I’m right here, sweetheart,” she soothed.
Apollo drew in a deep breath, released it then slanted his head so he could brush his mouth lightly against hers.
Only when he pulled back an inch did he reply, “You are, indeed.”
She gave him a shaky smile.
“Thank you, my dove, for fighting so hard this night to save a life I cherish.”
Her shaky smile wobbled as her face began to crumble but he saw no more when she lifted her head and shoved it in his neck.
“You-you-you’re welcome,” she stammered into his skin.
He gave her his weight for a brief moment in order to wrap his arms around her before he rolled them to their sides.
Putting his lips to her hair, he whispered, “Now you can sleep.”
She took a shuddering breath that was half sniveling, half chortling and nodded, her face now pressed to his throat.
He held her close and stroked her back as she gained control of her emotions. When she did, she slid a hand from where it was pressed to his chest, rounding him with her arm, and she pressed closer.
Many minutes later, when her body had loosened, her breath had evened and he thought her close to sleep, she called a drowsy, “Lo?”
And, gods, but he treasured it when she called him “Lo.”
“Yes, poppy,” he replied, giving her a squeeze.
He felt her frame tense slightly when she began, “You know that I, uh…well, I um…pretty much cherish you too, right?”
Again that night, a night he would not think he would find anything amusing, he couldn’t stop his body from shaking with laughter.
“Yes, Madeleine, I pretty much know you cherish me too.”
She relaxed and murmured, “Cool.”
He grinned at her hair and gave her another squeeze.
“Sleep, Maddie.”
“Right away, boss,” she muttered and again he grinned.
She settled in.
Apollo closed his eyes and saw the black mist shrouding her so he opened them again and gathered her even closer.
He took a deep breath as she snuggled into his embrace.
He took another one when, moments later, he felt sleep claim her.
Love like you build with Miss Madeleine is as she is. It is not of this world. Not of her world. It is beyond the worlds. It is beyond anything.
Meeta’s words filled his head and he was forced to take another deep breath.
Tonight, he almost lost her.
Tomorrow, he would set about making certain that did not happen.
He had no earthly clue how he would do it.
He just knew he bloody would.
Nothing could save Ilsa.
But nothing would ever again harm Maddie.
Not ever again.
Not ever.
* * * * *
His thoughts in turmoil, Apollo had no sleep. So he was awake when the soft knock came at the door.
He carefully disengaged from Maddie, strode swiftly to his trousers and yanked them on.
He then headed to the door.
He unlocked and opened it an inch.
Frey’s man Ruben stood outside.
His deep voice was low and concerned when he stated, “The dragons failed.”
Apollo felt his mouth get tight.
Very bad news.
But at least this meant his men lived.
And that their foe’s magic had to be weakened.
“Frey will meet you here in an hour’s time to discuss what we do next,” Ruben went on.
Apollo nodded.
Ruben moved away from the door.
Apollo closed it, leaned against it and aimed his eyes at Maddie’s sleeping form in the bed, his mind slotting the priorities in his head.
First, he would send men to find the false informant and put him in prison, awaiting trial.
Second, they would interrogate Franka, find the witch who created the Keer parcel and put her in prison to await trial.
Next, use Franka and Kristian to draw out the enemy.
Strike that.
Kristian could barely hold his water during the tame interrogation he’d endured.
Kristian and his family would “disappear.”
Franka would be their tool.
And last, find bloody Valentine and put the woman to work.
She’d been paid a handsome fee.
It was her time to earn it.
On that thought, he moved to the bed and commenced in waking Maddie with his mouth.
Then he made her climax with it.
After, he made her climax on his cock.
And after he joined her, content he’d started her day with happiness, he kissed her so hard he bruised her lips and made her gasp with pleasured pain when he finally released her mouth.
Then he left her in order to continue down his path of vengeance.
The path that would end with her safety.
Chapter Twenty-Three
It Was All I Had
“We cannot trust her.”
Apollo tore his gaze away from the window where he was studying Maddie outside with his daughter.
He was also studying his son.
Maddie and Élan were smiling and he often heard their laughter as they did whatever-they-were-doing in the snow outside the inn, waiting for Apollo and Frey to finish speaking so they could leave Brunskar and be away to Karsvall.
Seeing the vision outside the window, he was relieved that it seemed he had led Maddie beyond her concerns of last night, for she was no different than she normally was around his Élan.
Therefore, his thoughts were with Chris, who was not often far from his sister, and thus, of late, Maddie. But now, for some reason, he was well away from them both and not in a manner where he was simply interested in his own pursuits.
No, he appeared to be avoiding the two females.
This did not sit right with Apollo.
However, he had no time to dwell on it. He would keep his eye on the situation and approach his son later, if need be.
Now, he was discussing their next steps with Frey.
“Indeed Franka is not trustworthy,” he told his friend as he turned his eyes to Frey. “And matters will be worse than before, for even if there is now hope she will get her lover back alive, she will not forget your willingness to sacrifice him.”
Frey nodded. “This is true. And it seems Franka is unaware that if this Antoine has been tortured every hour for some time, if she gets him back, she may not find the man she knows returned.”
“Undoubtedly,” Apollo agreed.
Frey’s expression turned pensive. “Or she is aware and doesn’t care. She will simply take him as he comes.”
“This may be the case as it would appear she’s in love,” Apollo pointed out.
Frey focused on Apollo and shook his head. “I do not wish to think that as it would be indication that the world is coming to an end.”
Apollo chuckled and Frey gave him a smile.
“And you send the dragons again,” Apollo stated.
This was another part of their new strategy. Bombard the isle with dragon fire in hopes to either weaken the shield or weaken their magic.
“Daily, randomly,” Frey confirmed. “They will need to expend much magic to keep it strong against my dragons’ blaze and do it constantly for they will not know when the next attack will occur.”
“The elves?” Apollo asked.
“I always keep the branch close. I will visit them after I talk to Franka and before I join your party en route to Karsvall.”
Apollo nodded.
During the last war, in his play to depose Finnie’s father and unite Lunwyn and Middleland, Baldur’s son Broderick’s agents had burned all the adela trees to the ground. As these were the conduits used for the elves to ascend from their world under the ice, this was done to trap them and their formidable magic so they could not be of aid.
Since, Lavinia had made it her mission to plant new adelas all through Lunwyn. They were taking root but it would be decades before they’d grow strong.
Which made it fortunate that Frey and his Raiders had purloined an ancient relic, a branch of adela that Frey could touch to the earth anywhere and summon the elves to the ice.
“I’m rethinking staying separated from Tor and Lahn,” Apollo told him. “The magic you have at your command, Lavinia, and if we can find Valentine, Lunwyn is far safer for us all.”
Frey shook his head. “That reasoning holds merit, cousin, but your suggestion to divide their energies is sound. There are far more witches in the Vale than Lunwyn. They don’t hold the power of Lavinia and Valentine singly, and no one holds the power of the elves, save Minerva, but amassed, these witches are formidable. Tor has amassed them. Though, we’ll send birds and discuss how they feel about this course of action.”
Apollo nodded his agreement.
Frey’s eyes moved to the door and back to Apollo before he said, “We mustn’t delay.”
Apollo again looked toward the window, taking in Maddie, Élan and Christophe, who had not come any nearer to his sister, and thus Madeleine.
He turned his eyes back to Frey and said, “The sleighs should be ready. Finnie and Viktor will ride with Maddie and Élan. I ride at their side. We’ll expect you tomorrow evening in Skógarholt.”
Frey looked to the ceiling where Apollo knew Finnie was with their young son, Viktor, before his gaze came again to Apollo.
“Tomorrow evening in Skógarholt,” he agreed.
“Until then,” Apollo replied.
“Until then,” Frey returned on a low wave as he walked out the door.
Apollo watched the door close before he returned his attention to the window.
He felt his lips curving up when he saw Élan lean heavily into Maddie, head tipped back, face alight. Maddie had her hand curved over the pink knit cap on his daughter’s head, something she insisted Élan wear (she also insisted that Christophe wear a hat but he had balked when Apollo approached him and Maddie didn’t press).
She was looking down at Élan and her expression, too, was beaming.
His eyes went to Chris to see he was making his way toward the door of the inn and as he did this, he didn’t even look Maddie and his sister’s way.
Very strange.
Apollo decided to have a word.
But not now.
Now they needed to be away to get to Karsvall so that he could get his family to safety.
* * * * *
That night, Apollo turned the key to Maddie’s room and entered to see her sitting in bed, a loosely-knitted shawl around her shoulders to keep the chill at bay, the fire and all the lights blazing in the room. She had a book in her hands but her eyes were on him.
“How did the talk go?” she asked before he even got the door closed behind him.
He felt his lips curve up as he closed and locked the door.
She, too, had noticed that something was amiss with Christophe. She’d shared this when he’d told her he intended to have a word.
However, Christophe did not confide in his father during the talk.
Apollo was concerned, but not overly. He knew his son and if he asked, and it was his time to share, Chris would explain. If it wasn’t time, Christophe would explain when it was.
Maddie didn’t know Christophe as well. She did, however, care.
A great deal.
Therefore, she was anxious.
He didn’t like her to feel anxiety but he liked why she did.
He didn’t answer until he’d moved to her and sat beside her hip on the bed. Then he went about setting her mind at ease.
He leaned toward her and rested his weight into his fist in the bed. “He says all is well.”
She pressed her lips together, indication she didn’t believe this and the corners of his mouth again turned up.
“We both know all is not well, my dove,” he told her, and this had remained true through the ride as Chris did not stay close to Maddie’s sleigh as usual. Instead, he’d ridden with Remi and Gaston. “However, I trust my son that whatever is on his mind, he will share it with me when he’s ready. Now, he’s working through it and I need to give him time to do this.”
“It started last night when he saw me before the gale,” she told him and Apollo tipped his head to the side.
“You noticed it then?” he
“Yes,” she answered. “All day yesterday he was his usual Chris. When he came into my room with you and Élan, he seemed weird. Distant. He isn’t as friendly with me as Élan but he’s friendly. He’s never behaved like that and his behavior hasn’t changed all day.”
At her words, thinking of her last night in her gown, the children coming with him to say goodnight, understanding dawned and Apollo felt a burn hit his chest as he dropped his eyes to the covers at her side.
“Lo?” she called and he turned his attention back to her.
“Ilsa and I were social,” he explained quietly when he caught her eyes. “My place in my House as well as my many enterprises dictate I need to be. Ilsa was because she enjoyed socializing. We traveled a great deal and after we had Christophe, he came with us. Even as a babe. Ilsa didn’t like to be without him and neither did I.”
“Okay,” she prompted softly when he ceased speaking.
“If we had an event we were going to, it was our habit that I would collect Chris as Ilsa finished preparing for the evening and I would bring him to her in order that she could say goodnight to her son.”
He watched understanding light in her eyes before she whispered, “Oh God.”
But Apollo’s attention again drifted, as did his unfocused gaze, his thoughts turning to his son and what he must have felt the evening before, walking into Madeleine’s room, seeing her dressed for the gale wearing the colors of Ulfr house, appearing much like his mother about to do something he saw his mother so often do.
He gave a start when he felt Maddie’s hand light on his jaw and he returned his gaze to her to see she’d lifted up from the bed and gotten close.
“I can imagine that although I look like her, I didn’t seem much like her, until last night,” she noted.
“Yes,” he agreed.
“And I can imagine that what I am to you could seem innocuous to him, until he understood what we were doing last night and what I am to you became clearer.”
“Indeed,” Apollo again agreed, although he felt some disquiet at her use of the words “what I am to you” rather than how she should refer to herself as “who I am to you.”
“Crap,” she murmured before he could remark on this and he noticed her gaze had gone unfocused and had moved to his shoulder just as her hand fell away from his jaw.