In My Mother's Footsteps

In My Mother\'s Footsteps part 3
by Entervixen

Adriel looked up at me as I came into the bedroom. \"Get dressed,\" I told him curtly, letting the robe fall from my shoulders. \"Someone tried to kill Thomas.\"
Adriel\'s eyes got huge, but he stood up to obey. I turned my back on him and opened my closet, not seeing my clothing. I put on the first thing that came to my hand, a stretch velvet dress that came to my ankles, flaring out enough to give it some swing. I put on some tights and slid my feet into my knee high boots and turned back around to face Adriel.
He was dressed by then, slipping into his shoulder holster. He checked the guns a few times before looking at me. Fear rolled off him in waves. Thick enough that I shook my head to try and clear it. It didn\'t help. \"Mother wants to see us.\" I looked down at the floor, looked back up at him, squared my shoulders, and walked out, him on my heels.
Michael stood as I came out. I nodded at him, and he went to the door, opening it wordlessly. We followed. None of knew what to say.
Mother was waiting in the front room of her apartment with Liam and Mourn on either side. Liana and Gabriel sat opposite them, their guards standing behind them. I went to Mother first, wrapping my arms around her as she stood.
\"Is he okay?\"
Mother pulled away first, wiping at her eyes. \"We don\'t know. He won\'t wake up.\"
\"So he\'s in a coma?\"
She shook her head. \"No. It\'s a magical sleep, one we can\'t wake him from, no matter how much we try. Gideon is staying with him, in case he wakes up.\"
I nodded, a tear trailing down my cheek. This was bad, really bad. I sat down in one of the chairs, Adriel taking his spot behind me.
No one said anything for a few minutes, not knowing what to say. Finally, Mother looked at me.
\"I\'m sorry to do this to you, but from now on, if you go somewhere, it\'s with no less than three guards, of my choosing.\" Her hands drifted to her swollen belly, as if she could protect the child inside by simply holding it in her hands.
As upset as I was, I protested. \"Mother, come on. Three guards?\"
\"Three guards. I won\'t let them take you, too.\" Her face was stubborn, as was mine. \"They\'ll stay with you at all times.\"
I laughed. \"I hate to disappoint you, but my bed is not exactly the same size as yours. I doubt that two more people will fit.\"
Anger flashed across her face, and only Liam and Mourn\'s hands on her arms kept her from standing up and slapping me. I deserved to be slapped, but I couldn\'t help it. Liam shook his head and answered. \"Not in your bed. We\'ll have cots set up in the front room for them.\"
I sighed, shaking my head. \"Fine, fine.\" I waved one hand dismissively. \"Who?\"
Mother sighed as well, shaking off the grip of her two lovers. \"Damon, Eadoin, and Michael.\"
My breath caught in my throat at Michael\'s name. \"I can see Damon, since he is one of the best with any kind of blade, and Eadoin, since he knows the most about modern weaponry, but why Michael?\"
\"Because it was a magical attack, and Michael is one of the best mages we have.\" She gave me a hard stare. \"I don\'t want to lose you, Judith. I know we haven\'t spent a lot of time together lately, but I do love you, and it would kill something inside of me if I lost you.\"
My anger subsided at that. I nodded. \"I understand.\"
\"You are not the oone one going under heavy guard, Judith. I\'m placing guards around both Gideon and Thomas, and I will be under heavy guard as well.\" She sighed, massaging her stomach. \"We will find out who did this.\" She gave me a small, sad smile. \"I will summon the other guards. I don\'t want you wandering around without them, not until we find who did this.\"
I nodded. Mother\'s eyes went blank as she summoned the men. Eadoin was nice enough, he taught me all about guns and stuff when I was little. but Damon, I didn\'t know very well, and didn\'t want to get to know. He scared me when I was a little girl, and, in y, Iy, I was still afraid of him now.
The two men were at the door in minutes. Michael opened it, letting them in. Eadoin was tall, with long dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Damon wasn\'t as tall, but he was broader, with crew cut blond hair and ice blue eyes surrounded by a ring of darker blue. He was very handsome, but he was cold, precise. I looked away, to to my mother.
She smiled up at them. \"Good day, Damon, Eadoin. I have something to ask of you.\"
Damon was the one who answered. \"What my queen wants is what my queen shall get.\"
\"I want you two, with Michael, to guard Judith. I don\'t want anyone getting close enough to her to do what they did to Thomas.\"
Both men\'s eyes slid to me. Eadoin smiled slightly at me, but Damon\'s eyes were hard, unforgiving. I fought the urge to glare back at him. Fuck him. It wasn\'t my fault things happened this way.
Mother\'s gaze slid to me, begging me to behave. I didn\'t blame her. I was something of a hellion, even I could admit that. But this time, this time I had to behave. No more slipping from my guard, teasing the humans, nothing like that, until we figured out what was going on.
I stood, going over to Mother. \"I\'ll behave, I promise,\" I whispered in her ear. She patted my back.
\"I know you will. For all you\'re a hell raiser, you\'ve been a good kid. You\'re just a little too like me, I suppose.\"
Eadoin patted my head as I cup tup to them. I smiled at him and playfully grabbed his hand. \"Haven\'t seen you in awhile, stranger.\"
\"Yeah, I\'ve been busy.\"
I let his hand go. Michael opened the door for us, and we walked out.
Michael walon oon one side of me, Adriel on the other. Damon and Eadoin brought up the rear. Damon\'s anger at me washed over me in waves. What had I done to deserve such animosity from an al str stranger?
Once we were in my room, I spun around and poked one finger in his chest. \"What is your problem with me?\"
He grabbed my hand, wrenching it to one side. \"I am the captain of the guard. I do not baby-sit.\"
I snatched my hand away. \"Well, too bad. My mother assigned you to me, and u thi this passes, you\'re stuck with me.\"
He snarled and pushed into my space. \"Sit down and shut the fuck up. You\'re nothing but a whore, even by our standards.\"
I stepped back and backhanded him, hard. His cheek glowed red. \"I am the royal princess and the heir to the throne. You will not speak to me in such a manner.\" My voice was quiet, but it carried. His face wiped clean of all emotion, and he stepped back.
\"As my princess wishes.\"
I frowned at that, but let it slide. I shook my head and turned around. \"When the quartermaster comes with the cots, Michael, let him in. I\'m going to take a nap.\"