Part 32
Samantha had warned her lords that extra precautions needed to be taken to protect against evil but they’d been confident they would be able to protect her. As soon as Howard left and the power of three separated, word had spread quickly through the underworld. Every demon that existed wanted a chance to destroy the Lords of Eternity, gain The Source’s powers, and capture the most magical being alive.
Demons began shimmering into the banquet hall sending panic skittering through the nobles gathered like lightning streaking across the sky. Everyone wanted to defend their hosts but were not quite sure how as fireballs sailed through the air. Alex and Kevin easily dodged or deflected the fireballs destroying furniture in the process. The two lords did their best to protect their guests as well as keep the demons away from Samantha.
"Where the hell is Howard?" bellowed Alex as a demon he’d just stabbed with his dagger vanished in a fiery explosion.
"With Samantha."
"We need to go to her…to protect her."
"NO! Stay here….keep them AWAY from her. Howard…." Kevin diverted a fireball destroying yet another demon as he sensed the other lord. "He’s aware of what is happening."
"I’m….not…sure I can…" but Alex stopped as Howard buried a dagger in the demon he’d been battling.
The power of three restored, the three lords stood and faced the remaining demons. With a wave of their hands, their foes were gone in a bright flash of fire.
Turning to Howard, Kevin asked, "Is Samantha alright?"
"She’s scared and wants us all together."
"You two go on," said Alex. "I’ll take care of our guests and join you."
"Thank you, Alex," responded Kevin gratefully.
"As soon as you can, join us," insisted Howard.
"I promise."
With Alex staying behind to calm the guests, Kevin and Howard shimmered to their chambers and were greeted by a blood-curdling scream from Samantha. Before them, Samantha was on the bed, maids on either side of her holding her hands and wiping her face while the mid-wife gave instructions trying to deliver the baby.
Moving quickly, they each joined her, dismissing her maids.
"We’re here now, my love," reassured Kevin as he took her hand.
"Alex?" It was a whimpered request, filled with fear, for her third lord to be with her.
Howard took the cool rag and wiped her face. "No need to be scared any longer, my lady. All is well and Alex will be here momentarily. He’s making sure the guests have plenty of brandy and ale to drink."
Samantha tried to smile but tears erupted as her body tensed and the mid-wife instructed her to push. This time though, they were all rewarded with sounds of a baby crying and Samantha collapsed into the pillows.
Howard wiped her face as Kevin moved to see the crying bundle that the mid-wife had handed to a maid. The mid-wife continued to work with Samantha cleaning her before moving her attentions to the baby.
"How do you feel?" whispered Howard.
“Tired,” answered Samantha as she closed her eyes.
Howard wiped her face and kissed her softly. “Rest my lady, you’re safe.”
“How is she?”
Howard looked up into Alex’s concerned eyes. “She’s just tired.”
“She looks so fragile…so helpless. Is she asleep?”
Howard knew Alex was right but he didn’t want to admit it. As he looked back at her, he said, “I think so.”
Alex took a seat at the foot of the bed and placed a hand on her foot. Closing his eyes, he crossed the plane and called for her.
From the darkness that surrounded him, he heard her call weakly, “Alex, I need you.”
“I’m right here, my love.”
“I’m cold, Alex…so cold.”
Her voice was faint and Alex felt her getting farther away. “Hold on, Samantha. Reach out to me.”
“I….can’t,” came the faint response.
Alex opened his eyes in panic. “Something’s wrong…VERY wrong.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Kevin, alarmed by Alex’s panic.
“She kept getting farther away from me and she said she was cold. When I told her to reach out to me, she said she couldn’t.”
“That’s not good,” said Howard as he touched her forehead. “She has a fever.”
Kevin’s eyes darkened as he wheeled on the mid-wife. “DO something to help her,” he demanded.
The mid-wife moved from where she had been taking care of the baby back to Samantha and quickly evaluated the situation. Turning to the lords, fear in her eyes, she said, “There’s nothing more I can do for her.”
“You HAVE to do something. The doctor is too far away to get here in time!” stated Alex.
“A doctor won’t be able to help her either.”
“Then who can?” questioned Howard.
“No one,” answered the mid-wife, her eyes diverted from the lords. Hearing the baby cry, she said, “I will find someone to care for the infant in his mother’s stead.”
Fearful of the lords’ anger, the maids and the mid-wife quickly cleared the room leaving the men alone with Samantha. They were plunged into a deathly silence watching their lady slowly slipping away from them.
“I should never have been so selfish,” growled Kevin.
“She wanted it, Kevin,” answered Howard. “You weren’t being selfish.”
“Howard’s right,” agreed Alex. “She came to us….because she had a vision. It was her destiny too.”
“She had a vision of giving each of you a son as well. How can she if she dies?” pointed out Kevin. “We never should have turned her or kept her here. We….no, I killed her.”
With that, Kevin stormed out of the room.
“He’s wrong! Please, Howard….say he’s wrong! We didn’t kill her…did we?”
“No, we didn’t.” He wasn’t sure at all that he was right but he had to reassure Alex and he wasn’t ready to accept losing her.
“She loves us.” Alex’s tears fell unheeded. “She believes in us. She can’t leave us, not now. We have to do something to save her.”
Howard looked at him. “You’re right. Stay here with her.”
“Where are you going?”
“I think I know who can help her. Just stay with her…keep talking to her, telling her how much we love her.”
“What if…what if she…”
“Come to me if you need me. I’ll try to be back before dawn.” Before leaving, Howard placed a kiss on her lips. “You have to hold on, my love….until I return. I’ll bring you someone to make you better.”
