A Player for A Princess

Looking down, she nods. “Not like that tooth situation?”

With a wince, I shake my head. We finally told her about the piece of Zelda, and she handled it far better than I expected. She took it better than me.

“I won’t hold information back from you again,” I promise.

A little smile, and I’m out the door. I don’t even pack. Touching the face of my smart watch, I alert Logan to meet me at the airport. The faster we move, the more likely we’ll catch someone off-guard.

19

Proof of Life

Zelda

It’s a typical, nameless day when everything about my situation changes. I’ve lost track of time, but I’ve been trying to rest more. Ximena took a chance and sent a note to school with Selena saying we needed extra milk. We haven’t said a word to any of the other women or to Mako about my pregnancy. I don’t know if it will put me at more risk or less if they know I’m expecting a royal baby.

Now when Selena comes home from school, she has a little box of milk in her bag along with her pencil and notebook. We’ve been doing this for five days when that Tuesday comes.

I’m sitting on the floor and Ximena is behind me on the cot braiding my hair. It’s growing hotter by the day, and we’re in this landlocked location. My mind drifts to the beautiful baths I found down the dirt path away from this camp.

I wish we could go there, but if we’re caught, it would be a very bad thing for Ximena. It wouldn’t be good for me, but at least I’m protected from the true horrors of this island—for now.

We haven’t heard another word about passes, and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have one, judging by how angry Mako was at me winning that round of blackjack. I haven’t been able to get him to play me again. Every time he comes to the area, he doesn’t look at me. He acts like I’m not even here.

Today ends that arrangement. The curtain over the door flies open, and I jerk back against the cot. Ximena pulls her legs up and gasps. Mako glares at her then glares at me.

“Bini ku mi,” he says, reaching down and grasping my arm.

I’m on my feet and being dragged out the door with Ximena right behind us speaking quickly in their language. I think she’s asking him what he’s doing. I’m slowly picking up bits of their language.

We’re out in the yard when my heart slams to the pit of my stomach. Fear races through my veins like electricity, and I fall behind Mako, even though I know he’d throw me in front of a train as soon as help me.

“What the fuck?” Blix is standing in the yard beside that Jeep-truck hybrid vehicle. He charges across the space to where Mako is holding me and pulls me out of his grip.

Turning me to the side, he smooths his hand over my stomach, then he turns to Mako. “Did you fuck her?” he shouts, and the man only holds up his hands and shakes his head.

“Can’t you see she’s clearly pregnant?”

I’m stunned he knows right away. We don’t have full-length mirrors here. I’ve only been able to see my face in Selena’s little hand mirror since I came here. Considering I just put the pieces together, I wonder what I look like to someone who hasn’t seen me in four weeks. I wonder what I’ll look like to Cal.

Blix speaks to me, which is a surprise, in view of his “never make me speak to you again” policy. “Are you pregnant?”

My heart is beating hard in my chest. I don’t know the correct answer to this question. I could lie and say I’ve merely been eating heavily and not moving, but I don’t know the consequences of lying to this man. I have to think about my baby now. I can’t be as reckless as I was when I was just Zelda Wilder.

“ANSWER ME!” he shouts getting right in my face.

Dropping my head, I look down at the sack dress I’ve been wearing. It’s tight around my stomach but hangs on my arms and shoulders. I suppose my condition is obvious.

“Yes,” I say quietly.

He exhales loudly and pulls a phone from his pocket. I watch as he dials, pacing back and forth in front of me. At once he begins speaking rapidly in what sounds like German into the phone. His dead blue eyes are trained on me, and I look up at him. He has a cruel face. He makes me think of people who like to torture their victims. He makes me think of little boys who catch birds so they can kill them. He makes me think of every evil person I’ve ever known.

“Is it the Prince’s baby?” he asks with no smile, no emotion.

My insides are racing. Will they hurt me if it’s Cal’s baby? Will they use this for something even worse than whatever made them kidnap me initially? I don’t answer right away. I’ve learned in my gambling jobs sometimes it’s better to wait and see if the person asking a question will answer it for himself.

Blix is not one of those people. When I don’t answer his eyes flash and he crosses the space to grab my arm. “Are you deaf as well as stupid?”

He’s holding me so hard, I let out a little cry of pain. “No,” I say, struggling for breath.