Taltos (Lives of the Mayfair Witches 3)

All this while Rowan's gray eyes were fixed on her, scanning her, weighing her response to every word.

"I don't agree with him," said Rowan. "I think the villains of the piece killed Aaron to cover their tracks. That's why they've also tried to kill Yuri. That's why they may be arranging some sort of accidental death for me. On the other hand ..."

"Then you are in danger! And what happened to Yuri? When did it happen, where?"

"This is my simple point," Rowan said. "We don't know the limits of the danger for anyone who's in any way involved. We can't know because we don't really know the motives of the killers. Yuri's theory, that they won't give up until they've bred a Taltos, is obviously the most pessimistic and the most inclusive. And that's what we should go with. You and Michael both have to be protected. And Michael is the only one in the family, really, who knows why. It's imperative you remain within the house."

"So you're leaving us together here? All cozy and comfortable under your own roof? Rowan, I want to say something to you that takes a lot of nerve."

"You shouldn't have any problem," said Rowan simply.

"You're underestimating Michael. You're selling him short in every respect. He's not going to go for this. And if you leave him without telling him, he's not likely to hang around and play the assigned role. If he does, what do you think the man in him is going to want? And if he does want to do it--sleep with me, that is--what do you think I am? Rowan, you're arranging all this as if we were pawns you're moving on a chessboard. Rowan, we're not."

Rowan didn't answer. After a little pause, she smiled.

"You know, Mona, I wish I could take you with me," she said. "I wish you'd come."

"I will! Take me and Michael! The three of us should go."

"The family would never tolerate such a betrayal on my part," said Rowan. "And I couldn't do it to you myself."

"That's crazy, Rowan. Why are we having this conversation? Why are you asking me things like what I think about what's going on?"

"There are too many reasons, Mona, why you have to stay here with Michael."

"And what if we do get in the sack together?"

"That's up to you."

"Terrific, punch him out, and expect me to comfort him but not to--"

Absently, Rowan slipped out a cigarette, then stopped exactly as she had before, gave a little sigh, and pushed it back in the pack.

"I don't care if you smoke," said Mona. "I don't do it, due to my superior intelligence, but--"

"You'll care very soon."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Don't you know?"

Mona was flabbergasted. She didn't answer. "You're saying ... oh God, I should have known."

She sat back. Still, there had been so many near misses in the past. She was always on the phone to her gynecologist. "I think I did it this time."

"It's no near miss," said Rowan. "Is it Yuri's child?"

"No," Mona answered. "That's impossible. Sir Galahad was too careful. I mean, that is flatly impossible."

"It's Michael's child."

"Yes. But are you certain I am pregnant? I mean, this was only a month ago, and ..."

"Yes," said Rowan. "The witch and the doctor know the same thing."

"So this could be the Taltos," said Mona.

"Do you want a reason to get rid of it?"

"No, absolutely not. There's nothing on earth that's going to make me get rid of it."

"You're certain?"

"How certain do I have to be?" Mona asked. "Rowan, this is a Catholic family. We don't do away with babies. Besides, I wouldn't do away with this baby no matter who the father was. And if it's Michael's, that's all the more reason for everybody to be happy, because Michael's part of the family! You really don't know us so well, Rowan. You're not getting it, even now. If it's Michael's baby ... if it's really there, that is ..."

"Please finish."

"Why don't you finish for me?"

"No, I would like to hear you say it, if you don't mind."

"If it's Michael's, then Michael would be the father of the next generation that will inherit this house."

"Yes."

"And if the baby were a girl, I could designate it as the one to inherit everything, and ... you and Michael could be its godparents and we could stand at the baptismal font together. We could stand there and then Michael would have a baby, and I'd have a father who I wanted for the baby that everyone will trust and love."

"I knew you would paint a more colorful description than I would," said Rowan softly, a little sadly. "That went beyond my expectations. You're right. There are still things about this family I have to learn."

"Color in St. Alphonsus Church, where Stella and Antha and Deirdre were baptized. And I think ... I think they baptized you over there too."

"That they've never told me."

"Seems I heard it. Seems like something they would do."

"There's no chance that you might decide to get rid of it."

"You gotta be kidding! I want it. I'd want any baby of my own, be serious. Look, I'm going to be so rich I can buy anything in the world, but there's no substitute in existence for my own baby. I can make that happen only one way. Oh, if you knew the family more, if you hadn't spent your life out there in California, you'd understand it's not even a question, unless, of course.... But even then ..."

"Even then?"

"Let's worry about that when it happens. There must be indications, all kinds of little signs, if it's abnormal."

"Perhaps so. Perhaps not. When I carried Lasher, there were no signs until the moment came."

Mona wanted to respond, to say something, but she was too deep in her thoughts. Her own child. Her own child, and nobody, I mean nobody, was going to shove her around anymore. Her own child, and she would have passed over into adulthood regardless of age. Her own child. Suddenly she didn't think thoughts so much as she saw things. She saw a cradle. She saw a baby, a real live little baby, and she saw herself holding the emerald necklace and then she put the necklace around the baby's neck.

"What about Yuri?" asked Rowan. "Will he understand about this?"

Mona wanted to say yes. The truth was she didn't know. She thought of Yuri, quickly, sort of completely. He was sitting on the side of the bed that last night, and saying to her, "There are all sorts of very important reasons why you must marry among your people." She didn't want to think that she was thirteen and fickle. She realized suddenly that Yuri's understanding about the baby was the least of her worries, the very least.

Why, she hadn't even found out yet how they tried to kill Yuri. She hadn't even asked if he was hurt.

"An attempt was made to shoot him," said Rowan, "and the attempt failed. Unfortunately the assassin was killed by the person who foiled him. And the body won't be easy to find. We won't try to find the body anyway. We have a different plan."

"Listen, Rowan, whatever your plan, you've got to tell Michael all this. You can't just leave."

"I know."

"Why aren't you scared that these bad guys will kill you and Yuri both?"

"I have a few weapons that are strictly my own. Yuri knows the Motherhouse completely. I think I can get into it. I can reach one of the very old members, one of the most trusted and revered. I need perhaps fifteen minutes with him to know whether this evil springs from the Order collectively, or from a small group."

"Can't be one person, Rowan. Too many people are dead."

"You're right, and three of their soldiers are dead. But it could be a very small group within the Order, or outsiders who have a connection within."