Warrior Rising by Linda Winstead Jones

fine.
    “We must protect the baby, while we can,” Luca said softly. “For now, we protect him with our silence.”
    She leaned back in and rested her head against his shoulder. Him was better than the earlier it , and still, it was wrong. “Her,” she whispered.
    He did not question how she knew. Her single word was enough.
    “Will I carry the child for nine months, as if I were still human?”
    Luca spoke words she suspected had not often passed his lips. “I don’t know.”
    “Will the baby survive the change in my body?” According to him, if she were still human she’d lose the baby. Could a vampire nourish a fetus? Obviously the answer to that was yes, since Luca had been born to a vampire mother. But his father was also a vampire, and both parents had been vampires when he’d been conceived.
    Her daughter had been conceived when she’d been human, and still grew beneath her heart.
    Their time alone together had been rare these past few days, and this day was no different. A solid knock sounded on the door next to this one. A moment later, that same sharp knock sounded on the door to this small room. Luca snapped, “Enter,” and the Warrior Rurik did. Only then did Luca release her.
    “Nevada requests your presence immediately.”
    Luca looked annoyed. He had much to do, and he was not accustomed to being summoned by anyone. “The witch? Why? And how would she even remember enough to ask for me?”
    The Warrior smiled, a wide, real grin. “She needed a bit of help, I’ll admit. There were many scribbled notes before her.”
    The three of them left the room and climbed to the first floor, then to the second. There was much activity as Warriors, humans, and vampires prepared to move their headquarters elsewhere. As their forces spread out, effectively setting up stations all around the city, the number in this large mansion continued to decrease. The battle that had taken place here had left the once-fine house more than a bit of a mess, but they had managed for several days. They would not stay much longer, though.
    Two Warriors guarded Nevada’s door. As Chloe walked down the hall, following in Rurik and Luca’s footsteps, the scent of human blood grew stronger and sweeter and more tempting. Heaven above, she was hungry!
    “No,” Luca said softly. “I will see that you’re fed later.”
    It wasn’t easy, but she trusted him. Besides, Nevada was on their side, and Chloe was far too new to have the kind of control that would allow her to stop before draining a human past the point of death. But oh, the witch smelled good.
    The two Warriors parted to allow the threesome to enter. Nevada stood at a worktable that literally glimmered with remnants of magic. Chloe wondered if everyone could see it, or if that glimmer was for her eyes only.
    “This is him?” Nevada asked, her eyes on Luca, her question directed to Rurik.
    “Yes. This is Luca. Shall we test your latest spell?”
    Nevada lifted her hand and impatiently instructed Luca to step forward. He did so, and — eyes on him the entire time — the witch offered a ring on her outstretched hand. Chloe’s eyes were drawn to the blue veins on the witch’s pale wrist, to the heartbeat, to the scent of blood. She stopped well short of the table, as Luca continued on.
    “Put it on,” Nevada said as Luca plucked the ring from her hand. At his expression — raised eyebrows, hardened eyes, thinned lips — she added, “Please, sir.”
    Luca looked to Rurik, who nodded once. Only then did he slip the ring onto the middle finger of his right hand.
    When it was done, Nevada turned about, presenting her back to them all. A moment later, she completed the circle.
    She would not remember Luca now. He had been out of her sight. The witch smiled widely and even did a little happy dance that included clapping her hands twice. “Luca, nice to see you again.”
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    “Clever.” Indikaiya said as the conveyance Sorin had been guiding stopped in front of a