Iron Crowned Chapter 20

I didnt know what the flowers meant. Nothing desire that had ever happened when Id meditated in the Thorn Land. Over the succeeding(a) few days, I erect kept sentiment more or less what Rurik had said, that no other monarch save my father had ruled more than iodine country in recent history. It had set outn great power and magic for me to exert my dominance over the unloads. Were they feeding it keystone to me in return? I sure enough felt stronger with them, besides Id neer expected any sort of unconscious physical manifestation. What else was I capable of? What could I make out the land do?I didnt mention the matter to anyone, not even Kiyo. Hed seen the red flowers but brushed them off. If I told him astir(predicate) the Thorn Land, I fe ared hed grow upset active the impression of my magic increasing. He grudgingly accepted what I already possessed but still feared it would turn me into my father, no heir filled.And although Id felt physic each(prenominal)y sto p in the Otherworld, I grew weak again after a day or so second in Tucson. I didnt mention this to Kiyo any, but Jasmine was rough enough to pick up on it.Are they calling to you again? she asked over breakfast one day. She was devouring Pop-Tarts, another love we apparently shared. I was too worried to learn an appetite and simply watched. You look like crap.I dont know, I said, drumming my fingers against a glass of water. in that respects no precedent for this at least not anymore. No one knows what to expect from me having ii kingdoms.I bet Dorian would know.I bet he would too, but I shake my head. Hes not all-knowing no matter how much he wants to be, I countered. And Im done with him.Okay. She didnt fight it. For a while, shed kept telling me Id made a skid in breaking up with Dorian, but Kiyo had been growing on her. I still wasnt sure if she approved, but at least I didnt shoot to see to teen advice about my love life anymore. further you might just pitch to go back soon. I mean, think about it. Youre bound to two lands in the Otherworld. Arent the lands and the monarch one? Part of yous there. It makes sense youd have to be there twice as much.I winced at the idea, though it had been on my capitulum too. If I were there any more, Id be maintenance there permanently.She swallowed the cash in ones chips of or so crust. You whitethorn not have a choice.Her flippant tone peeved me. Theres al commissions a choice. I rule them. They dont rule me. I stood up abruptly and briefly became dizzy. It felt like the lands were mocking me. Damn it, I popular opinion. You entrust not call me back so quickly. Im staying in this world for a while. Ill come and go when I please. I just need to stop thinking about it. Im going to see if Laras got a business enterprise.Yeah, said Jasmine dryly. Thatll fix everything.Lara did have a job for me, several actually. Even though she was all but living with Tim in my house she still kept meticulous records and took all my calls. She looked disappointed that I only accepted one from her growing list of jobs, a small(a) one at that a simple haunting that would probably take about five minutes. She said nothing, but I knew that she worried if I didnt make any money, she wouldnt either. So, remembering Enriques comment about needing help but not being able to trust anyone, I gave her his card with the suggestion she call about part-time work.Are you firing me? she asked.I smiled as I gathered up all my weapons. No, but I want you to have a co-occurrence plan in fount you get laid off. Her eyes widened in alarm at the joke. Or, I suddenly wondered, was it a joke?I brought Jasmine with me to the job because I still felt uneasy about leaving her alone. Besides, she was finally getting her fill of the human world, and I had a feeling her insistence on me returning to the Otherworld was partly selfish.Later, after Id finished the job, I kind of regretted bringing a witness.Wow, she said, a s we drove home. You got your ass kicked.I did not.Did too.So. This was what it was like having a sister.I banished it, didnt I? You saw it go to the Underworld.Yeah, she admitted, but it sure did take a long time. I felt like I could have done it, and Ive never banished anything before.I gritted my teeth, refraining from commenting that I still had her chains. The troubling thing was, I had kind of sucked. Id been in no real danger not with a ghost that shaver but it had beaten me up more than it should have. I was off my game, a little slower, a little weaker. Id walked away with about bruises and now noticed as we drove that my shoulder itched. For a moment, I thought the ghost must have hit me there, but there was no pain. The stitches. Id nearly forgotten about them, now that theyd finally been able to heal. My skin had probably started to grow over the threads. I needed them out.No one was at my house, much to my disappointment. Id hoped Kiyo had stopped by and could remov e the stitches. Trying to be optimistic, I decided he must be pulling a shift at the veterinary hospital and wasnt with Maiwenn. and then far, Id elated no official word from her about my new double-queen status. Other monarchs had weighed in, though. Some had responded by showering me with congratulatory gifts and groveling. Others had let me know in an amiable way about other monarchs they were pals with, monarchs with big armies. It turned out everyone did fear the Iron Crown.I called my regular doctor, hoping to get an appointment this week as backup, in case Kiyo stayed absent. To my pleasant surprise, theyd had a cancellation that afternoon and could remove the stitches dear away. It was good news for me but an annoyance for Jasmine, whod just gotten comfortable on the couch.Oh, come on, she said, stretching out. We just got home. Cant you please leave me here? I promise not to conquer the world or get pregnant while youre gone.You know, I said, Lara and Tim had sex right where youre lying. She jumped up.A half hour later, we arrived at my doctors office.I left Jasmine in the waiting room, deeming her safe enough with her iPod and magazines for the five minutes it would take to remove my stitches. perchance shed read some contraception pamphlets to pass the time.They did this in the ER? the doctor asked when I was admitted to an examination room and had taken off my shirt.Id been seeing Dr. Moore for a couplet years now. She was a pleasant, mid-fortyish woman who had eventually learned not to ask too many questions about my injuries. She thought I was a contractor who secure martial arts on the side.Not exactly, I said. I tore the ones the ER did, so my boyfriend had to redo them.She took hold of tweezers and a tiny correspond of scissors and leaned over. Well, his works neat, and it didnt get infected. If Id seen you when this happened, I would have confined you to your bed. I would have known better than to assume you wouldnt promptly rip thes e out.Yeah, I really pulled one over on the other doctor.She snorted a small laugh and proceeded to pull the stitches out. They stung where they tugged the skin, but honestly, it was nothing compared to my normal wear and tear.There you go, she said, stepping back. Youll have a scar.I put my shirt back on and faced her. Battle trophy.She rolled her eyes, leaning against the wall with crossed arms. You shouldnt joke about that.Sorry. I picked up my purse, but her expression said we werent done.Eugenie I dont ask many questions, not any more than I need to treat you, but Im worried about how often you come in with these kinds of injuries.If only she knew how many I didnt come in for. I No, no, she interrupted. I dont need to know all the details of your life. I try not to judge but you might need to. There are jobs out there that are physical in nature. Thats life. But whatever youre doing maybe you should reevaluate it. To be blunt, you look terrible today.Oh, that. Crap. I coul d hardly explain that it was the residual aftereffects of a magical battle in the Otherworld, during which Id fought for dominion of a fairy kingdom and become its new master, thus doubling my reign. Im just, uh, coming down with something. Just kind of tired, you know.She arched her eyebrows.Double crap.Then lets do some quick blood and urine tests, she said, straightening up. Check your electrolytes, thyroid I fumbled for an excuse. Id never been comfortable with those kinds of tests since discovering I had gentry blood. I was pretty sure human practice of medicinal drug couldnt detect that sort of thing, but I didnt want to take any chances. I dont have time. My sisters waiting for me in the lobby.Im sure shell be okay, said Dr. Moore. Thisll take five minutes.Fine. I sat back on the table, defeated. But can you send someone to make sure shes still out there? Shes the large(p) one.Dr. Moores nurse returned to send me to the bathroom and then drew blood when I came back. She wa s in the middle of telling me they would send the tests out to a lab, when Dr. Moore herself stuck her head back in.Can we talk for a moment? she asked.The nurse discreetly left, and once we were alone, I braced for another lecture about my lifestyle. I really need to get back to my sister, I told her. You dont know what shes capable of.Eugenie. Dr. Moores voice was kind but firm. closely of those tests we have to wait on, but there are a few we do right here with urine.And?And, youre pregnant.I thought about this for a moment and then enlightened her.No. Im not.Those eyebrows rose again.Your test came back positive. Now, we cant tell how far just from a urine test, but based on Your test is wrong I sprang up from the table. My world was starting to lurch again. I cant be pregnantTo her credit, she took my outburst calmly, but that was probably part of her training. The test is very accurate, and it would explain why you arent feeling well.I cant be pregnant, I repeated adamantly . There was a mistake here. A terrible, terrible mistake, and she needed to understand that. Until she did, I refused even to process what she was claiming. I take my family obligate pills. Every day. Same time. Just like Im supposed to. Im not going to lie I do other stupid shit all the time. But not with pills. I take them perfectly. I did with the antibiotics too. Im careless with stitches but not prescriptions.That calm expression shifted to surprise. Antibiotics? When were you taking antibiotics?I pointed to my shoulder. When I got this. The ER doctor gave me a prescription. I frowned. What? Why are you looking at me like that? I told you I took them correctly, all of them.Antibiotics can negate birth control pills, she said. Didnt you know that?I What? No. Thats not No. A mistake. A terrible, terrible mistake.Women taking both need to use some other form of contraception until the antibiotics have run their course.A horrible, cold feeling began spreading over me. How was I supposed to know that? I asked in a small voice.Your pharmacist should have told you when you got the antibiotics. The interaction would have shown up in your records.I thought back to that night, how my mom and I had stopped at the place closest to the hospital. I didnt go to my usual pharmacy. And I had gotten out of there as fast as I could, not bothering to talk to the pharmacist because Id taken antibiotics lots of time in my life. I certainly hadnt bothered with the enclosed pamphlets.Dr. Moore seemed to think shed gotten through to me. Now, we can figure out how far along you are if you know when your last menstruum No, I exclaimed. No, no, no. I cant be pregnant Dont you understand? I cant be. I cant have a baby. I cant I was shouting again and wondered if this place had security.Calm down, Dr. Moore said. Everything will be all right.No, no, it wouldnt. Everything wouldnt be all right. Nausea welled in me, nausea Id felt for a few weeks or so and that had nothing to do with inheriting the Rowan Land. After all this time, after all the planning and lofty talk, after all my fears about Jasmine it was me. Human medicine had screwed me over. No, I had screwed me over. Id fucked up. My own carelessness had brought this about. Everything anyone had ever said about the Storm King prophecy began to run through my mind. Sformi, Kings first grandson. An invasion of the human world. direct by his mother. Domination and blood. And I, I was bringing it about. I was the instrument.EugenieDr. Moore was supporting me, and I had a feeling shed said my name a few times. She glanced at the door and opened her mouth, about to call her nurse.No I clutched at her white coat. Dont. Listen to me. My voice was raspy and desperate. I cant. I cant have a baby. Dont you understand?She peered at me through her glasses, regarding me knowingly. Then you dont have to. There are options You cant have a boy, some voice inside me said. What if its a girl?Wait, I interrupted he r. When can you tell the gender?That got a shocked look. Youd base an abortion on gender?I no, wait. Fuck. I couldnt think. I was dread and scared and confused. I needed to get my head together. What did I do? I had to get rid of this baby, pure and simple. People did it all the time. It was easy in this day and age, right? I meant, how long until you can tell gender and if if theres anything wrong. I groped for something reasonable, something that wouldnt make me seem like a heartless woman whod use up her son. You can do those tests, right? Like, genetic tests? I Im so afraid of having a baby and having there be something wrong. My family has a bad history. My cousins have had babies with birth defects, and I cant I cant handle that. I have to know. I have to know right away as early as possible because otherwise Ill The lies rolled easily off my lips. Anything. Anything to know the gender.Dr. Moore studied me again. I still sounded crazy and scattered, I knew, but a lit tle less than before. When was your last period? she asked quietly.I turned to her wall calendar. The numbers swam before me. I couldnt focus. How the hell could I remember that when the fate of the world was on the line? I thought about my last period and tried to link it to some event, something that would trigger a date.There. I pointed. It started on the fifth.She nodded, doing mental calculations. Which lines up with the antibiotics. Youre almost nine weeks along, as the reckoning goes, though technically only seven since conception.Seven. Seven weeks Youre almost in the range for chorionic villus sampling, she said. Chorionic what? They dont like to do it unless its necessary, though. There are risks for the fetus. They almost never do it for someone your age, whos in good health.But it can tell me? I said urgently. It can tell me what I need to know?It can tell you a lot. No test can tell you everything, but it can give you peace of mind specially if you really do have a ba d family history Did I ever.I do, I said. Please.I held my breath, knowing she was wavering here. Finally, she turned to her filing cabinet, grooving through it until she found a carbon form. She scrawled something in doctors handwriting on it and handed it over. Here.It was a referral to an OB-GYNs office nearby. The form had my name, some boxes checked, and a few foul words. I did make out CVS and emergency.Emergency? I asked. I mean, it was, but I was surprised shed nailed it.It means youll get scheduled in right away. Most of these tests are backed up because they arent done this early. Give it to my nurse when you leave. She was writing something else as she spoke. Shell call them and schedule you but you need to be aware they may refuse it when youre there, based on their judgment. I meant it this isnt routine.My next words were hesitant. Then why are you doing it?Because I believe that in pregnancy, the mothers health outweighs everything else.Mothers health. I didnt like thinking of myself as a mother. Fuck. This shouldnt even be an issue at all We should be discussing abortions. Why did I care about gender? I didnt want a baby. I wasnt ready for a baby. Certainly not one whod fulfill a world-conquering prophecy.In this case, said Dr. Moore. Your mental health is especially concerning. Which is what this is for. She handed me the other piece of paper. It was a referral for a psychologist.I dont need Eugenie, shock over an unplanned pregnancy is normal. Expected. But its clear you have some very serious issues around this.She had no idea.Have my nurse call for the test. Then schedule yourself a therapist appointment and a follow-up with me.There was no way I could tell her I had no intention of going to therapy. I wasnt even sure about the follow-up. But Id gotten away with something, and I knew it. I nodded meekly. Thank you. I left before she could change her mind.Jasmines face was filled with irritation and impatience when I finally returned. T hat took forever, she said, tossing a magazine aside. How fat were those stitches?Not that deep, I murmured. I walked toward my car on autopilot, still stunned. She was worried about how tired I was, thats all.Well, you can fix that when we go back to the Otherworld.I started the car, staring off into space for a few ponderous moments as numbers floated around in my head. Nine weeks, seven weeks. both days. That was how long until my test. Two days.I refocused on my surroundings so I wouldnt get us into an accident. We arent going to the Otherworld anytime soon, I replied.Jasmine shot me a look that clearly expressed her feelings on that, but there must have been something in my own face that answered back because she didnt fight the issue anymore.When we returned to my house, I put my purse and paperwork in my sleeping room before sitting with Jasmine in her usual spot on the couch. Mindless TV suddenly seemed like a good idea except, well, it didnt do a very good job of taking my mind off of my problems.Pregnant. Conqueror of worlds. Storm Kings heir.Me. It was all on me what had happened and what was to come.We hadnt been home long when Kiyo showed up. He gave me a lightsome grin and wore his white coat from work, meaning he must not have been cozying up with Maiwenn. Small blessing. His smile was enough to make Jasmine smile in return, but I couldnt muster one. There was nothing to smile about right now. Nothing good in this world. Nothing good in either world. He joined us on the couch, sandwiching me in between him and Jasmine, and caught hold of my hand.Hey, how are you? he asked. He peered at my face, even though I was pointedly not looking at him. Are you okay?Fine, I lied. Tired.Storm Kings first grandson will conquer the human world.Shes been like that all day, said Jasmine. She call for to go back to the Otherworld but wont.Is that true? he asked.I didnt think youd have a problem with that, I said. Youve always wanted me to stay away.Yeah, bu t not if its affecting you like this. You really look sick, Eug.She also got beat up by a ghost, Jasmine added helpfully.Hey I glared. I did notKiyo chuckled and pulled me closer. Stop vie tough. Go to the Otherworld tomorrow. Ill come with you, so it wont be as bad. He relaxed, and there was a finality in his voice that I didnt like. I didnt like his presumption. I also wasnt entirely sure I should be going to the Otherworld, in light of recent developments.Flowers. Flowers everywhere, everywhere I step. Im the land, and the land is me. Where I bring life, the land does too.Or death. I could bring death as well. It was my choice.Over and over. The words in my head were all I heard. I didnt hear the TV, or Kiyo and Jasmines occasional comments. I didnt really hear when Kiyo said hed make dinner and went to drop off his overnight bag in my bedroom. But I did hear him when he came raging back to the living room, waving my CVS referral form in the air.Eugenie His voice was a roar, one that made Jasmine cringe and widen her eyes. What the hell is this?I stared up at him levelly, surprised I could be so calm in the face of that outrage, especially after the emotional upheaval Id been through all day. My own despair and shock had never left, but now I was able to push it down and meet Kiyos eyes, as I allowed myself to finally hump the other thought that had been bouncing around in my mind. Because along with the choices I had and the consequences I faced, there was one other matter to consider.Id looked at the numbers, at the calendar. Id factored in the dates, the antibiotics, what had been done or, perhaps most importantly, what hadnt been done. It was all very clear. There was no soap opera here. No talk show?Cworthy mystery.Congratulations, I told Kiyo. Youre going to be a father. Again.