Chapter 15

Thea snuggled closer to Damian in their bed. They'd come to Ikisat after having pizza with Darius and Helen. Something about the greasy food seemed to make the little one quite happy as she had yet to feel any nauseous.

“Good morning, my beautiful Zoqa,” Damian whispered into her hair as he held her close.

“Mmmm, mornin, Dnirya. Do we have to get up yet? I just want to stay under these warm and cozy blankets and sleep some more,” she replied sleepily.

“I do but you need to sleep, my love,” he softly commanded as she did just that.

Climbing out of bed he transformed into his true form and went to see what was required of him that day. He entered his throne room, calling forth his lieutenants to receive their reports. As they appeared, the room suddenly seemed to darken as the shadows grew, engulfing the light around them.

“What is this?” he demanded.

“The shadows, my Prince! Shadow Daemoni attack!” Lazerin yelled as he produced a light sword and destroyed a shadow that dared to attack his prince.

“Innara! This is her dark magick. Theanna! We must get to Theanna!” Damian exclaimed as he battled and struggled to return to his love, the shadows preventing him from simply returning to his bedroom. He destroyed shadow after shadow as he continued slowly moving forward in his battle to get to Thea.

He finally arrived at their room, only to find her just as a shadow plunged a sword into her belly. “NO!” he howled.

Nihasia immediately burst forth to protect Thea, destroying the shadow as blood poured forth from her wound. She snarled at them as she attacked the shadows that entered into the room. Back to back, Damian and Nihasia battled, easily destroying all that attacked them.

Damian could tell Nihasia was weakening. Wounds never seemed to bother her before, but this wound was different. As she began to collapse, Damian caught her in his arms. “Save us, Damian. Something is wrong with us, with our child,” she rasped as unconsciousness claimed her.

“Sister, I need you! Help her, please!”

Lazerin and his bloodied lieutenants stood guard as Galena appeared and crouched beside Thea. “Innara had them use poison on their weapons. It’s something I can easily treat but I’m sorry, my dear brother, the child is already gone, the weapon pierced her heart.”

Tears flowed freely down Damian's face as he held Thea close to him. “I know. I felt her leave us. Please, save Theanna.”

With a sad nod, Galena laid her hands over the top of the open wound and closed her eyes.

Damian closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Thea's. “Don't leave me, Zoqa. I cannot lose you.”

“She has been healed. She must sleep now. But when she wakes...”

Damian simply nodded as he carried Thea to their bed. With a wave of his hand they were left alone. Climbing into bed as he heard Lazerin give out necessary orders, he held his beloved in his arms, his heart crying in pain.

Several hours later Damian awoke to Thea's sobs. He tried to pull her back into his arms but she pulled free and climbed out of the bed.

“Why didn't you just let me die?” Thea screamed at Damian. “My daughter, my parents, what else does the Dark Realms want from me? It won't even let us know happiness.”

“You have me, Zoqa, you will always have me,” Damian stated sadly.

“You don't want me, you want my power to give you what you most want. Still you maintain a harem, still you allow that evil creature you call queen to exist even after she has taken everything from the one you supposedly love. You claim to be the most powerful of Dark Princes yet you couldn't even protect our child,” she sneered, Nihasia's anger filling her heart.

“Theanna...” Damian growled warningly.

“I can't be here in this wretched place, be with you right now. Just let me return home,” she spat at him.

“NO! You will not leave Ikisat. You’ll stay until I say you can go. Child or no child, you are mine!” he yelled angrily.

“NO!” Thea sobbed. “Why didn't you just let me die,” she repeated as she collapsed onto the floor.

Taking a deep calming breath, Damian sat behind her and gently pulled her onto his lap and held her as she continued to cry.

“I couldn't lose you as well,” he whispered into her hair. They remained like that until Thea fell into an exhausted sleep. Damian carried her and placed her back onto their bed. As he watched her sleep, he realized he was still in danger of losing her.

~~*~~

For days now Thea lay curled up in the bed. The pain of her loss was so profound she felt as if she was drowning, losing herself to her sadness, yet she had no desire to save herself. While everyone was so set on protecting her as she grew up, she had no defenses, no preparation for this kind of pain.

She'd only been aware of the life growing inside of her for a day and yet during that time her connection to her daughter had become so special to her. Losing her felt as if her heart and soul had been ripped out of her chest. So all encompassing was her grief that she refused to eat, to see anyone, to do anything but mourn and sleep.

Day after day this continued, and with each passing day, Damian's worry and heartbreak increased. Watching as Helen and Darius once again left without any luck, Galena quietly approached her brother. She worried for them both. She had seen Damian in her mirror mourning and worrying. Guilt and anger that he couldn’t protect them nearly consumed him.

“Have you tried bringing Liam to her?” she asked softly.

“Do you think it will help? I am losing her and I don't know what to do.”

“Liam will help her. Listen to his advice, my brother. He does not wish to steal her from you. He only has the same desire as you, to see her heart and soul healed.”

Damian nodded at her. “Lazerin, bring Liam James here,” Damian ordered.

“Yes, my Prince,” came the solemn reply.

A short time later Lazerin returned with Liam. “Where is she, Damian? Lazerin says she needs me.”

Damian looked at him sadly. “I have failed her. Do what you must to save her.”

Liam nodded as he gently knocked on the door before him, “Thea-mia. It's Liam, I'm coming in.”

He entered the darkened room which was lit by only a few soft lamps. Hearing her sobs coming from the bed, his heart ached for her. Climbing into the bed he gathered her into his arms like he did when she was little and was scared. “I know, baby-girl, I know.”

For a long time they just remained like that. “What do you need?” he finally asked softly.

“Take me home. I just need to lose myself in something other than this place. I want to get lost in my work and simply forget the pain.”

“Damian....” At his name, Thea turned her face away, Liam catching a glimpse of the pain that filled her eyes. “Alright, sweetness. Let's go home.”