Life and Death

Summary: During Kenna’s ninth month of pregnancy, she and Raydan are confronted by an assassin.

Author’s note: This was written for mariamulroney’s March Challenge and is a follow-up to Unsettling News.

Kenna couldn’t help worrying about the rumor that someone was going to attempt to assassinate Raydan. They had taken every possible precaution to keep him safe. As always, Jackson was vigilant, and Val was working with the soldiers, keeping them in top shape. Adder had come from Lykos to stay with them. Still, there was always a risk. Lightning and Thunder had managed to sneak into her bedroom and wound Raydan. She had easily slain them, but it would be much harder to do something like that now, when she was in the last stages of pregnancy.

It was nice to have Adder around. Adrian liked spending time with his aunt, and it was good for Raydan to be with his sister. Val seemed to be enjoying Adder’s company too. Kenna had noticed the way that Val looked at Adder. Perhaps this visit would bring them closer.

Raydan had gone upstairs to put Adrian to bed. Kenna couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been gone for too long. Maybe Adrian was having trouble sleeping, and Raydan was telling him stories. But what if it was more than that? Kenna figured she’d better go check on them.

She slowly made her way up the stairs, pausing to catch her breath now and then. When she finally reached Adrian’s room, the door was closed. She opened it quietly. The room was dark, but the torch in the hallway provided enough light for her to see that Adrian was asleep.

Kenna grew more uneasy. If Raydan wasn’t with Adrian, where was he? She gently closed the door and began walking in the direction of their bedroom. Maybe Raydan had gone to get something from there. Hopefully he had just left Adrian’s room.

When she reached their bedroom, she saw that the door was open. She gasped loudly as she stepped inside. Raydan was lying on the floor, unmoving. She ran to him and kneeled down beside him. Please don’t let him be dead. I can’t lose him. She stretched out her hand, but before she could touch him and check for any signs of life, someone grabbed her from behind. She felt a cold metal blade at her throat.

“Don’t move or I’ll slit your throat,” the assailant commanded. He guided her across the room until she was pressed against the wall, face first. As he withdrew the knife, he leaned against her so she couldn’t move. He grabbed her hands and pulled them behind her back, then snapped a pair of handcuffs onto her wrist. Once she was restrained, he pushed her onto the floor.

“Don’t even think about screaming for help. You’ll be dead before anyone gets to you, and so will he.” The man pointed to Raydan. “And I should have enough time to get rid of that little brat of yours.”

Kenna shuddered at the thought of the man hurting Adrian. “You’d kill my son? He’s just a child! He’s no threat to you!”

“Don’t scream, and I’ll let him live.”

Kenna had no doubt that he would kill Adrian if she disobeyed him. She forced herself to keep quiet, even as she felt a pain in her abdomen.

“You’ll never get away with this. You won’t make it out of here alive. My troops are on alert. You’ll be outnumbered.”

The man laughed. “Think again. I got in here, didn’t I?”

How had he gotten in? Kenna looked at him closely. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him.

“Your mother would be so disappointed in you, marrying that street rat. Do you have any idea what he’s done? How could you ever think he was fit to be king?”

“Raydan is the best man I’ve ever known. He’s had a hard life. He did what he had to do to survive. And my mother wasn’t born royal either.”

“But she wasn’t from the gutter, like him. You know she wanted more for you. One of the Stormholt nobles should have been king.”

“Luther Nevrakis killed them all,” she explained.

“Are you sure about that?” He stepped closer and hovered over her. “Don’t you recognize me?”

Kenna tried to recall all of the Stormholt nobles that she had ever known. This man certainly seemed to be implying that he was one of them, but none of them had survived Luther’s attack. The only way any of them could still be alive was if they weren’t present. Then it came to her. One of the Stormholt nobles had sided with the nobles of Ramsforge during the rebellion, and her mother had banished him. “Giles Underhill?”

“In the flesh.” He bent down, pulled a cloth from his pocket, and tied it around her mouth, gagging her. “I should have been king. You’ll pay for this. I’ll kill you, and then escape through the secret passages. I know this castle well. But first, you’re going to watch him die.” He grabbed his knife and began moving towards Raydan.

Kenna trembled with fear. She didn’t see any way out. She closed her eyes. She couldn’t bear to watch Raydan die, and she wasn’t going to give Giles the satisfaction that he wanted.

At the sound of footsteps, she opened her eyes. As Giles bent over Raydan, Adder ran towards him and stabbed him in the back. He immediately collapsed on the floor, dead instantly.

Adder rushed over to Kenna and untied the gag, then unlocked the handcuffs. “Are you all right?”

“I am now, thanks to you. He was going to kill me and Raydan, if Raydan isn’t already…”

Adder moved over to Raydan and touched him, checking his vital signs. “He’s still breathing, and I don’t see any blood. He’s just unconscious.”

“Thank gods. Maybe we should go get the healer, just in case. And we’ll need the midwife too. I think the baby’s coming.”


Kenna held her newborn daughter in her arms. She was absolutely perfect, with Raydan’s black hair and Kenna’s features.

“She’s beautiful, my love,” Raydan told her.

Kenna looked to Adder. “We should name her after you.” She glanced to Raydan. “What do you think?”

Raydan smiled. “That’s a wonderful idea.”

“It’s settled, then. We’ll call her…”

“Oh, no.” Adder glared at Raydan. “You told her, didn’t you?”

“She’s my wife. I told her all about our past.”

“That name is part of my old life. It’s not who I am any more.” Adder turned to Kenna. “I don’t want my niece to bear a name that reminds me of my darkest moments.”

“I understand. We could call her something that sounds like Adder. How about Adelia?”

“I like that.”

“So do I.” Raydan gazed down at his baby girl. “Princess Adelia of Stormholt.”

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