Sorry for taking so long. will probably be the same amount of time until the next one. haha. sorry. there's not much that happens in this chapter. but don't worry, she'll get to the Neskabs soon enough
Elaina stared at her brother for a moment. She'd heard the name before. "You're Zachariah's, I mean, Father's heir." Her brother nodded. "Why are you here?" She knew she sounded rude, but she was too shocked to care.
Marchette laid a hand on her arm. "With Jordan here, you're sure to get a good father for your child. He can't be bullied like any other person, because he outranks anyone the Neskabs choose to represent them."
Elaina looked skeptical. "You outrank everyone?" disbelief coloured her words sourly.
Jordan chuckled good-naturedly. "As heir to the League of Nichelle, I'd better outrank the families within the League. If not, things could get sticky when I take up my mantle, figuratively speaking." He smiled and leaned forward to pat her knee. "Don't worry," he said, with mock seriousness. "I only outrank you by a little."
Confused Elaina said, "What? I'm the youngest of Zachariah's children, as far as I know. Shouldn't you outrank me epically?"
Jordan grinned. "The youngest sibling you may be, but you are the only female to have survived. Therefore you are my heir. Should anything happen to me, you take my place as future leader."
Now beyond thunderstruck, Elaina just stared at him, mouth hanging open, and eyes wide. Marchette jumped to fill the silence, explaining, "Miss Elaina hasn't heard this before now. Its rather a shock."
Jordan snorted. "I guess it would be. I'd be a little shocked if I'd learned it too."
"Why am I so high ranked, just because I'm female?" Elaina asked, once she'd regained use of her mouth.
Marchette gave her a reassuring smile. "The laws of inheritance among Pure Bloods are such: the oldest child is the heir, followed by the oldest female," He explained. "This is so that the bloodline may be carried on, without being sullied by the children of the firstborn. The parent's blood is what they want, not the grandchild of the ruler, who only shares less than a quarter of their genes. Succession follows the siblings and then the children of the oldest. It making more sense to you now?" He asked kindly, as an afterthought.
Elaina nodded slowly. Turning to her brother, she asked, "Do you have any ideas as to whom the possible father of my child may be?"
Nodding, Jordan reached into the bag that he'd dropped unnoticed on the seat next to him; from it, he pulled a laptop. With a quick, "may I?" he and Marchette switched seats, so he could sit next to his sister and point out the people on the screen. "Candidate Number One," he said in regal tones. Pressing a key, the image of a handsome young man who appeared to be in his late twenties appeared on the screen. ""Alexander Neskab." Jordan frowned and stared at the screen. "No," he said abruptly, "he won't do."
"Because?" Elaina asked, curious though she'd never admit it.
Jordan scoffed and gestured at the screen, replying in a tone that implied the answer was obvious, "Alexander is the grandson of Liam's sister. His place is so lowly that it's insulting to you and I that they suggested him."
"Oh," Elaina said, "I had no idea." It seemed that the world of the Pure Bloods was more of a hierarchy than she'd first assumed. Humming quietly, Jordan skipped over several men without even mentioning their names. All too quickly, he reached the end of the list. Frustration and confusion marked his features.
"What's wrong sir?" Marchette asked, sensing Jordan's irritation.
Jordan frowned. "There is not one good offer on the table," he said quietly. "they are only presenting the options of sending another girl at a different time, or setting Elaina up with Mathew Neskab. That Reich bitch would have war for either option."
Intrigued, Elaina asked, "Who's Mathew Neskab? And who's this Reich person?"
"Mathew Neskab is Liam's father," Jordan explained, "and the apple barely fell from the tree, let alone far from it."
"And Allison Reich is Mathew's wife, and co-ruler of the Neskabs," Marchette supplied. Liam's her little angel. Any slight to either man leads usually to bloodshed."
"And having your husband sleep with the girl who accuses your angel of rape is a slight," Elaina concluded. "So," she asked, clasping her hands together and leaning forward on her knees, "What do we do then?"
Jordan gave her a half smile, the considering look never leaving his face. "For now," he replied, "nothing." Shrugging, he added, "We won't reach Haljir for several hours, and even then, ceremony won't allow us to begin negotiations for about a day. You should rest," he told his sister, "and drink lots of blood. We want the smell of your bodyguard off you so as not to arise accusations of impropriety." When Elaina looked away and refused to meet his eye, he added in a stern undertone, "Kegan told me what happened on that rooftop. That was very dangerous Elaina." She winced. "I don't want to hear about anything like that happening again, you hear? You risk your life and the lives of those around you by not drinking when you should, or failing to maintain composure. Do I make myself clear?" Sullenly, Elaina nodded, still not meeting her brother's eyes. "Good," his tone had resumed normal volume. "There is a bedroom at the back of the plane. Go there and I'll ensure some blood is sent in to you. You're to stay there until we begin our descent." Nodding, Elaina rose and left. As Marchette moved to follow, Jordan snapped, "Stay here. I'd like a word with you."
Marchette lowered himself carefully back into his seat, warily watching the Nichelle heir. "What can I do for you, sir?" he asked, keeping his voice perfectly innocent and nonchalant.
Leaning forward, Jordan hissed so quietly that Marchette barely heard him speak, "You fucked my sister."
Marchette almost succeeded in looking confused and curious, when he asked, "I did?"
Glaring menacingly, Jordan nodded. "I will overlook the face that you took advantage of a woman so young, she is barely out of childhood, and I will forgive that you were intimate with my sole remaining sister. But what I will not stand is how you have put our entire mission at jeopardy, because you couldn't keep your pants on under the seduction of a nineteen year old."
Marchette drooped in his seat and stared at the floor. "I'm sorry sir," he mumbled.
"You should be," Jordan snapped vehemently, still keeping his voice low to foil eavesdroppers. "Do you have any idea what your actions have done to her credibility?" When Marchette remained silent, Jordan snarled, "My sister is flying to Haljir to testify that the governing family's beloved son forced himself upon her, against her will. Now, would you believe the story if you learned that she'd slept with her bodyguard mere days after accusing your son?"
The bodyguard sunk lower into his seat, shame radiating from his pores. He kept murmuring how deeply sorry he was, how irresponsible he was. "It was so stupid," he mumbled.
"You're damn right it was!" Jordan hissed. He fumed in silence for a moment, letting Marchette stew in his guilt. "From now on," he commanded, "you are no longer permitted to remain with my sister alone for periods longer than a few minutes." Calming down a little, he sighed and sat back, commenting, "Her breakdown earlier today was actually a remarkable boon it seems. It explains why you smell like each other." Marchette nodded rapidly in agreement. Glaring at the younger man, Jordan said, "Leave me. Go be with your brother. I'll send someone to tend to your mistress."
Marchette got to his feet and humbly bowed, murmuring thanks for his discretion and forgiveness.
"Oh, and Nikoli," Jordan said, as Marchette was about to leave, "I don't care if your dick falls off as a result, but you are not to touch my sister until well after this business with the Neskabs is through. Do you understand?" Marchette nodded and fled.
Elaina lounged on the bed for a long time after she awoke. She just stared at the ceiling, random thoughts floating through her head. Her musing was interrupted though by a soft knock at the door. "Yes?" she called.
"May I come in miss?" a timid voice called through the door.
"Sure," Elaina replied, hoping she kept the reluctance out of her voice. She didn't exactly feel like keeping company.
The door swung open to reveal a gorgeous woman in her mid twenties. She had sunshine-blond hair and bright, shocking blue eyes. She smiled, lighting up her face impossibly further, saying, "Hi, I'm Maggie."
Elaina smiled tiredly and said, "you know who I am already, don't you?"
Nodding, Maggie explained, "You're my half-brother's aunt." She giggled, "I guess that makes you my half-aunt." Elaina forced an awkward laugh. Maggie didn't seem to notice. She bounced across the room and plopped herself down on the bed next to her half-aunt. "Uncle Jordan said that I was to be part of your entourage," she said self-importantly. "He says it'd look best for you if you didn't hang around solely with men."
Elaina sat up, "My entourage?" she asked sharply.
Maggie nodded enthusiastically. "We're your crew, minions, posse, whatever you want us to be."
"We?" Elaina repeated unenthusiastically.
Nodding more vigorously, Maggie explained, "you'd look silly if you just hung around with that Marchette fellow." A thoughtful look crossed her face, "Even if he is dreamy." She sighed dramatically, much like a crushing Amazonian schoolgirl. "So Uncle Jordan thought it best to add some more people to your group. There is I, my half-brother Peter, and our cousin, your nephew, Victor, who have been assigned to you. You'll find that in Cordalla, you'll pick up a rather large flock of admirers."
Elaina snorted, "Admirers?"
Maggie raised an eyebrow. "Have you looked in a mirror lately? You embody brunette hotness!" she exclaimed, exasperation colouring her tone.
"Brunette hotness?" Elaina scoffed. "Yeah," she drawled, "Sure."
"Dude," Maggie exclaimed seriously, "I'd do you."
Elaina blushed and laughed embarrassedly. "You're just kissing up," she mumbled.
Maggie snorted. "Trust me, the rank helps, but you would be hot if you came from the gutters. I'm surprised your bodyguard hasn't jumped you yet. Unless," she shot the other woman a look under lowered lashes, "unless he already has." She left the statement hanging. Elaina knew any denial would be proven false instantly. Her silence was enough to tell the truth. "Oooh," Maggie squealed, shaking her hands and kicking her heels on the bed, "Tell me more."
Elaina grabbed her, a panicked look in her eyes. "You can't tell anyone!" she hissed, shaking the woman.
Maggie's features softened and her smile became warm and comforting. She patted her half-aunt's cheek and said, "Don't worry Miss Elaina, you're secret's safe with me."
Elaina relaxed a little. "Is it noticeable?" she asked, frightened.
Shaking her head, Maggie assured her, "No, it was a guess. An example. I meant to embarrass you, not scare you."
Elaina let out a gushing sigh of relief, staying quiet for a moment to absorb the situation. "Am I really that hot?" she asked, still disbelieving.
Maggie sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eyes, pulling her half-aunt in the direction of the bathroom. She placed the younger woman in front of the mirror and cried, "Just look at you!" Elaina did, for the first time trying to see what a stranger would.
It startled her. Gazing out of the mirror was a goddess of death. So terrifying she was magnificent, so alluring she was innocent. Her dark eyes pulled you into a vortex of emotions as they burrowed into your soul. Her dark chocolate hair curled around her throat and shoulders like a lover's hand, caressing and sliding over her flawless skin. Fascinated, Elaina reached out for the glass, forgetting it was her own reflection. Touching the mirror brought her back to reality, recalling her to her own image. "How is it possible?" she whispered, afraid to mire the reflection.
Maggie grinned in the mirror. "Now do you see what I mean?" She laughed as the other woman nodded, eyes still wide. Pausing, she considered her half-aunt. "You need better clothes though," she commented. "You look like you just took a bath in blood, then broke down a building. Is that rubble I see in your hair?" she scrutinized the back of Elaina's head.
A half smile escaping the corner of her mouth, Elaina turned and said, as if it were an everyday event, "car bomb. No biggie."
Snorting, Maggie asked, "In what world is that no biggie?"
Elaina shrugged, "I grew up to become an Agent. I've been shot at since I was twelve. What?" she asked, confused.
Maggie was staring in horror. "An Agent?" she breathed. "What?"
Elaina rested a firm hand on the taller woman's shoulder, to hold her in place before she bolted, explaining, "I was raised by an Agent as a ruse to keep me safe. The Agent's true child was given my identity. I only really found out about all this a few days ago." She guessed it might've been a bad idea to tell the already shocked woman that she thought she was the daughter of the late Chief Commander. It could send the wrong message.
"Wow," Maggie said, impressed. "That's gotta just blow your mind." She laughed, nervously. "Do try not to drop that into too many conversations in the future, okay? It tends to cause others to jump to conclusions, and panic. Others being me." She managed a weak smile.
"Sorry," Elaina said, sheepishly.
Flapping her hand, Maggie informed Elaina to forget it. "But you do need new clothes," she said, once more returning to the topic of fashion. She looked the other up and down and said, "Hmm, you definitely won't fit in my clothes."
Elaina burst out laughing. Maggie was easily a half-foot taller than her, with mile long legs and a greater bust. The thought that the two of them could share clothes was preposterous. Maggie joined her and they clutched each other, supporting the other until the fits of giggles passed.
Wiping her eyes, Maggie said, "I'll go see if anyone more your size has anything to spare. I'll be back in a second." She pranced to the door and opened it on two rather unsuspecting men, one of whom had his fist raised to knock.
He blinked once and said, "Oh, hello. How did you know I was here?"
Maggie smiled slyly and said, "A woman always knows." Turning, she said, "This is my brother Peter."
"I prefer Pete," he corrected, shaking his aunt's hand. "Its great to meet you, Aunt Elaina."
"And this is Victor," Maggie added, pulling the other man forward.
He grinned and shook Elaina's hand as well, saying, "I prefer Victor."
Elaina snorted. "I prefer Elaina, if it's all the same to you. If you three are to be my crew, there'd better be none of this miss or aunt or half-aunt in your case," she added, nodding at Maggie. "I'd prefer just to be Elaina."
"Sounds good," Pete said. "Aunt Elaina sounds kinda strange when addressing your superior anyways." He glanced at his cousin, who was still partially outside the room, then back at Elaina, "May we come in?" he asked politely.
Elaina nodded, beckoning them in. As they entered, Maggie brushed past in the other direction, off in search of a woman who'd share clothes with Elaina.
"Dude, what happened to you on the ride over here?" Victor asked as he dropped onto the bed. "You three looked like you'd been through hell. Especially you and Nik Marchette."
"Oh, that," Elaina said, dismissively flapping her hand. "It was just a little car bomb."
"Then why are you covered in blood?" Pete asked, raising an eyebrow as he slumped against the wall.
Elaina rolled her eyes. "There were Faithfuls in the car, who died." She silently thanked all her training in the Academy in the art of deception. Without it, they would've blown her story wide open.
"And you smell like Nikoli because?" Victor let the end of the question hang in the air.
Elaina scoffed, "I was awoken in October, had my car blown up underneath me, and was banged up in the resulting accident. There were no other sources of blood around."
"October?" Pete repeated incredulously. " You were awoken in October and you're off to a Child Contract?" He whistled. "Wow, I didn't think that happened. How old are you?" he asked.
"Nineteen," she replied warily.
"Dude, you are so lucky!" he cried. "I had to wait 'til I was thirty-eight! Harsh!" He seemed genuinely upset. He turned to Maggie as she reentered the room holding a duffle-bag, "how old were you when you had Davie?"
Maggie took a moment to think. "Thirty-two, I think," she mused.
"God you were lucky," Pete sighed.
"What are you talking about?" Elaina asked, now her turn to be incredulous. "You were twice my age when they forced children on you. I'd call you lucky!"
Three jaws dropped. Then Maggie snickered. "Elaina," she ventured, "Has anyone told you what's entailed when you're getting children forced on you?" She emphasized her last words with air-quotes.
Elaina looked at her like the crazy person she was. "Of course I know what happens," Elaina snapped, "You're forced to have sex with a random stranger, then give birth to said stranger's child." The other three looked at each other, and burst out laughing hysterically. "I fail to see what is so funny," Elaina said wryly.
Maggie was the first to recover, wiping tears from her eyes as she explained, "You don't just have sex once and bam! you're pregnant. You get the best sex of your life continuously for like, twenty-four hours straight; minimum!"
Elaina, still highly confused, sputtered something like, "how does that work?"
Victor, sensing his aunt's plight helped. 'You see Elaina, when a man is in his Time of Virility, his body is basically ready for sex instantaneously. He's got so much extra testosterone and other hormones built up, that he'll be able to regain erections in about a fifth of the time it would normally take him." He raised his eyebrows scandalously as he added, "And we Pure Bloods tend to bounce back fast, if you catch my drift." At that, his cousins broke down again, howling with glee. "Now," he was serious again, "when a woman is in her Time of Fertility, she instinctively searches out the best possible mate for siring children. So, if she fails to find such a man, she'd be very willing to screw anything that moves." Pete resumed cackling, though Maggie had long since quieted. She smacked him on the head, which promptly shut him up.
"The woman's brain also is sending out rather severe messages to her nerve-endings," Maggie cut in. "Basically, anything that touches you arouses you." She had to pause to smack her brother as he exploded into fits once more. "You can leave, you know," she snapped at him.
He held up his hands, which still shook as tremors of giggles rippled through him. "No, no, I promise to be good," he vowed, his solemnity ruined when he shook with silent laughter.
After glaring at her brother for a moment, Maggie resumed, "When you combine those forces with actual sexual desire, it doesn't matter if you'd never met the man before. With his sex-ready-ness, and your brain making any sensory stimulation exceedingly arousing, you will have the best sex ever."
And do you know what the best part is?" Pete crowed. When Elaina shook her head, he grinned and leaned forward, conspiratorially saying, "It gets better the older you get!" Elaina had to giggle. The look on his face of utter joy, amazement and partial lust was rather hilarious.
"So," she asked between giggles, "you guys think I'm lucky, cause I get to have this amazing sex when I'm just nineteen?"
Maggie rolled her eyes, "Well duh!" she exclaimed. When Elaina shook her head in disbelieve, Maggie said, "Well, you'll just have to see for yourself. Here," she held up the duffle bag. "See if any of these fit." She tossed it to her aunt.
Elaina combed through the bag until she found a pair of artfully faded blue jeans and forest green knit sweater, both of which would fit her perfectly. Elaina also noticed that her hair was stiff with dried blood. "Is there anywhere I can shower?" she asked sheepishly.
