The King's Gambit Read online

  Table of Contents

  The King’s Gambit

  Acknowledgments

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  About the Author

  The King’s Gambit

  The King’s Game

  Book One

  A.L. Kessler

  Copyright © 2018 A.L. Kessler

  All rights reserved

  No part of this book maybe reproduced without the expressed written permission of the author. For permission, please e-mail [email protected]

  Blood and Ink Press thanks you for supporting indie authors

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to everyone who made this book possible and to the readers who helped me along the way. I hope you all enjoy Levi and what goes on behind the books of Here Witchy Witchy. Thank you to Jasmyn for edits, Brandon for the coffee, and Rebekah who let me flood her inbox with random snippets.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Levi could hear the soft sounds of crying through the door. He waited just another moment before he entered the hospital room. He knew the sound belonged to Elizabeth. The doctor had warned him before he got there that the child was not doing well and the mother was heartbroken, as any mother would be.

  He closed his eyes. His child was dying. His daughter would never feel the sun on her face, know what it was like to run through the grass, and live a normal, witchy life. The only upside was that she would feel the warmth of her mother, and that’s all he could ask for.

  “Elizabeth?” He walked in, and he saw her dry her tears and sit up as straight as her body would allow her to.

  She tried to force a smile on her face. Even with the fake smile, she was beautiful. Her wavy hair was pulled back out of her face, leaving her brown eyes clear. He could see the tears in them still and went straight to her. He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. “The baby?”

  “Abigail…” She tried to catch her breath. “Abigail is sleeping for now. She’s breathing on her own, but she’s so weak Levi, the magic…” She touched her stomach for a moment. “The magic in her is fighting to keep her alive, but it may not be enough.”

  “May I see her?”

  She nodded. “The nurse should be bringing her in for a feeding soon. If we can get her to eat.”

  He didn’t miss the sorrow in her voice. He’d missed the birth because he couldn’t be here during daylight hours. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth.” He kissed her gently. “I would never wish this on you. We should have never tried.”

  She stroked his cheek. “It’s okay. She’s precious. She’s strong. You’ll come back tomorrow night, and she’ll be a perfectly healthy baby.”

  He wasn’t sure if she was in denial, but he couldn’t sense any doubt in her. He pulled her into a gentle hug.

  The door opened, and he let Elizabeth go. Tobias walked in with a nurse. In Tobias’ arms was a little bundle wrapped tightly in a blanket with a pink hat on her head. The nurse walked next to him pulling a machine with wires, that were attached to the baby.

  Abigail.

  Tobias gave Levi a small smile. “Let Elizabeth try to feed her first.”

  Levi stepped away so Tobias could play the loving father. Bitterness welled up inside him. He wanted to be the one to be with the child. But they knew it couldn’t happen. Elizabeth had tried to change his mind several times now, but it wasn’t safe. For anyone.

  The nurse shooed Tobias away for a moment so she could help Elizabeth. Levi caught a glimpse of the child’s pale round face, her tiny heart-shaped lips, and the flash of her baby blue eyes. She looked perfect. As a vampire though, he could hear her struggling heart, the stutter in it as it tried to keep her going.

  The nurse was carefully monitoring the machine she brought in that was attached to Abigail’s monitors. The heartbeat was struggling, but it was there.

  Tobias came to stand by Levi’s side. “Elizabeth is in denial. The babe…Abigail, she’s weak. There’s nothing the doctors can do for her.”

  “You deal with life and death, how much time does she have?” Levi didn’t take his eyes away from Elizabeth trying to coax the baby to eat.

  “Her magic is already fading and trying to take her to the afterlife. The nurse and I talked. After this, they’ll put Abigail on a ventilator to ease the strain of her heart and lungs and a feeding tube, but it’s more for comfort than it is to help. Twenty-four hours.” Tobias shook his head. “You two should never have tried this. The sacrifice, it wasn’t big enough. Elizabeth’s magic wasn’t strong enough.”

  Levi didn’t miss the anger in his voice. “It was her choice.”

  “You should have talked her out of it.” Tobias kept his voice low. “You could have told her that it wasn’t worth the risk. Now not only will she have to heal from a difficult birth, but from the grief of losing a child. And be aware, Levi, I blame you for it. All of it.”

  And he would blame himself. They stood in silence as Elizabeth tried in vain to get the girl to eat. She looked at him with sorrow in her eyes. “Would you like to hold her before they take her to the NICU?”

  He nodded and went to Elizabeth’s side, holding his arms out for the baby. Elizabeth and the nurse both helped him position her safely.

  “Keep her head supported.” Elizabeth touched his elbow to raise it just a tad.

  Levi smiled down at Abigail, and for a moment he swore he sensed vampire in her and not witch. His smile faded at the corners. This would be the only time he would be able to hold his child.

  The monitor beeped, and the nurse took Abigail from him. “I need to get her to NICU.”

  As she hurried off with the baby and the machines, Levi bowed his head.

  “It’ okay, Levi.” Elizabeth put a hand on his, wrapping her fingers around his. What he wouldn’t give to have an ounce of her strength and confidence in this. He’d never had a child when he was human, and now the one chance he had to be a father was slipping away.

  Tobias moved to stand in front of Elizabeth. “I think it’s best that you rest.”

  Levi agreed. He looked at Elizabeth and kissed her head. “I’ll be back tomorrow night. Tobias is right.”

  She nodded and laid back on the bed, closing her eyes. Tobias tucked a blanket around her. Levi trusted him to take care of her, but it broke his heart that he had to step away from this once everything was said and done.

  He went to leave and almost ran into Oliver in the doorway. His hair looked as if he just rolled out of bed, and his normally neat clothes were askew. “Oliver,” Levi said as polite as he could manage.

  “Levi.” Oliver shifted nervously on his feet. “If you would excuse me, I’d like to see my sister.”

  “Of course.” He didn’t like the man, but now was not the time to cause a scene. He went to leave, and Oliver knocked into his shoulder as a silent fuck you. Levi wouldn’t give in to it though, Elizabeth came first here.

  Levi would let her rest, but he wasn’t going to leave this hospital until dawn, until the blasted sun forced him to.

  He walked down to the window of the NICU nursery and saw the tiny baby next to the big machines that were trying to ease the stress on her body. Her little hands twitched now and then as if the child were dreaming. His daughter lay there fighting for her life, and there was nothing he could do about it.

  He looked over as Oliver stepped up next to him. “I thought you were spending time with Elizabeth.”

  “She
sent me out of the room.”

  It wasn’t the truth. Levi felt the lie slide over him, but he wasn’t going to push. “She’s that one there.” Levi pointed to Abigail.

  Oliver nodded. “I know. I can feel the magic in her, trying to save her.” There was sorrow in his voice, and Levi found himself surprised that the wizard could have such emotions.

  “Elizabeth seems to thinks she’ll be fine in the morning.”

  Oliver didn’t say anything. He just stared through the glass at Abigail.

  “You flew down here the moment Elizabeth called you?”

  Oliver nodded. “What else was I supposed to do? Lizzy is the only family I have, and I’m the only family she has. It’s not like I could not come for her. My client will understand.”

  Levi nodded and watched as Abigail’s machines beeped and squealed for a moment before settling out again. A nurse rushed over to check on her, and Levi turned away.

  Oliver caught his wrist. “Leviticus, if Elizabeth dies, I will kill you.”

  “Elizabeth is healing.”

  Oliver snorted. “You are such an oblivious bloodsucker.”

  He let the insult go. Elizabeth was healing. There was no sense of death around her, and no reason for her health to fade.

  The next night his heart ached as he stood outside her hospital room. He didn’t want to face Elizabeth if Abigail had passed during the day. He’d never be able to forgive himself for not being able to be by her side. He knocked and didn’t hear an answer. Oliver’s words echoed in his mind.

  He knocked again, and when Tobias opened the door, relief swept through him. “Elizabeth?”

  “Exhausted.” Tobias locked his jaw. “Our woman did something incredibly stupid last night.” Tobias looked out into the hall and then pulled Levi in, shutting the door.

  Oliver was asleep in the chair next to Elizabeth’s bed and looked worse than the night before. His already pale skin had a sickly look to it as he curled up the best he could in the blanket. Levi’s eyes turned to Elizabeth. Her breathing was labored, and sweat beaded down her face. He’d seen her this way before. It’s how she looked after working a difficult spell.

  A mixture of hope and panic filled him as he ran out of the room to the nursery. He looked into the NICU window and didn’t see Abigail. Fear filled him. Where was his daughter? Did she live through the night?

  Tobias came up behind him. “Go look in the regular nursery.”

  Levi jetted further down the hall and looked in. There, in the front row was Abigail. Her cheeks had a rosy color to them, and there was no longer a monitor hooked up to her other than a pulse oxygen on her little toe.

  His beautiful, perfect daughter. She lived through the night and was healthy, breathing, and he swore she smiled at him.

  His joy only lasted a moment. “What did Elizabeth do?”

  “She used the spell on the tablet to save Abigail.” Tobias sighed. “I left to get dinner, leaving her with Oliver. When I came back…she was weak, and Oliver was nearly passed out.”

  Levi shook his head. “That’s black magic. Elizabeth swore she was done with that.”

  “She didn’t want to lose Abigail. With the vampire blood in her, we don’t know what her death would cause.”

  Levi cringed. He hadn’t thought about that. “Abigail is all witch.” So he hoped, but Tobias was right. There was a risk with Abigail’s death they hadn’t considered. “She’s alive.”

  “And she’ll hopefully live a long healthy life.” Tobias clasped Levi on the back.

  Levi nodded and let out a sigh. “Come, let’s get back to Elizabeth and hope I don’t kill Oliver.”

  “I don’t think it was his idea.” Tobias shook his head. “Oliver has always hesitated when it comes to Life Magic.”

  Levi nodded. “She’s a mother faced with losing her young.”

  “It didn’t seem to taint her aura any. So maybe, just maybe the magic understood.”

  Yes, but there were ways to get around that. They both knew it. It depended on who made the sacrifice and how. Though Levi was willing to admit he was glad Elizabeth had done it because now their daughter would live.

  They walked back to the room and found Oliver still asleep, but Elizabeth was sitting up nursing a cup of something.

  She smiled at the two men. “The nurse came by and brought me some coffee.”

  “Much need I’m sure, after your night of spell working.” Levi smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. “Next time you decide to do something so dangerous, let us know. Please.”

  “We won’t have to worry about that, because the tablet research is going to be locked away and the key to all of it destroyed.” Tobias crossed his arms. “We can’t let other people know that something like this is possible.”

  Guilt crossed Elizabeth’s face. “Had she died…” Her words broke into sobs, and she hung her head. Levi placed a hand on her leg.

  “Elizabeth, we understand why, but think if it ended up in Ira’s hands.”

  She swallowed her next sob and nodded. “This is exactly what he wanted.”

  Levi shook his head. “No, what he wanted was an army of hybrid creatures. What we have is a perfectly healthy witch.” He kissed her forehead. “She’ll grow up to be just like her mother.”

  Oliver shifted in the chair, and his breathing changed. He was pretending to be asleep, but the warlock couldn’t fool the vampire.

  “When are they planning on releasing you from the hospital?”

  “In the morning, as long as my vitals are good. Abigail has to stay one more night. They are worried she’ll relapse.” She took a sip of her coffee and closed her eyes. “I didn’t want to bury our daughter.”

  He didn’t want to either. “I know, Elizabeth. I know.”

  “And if there are any negative consequences, we’ll deal with it,” Tobias promised. “It’ll be okay. I just wish you would have said something.”

  Oliver sat up and tried in vain to straighten his shirt. “She didn’t trust that you would let her do it. She only trusted me.”

  Levi was about to tell him to fuck off but thought better of it. “Thank you for watching over her.”

  Oliver sneered and then stood. “Now that Lizzy and Abigail are safe and well, it’s time I take my leave. My client will want their job completed.”

  “Who are you working for currently?” Tobias asked before the other warlcok could leave the room.

  Oliver smirked over his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it Tobias. No one would approve of it.” And he disappeared out the door.

  Levi shook his head. “I have political things that I must finish tonight. I’ll return in a couple hours. Tobias?”

  “I’ll be by her side all night, I promise. I’ll watch for any magical fatigue and make sure she’s taken care of.”

  Tobias would make a wonderful husband for Elizabeth and a great father for Abigail. They would be a perfect little family, and that’s what he needed to deal with tonight. It was time to inform the council that Abigail had lived but would not be raised as part of the vampire society, but as a witch, by her mother and a warlock.

  Ira watched as Elizabeth left the hospital carrying a baby. The sun had just gone down, and rumors said that Levi had been visiting the hospital for the last few nights. Ira refused to believe that the two of them had managed to have a child, but there in Elizabeth’s arm was a sleeping bundle of witch blood.

  Ira licked his lips. Baby blood was sweet, and witch blood was the best. But there was no getting near that child. Not right now. He’d have to wait. What he wanted was to talk to Elizabeth about the child. What did she do? How did she manage it?

  Tobias opened the car door to allow Elizabeth to put the child into its car seat. Even from his spot across the parking lot, Ira could see the exhaustion etched on her face and the stiffness of her movements. She hadn’t recovered all the way.

  He appeared near the car. “Hello, Elizabeth and Tobias. I hear congratulations are in order.”

&nb
sp; Elizabeth swallowed. “Ira. What are you doing here?”

  Tobias reached for a gun under his jacket, but Ira held up his hand. “I mean no harm, Tobias. I simply wanted to ask Elizabeth how she managed to have a child with my brother.”

  “The child isn’t Levi’s. Tobias is her father.” Elizabeth held her ground, her fists curling at her side. “Now please, go.”

  He heard her heart stutter and the small hitch in her breath. He smiled. “You’re lying Elizabeth. You and Levi have managed to create mixed blood. This is what we’ve always wanted. All you have to do is tell me what spell you used.”

  She shook her head. “There was no spell.” She went to open the car door, and Ira slammed it shut.

  Tobias pulled his gun, keeping it at his side. “It’s time for you to leave, Ira.”

  “Once upon a time, Elizabeth, you would have told me in a heartbeat. I remember our countless nights together, dreaming of a perfect world that we ruled.” He reached out and brushed a thumb across her cheek. “Why did you and Levi have to betray me?” She’d been both of their lovers at one point. They had all been happy. Until somewhere along the line she and Levi grew morals.

  He glanced at Tobias. “Put the gun away. I’m done here.” He disappeared, taking himself to the house that he’d secured for his new lab.

  Grief tore through him as he realized that Elizabeth was gone. She’d never return to his side as his lover or as his partner in the experiments. She no longer wished for the perfect world of blended creatures that they controlled and ruled over. Now, now she was more human than witch, more good than bad. He put a hand to his heart as an odd ache formed there.

  No, he refused to think that he was heartbroken over a stupid mortal witch. The cries of people in the basement brought him out of his self-pity. He had goals to reach, creatures to create, and he’d be damned if Elizabeth and Levi stopped him.