Chapter 4: As a baby

🖱️ Sammy 🖱️

I closed the car door as carefully as I could. Every instinct in me wanted to slam it hard enough to rip it off its hinges, but I couldn’t.

Jayden was finally asleep. After so many minutes of bleeding, shaking and fighting through pain that no healer could explain, he had finally drifted off against the back seat. His face looked exhausted even in sleep, his brows still drawn together like his body refused to let him rest.

The last thing I wanted was to wake him.

I rested my forehead against the roof of the car and let out a long breath.

“Fuck…”

Victor chose death. Why couldn’t he just stay dead? The thought hit me so suddenly that I almost laughed at myself.

Yes… I had missed the blood sucker and I mourned him. Hell, I’d cried harder than I ever thought I would.

For ten years I’d lived with the guilt of knowing my biggest rival sacrifice himself for the two people he loved most. I respected him. I loved him in my own way. He had become a part of me. But these last four months…These last four months had been hell.

Every single day Jayden woke up in pain and that damned mark burned deeper into his skin. Every single day I watched the strongest man I knew slowly fall apart while I stood there completely helpless.

The resentment I’d buried with love had somehow crawled back out of its grave. I hated him for this and that even after dying, he still had the power to make Jayden suffer.

“Stop cursing the dead, Sammy.”

Jane’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I looked over at her while pulling a cigarette from my pocket.

She folded her arms.

“You know Jay hates it when you smoke.”

“I know.”

“So why are you lighting one?”

“Because if I don’t, I’ll start punching trees.”

She sighed.

“Fair enough.”

I lit the cigarette anyway and took a long drag before looking back at the car.

“…Do you think he’s alive?”

Jane followed my gaze.

“I do.”

“It would be good if he’s alive.” Another drag. “But can he stop breaking my Jay just to announce his resurrection?”

The words came out harsher than I intended.

Jane didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she leaned against the car beside me.

“He’s alive, Sammy….. The way Jayden’s body is reacting tells me the Dragon Prince has returned.” She hesitated. “But…”

I turned to look at her. “Will you stop speaking in riddles and just tell me what the ‘but’ is?”

Jane remained quiet for several seconds. “You saw the headquarters of the supreme burnt into ashes.”

“Indeed.” I nodded, I can never forget that day.

“You saw nothing but ashes that day, nothing was saved.” She looked me straight in the eyes. “Everyone in that building burned.”

I nodded.

“There weren’t even bones left behind.”

The cigarette between my fingers suddenly didn’t taste so good anymore.

Jane continued.

“So tell me…”

“What if Victor body can never be recovered?”

I frowned, that is the concept I don’t also understand, he fucking burnt into ashes so how the hell is he alive.

“What if…” She paused. “…Victor was reborn?”

I stared at her.

“…Reborn?”

She nodded.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jane blinked at me. “So much for being the Supreme King.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, here we go.”

“Did you even read the history books my husband spent months collecting for you?”

“…Jayden read them.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Well that can’t be helped since he’s the brainy one between you two.”

“I was busy.”

“You were sleeping.”

“I refuse to confirm or deny that accusation.”

Jane laughed despite herself before becoming serious again.

“There are records… Very old records.”

“Ancient creatures whose souls returned after death.”

I frowned.

“I thought those were myths.”

“So did everyone.”

She looked toward the sleeping Jayden.

“Until his mate mark came back.”

Silence settled between us. My mind raced through everything she had said.

If… If she was right… Then Victor hadn’t returned from the dead. He had started over.

“As someone else?”

Jane nodded.

“Possibly.”

“A child?”

“Possibly.”

“A newborn?”

“Possibly.”

I stared at her in horror.

“So your brilliant plan is to send warriors across the kingdoms looking for every baby born four months ago?”

“It makes the most sense.”

I rubbed both hands over my face.

“So what happens if they actually find him?”

Jane raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“What do you mean, what do I mean?” I pointed dramatically toward the sleeping Jayden.

“If Victor is really a baby…”

I pointed at myself.

“…then what?”

“Jay and I are supposed to raise Baby Victor?”

Jane opened her mouth. Closed it again. Then… “Torrrr…” She made a face somewhere between horror and disbelief.

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“Oh.”

I stared at her. “That’s your response?”

She looked genuinely disturbed now.

“…This is actually screwed up.”

“No kidding.”

I started pacing. “Jayden and I don’t even have children yet.”

“And now you’re telling me there’s a chance our first child is going to be…”

I couldn’t even finish the sentence.

“…Victor?”

Jane slowly nodded. I stopped walking.

“Wait.” I pointed at her. “You’re kidding….Please tell me you’re kidding.” Jane loves pranking me, this has to be one of those crazy pranks right..?

“I wish I was.” She looked completely serious. “The records don’t explain every detail.” “They only say rebirth is possible.”

“And if Victor truly has been reborn…”

Her eyes shifted back to the car where Jayden slept peacefully for the first time all day.

“…then we’re searching for someone who doesn’t even know he used to exist.”

A cold shiver ran down my spine and a sudden urgency hit me. I pulled my phone from my pocket so quickly I nearly dropped it.

“If that’s even a possibility…” I muttered while scrolling through my contacts. “I’m not wasting another second.”

Jane watched me without saying a word. The call connected almost immediately.

“Your Majesty.”

“Gather every captain in every kingdom,” I ordered. “I want every maternity ward, every healer’s house, every orphanage and every village birth record from the last four months checked.”

There was a brief silence on the other end.

“…Your Majesty?”

“You heard me.”

“We’re looking for a newborn.”

The captain sounded thoroughly confused.

“A newborn… sir?”

“Yes.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“And before you ask another question, no, I haven’t lost my mind.”

Jane snorted beside me.

“I heard that,” I muttered.

“Search every child born within the last four months. If anything unusual happened during the birth, if strange magic was reported, if a child was abandoned, if anything seems out of place, I want a report on my desk before sunrise.”

“At once, Your Majesty.”

The call ended and I stared at my phone for a long second. “This feels insane.”

“It is insane,” Jane agreed.

“But we’ve exhausted every logical explanation.”

Before I could answer, the rear car door opened. Both of us turned so quickly it almost gave me whiplash.

Jayden stepped out slowly, one hand resting against the door for support. His face had regained some color, but he still looked exhausted and his eyes moved between Jane and me before narrowing suspiciously.

“…What babies?”

I blinked.

“What?”

“I heard you talking.”

His voice was still hoarse from earlier.

“What babies?”

I hurried toward him.

“Baby, you should be resting. Are you still in pain?”

He frowned, completely ignoring my question.

“What babies, Sammy?”

I looked helplessly at Jane. She looked back at me with the exact same expression. Neither of us had expected him to wake up at that exact moment. Jayden crossed his arms despite how tired he looked.

“I asked a question.”

Jane finally cleared her throat.

“…Baby Victor.”

The words hung in the air.

Jayden stared at her.

“…What?”

Jane repeated herself, though she sounded far less confident this time.

“…Baby Victor.”

Jayden looked from her to me.

Then back to her again.

“…What exactly is a Baby Victor?”

I rubbed a hand over my face.

“This is going to sound absolutely ridiculous.”

“It already does.”

Jane took a careful step forward.

“The old records mention rebirth.”

Jayden didn’t interrupt.

“They suggest that when certain ancient creatures die, their souls don’t disappear forever.”

He still said nothing.

“They’re… reborn.”

Jayden slowly nodded.

“So far, I’m following.”

Jane took a deep breath. “We think Victor may have been reborn.”

Another slow nod.

“As a baby.”

Complete silence took over around us. Jayden simply stared at both of us. One second… Two seconds…Three.. the blinked.

“…You think…” He pointed at himself. “…my six-foot-four dragon prince…”

He pointed toward me. “…is currently wearing diapers?”

I bit the inside of my cheek. When he said it out loud, it sounded even