Latvala Royals: Sacrifices Read online

  The words felt like a lie in his mouth, no matter how desperately he wanted them to be true.

  Click.

  Beep.

  Time ticked on.

  “Dare, can I talk to you?” Leander said from the doorway.

  “I’ll be right there.” Sander shifted in his seat and pushed to a stand. Chey had fallen asleep in the chair next to him, her cheek resting on Elias’s bed. After a gentle stroke of his hand over his wife’s hair and a glance at Elias, Sander stepped away and met Leander in the hall.

  It was late, pushing midnight.

  Leander thrust a hand back through his cropped brown hair. Salt streaks near the temples gave evidence of creeping age.

  “Initial findings are in. There’s no evidence of foul play,” Leander said in his forthright, blunt manner. “A small section of road at the cliffside collapsed. The investigators think the Hummer got too close to the edge and the wheel sank in. From there the vehicle slid off the road and rolled.”

  “Did they get the lab work back on the driver?” Sander asked. He knew each man had been tested for drugs and alcohol.

  “Yes. All of them, down to Elias, came back negative. Seems it was an accident in the truest sense of the word. The driver might have even swerved to miss an animal or something and didn’t realize how close to the edge he was, or that the edge would give way.”

  “All right. If you hear anything else, let me know. Also, I need you to lock down all information channels between this incident and the outside world. I don’t even want the council or the advisors to know yet. Make sure all the emergency responders, nurses, doctors—everyone involved keeps Elias’s condition under wraps.” The last thing he wanted was for other countries to think Latvala was in a vulnerable spot.

  “I did that hours ago, but I’ll go back over it and reissue the order. I figured you wouldn’t want this getting out yet,” Leander said. “What about Inari?”

  Inari Ascher, future queen of Somero, was Elias’s current love interest. The two were close, but hadn’t been together that long. Not years. And they weren’t engaged. Sander trusted Inari to keep the news to herself, yet he hesitated. It wouldn’t just be Inari who knew. Her personal security guards would know as well as a few others intimately involved in Inari’s schedule. That was the thing about dealing with royalty. Someone else always had inside information.

  “Let’s see how Elias does overnight first. We’ll contact her tomorrow if Elias holds his own,” Sander said.

  Leander nodded and stepped away down the hall.

  “How’re you doing, Pop?” Eliana asked.

  Sander turned to face his youngest daughter, who had snuck into the hall at some point. While Emily resembled Chey, Eliana resembled him. She even wore half her blond-streaked hair pulled back from her forehead. Her jaw was femininely square, also taking after him, though the rest of her features were soft and pretty. Rather than frilly dresses or ultrafeminine fashion, Eliana preferred leather, suede, and denim. Hiking boots were a constant. She was his daughter to a tee.

  “I’m fine, Ellie. Any changes?”

  “No. But nothing for the worse either, so that’s good news,” she said. “I know you’re a rock, but I’m worried about you. And Mom.”

  Sander set a hand on Eliana’s shoulder. “We’ll be all right. We have to stay strong for him. Stay strong and hope for the best.”

  Eliana studied his eyes while he studied hers. She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his whiskery cheek, an atypical show of affection. It wasn’t that his daughter was lacking in feelings. Eliana preferred to only show them now and then, however, usually during difficult or trying times, or when she knew someone really needed support. Sander smiled and cupped her cheek in his palm.

  He loved his kids so.

  A flurry of movement through the window to Elias’s room drew his gaze. Several nurses hurried around Elias’s bed, checking monitors and flipping switches. Chey had backed away from the bedside, one hand over her mouth.

  With a sharp curse, Sander brushed past Eliana and entered the room at the same time as the lead surgeon, who had left the nurse’s station at a jog.

  “We’re going to have to take him into surgery, Your Majesty. The swelling is increasing,” he said.

  Sander strode for Chey as the staff prepared to wheel Elias into the surgical suite. Eliana had followed him inside and stood near Erick and Emily. They had less than a minute to lay hands on Elias’s shoulder and whisper their love before the gurney whisked out the door with monitors still beeping.

  Sander watched it all through a strange haze. None of it seemed real. For a while, he’d had high hopes that Elias was almost out of the woods. Now his son was fighting for his life.

  Chey trembled in his arms, bringing his attention down to her agonized face.

  “He’ll make it,” Sander said, wishing he felt as confident as he sounded. “I’m going to go get hooked up so they can draw blood in case Elias needs it.”

  “All right. We’ll be here,” Chey whispered. She kissed his cheek, hugged him tight, and went to stand with Emily, Erick, and Eliana.

  Sander spent a few seconds studying his family before stalking into the hallway. He pushed up his shirtsleeves and gestured to a nurse.

  “I want to give blood in case he needs it. Let’s go.”

  No sacrifice was too small to help save his child.

  Chapter 3

  Blurry.

  Unfocused.

  A sea of shifting color.

  He opened his eyes.

  White.

  Tan.

  Gray on gray.

  A looming round shape.

  Unclear.

  A sharp pain lanced through his head and he knew no more.

  Haze.

  Fog?

  White and gray.

  A strange beep-click entered his consciousness, louder and then weaker. As if moving closer before backing away.

  Louder. Weaker.

  Beep-click.

  He licked his lips.

  A dull tone rolled over the beep-clicks and he frowned as he tried to dissect it.

  Why was it so hard to focus?

  He blinked again.

  The vague tiles of a ceiling came into view.

  That was better.

  Ceiling. His room?

  Click-beep.

  Not his room.

  Where was his room?

  A voice rushed across his awareness. Feminine, yet deep.

  He frowned again, unable to make out the words.

  He wanted to tell the speaker to go slowly. To speak louder. The voice came again, louder then weaker, like the beep-clicks.

  The sights and sounds faded to black.

  Third time’s the charm.

  Where had he heard that before? Not heard—thought. He’d thought it.

  He blinked his eyes open.

  Ceiling.

  Tubes.

  Machines.

  So loud.

  Beep, beep, beep.

  He took a deep breath.

  A shape swam into view, blocking out the ceiling.

  Blondish hair, brown eyes. She was frowning.

  Around her neck, a stethoscope.

  Nurse, his mind provided.

  She was a nurse.

  And she spoke, mouth moving. He heard the sounds, understood he was hearing words. But he could not yet make a straight line out of her verbal cursive.

  Slower, he wanted to say, but couldn’t. His tongue didn’t want to work.

  He blinked.

  She smiled. Touched his shoulder.

  He felt it.

  Thank God.

  He could feel. Almost see clearly. He could hear. Nothing concrete, nothing earth-shatteringly solid. But the shapes were coming easier, as were the sounds.

  Now, if he could just figure out what was going on.

  Figure out why he couldn’t otherwise move.

  He twitched his fingers. That was all he could do.

  This time, when
the blackness rose at the edges of his vision, he fought it.

  Fought hard.

  You can do it.

  The blackness won. It claimed him.

  Chapter 4

  Nine hours had never felt so long.

  Sander tipped his head back and rolled it left to right, attempting to work out some of the tension. Chey, Emily, Erick, and Eliana had all passed out in chairs around Elias’s bed. Two hours before, they’d gotten word that Elias had tried to wake up. The news had sent them all running into the recovery room. Sander was as anxious as the rest to see Elias alert and speaking.

  The doctor was optimistic but also pragmatic; they needed Elias to fully come around before assessing his state of self.

  Sander thought Elias coming around at all was a gift from God.

  His son was going to make it. He could feel it in his bones. This was just the beginning. Once Elias recovered, perhaps in a few weeks’ time, Sander imagined them taking a last canoe trip for the season. Just father and son, spending a night or two in the hinterlands before the harsh winter set in. It was a ritual, those trips together to the outback, and he couldn’t wait to do it again.

  He glanced at the bed and locked eyes with Elias. Shocked to find Elias awake, he stepped up next to Chey’s chair—she was still sleeping—and braced his hands against Elias’s bed.

  “Hey, son. How are you feeling? It’s great to see you awake.” Sander spoke quietly so that he didn’t wake anyone else. Not yet. He wanted to give Elias a moment to come up from the haze of anesthesia. Give him a minute to center himself before being set upon by the family.

  Elias studied his face, a mild frown building between his brows.

  “It’s okay if you can’t fully hear me yet. It’ll come back.” Sander thought it was Elias’s hearing. A rush in the ears, or perhaps like being underwater. “How is your head? In a lot of pain? I can call the nurse.”

  Sander set his callused palm on Elias’s hand.

  Elias drew back. Broke physical contact but not eye contact.

  “Where am I?” Elias asked. His voice was a husk of its former self.

  “The hospital.” Sander did not reach out again. He understood Elias was probably confused as hell and needed a few more minutes to figure things out. “You were in an accident.”

  “The hospital?” Elias echoed.

  “Yes. In Kalev. Your mother, brother, and sisters are here. We’ve been here all night.”

  He just needs time, Sander thought.

  “Kalev?” Elias asked.

  “It’s all right, son. Don’t worry. It’ll all come back the longer you’re awake. The doctors relieved some pressure on your brain overnight. There was some swelling from the car accident. But we’ll think about that later, okay?” Sander wanted to cover Elias’s hand with his own again, wanted to draw his son into a hug.

  “I don’t remember an accident,” Elias said.

  “But you remember how to talk, you know your language. That’s an excellent start. Don’t expect too much right away, you know? Sometimes it comes back in pieces. Maybe when you wake up again, things will be clearer.”

  Elias continued to frown. His lashes fluttered, as if he was trying desperately to stay awake and aware.

  That’s my boy. Fight hard, son. You can do it. Sander nodded, as if approving of Elias’s struggle.

  A struggle the young man lost several minutes later.

  Elias slipped back into sleep.

  “He wasn’t awake long. And he was confused about where he was, what had happened,” Sander said to Chey. She had woken an hour after Elias had fallen asleep.

  “You should have woken me. I would have loved to talk to him,” Chey said, sounding dismayed.

  “I would have, except he was still so confused. I didn’t want to overwhelm him.” Sander sank into the chair next to Chey, within touching distance of Elias’s hand. He reached out and stroked the rough pads of his fingers across Elias’s skin.

  “I wish he would have said more. Did he ask after Inari?”

  “No. He didn’t. He didn’t remember anything about the accident either, but I think that’s normal in the beginning. Maybe next time he wakes up he’ll remember more.” Sander looped his arm around Chey and drew her against his side while he continued to methodically stroke Elias’s hand. Keeping the family connection.

  “I hope so. I’m anxious to have him back.”

  “I know.” Sander understood Chey’s anxiety all too well.

  “Hi, honey. It’s Mom. How are you doing?” Chey asked the next time Elias surfaced from sleep. Emily, Eliana, and Erick were all gathered around the bed wearing anxious expressions.

  Sander stood next to Chey, watching his son’s face closely. Any second now he expected the proverbial light to come on. He didn’t know what to think of the way Elias looked from face to face, a familiar frown denting his brow.

  “Mom?” Elias asked.

  “Yes, it’s me. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up again. How are you?” Chey appeared to physically wilt with relief.

  And then something happened that made Sander’s gut twist. Elias arched his head away as Chey leaned over to stroke her fingers along his cheek.

  “I don’t know you,” Elias said.

  “It’s probably the anesthesia.” Chey drew her hand back. “Sometimes coming around can be a little disorienting.”

  It’s just temporary, Sander thought. Confusion was to be expected after such a nasty head wound.

  “It’ll come back to you, son,” Sander said, adding conviction and reassurance to his words. “Like your mom said. Sometimes everything is hazy at first.”

  Elias looked from Chey to Emily, Erick, and Eliana. His gaze landed on Sander last. “Why don’t I remember any of you?”

  “Give it a little more time, all right? We’re here and we’re not leaving,” Sander said. He felt the weight of several stares. Chey, Eliana, Erick. He remained steadfast for them all. “You’ve had a bad head injury, Elias. The top of the truck caved in and you took a pretty hard hit to the skull. Lots of stitches and brain swelling. The doctors have relieved the pressure, though, so it’ll just take some time for everything to return to normal. Don’t worry, try not to stress. It’ll come back.”

  Elias didn’t seem to know whether to be worried or relieved. He did not return touches or reach out for anyone.

  “Why don’t we leave you to rest a while? We’ll be back when it’s not so overwhelming,” Sander said. He could see that Elias needed space. Needed to think about things. Come to terms with his temporary memory loss. “We’ll just be outside the door, all right?”

  Elias nodded hesitantly.

  Sander guided Chey away from the bed to the door and gestured for the others to follow.

  In the hallway, Sander resisted the urge to curse. The memory loss was a temporary setback. Elias would be back to himself in no time.

  I don’t know you. Elias’s words echoed in Sander’s head. Such haunting words.

  He’ll be fine. It’s only a matter of time. Don’t panic.

  Don’t panic.

  Chapter 5

  “You’re not wrong, Your Majesty. Sometimes the memory just takes a while to reboot. The swelling is holding steady and his stats are all good. We’ll take those as a win right now and monitor everything else,” the doctor on duty said. He was a man of middle age with salt interspersed in the light blond of his hair, a lean face, and a complexion that suggested he kept himself active in the outdoors.

  Sander had trusted this man with his entire family for the last decade, when the last royal doctor had retired. There were other doctors on staff, though Dr. Steffanson was at the head of the pack.

  “I need to know what the odds are that he’ll regain his full memory,” Sander said. He did not need to explain to the doctor that Elias was first in line to the throne. If there was a chance that Elias might somehow be disabled, unable to perform as king when the time came, then Sander needed to make plans.

  He h
ated the very thought, but there was nothing else to be done.

  The fate of Latvala was at stake.

  Silence descended over the gathering. Emily, Eliana, and Erick said nothing. They knew that should Elias be taken out of the running, Emily would eventually become queen. She had been groomed for the role her entire life, as had they all.

  Sander sensed the tension in his children and felt it in Chey’s slim body which she held against him.

  “It’s very hard to say, Your Majesty. He’s suffered a significant trauma. But if I had to put a number on it, I’d give him better than fifty-fifty odds,” Dr. Steffanson said.

  Fifty-fifty odds made Sander’s blood run cold. “How long?”

  “It could take weeks for Elias to regain his full memory. Sometimes longer. But he also might wake up tomorrow and remember everything.”

  “Or he’ll never regain his memory at all.”

  “I’m sorry to say that it’s a possibility. He will be able to do normal day-to-day things, such as fix himself meals, drive a vehicle, and other physical labor. But some severely affected patients never regain the person they were before the accident,” Steffanson said.

  “Thank you.” Sander dismissed the doctor with a nod. As soon as the door closed on the private waiting room, he faced his loved ones.

  “If Elias doesn’t regain any kind of memory within two weeks, I’ll be forced to officially change his title and Emily will become first in line to the throne. I know none of you like the idea, but we have to think about protecting the order of things. If something happened to me while Elias was down, and no official heir had been placed, it could cause a lot of chaos and havoc. God forbid word got out. There’s no telling who might decide to take advantage and attack.” Sander studied each of his children’s faces, but the lion’s share of his attention landed on Emily.

  “We know,” Emily said with a faint lift of her chin. “We’ve all discussed it before this meeting with the doctor. We’ll do what we have to do, Pop.”

  “Are you going to hold a meeting with the advisors and councilmen?” Erick asked.