The Timekeeper by Jordana Barber

that doesn’t make it any easier on me.
    “Every time I see that asshole , the first thing that pops into my head is you had the bastard’s child. You can’t have my children in Aliis, and it makes me seem a little inferior. Then I remember our wedding night, and you already know how I feel about the incident.” I put my hand on his leg.
    My first husband made the top of most people’s kill list. Even his own family hadn’t been pleased with him, he shamed them and that was not something easily forgivable. I don’t think his mother, Medusa, had spoken to him since he had betrayed me.
    “I know babe, but it’s not like I invited him. I want nothing to do with him either. I’d rather shoot myself in the foot. So Zev’s looking for me, it doesn’t mean he’ll find me. Let’s deal with it when he does, and not think about this right now. I simply thought you should know more than one person had heard. Mal found out from Crysian and Eulalie. I have a feeling he’s going to continue harassing everyone I know until he finds me.
    “They should be giving him the run around, don’t stress about it.” I didn’t know how to make him stress less about the situation. I couldn’t have his children. He knew that when I married him. As far as our wedding night went, I was still pissed with Zev about that as well.
    Our baby was a genetic impossibility. We had tried, hoped, prayed, but it wasn’t going to change the fact that I couldn’t carry his child to term. Dragons couldn’t have children with anything other than a creature that could lay eggs. There wasn’t anything that could be done about it, and because he had married a Demon-Djinn Princess, he wasn’t allowed to touch another woman for the rest of his life.
    Oh, I had given him permission without repercussion, I would simply turn a blind eye, but he would have none of it, telling me that he had never wanted anything to do with any other woman. Darius was noble and sweet, but not very practical.
    “I know this isn’t your fault. It’s just frustrating. We can’t take care of a child with this kind of life anyway. Besides, you given me countless mortal children, and that’s all I can ever expect of you. I helped raised Aural, and she turned out well, I would have made a wonderful father.
    “I knew when I married you that we couldn’t have kids, and I did it anyway and I have never regretted it. Even after all of this time, I love you more and more each day, if that’s even possible.” My faithful Dragon, he was always sweet and loving, but vicious at the same time. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
    “I love you too, and you’re right, you would’ve made a magnificent father.” It was all I could say. I wasn’t the sappy type, something else he was well aware of when we married.
    He never expected me to be, although I’m sure he wouldn’t complain if I was every once in a while. I was a passionate person, but you could never make me lovey-dovey.
    He smiled at me briefly, “So, how is Aural? I worry about her. She has no one to protect her and she has such a dangerous job.” I chuckled, children or not, Darius’s paternal instinct came out every time some one mentioned Aural .
    “She’s stressed. I have a feeling Dante’s going to lose a child if he doesn’t get Jayden away from her. She’s under a lot of pressure to pull everything together and there’s more going on than just the Jaylynne-Hel affair. She should’ve been able to fix this without any help at all.
    “I believe she’s keeping things from Dante, but I could only speculate as to what . I’m sure the royal courts are in an upheaval, and she’s ignoring her duties as Duchess of Regiam Urbem . ” I pulled myself off of the bed and stretched.
    I was always stiff after I got back from Aliis. Astral travel made me achy, my body didn’t move at all when I left .
    “What do you want for dinner?” I asked, praying he would allow the change in subject. I started to