The Queen's Forbidden Love

Chapter 11

Claudia's POV:

Once I knew that Bella had finally left my bedroom door, I got up from the bed and walked over to the dresser that had my large bag. I dug through it till I found the supplies that I needed to create the cream to put on my face. It didn't take very long to create it. It's one of them that is very easy to create. One of my favorites because it's fast and doesn't take a lot of herbs and minerals to create. I stood in front of the mirror and started to apply it. It had a cooling feel on my skin that soothed the still burning feel that I felt from the fight. It also had a tingling sensation in the areas that were bruised or cut open. That feeling is a good feeling to have because that is how you know it is working.

It wasn't like a night cream where that would stay on your face to then be wiped off later. Just like the potion that was put in the water of my bath, this too will soak into my skin after a few minutes. That's how it works and allows it to get deep down to heal. It will take a few hours to work and depending on how extensive the wounds are will depend if it will need more time or not.

I guess it's a good thing Jovian healed my lip during our kiss. If he hadn't, I would have had to make a different cream, that I didn't have the ingredients here, that would be safe for consumption. Just the thought of his lips on mine again caused me to carefully and softly place my fingers along my lips, touching them gently as if they were his lips grazing over mine once again. I closed my eyes tight and pulled my hand away so I could do what I could to remove the thoughts and memories from my mind. I need to remove him from my mind and thoughts! Permanently if I have to!

---

The next morning I rolled over and looked out the window. The sun was already starting to set, suggesting that it was no longer morning but early evening. All I wanted to do was stay in bed. I wouldn't be surprised if I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. My schedule is way off now. I really don't want to get up and start the day, the day of questions that I'm sure Bella will fill my day full of. I know that she means well and she's concerned but I don't feel like talking about it. Or should I say, talk about him.

For the last couple of months, my life has just taken the worst turn it could ever take. From living my life as I have always lived it since I moved away from my mother to feel freedom compared to the life I was brought up in, to having thoughts of a vampire that should never enter my mind all because I couldn't control my s****l urges around him, to suddenly having to have a baby because I've put it off for longer than I should have. It all makes me feel trapped physically and emotionally. It's tiring and draining. All I want to do is just sweep it all under the rug, stomp on it, and walk away to never return to it again.

I finally pulled myself from the bed and walked over to my other bag that had my clothes in it. I decide to go a little more traditional, back to my heritage. I pull out my favorite headscarf. It's a light pink with a black intricate design at the ends and very silky. I match it up with a long-sleeved v-neck floor-length gown that is loose-fitting in my midsection. The scarf will cover me well enough that no one will know that this more modern style gown was a v-neck. This was how I always got away with wearing more up-with-the-times styles without my mother knowing. If she ever knew, well she did catch me one time, and let's just say, it didn't go over very well.

I go into the attached bathroom and pin my hair up so the scarf will wrap around properly, hiding as much of my hair as possible. I slip the gown on and do my makeup. I give myself a winged eyeliner and a little eyeshadow before calling it good and heading out of the room.

"I thought you said we were leaving?" I heard Bella ask as I walked out of the bedroom without any bags in my hand.

"I changed my mind. I need to get this done and over with and since I'm already here where there are a few to choose from, I'm determined to find one." I told her as I looked over at her as she sat on one of the barstools with her bags next to her on the floor.

Her eyes traveled all over me, not exactly surprised with how I was dressed because this is usually how I dress when I'm not out hunting any supernaturals or black witches. She has seen me like this often but here lately I've been dressed a little more modern, so to speak. I always have my decorative black netted hair snood with little decorative pearls on it to cover my hair when I don't have one of the head scarfs on.

"You think you're going to get one of them dressed like that? You're completely covered and boring looking." She told me as her eyes landed back on me as I tilted my head and glared at her.

"Do you honestly think these guys are even going to care?" I asked her as I put my hand on my hip and raised my eyebrows in question.

"Well, no but really?" She asked me as she pointed her hand at me and I just rolled my eyes as I walked over to the little kitchen and started the coffee maker.

"This is who I am, Bella. This is how I was raised and this is where my family is from. I grew up in Egypt in the late 1800s. Just because I moved to the States to get away from that way of life several decades ago, doesn't mean that this isn't my preferred way of dressing," I told her, snapping at her a little unintentionally but she appeared to have not noticed.

"Claudia, if that was the case, then you wouldn't have other more revealing clothing in your wardrobe that you had purchased long before you had met me," She told me with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Obviously you want to move on with the times and not stick with tradition," She continued.

"Can we just get this done and over with? This way I can get back home and get everything that the Demon had destroyed back. I lost everything when he burnt my bag to a crisp," I snapped at her again, this time with intention as I poured some coffee into the mug with a little cream.

I seriously need some kind of pick me up. Maybe something stronger than coffee would be better but we didn't buy any alcohol when we were at the store. I wouldn't mind just drowning everything that has happened with a bottle of whiskey. I might need to do that for a few months to take care of everything that has happened recently in my life. Maybe it will get me to forget everything so I don't have to find a powerful enough witch to erase that part of my memory.

"Claudia? What happened yesterday?" I heard Bella finally ask me the question that I know has been burning in the back of her mind ever since I got back.

"Nothing. He let me rest and when I was ready, he brought me back. That was it," I informed her as I took a long sip of my coffee, keeping my eyes away from her so she wouldn't know that I was lying...sort of.

"Claudia," She said in a disapproving tone filled with disbelief.

"I think I know you well enough now to know that you are lying. I can tell by the way you acted last night when you got back and your attitude so far today that something more than what you are claiming had happened," She told me but I just ignored her and kept my back towards her.

"Is it really that taboo to have s*x with a vampire that you are doing what you can to avoid him and the topic of him like they're the plague?" She asked me, causing me to almost choke on my coffee.

"Are you saying you would be okay with being with one?" I countered back at her.

"Well, no, but I also have never found one that wouldn't eat me either. If I found one like Jovian...then I might," She responded nonchalantly.

"You don't understand," I whispered as I set the mug down so I wouldn't be tempted to take another drink and choke on it again.

"Then enlighten me," She said with attitude, causing me to look over my shoulder at her and see that she had her arms folded over her chest.

"We don't have time right now, Jezabella, and we need to get this done," I told her quickly as I turned and walked out of the cabin before she had a chance to continue with this conversation.

---

I could tell that Bella was unhappy and irritated with me. I still hadn't answered any of her questions when it came to Jovian and what happened while I was at his cabin. Whenever she was to bring it up again, I just ignored her or changed the subject. Right now, I just need a distraction.

I had originally wanted to go find one of the suiters but as we walked into town, the more an alcoholic beverage started to sound better.

"I thought we were going to look for one of the men? You know, to get this done and over with sooner so we can go home?" Bella asked as we walked into a small bar that only had the bar and a few tables along the wall.

"One could have been in here," I told her as I looked around the room and several eyes started to fall on me.

I imagine they weren't expecting someone dressed like I am to walk in. I don't let the eyes bother me, it isn't any of their business on why I was here. Most were human anyway but I did sense a few werewolves in the bar. They were at the far end and probably won't bother us anyway. They tend to keep to themselves when they are blending in with the humans. Most of the supernaturals do really well blending in by doing what they can to keep themselves from being known by others.

There are only a few supernaturals that live out in the open with humans that don't always try to stay hidden. Of course, the vampires and demons don't always, but wizards can be a nuisance if they are in the same area as a witch. It's mostly because they always want to outdo the witch and show us that they are superior. That's the case with a lot of the ones with magic capabilities. I've only ever had a few run-ins with fairies, sprites, pixies, or leprechauns. Rogues from any of the supernatural species can be a problem anywhere, even out in the open.

I walk over and take a seat at the bar, lifting my hand to get the bartender's attention. Didn't take him long before he was over and taking my drink order.

"I take it none of the men are at this bar?" Bella asked as she sat down and ordered a soda.

"Nope," I told her just as the bartender handed me the drink and I smiled at him.

"Then why stay here?" She asked softly and I just shrugged my shoulders.

I grabbed the very strong mixed drink and instead of sipping it, I just chugged the entire thing and set it down on the bar.

"Oh," She responded when it dawned on her.

I could see in my peripheral vision that Bella was glaring at me. I just ignored her, lifted my hand, and ordered another drink.

---

Jezabella's POV:

I just sat there with my soda in my hand and watched Claudia down her fourth cocktail. I knew something wasn't right when she first walked through the door last night and was positive something happened with the way she was acting earlier today. Then to sit here and just watch her drink one after another, I knew that whatever happened last night with Jovian had her a bit shaken up.

I didn't know Claudia before that night the Enchantress tried to take over the world but I can't imagine this is the way she was before that first night with Jovian. In fact, she wasn't like this before spending last night with him in his cabin. While she was looking down at her drink, taking the straw, and stirring it, I pulled my phone out and sent Jovian a text. She won't give me any answers but maybe I can get some out of him. Claudia just has too much on her shoulders right now with the Grand Witch wanting her to have a baby to whatever this mixed-up relationship she has with Jovian. It's almost pushing her to her limits.

Bella: What happened last night?

Jovian: Nothing

Bella: Don't give me that s**t!

Bella: Did you and Claudia argue again?

I sat there and waited for him to respond but he didn't. It was angering me so without Claudia knowing, I took a picture of her leaning on her hand, staring at her drink, and moving her straw around.

Bella: I know something happened, dammit! She never drinks like this!

With the text, I sent him the picture I took just as the bartender set another drink down in front of Claudia that she graciously took in her hand and put it to her lips. I sat there anxiously waiting for him to respond. I was starting to lose hope and was about ready to come up with some kind of excuse to pull her out of this bar and take her back to the cabin when my phone lit up with a text message.

Jovian: Where are you???

I sent him the name of the bar and the street it was on.

"Who's you texting?" Claudia suddenly asked me, mixing her words a bit as she lifted her drink to her lips and drank the rest of her sixth cocktail.

"No one you would know," I responded to her.

I figured I would get some kind of response from her but she didn't say anything. She didn't even look at me. She just set her glass on the counter and lifted her hand to the bartender for another one.

"Claudia, I think you've had enough," I told her but she just shook her head.

"Nope..." She slurred.

I could tell that the alcohol was starting to take effect. She took her hand and pushed the empty glass off to the side and then rested her elbows on the counter with her head in her hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked her and she shook her head in her hands.

"Nope," She responded.

She didn't appear to be the kind of drunk that would talk your ear off. The only reason why I knew that she was starting to get drunk was because her words were starting to slur and not be very clear. The bartender came over with her seventh drink and set it down in front of her. I nodded to him, telling him that this would be the last one for us as I handed him the money he needed for all of our drinks.

"I saaaid...I wassssn't donnne..." She snapped, slurring more words this time as she grabbed the glass and downed that one too in one gulp.

"Claudia..." I started to say but she took her and waved it at me as if she was going to try to get me to shut up but instead of whatever it was she was going to have directed at me, I suddenly saw one of the glasses down the bar tip over and spill the beer all over the drunk that had his head laying on the countertop.

I think she was going to smack me with a gust of air! Just as I looked back at her to give her drunken ass a piece of my mind, the motion of her hand was enough to push her off balance. She tried to stabilize herself by putting her foot on the floor but she was too unsteady on her feet to do any good. Faster than I could react, she stumbled. Before she could hit the wood floor, she was grabbed by a pair of hands. Once my eyes were able to adjust to the speed of motion in front of me, I saw Jovian grabbing her.

"Put meeee...down! I didnnnn't need you...." She slurred angrily at him as he scooped her up into a bridal position.

"Take her back to our cabin," I told him as he held her close to him.

I could see that being in his arms was suddenly calming her down and she was no longer trying to get away from him. I think she may have fallen asleep, or passed out most likely, just as she leaned against him. Jovian just nodded in my direction just before walking out of the bar with Claudia in his arms.