Curse of Night

by Emily Goodwin

  “You speak Enochian,” Julian says. “Maybe your human brain won’t be as much of a hindrance as I thought.”

  “Let’s hope,” I say. “But I don’t know I’m speaking it.” I yawn and take another sip of water.

  Eliza goes back to the counter and unscrews the bottle of nail polish. “I assume this is why you’re using my house tonight then. To tell everyone the news?” She starts putting a second coat of polish on her nails. “Unless you have other drama.”

  “It’s the main reason,” I say. “But I should probably warn everyone else demons want me to be the new queen of Hell.” I motion to Julian. “That’s why he’s here, remember?”

  Eliza’s blue eyes zero in on me for a few seconds before she purposely blinks and looks away. “There’s always something with you.”

  “What can I say? I like to be the center of attention.”

  “You do a pretty good job of that.”

  The smell of the nail polish hits me again, and I shudder.

  “Are you all right?” Lucas asks.

  “Yeah. I need to get some air.” I look at Julian. “Want to take a walk with me?”

  “Outside?”

  “Yes, that’s typically where you walk.”

  “Then yes.” He smiles and holds out his hand.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Lucas asks. “You just threw up.”

  “From the smell of the nail polish,” I say with a wince, knowing Eliza is going to huff about it. It’s not a scent that has ever bothered me before, but I’m so damn nauseous right now. “It’s nice out, and I know my sister and Penny are home. She’s not bringing Penny tonight, and I’d like to see her. I don’t have much experience around kids, you know.”

  Lucas smiles but doesn’t take his arm from around me. “Be careful. Take Scarlet with you. The crime rates have gone up in the city.”

  “And what? Take her collar off and let a hellhound rip the arms off someone trying to mug me?” I cock an eyebrow. “I can handle it, Lucas. Actually, I’d like to see someone try to mug me. It would be amusing.”

  Lucas, however, doesn’t look amused.

  “I’ll bring Binx. He’s at least discrete. And Julian will be with me. He’s an angel, and I don’t mean that in a he’s sweet and kind way. He’s been chasing down demons for weeks and only got stabbed once in that time.”

  “Don’t get stabbed,” Lucas tells Julian.

  “I wasn’t planning on it,” he replies. “I will keep Callie safe. I swore to Michael to watch out for her, and considering her current state, I will be extra vigilant.”

  “My current state?” I echo. “I’m a little nauseous, but I’m fine. I can still kick both your asses without breaking a sweat.”

  “I believe her,” Eliza mumbles, and Lucas just glares at the both of us.

  “Now, unless you want my fragile state to deteriorate even more, I’m going outside for some fresh air. Well, after I pee.” I take another drink, set the glass in the sink, and use the bathroom.

  I dig my sunglasses out of my purse and give Lucas a quick kiss before Julian, Binx, and I leave through the front door.

  “I used to live in Chicago,” I tell Julian. “I much prefer the country, and Thorne Hill will always be home, but I do kinda miss this sometimes.”

  “It has a certain energy to it.” He narrows his eyes and looks around. “It’s chaotic.”

  “I think that’s what I like, but only sometimes. It’s nice having the house here to visit.”

  Binx weaves between my feet as I walk. We move in perfect harmony, and he’s never once tripped me. We cross the street, and I realize I didn’t bring my phone to text Abby and see if she’s home and up for a visitor.

  Right as we’re nearing her house, someone familiar gets out of a silver Mercedes.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumble, and Binx hisses.

  “What is it?” Julian asks, but he sees him right as he sees us. “Scott Martin.”

  Chapter 38

  The last time my asshole ex-brother saw us, he was scared shitless and praying he wouldn’t piss his pants. And by the look on his face, he’s feeling the exact same way.

  “Hello, Scott,” I say with a pleasant smile on my face. Scott is frozen on the sidewalk, standing in front of the passenger side door and blocking someone from getting out. We’re a few houses down from Abby’s, but I take it as he’s the one coming over to watch Penny tonight so Abby can hang out with me. “You remember my friend, Julian, don’t you?”

  Julian takes a few steps forward, tipping his head to the side. “You reek of sin,” he tells Scott, who jerks back and almost trips off the curb. The door opens, and Ella, Scott’s fiancée, gets out, looking confused.

  And then she sees me.

  “Stay back!” she yells and reaches into her purse for her pepper spray. She holds it up and moves closer to Scott. At least she’s got backbone.

  “Chill,” I say and hold up my hand. I bring my wrist down, forcing her hand back into her purse. “We’re just going for a walk.”

  “You…you’re why Abby is going out tonight,” Scott finally spits out, eyes darting from me to Julian.

  “Yeah. She’s my sister,” I say just to piss Scott off.

  “She’s not your sister,” he spits back, right on cue.

  “Not by blood. Did you forget?” I point to Julian. “He’s my blood. My family. Oh, and Lucas is, too.” I flash my wedding rings. “We got married and had a beautiful wedding. Which means you have a vampire brother-in-law now since Fuckoff Martin is still spinning the lie that I’m his precious baby girl off doing charity work in third-world countries.”

  I wiggle my fingers, making the sunlight sparkle off the ostentatious diamonds. “You know, I never really went public about the wedding. I wanted a quiet ceremony, celebrating our love, you know, as a wedding should be, but I missed out a huge opportunity to get some free publicity. For the Friends of the Night Association, of course.”

  “What do you want?” Ella asks, voice catching. She’s trying to reach into her purse again for the pepper spray. She keeps eyeing Binx, and if she even thinks about spraying my familiar in the face, she’s got another thing coming.

  “Nothing,” I answer. “I literally want nothing to do with you ever again. We are going for a walk, so move out of the way.” I hold up my hand, ready to telekinetically shove Scott aside.

  “Callie,” Julian says under his breath, eyeing me.

  “Fine,” I huff and let my hand drop. “You’re no fun.”

  “You can turn him into a cat again another time.”

  I smile. “That’s more like it.” Binx growls, and I pick him up, running my hand over his sleek fur. “Now go on,” I tell Scott and Ella. “Don’t hog the sidewalk.”

  Scott locks the car and reaches for Ella’s hand, dragging her away. He turns around every other step, looking at me.

  “He’s scared of you,” Julian says.

  “Good.” I let out a breath, and Binx rubs his head against me. “I was scared of him and the man I thought was my father for so long. It’s time they know how it feels.”

  Not wanting to cause unnecessary drama for Abby, we cross the street and walk in the opposite direction.

  “Are you feeling better?” Julian asks.

  “I’m still pissed but—oh, you mean the morning sickness. Yeah, not smelling that nail polish helps. We can keep walking, though. It’s nice out, and I think Eliza appreciates some alone time with Lucas. She’s his daughter, for lack of a better word.”

  “You’re worried she’s going to be jealous?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. It took her a while to warm up to me. I thought it was because she had romantic feelings for Lucas, but it was because she didn’t like witches and she was more worried I wasn’t good enough for him. They have a weird relationship.”

  “Many vampires have sex with those they make.”

  “Yeah, they do, but not Lucas and Eliza. He turned her into a vampire for r
evenge and didn’t want anything to do with her. He told me he tried leaving her behind but couldn’t sever the bond.” I shrug. “It worked out, and I like her. She’s dramatic and kinda bratty, but she’s part of the package.”

  I let Binx jump out of my arms so he can go run after birds. Julian and walk around the block and then head back to the house. The caterers will be arriving soon, and I’m not sure if there are enough dishes in the house anymore. Lucas bought the house fully staged and left everything in the kitchen, but it’s just the basics, and we have a full house coming over. Granted, three members of the party won’t eat.

  Which reminds me to make sure Lucas gets a bag of blood. The blood grossed me out before, and just thinking about it makes my stomach churn. There’s no way I can slip a bag under my shirt and warm it up without barfing now.

  “Hey,” I ask as we wait for cars to drive by before crossing the street again. “Obviously, Lucas drinks my blood, and he doesn’t think it’s a good idea to continue that now that I’m…”

  “Pregnant,” Julian finishes.

  “Yes. He read that pregnant women shouldn’t donate blood, but when people donate blood, they give a lot. I don’t think Lucas drinks that much at once, though honestly I have no idea. But, um, I’m not human.”

  “So you’re wondering if it’s okay?”

  “Yeah,” I say, feeling a little awkward. Lucas is a vampire. Everyone knows vampires need blood to survive. But feeding and sex go hand-in-hand.

  “I don’t know,” Julian answers, not feeling the same bit of embarrassment I do. “You are not human, and neither is your child.”

  “Right,” I say with a nod. “Since I’m half witch and half angel, the baby would be like a fourth witch and a fourth angel, and then half human.”

  “I believe so.”

  “I hope it has powers.” The thought suddenly horrifies me. “If this kid has me for a mother and a vampire for a father and then is normal…that would really fucking suck.” I slowly shake my head. “I can’t imagine not having powers. Magic makes everything so much easier. And it’s just a part of me.”

  “I believe he or she will have powers. It takes a while to dilute a witch’s bloodline. I’ve watched over the years.”

  “Oh, that’s good.” I look at my stomach. “You won’t be a non,” I tell the baby. Binx trots along between us, and a group of elementary-aged girls gush over him, leaving their fenced-in front yard to pet him.

  He eats it all up, rolling around and purring until the girls are called back by a parent. I pick him up and carry him across the street to keep up the appearance that he’s a normal cat.

  Lucas and Eliza are in the front sitting room when we get back. The metal blinds are still drawn, and the house is dim. Able to see in the dark, the lack of light doesn’t bother vampires.

  I conjure an energy ball, tossing it up in the air to illuminate the room. Lucas speeds over, taking me in his arms and kissing me on the lips.

  “Are you feeling better?” he asks, sweeping his hands down my arms.

  “I am. Guess who we ran into.” My eyebrows go up, and I press my lips together, trying not to let anger seep into my bones. The energy ball is still blue and turning red is a giveaway I’m still pissed as fuck at the Martins.

  “You were going to your sister’s, so one of the Martins?”

  “Yep. Scott.” I lose my battle with my anger, and the light above bathes us in a blood red glow. “He wasn’t very happy, which makes me happy.” I let out a breath, and the energy ball starts to go back blue. “I need to check and see how many dishes you have. And probably give them a rinse since they haven’t been used in a long time.”

  “I’ll help you.” Lucas takes my hand and goes into the kitchen with me. We get everything washed and set out by the time the caterers come. They’re taken off guard to be showing up to a vampire’s residence, which I can understand. It’s not everyday a vampire hires you to come cook up a feast. But hey, the humans will come later. They’re cooking and then leaving, not staying to serve so we can all talk in private.

  The food smells wonderful when they start cooking it, but then it quickly starts to bother me. Annoyed and hungry, I go upstairs to get away from the smell. As soon as the sun goes down and the blinds go up, I’m opening a window.

  “There you are,” Lucas says, stepping into the guest room. I’m sitting on the bed, reading an e-book on my phone. He sits next to me, and I put my phone down and snuggle in his arms.

  “How’d Eliza take the news?” I ask, not really having had a chance to talk to her since I got back from my walk with Julian.

  “She was shocked, as were we, but she’s happy for us.”

  “Really?” I look up at Lucas incredulously.

  “Yes, she said she’s excited to be a vampire-aunt.”

  “That sounds like some sort of creepy bug that takes over your panty or something,” I laugh. “But I’m glad. She is family, too.”

  Lucas kisses me, moving my hair to the side and exposing my neck. It’s a habit for us now.

  “I want you to have my blood,” I say softly. “I don’t like the thought of you not having any of my blood in you.”

  “I don’t like it, either, but I’m not taking blood away from our baby.”

  “Don’t take a lot. Just enough to keep me inside you.” I snicker. “Sorry, I’m very mature, I know.”

  “I prefer me being inside you.” He sweeps his fingers down and starts to bunch up the hem of my dress.

  “I do, too. But eat. Please. I can’t have you getting weak or tired.”

  “Don’t worry about me.” He moves his hand up and rests it on my stomach. “I won’t deprive myself, but I won’t take anything away from him, either.”

  “Him? You think it’s a boy?”

  “I actually have no gut feeling either way. Do you?”

  I shake my head. “No. Do you have a preference?”

  “I want a son,” he says with no hesitation.

  “That was fast,” I quip.

  “Males were preferred when I was human. I suppose I still hold onto that.”

  “Well, get over it,” I shoot out. Maybe it’s hormones making me easily offended, but it’s not like we need a strong boy to manage the family farm. “What if it’s a girl? Will you be disappointed?”

  “No. If it’s a girl, she’ll be just like you.”

  And now the little bit of anger I had melts away. “Good answer.” I tip my head up and kiss Lucas. He moves onto me, kissing me harder.

  “Lucas,” Eliza calls from the hall. “The caterers are done.”

  Sighing, Lucas moves off me. We go downstairs together, and I’m back to thinking the food smells good. The caterers leave, and I start picking at the charcuterie board that looks absolutely amazing.

  “You shouldn’t eat that,” Eliza says, stopping me before I put a piece of salami in my mouth.

  “Why not?”

  “Listeria.”

  “What?” I look at the meat.

  “It’s a type of bacteria. It can make you sick.”

  I feel way more sad than I should to not eat this piece of salami than I should. “How do you know that?”

  “I read it in a book.”

  “You read baby books?” I ask.

  “Ew, no. It was a romance novel, and one of the characters was pregnant. She got knocked up by her older brother’s best friend. It’s something you’d like, probably.”

  “Oh, I do love the older brother’s best friend trope. We have a whole section devoted to those types of books at the store.” I set the salami down. “I really can’t eat it?”

  “Hang on.” Eliza does a search on her phone. “Microwave it until it’s steamy. It says you’re unlikely to get sick, and since you’re not human you’re not as weak as most.”

  I look at the salami in my hand, and my eyes fill with tears. There’s so much I don’t know.

  “Here.” Eliza gets a plate, puts a few pieces of salami on it, and goes to the micro
wave. She looks at it for a few seconds, not familiar with using it, and then heats up my meat.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She crosses her arms and leans against the counter. “If it’s a girl, you should name her Eliza,” she says seriously.

  “Maybe a middle name. I would say I’d name her after my mother, but I’m named after my mother, so that would just be weird.” I shake my head, hair falling in my face. “I don’t really want to think about that yet. Julian told me I’m the first nephilim to get knocked up.” I pause, feeling emotional again. This time I know I can’t blame it on hormones, though. “I’m assuming I’ll be able to grow this little thing until it’s ready to pop out, but what if…”

  “You’re nonhuman half rejects it?” Eliza finishes for me.

  “Yeah.” I look up, locking eyes with her, and feel a sense of relief. I’ve been denying that to myself, not even wanting to let myself think it. “We need to deal with this, assume things are going to happen as we think, but I don’t want to get too excited.” I look up, trying to blink away tears.

  I fail.

  “I didn’t want that test to be positive,” I go on. “But then when I saw how excited Lucas was…”

  “It’ll be okay,” Eliza says and comes over, awkwardly patting me on the back.

  “Thanks,” I sniffle. “Keep this between us, okay?”

  “Ugh, another secret.” She rolls her eyes, and I laugh. The microwave beeps, and I get the plate out, flipping the pieces of deli meat over and sticking it back in for another thirty seconds for good measure. I stick the plate in the fridge to let the meat cool back down and eat several pieces of cheese, which sadly doesn’t sit well in my stomach.

  I go back into the living room and sit on the floor to play with Scarlet. The blinds start to go up, startling me. The sound sends me back to being in the research lab.

  “I’ll never let that happen to you,” I whisper, hand going over my stomach. “And you’ll always know exactly who you are.”

  I get up to find Lucas and Julian. I make it to the foyer before the doorbell rings. Scarlet barks and comes running like a good little guard dog.