Born of Shadows- Complete Series

by J. R. Erickson

  Tracing her finger along the polished black frame, she marveled at Lydie's talent. It was a magnificent drawing. Abby held the frame to her chest and smiled.

  She would call her mother.

  Abby slid out of bed and put on her robe and a pair of fuzzy slippers.

  In the kitchen, Sebastian stood at the stove. Christmas music played from his laptop, which he had propped on the counter.

  "Well look at that timing," he laughed as "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" started to play.

  He swept her into a twirl and she laughed as he spun her to a chair.

  "I'm going to let that one slide because of this beautiful gift," she told him as he kissed the top of her head.

  "Decaf or regular?" he asked.

  "Regular," she said. "It is Christmas after all."

  "Anything for my girl," he told her and handed her a huge mug of steaming coffee. She leaned down and inhaled the scent. "Oh how I love thee," she told it.

  "Moi?" Sebastian asked.

  "Well you too, of course."

  "Are we the only ones awake?" Abby asked.

  "Yep. I wanted to get a jump start on Christmas breakfast and Oliver and Lydie had a pretty heated Monopoly game going at all hours of the night, so who knows when they'll get up."

  "Lydie drew this?" Abby held up the lovely picture.

  "She did. I saw her sketching a few weeks ago, so I commissioned a piece as an extra-special gift."

  "Wow, thank you, Sebastian. This really means a lot to me."

  "I knew it would," he told her, leaning down and pecking her nose.

  "I put your presents under the tree," she told him. "And not very stealthily, I'm afraid. They've been sitting there for a week."

  "Oh, I know, my love, I've already unwrapped and re-wrapped them twice."

  "You have not!"

  "Okay, true enough, but I may have noticed them there. No peeking though, I promise."

  Abby smiled and took a sip of her coffee, nice and dark. She liked Sebastian this way. He bounced around the kitchen like he didn't have a care in the world. He reminded her a bit of the Sebastian she had first met at Sydney's, seemingly carefree. After she'd discovered Devin's body, his other side emerged. She loved his melancholy too, oddly enough. The bottom line was that she loved him, all of him, the light and the dark.

  "Well I want you to open one of them before Oliver and Lydie join us. We can save the second one for the group."

  "I'm down with that. Let me just mix up this quiche and pop it in the oven and I'll be ready to go."

  They moved into the sitting room, and Abby took a gift bag decorated with superheroes wearing Santa hats from beneath the tree. She sat on the floor next to Sebastian and handed it to him.

  He took out the red tissue paper and reached into the bag.

  He lifted out a tall white candle inscribed with gold symbols.

  "It's a memory candle," Abby told him, gently touching the inscriptions. "Helena helped me make it."

  "A memory candle," Sebastian said thoughtfully. "Is there a manual here somewhere?"

  He peeked in the bag.

  "When you burn it, you can revisit the past. Not truly, of course, but in your mind. You can sort of relive moments."

  Abby watched his face closely, suddenly concerned that the candle had been a mistake.

  "Really?" he asked, blinking at the candle with a growing look of amazement and perhaps fear.

  "Yes, it was Helena's idea actually. I wanted to give you a magical gift, but I'm so new, I didn't know of much."

  "It's perfect, Abby, really. I can't wait to try it."

  ****

  Lydie woke up first.

  "I smelled frosting," she told them groggily, stumbling into the kitchen. She walked to the counter and looked down at the huge pan of cinnamon rolls. "Oh thank God it wasn't just a dream."

  She shuffled to the kitchen table and eyed the previous night's Monopoly game.

  "Oliver better not have moved my piece." She looked at them suspiciously. "Has he been down here?"

  Abby laughed.

  "Don't worry, if he'd been lurking around, we would be the first to snitch."

  "Good," she grumbled and returned to staring at the cinnamon rolls.

  Her stomach rumbled loudly.

  "Better get those cut," Sebastian laughed. "I don't want your stomach to eat us all."

  He scooped out three cinnamon rolls.

  "Eating without me?" Oliver exclaimed, skipping into the room in adult-sized Yoda footie pajamas.

  "There are no words," Abby said, trying to muffle her laughter.

  "You like?" Oliver asked with a curtsy. "Lydie's present. She gave it to me early so that I could wear it on Christmas morning."

  "It looks...cozy," Sebastian added, averting his eyes and winking at Lydie.

  "I ordered it online," Lydie told them. "For witches with all kinds of crazy powers, it sure is a pain in the butt to use Amazon," she complained. "I had to row to the mainland where I had cell service and then get it shipped to the warehouse in Berkely and have Faustine make a special trip so that we could pick it up. You better love it," she told him.

  "Love it, I do, my young Padawan."

  "Lydie, this picture is amazing," Abby interrupted, holding up the framed charcoal drawing.

  Lydie blushed and shrugged.

  "I was happy to do it."

  "Wow, Lyds, you are getting really good." Oliver picked up the frame and examined the picture. "This in the floating garden?"

  "Yep, Sebastian hired me to be an artist and a spy that day."

  Sebastian bent down to pull the quiche out.

  "Hot, hot," he announced, sliding it onto the hot pad he'd set out on the counter. "I only hoped Abby wouldn't notice you," he explained. "It would have been okay if you'd been spotted."

  Abby remembered back to that day. It made her feel a little funny that she had not sensed Lydie during her time in the floating garden. Of course, she had experienced a Kanti dream, which made noticing anything rather difficult. Not to mention the garden itself seemed to have a hypnotic effect on the senses.

  They ate breakfast and then Sebastian ushered them into the living room. The giant sparkling tree nearly touched the ceiling, but somehow Oliver had still managed to cram a large glowing star that occasionally shot little bursts of green and red fireworks into the room.

  They passed out their gifts.

  Abby opened a set of fantasy books from Lydie. A purchase from the local bookstore because one adventure with Amazon had been plenty for this season, Lydie told her. From Oliver, she received a copper bracelet engraved with the phases of the moon.

  Abby slipped it over her wrist.

  "It's lovely," she told him, handing him her gift.

  Oliver smiled, but avoided meeting her eyes.

  "Sweet, CDs!"

  "There's Coldplay and Kings of Leon and some other really good ones. I think you'll like them," Abby told him, feeling strange that her gift seemed so impersonal compared to his.

  Oliver set the CDs aside and opened another gift from Lydie. He held a glass sphere with a flame glowing in its center.

  "It's bewitched with an eternal flame, or that's what the spell said," Lydie told him. "But who knows, it might burn out next week."

  She gave Sebastian a set of kitchen utensils that performed their task magically when you sang to them.

  "Let me show you," she told him, running to the kitchen to retrieve a potato.

  "Peel peel peel my potato, right into the sink!" she sang to the tune of "Row, Row Your Boat," and the peeler floated around the potato, quickly shaving off the skin. However, when it went to dump the skin into the sink, it started to spin madly through the air and then ricocheted off the wall, nearly taking Oliver's ear on its way.

  "Maybe wear a helmet when you're peeling the potatoes," Oliver joked.

  "Thank you," Lydie said shyly when she opened her gift from Abby and Sebastian. Abby had bought her a necklace with an intricate sil
ver pentacle charm and a shining amber stone nestled in the center of the star.

  "Here, put it on," Oliver told her, smiling at Abby. He clasped the necklace around Lydie's neck.

  From Oliver, Lydie received a large acrylic paint set and canvas.

  Sebastian opened Oliver's gift, a long, lethal-looking knife.

  "Awesome, right?" Oliver asked, scooting by Sebastian.

  "Yeah," Sebastian breathed, running his hand along the ivory handle. The handle was shaped like the head of a panther, the bone carved with a fierce eye and snarling teeth.

  "Extra special too," Oliver said. "Better not show you in here though, we'll try it outside later."

  ****

  "I have one secret gift," Sebastian told Abby after Lydie and Oliver returned to their Monopoly game. He led her up the stairs, pausing to tie a scarf over her eyes.

  "Are you getting naked right now?" she whispered, reaching out for him.

  "No peeking," he murmured, spinning her around twice.

  He pushed open a door and she felt him guide her forward. When he removed the blindfold, they were in the nursery. In the center of the room stood a beautiful wooden bassinet. Half-moons were carved into the sides. A mobile of tiny white birds, identical to those that Helena had made for Sydney's release ritual, hung above the baby bed.

  "Wow," she breathed, walking to the bassinet. The smooth blond wood felt warm beneath her touch. She rubbed her fingers along the soft purple blanket tucked inside.

  Sebastian moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned into him.

  "I can't believe we're having a baby," she whispered and felt her chest constrict with emotion.

  There hadn't been time to talk about it. Between their trips back and forth to Ula, and having Oliver and Lydie in the house, they both skirted around the topic, but suddenly it felt absolutely necessary.

  "Are you happy" she asked.

  "More than that. I don't know how to describe the way I feel. I think about it constantly. What will the baby be like? Will he look like both of us? Will she have some forgotten trait of my sister or one of my parents?"

  "Will she be a witch?"

  "Yeah, I wonder that most of all."

  "And what do you want?"

  "I guess I hope that she will. If I thought we could escape danger by pretending you're not a witch, I might consider that. I'd do anything to protect you both, but I've learned that we can't escape our fate. Even if we tried to hide her from that aspect of our lives, she might come into her own power and resent us later."

  "You are having some heavy thoughts."

  "Now you know why I keep burning the bacon."

  She laughed and turned into him.

  "You're going to be an amazing father, Sebastian."

  He looked into her face, seriously.

  "Sometimes I wonder. I failed Claire, you know? I was her guardian."

  Abby shook her head.

  "No, you did amazing with Claire. I wasn't there, but I can feel her sometimes. She adored you."

  "Sure, what sister doesn't adore their big brother, but I should have protected her. I should have known about Tobias. I've gone over it a thousand times in my head. How did he get into her life without my knowing it?"

  Abby leaned her head against his chest.

  "That's what he does, that's what his kind does. You never saw him coming; how could you possibly have prevented it?"

  "That's what I'm afraid of. I never saw him coming. Will we see him, this time?"

  ****

  "I have to call my mom," Abby sighed, crawling to the edge of the bed and nibbling Sebastian's neck. They had slipped off to their bedroom after their talk in the nursery. They both wanted an escape from thoughts of Tobias.

  "Mmm, that tickles, in a good way." He kissed her.

  He turned to look at her sideways.

  "I wondered about that. I was going to bring it up, but didn't want to hit a sore spot."

  Abby sat back and looked toward the window.

  "I need to call and a part of me even wants to, but I'm also dreading it. I haven't been there for her. The last time I saw her, she was falling apart and I just took off."

  "Why don't we go see her?"

  "Go?"

  "Yeah, let's pack up the car and drive down for Christmas evening. I want to meet her. We can take Oliver and Lydie. It will be like a portable Christmas party. I'll load up the steaks I was going to make for dinner."

  Abby groaned.

  "Now I feel like we have to."

  "We don't have to, but this is going to torture you all day. Why don't we do something about it?"

  "You're right," she agreed. "I'll go ask Oliver and Lydie if they can be torn away from their Monopoly rematch."

  ****

  "Woo-hoo!" Sebastian called as he took the turn out of their driveway fast and they spun in a complete 360-degree turn.

  "Donuts," Oliver howled. "Yes, do more."

  "Not unless we want to drive three hours with the smell of puke wafting through the car," Abby told them grimly, her knuckles turning white as she clutched the dashboard.

  "I agree," Lydie chirped. "I don't have a spell to stop the car smashing into one of those trees."

  They drove through a mostly deserted Trager City and got on the highway heading south.

  Several hours later, they arrived in the industrial part of Lansing.

  Lydie frowned out the window.

  "This isn't what I was expecting," she said.

  "Hoping for something more metropolitan?" Oliver teased.

  "Well, yeah."

  "Industrial wasteland," Abby said, watching the familiar landscape pass by.

  She did not miss her hometown. Some people moved away and longed for home. They looked back with rose-colored glasses at the little ice cream shop downtown or the bookstore with the quirky old widow who smelled of lavender and mothballs.

  Abby mostly remembered the confines of her childhood home. She remembered listening quietly to figure out where her mother was in the house so that she could avoid her. She loved her mother, but she never escaped her scrutiny. Becky couldn't stand a hair out of place on Abby's head. She micromanaged her like she was a full-time job.

  "Turn here," Abby directed Sebastian as they came to her old road.

  "This is pretty," Lydie added. The houses were mostly decorated with twinkling lights. One house boasted a giant glowing Santa, sleigh and reindeer.

  "That one." Abby pointed to the saddest-looking house on the street. Dark windows had their shades drawn and there was not a decoration in sight. A pile of newspapers huddled beneath the mailbox, turning yellow and mushy.

  "It's nice," Lydie lied.

  "I better go in first," Abby told them.

  Sebastian gave her a wounded look and she leaned over to kiss him.

  "My mom will never forgive me if I introduce you while she's in her bathrobe."

  Abby walked around the garage and tried the door. Locked, which was strange because Becky rarely locked her doors. She claimed a strange pride about living in a neighborhood where no one had to lock their doors.

  Abby returned to the front door and rang the bell. She listened for sounds within, but heard nothing. She knocked and then called loudly.

  "Mom, it's Abby."

  She waited, turning to the car and holding her hands up.

  Sebastian got out of the car and walked to the stoop.

  "Do you feel okay? No weird vibes or anything?"

  Abby stilled her thoughts. She pressed a hand on the door and searched for any feelings of misgiving. Nothing sinister greeted her.

  She rang the doorbell again and this time it jerked open.

  A man Abby did not recognize stared back at her.

  "Who are you?" she asked.

  "Who am I?" He looked surprised and annoyed. "Who are you?"

  "I'm Abby Daniels. My mother lives here."

  "Oh, sorry." He thrust a hand through the doorway. "I'm Cody. I think I'm renti
ng your old room. Ha, who would have thunk it."

  "My mother rented out my room? Abby asked, incredulous.

  Sebastian shifted slightly so that he stood just in front of Abby.

  Cody-who looked like a grungy teenager trapped in a man's body-seemed affronted.

  "And you are?" he eyed Sebastian, critically.

  "Sebastian. Is Abby's mother home?" he asked curtly, making it clear that he wasn't interested in warm greetings.

  "Yeah, sure. Probably in her room talking to that psychic hotline. She seriously loves that lady. Kanti I think is her name."

  "Wait, what?" Abby grabbed him by the shirt before he could turn away.

  "Candy. That's her name, Candy Stevens. I've listened to her on speakerphone a couple times. What a hoot. She told me that my dead cousin wanted me to know he liked my new haircut. Wild, right?"

  Abby frowned and nodded.

  "Yeah, wild."

  Cody shuffled back into the house, and they moved in behind him. He wore tattered red slippers. Abby recognized them as an old pair of her mother's. Above the slippers, a long gray robe hung just past his knees. Abby studied the robe, unnerved by the familiar fabric. Also her mother's, she realized, though she thought it had been pink before.

  "I'll just go get your mom," Cody told them. He turned and smiled and Abby noticed missing teeth. His breath smelled. Even from several feet away, the scent made her recoil.

  Her pregnant body reacted with double revulsion and she searched the room for a place to throw up.