Quarto gave a wolfish smile and opened his hands in a sign of surrender. “There will be plenty of time to figure out your mystery after the death of the vampires.” Siona watched as his eyes slowly took her in from head to toe. “I have a feeling that you are more valuable than you appear.”
Did the insults have to be paired with every question? “Really, I’m flattered by your interest, but I hate to burst your bubble. Just a simple pregnant human.”
“Marcus didn’t think so,” Valermo added casually and Siona shivered.
The death of Marcus had actually been the dragon lords’ first tactical error. When Siona had become hysterical at the appearance of the three men, Marcus had folded. He had begun to attempt to protect her in the face of the dragons, which had only added to her fear. Five minutes of the protection and Siona’s panicking, and Quarto had simply broke Marcus’s neck. His body was still out in the foyer. The lords and Siona had retired to the living room to escape the scent of death.
As Siona had watched the life drain from Marcus, something inside her had hardened. Siona knew in an instant that she needed to keep her wits about her to survive this. Mrs. Kettle had escaped. This she knew from the whispered conversation between the brothers. Siona figured it was her only hope to survive this situation.
Siona felt an unnatural warmth blow across her neck. Surprised, she jumped slightly as Valermo’s voice spoke low into her ear, “You know what I think, girl? I think you shall be my whore when this is through. When you are no longer carrying that child, I will take you and use you to strengthen my position in—”
Siona sucked in a breath as the cloying voice of Valermo was cut short. When the heat of the lord left her, Siona blinked her tears away, still concentrating on the flight of the dragons outside the window. When some of the beasts began dropping from the sky, Siona was confused. Had the boys come to save her?
Slowly, Siona turned to the soundtrack of Quarto’s scream. Blinking, she saw the dragon lord rise up, seeming to grow in the warm light of the room. His eyes were burning as if lit within and the sleeves of his shirt were splitting as the body he’d been living in began to fracture in his anger.
“Watch yourself. You won’t be able to turn back if you transition now. Are you ready for that? Come and take a threshold only to abandon your stake for another body?” A vampire Siona didn’t recognize spoke to Quarto conversationally, but the ice in his eyes made it clear that the suggestion was made only to provoke the dragon lord.
However, Quarto’s growth slowed, “You’re right ancient one. I would hate to ruin such an attractive skin.”
Siona watched as Quarto’s eyes flicked among the seven vampires surrounding him in a semi-circle. Everyone’s back was to her, and Valermo’s body was blocking her path. It seemed as though the vampires had simply stepped past her with the fall of the first lord. Not even Michael, the most protective man she had ever known, spared her a glance.
Quarto’s hands flexed, and in the instant, that his gaze locked on hers, Siona’s vision overcame her. The fire, the noise, the screams. This time there was no baby to hold and protect—instead she was consumed as her child was within.
However, instead of the burn of fire, Siona felt a cool sensation overcome her, wrapping her entire body.
“My love. Siona. Are you okay?” Valad’s voice accosted her from a distance.
“Siona, you need to answer us. Say something; anything,” Michael’s voice broke through with its stern logic.
“Am I alive?”
Siona’s voice sounded weak, even to her. Her heart beat fast in response, the lack of volume in her tone seeming to be a point in favor of death.
“In some respects,” Michael responded and a vampire’s voice laughed in the background.
“Michael,” Valad said in a harsh hush. Coming close to her ear, Valad’s voice turned soothing, “You’re perfectly fine my love. It’s all over. The entire threat is negated.”
Siona’s body went slack with relief and one or both of the boys caught her fall before the world went dark.
Epilogue
Valad hadn’t realized the amount of noise that something so small could make. Bleary, Valad hit mute on the monitor before staggering to standing. With one longing look at Siona and Michael spooned together under the covers, Valad turned and headed back out into the hallway.
The nursery was a few doors down, the golden glow of the owl night light peeking out from under the door jam. As he scrubbed a hand over his face, he didn’t know if the difficulty in waking up in the middle of sleep was due to his vampirism or if all new parents faced the same sludge to return to consciousness.
Pushing the door open, Valad was hit with the full force of the mewing cry. A sound that he found heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. Valad picked up the cool little body making soothing, white-noise, sounds.
“Shh, shh, shhhhh”
At three months old, Faith was on a schedule and waking up between feedings was rare. As she nuzzled his neck, Valad spoke soothing words into the top of her head, enjoying the feel of her downy hair on his lips.
“What is it my love? Did you have a bad dream?”
Valad swayed back and forth as his daughter hiccupped in frustration, increasing the white noise sound to no avail.
“My dear, your mother informs me that we are to let you ‘cry it out.’”
At this suggestion, Faith pulled her head off Valad’s shoulder and blinked at him in confusion, her cries seeming to question the logic of that statement.
“I know my love, I know—but mommy does know best.”
Siona had proven to be a paragon of resilience after the dragon attack. Though the entire situation had been handled with less fighting than anticipated, thanks to Mrs. Kettle’s plan of attack, it wasn’t without serious drama on the part of Siona. Watching a former friend betray you and then die before your very eyes added an extra layer of pain on top of kidnapping.
Valad wouldn’t have been surprised if that alone had driven Siona away from them. But Siona was steadfast. After fully realizing that she was safe, Siona was a strong counterpoint to the political mess they dealt with involving Frederick and the other vampires in their home. The knowledge of Siona’s pregnancy raised more than a few eyebrows, but Siona had handled the questioning with aplomb before simply banishing the other vampires from their presence.
What had happened next, however, was completely unexpected on the part of Valad and Siona. Valad wouldn’t have been surprised if Siona would have collapsed with the knowledge. Simply imploded. Michael had figured out what was wrong with Siona’s blood. When the other vampires and the dragons brought the unusual nature of Siona’s scent to light a lightbulb went off in Michael’s mind.
He had hinted at something when they had saved Siona, but it wasn’t until Michael had run more tests that he had announced the truth to Siona and Valad. Siona was becoming a hybrid vampire. Not fully transformed, as she hadn’t been drained to the point of death, but the effects of the pregnancy were turning her into a vampire on an elemental level. The results of the change would have to be studied in time, but after the birth, Michael confirmed Siona’s DNA matched their daughter’s genetic makeup as well.
Never before had Valad or Michael changed one of their girls. For all of the chosen from the village or recruited across the world, never had a girl made a commitment for more than a few years of sex and money. Valad had been scared that Siona would have been resentful at the accidental change, instead she flourished, claiming that she finally felt like she had a concrete future with her men.
Valad smiled to himself at the memory and concentrated on Faith’s cry to determine what his next step should be. Crying it out was simply not Valad’s forté. There had to be something more he could do. Despite the consistent noise and gentle patting of her back, Faith’s upset crying continued to escalate. Valad nuzzled her little body, so soft inside its minky sleeper. Enjoying the feel of her skin against his, Valad decided to break t
he rules.
“Shh, I’ll let you come to bed with mommy and daddies if you promise to be quiet.”
Though he knew Faith was far too young to understand, as Valad moved out of the nursery and back into the hall, her crying calmed. By the time he reached the bedroom her little mouth opened in a big “O” of a yawn, setting off a yawn in Valad as well.
Tucking her little body neatly into the crook of his arm, Valad slipped into bed. Cradling her small form against his own, Valad’s eyes began to close.
“You know you’re not allowed to do that,” Michael’s voice sounded out softly from the other side of Siona.
“Hush, like you didn’t nap with her just yesterday. Don’t be a sleepy-baby hypocrite.”
Michael chuckled, “I do sleep better with her around. I think she sleeps better too, she knows which dad is here to protect her.”
Valad opened his mouth to retort but Siona beat him to it. “You’re both going to take the brunt of the discipline when she is sixteen and unable to sleep alone,” she muttered sleepily.
“I can live with that,” Valad replied, placing a hand on Siona’s hip. “Now hush, she’s already asleep again.”
Siona shifted, curling against Valad and Michael too. She turned and cuddled Faith. All three of their bodies were reaching for and protecting little Faith. None of the three vampires in the bed had expected their lives to lead them to this place. To an unorthodox family of four. However, Valad for one, was ever grateful that it did—and happy to realize that it was all just the start of eternity.
THE END
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The Vampire's Shared Bride Page 14