Sacrifice of Mercy

by Shannon Dermott

  No, I thought. I needed to know. How could I give up my life and not know if I had a sister or brother? It must have been like that for all Cambion mothers.

  The room blurred into a tunnel as I was pulled backward. Then I stood in the hospital room again. A doctor was at the foot of the bed urging Mom to push. Flynn raged kneeling beside my lifeless body as others doctors or nurses surrounded me with paddles trying to bring me back. David held Mom’s hand as his attention was divided between his wife and son.

  “Mercy.”

  I glanced up. Luke stood there with a heavenly glow around him. It was ethereal how he looked. I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out wanting to touch his light.

  “What happened to you? Why didn’t you come back?”

  He took my wrists in both of his hands. “I wasn’t allowed. They had…” He made a coughing noise. “Kept me chained so to speak so that I wouldn’t go to you. You were close to figuring things out. They didn’t want me to influence your decisions. Rules and all that.” I nodded. “But, I knew you would figure it out.” “You knew what I had to do?”

  He shook his head. “Not in specific terms.”

  “So I’m dead?”

  His head wavered side to side in a non-committal motion. “Not exactly.”

  Luke glanced over my shoulder. I followed his line of sight. Sebastian stood near my body, but my family didn’t notice him.

  “Why is he here?” I asked in a panic.

  “Making sure you made the right choice.”

  Sebastian nodded in our direction. I caught movement and saw Luke had nodded back. Then Sebastian disappeared.

  “So what now?”

  I hated the agonized looks on my family’s faces. But, I knew I’d made the decision I needed to make. I wasn’t the chosen one. That honor belonged to my sister or brother. My role was to ensure they survived birth. It was the selfless act I had to do in order to help save the world.

  “It isn’t your time.”

  His words shocked me. “What?”

  He changed tactics and linked our fingers. “It’s okay to love us both. Your heart is big enough,” he said reading my thoughts.

  “You sound okay with it when it was a problem before.”

  “You’ll understand once you cross over one day. There’s no place for jealousy when you see the greater good. And he’s good for you.”

  “I do love him, and I love you, and it’s been eating at me for a while.”

  “I know.” His words came quick.

  “I feel like you’re giving up and telling me to do the same.”

  He laughed, but there wasn’t humor. There also wasn’t any animosity.

  “There is nothing more in this world I’d rather do than walk with you to the sun and moon and dance with you across the stars. But, there will be time for that. You and I have eternity to look forward to.”

  I could stop myself from stealing a glance at Flynn. “What about…”

  “There are two parts of you, Mercy. And only one can join me in eternity. Right now, your time is with him. You have the ability to enjoy with him all the things you dreamed of in Fairy. He’s yours now. I’m will be your forever.”

  Everything he said made my heart flutter, yet I still had questions. “Two parts?”

  “If you accept all of you as you have begun to do, then when the time comes the two parts of you will be on the same wavelength. It will be as if you were always one.”

  He let go of my hand and spun me around to face my family and their grief.

  “Right now you need to go back before your body truly dies and won’t accept your soul.”

  His hand slid around my waist to cover my stomach as he leaned over my shoulder and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “They need you right now. And you can have your happily ever after if you go back.”

  I turned in the circle of his arms. I lifted up on my toes and floated up to meet his lips. That time he let me kiss him.

  “Why?” I asked when I pulled back.

  “Your soul is not flesh, and it belongs to me. There is no law against me kissing this part of you. Now scoot. We will meet again.”

  “Wait,” I said, as I felt myself drifting closer to my body. “I won’t see you again.”

  “Your life is with him for now. Make the most of it because you will eventually come back to me. We will have our forever just like I promised. Now go.”

  He spun me to face my body, which was suddenly right there. He held my hand as I stepped into myself. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. I started to lie down and felt myself being sucked into my body. Before I’d fused back with myself, Luke let go and said something I didn’t understand at first.

  “I will always watch over the both of you.”

  EPILOGUE

  The room had everything, including an attached bathroom. There was one thing it didn’t have.

  “Are you nervous?”

  I glanced over at Maggie, who wore a silver dress worthy of a black-tie event. “Why would I be nervous?”

  “You’re getting married to the most gorgeous guy on the planet, that’s why.”

  I laughed because leave it to Maggie to bring up his looks. “We’ve been together for over five years now. We made it through college, and he wants to make it official.”

  “He wanted to?” she asked, glaring at me.

  “It was his idea, but, of course, I wanted it, too.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I guess you take for granted how amazing your life is. You have everything.”

  “And you don’t?”

  She shrugged and opted not to comment.

  “It isn’t like we don’t fight because we do.”

  Her brow rose. “Don’t I know it? I’ve witnessed it. But, it never lasts long. Soon after one of you is apologizing.”

  “That’s because we fight over stupid stuff.”

  “Like the girls who chased him all over campus. That had to be annoying.”

  I was used to that. “Not exactly, more like how nice he’d be to them giving them false hope.”

  “Or maybe because guys would chase you, and he’d have a meltdown.”

  It was my time to glare. “Or maybe you’re exaggerating. Our fights weren’t about other people most of the time.”

  She was about to say something when a knock came at the door.

  “Just a minute,” Maggie said before tossing a throw blanket over me. “Okay, come in.”

  Mom opened the door and her eyes went all soft and glassy. Maggie pulled the blanket off me as Mom stood with her hands on the shoulders of two blonde five year olds.

  “Mercy, you look beautiful.”

  “Come in and close the door. You can’t let him see her,” Maggie urged.

  Mom complied as blue eyes met mine and made a dash for me. “Mommy, you’re so pretty.”

  I kissed his cheeks. The vest and cravat Flynn had picked out for him made him look like a mini-Flynn. “You look handsome yourself.”

  Shortly after surviving my near-death experience, I found out I was pregnant. It came as a shock to everyone, including me. Although, it explained the sickness I’d been feeling. While Riona had, in fact, tried to poison me, it had been the pregnancy that kept me sick the rest of the time. Mia had tried to tell everyone I should be checked out, but no one believed until the witches confirmed no poison was left in my system. Flynn had a hard time dealing with it, devastated that I might not survive the pregnancy.

  “It’s almost time,” Mom said and kissed my cheek.

  When she pulled back, my little sister joined Finn in my lap and kissed my other cheek. “Mercy, you look like a princess.”

  “Come on guys, I think there maybe be cupcakes somewhere,” Mom bargained.

  I should have been offended how quickly the two kids scrambled out of my lap and grabbed Mom’s hand.

  “Only a few more minutes,” Mom warned.

  When the door closed, Maggie was too quiet.

  “Mags, spit it out.”
>
  She looked reluctant, and I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say. She hadn’t ever brought it up before, but it had been on her mind.

  “It’s just that you and Flynn have brown hair. And Finn has…”

  “Don’t say it. Mom has blonde hair, and you know how genes work. It’s recessive genes.”

  I could tell she wanted to say more, but another knock came.

  “Back so soon,” Maggie called out but the door was already opening.

  She must have seen him first because the blanket covered me within seconds. “Honestly Flynn, it’s bad luck for you to see the bride before the wedding.”

  Flynn must have run into Mom on his way because Finn was in his arms. “My son tells me his mother is beautiful. I had to see for myself.”

  His eyes swept down the length of me. And even though I sat on a love seat shrouded by the throw blanket Maggie tossed over me, it was as if I were naked.

  “Finn, you’re right. Mommy is as beautiful as you said.”

  Even after all this time, I found myself blushing. And speaking of beautiful, Flynn looked amazing in his tux. I’d thought he’d wear a T-shirt underneath with the screen print of the tuxedo on it, but he hadn’t. He’d gone formal all the way.

  “Oh you two are disgusting,” Maggie chuffed before getting to her feet.

  “Disgusting,” Finn copied.

  “No, I meant they are super cute,” Maggie corrected herself.

  She walked over and kissed her godson on the cheek. “I’m going to find my date,” she announced before leaving the room.

  The door closed, and Flynn came and sat next to me. Finn crawled from his lap and stood between us. He stared at something behind us. I thought it was his reflection in the mirror on the dressing table where I’d sat and had been styled a half an hour earlier. That was until he clapped. Flynn and I turned around to see what had his attention.

  Luke stood there looking glorious. Flynn jumped to his feet and did the man hug thing.

  “You made it.”

  Luke smiled at him. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”

  He’d come around over the years but only spoke to me, or so I’d thought. I hadn’t known he kept close in contact with Flynn that often. The way they fist bumped you would have thought they hung out every day. Had they?

  “I couldn’t have done this without you being my best man.”

  “Best man?” I turned sideways to face them both and kept a protective hand on my son’s back, so he wouldn’t fall. “Everyone thinks you’re dead. You can’t just show up to our wedding.”

  Flynn walked over and scooped up Finn. “Don’t get your panties in a wad. He’s not going to be corporal. Tom’s agreed to stand a little further to the side to give room for Luke. He’ll be there in spirit form.”

  He laughed thinking his little joke was funny.

  “Hey, can you hold my boy here. I have to take care of business.”

  Flynn handed Finn off to Luke and went into the bathroom.

  The sight of the two of them together shouldn’t have stopped my heart, but it did. I had to look away because I felt the burn of tears rush forward.

  A shrill noise made me gasp and turned. Luke just got his hands on Finn as he came sailing down.

  “Finn, you can’t scream, honey. It’s not nice,” I admonished, realizing a second later how much I sounded like my mother.

  Luke took a second to stare at Finn as if he was silently communicating with him. “Your mom is right. It’s your dad and mom’s wedding day. And I can’t toss you in the air if you’re going to be too loud.”

  So, he’d tossed Finn up. And of course, Finn would have gotten a thrill out of that. I glanced back up, and Luke was quietly talking to Finn. I would have asked about what, but Flynn stepped through the door.

  “What was that racket about?”

  “Finn shrieked when Luke tossed him in the air.”

  Flynn nodded.

  Luke stared at us. “So, when were the two of you going to tell me?”

  “Tell you what?” Flynn asked Luke. His brow wrinkled at the temple.

  “I heard the heartbeat clear as a bell.”

  I closed my eyes because that little secret had been my own. The silence was deafening. I finally got the nerve and opened my eyes to see Flynn’s reaction. He gaped, and Luke traded glances between us.

  “Oh, he didn’t know?”

  I shook my head. Flynn hadn’t handled my last pregnancy well at all. He was a nervous wreck the entire time. And I had to go to school glamoured to hide my impending joy. Talk about a long conversation with Mom and David about the not so merits of pregnancy before marriage.

  “I’m sorry, Mercy. I— Why don’t I take Finn to find his grandmother?”

  I nodded, thankful for time to talk to Flynn alone about my little revelation.

  Luke decided to lighten the mood as he walked to the door with Finn. “Maybe this time you’ll name the kid after me.”

  Flynn, who apparently wasn’t as stupefied as his expression suggested, said, “I’m not naming my son, Luke.”

  His words came out teasing, and Luke turned when he reached the door.

  “Maybe you’ll call him Lucas.”

  Luke winked, and immediately, I thought back to Fairy and the dream I had of my future.

  Flynn called out “Wait,” just as Luke started to open the door. Flynn came around and stood in front of the couch near Luke. He eyed his best friend and Finn. The two of them together was uncanny. Then he turned to me. “The pregnancy. You made it through fine last time. It will be different this time, won’t it?”

  His meaning was crystal clear. I had no words.

  “She’ll be fine. I think a dream she had, was a glimpse into her future. Finn, Lucas, and little Maddie.”

  Then holding Finn, he disappeared literally and physically. The door closed and anyone passing would freak out thinking there were ghosts, and maybe there were. But that specter was my son and his…

  “What dream? Who is he talking about?” Flynn asked and sat next to me.

  He took my hand and held on as if he thought he’d lose me. And I explained the vision or life I’d lived in the dream room back in Fairy with more details than I had before.

  “So, you had three kids with him, but I’m living the reality with you.”

  I shrugged because I wouldn’t lie to Flynn. We were honest with each other in all things even when it was hard to admit. His smile spread across his face.

  “Flynn, I—”

  “It’s okay Mercy. I’m not that jealous guy anymore. I know you love him. And I know he loves you. And you love me of course.”

  “Of course,” I said giving into his cocky nature.

  “It sucks for him.” When I frowned, he added, “He can’t have this. He can’t ever get married, have kids, have a family, all of it. But, he can have your love.”

  “And you’re not worried.”

  He waved my comment off and teasingly said, “He’s an angel. He can’t kiss you without being damned. That’s a fate worse than death.”

  I laughed because the way he said it made it funny. But, I sobered enough to say my next words. “Just because I love him doesn’t mean I have regrets.”

  He captured my chin, and with his thumb pulled my bottom lip free of my teeth. “I know Mercy. I know you love me. I have no doubts about that. I trust you. I trust him. It’s okay.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Hell yes.” He paused. “That’s why he’s Finn’s godfather. I know he’ll protect him with his life. He’ll also be Lucas and Maddie’s godfather.”

  “You’re buying into the theory that I saw my future.”

  He winked. “You may have seen him in the vision, but I was the one in bed with you.”

  I laughed because he always made me laugh. “I think our lives will be forever twined together.”

  “Most likely.” He was quiet for a minute before his hand reached under the blanket and foun
d my belly. “Now tell me again how this happened.”

  Playfully, I slapped his hand away. “You know how.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t blame me. Any man who had a wife who looks like you wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off of her.”

  His hands started to roam under the blanket.

  “Wife, I’m not your wife yet. And if you don’t stop it, I’ll never get to be. Plus, Mom will be here soon wondering where we are, and she’ll find you.”

  He didn’t stop. He tickled me instead. “Oh, I think she’s caught us enough to know what’s going on. You think I should give her the talk.”

  I had to roll away because I was laughing so hard. I ended up wrapped like a hot burrito in the blanket. With my hands trapped, Flynn stalked over to my side of the love seat.

  His hand captured my cheek, and his eyes lingered on my lips before he eyed me with such reverence. “I love you, Mercy. I always have.”

  As his thumb rubbed across my cheek, I swallowed hard. “I love you too, always have.”

  He leaned in. “Now can I kiss my bride, Mrs. McCallister.”

  “Absolutely.”

  <<<<>>>>

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