Stepping forward, Charlie wanted desperately to see his child. “It’s a girl? How can it be a girl?” he demanded sternly.
“What’s wrong with a daughter?” Karma’s laughter tinkled as she wiped the blood away from the tiny face. “She’s beautiful, Charlie,” she whispered. “Come and see!” Moving so he could get closer, Karma waited for his response.
Staring down at her, he extended a finger and ran it lightly across a cheek. Her flesh a bright red, the darkness of it, and of her shocks of wet, curly hair, twisted his gut. Shifting her head to the side, her ears appeared to be squared, almost pointed. “A Dark Angel,” he muttered. How can our baby be a Dark Angel?
“Ok, dad, you can take her,” Myra moved to position the couple for cutting the cord. Making the snip cleanly, she prepared the baby’s end and proclaimed, “There you go,” while re-tucking the blanket around her.
Holding the newborn out, away from his chest, Charlie carried her over to the window where he could get a better look. Discreetly, he shoved his finger in her mouth and felt around. “That was silly,” he admonished. She hasn’t got any teeth yet. Still, the fear made his heart race.
“She’s fine,” Karma stated firmly, joining him. “A wonderful miracle we hope will be repeated many times over in the years to come.”
“Yeah,” Charlie grinned, flicking his eyes between his daughter and the mistress of the property. “Thank you, Karma,” he breathed.
“Thank me? For what?”
“For all that you’ve done for us,” he bubbled. “You got Clarisse back for me, an’ you gave us a home an’ a place t’ belong. Remember that night, when I first got here, an’ everyone had somethin’ t’ thank you for?”
“Indeed, I do,” Karma replied smugly, her fingers lightly brushing the dark, damp waves.
“Thank you for this,” he grinned. “Thank you for allowin’ me my wife an/ child.”
Of the Darkness
“It’s time to get Clarisse into bed,” Charlie announced. “She needs rest.”
“Agreed,” Karma nodded. “Clean everything up down here and I’ll transport them upstairs,” she commanded, moving to take the baby from him.
“No, not here. She needs t’ sleep in her own bed. I’ve made a crib for the baby, an’ everything’s in place. It’s all ready for them t’ go home,” he returned, suppressing the anger he felt at her suggestion.
“To your island?” she demanded tartly. “It might not be safe there! Others may be able to get to you; I won’t allow it.”
“She’s been cooped up here for weeks! I’ve augmented our shielding there; they’ll be safe. She’s going home, an’ that’s final,” he snapped, transporting the three of them before she could argue any further.
Landing on their platform, a basin of warm water stood next to the head of the bed, and a new crib at the foot. Lying the infant in her new covers, he turned to Clarisse and frowned. “I’m beefing up my protections even further; I hope it’ll be enough t’ keep even Karma out.”
Seeing the wash-basin he had provided, Clarisse sighed, “This is sweet of you, but I feel like an honest shower would do me good.”
“That can be arranged,” he grinned, stepping up beside her and resting his arm across her shoulders. “I’ve made several improvements while you’ve been locked away.” Pointing at the trees to the left of their bedroom, he confessed, “There’s an actual bathroom through there. You’ll find a shower, and even a tub, for when you’re ready for it.”
“Oh, Charlie,” his bride gasped, scurrying around the foot of the bed and stepping off the far side. The path being wide enough for her newer, more slender shape, she marveled at how much lighter she already felt. Her bare footsteps soft on the sandy path, she felt elated with the warm air that surrounded her. Arriving in a clearing a few yards down, she squealed, “It’s heavenly!”
A canopy covered this platform as well; however, the middle remained clear. A soft fuzzy rug, round and about three feet in diameter, adorned the very center. In each of the four corners, a different device designed for pampering stood; tub, shower, sauna and bidet. Admiring the wide whirlpool bath, Clarisse blinked back tears. She had adored her soaks during the time she had lived as Donna Parker. “He remembered,” she murmured, wiping at an escaped droplet of joy.
Turning to the shower stall, she dropped the robe she had donned after Myra had declared her birthing process complete. The walls of the cubical made of glass, she could admire the trees and sunshine around her as she cleansed herself in the warm cascade.
Eventually cutting off the spray, she helped herself to one of the fluffy towels stacked on the shelves between the shower and tub. Once dry, she dressed herself in comfy pajamas and saw to her needs, as it would take several weeks for her body to heal, according to Karma.
Dressed and feeling much better, she pushed her way back to their sleeping quarters. Stepping back onto the platform, she noticed the rocking chair that sat on this side of the bed for the first time. “Oh, Charlie; a wooden rocker!”
Across the bed from her, he had just given their daughter her first bath and currently wrapped her in a new blanket. Placing a small white cap on her head and pulling it down over her ears, he grinned proudly at his accomplishment.
“Where did you learn to do that?” his wife asked in surprise.
“Are you kidding? I was born ready t’ be a daddy,” he laughed out loud. Lifting the bundle, he walked around to present her for her first feeding. “You should sit; she’s restless, an’ I’m sure she’ll wanna eat any time now.”
“Charlie, seriously. When did you become such an expert on infants?”
“There’s a youtube video for everything, love,” he informed her matter-of-factly as he laid their child in her arms. “I’ve been learning everything I could t’ prepare for her arrival,” he boasted.
Taking the squirming mass, a whimper and then actual cry broke the serenity of their beachfront. Baring a breast, Clarisse helped the tiny mouth latch on. “It’s incredible,” she breathed. “What are we going to name her? We didn’t pick out a girl’s name; we were so sure it was going to be a boy!”
“I still don’t see how that happened,” he sighed, crouching down next to her so he could reach them both and pet them in turns. “I could’ve sworn it was a boy that I was sensing.”
“Well, it happened. So, choose a name, daddy.”
“Daddy,” he chuckled, overcome with emotion. Tears welling up quickly and spilling over onto his cheek, he wondered for a moment if she could tell their child was a Dark Angel, and most likely he was to blame. “Let’s see,” he forced his thoughts away, back to the joy of the moment. “How about Faith? Or even Hope?”
“Oh, Charlie,” Clarisse laughed out loud. Biting her lip, she watched the tiny mouth suckle for a few minutes. “I need to turn her and put her on the other breast,” she announced.
Helping her make the change, Charlie sat on the bed when she had been reattached. “What name would you pick?” he prodded.
“I do like Faith,” the new mother confessed. “I’m just not sure about it, though.”
“Well, Andrew Adam certainly isn’t going to work,” he laughed back.
“No, it isn’t,” Clarisse agreed with a smile, her eyes never leaving the face of her new joy. “Emily Eve,” she announced, peeking up at Charlie as she suggested it.
“From AAP to EEP, huh,” he pondered.
“Yes, and Eve was Adam’s counterpart, in some of Earth’s religious doctrines.”
“That’s true,” Charlie shrugged. “Ok, Emily Eve Phillips it is.” Rising, he reset the scene, clearing away the soiled blankets with a swipe of his hand, and replacing them with crisp new ones. “How did you like your bathroom?”
“It’s exquisite,” Clarisse breathed. “Thank you, love. I will cherish it each and every time I use it.” Lifting Emily onto her shoulder, she patted her until a small belch escaped her. “Change her diaper and let’s lie down for nap. I know you’re tired a
s well.”
Taking his daughter and replacing her clothing by hand, Charlie relished in the joy of caring for her. Then, wrapping her once more, he presented her for a kiss from the woman who had already slid beneath the covers. “Get some rest, love. I’ll rock her for a while.”
Too tired to argue, Clarisse’s heavy lids closed and refused to open no matter how hard she tried force them. A moment later, her breathing had calmed into an even, flowing pattern.
When she awoke, the sun hung low over sea before her, and her daughter’s fuss appeared to be gaining strength. Sliding out from the covers, she discovered that Charlie still sat in the rocking chair, his head cocked to one side as he snored. In his arms, Emily Eve squirmed, building to an all-out wail at any moment.
“Come here to momma,” Clarisse soothed, lifting her and the comforter off the bed and carrying them to the beach, near the water’s edge. Spreading the thick blanket with one hand, she managed to flatten it enough to lie on, with her daughter pulled up beside her to nurse. “There we go,” she cooed when they were settled and the feeding had commenced.
“Your daughter is very beautiful,” a deep male voice broke the silence.
Her ability to speak lacking, Clarisse looked around hurriedly with only a whine, locating a pair of feet in sandals, the tops of which were brushed by a dark brown robe, standing a few feet from her. Her eyes traveling slowly up the tall figure, her heart pounded inside her chest. “Keeper,” she breathed in relief when she reached the top.
“Hello, Summer Angel,” he smiled, kneeling next to her and using an extended digit to trace the line of a delicate cheek.
“I’m no longer a Summer Angel,” the girl informed him. “I am part of Karma’s house, as you well know.”
“Indeed, you are,” Keeper agreed, “and rightly so. All is as it should be, my child.”
“It is?” her voice quavered. “I’ve been so afraid that you would be angry with me, for choosing Karma’s side.”
“Nonsense,” he inhaled deeply and pushed the air out through is nose noisily; “I am not angry with you. I fear this is the last time we shall meet, Clarisse. Dark times approach, and it will make things difficult for us. But I needed to see you, that you would understand.”
Her hand moving to cradle her child’s face, her lip quivered. “Is something going to happen to our baby?”
“I cannot say,” Keeper replied gruffly, rising to move away from her. “I have known you were special, my daughter; from the day the sea brought you into our midst. When Charlie was born and placed in your care, I could see the connection between you, one that has never been severed. I knew one day the pair of you would put an end to our cursed lives.”
“Cursed lives?” she struggled to sit up, covering herself by holding her child against her.
“That is why there have been no legitimate children born to us. The purity of our love for one another had been lost; spoiled by jealousy and ambition. We were forced to look to the humans as an answer to that dilemma, but you and Charlie have mended what was broken. Your child is a sign, Clarisse; our people have been healed and made whole again.”
His demeanor odd, Clarisse felt cold terror creeping up her spine. “What is it that you want,” she asked curtly, her arms tightening around Emily.
Sensing her fear, Keeper turned and glared down at her. “You do not understand. We have kept much from you. I’m sorry for that; we mean you no harm.”
“I know about… things,” she informed him, her eyes dropping to the pouch he wore on his belt. “I know what you’ve done…” her voice trailed away.
His eyes following her gaze, he smiled, then removed the simple brown bag from its place. Opening it, he reached in and removed a small number of the jewels. Laying in his hand, they glinted in the sinking sun, shining with a warm glow that filled each with life. “They will be freed soon, my child; I promise it.”
Standing again, he dropped the gems back into their pouch and returned it to his belt. “The final generation of our young will need to be harvested, and matters laid to rest. Then we will depart this world; all those of the light will be taken to a new home.”
“Of the light?” she repeated softly.
“Yes, all of those who are pure of spirit. Those who are of the Darkness shall remain here, with the humans. Their future is one and the same,” he growled.
Looking down at the small face, Clarisse could see the deep tone of the skin and the slight point of the ears. “We are of the darkness,” she confessed, certain their child reflected her choice to walk with Karma. “You will not take us with you.”
“No,” Keeper agreed. “You and Charlie must take a different path. But do not be afraid, sweet daughter; this is not punishment for transgressions.”
“How can that be?” she sniffed, fighting to get to her feet without disturbing the sleeping babe in her arms. “The choices we make dictate the lives we lead; that has always been true. It is our choices that have brought us to this dark place; this dark magic that hangs over us.”
“Magic is neither light, nor dark, Clarisse,” Keeper smiled for a moment. “Magic is pure; but to abuse it, by using it on people, is of the darkness. Where we go, you cannot follow.”
A tear spilled over and ran down her cheek. “I’m sorry, Keeper.”
“Do not be sorry,” he replied, catching the damp streak and lifting it away on the side of his finger, then rubbing it against his thumb in a circular fashion. “All is as it should be. You are on a different path, that is all. Where it will lead, only you and Charlie can decide. You will find strength in each other, and I will be proud of you, whichever choice you make.”
Shifting her gaze for a moment, Clarisse caught sight of Charlie, stretching in his chair. “Keeper, I -” she began, stopping short when she looked back to discover she stood alone. Pulling her baby up higher against her chest, she lowered her lips and kissed her gently on top of the head. Pulling the cap her husband had used to cover her ears back into place, she began the trek up the beach to find out what they would be having for dinner.
Wrong with the World
Setting up a table and basinet on their beach, Charlie placed a ring of tiki torches around it. Then he produced a magnificent dinner of roast duck and vegetables, with cheesecake desert on the side. “Perfect,” he smiled to himself as he fetched his wife and child.
Placing the infant in her smaller bed, Clarisse giggled, “You’ve become so in tune with the use of your power,” she praised. “I’m a bit jealous. I could never manufacture anything so elaborate,” she explained, eyeing their bedroom in the growing darkness. “Changing clothes on a whim has been my greatest accomplishment.”
“That’s not true,” he disagreed. “I don’ think being a Light Angel prepared you, or challenged you enough,” he surmised. “I think if you needed t’ use it more, you’d get stronger; like lifting weights. Your muscles only grow when it’s a little heavy.”
Taking her seat across from him, her typical white gown flowed around. “You must be feeling better,” he commented, noticing the dress.
“Yes, I do feel quite refreshed.” Cutting into her meat, her thoughts leapt to Keeper’s visit. Deciding not to mention it, at least not until it made more sense why he had come, she searched for some topic she would feel safe to discuss.
Observing her, Charlie could tell something bothered her. Eating a few bites, he waited, but when the silence grew long, he lay down his fork and cleared his throat. “Is there something we need t’ talk about?” he demanded, afraid she had noticed their daughter’s ears.
“No,” she smiled brightly. “Should there be?”
Reclaiming the utensil, he scowled at her. He could easily rummage through her thoughts to discover what she hid, but doing so had never felt right. He preferred it when she shared herself openly with him. A few more bites went by, his frustration growing with each one.
“I know that somethin’s bothering you,” he pushed. “Can’t you tell me what it is?�
�
Smoothing her napkin in her lap, she inhaled deeply, then announced softly, “Keeper came for a visit while you were napping.”
“Keeper!” Charlie gasped. “Well, I guess I know my defenses still aren’t up t’ beating him. What did he say?”
“Lots of things… nothing,” she toyed with her food. “It was so enigmatic.”
“Yeah,” Charlie chuckled, “Your people are always cryptic.”
“My people,” she spat. “Charlie, you do realize that you are one of us, right? They are not my people; they are our people.”
“Your people… our people… you make it sound so sordid,” Dante chuckled, appearing in the empty spot between them.
“Oh, hell no,” Charlie grunted, standing. “How did you get in here?”
“Relax,” Dante snickered again, “sit down and enjoy your dinner,” he suggested, producing a plate for himself.
Sinking back into his seat, Charlie glared at him. “I didn’t put a chair there on purpose; this was a dinner for two! An’ I’ll ask again, how’d you get through my defenses?”
“Oh, Charlie; lighten up,” Dante laughed loudly, then ratcheted his voice down when the baby jerked at the sudden sound. “Sorry,” he whispered. “Charlie, my friend, your defenses aren’t that great. Probably good enough to keep the humans out, but anyone else? Not so much. Karma was livid that you left, but decided not to intrude.”
“So, she sent you to do it,” Clarisse surmised.
“Well, in a manner of speaking, I volunteered,” he offered with an open palm. “I haven’t even gotten to see the baby yet!”
Rolling his eyes, Charlie returned to his meal, wondering what all the interloper had heard. A moment later, he grumbled, “You think Gous or any of the others will be snooping about?”
“Maybe,” Dante replied with his mouth full. Finishing the bite, he continued. “This kid is big news,” he indicated Emily with his fork. “Which leads us back to what you were saying before I joined you; Keeper came for a visit.”
The Keeper Set - Summer Spirit Novellas 7 - 9 Page 12