“I told you, Lizzy! I told you!” Her smile was wide and beautiful.
As I hugged her, I whispered, “But how did you know?”
Before she could answer another door opened and we both turned to the sound. Gavin and Emrys had just come through the doorway to the stairwell. Relief flowed over me and I watched Emrys’ long hair drift back as they hurried toward us. A second later, Lindy was halfway down the hall - running full throttle to her husband.
“Gavin! One of the babies is here! I think it was a girl!”
Gavin scooped her up as she flew into his arms, and said, “Wonderful! Let’s go see her!”
Emrys came to my side and put his arm around my waist. I could tell he didn’t want to spoil Lindy’s moment of happiness, but there was definitely something going on here. Something ugly.
“Did you find him?” I asked. “And don’t try to tell me there’s nothing to worry about. I can see it written all over your face.”
“We should have talked about this sooner.” He looked serious, and took in a deep breath. “As you know, the agreement was that we would only venture to America once every ten years for the gathering. If we keep within our boundaries and adhere to the promise we made to never force our lifestyle on a human, they would in turn, leave us alone. And no, we did not find him.”
“You mean the Hunters will leave us alone, right?” My mind reeled. “And was the bald guy one of them?”
“I think he was. I believe that once Gavin and I returned to the waiting room he realized he was outnumbered. They are actually called Venators.”
“And now we broke the agreement, right? And that’s why Lindy has been having those dreams, isn’t it?” I asked, trying to keep calm.
“You are probably right on both counts. A Venators only job is to hunt vampires. And from what I have heard, they hate to be called Hunters…which is exactly why we call them that. He raised an eyebrow and said, “It is very unlikely that they would harm us in broad daylight in the middle of a hospital. One thing the Hunters do not want to do is bring attention to themselves. Theirs is a secret society, like ours - except, of course, these humans happen to hate vampires.”
“Why do the Hunters hate us? We’re the good guys now, right?” I glanced down the hall and saw Melinda and Gavin peering through the window of the nursery, hand in hand. They looked like any set of new parents gazing through the glass at their newborn baby.
“The Hunters do not believe we deserve to live. They say we have no souls and that we hate God. And yet, they are the ones who kill innocents. I would have absolutely no problem with them, if they only went about ridding the earth of the rogue vampires who drained humans and left them to die. But Venators kill randomly - just for the sport of it.” He shook his head.
“Do any of them live in the UK?” A small chill ran up my spine.
“There are none that we are aware of,” he said. “The deal we struck with them was to stay on separate continents, and pledge to leave well enough alone.”
“Except for the Gathering?” I asked.
“Exactly. You must be wondering why we are allowed this one exception.”
I gave him a quick nod.
Emrys explained, “The Venators know all too well: we are stronger and faster, and if we chose to, we could annihilate them in a heartbeat. In all reality, we could kill them off quicker than they could blink an eye. But we vowed not to touch them, and they allow us one weekend every decade, and leave us alone.”
“Apparently, Gavin has not told Melinda about this deal either,” I guessed.
Down the hallway the double doors swung open and a woman in scrubs pushed another cart through. I saw Mr. Feldspar, again nodding his head at Gavin and Melinda. It was far too quiet this time, and Melinda watched closely as the second baby was wheeled into the nursery. Lindy looked at us and gave a worried grin, then put her face back to the glass window. I saw that I needed to be with my sister now.
Emrys took my arm and we started to stroll toward the nursery.
“Do you think the Venators are angry about the babies?” I whispered with a gasp.
“I am not sure if anyone is aware of the adoption, though it is a possibility. It is far more likely that someone within the network has an eye on Mr. Feldspar. He has traveled to the States a few times already this year. Perhaps he is the one under surveillance.”
This whole thing was mind-boggling. A network of Venators? I wondered if their network operated like the CIA or something.
And how did they even know who we were? What proof did they have? How could these Hunters just go around killing vampires like that?
Emrys squeezed my arm, letting me know he heard my concerns and questions. I knew he’d explain more in time, but right now, we had some babies to see.
I stood next to Lindy watching the nurse bathe the second baby. This quiet one was a boy. The other basinet held a little pink bundle, and her perfect tiny eyes darted all around - blinking away.
“She looks so little, Lindy!” I said, keeping my voice low.
“I know,” she whispered, wiping her happy tears.
The boy started to cry as the nurse finished with his bath. “Finally!” Melinda said, sounding relieved. “He didn’t cry at all when they first brought him in.”
Gavin had stepped back a few paces and conversed in hushed tones with Emrys. I could see their reflections within the nursery window as they stood behind us, and every now and then, one of them would turn and look down the hallway. These actions began to unnerve me.
Would the bald guy be coming back with more help?
I wondered how long we had to wait until we could take the babies and just leave. I was sure they had to be examined first.
Where was the damn doctor? Flaming hell!
Emrys stepped forward and peered into the window. “Look at the little angels!” he said. Leaning close to my ear he then whispered, “Calm down, everything is under control.”
I searched into his eyes and could see he wasn’t just saying that to appease me. After thoughtful consideration, it did make sense. Certainly, even though they hated us, the Venators would not come and chop off our heads in public. We were probably very safe here. I supposed the bald guy could have been just seeing what we were up to, testing the waters. He must have seen that we weren’t bothering anyone. Besides if they really had Hunters all over, they would realize we were the Ravens. We chose a different lifestyle than some other societies. That had to count for something.
Just as the nurse placed the baby boy into his basinet the double doors swung open again. This time, Mr. Feldspar followed a young woman pushing the cart with the last baby girl. He went directly to Gavin and shook his hand. Melinda remained oblivious to everything else around her as she kept her eyes on her third bundle of joy while she was wheeled into the nursery. Lindy stopped the woman before the door shut.
“Excuse me. But when can I hold my babies?”
The nurse glanced at Mr. Feldspar and he nodded his head.
“Yes, these are the parents, my dear.” It was obvious everyone had been informed of the adoption, but this was the first moment when Lindy was truly acknowledged as the mother.
“Oh, yes. One moment, ma’am.” She pushed the last cart into the nursery and handed the baby to the aide, who prepared the infant for her first bath. A minute later she returned with the first bundle of pink and handed her to Melinda.
My sister was absolutely in heaven. She kissed the baby on the top of her head; the infant’s soft fuzzy blonde hair barely visible yet. Lindy kissed her cheeks and touched her tiny hands and feet. I could finally say that Melinda truly believed in love at first sight. Gavin stood next to his wife, and the new parents began to bond with their daughter. A few minutes later another nurse brought out the baby boy and handed him to Gavin and the same scenario was played over again. Kissing, cuddling, and checking fingers and toes. Instant love. The boy had more hair and it was a dark sandy brown. I knew they would name him Armand.
Emrys smiled as he watched the happy family, and I knew a part of him had to be thinking of his sister’s birth. A birth so different than these were: one that led to his mother’s departure. Joy and sorrow mingled together in his eyes. I knew he could hear my thoughts, and I knew that was why he kept his eyes away from mine right now. He was too proud to let his true feelings show in front of Gavin and Melinda. But I had seen him react when we were alone. Those memories haunted him; he missed his mother and father desperately.
I could see Gavin struggling as he balanced two babies at once, and I said, “Let me hold one of them, please?” He turned to me and I scooped up Armand with care. I pressed my lips to his fuzzy head. He was absolutely adorable with rounded cheeks and dark blue eyes; and it was the second time in my life I had experienced love at first sight. I kissed his soft, pink cheeks. He smelled fresh and sweet like the fragrance after a soft, summer rain.
Eventually the doctor joined us and explained to Gavin and Melinda that after each infant had maintained stable vital signs for at least twelve hours, had at least two successful feedings, and managed to fill their diapers, they could be released.
Mr. Feldspar left shortly after the doctor finished examining each baby. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and Melinda appeared calmer. She fed two of the babies, and Gavin fed one - successfully. Since the triplets had been born in the afternoon, the twelve-hour window would be up in the middle of the night. We had to make arrangements at a motel, but Gavin and Melinda decided there was no time like the present, and they spent the night at the hospital. They took turns sleeping on the sofa in the waiting room and informed the nurses that if one of the babies woke up for a feeding, they should come and get them. I wasn’t too sure about Gavin, but I knew Lindy would never leave the babies there alone, at least not more than the distance from the nursery to the waiting room.
* * *
Emrys and I spent a peaceful night in one of the local motels in the quaint little town of Cottonwood. As the sun began to set behind us, the mountains and cliffs on the opposite horizon turned bright red. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We had sat out on the little enclosed porch until midnight, marveling at the coolness in the air after the sun had gone down. The brilliance of the millions of bright stars that shone in the black sky was surreal. I was truly glad we came along on this trip, even though now and then a sliver of a thought crept through my mind:
The Venators do not want us here.
The next morning when we arrived at the hospital to gather the happy new family, we found Mr. Feldspar and his secretary sitting at a table in the waiting room with piles of papers, folders, and pictures. Somehow, he had managed to expedite not only the children’s birth certificates, but also their passports. I was completely amazed.
This guy is good!
Or maybe he had more connections than we realized. All that was needed was a few more signatures, and we’d be all set to go.
Lindy bounced into the room looking like a bright-eyed new person. It was apparent that motherhood agreed with her already. They completed all the paperwork, and their brilliant attorney left. Lindy and Gavin went back to the nursery and gathered up the babies.
“So, you’re all set?” I asked still amazed at the change in my twin.
“Yes, we’re nearly ready,” she said, finishing the last diaper change. Already adept at changing a diaper on her lap - this was truly unbelievable.
“You had an uneventful night?” I asked. “I mean, aside from the business of babies, that is.” I probably should have let my question stay within the deep recess of my idiotic mind. Emrys glared at me with an expression of unmitigated exasperation. As soon as I saw his face, I knew I’d made a huge mistake to remind Lindy of yesterday’s short, but very real, fright.
“What?” she asked, bewildered at my question. “Why? Did you think our bald friend would be back? I hadn’t even thought of him - not until now!”
What a flaming idiot I was. And now, I remembered my vision. How ironic that I was the cause, or had now become the cause of Lindy searching over her shoulder as we walked out of the hospital later. I turned to see what Emrys was wearing. Yes, the same black t-shirt and black slacks I had seen in the vision.
“No, Sis. I think he is long gone,” I stammered. “He can’t possibly come up against the four of us at once.” I really didn’t know what I was talking about, but I had to keep her calm, somehow.
I strolled over to the table and casually paged through the papers. “Melinda, you should put these in your purse. You don’t want to lose the birth certificates or the passports.”
“Go ahead; my purse is right on that chair.” She pointed and then went immediately back to dressing one of the girls. I marveled again at how motherhood seemed so natural to her.
I gathered up all the papers, folded the large ones, and put them into a folder. I took the three passports and set them aside to put in the outer zipper so Lindy could get at them quicker. And that’s when it hit me.
Wait a minute...how did they...
I opened up the first passport. There was a photo of a baby all wrapped in blue, and his name was Armand! I picked up the other passports and flipped them both open. Alyssa and Adeline.
How on earth?
Melinda looked up when she heard me stammering and stuttering, and mumbling to myself.
“I found a baby-name book in the gift shop,” she began, “but we had to hurry with our choices and I never made it past the A’s. What do you think?”
“They’re beautiful, Sis. Absolutely beautiful names.” I couldn’t stop grinning.
Emrys’ phone rang and he slipped out into the hallway to answer it. We finished getting the babies ready, and when he returned, I loaded him down with all the diaper bags and extra blankets. Gavin scooped up his son, and Melinda and I carried the girls. After a quick look around the room we headed to the elevators.
As we made our way through the hospital foyer toward the glass doors, the euphoric feeling abruptly vanished when I spotted Melinda twist her head back a few times. Her anxious glances behind us were supposed to be that she feared Mr. Feldspar’s returning with bad news. And that news would have been terrible enough. But instead, this fear was founded on something real, not imaginary. Venators -Vampire Hunters were watching our every move.
CHAPTER 3
DEVIL IN DISGUISE
“Who was that on the phone Emrys?” I asked as we settled into our seats in the limo.
“A message from Sibelle,” he stated. “She has requested a visit after our return home.”
I nodded and wanted to ask him why, but was sidetracked when one of the newborns decided to awaken with a loud, ear-splitting screech. Melinda plucked her baby up immediately and began to rock her just like an old pro. I was in complete awe; she was such a natural, and the crying didn’t seem to upset her in the least. I, on the other hand, could barely hear myself think.
I turned to Emrys and whispered, “You can tell me all about it later.”
He gave me a quick nod, realizing I’d probably never hear him anyway.
Our flight had been scheduled for the following afternoon so we decided to spend our last night in Cottonwood. After getting the new family settled into their room, Emrys informed me he had a little surprise for me. He knew of a quaint little town that he wanted to share with me, and he even rented a car so that he could drive us there himself.
“The drive,” he began, “should only take about fifteen minutes or so, but half the fun of getting there is the journey.”
“What’s the name of this town?” I asked, ready for an adventure.
“It is called Jerome,” he said, smiling. “And it is situated a
t the top of a small mountain.” His excitement was so visible and his dark eyes sparkled.
The sun was bright and warm; the air was clear and blue. The drive up the mountain was crazy, all twisty and turning every few feet it seemed. Near the top of the mountain was an area where we pulled off just to look at the view. It was spectacular. We could see the whole valley below and out in the distance the red rocks of Sedona. I didn’t think I’d ever seen such crystal-clear, cloudless, and deep blue skies in all my life.
Jerome was filled with countless craft and gift shops, Indian jewelry and antique shops, art galleries and historical museums, restaurants and old buildings of all sizes and shapes. We learned that at one time it had been a copper mining town, and at another time basically a ghost town. We parked our car and walked for hours, stopping in shop after shop. Every now and then while walking about, we’d take in yet another view of the panoramic scenes of the valley below and the surrounding regions. I loved everything about Jerome; the town itself was absolutely enchanting, and the vistas astounded me.
My arms were full of gift bags and trinkets to take back home - souvenirs for everyone, when I spotted an interesting plant growing alongside the narrow parking lot where our car sat in the shade. There was a mound of dark green heart-shaped leaves with ten or twelve luminous white trumpet shaped flowers.
“Look, Emrys. They’re so pretty; and how odd that all the buds are closed.” I pointed with my elbow.
“Ah, yes. I wondered if we would see these here. They are usually found along roadways growing wild.” He unlocked the car and started putting my packages in the back.
I remembered him telling me about his perfume company, and imagined that was why he was so familiar with this particular flower. As he arranged things in the trunk, I turned and stooped low to smell the flowers. And as I started to reach out to feel the softness of the petals, something flashed before me, instantly; in less than a blink, Emrys’ had swished in and his hand was on mine, yanking me to my feet.
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