After everything was said and done, the nurse’s took my precious babies to the nursery so that I could rest. I had to admit I was exhausted. Labor was more tiresome than I had expected it to be and I feel asleep almost immediately.
I could still hear the conversations going on around me. Eric had called our parents to let them know that the babies had been born. They had been genuinely surprised.
It happened so quick that I didn’t have a chance to call anyone I heard him telling his mother. I hated having to lie to them about anything. I love them so much that it just does not seem fair to them.
My attention quickly went from Eric and to the nursery. I heard the nurses talking about Jade being one of the quietest babies they had ever seen. Little did they know that she was rambling on to me about everything she was seeing and feeling, mostly asking questions.
Luke was a bit more vocal than Jade. He did not like the nurses messing with him. All he wanted to do was eat something, but they had not tried to feed them yet. He was mad about that. He is going to be just like Eric. That was plain to see.
A couple of the nurses were discussing the fact that Silas had been in the room during the delivery.
“Who lets their brother be in the room when their wife is giving birth?” One of them said.
“They must be a really close knit family.” The other nurse replied.
I didn’t know that Silas had been claiming to be Eric’s brother. Explaining his real reason for being in the room with us was not an option and that was the best excuse they could come up with at the time. It wasn’t like it was anyone’s business.
My children were safe and healthy and that was all that mattered to me at the time. That fact made me relax and let my mind rest as well as my body. I had to. I was sure I was going to need every ounce of strength I could find when the Dark Union learned of the births.
We only had to stay overnight at the hospital. The doctor was amazed at how quickly I was back on my feet. Not to mention, how well Jade and Luke was adjusting.
Our parents passed each of the babies around the room. I could see their eyes filling with wonder and amazement for the children that they were holding.
The last thing that we had to do was fill out the forms for their birth certificates. My mind went blank at the part where we had to put down their full names. We hadn't talked about that at all. I was trying to think of one, but nothing came to mind.
Eric started blurting out names to go with Luke. He stopped at Anthony Luke.
“I like that,” he said looking at Silas, apparently, for his opinion.
“Anthony Luke Gray. Yeah. That's a good name,” Silas replied with pride.
“Samantha Jade Gray,” I said to Maggie. She smiled back with enthusiasm. Eric and Silas also seemed to like the name I had come up with for her.
Our parents walked with us out of the hospital. Well, they walked, I didn’t. The nurses had made me ride out in a wheelchair against my pleading against it.
Eric was uneasy about putting Jade and Luke in their car seats. He was afraid he wouldn’t do it right. Although, I was sure that he would do it perfectly, just like everything else that he attempted. Noticing his fear, I asked our mothers if they would mind putting the babies in the car while Eric helped me into the front seat. Of course, they were both overjoyed at my request.
I took my time getting in the car. I had slept exceptionally well last night, but I was very tender in certain places today. Sitting down was harder than it looked and it was not something that I could do quickly.
Silas and Maggie rode back to our house with my parents since the babies had taken their seats. Neither of them seemed to mind, but I knew they weren’t looking forward to the cramped ride they were going to have to endure.
I couldn’t wait to get home. I was still, somewhat, sleepy and I wanted nothing more but to be in my own bedroom with my beautiful babies there with me.
That thought was great and all, but I knew what was waiting on us back at home. All those hidden eyes that had been stalking us for months would definitely be made aware that the babies had already been born and an awful war would certainly begin soon after. That was inevitable.
The drive back home was short and quiet. The sight of my house was welcoming. Eric parked the car and before we could get out, our parents, Maggie, and Silas surrounded the car. I could tell by the look on Maggie and Silas’ face that the pressure to get Jade and Luke in the house was great. I stayed out of the way and let them take them in as fast as they could.
When I finally shuffled my way in the house, I felt the burning of the eyes disappear from me. I instantly pushed that aside and Eric helped me up the stairs to our bedroom. He went into the nursery and rolled both of the bassinets in our room. That was exactly what I wanted, to rest with my babies.
Eric left the room after helping me change into my pajamas. I slowly got into bed, trying not to bend more than was necessary.
I struggled to stay awake until Eric could come back in with Jade and Luke, but soon, both of our mothers came in the door. Each of them had one of the babies. They brought them over to me and I kissed them both gently on their little noses before they were laid down in the bassinets to sleep.
“I’m sorry guys. I’m just really tired.” I said to them and I noticed our fathers in the doorway.
My mother asked if I was sure that we didn’t need them to stay while I slept. “No. That's okay. Eric will help me out if I need him to.” I said yawning.
Eric told them that Maggie and Silas would be staying with us for a while and that they would help us as much as we would let them.
Just in case I need to run out to the store or something like that, Eric said.
I was just too tired to pay much more attention to what was being said. As soon as they noticed I was almost asleep, I felt each of them kiss me on the cheek. The door closed gently and that was the last thing I remembered hearing.
Chapter 11
My eyes opened to a dark room. I had been asleep for several hours. Feeling rested, I got out of bed to check on Jade and Luke, but their bassinets were empty. I don’t recall them waking up or anyone coming in the room. And, come to think of it, I didn’t remember ever hearing them cry.
“Eric!” I screamed as I ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
“Eric!” I called again.
The house was empty. I didn’t see Maggie or Silas either. Where are they? Please let nothing be wrong, I silently prayed to myself as I opened the front door.
Silas was sitting on the front porch with his head in his hands. I ran to him and grabbed him by his arms. “Silas! Where are my children?” I exclaimed.
He raised his head and looked at me with tears in his eyes. “They are around back with Eric and Maggie. Everything is fine. They are okay.”
My panic disappeared and I felt a stab of pain in my heart for Silas. “What's wrong?” I asked him.
He stared forward looking at nothing of importance it seemed. Only emptiness filled his eyes. I sat down beside him and waited for his response. He took several deep breaths before he answered me.
I had apparently misjudged his joy for sadness. He began telling me how much he loved Luke and Jade, and thanked me repeatedly for allowing him to see them born.
I was beside myself with adoration for him. He was a truly loving creature. Not at all like I had initially thought he was going to be.
“I wonder if vampires can have children?” He asked expecting me to answer positively.
I didn’t know the answer to his question, but I had never heard anything about it either way. “I’m not sure, but I‘ll ask some of the others.”
He thanked me again and reached into his pocket pulling out a small black velvet box. At the sight of it, I knew exactly what it was. He had bought Maggie an engagement ring.
“How long have you been lugging that thing around in your pocket?” I asked him with a smile.
““Two months.” He said as he opened t
he box and showed me the ring inside. It was amazing. Small, but beautifully crafted. I don’t recall ever seeing another ring like it before. It had a look of being old but well cared for.
The porch light shining on the diamonds sent shimmers of light in our eyes. There was something different about this ring, something more behind its beauty.
I had the witches to cast an invincibility spell on it. Just to keep Maggie safe, he said closing the box and putting back in his pocket.
“Good call, Silas.”
“I had planned on asking her, but it never feels like that moment is the right one.”
“Just ask her silly. When you ask her, and she says yes, then that will be the right moment.” I laughed.
“Yeah, I guess you're right.”
We sat there in silence for a moment. Silas was doing his usual scan of the outer part of the shield surrounding our houses. “It’s too quiet. Something is going on Bailey. Let's get you to Eric.” He said calmly taking my hand and leading me around the house to the back yard.
Eric was standing out in the yard with Luke. It looked to me that they were doing some type of training with him and Jade. The bright light of their powers illuminated the entire back yard. I had wanted to show them how to use their powers for protection, but Eric had beaten me to it.
Jade was humming to herself as she projected her shield in and out on Maggie’s demand. She was good at it too. I don’t think I had ever felt this sense of pride before. My children were true works of art. Masters of their power.
“Eric, something is definitely going on outside the perimeter.” Silas announced.
I quickly took Luke from him and made my way over to Maggie. Being close to her and within reaching distance of Luke and Jade kept me more able to notice things without the distraction of worrying about them. Eric and Silas were known to take very could care of themselves, but that didn’t make me feel any better about the distance that was now between us.
Eric was out of range for my human ears to hear what he and Silas were talking about. I didn’t try to enter his mind because I needed to focus on the area around us. Maggie told me that she was beginning to feel the presence of a dark power. Several of them.
“What are we going to do?” I asked her in a whisper.
The reaction that I got from her was not one that I wanted at the time.
“Fight. That's what we are going to do.” She replied. “They are coming for them.”
The Dark Union was coming after my precious children and there was nothing that we could do to stop them.
“How long before the shield falls?” I asked Maggie. She thought, calculating the time in her head.
“Ten minutes. Fifteen, tops.”
That would give us just enough time to assemble the others. Eric and Silas came running back around the house.
“They are waging a full on war!” Silas said as he rushed to Maggie’s side.
He dropped to one knee and pulled out the velvet box. “Maggie, will you marry me?” He asked her faster than a lightning strike. “I know this may not be the right time for me to ask, but I have to know your answer before they attack.”
Tears ran down her cheeks and she said, “Yes, of course I will Silas.”
Maggie dropped to her knees, still holding Jade in her arms, and kissed Silas quickly. Silas slipped the ring on her finger and helped her off the ground. He was trying to be careful not to jostle Jade any more than necessary. My attention was focused on Silas’s proposal and I didn’t notice that Eric was standing off to the side of us. He had been calling the other members of the Circle of Light. One by one, he called their names. Some of them I recognized. Most of them I hadn’t heard before.
The other Kings and Queens appeared at my side in their true forms. They were not hiding anymore. That only meant that this was the war that they had been so worried about in the past. They greeted me and gave me a few instructions on what to do when the battle began.
As they explained everything to me, I noticed that more members of the Circle were appearing around us. Another quickly followed each one that appeared and I could tell that they were preparing for the battle that was only moments away.
“Stay with Eric. You both must be in contact with each other as well as with the children. Their power is absolute, but it is their decision on whether or not to use it and I pray they do for all of our sakes.” Water King said as his power turned his voice into a whisper.
I motioned for Eric to come over to me. I wasn’t sure that I could carry both Luke and Jade at the same time and for me to leave the safety of the other Kings and Queens to walk over to him was not going to be allowed. That much was clear.
He only seemed to take a few steps to get to where I was, but I knew he had all but floated to me. Maggie had stayed with me even though she was not a high power in the Circle. She told me that she couldn’t handle the idea of not being with us. Silas agreed with her and everyone formed a circle around us. We began the short walk to face the Dark Union.
I could see several figures standing beyond the shield as it shook under the stress of the amount of power being placed on it. More figures appeared until I couldn’t tell how many were there, but I knew that beyond the shield stood an army. Willing and waiting to kill every single one of us in order to get to the children. The ultimate power that they are so afraid of.
This was the time that I was going to have to let go of the human part of me and embrace the Queen inside me. My family and friend s lives depended on it. On me.
I controlled my thoughts until I could break free from the parts that bonded me to the human world. I had to be free of the part of me that analyzed everything that happened. I don t need that now. I needed to be able to react in a seconds notice. “Goodbye for now.” I said to the human in me as I felt the restrictions lift from my body.
I felt different. I embraced my power for the first time and I felt like a true Queen. My senses had become sharper than any humans could ever be. Nothing looked or felt the same. It was like everything around me had been polluted or covered up until this moment.
“Excellent, my Queen.” Silas said as he stared at me in awe.
My form had changed. I could feel the difference. I floated, no longer needing to walk to get to where I was going. My hair swirled around in the air just like the other Queens. Somehow, I had shed the clothes that I had been wearing and now my body was adorned with a long, flowing purple gown. It was richer in color than I had ever known purple to be. I am Eternity Queen.
This day could very well be the last day that I get to live. Many lives will be lost in just a matter of minutes. As soon as the shield came down the Dark Union would make their advance on the Circle of Light.
At the front of the house stood the army of our own. Growing in numbers as more time passed. I saw such beauty and love in each member that arrived. They had all pledged their lives to the Circle, and would willingly die for any of us. That was the one thing that I did not have to question. I knew it.
We watched the shield as it grew weaker with each passing minute. I whispered to my children and told them that I loved them more than they could ever imagine and quickly kissed Eric, all while trying to keep my eyes on the evil that was waiting to attack us.
Flickers of memories from my life replayed in my head. My mother fixing pancakes on a Sunday morning, my father s smile and the first time I had ever seen Eric. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. To be living in a moment where I wasn’t sure if I was going to live or die was beyond depressing. The emptiness in my chest grew until it became an ache. Both of them being here eased my worry. Worry that I knew would have only been worse if they were away from me.
My body filled with anger for the evil standing against us. The anger soon turned to rage. I welcomed the second that the Dark Union would make their advance on us. I could taste the bitterness of hate in my mouth. Now I understood what a vampire’s bloodlust must be like.
We needed to take out the w
eak members of their clan first. That would be an easy feat, but I wanted the leaders and I wanted to kill every one of them myself. To feel their souls separate from their wretched bodies and enter the spirit realm. There, I hoped that they would be tortured forever. I don’t even care what they were going to be tortured by, just as long as it was terrible for them.
I want to live in peace. I want my children to grow up happy and without the worry that some monster, no pun intended, was going to come after them every other day and try to kill them. No child deserves that.
I heard their screams of excitement fill the air as the shield disappeared. They came at us hard and fast, but our side was prepared. Our adversaries dropped like flies onto the ground as our magic took their lives. I smiled at the sight of it. They were the weak ones. The ones that were never meant to completely make it to us. I knew that they were only a distraction. The Dark Union was not going to surrender or die this easily. Our wonderful witches had taken out the first wave without any sign of a problem.
They wanted Jade and Luke. Either dead or on their side. I wasn’t sure which one, but they weren’t going to get them either way. I was not going to allow it. They were going to have to kill me first and I am sure that they already knew that and was planning to do exactly that.
Eric and I, and the rest of the Kings and Queens stayed together. I watched as the vampires walked forward and joined the witches in battle with the other side. They were relentless.
Obviously, the vampires liked to kill and better than that, they were hungry as well. They drank the blood of their victims as they died in their arms. Helpless to defend themselves. Soon, they had killed everyone that was coming at us during that attack, as well as filling themselves to reach their full power.
The Union sent their creatures at us in waves. Each time the creatures were stronger and more hideous. Grotesque, by all means.
The third wave they sent out was people, or so I thought. I was definitely wrong about that. They looked like people, but they seemed animated in sorts. Like their bodies were being moved with strings. And the smell, they smelled of rotting flesh and dirt. Sickening sour fumes threatened to make us sick and they were moving so slowly that we actually had to wait for them to reach us. Not that we even wanted the repulsive things anywhere near us.
Ignite (Circle of Light Book 2) Page 14