The Vampires of Soldiers Cove: Progeny

by Jessica MacIntyre

  Everyone was there. Relieved smiles all around. Duncan plunked himself down on the bed next to me and clasped me on the shoulder. “Ah, there you are. Hurry up and get your lazy ass out of bed. There are things to be done.” Duncan, I noticed, was looking even younger than he had a month ago. His hair was darker, skin smoother. Incredibly he’d lost another ten years in an unusual amount of time.

  “She’ll be up and around soon enough,” Angus said from across the room. Everyone stopped for a moment, and then, ignoring him, turned their attention back to me.

  “How are you feeling, Rachel?” I heard a small feminine voice say from the other side of my bed. Holly was standing there adjusting Gavin’s IV. “Do you feel nauseated at all?”

  Her protruding stomach had disappeared. “I feel fine, just a little tired is all.”

  “Good,” she said smiling at me. “Of course you’ll need to feed. The sooner the better. I think we can have you out of here by this time tomorrow.”

  “That sounds good,” I said. There was a brightness to Holly I hadn’t seen on the day I’d been buried. She seemed to have grown younger as well, looking just as youthful as she had on the day I’d first met her. “Holly, you look so beautiful,” I said outright.

  “That she does,” Duncan chimed in. “New mothers always are.”

  “We have a new niece,” Gavin said. “Little miss Ruby. She’s a sweetheart too.”

  I was overjoyed for her. Gavin had been right. Motherhood agreed with her. “Oh, Holly that’s so wonderful. I can’t wait to see her.”

  Holly smiled wide. “Soon,” she said. “You’ll be able to see her and everyone else.”

  “I can’t wait.” I looked around the room once more. Alexander was there too, but Leiv was noticeably absent. “I have to go to Leiv,” I said.

  Angus nodded. “Alright. As long as you feel strong enough and if Holly says you’re ok to do so I’ll take you to him now.”

  “It’s fine,” Holly said. “Just don’t be too long.”

  Gavin stood up at the same time I did, wanting to accompany me. “Oh no you don’t,” Holly barked. “Sit your arse down, fella! You’re in bed until I say so, it’s you who’s done the most work here today.”

  Gavin balked silently but didn’t protest. I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for waking me up,” I said.

  “Hey, I owed you one.”

  With that I stood and Alexander and I followed Angus out into the corridor.

  ***

  I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t know what kind of plans they’d had for Leiv, other than to say that he’d be taken care of. What exactly that meant I wasn’t sure. Was he in a cell? Was he in a room? Was he completely shut off from any contact with other vampires? I could only hope he’d be ok when I got to him. Something told me that if anything major was wrong that on some primitive level I’d know, but still, I worried.

  When we arrived to where we were going Angus pushed open a large set of double iron doors. We were in some type of a massive library that I’d never seen before. Up until now the only place I knew of that housed books was the small room Gavin and I had used in my first few weeks here.

  Leiv was sitting in a chair reading and before he realized I was in the room I was on top of him, hugging him so hard I nearly knocked him over. I pounced on him without thinking, not even giving Alexander a chance to say hello first. I squeezed him as hard as I could. “Ow!” he said.

  “Sorry. I am just so happy that you’re alright.” I had a million questions to ask but restrained myself long enough so that Alexander could put his arms around him as well.

  They embraced for a good long while, Alexander crying and touching his face as if to make sure he was real.

  “Leiv is very intelligent and loves to read,” Angus said. “I let him have access to this room and he’s been reading nonstop.”

  “Sounds like things have been pretty quiet then?” I asked.

  “Very quiet indeed. I don’t think we have anything to worry about with Leiv,” he said frankly. “I’ll leave you all be so that you can talk. Don’t be too long.”

  Angus left and I sat down across from Leiv and Alexander who had their arms wrapped around each other. “How are you?” I asked.

  “My god, Rachel. I’ve never felt so…even. My mind is so clear. I’ve never felt this way before. I feel well, I feel healed. For the first time in a long time I’m not walking around in a fog. I feel like I’ve woken up. I can’t wait to really start living.”

  “I’m so relieved. I was a little worried about you on the day of the burial,” I said. “Your hunger, how have they been feeding you?”

  “With donors. I need to hunt though, Rachel. I know it will be different.”

  I nodded. “It most certainly is. Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of hunting. There’s lots of time for you to learn that.”

  He hugged Alexander tighter. “I’ve really missed you though. I know this wasn’t the way we wanted this to happen, but I’m so happy it did. Now we can be together forever, and if by chance something does happen to one of us it won’t kill the other. I’ve been reading all about blood bonds. I wouldn’t want that to happen to you.”

  Alexander took Leiv’s head in his hands, pressing their foreheads together for a moment before taking something small out of his pocket and pressing it in his hand. Leiv looked at it, confused for a moment. “Really?”

  He nodded.

  “Yes,” he said, his eyes filling with tears, the first real display of emotion I’d seen from him. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  They hugged and kissed again and in my own excitement I hugged them both so hard that I nearly welded them together. Then I left, promising I’d be back in the next little while to discuss the details of the next year. We would have to work out living arrangements and such. I had to have him close by if I was going to be a proper guardian.

  Chapter Twenty four

  Leaving the sanctuary the next day, Leiv had joined me. It was decided that he and Alexander would live with us. I had spent some time talking with Angus and concluded it would be safe to have him around our children. They were human after all, but I was assured his control was good and Angus had shown him how to discipline himself when it came to feeding. The most important thing about having him around would be to make sure he was always well fed. There was no room for blood hunger when under the same roof as a newborn. Feeding had to be a priority.

  Ryan and Jade flew into my arms when I got home. Ryan’s hair seemed even longer and Jade had three more teeth in only a month. After many hugs and kisses all around we spent the next few days getting into a routine. There were six of us in our home now. Thank god Gavin had built on to it and changed major pieces of furniture, including a large dining room table. I couldn’t have imagined this many people in that little tiny house I’d once lived in.

  Sitting down to dinner one night, which we all agreed to do every night for the sake of the children whether we felt like it or not, I looked at the faces of the people sitting down with me. The girl who never talked to anyone, who never left the house and preferred not to have anything to do with people was long gone. My life was now filled with noise and children and animals and family.

  Maggie and Gizzy padded around the table looking for scraps, and in a house where people don’t eat ninety percent of the time, they always got plenty. I reached down giving Gizzy a large chunk of my fish, followed by a scratch behind the ears. The poor thing was getting old and beginning to limp. She had been with me through everything. Maggie came over, jealous for attention as usual and I scratched her as well, kissing her sweet little nose as I held her face in my hands.

  I spent the majority of that night wishing I could freeze time. Wanting to stay in that moment forever. All of us there, seated around that table. It was the happiest I’d ever been.

  Not wanting to waste any time, Alexander and Leiv were married a few days later. Leiv, had no vampire family of course, but as
his maker I walked him into the circle. It wasn’t all that long ago that Duncan had walked me into the circle so I could take my place with Gavin among the clan. The years had flown and now I was a wife, a mother, and a maker.

  Gavin and I stood side by side, hand in hand, watching Alexander and Leiv declare their love for each other. I glanced around at the rest of the invited guests and noticed that we weren’t the only pair holding hands. Duncan and Holly were off to the side, standing discretely with their fingers laced together. I hadn’t seen it until that very moment but something about that particular union made sense.

  Gavin saw me looking at them and then saw what I was seeing. He winked at me, squeezing my hand as he did. This wedding night reminded me of my own, and yet it was happier somehow. I knew who I was and who I was going to be. I knew my place and the place of all those around me. Hard times were coming down the pike and I knew that, but I was never more certain about my ability to face them. Where once I felt weak, I now felt undeniably and irrevocably strong.

  Lifting my head toward the night sky I thought of my human parents. I wondered what they’d think of the woman I’d become. They probably wouldn’t recognize me, but I liked to think that they’d at least be proud. All I had ever wanted in life was to make them proud and I felt for a long time that I’d failed. No more. I certainly felt proud. I knew my worth and other people knew it too.

  Applause ran through the group as Angus pronounced Leiv and Alexander married and we joined the line to congratulate them. “You’re stuck with him now,” Gavin said to Leiv.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he smiled.

  Gavin responded: “I know what you mean.”

  We finally made it home just before sunrise and fell into bed laughing. “Would you marry me all over again, even knowing what a pain in the ass I am?” he asked me.

  I ruffled his dirty blonde hair with my fingers. “You might be a pain in the ass, but you’re my pain in the ass, and I’d marry you all over again in a second.”

  Gavin’s eyes darkened and he released his fangs, snarling playfully. “On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?”

  No matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t break him of his love of seventies music. He didn’t seem to enjoy anything recorded after 1980. “Yes,” I whispered, deciding to play along.

  Gavin lowered his mouth to my neck and in the moment before biting said, “I bet you say that to all the boys.”

  Such a happy few weeks it had been. Everything was falling into place. We still didn’t have our answer, but I figured things would click along happily for a while at least. If only I’d known how wrong I was.

  Chapter Twenty five

  After having fallen into a deep and peaceful sleep I was awakened at 5:00 A.M. by a faint ringing. Someone was trying to get my attention, although not by telephone. The device was sitting silently charging by the bed. The soft sound was coming from inside my own head. I left a still sleeping Gavin in bed and threw on my clothes to make my way downstairs. When I reached the kitchen the ringing stopped. There was a brief pause and then…

  Are you awake in there, girl?

  It was Duncan. I am now.

  You know I wouldn’t disturb you like this unless it was absolutely necessary.

  Where are you? What’s going on?

  I’m behind your house, Lass. Go out the back door and walk into the woods a little way. I need to talk to you.

  Duncan, why don’t you just come in? Everyone else is asleep.

  Things are happening, Rachel. I can’t be seen here. It’s better this way for all of us. Just come talk to me and all will be explained. Hurry.

  Perplexed I slipped into a pair of sneakers and made my way through the trees. After walking a short way I found him. Duncan was standing there, his arms crossed over his chest seeming worried and shaken. It was disquieting to say the least. If a one thousand year old vampire looks worried, you should be worried too.

  “What’s the matter?” I said without preamble.

  I let him take all the time he needed to gather his thoughts. “Firstly,” he began. “I can’t apologize enough for leading Kenzie straight to you. I should have seen what he was, but I didn’t and as a result Jade almost died, and you spent a month in the ground.”

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself. He fooled us all. And a month in the ground wasn’t so bad. Angus went easy on me. I could have gotten a year.”

  “I know. And for that I’m grateful to him. He made a good decision. That’s what good leaders do.”

  “He’s a good leader then.”

  “Your husband doesn’t share that belief.”

  The resentment Gavin still harboured for Angus was no secret. “I know,” I said. “But he’ll come around. He’s softened recently I think.”

  Duncan raised his eyebrows. “Really? Is that what you think?”

  “Yes,” I said, although it came out sounding more like a question than a statement.

  “For someone you’ve got telepathic communication with he’s done well at keeping you in the dark.”

  “In the dark? About what?”

  “About Angus. I thought maybe you knew, but you just weren’t saying anything. I can see now that you’re clueless.” Before I could object he said, “Gavin wants to challenge Angus for control of the clan.”

  The idea was so absurd I actually laughed. “No he doesn’t. I think he would have mentioned it to me. And for your information we don’t go digging around in each other’s heads unless it’s necessary. It’s called privacy.”

  “Aye. Privacy. Well, he’s been given a wide berth of privacy from you because if you really don’t know you’re practically the only one who doesn’t.”

  I turned away, unsure of how to respond. How could that be? How could everyone else in the clan know of something as big as this and yet I lived with the man and had no idea. It didn’t make sense.

  “Rachel, when you were in the ground he went from, as they say, talking crap about him behind his back, to openly challenging him.”

  “What? Can he even do that?”

  “He already did. They were about to set a time for it to happen.”

  Just when you think you understand all the rules of vampire politics within a clan it seems to change. I was confused. “For what to happen? Duncan you’re going to have to spell it out for me because I’m lost as to what’s going on here.”

  Duncan drew himself close and took me by the shoulders, looking at me intently. “Because Angus is still alive and is not willing to voluntarily step down…Gavin has to kill him.”

  “But…he can’t possibly do that. Angus will crush him. Gavin wouldn’t survive that kind of confrontation with Angus, he knows that.”

  “Well he didn’t seem to, although we all tried to reason with him we seem to have failed. None of that matters now anyhow. I’ve come to warn you of what’s to come. Rachel, you need to go back to the house and gather your husband, your children, and your progeny and get as far away from here as you can. Now! Angus knows why Kenzie took Jade. Holly was at the sanctuary and old Ellie told her they had an emergency council meeting last night. She warned her.”

  Old Ellie MacNeil had no love for me when I was turned. She had even gone so far as to spit at me on the night I was introduced to the clan. She had been a friend of my human parents and I had thought of her as a warm and friendly member of the community before that. I was never sure how she felt about me after the battle with the revenants, but it seemed I had won her favor enough to illicit a warning. I was stunned. “How did he find out?”

  “That professor you went to see in Greece had a sudden attack of conscience it seems. Felt it was necessary to contact the clan leader here to let him know somebody was breaking the rules.”

  “Ha! That’s rich. His conscience wasn’t bothering him enough not to sell out his own kind to government research.”

  “Well, be that as it may, Angus now has the information and is
planning to do something stop to you.”

  “How can he stop us? Ryan is our child. If he doesn’t like it we can just go away and do it somewhere else.”

  “If only it were that simple.” He stopped and looked me dead in the eye with such intensity that I felt my jaw clench in fear. “Rachel, listen to me carefully. Angus is going to kill Ryan.”

  “Duncan, what are you saying? Angus wouldn’t kill a child.”

  “Don’t be a fool, Rachel. Angus has taken many lives and for less. What you’re planning to do is against the rules and that would be the quickest, most sensible way to stop it. As far as he’s concerned a turned satyr child is not just a threat to this clan but a potential threat to all clans. Therefore he feels justified in killing him.”

  Trembling now I said, “He wouldn’t.”

  Duncan screamed, shaking me hard as he did. “He would! Don’t lie to yourself.”

  Finally the sense in what he was saying made its way through the shock. “What do I do? How do I stop this?”

  “You stop it by doing as I say. Now listen, you need to go get everyone up and leave this instant. Get in your car and drive. Don’t go to the mountain, he’ll look for you there.” Duncan was already leading me back toward the house, his arm around my shoulders. “I’ll get in touch with you in twenty four hours to let you know what’s going on here. Don’t hesitate, child. Go! Now!”

  I stopped breathing for a moment, caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts. A myriad of decisions and consequences. There was no need to stand there discussing it any further, and I needed to have it out with my husband. “I have to go,” I said, breaking away from him.

  So angry that my vision literally reddened I had to work to keep my voice at a reasonable level. I was hanging on by my fingernails, trying not to pick him up and throw him across the room. I slapped him in the face instead. He gave me a stunned and hurt look. In the panic and fear for Ryan’s life I was also hurt and stunned by what I considered to be a betrayal, and my anger surfaced in Gavin’s direction.