The air pulsed thick and heady, not with the last snag of Indian summer they’d caught but with an echo of power, incredible power. It was like standing in the middle of an electrical generator. She could feel the static fill the air, her clothes crackled and her hair stood on end.
Damn it, she murmured to herself. She’d felt the same thing only once before, deep in the forest in Salem, when Nathaniel had ripped out Abigail West’s soul and consumed it.
She glanced down at the pool of blood. He’d taken the girls soul, she could feel the remnants of it echoing all around her, like a fading dream. They were in bigger trouble than she’d thought, if Nathaniel was now desperate enough to stoop to stealing and ingesting human souls.
That was the only thing forbidden to all demons, even she knew that. He was willing to risk the wrath of Lucifer himself by breaking the most cardinal rule he himself set down. It could only mean one thing. Nathaniel was all in now, there was no going back for him. He had to find the book, or face not only Hades, but Lucifer. He had nothing left to lose and everything to gain, which made him even more dangerous, especially now he was amped up on not one but two human souls.
A scuffle and several voices at the mouth of the alley suddenly drew Isabel's attention. The clean-up crew were making their way down the alley and she glanced around realizing there was no other way out. Then suddenly, just as she had in Salem, she was engulfed in a swirl of purple smoke, and when she reappeared, she was perched high up on the roof ledge watching the crew far below begin their grisly work.
‘Hello Olivia, how are you feeling?’ Dr Wilson smiled as she stepped into the room and clicked the door closed quietly behind her.
‘Not too bad,’ Olivia replied easily.
‘Any other symptoms?’
‘A bit of dizziness and some breathlessness,’ she admitted.
Dr Wilson nodded as she looked down at the notes in her hands.
‘We’ve got your blood work back and it looks as if you have a mild case of anemia.’
‘Is it serious?’ Theo asked, hovering anxiously.
‘Not if its treated and monitored; it’s quite common during pregnancy, particularly with multiple births. If left untreated it can cause premature births and low birth weight, but yours is still at a manageable level. We’ll give you vitamins and iron supplements to take orally, there is also a list of certain types of food you can include in your diet which will help. We’ll monitor you frequently over the course of your pregnancy, so I’m not too concerned yet.’
Olivia nodded.
‘Alright then,’ Dr Wilson dropped the clipboard with Olivia’s notes down on a nearby table and wheeled the trolley with the ultra sound equipment closer. ‘Shall we have a look at your babies then?’
‘Sure,’ Olivia leaned back on the bed she was sitting on.
Once again Dr Wilson covered her modestly with a sheet and folded up her hospital gown, tucking it neatly under her ribs to reveal her rounded belly.
‘You’ve grown quite a bit in the past month,’ she noted as she pressed her hands gently against her abdomen. ‘Any discomfort?’
‘A little,’ Olivia smiled, ‘just a lot of stretching going on.’
‘You’d better get used to it,’ Dr Wilson laughed. ‘Have you been using the oil I recommended?’
‘I have,’ she replied, ‘I don’t know that it’s doing much good though.’
‘You’d be surprised,’ she answered confidently, ‘it’ll help with the stretch marks. Although when you feel the stretching pains at this stage, it’s not so much the skin, but the muscle layer beneath that’s stretching to accommodate the expansion of your womb.’
Seemingly satisfied she picked up the tube of gel and liberally applied it to her belly before turning and tapping a few keys. After inputting Olivia’s details she picked up the sensor and pressed to her bump. Straightaway the room was once again filled with the rushing whooshing sound and the unmistakable drumbeat of two tiny hearts.
‘So do you want to know the sex of the babies?’
Olivia glanced up at Theo who smiled at her.
‘I guess,’ she replied, turning her attention back to the Doctor, ‘but I’m pretty certain it’ll be identical girls.’
‘What makes you think that?’ she asked curiously.
‘It’s always been that way in my family,’ Olivia replied carefully. ‘We don’t have boys; it’s always girls and always identical.’
‘Well you’re wrong,’ Dr Wilson’s eyes narrowed as she studied the screen.
‘What?’ Olivia frowned, ‘about which part?’
‘Well, they’re fraternal not identical, for starters.’
‘What’s the difference?’ Theo asked in confusion.
‘Identical twins are formed from one egg, fertilized by one sperm which has split into two and grown into two babies. Because they come from a single egg they are both encompassed in one amniotic sac and only have one placenta,’ she patiently explained to him. ‘Identical twins are always the same sex. However fraternal twins are formed from two eggs and two sperm, they are separate which means they each have their own amniotic sac and own placenta. Fraternal twins can either be the same sex or one of each.’
‘So which do we have?’ he leaned forward holding onto Olivia’s hand as they both stared at the screen.
‘Well they’re fraternal like I said, so let’s take a look and see if we can determine the sex shall we?’ she replied slowly, nudging Olivia’s belly with the sensor. ‘If this one would just shift slightly I should be able to…ah there we go. There’s your daughter.’
‘I told you,’ Olivia smiled as she watched her daughter roll over and flex slightly.
‘And here,’ Dr Wilson, pressed more firmly into Olivia’s belly, ‘if she would just move over, is her brother right behind her.’
‘I’m sorry what?’ Olivia replied, blinking her eyes as if she hadn’t quite heard correctly.
‘Here’s your son,’ she smiled widely.
‘My son?’ Olivia whispered, ‘are you sure?’
‘Absolutely, he was quite adamant about giving me the money shot,’ she laughed. ‘Definitely a boy.’
‘A boy?’ she repeated, her hand covering her mouth in surprise, ‘and a girl?’
‘Are you okay?’ Dr Wilson in concern.
Suddenly Olivia let loose a delighted laugh of disbelief.
‘We’re having a boy and a girl? We’ve got one of each?’
‘Yes,’ she nodded with a smile.
Olivia looked up to Theo who was smiling widely at her.
‘We’ve got a boy and a girl,’ she repeated to him.
‘Yes, we have,’ he replied.
Olivia blinked once twice and then promptly burst into tears.
‘Stupid hormones,’ she sobbed.
Theo laughed softly and wrapped his arms around her.
‘Why don’t I give you two a moment,’ Dr Wilson answered quietly in understanding as she wiped the excess gel from Olivia’s belly. ‘Sometimes it can all be a bit overwhelming.’
‘Thank you Dr Wilson,’ Theo replied as she quietly exited the room.
Once they were alone he pulled up a stool and sat down next to Olivia, handing her a wad of tissues from a nearby box.
‘Sorry,’ she blew her nose, ‘I really don’t know why I’m crying. I’m happy, really…’
‘Like the doctor said, it can be really overwhelming’ Theo replied softly.
‘Are you okay?’ she sniffed.
‘I’m happy,’ he answered. ‘I guess, seeing them both, knowing that I’m going to be a father is one thing, but knowing I’m actually going to have a son and a daughter, it’s suddenly very…’
‘Real?’ she finished for him.
‘Yes that’s it exactly,’ he smiled, ‘but don’t think for one second that I’m not excited, because I am.’
‘I’m scared,’ Olivia admitted finally.
‘I know
,’ he took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers, ‘I am a little too. It’s a big thing becoming a parent for the first time and neither of us have exactly had great role models.’
‘That’s an understatement,’ she mumbled.
‘Do you remember what you said to me just before our wedding?’ Theo asked.
‘About?’
‘You said we weren’t going to drag the mistakes of the past with us,’ he told her. ‘You said you didn’t want to continue to make the same mistakes your family did.’
‘That’s still true,’ she replied, ‘that’s why I took your name, something no West woman has ever done before. They were so obsessed with protecting their bloodline and their name.’
‘Exactly,’ Theo smiled. ‘We were the first to break away, to carve out a new path for ourselves and if we ever needed proof that not only did we make the right decision, but that things will be different for us, we’ve got it now.’
She looked up at him, her eyes filling with fresh tears.
‘You think I don’t see it, that I don’t know what you’re feeling just because you don’t voice the words out loud,’ he continued, knowing this was something she needed to hear. ‘You are not your mother, you are not all the West women that came before you. You are Olivia and this is our life, our children.
We’re going to have a boy and a girl, the first ever mixed set of twins to be born into your family. We’re not just going to break the mold we’re going to smash it and grind it into dust. We’re going to carve out our own destiny Olivia, you and I and our children. I know you’re afraid, that you think your family is somehow cursed. I can’t say if there is any truth to that or not, but what I do know is that you are stronger than you know. You’re not just an incredible woman but you are going to be an incredible mother too.’
‘You really believe that, don’t you?’ she replied softly.
‘I believe in you,’ he told her honestly.
‘I don’t know what I did to deserve you,’ she traced his jaw lightly with her fingertips before sliding her hand into his hair.
‘I ask myself the same thing about you every day,’ he leaned closer, grazing her lips softly with his own. ‘You and me Olivia, we’re just meant to be.’
She exhaled slowly.
‘I love you,’ she whispered. ‘I love you so damn much, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to make you understand.’
‘I do understand,’ he breathed against her mouth. ‘I understand more than you know, because it’s how much I love you too.’
She sank into his kiss and it was like being pulled underwater, slowly descending into warmth and sensation. His fingers tangled into her long dark hair, angling her head and deepening the kiss, deepening the connection between them until everything else disappeared. The cold sterile hospital room floated away until all they felt was each other.
A sudden polite knock at the door had them pulling apart, breathing deeply. They both looked as the door opened slowly and Dr Wilson poked her head around.
‘I’m so sorry to disturb you, but I was filling out Olivia’s notes and writing up her prescription for her vitamins when I realized we seem to have misplaced some of her forms,’ she explained. ‘I’m really sorry, I know it’s an inconvenience but I’m going to need you to fill out your insurance and contact details again.’
‘It’s okay Doc,’ Olivia nodded.
‘Why don’t I do that?’ Theo stood slowly, ‘while you get dressed.’
‘Perfect,’ Dr Wilson replied. ‘Olivia will still need to sign them but you can fill out all the tedious details.’
‘I’ll be right outside,’ he leaned down and dropped a kiss on her lips.
She watched as they both left the room, clicking the door shut behind them. Pulling the sheet off her legs, she swung them over the side of the bed and reached for her clothes.
She had just finished dressing and was tying the laces on her sneakers when the door opened once again and a tall slim nurse entered carrying a small tray which looked as if it held a small syringe and a vial of clear liquid.
‘Olivia?’ she smiled.
She was incredibly beautiful Olivia noticed; her hair was a deep dark red which was pulled back from her face in a low ponytail. Her dark eyes fixed on Olivia as she dropped her foot to the floor and straightened up.
‘Yes,’ she replied cautiously. She wasn’t sure what it was about the woman. Dressed in her rather unflattering scrubs she looked rather harmless but when she flashed her brilliant smile at her, revealing perfect white teeth, the smile didn’t quite meet her eyes.
‘Doc Wilson sent me to give you a shot,’ she placed the tray down on the counter and busied herself. Pulling on a pair of gloves, she lifted the vial and filled the syringe.
‘A shot?’ Olivia asked suspiciously.
‘Oh it’s nothing to worry about,’ the nurse moved closer, ‘it’s just a vitamin shot. It’ll help with the anemia.’
‘Dr Wilson didn’t say anything about a shot,’ she frowned. She tried to get a look at the nurses name tag but she wasn’t wearing one.
‘Squeamish about needles are you?’ she laughed lightly. ‘Don’t worry it won’t hurt, just a little scratch and I guarantee you won’t feel a thing.’
‘I’m not squeamish,’ Olivia shook her head, ‘but I think there’s been some kind of miscommunication. Dr Wilson said she was going to treat the anemia orally.’
‘And she is,’ the strange red haired woman replied easily, ‘this is just to give you a little boost first.’
‘I think I’d rather discuss this with Dr Wilson first.’
‘Come along Olivia,’ the nurse grasped her arm firmly, ‘don’t be difficult, this is in the best interests of your babies. You do want to do what’s best for your babies, don’t you?’
‘Let go of me,’ Olivia’s eyes narrowed as she tried to tug her arm free of the other woman’s tight grip. When she didn’t let go, her stomach clenched in alarm.
The nurse suddenly smiled, a cold calculating smile. Before Olivia could do anything she felt the needle puncture the side of her neck and as the woman pressed the plunger almost immediately she began to feel strange.
‘That wasn’t vitamins,’ Olivia slurred, ‘what did you do?’
‘Just a little something to make you more manageable,’ the redhead grasped her chin, forcing her to look into her eyes.
Olivia could hear a buzzing in her ears. She tried to move, to push the woman away but her body wouldn’t cooperate and her limbs felt impossibly heavy. She slumped forward, feeling rather strong slim arms around her. Her skin felt cool against Olivia and as she looked into the woman’s dark eyes, her vision began to gray at the edges.
‘Nathaniel will be pleased to see you,’ she drew a lock of Olivia’s hair away from her face, ‘but I don’t think we’ll bother him just yet. You and I are going to have a conversation. How painful it is, or how damaging to your children, will be up to you Olivia,’ her mouth curved cruelly, ‘but one way or another you’re going to tell me how to find Infernum.’
Olivia opened her mouth to shout or scream, but no sound would come out. Her head fell forward and everything went black.
Sabine looked down at the unconscious woman in her arms. She glanced around the room and found a wheelchair tucked neatly in one corner. Heaving Olivia up she dragged her across the room and dropped her down in the chair. Releasing the brakes she pushed the wheelchair across the room.
Opening the door slowly, she peeked out, looking down the hall to the nurses’ station. Dr Wilson was busy speaking with another nurse, with her back to them. The Beckett man was leaning over the desk his gaze locked on the paper in front of him as he filled out some forms.
Opening the door more fully, she quickly and boldly pushed Olivia out of the room and turned in the other direction. She walked confidently down the corridor and turned a sharp left. Knowing that she was no longer in view of the Doctor or Olivia’s husband she
hurried to the elevator and punched the button, waiting impatiently for the doors to open. There was a sudden ping, the doors slid apart and several people emptied out, barely giving either of them a passing glance. She stepped into the small space and as the doors closed she hit the button for the lowest sub level which would be almost deserted.
Sabine smiled, it had been too easy. Now she had the witch, she held the advantage. Nathaniel was a fool, always allowing his anger and impatience to color his actions. That was why he always failed. She was smarter than him, than all of them and once she had Olivia West away from the humans and someplace private, she was going to prove it.
Olivia was going to tell her the location of the book, and if she didn’t, she’d start by killing her unborn children.
9.
‘WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?’ Theo shouted angrily as he paced the empty room.
‘Mr Beckett if you would just calm down,’ Dr Wilson held up her hands placatingly. ‘I’m sure Olivia has just gone to use the restroom. I have one of the nurses checking right now.’
‘She wouldn’t have left, not without saying something to me,’ Theo’s gaze fell to Olivia’s purse which still sat undisturbed on a nearby chair. There was no way she would have left it behind, not even to go to the bathroom.
Theo’s frustrated gaze fell to the floor and something caught his eye. Whatever it was, was kicked partially under the bed Olivia had been sitting on when he left the room. Leaning down he scooped the items off the floor, turning them over in his hands, his gaze hardening instantly. There was a small metal tray, a syringe and an empty vial of a powerful sedative.
‘Still think she’s in the restrooms?’ he asked sharply, thrusting the items at the doctor and pulling his phone out of his back pocket.
The door suddenly opened and a young nurse in scrubs entered, her eyes large and apologetic.
‘She’s not in the restrooms and no one has seen her,’ she told Dr Wilson quietly.
The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum Page 166