by Casey Wyatt
Ian’s palms pressed my shoulders back against the pillows. “Hush. The baby is fine.”
“Cherry,” Jay said. “Your body keeps healing every time the baby pushes its way down.”
“Cut me,” I half-groaned, half-mewled. The thought of my child ripping from my womb, Alien-style, strengthened my resolve to push harder and faster. Painful spasms rippled across my belly, tearing layers of muscle and skin. The kid wanted out and I agreed. “Baby first.”
“Cherry, I’m not that kind of doctor,” Jay warned.
Nina shouldered her way into my line of sight. “Out of the way. We girls have this.”
Harmony peered over her shoulder, her features flat and her face not showing any emotion. That worried me. If Harmony was hiding her feelings, then the situation must have been dire.
“Are you sure?” Ian said.
“Please. I’ve delivered babies in battlefield conditions.” Nina crouched between my legs, gaze catching mine. “This is going to feel weird and it’s gonna hurt. It’s the only way to get the baby out. I’m going to hold you open while Harmony extracts your child.”
I didn’t care to know more. I panted and nodded. Ian’s hands gripped my shoulders. His trepidation cut through our mental bond loud and clear.
“Do it,” I said through gritted teeth, body bracing for the pain.
“No. Wait.” Ian’s weight shifted around me. “She’ll need blood.”
Another spasm wracked my body. “Ian. No. You’ve given me too much.”
Without a by-your-leave, he bit into his wrist and offered it to me. The sweet spice of his blood called to me. My mouth watered and I swallowed hard. He grinned, knowing he had me.
“Take it,” he said, when I ignored him. “Do it for the baby. Do it for me.”
Already he was playing the mommy guilt card on me.
“Asshole,” I muttered then lunged, fangs piercing his skin with a satisfying pop. Nectar, deep and resonant, the flavor uniquely Ian, flowed over my tongue and coated my throat. I swallowed with deep, greedy gulps. A tiny yet insistent emotion rejoiced.
My girl. I could feel her agreement. For a moment, I wished I could hold her inside a bit longer. Once she came into the world, I wouldn’t be able to protect her. Although it wasn’t like I could anyway, even while she lived inside me.
Ian nodded toward Harmony, jaw clenched, gaze hardened.
Nina’s hands moved in a blur. Silver glinted in my periphery before the sharp blade sliced deep. Pain opened my lips and I howled. Dark stars blurred my vision. I bucked but remained immobile, held fast by Ian and Jay. Ian pressed his wrist against my lips again.
He shifted forward filling my vision with his worried face. I released his wrist, my mouth wet and dripping with blood. Shudders twitched my muscles. Even though I didn’t need to breathe, I held it anyway, waiting. Praying the baby would cry.
“Is she out? What’s happening?” I struggled to see around Ian. The strained angle of his neck and shoulders signaled his shared worry. Even though he tried his damnedest to hide it, I knew his fear.
“I love you.” He gripped my forearms. The golden metal of our matching bands sparked. His blue eyes blazed, power pulsed. Like a compulsion, only different. I wanted to remain calm, but not because he willed it of me as a master vampire would to a subordinate.
This voice, the feeling inside me was of another. Ian’s eyes widened. He’d felt it too.
“Answer me, damn it!” I held back the sob welling in my panic-closed throat.
Shrill wails punctuated the air.
Ian’s shoulders sagged with relief, and he uttered a prayer in his strange, ancient language. He kissed my lips, his eyes red rimmed and wet with tears. Joy and relief filtered through loud and clear.
Nina leaned over and placed her against my chest. “Congratulations on your daughter.”
Her solid weight pressed against me as my arms clutched her. Awe warred with happiness while I examined her delicate features. I touched the tiny heels that had dug and poked my ribs and bladder. I studied her scrunched face, her eyes squeezed tight.
“Ah, she’s so beautiful. Like her mother,” Ian said, wonderment glittering in his eyes. He pressed his hand against our baby’s head. “I swear on my life. Nothing will ever harm either of you.”
The fierceness of his proclamation delivered a wave of power across the room. Nina took a breathy step backward. Harmony bowed her head, lips moving in prayer. When she finished, she looked at us.
“Be careful with vows, Ian. They are much harder to keep than to proclaim. I wish you many blessings.” Harmony leveled a stare at me. “Cherry needs to rest.”
A yawn cracked my jaw in agreement. The baby wriggled, freeing an arm from the blanket, her mouth seeking. “I think my girl is hungry.”
“We’ll leave you to it,” Nina said. “You got this, right?”
“You bet,” I said, freeing a breast. Pinpricks pinched my skin, followed by a distinctive sucking sensation. My breast, which had been rock hard, seemed to sigh in relief.
“Someone’s got some teeth.” I winced when she dug in deeper. I didn’t mind.
“One mystery settled. The other is her hair.” Ian’s finger gently trailed along the baby’s cheek, astonishment on his face. He stopped at the strawberry-colored fuzz atop her head. “Could go either way. Blond or a ginger.”
I gave him an eye roll. “What is it with the English and red hair?”
Ian arched an eyebrow. The mischievous grin told he me he was teasing. “Luv, everyone knows gingers have no soul.”
“My hair was never orange.”
We snuggled together, the three of us. Ian and I on either side of her.
“I’m relieved she’s healthy,” he said.
For months we’d been speculating. Playing the “what if” game. What if she came out human? She wouldn’t survive living on Mars. Jay had prepared a special chamber as a temporary solution. Ian and I even discussed going back to Earth and taking our chances.
We were willing to risk it, if it was the only way to save our daughter. Now, with her snug in my arms and her existence a reality, I understood why Ian made a vow to protect us.
I would kill anyone or anything that tried to hurt her.
My gaze returned to the chair in the corner. It was empty. Jonathan and the orb were gone.
I was sure it wouldn’t be for long.
“What shall we call her?” he said, voice slightly above a whisper.
I touched the fuzz on her head. A name floated into my head. “Vala.”
A funny look came over Ian’s face. “I like it.”
“I think she agrees.” I smiled at her. Her eyes were closed. Her tiny hand ventured to her mouth.
“Do you know what that means, luv?”
I shook my head. “Something good, I hope.”
“It means, Chosen.”
“DO VAMPIRE BABIES NEED to take a shit?” Louis leaned over the crib and cooed at Vala.
“God, Louis! Who asks that kind of question?” I stopped short of tossing something at his head because it would take too much effort.
Barely twenty-four hours had passed and my eyelids hung, leaden, not wanting to remain open. The last thing I remembered was talking to Ian before drifting off.
When I woke up he kissed me and said Louis would take care of anything I needed. Too tired to argue, I rolled over with a grunt. Something I would have done again if Louis wasn’t asking stupid questions.
“Inquiring minds do.” He puffed out his chest a bit.
I made a pfft sound. “You are such a guy.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Louis fussed with her blanket, tucking it around her for the tenth time. The poor kid was wrapped better than a turkey sub.
I didn’t say anything.
I cracked a huge yawn instead. He didn’t notice because he only had eyes for Vala. Happiness illuminated his features. I’d seen it in everyone who’d visited her so far. I couldn’t fault it. She re
ally was a miracle.
“She so beautiful,” he said soft as a whisper. “Look at her little fingers. And those eyes. So alert. I feel like she’s searching my soul. She’s got a touch of ginger in her hair.”
“Not quite as red as mine.” I shifted in the bed, pulling myself upright. The aches and pains were almost gone. Ian had healed me with his blood. The effort had cost him. He needed to feed but refused to take my vein.
Louis turned to face me, a dopey grin on his face. “Did you say something? I was distracted by Miss Cutie Wootie. Yes, she’s so cute.” His voice kept rising higher and higher.
“Louis, do you think . . .” I trailed off, mind fuzzy due to lack of rest.
“Can I get you some juice? You look pale. Well, paler than normal. Almost transparent.” He rubbed his chin. “Maybe I should summon Ian.”
“No!” I faked a smile. The last thing I needed was for Ian to offer more blood. “I’m fine. I’d love some juice.”
Louis gave Vala a lingering look before exiting to the next room. After some rustling, he located a pouch and brought it to me, straw inserted and ready to drink.
“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.” I meant every word. He’d saved me by taking a needle filled with silver which almost killed him. “You can pick her up if you’d like.”
His fingers flexed. I knew he wanted to hold her, but I could sense the excited fear everyone seemed to develop around her. “I don’t want to hurt her.”
“She won’t break. I trust you.” I took a long slurp. The juice’s healing properties circulated from my stomach through my veins, delivering much-needed energy.
Louis solemnly nodded, reached into the cradle, and gently withdrew my daughter. “Hello, there,” he said.
Vala’s eyes opened and her gaze fixed on his face. He shifted her so she was in the crook of his arm and wagged a finger at her. “We are going to be friends.”
She smiled, her pink mouth opening with delight. Tiny fangs sprang from her gums. She bit Louis’ finger. His eyes widened and a euphoric glow beamed as she ripped a chunk of flesh from his fingertip.
“Vala!” Only a day old and my kid was a piranha.
“It’s fine,” he assured, smile beatific. “She’s taken First Bite from me. I am honored.”
“First Bite?” I asked like a doofus. I should probably know what that was.
“Yes. When a zombie is made, they take an initial bite from their maker. It seals a bond between them. Oh, don’t worry. It’s not binding like a vampire’s bond. Think of me as a zombie godparent. There to help and guide her as she grows.”
But she’s not a zombie. I bit back the response.
Vala was unique. A child of Mars, not Earth. As Louis continued to coo at her and make faces, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Looks like a match made in heaven.” Energized, I flung the covers away from me. I’d had enough lazing around and the desire to leave my bedchamber confirmed it. Thanks to the wonder juice, I felt like my old pre-pregnancy self.
“Whoa! Are you leaving?” Despite his earlier ease, panic crept into Louis’ voice.
“Only to take a bath. Can you please keep an eye on her?” I grabbed my robe and headed toward the bathing room.
“Sure,” Louis called after me. “What if she wants you?”
“Bring her in. It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked before.” I left him there with that weird expression he always got when I said that to him.
I think it embarrassed him to remember the time he saved me from a vicious assassin spider. I’d been naked at the time, and he covered me while the robot tried to inject me with silver.
Of course, when Ian found us entwined on my bed, he power-pumped poor Louis through a wall. Hence the fearful look.
Either way, nakedness didn’t bother me.
Hey, no one survives burlesque with their modesty intact. To be fair, he was more worried about Ian using him as a football than getting a view of my breasts.
After pouring a few drops of scented soap, I sank into the warm water, letting my muscles savor every moment.
“This is heaven,” I said, luxuriating in a pool of bubbles.
I may have closed my eyes and napped for a moment or five. I would have stayed longer if cool mist hadn’t drifted over my skin, breaking my Zen mood.
A discreet cough caught my attention.
I automatically responded. “Louis, it’s—”
“I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll come back later.”
Sitting upright with a big splash, I saw Herne hovering in the corner, fairly horrified.
“No. Stay. I don’t mind this one time. Next time, though, maybe use the door and knock.” Because if Ian caught him, there wouldn’t be a next time.
Louis called, “Is everything all right? I hear you talking.”
“No! Everything’s fine,” I answered. “Just talking to myself.”
I turned my attention back to Herne. “State your case, quickly. Because unlike you, Louis has seen it before. Wait. That came out wrong.” I sunk deeper into the tub, hiding under the bubbles. “There. I’m covered as best I can be. The bubbles won’t last forever.”
“I n-n-need to speak t-t-o you.” He turned around, backing into the nearest wall. His already pale face was grayer than before.
“Do you need help?” A desire to protect him kicked in again. Like he was a lost puppy that I needed to care for. Must have been post-pregnancy aftereffects. I reached for my towel.
He held his hand out for me to stay put.
“I-I’m fine. P-p-please listen. The orb . . . do n-n-n-n—” Herne clutched his head and moaned. “It’s imp-imp-important!”
“Herne. Let me get Harmony. She can help you.” Whatever was happening, it was hurting him. And it was unsettling to see him distressed. I stood, sluicing away the bubbles and water.
“No!”
“You said something about the orb,” I prodded, wrapping a towel around me.
Hugging his middle, he nodded. “A gift.”
“Yes. You gave it to my daughter.” And where the hell was this conversation going?
“Sing!” He clapped his hand over his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut.
“I’m not singing for you in the bathroom. I haven’t slept in days. I don’t have the patience for riddles.”
His fingers trembled as he pulled his hand away from his mouth. “I-i-important. Listen.”
“You have my full attention.” Could revenants have strokes? Whatever afflicted him, it was like he was having a war with himself.
His formless face sharpened. He faced the wall before I could see its features. “Don’t see me like this. I never wanted you—”
Vala wailed. Lusty screams filled the apartment.
Louis called again. “I think she’s hungry again.”
Herne vanished into thin air, leaving me with goose bumps and a ton of questions.
Chapter Five
Stranger Danger
“And he vanished?” Jay scratched his chin, then hopped off a metal lab table.
I’d found Jay the next day, in his usual spot, hunched over equipment and muttering to himself. The dude needed a social life.
“Into thin air. But that’s not the weird part.” Think about that statement for a second. Welcome to my world, where vanishing and being undead were the norm. “It was like there were two people inside him. I can’t explain it.”
“Guess I had to be there?” He turned his attention to the orb. “Do you think he was saying the orb was dangerous? Or if you didn’t give the orb to Vala—”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” I didn’t know what to think anymore. I had intended to tell Ian about Herne, but when I awoke he and Vala were gone. He’d left me a note saying she would spend the morning with him and I should sleep in.
While the thoughtful gesture earned him major husband brownie points, I couldn’t cash in on the offer. At least not in the spirit Ian had intended. I had other business to attend to—like chec
king the orb and verifying it hadn’t sprouted devil horns.
To my relief, I found it the same as before—a luminous glowing ball, as mysterious as it was beautiful.
“Whatever he meant, this thing isn’t giving up any of its secrets.” Jay seemed elated and frustrated by the idea. “It’s closed tighter than a virgin’s legs on her wedding night.”
“I’m not going to ask how you know that. Is this your official diagnosis, Doctor Jay?” I cracked a smile. As much as I wanted to know the orb’s secret, I also didn’t want to.
“Works for me. And I am not a doctor,” he said rather sullenly, grabbing a pile of loose wires. That was my fault and it tore at me.
“Haven’t you completed your thesis?”
“No, I haven’t completed my dissertation yet.” He wound the wires into neat bundles and stowed them inside a hard-shelled briefcase.
“That’s my fault,” I said.
“No, it’s not. You aren’t the one procrastinating. I am.” He organized the vials and beakers into precise rows. “Ever since we’ve come here, I’ve questioned what I even need the title for. I’m a vampire now. An eternal being. A doctorate seems like a human goal.”
“Well, in my experience, it’s better to have goals than to drift about with no purpose.” An apt summary of the past one hundred years of my life. “You’ve worked so hard. Besides, I’ve been looking forward to calling you Doctor J.”
“Ha,” he deadpanned.
“And I hear the ladies are turned on by credentials.” I am shameless. Appealing to Jay’s horndog side brought a smile to his face.
“Oh yeah.” He puffed out his chest. “Doctor Jayakrishna.”
“That’s the spirit.” My smile faded. Dizziness washed over me. I gripped the metal table.
The lab disappeared. A vision slammed into my brain.
Jonathan read a newspaper over coffee and a croissant. Sunshine filtered behind him giving him an angelic glow. He smiled knowingly at the secret between us. The night before had been instructive, to say the least.
“Wake up, sleepy head,” he said over the whistle of birdsong. “If you don’t get dressed, we’ll miss the tides. I need to make this trip to India, this month.”