Southern Spirits

by Shelley Stringer

  “We want to ask you some questions, Chandler. We are puzzled, and Dr. Renault says your tests aren’t normal. Exactly how many times have you been bitten?” Dr. Lane asked.

  I glanced at Banton as I answered, “Twice, once in the beginning, and then again when we were attacked at the house. Why?”

  “Chandler, your blood has changed tremendously since we ran the first series of tests on you. It’s even changed since the second bite.” Dr. Lane replied.

  Dr. Renault spoke up. “Everett tells us your sense of emotions seems to be getting sharper, that you are connecting with the emotions of those around you more and more. Is that right?”

  “Yes, it seems to be. Even beings…things in our house…there are certain things going on there I seem to connect with,” I offered as Banton looked down at me.

  “Chandler, I need to ask you…are your cheekbones or mouth sore? Has anything happened with your teeth or your eyes?”

  “Not my teeth, no. But my vision has been blurry at times like when I first wake up, since I had the twins. I thought it was just fatigue,” I answered. “Why? What does that mean?”

  Dr. Renault walked over and placed his hand on Banton’s shoulder as he answered, “Well, we’re just trying to form an opinion with a process of elimination. Chandler, like the twins, is sort of an unknown for us. I’ve always made a study of half-breeds like you and Banton, Aldon, and Orcos. We really know so little, and of course nothing is published in the mainstream. We thought there were no degrees of transformation, you either transform to an Orco when bitten, or you stop at a certain point like Banton. Only Chandler’s transformation hasn’t stopped. She’s progressed past where she should have.

  “I don’t understand,” I began, shaking my head. Banton looked worriedly back and forth between me and Dr. Renault.

  “Chandler, your tests resemble that of an Aldon. I ran them twice. You test more Aldon than human. So do the babies.”

  “That’s not…possible, is it?” I whispered.

  “I didn’t think so. Dr. Lane has a theory. The more you are bitten, and depending on whom it is…well, your transformation can progress further than first thought.”

  Banton and I sat in stunned silence, processing the possibilities. My heart began to pound, and a new kind of fear took hold.

  “Am I…will I have to fight through changes like Brie did? Am I venomous? What will…” I trailed off as I looked worriedly up at Banton. He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.

  Dr. Renault gave me a sympathetic smile. “No, Chandler, I don’t think so. I would like to check your vision, and we may need to address your diet if you continue to sway anemic. You don’t have fangs, and don’t seem to be developing any. Do we have your permission to run some more tests? You too, Banton, since you’ve been bitten more than once yourself.”

  I nodded as Banton replied, “Sure…anything to help your research for Chandler or the babies,” Banton replied.

  “Dr. Renault,” I called to him as he started for the door. “May I stay with Elly tonight?”

  “No, Chandler, I would like for you to stay in here tonight and rest. Dr. Lane or I will be with her the entire night, I promise. We’ll get you if there is any change,” he assured us before closing the door.

  I gazed up at Banton with tear-rimmed eyes. “She just has to pull through,” I murmured as he placed his lips in my hair.

  Banton and I slept little that night. Dr. Renault came in at midnight and unhooked me from the transfusion, and then took me to see Elly for a few minutes. She was still so pale, her skin so soft, but chilly to the touch. Although her skin was a beautiful translucent powdery white, the veins in her arms took on a bluish cast, making her appear ghost-like. I leaned over to kiss her tiny cheek, and she opened her eyes and gazed at me as I whispered, “Get well, little girl…you are everything to us.”

  “Come on, Sweetheart. We’ll come back in a little while,” Banton murmured as he gently rubbed my back. After he helped me back to my room, he climbed into the bed beside me, and pulled Matty’s crib over beside the bed next to us.

  Aunt Sue and Uncle Lon napped on couches in the waiting room, along with John, Brie, and Everett.

  I could hear the clock on the wall ticking away the minutes in my room. All I could think about was Elly. It was unthinkable that I could lose one of the babies, and as I turned over for the hundredth time, I found Banton watching Matty silently, his thumb making tiny circles on his back as he slept in his crib. Finding comfort in the fact the doctors watched Elly and Banton watched Matty, my eyelids finally closed.

  My breathing became labored…my heart pounded as I walked toward the tiny bassinette that held my precious daughter. As I reached my hand out to pull the blanket away from her shoulders, I gasped. Her skin was ashen gray as cold as ice to the touch. I gently touched her to turn her over, and her little stiff body rolled to the side, her eyes fixed in a green, translucent stare.

  “Nooo! Oh, no…God, please! Don’t take her,” I yelled out, frantically searching the room as I sat up in bed.

  Banton hurried around the bassinette and sank down beside me, pulling me up into his arms. “Andie, Sweetheart, it was only a dream. Shhh….wake up, it’s over,” he comforted as Matty stirred in his crib.

  Realizing I was only dreaming, I pulled back and asked Banton, “Have the doctors been back in here since midnight? What time is it,” I demanded as I looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. It said 4:45 am.

  “No. That’s a good sign, Sweetheart. I’m sure of it. They would come and get us, if she were any worse,” he assured me as he pulled me back into his arms. After several more moments he kissed my shoulder gently where my shirt had dropped lower, and then raised his eyes to mine.

  “Do you want me to get you anything? You haven’t had anything to eat in hours…or I could get you something to drink?” Banton offered. I shook my head.

  “No, I’m good. I just…” I began as the door to my room opened. Dr. Lane stood silently as he watched the two of us.

  “Oh, God, no,” Banton whispered as I watched him shake his head. I looked frantically back and forth between him and Dr. Lane as Dr. Renault came up behind him.

  “No, no…Elly’s fine. We just heard you and knew you were awake, and it’s time to try to feed her again. We thought you might want to do it. She seems much better than she was at midnight,” Dr. Lane assured us as I let out a sigh of relief. I looked back up at Banton as a tear slid down his cheek. I noticed he was shaking. Evidently he’d been worrying as much about Elly as I had been, although he’d seemed like a tower of strength. I reached up and held his cheek in my hand, wiping the tear away with my thumb. He kissed my hand quickly and pulled the covers back for me.

  I turned quickly back to Dr. Lane. “Of course I do!” I jumped from the bed and passed both of them as I flew into the emergency room where Ellyson still lay. She was napping on her tummy, making little sucking noises as she nursed on her tiny fist.

  I picked her up gently, carefully avoiding the wires and leads that hooked her up to the many machines surrounding her crib.

  Banton grabbed a rocker from across the room and pulled it next to the crib as I sat down in it. As Dr. Lane handed me the bottle of specially blended formula, she cried out healthily, letting us know she was hungry. Banton chuckled at the sound and firmly grasped my shoulder.

  “That’s the first time she’s made that sound in days! It’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard,” he exclaimed as I began to rock her. She sucked at the nipple on the bottle noisily, eating faster than Matty had earlier in the evening.

  The door across the room opened, and Uncle Lon stepped through cautiously.

  “I thought I heard Banton’s voice. Is everything all right?” he asked as he watched me feed Elly.

  “Much better, Mr. LeBlance. Ellyson seems to have turned a corner, and I think we are on the right track with her. You can tell the others. I think we are out of danger,” Dr. Renault replied.


  Uncle Lon took a deep breath as I noticed large tears in his eyes. He nodded and turned to tell the others. A cry coming from the other door alerted us Matty was hungry as well.

  “Banton, would you go and see about Matty?” I asked as he nodded. He took his hand from my shoulder and started for the door as it opened.

  “Bebe, this little one is hungry too,” Everett informed us as he carried him cradled in his arms.

  “Here, give him this,” Dr. Renault offered another bottle to Everett as Banton held his arms out for our son.

  “No, please…may I? I would love to do it,” Everett offered as Banton smiled and nodded. Everett took a chair on the far wall and proceeded to feed Matty.

  I smiled as I watched Ellyson finishing off the rich blood mixture in the bottle. As I pulled the empty bottle back, she opened her eyes and gazed up at me, seeming more alert that I’d seen her since she was born. She began to squirm and fuss, and I raised her gently to my shoulder and patted her back rhythmically as I rocked her. Without warning, she burped loudly, sounding much like Cade and Drew after a large meal at Mrs. Anne’s. Banton and Ev chuckled as I pulled her from my shoulder and placed her gently back down on my legs.

  “That’s a good sign. She’s taking the rich mixture, and it seems to be agreeing with her. If she keeps it down and her little body processes, it means we’re on the right track. Kids, you have yourselves twin Aldon babies,” Dr. Renault stated as he patted Banton on the back.

  I’d been secretly dreading the confirmation for months, but now that we’d almost lost Ellyson, it seemed like such a minor detail. As I gazed at my daughter, it occurred to me. They were my babies, a part of me and Banton, and I couldn’t love them more. I didn’t care if they were Aldon, Orco, half-breed, or Yankee vegetarian democrats. They were Gastaneau’s.

  Chapter Fourteen

  On our way home, I insisted on riding between the twins in the backseat as I was hesitant to let either one of them out of my sight. Banton nodded indulgently as he well understood my over-protective state. When we drove up in the driveway of our old southern home, our relatives and friends poured out into the front yard to welcome us.

  “Son, it sure is good to see you home!” Mr. Matt greeted Banton as he opened his door. Mrs. Elaine opened the back door to our SUV and unbuckled Ellyson from her car seat.

  “My sweet little girl, how you had us all worried,” Mrs. Elaine murmured as she kissed Ellyson’s cheek. Banton removed Matty and his entire carrier from the other side, so I could climb out the door behind them. After he shut the car door behind me, he put his arm around me as he carried Matty into the house.

  “Chandler! We are so glad you’re home!” Laurilee greeted me at the front door as she took in my appearance. “You look so much better. You’re color is back!”

  “Did I look that bad before?” I cocked an eyebrow at her as Dan laughed behind her.

  “You were lookin’ a little pasty, Chirpy, that’s all…Now you look like you’ve had some sun!” Dan exclaimed as he picked me up and whirled me around.

  “I hope y’all are hungry, because Laurilee and Dan have been cookin’ all mornin’,” Claudia inserted as she pushed around the crowd and took me in her arms. “I’ve been so worried about all of you, and Will and I just had to come when Momma and Daddy called. I hope that’s all right,” she whispered.

  “Of course! I love that everyone is here!” I assured them enthusiastically. Banton knelt down and removed Matty from his car seat, and then handed him off to Claudia who waited impatiently. Ava Grace tugged at Claudia’s pants leg and exclaimed, “Pweese wet me see my babies, I need to feed my babies!”

  “Come here, Doodle-Bug! Uncle Banton needs some Ava time,” he declared as he swept our little niece up in his arms. She giggled as he covered her face in kisses. It had been quite a while since he’d been relaxed enough or had the time to shower her with some attention, and I could tell she was overjoyed as she giggled, her face lighting up like the dawn.

  I turned to Laurilee. “What the heck is this about y’all cookin’? I thought you hated to cook,” I added.

  “Everyone here is always cooking all this wonderful Cajun cuisine, and I thought we’d treat y’all to a little taste of Texas! When we found out Elly was well and you were comin’ home with her, Dan ran to the grocery store and bought a ton of ribs, beans, and all the fixin’s. He fired Banton’s grill up outside, and he’s got a brisket on, and has been marinating ribs all mornin’. We’re going to have a good-ole Texas picnic to celebrate!”

  “Wow, this is a treat! Let me help you, and we need to have a little wedding talk,” Everett took Laurilee and guided her back toward the kitchen.

  “If you will watch the kids, I need to shower…clean up a bit,” I said as I turned to Banton. He nodded, put Ava down, and then leaned over to kiss me before I mounted the stairs.

  “I’ll make sure Mother and Claudia watch them, and then I’ll be right up behind you,” he assured me.

  Once I’d showered and dried my hair, I searched through my closet and found a red sundress, one of my favorites. Shaking my head, I was leery of trying it on. It had been a long time since my tummy had fit into a size six.

  “Oh, what the heck…let’s see how much I have to lose,” I muttered as I dropped the hanger on the bed and then slid the soft rayon fabric down my body. It fit me like a glove. I smiled and then turned to take in my reflection in the floor length mirror on the back of the door. I couldn’t believe it fit. It was a little tight across the bust, the halter straps needed to be let out a bit to accommodate my full bust line.

  “Guess I’ll lose those now that I’m not nursing,” I sighed as I said the words.

  I heard Banton chuckle as I raised my eyes to look at him. He shut the door gently as he crossed to me.

  “You look beautiful. The muscles in your body are more defined now than they were before you got pregnant. And your curves,” he shook his head as I glanced up into his eyes.

  “What? Oh, I know. I’ve got some exercising to do,” I muttered, knowing my butt and thighs were rounder since the pregnancy.

  “Are you kidding? You are a knock-out, Chandler. You are all curves, like old Hollywood. So sexy,” he murmured as he dropped a kiss on my shoulder. I wanted him so badly. I’d silently been doing the math in my head, we hadn’t made love since before he’d left in May. It had been over three months, and I was on fire.

  I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him passionately. He wound his arms around me, picking me up and then placing me on the bed as his body covered mine. Sliding his hand down my leg, he grabbed the dress and pulled it up, sliding the fabric up and exposing my hip as he wound his fingers in the fabric of the silk panties I’d donned. He worked his fingers up under the fabric, and then slid his hand over intimately between my thighs. I moaned, pushing into his cupped hand. The muscles in his neck rippled as I slid my lips down, tasting his skin. I pushed his shirt back, exposing his tanned chest.

  “Andie, it’s been so long. I want to make love to you, now…” he whispered, pulling my dress up my ribcage. A knock on the door startled us both back to reality. His head rose angrily to look at the door as I called out, “Who is it?”

  “It’s Aunt Sue, Dear…the babies are both getting a little fussy, and we thought they might be hungry, but we didn’t know what we need to put in the formula,” she called out as I looked longingly into Banton’s eyes. He watched me intently as he called out, “Chandler will be right down.”

  “All right.” I heard Aunt Sue’s footsteps as she descended the stairs. I sighed as Banton looked back down at me.

  “So we have a date…right here, about four hours from now? I’m going to ask Claudia and Momma to take the first shift with the babies tonight, and then we can get up with them at three,” Banton insisted. I smiled up at him and nodded. He released his hold on me, and I stood and straightened my clothes as he chuckled. He continued to lie across the foot of our bed as he watched me brush my hair. I then pull
ed it to the side and fastened it with the diamond clip he’d given me for Valentine’s Day.

  I turned back to him as I opened the door. “You promise, four hours from now?”

  “Or sooner, if I can get us back upstairs faster,” he grinned and flashed me my favorite dimple. “I’ll be right down as soon as I shower,” he added, rolling off the bed and padding over to the bathroom door.

  As I entered the kitchen, I found Everett already preparing the formula. He leaned over to me and whispered, “The doctors had this couriered over a little while ago. This is the blood we mix with the formula the pharmacy sent. And Dr. Renault told me to tell you that you need to drink at least sixteen ounces of this a day, too, until we see how your body is going to process,” he added. I wrinkled my nose at him.

  “Ev, eating rare meat is one thing, but this…I don’t know if I can do this. I’m not completely Aldon,” I whispered, glancing at Laurilee as she came in from the backyard.

  “Ribs are almost ready. I’ve got the beans in the oven, and the coleslaw and potato salad are in the fridge, thanks to Everett,” she commented as she watched us curiously. “What’s going on?”

  “Oh, nothing. Everett’s just being a mother hen, that’s all,” I offered as Everett chuckled.

  “What’s in those jugs? Laurilee asked, moving toward the blood lined up on the kitchen table.

  “Oh, those are for the special formula mixture we have to feed the babies. Don’t use those, we’ll save them for that,” he said as he crossed the kitchen to place the jugs in the refrigerator. I could imagine her confusion if she poured the liquid from the white jugs, anticipating milk and getting blood.

  After Everett had placed the blood in the refrigerator he placed notes on them stating “for the babies.” I finished helping him fill the bottles, and then walked them into Mrs. Elaine and Aunt Sue.

  “Just in time,” Aunt Sue chimed. She and Mrs. Elaine took the bottles from me. They both sat on the sofa side-by-side with the babies cradled in their arms.

  “Here, let me,” I began as Constance came up behind me and placed her hand on my shoulder.