The woman in the mirror was a stranger. I screamed and staggered back. A hand snaked out to steady me.
“I told you,” he chuckled.
“Is that really me?” I gasped, poking her—my—cheek. There was no way the beautiful creature in the mirror was me. She was a goddess.
“It is principessa. It’s really you,” he kissed my cheek.
My hair was longer, more than halfway down my back, and thicker if that was possible. I ran my fingers through it and reveled at the lush silky softness of it. The waves in my hair were still there but they only made me more beautiful. My olive toned skin was pale white now but I could still see some of the darker tones underneath giving me and ethereal beauty. My eyes were the most startling. The familiar green was gone and replaced by a brilliant silver.
“Whoa,” I breathed, looking at my eyes and prodding at my face.
“The eyes are the strangest things to get used to. Everything else is still you, just enhanced. But the eyes… The eyes are completely different.”
“It’s startling,” I said. Then lifted my hair up to look at the mark on the back of my neck. Instead of black, like Jonathon’s mark, it was silver and in the shape of an eye. I rubbed it like I could erase it.
Jonathon pulled my hand away from it and kissed my cheek. “You’re beautiful.”
I smiled. “And you’re biased.”
“I’m so happy,” he said and kissed me, “that you are still you.”
“Worried were you?”
He looked ashamed. “I was. I know you didn’t really want immortality.”
“I want you,” I tugged at his shirt.
He chuckled. “Hurry and get cleaned up. I can’t wait for you to see our babies.”
That was the only thing he could have said to get me back into gear. I found that as a vampire I was easily distracted. I hoped that didn’t last. I jumped in the shower to rinse the dried blood off my body. I was surprised that the smell didn’t appeal to me but I guessed it was because it was my own.
I pulled on a pair of jeans and a flowery top. It suited my mood. I had thought I’d wake and feel angry after all the unendurable hours of burning but instead I was quite cheerful. Jonathon was stretched out on the bed with his hands behind his head.
He smiled. “Ready?”
“I can’t wait,” I took his hand. I stopped him halfway down the spiral stair case. I swallowed though the action was unnecessary. “How long was I out?” I asked.
“A day and a half which is surprisingly short. Normally it lasts three or four days.”
I nodded my head. I don’t know why I had wanted to know, I just did.
As we rounded the corner I heard the sound only adults make when talking to a baby. I laughed and Jonathon smirked. “Those two have us all quite wrapped I can assure you. I hope you have some names picked out because right now they’re nameless.”
“I do now,” I smiled. It felt so good to know that my babies had made it. I had worried so that I would have another failed pregnancy. They were my little miracle. My two beautiful baby boys.
We started down the stairs and I was surprised to see that the baby talk was coming from Danny and Mason and even Joseph was joining in. I held back a giggle with my hand. Jonathon smiled.
We stopped just behind the couch. Danny held one baby and Joseph and Mason were fighting over the other. “Don’t hurt him!” I scolded and they gave Jonathon a peculiar look that I didn’t understand.
Danny turned and smiled. “I’m so happy you finally stopped screaming. It was scaring the babies.”
“Ha, ha,” I said sarcastically. My eyes turned gooey and I held my hands out to Danny. “Can I hold him?” I begged.
“Sure,” said Danny. “He’s your kid.”
I cradled my arms and reached for my son. He was so tiny and perfect just like I remembered. He was swaddled like a little burrito in a blue blanket with brown polka dots. His dark brown curls stuck slightly out from beneath his hat. His tiny little nose crinkled in his sleep and his mouth pouted.
“He’s even more perfect than I remember,” I crooned. “Aren’t you Ren? My beautiful Byren Jonah.”
“Byren Jonah?” asked Jonathon with a smile.
“Well, your dad’s name was Baron so I thought Byren would be appropriate. They sound similar without being the same and then your name is Jonathon, so Jonah represents you.”
“It’s perfect,” said Jonathon. “I love it.”
I cooed to the beautiful sleeping Byren in my arms. I couldn’t stop touching him. His heartbeat and blood didn’t call to me like I had worried it might. I rocked him in my arms and sang softly to him. His lips twitched in his sleep like he was trying to smile. I gently rubbed his eyelids. His skin was so soft, so perfect, it was olive-toned like mine had been but I could tell it was hard like a vampires. I handed him to Jonathon and turned to Mason.
“Let me see my other son,” I reached my arms out. Mason relinquished the tiny baby to me.
I growled and then hissed. “Why on earth is my son wearing pink?” I spat the word.
Jonathon smiled. “Because our son is actually a daughter.”
I cradled her against me. “What?” I gasped, stunned. I looked up at Jonathon with wide eyes. “But you said there were no girl dhampirs,” I accused.
“She’s special,” he said with a gooey look. He handed Ren back to Danny and came to stand by me. He motioned for me to hand him our daughter, so I did. He undid her blanket and pulled her right arm out into the light. “Look.”
A silver symbol was embedded in her wrist. “What is it?” I asked. “How is this possible? She’s just a baby.”
“She’s going to be very, very powerful, and very coveted. The prophecy predicted her arrival. That’s why I kept saying we’d have to wait and see until the baby came. She’s the catalyst to the war. The Originals will want her.”
“What can she do? Why would the Originals want her?” I asked, worried for my baby daughter’s life.
Jonathon stroked her face. “She can bring the dead back to life.”
The rest of the family had joined us and all their heads snapped up. This was obviously the first they were hearing of this.
“How? How is that possible?” asked Patrick, echoing my thoughts.
“She’s special,” repeated Jonathon. “I don’t know the specifics of her power but it’s true. The Seer drew this symbol,” he showed everyone her tiny little wrist, “in her book of prophecies. Simone called her a Death Walker. Basically all she said was that she can bring back the dead so that’s all I know. I don’t know the specifics and underneath it she wrote another prophecy.”
“What did it say?” I breathed.
“It says,” he began, “‘The fate of all lies in the chosen one, she is not who she is first presumed, her power is her strength, but also her downfall, protect her at all costs, she is the only hope.’”
“What does it mean she’s not who she’s first presumed?” I asked.
“I’m still working out that first part,” he grimaced.
“How do you know she’s the chosen one?” Patrick asked.
“She is,” I spoke up, surprising myself. “Sorry,” I shook my head. “I don’t know where that came from.”
Jonathon smirked. He turned to Patrick. “I know because she’s the only female dhampir ever and because Kylie just confirmed it.”
“How did I confirm it?” I asked, shocked.
“You’re the seer. You get a strong feeling about things and somehow you just know,” he smiled.
“That reminds me,” Patrick stood, rubbing his jaw, his eyes clouded with worry. “Gabriel will be here tomorrow morning.”
Jonathon let out a breath. “Good, we’ll need him.”
“Why?” Joseph asked.
“We’re going to build an army.”
* * *
It was one o’ clock in the morning and I was surprised to find that I wasn’t one bit tired. The perks of being a vampire. I held my
tiny daughter in my arms and Jonathon held our son. I knew we must look like fools the way we kept just sitting and staring at them.
I gently rubbed my daughter’s golden curls. She was an exact replica of her father except for her green eyes that she got from me.
“What are we going to name her?” asked Jonathon.
I smiled at her. “I don’t know. You pick. I picked Byren you can pick her name. I know I’ll love it,” I said.
He was thoughtful for a time and then said, “Makenna. Makenna Katherine Rose.”
I glanced over at him. “It’s perfect,” I smiled. I kissed her tiny pink cheek. “My little Makenna.” She stirred in her sleep and I smiled. I saw her silver symbol flash and I turned to Jonathon. “How come her symbol and mine are silver? Everyone else’s is black.”
Jonathon laid Ren down in the basinet and then tugged his shirt off.
I gasped. The symbol on his abdomen had turned from black to silver. “When did that happen?”
“While you were… changing.”
“Oh,” I gasped. “Has anyone else’s changed?”
“No,” he put his shirt back on.
“Why us?”
“I have no idea. Ren doesn’t have one. At least not yet. It’s all very strange.”
We sat for a while longer just staring at our beautiful babies. I had never seen Jonathon look so gooey-eyed before. He was completely enamored with the babies. The whole family was. We had to keep shooing different people away so that we would have time to just be a family. It was amazing how naturally our family had grown. Makenna and Ren were completely accepted. Especially, Makenna. Despite the fact that she may be our downfall, she had everyone wrapped around her tiny little finger. Particularly, Jonathon. She was already daddy’s little princess. He sang to her lovingly in Italian. And called her his, ‘mio bella piccolo angelo’, which in English was, ‘my beautiful little angel’. He was taken with Ren too, but there was something about having a daughter that had turned my vampire husband into a complete and total pansy. In a way it was comical.
I held Ren in my arms and sang softly to him. His tiny little eyes fluttered.
The front door opened and Gabriel strolled in, “I’m here,” he said gruffly like he needed to announce his presence.
“We’re aware of that,” Jonathon shook his head but couldn’t hide his smile, “Have you ever heard of this thing called knocking?”
“No, I don’t believe I have,” Gabriel snapped sarcastically.
“Oh, please Gabriel you know you love us now come here and give me a hug,” I stood, opening my arms for the dark haired brooding vampire.
He whistled, “Immortality has been good to you, Kylie.”
“Oh, please,” I snorted. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Gabriel.”
I moved Byren to my left arm and then gave Gabriel a one-armed hug. Gabriel broke away from the hug and looked down at Ren.
“He looks like you,” he stated, reaching out a hesitant finger to touch the baby’s plump cheek.
“Makenna looks like Jonathon,” I smiled over at my husband.
“Except she has Kylie eyes,” Jonathon added.
Gabriel turned to Jonathon who had gone back to cooing at our little girl.
“May I?” asked Gabriel of Jonathon. He held out his arms for Makenna and Jonathon reluctantly relinquished her.
Like everyone else, Gabriel turned to goo upon looking at Makenna.
He smiled and touched her pale pink lips. A look of sadness washed over him and I knew Gabriel was thinking of his human life, and his little baby girl that had never taken a breath. Gabriel handed the baby back to Jonathon and sat down on the couch.
He placed his hands on his knees and said, “Well, I see that the prophecy came true.”
Jonathon looked away from the baby’s face, “Thank you captain obvious. Is there anything else you’d like to enlighten us on?” Jonathon was picking up on my sarcastic remarks. I thought it was cute.
“No, I’m good,” Gabriel smirked, lifting his hands in the air.
Patrick and the others came into the living room and took up various positions around the room.
Gabriel leaned back in the arm chair. “I take it I’m not here for a pleasure visit? Your faces scream business.”
Patrick stood by the bookcase with his arms crossed. “You guessed right. We know that Makenna’s birth will mean a fight with the Originals.”
“So, you want my help,” stated Gabriel with a sigh.
“You’re the one that said that if it came to a fight with the Originals that you were in. So, you brought this upon yourself,” Jonathon eyed Gabriel.
“I did say that,” said Gabriel, “and I meant it.”
“We need not only your physical help should it come to a fight,” started Patrick. “We need your knowledge too. We need to know everything that you know about the Originals.”
“And,” Jonathon put Makenna in the basinet, “we need to build an army. We need as many vampires as we can get. I’m not naïve, the fight with Selena was hard, but this will be unlike any other. We need to be prepared. We need fighters and anyone that is willing to help.”
“I agree,” said Gabriel, “and don’t worry, it won’t be hard to find people willing to fight against the Originals.”
“Should we ask the Coven again?” suggested Patrick.
Gabriel turned to him, “It doesn’t hurt to ask.”
“What about shifters, enchanters, fairies?” asked Joseph.
Gabriel contemplated that. “We’ll ask but I doubt we’ll get any help from enchanters. They don’t like to mingle in our politics. We might have better luck with the shifters, some Eagles would be helpful.”
“Well,” Patrick clapped his hands together. “We better get to work.”
Chapter Fifteen: Reunion
The vampires in the house began to bustle about. I wanted to help but I didn’t know how. They all dispersed, leaving Jonathon and me with the babies. He looked at me and I knew he wanted to be helping the others.
“Go ahead,” I waved him away. “I know you want to help.”
“You know me so well,” he kissed me. “I won’t be gone long,” he added, kissing each of the babies on their head.
He was gone in an instant and I was alone for the first time with my babies. I was amazed that they trusted me to be alone with them. I lovingly stroked both of their pink cheeks. Somehow, I felt like they grounded me. I was scared that if I left them I would turn into a monster. Right now, I still felt human, and I didn’t want to lose that feeling. I didn’t want to be overcome with my thirst…
I stopped that train of thought in its tracks and the burning in my throat relaxed. I held my breath for several minutes until I was sure I was in control of myself. Once I was sure of myself I let the air whoosh out of my lungs.
I smiled down at my two angels as they identically wiggled their noses in their sleep. I knew there had never been two more beautiful children. They were so flawless, so perfect, they didn’t seem real. So, long I had desired a child of Jonathon’s that having them didn’t seem real. I thought I had to be dreaming. How could I have such perfect little babies? I had begun to believe that I was destined to have only bad in my life, only darkness, with Jonathon being the only bright spot, my star. But I had been wrong. I had Byren and Makenna now too. My life was no longer dully lit, now it shone with a light akin to the sun.
Makenna sneezed in her sleep and her green eyes peeked at me for a moment before closing again. The noise however, startled Ren, and his lower lip began to tremble. Suddenly his brown eyes burst open and he started crying. I picked him up and rubbed his back.
He sniffed my hair, holding a piece in his tiny little fist, a look of serenity passed over his face and he drifted back to sleep. I rubbed his tiny neck and inhaled his new baby smell. He was tiny, much smaller than Makenna, who was the size of a normal newborn.
I sang softly to Ren and gazed between him and my daughter. I couldn’t believe th
at I had carried her for nine months and hadn’t even known it. Her presence was so potent now. They both were potent. It was as if they gave off some kind of aura that just sucked everyone in.
I knew looking at my babies that I would do anything for them. I would be the best mom I could be and if it came to a battle then I would die for them. I would do whatever it took to make them safe. They were my life now. Not only mine, but Jonathon’s as well. I knew he felt the same way about them that I did. They were everything that was good in the two of us, the best of us. They deserved a chance at life.
I sat down on the couch and fingered Ren’s dark, downy soft, hair. It was light as a feather, wispy, and oh so soft. He puckered his lips and let out a contented sigh. I smiled at him.
Jonathon appeared in front of me. “Why are you smiling?” he asked grinning.
I looked up at him and away from my son. “They’re perfect. Just like you,” I murmured.
He sat down beside me and stroked Ren’s small skull. “Like you too. The luckiest babies in the world,” he smiled, “they have two perfect parents.”
I laughed. “Okay, maybe we’re not perfect,” I conceded.
“You think?” he asked jokingly.
I bumped my shoulder against him and easily moved him. It was strange having the same strength as Jonathon. I would have to be careful though. Even though our babies were dhampirs they were still breakable. I would never forgive myself if I were to accidently hurt one of them.
Byren yawned, opened his eyes, and promptly began to cry.
“Oh, my sweet boy, what’s wrong?” I asked, rocking him. “It’s okay mommy’s here,” I cooed the crying bundle. But he continued to wail. His cry only increased in pitch. I looked at Jonathon in a panic.
He chuckled and looked at the clock. “I think Ren’s hungry. Aren’t you my man?” Jonathon clucked, looking gooey eyed at his son. Ren grabbed Jonathon’s pinky finger in his tiny grasp and held on. Jonathon turned to me. “I’ll go get him a bottle,” he promptly disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of formula. Jonathon leaned down and kissed Ren on his small hairy head. “Papà, brought your bottle little man.”
Ren’s lip quivered once more while I took the bottle from Jonathon. I promptly stuck the nipple in his mouth before he could increase his screams. Immediately the water works stopped and he slurped greedily at the formula.
Forever (Fallen Series Book 3) Page 17
