Joe looked through the peephole. "Its a woman," he said, "she's soaking wet and looks light she might be pregnant."
"Well, don't just stand there Joe, open the door! She might need some help. Maybe her car broke down or something." Inez fussed as she moved him over to open the door.
"Can we help... Oh My Goodness!" she exclaimed.
The woman was doubled over holding her belly and her dark brown wet hair had fallen out of her hooded cloak that was covering her face.
"Oh dear, help her Joe. Bring her inside. She's soaking wet, the poor thing and obviously she's having contractions."
Joe's eyes widened for a moment as he took in the fragile pregnant visitor. It was apparent that his wife expected him to move her since she wasn't doing so herself. So he swept her up in his arms and carried her into the living room. He placed her gently on the chaise lounge and moved back to allow Inez to tend to the woman.
The stranger took a deep breath and stretched out on the lounge a bit more, making herself as comfortable as she could get. She turned to look at Inez with a softness in her expression. Inez was busy putting towels behind her head to help with her long wet hair and covering her with a small throw blanket. "I'll fix us some warm tea, that should help take the chill off of you dear. Go get some water on the burner Joe, while I try to get her more comfortable." Joe scurried off towards the kitchen and let his wife take the lead on this. He knew better than to get in her way when she was trying to care for someone. It was her nature to be maternal, which is why he wanted to give her a child so badly. She would make a wonderful mother. Inez lifted the woman's feet and began to put a pillow under them.
"Please, sit for a moment" the stranger said softly as she grabbed hold of Inez's arm. "I need your help."
Inez immediately stopped and knelt by the woman's side. She looked into the woman's face and could see the fatigue and strain wearing on her. "Is there someone I can call? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"No, I came here to you, Inez. I need your help. Only you can help me."
Inez leaned back from the woman apparently startled that this strange pregnant woman knew her.
"What do you mean? Who are you? Why do you need my help?"
"Look at me Inez, really look at me," the woman said weakly. "Don't you recognize me? We were inseparable when we were young. You were the only person I could trust, and my closest friend."
"Oh my God.” Inez said as the realization dawned on her. “Meriwyn?" Inez leaned closer and took her hand. Meriwyn smiled her answer just before another contraction seized her.
"Just breath Meriwyn. Clear your mind, push the pain out. Breath through it. That's right," Inez coached and wiped the wet hair from her old friend's face.
Meriwyn took in the soothing calm that radiated from her dearest friend. They hadn't seen each other in years, but Meriwyn had always held her close in her thoughts. Once the contraction subsided, Meriwyn took the chance to explain as much as she could.
"I'm sorry for coming to you like this, but there was no other way. I need your help Inez. I don't have much time, and I must be gone soon before they find me here."
"But Meriwyn, you're in labor. You're going to have this baby soon. You can't possibly go anywhere, but maybe a hospital." Inez protested.
"No! No hospitals, Inez. You must take my baby, raise her as your own. I've got all the necessary papers with me in my satchel. Its the only way.
"What do you mean the only way? The only way for what?" Inez questioned as Joe came back into the room with a steaming mug of tea.
"For my daughter to live," Meriwyn replied as a contraction swept through her yet again.
Joe stood very still. "Is she going to have her baby right here?" He asked in a small voice.
Holding her friend's hand, Inez looked up at her husband "Yes, I do believe she is. Put the tea down, go get some boiling water and all the towels you can find. Hurry, we don't have much time." Joe almost tripped over himself as he rushed out of the room. "This was really not what I had in mind tonight. I wanted to make babies, not deliver them," Joe was saying as he left the room to get the supplies his wife had just listed off.
The next several hours were filled with pain and joy as Meriwyn's daughter arrived into the world. Inez held the little girl in her arms. She had been cleaned up and wore a makeshift cloth diaper. Joe had found a small blanket to wrap her in to keep her warm. They took the newborn into the living room to give her to Meriwyn, but she wasn't there. A file of papers lay on the coffee table in front of the couch.
Joe and Inez were stunned into silence. They went to the couch, and opened the file. It included adoption papers, that only needed to be signed. A birth certificate. And a letter written on old parchment paper in an odd colored ink. The couple looked at each other and then read the letter.
My dearest friend Inez,
As soon as you let go of this letter, it will dissolve. I've placed a charm upon it to protect us. So please, read with care. This file contains everything you need. All the papers for the adoption are here. Also, there is a birth certificate, stating that she is human. As she grows older, you will only need to show this certificate. It is charmed to ensure that she is not tested. Make sure that they hold it in their hands, or it will not work.
I can not say for certain if she will carry the witch gene. But be aware that there is a possibility that she may develop powers of her own. You will know by her birthmark. It is a telltale sign of the witch lineage she belongs to. The darker it becomes the more evolved she has grown. If it stays hidden or is very light, then she is just a carrier.
You must never tell anyone about me or the events of this night. Not even my daughter. I cast a protection spell to hide my presence from those who see. This will ensure that no one knows I was ever there. Only the three of us may be privy to this secret. I must disappear from your thoughts and your lives. It is the only way my daughter will survive. And it will keep you safe as well.
Please forgive me. I know I have not told you everything. But believe me when I say, this is the only way. She is a special child and she would certainly die if she were in my world. She must be raised in a warm, loving, accepting environment. And the only person in this world that I know who is capable of providing that is you.
You were there for me when we were so much younger. You helped me embrace who I am and what I was to become. I need you to do the very same for my daughter. She will be safe with you and your husband. You love each other so very much and have wanted a child for your own. Please take this gift I have offered to you. She will be a blessing to your marriage and your love for one another.
Blessed be,
Meriwyn
Inez put the letter on the table and watched it dissolve. Joe put his arm around his wife as tears stung her eyes. They both looked at the tiny baby girl in her arms. She was theirs now.
****
Six years later...
"I understand your concern, Mrs. Washington, but we both know she's not like that. She's a six year old little girl. She would never cause harm to anyone. I have trouble understanding why a person in your stature and with your experience would be swayed by a group of parents that are basing their complaints upon the color of someone's skin, especially that of a sweet little girl," Inez Delaney pleaded into he phone. She had been on the phone with school officials all day trying to make sense out of why her daughter was being evicted from their school system.
"But Mrs. Washington, she has been tested. You've seen the documents. Just because she's adopted doesn't mean..." Inez hesitated as she listened, “But… I see… How many signatures?" Again she hesitated as she took in exactly what Mrs. Washington had been saying, “Oh. Well thank you, Mrs. Washington, for your time. I was certainly hoping that you, who grew up in an era of discrimination based on the color of skin, would have been more compassionate to this situation. But I guess anyone can be captivated by their fears of the unknown if they allow themselves to be. Have a good day Mrs. Washington, and let your act
ions today forever weigh on your conscious."
Inez Delaney hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She had really counted on the chairperson of the School Board to be more understanding. Since humans learned the existence of werewolves, vampires and other supernatural species, people reacted just as they always had when faced with something new. They based their decisions on fear or the unknown rather than rationale. It seemed this decision was no different.
There were no more schools to try in the area. They had all refused to keep her daughter, based on the way she looked and out of fear that Jaxon would "bite" the other children. To think that a young girl was a vampire just because she had a porcelain complexion and was more adept at certain things was just ludicrous. She was going to have to home-school Jasmine and hope that the world would see more clearly by the time she was old enough for high school. She would talk to the Other Than Human Society at the next meeting about what they should do to provide more education to humans so they could understand there was nothing to fear.
The OTHS was a group of humans and supernatural species that was formed to bridge communications between the cultures of each race. Its mission was to help create a world where all species could live under laws that would not discriminate against them and where there was no fear of being hunted by another group. Inez and Joe had joined the group immediately upon the adoption of their daughter. Not knowing what the future would hold for her, they wanted to do their part in making her life's path less complicated. For now, Inez was going to have to explain once again to Jasmine why she wasn't going to go to school with the other children in the neighborhood.
Inez stood at the doorway of her daughter's bedroom, watching her play on her bed with her stuffed dragons. Jasmine was a petite little girl with long dark brown hair streaked beautifully with light auburn highlights. Her pale complexion was similar to a porcelain doll's, pink cheeks and smooth as glass, which only made her eyes stand out even more. Jasmine's eyes were like pools of dark chocolate. When she looked at you, it was as if she saw so much more than anyone else. But it was her laughter that was contagious. She could light up the sky with her smile. 'Such a happy sweet little girl' Inez thought, 'It's such a shame that people were too scared of what they saw on the movies to move beyond their own fears.'
"Hi mommy," Jasmine greeted without turning around. She continued to play with her dragons and princess dolls. Jasmine definitely had a wonderful imagination. The walls of her room were covered in pictures of princesses and knights, dragons and wizards. She was drawn to the mystical creatures and stories. Many times Inez wondered if that was due to her heritage, but she wasn't about to limit her daughter in any way. Jasmine was a special little girl and deserved to grow up and find her place in the world, whatever that may be.
"Hi sweetheart," Inez replied as she came into the room and sat on the bed beside her daughter. "How did you know I was there?"
"I heard you. Sometimes you make noise and don't even know it." Jasmine explained.
"Oh, I will have to listen more closely I guess so I don't disturb you."
Jasmine looked up to her mother with eyes that saw much more than a six year old should. She took her hand and cupped her mother's cheek. "Don't be sad Mommy. It will be okay. Everything will be alright, you'll see." Inez's heart skipped a beat before it melted at her daughter's desire to comfort her. 'How could anyone think this loving sweet child could hurt anyone?' She thought sadly.
"How would you like to stay at home with me from now on? Instead of going to school, you could do your school work here, and I'll be your teacher. What do you think Jas?"
Jasmine gave her mother a sly smile "Does that mean I get more snacks and no nap time?"
Inez laughed at her daughter's antics. "Maybe, it depends on how well you do your work and listen."
"Sure, Mommy." Jasmine shrugged, "Besides I didn't really like that school. It was boring. I think I'll have more fun here with you."
Inez leaned over and hugged her daughter. It amazed her how perceptive Jasmine was and how quickly she could adapt to situations. But it wasn't fair to her daughter that she had to always be the one to adapt. Inez was even more determined to speak to the OTHS about her concerns. Something must be done to quell the fear of humans or every species would suffer the hysteria that she anticipated on the horizon.
The sun was barely lighting the evening sky when Joe walked in the house from work. "I'm home! Wow - something smells really good!" he greeted as he walked in the kitchen to see his wife and daughter cooking dinner.
Inez walked over and kissed him while Jasmine informed him what they were making, "Its dinner Daddy! We made it for you. And I made the salad all by myself. Well, Mom helped me a little but I did most of it." Joe smiled at his daughter as he leaned over her and planted a kiss on top of her head.
“Before you know it, you'll be a great chef cooking dinner for us all the time!"
Jasmine's brow furrowed in thought "hmm," she commented "I don't think so Daddy. I'm going to work in an art place and own lots of pretty pictures. I'm going to sell them and make lots of money."
Joe looked to Inez who shrugged her shoulders. Just like all children, Jasmine dreamed of being different things when she grew up, but this was the first they had heard her mention this career path.
"Oh really?" Joe replied to his daughter, "And how do you know you will make lots of money?"
"I dreamed it last night. I was selling pictures to really rich people and I was making lots of money because they were so rich." Jasmine said matter-of-factly as she carried her finished salad to the dinner table. She turned and looked at her parents. "Don't worry Daddy, I'll give you some money too. That way you won't have to work so hard and be so tired when you get home at night."
Joe looked at his wife with concern and then back to his little girl. "I'd appreciate that Jasmine. I'm glad you always want to help take care of us, but you're still pretty young, and you have quite awhile before you need to decide what you want to do when you grow up. Why don't you go wash your hands and get ready to eat this great dinner you helped make?"
"Okay" Jasmine skipped out of the kitchen.
Joe looked at his wife. "She's growing up too fast. Did you get a hold of the school board today?"
Inez nodded. "Yes, and they have a petition Joe. They refused to take her back. I'm going to home school her until she's ready for high school. By then, maybe the world will be more understanding."
"I was afraid of this. I really think we should put her in the OTHS private school, Inez. She'll be with others of her kind there. And learn so much more than public schools could begin to teach her.”
"What do you mean, 'others of her kind?' She's a little girl Joe. That's it. She's just more mature than most her age that's all." Inez defended.
"Inez," Joe said softly as he embraced his wife. He pulled back and looked at her, knowing that his words would sting but knowing that she would hear the truth in them. “Jasmine is more than a little girl. We both know that. She's different - not because she' more mature, but because she sees things in a way we are unable to as humans. She can hear things no normal child can, and she is far too perceptive. She just knows things. Inez, she's growing in her powers. She needs to learn about them and how to control them. She needs to know how to use them responsibly, and we can't give her that, Inez."
"Stop," Inez said. "I know you are right Joe. But we must act like she's normal. For her sake. We can't let whomever Meriwyn was running from find her. If we put her out there, someone will figure it out. Someone will see her mark and know. We have to figure it out ourselves and help pave the way for her. She is special Joe. I just want the best for her."
"As any good mother would," Joe said, as he hugged his wife, "and we will figure it out. We can study the ways. We don't have to send her to the OTHS school, maybe just talk to some of th members. Maybe Mac and Vesta could help? They are witches and I trust them. Vesta will be able to help give us the right tools we need. And we don't h
ave to explain anything to her. We will protect our little girl, Inez. I promise."
***
Double Crossing Demon
"What do you mean you didn't get it?" The eyes that were a moment ago a man's suddenly flashed a dangerous shade of red. He did not get angry, as it was not in his nature to do so, but he was pulling the emotions from others in the room. Whenever emotions ran too high around him, he had a hard time suppressing the demon inside.
"I...i...it wasn't there at the drop point." Carlos was stammering, which really wasn't a good thing to do around Ve. Ve's eyes again flashed the dreaded crimson color as Carlos began to stammer out the rest of his answer. "Th...t...the alley wa..wa..was empt..t..ty." Carlos shuddered as Ve broke the eye contact and empathetic connection. Ve knew the boy was telling the truth. The greatest use for his demonic talents was his innate lie-detector. Ve was a tempter demon and so much more. While he tempted good people to do bad things, he also fed on their emotions. Demons feed on the truest emotions, usually the strongest - fear, pain, hunger. Even the best actor in the world can't fool a demon. Since the Other Than Human Society began their plight to incorporate many non-humans into the mainstream societal occupations it had been suggested that demons be given positions in the courts due to their innate lie detection. Trial runs on special start up projects did exactly that until it was learned that demons couldn't be trusted. Even when they know the truth, sometimes they themselves would lie for sheer entertainment. Watching an innocent person sentenced for a crime they didn't commit struck a funny nerve with them. The OTHS would loose this battle for normalcy, because demons just didn't cooperate.
"I want to know why my package wasn't delivered." Ve cast a glare around the opulently furnished room as he began to speak again, "find out where it is and get it back.. Vast rewards await the one who brings it to me, if you fail - there will be hell to pay." Ve dropped his gaze and waited momentarily for the room full of thugs to react. When none did his voice boomed across them at an agonizing level, "Go! Now!" He again, collected himself as they began to scamper up and head towards the door. "Do not fail me," he reiterated as he retreated to the back room while his minions were off to do his dirty work. "Whores..." Ve called, as he glided over the threshold of the back room, "I need some entertainment to take my mind off things."
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