by Zara Zenia
“I have a lot of work to do,” the child says, but his voice is quiet and distant.
“I think you need some rest first,” Lucas says firmly.
“Besides, I’m sure your mom would like the chance to get to know you,” Morgan adds.
“Definitely,” Eva says, pulling herself up in bed to sit upright, her face bright and excited.
And for the first time since that fateful day she came back from Earth, I feel like there might be a future worth looking forward to.
Chapter Forty-Three
Eva
It’s incredible to watch my son work. He’s so compassionate and powerful that I can hardly believe he came from me.
It’s even harder to swallow because I don’t remember any of it. I remember leaving my mom and her new fiancé and Katie, and I remember jumping into the teleporter, but everything after that is a haze.
They’ve filled me in though. Brandt explained how the stress of the jump put me in a coma, and Trylor told me how he’d had to make the decision about the C-section to save the child’s life. Lucas and Morgan shared with me what a bright, fast-learner our son is, and the child himself explained to me how he belongs to us all. Four fathers. Who would have imagined such a thing?
But it makes sense. Now it all makes sense. The prophecy, why I needed all four of them, he needed to have the parts of all three races, and he needed the best parts of all his fathers to be the amazing boy he is.
“Watch this one, Mom,” he says gleefully, waving his hand on a mountain in the distance that goes from charred and black to verdant and green. The walls the Desergans have built to keep the evil out crumble at a flick of his finger, the darkness and evil being driven out at his mere thought.
“Amazing,” I say, watching a lush forest spring up in the distance, a misty waterfall cascading down the cliff side.
He beams at me, so proud, but not nearly as proud as his fathers and I are.
Morgan and Lucas are here with me. Brandt and Trylor are busy surveying, making sure the cleared areas are safe for people to re-enter. They’re also working to get the word out to refugees that have already left. And the rebuilding is beginning. But while it’s bright and sunshiny outside, Morgan and Lucas are here with me, watching our son work his magic.
“I never thought in all my years that I’d be a part of something so good,” Lucas says in awe, shaking his head as he claps his son on the shoulder.
Morgan nods and it makes me frown.
“Come on. You’ve done good things before. I know you two,” I say, nudging Lucas in the shoulder. It took a couple of days, but they’ve finally let me out of the hospital bed. I know there’s nothing wrong with me, just as well as I know my son is healing this planet.
Lucas shrugs. “We’ve been around for a long, long time.”
“How long?” our son asks.
“Too long to recall,” Morgan says.
“Many centuries,” Lucas adds with a nod. “We have seen so much evil, the darkest parts of humanity. And for many years, I thought I was doomed to be a part of it. Even though I resisted, even though I struggled against my nature and I thought I was doing as well as I could, I know now that I can do better.”
Morgan nods again. “Being here on this planet has shown me more than I ever thought I needed to see. I always considered killing a way of life for us. That’s how we’re made. But I can see now that it’s always wrong to take another life. Especially with your own kind. We may be dead now, but we were human once. The bloodlust makes that easy to forget. It makes it easy for us to see humans as meals instead of people. And the only way to come to terms with the terrible things I’ve had to do to survive was to treat them as cattle. Vampires frequently don’t respect human life, but you’ve changed that, my boy. At least for me, and I think for Lucas too.”
Lucas nods his agreement. “You’ve taught us how precious all life is. You’ve showed us how to be better.”
Our son grins at us and hugs them both in turn. “You were never evil. If you were, you wouldn’t have been able to make me,” he says, all the wisdom of the ages ringing in his voice.
I don’t know how we produced this wonderful child. I don’t know how it’s possible that he’s only a couple of weeks old and already practically an adult. And I don’t really know how I feel about that fact. I’d finally come around to the idea of being a mother, of holding my baby close, of dealing with sleepless nights and diaper changes and all of that. But then I slept through it all and I feel like I missed out.
Then I look at Lucas and Morgan, and I think about Trylor and Brandt, and I’m sure none of them would argue with trying it again. Even though they’ve all been denying me since I woke up. Something about being worried about my health, thinking I’m too fragile or something. But knowing that things are working out, that we were successful, that we don’t have to worry about the end of life as we know it, it has a way of making a girl crave some action. Especially with my extended sleep. I feel fine. Well-rested, energetic, and needy, but my men are all denying me. Not that I think it will last much longer. I nearly broke Morgan earlier today. I just have to keep trying.
“He’s right,” I say, standing between the vampires, taking one of their hands in each of mine. “You’re amazing men and you’ve been incredible to me. And from all accounts, you’ve been amazing fathers, so you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”
Our son nods and waves his hand over another section of the planet spread below us, magically transforming it to a lush paradise instead of the smoldering ruins I’d seen when I first arrived.
As much as Desergan took my breath away when I first showed up, that was nothing compared to its beauty and majesty now. The eternally burning ocean still lights the sky orange and red, but now, the smell of smoke in the air is gone — apparently that wasn’t normal, it was the product of the destruction that plagued the planet — and instead, the air is heavily perfumed by the flowers that have burst to life everywhere. Bright reds and oranges and yellows dot the rich green foliage and make the whole palace garden feel like a magical forest. But it’s not just the palace; it’s the whole planet. He’s made the whole place feel like another world. A world so beautiful and wonderful that I never want to leave.
“All right, mister,” I say, watching my son sag toward the window, “I think that’s enough for today. You’re going to wear yourself out trying to fix everything at once.”
He frowns, but he’s too tired to resist me as I pull him toward the bed in the middle of the room and tug the blankets up around him. Maybe I couldn’t be there for him growing up — especially since it happened so fast — but I’m still his mother and I can tuck him in and give him a kiss on the forehead as he falls asleep. And right now, that’s more than enough.
Chapter Forty-Four
Lucas
“Are you coming?” Morgan asks, his brow lifted.
I nod and wave him off. “I’ll be there soon. Go on without me.”
He gives me a curt nod and leaves our shared quarters to join the others in the dining hall. I don’t know what’s waiting for us there, I just know the child wanted us to meet him for dinner. Perhaps he just wants to have the whole family together for once. That hasn’t really happened since Eva woke. There’s been too much to do, too much going on. It’s been a wild and crazy ride, but I know it’s not over yet. The war hasn’t been won, though the tides have turned.
I stare out across the vast expanse of Desergan land, now awash with light and color, new villages cropping up in valleys and down near the sea. The view is better even, since our son began his work. Now the air is clear of smoke and the stench of death. Now, on a clear day, nothing can stop me from seeing the horizon burning in the distance.
It’s a strange planet, but beautiful, and I’m glad we didn’t abandon it. I’m glad the Desergans still have this place to call home.
I never expected to feel such a kinship with the dragons, but it’s impossible not to now. Now that we’re all a
family.
That’s strange, too. A vampire with a family. My family was slaughtered so long ago that I never thought I’d have that kind of close relationship with anyone ever again, but Eva came along and changed all of that. She made my world brighter and my future something to look forward to instead of dread. She makes me grateful that I have a long life to spend with her. I know she’s eager for intimacy; I’ve seen it in her eyes since she woke up, but I also know she’s fragile in her state, more so than she knows. Still, her health has returned and I’m just as eager to be near her again. To feel her warm skin and taste her sweet lips. I know it won’t be long now before I give in, but I want to be certain that she’s strong enough. I don’t ever want to do anything that puts her in danger. I can’t go through that again. I don’t think any of us can. Besides, now I know we have time on our side. The child is doing remarkable work pushing the evil back and restoring the lands. There’s no longer a need to fear for the fate of the planet or the Desergans.
And soon, hopefully he’ll be able to drive them from our home planet as well. Then this whole blasted saga will be over with. We’ll have won.
It still doesn’t really seem real. Vampires aren’t supposed to be the victors. We’re the villains, the monsters that lurk in the shadows and steal children away into the night.
But we’re not like that. Not anymore at least. Morgan and I never were, really, but now, the thought seems insane. The idea of hunting people for sustenance seems more distasteful than ever, and I know I need to find another way. Something better even than the staff offering us their blood willingly.
But I can’t keep them all waiting forever. I know they’re ready for dinner, and even though there will be nothing for me to eat, my presence is expected. So I head down to the dining hall, the room warm with a crackling fire and the joy of everyone contained within.
“There you are!” Eva greets me brightly, jumping up from her seat to kiss me on the cheek. “We were wondering if you were ever going to make an appearance.”
“I’m not that late, am I?”
“No,” the child says, standing from his seat while Eva and I take ours. He’s grown into a young man now, strong and solid, clearly a mix of all of us. Lean like Morgan and me, but muscular and tan like Brandt and Trylor. And his smile — that’s all Eva. It’s impossible not to feel at ease when that smile is turned your way. “I’m happy you’re all here,” he says, almost looking nervous as he glances around the table.
“What is it, honey?” Eva asks, sitting forward in her chair.
“I’ve been doing my best to clear the blight away,” he says and we’re all nodding in agreement, congratulating him on how well he’s done, but he doesn’t look like he’s asking for praise. “But I can only do so much in my current state. I’m not as strong as I could be and I think I know why.”
I know why too. It’s been something that’s bothered me for a long time now. If he is the product of the Desergans as well as the vampires, he should be afflicted with our… tastes. But he’s never said as much and with how much we don’t know about a hybrid like him, I never thought to question it. But I can see it now. The darkness in his veins, pulsing against his skin, his eyes turning almost completely black in flashes so quick I almost miss it.
“Whatever you need, you will have it,” Trylor says firmly, ever the king in command.
“He needs blood,” I say, and suddenly, the room goes pin-drop silent.
“He’s right,” says the child. “I do. I tried to ignore it for as long as I could, but there’s no denying it now. I need to draw strength from my vampire side as well as my Desergan side.”
“I will give you as much blood as you need,” Eva says quickly, holding her wrist out to him, but he shakes his head.
“No. I will never drink human blood, Mother. You are a human and I am your child. I will never drink from my kind, even if it is for good. Especially when there’s an alternative.”
Eva looks deflated and drops her hand. She’s been so eager to be more of a mother to him that I wouldn’t be surprised if she was jumping at the chance to feed him because she never got the chance to when he was a babe.
“An alternative?” Brandt asks. “You’re part Desergan too, son.”
“I mean animal blood,” the child says impatiently. “I’m not a full vampire, so it should be more than enough to slake my hunger and sustain me.”
Trylor is on his feet in an instant, flagging down a servant.
“You will have it soon, my boy,” he says, taking his seat again.
The child nods, but he still doesn’t look satisfied. “There’s something else,” he says. “I was conceived for a purpose, to bring peace and harmony, but I cannot remain nameless forever. I can’t be ‘the child’ for the rest of my life.”
I’ve gotten so used to calling him that that I nearly forgot it isn’t his name. We all wanted to wait for Eva to be awake to name him, but then we were so consumed with everything else…
“I think I have an idea,” says Eva.
Chapter Forty-Five
Eva
All eyes are on me and I suddenly regret saying anything. But they’re looking at me so expectantly that I have to say something.
“It came to me in a dream recently,” I say, hoping they don’t think I’m insane. But I don’t think they will. Out of everything that’s happened to the six of us, a name in a dream hardly even makes the list of weird, unexplainable things.
“I dreamed of a name while you were in the coma,” Brandt says, his voice quiet.
I know he’s still coming to terms with everything that happened. I know he still feels guilty for what I missed, for everything that happened, but I don’t blame him. I wanted to go to Earth so badly. I’m the one that put myself and my child at risk for people that aren’t even my family.
Because my family is here, around this table. These men and my child are more of a family than I could ever ask for, even if we’re not exactly normal.
“Do you think it’s the same name?” I ask.
Brandt shrugs. “On three?”
Trylor counts and at the same time, Brandt and I both say, “Spes.”
I grin broadly, happy that we’re not crazy, not that I thought we were. Lucas is nodding, as if he suddenly recalls a dream, too.
“Spes means hope in Latin,” he says. “Quite a fitting name since that’s what you’ve brought to us all. I think we had forgotten how to hope, but you’ve taught us again. You’ve reminded us that hope can be forgotten, but never lost.”
“It’s perfect,” Morgan says. “But it’s going to take a while for me to get used to,” he adds with a chuckle.
One of the servants returns with a pitcher and pours Spes a goblet of deep red wine. Only I realize as he brings it to his lips that it’s not wine, it’s blood. He looks more relaxed the moment he takes his first drink, and color returns to his skin — I hadn’t realized how pale he was getting, but now he’s practically glowing with health and vitality.
“Thank you,” he says nodding to us all. “I like that name.”
“Is there anything else?” I ask, my stomach rumbling as the delicious scents of Desergan delicacies waft toward me.
Spes shakes his head and starts piling his plate full of food, still drinking his blood as he does. I don’t think I’ll ever get over how much the kid can put away. I just hope he’s finally done growing. If he gets much bigger he won’t be able to fit through the doors.
He shares the pitcher of blood with Lucas, who says he’s been looking for an alternative too, and hopes it will sustain him. I catch his eye and flip my hair over my shoulder casually, exposing my neck to him just to watch his blue eyes darken with lust and hunger. I’ll make sure he stays fed for sure. I enjoyed him biting me more than I probably should have, but I trust him and I know he’ll never hurt me.
Eventually, the two of them convince Morgan to give it a try too, and the rest of us eat the bounteous meal set before us. There’s laughter and
hope and love all around the room, filling the place to bursting. We’re all alone in the palace again, all the dragons that had been finding refuge here have been able to return to their home thanks to Spes’s work, but the palace doesn’t feel empty at all. It feels like home. More than the woods ever did.
After dinner, Lucas and Spes read poetry from a forgotten time while Trylor plies me with strong wine and I relax nestled between Brandt and Morgan while the fire warms me to my bones. It’s a lovely evening, one I hope is the first of many like it. My boys, my four men and my son surrounding me with joy and love and warmth. What more could a girl ask for?
The hour grows later, and though we’re all enjoying each other’s company, I’m very sleepy and unable to hide my yawn before Lucas sees it.
“You’re always telling Spes to get his rest and here you are not following your own orders,” he teases.
I smile and shrug. “I can’t help it. I never want this night to end.”
Spes grins and bends down to give me a hug. “All good nights must come to an end, but there will always be others. We both need our rest. I have a lot of work to do in the morning.”
I don’t know how he does it. I don’t know how he bears the responsibility, but Spes seems unburdened by it. He was created for this purpose and he seems to love helping people and fixing the damage left by the evil. He certainly lives up to his name. And soon, it won’t just be Desergan he’s giving hope to. Soon, my baby boy will be restoring hope to all living kind. And I couldn’t be prouder.
