by Greg Hair
“No,” said LillyAnna, jumping up from the bed. “He can’t find out. You can’t tell him. No one here can send a message to Scotland telling him about this baby.”
“Why?” Bianca straightened and sat up again from her relaxed position. “He’s the father. He deserves to know.”
“I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to know, but deserving’s got nothing to do with it. You’ve heard what Landon said about Nicholas, what that monster told him about his past, about how he became a werewolf. He killed all those kids thousands of years ago, and then he took Liam and Mara last winter. In all that time, nothing’s changed in him.
“You were there when Mara almost drowned, and he did nothing to help save her. He was going to let her die. If you tell Jamie about the baby, Nicholas will find out. What do you think he’ll do then? He’s killed kids before and he’s proven he’ll do it again. Especially, I think, given the fact that it’s Jamie’s baby. No, Jamie can’t find out. Not if you want that baby to live.”
Bianca fell back into the pillows, crying softly at first, then harder as the seconds ticked by.
“I’m sorry, honey,” said LillyAnna. “I know this isn’t fair to you. Or your baby. But you are its protector, now. You have to think about the baby’s safety, at all times.”
“She’s right,” Jacinda said. “We’ll help you protect your child. If it takes a village, you couldn’t ask for better villagers to help you than a bunch of werewolves and vampires.”
Bianca smiled slightly, silently, through her tears.
“Okay. I won’t tell him. I need to admit something, though.”
“The baby’s not Jamie’s?” asked Catalina.
“Of course, the baby’s his. That’s not it. I know why I got so mad when you mentioned me being heavier. I am heavier and it increases every day, but at a faster rate than it should, I think. Much faster.”
“That’s not possible,” said Jacinda. “It wouldn’t increase more quickly than twice the rate, unless…”
“Unless, what?” asked LillyAnna.
“Unless there were more to it, but that’s not possible. It’s never happened before. It’s only a theory that’s been talked about, but no one’s seen it happen. I heard Bijan talk about it once.”
“What?” demanded Bianca. “What is it?”
Jacinda put her hand to Bianca’s stomach, and raised her other in a signal for silence. She closed her eyes, feeling one spot. “Okay. That’s good.” Then moved her hand, as if it were being guided, to another location. She paused.
Suddenly, her eyes sprung open. “Bijan!” she yelled.
The Persian flew into the room like a blur.
“Yes? What’s wrong?” he asked.
Jacinda took him aside, whispering in his ear, though everyone in the room could hear that she was filling him in regarding Bianca’s situation.
Finally, he turned, walked over to Bianca, and placed his hand to her womb.
“You are right, Jacinda,” he said. “Bianca, you are gaining weight more rapidly. This pregnancy is going to happen in a quarter of the time of a normal one, not half. Maybe sooner.” He drew his hand back to his side, and turned again to Jacinda. “Your theory is not a theory anymore.”
“What is it Bijan? Jacinda?” asked LillyAnna. “What are you talking about? Is there a problem?”
“No, everything’s fine,” said the Persian werewolf. “Both babies are progressing as they should.”
“Both babies?” LillyAnna and Bianca asked in unison. Catalina sat down.
“Yes. Congratulations, Bianca. You’re having twins.”
Chapter 5: Requiem
The silence of the tiny, candle-lit Venetian church was broken by the sudden thrusting-open of doors, and the sound of LillyAnna burning a path down the marble aisle and straight toward the altar where Landon and Ryker were kneeling.
“Landon, we need to talk,” she said. “Um, what are you two doing?”
“Praying. What’s so important?”
“I can see you’re praying. Why are you praying?”
“Because,” said Ryker, “I’m going after my wife and I need all the help I can get. We figure if God gave us these powers, then He wouldn’t mind throwing a little more assistance our way.”
“You’re going to get Annelise? I’m going with you. I can help.”
“Not that kind of help,” said Landon. “I need you here. Don’t worry. He’s not going alone.”
“So who’s going with you?” she asked, turning her attention back to Ryker.
Neither the Dane, nor Landon, had gotten off their knees, or even raised their bowed heads, to face LillyAnna.
“Alessandro.”
“Alessandro? Well, where is he? How come he’s not here praying with you?”
The sound of a clearing throat echoed throughout the church. LillyAnna looked around to see the vampire sitting only a few pews away.
“Alessandro is sitting here communing with the Our Father at this very moment,” said the Italian.
“Why does he get to go? She’s my best friend. Why do you need me here?”
Finally, Ryker stood.
“Because, I need to move as quickly as possible. One person won’t slow me down. And Alessandro is very powerful, as we saw the other day when your boyfriend and I were arguing. He and I together should be able to handle anything we come across.”
“Okay. Fine. So why am I needed here so badly?”
Landon joined Ryker in moving from a kneeling to standing position.
“To help me. We have to begin training. I need your help with that. And with recruiting. We need more people. We’ve got a lot of power here in the few we have, but it’s not enough. There are a lot of werewolves and vampires around the world that disliked the Senate, so Nicholas is obviously going to attract them.”
“Is that the only reason?” asked LillyAnna, smiling wryly and moving closer to Landon. “You need me to help you recruit and train?”
“No. I don’t want you to get hurt. Obviously I trust Ryker and Alessandro. But, it’s like riding in the passenger seat of a car. You trust the driver, but you still feel better being the one, sitting behind the wheel, in control. If you get anywhere near Nicholas, I’m gonna be there.”
“Aww, you’re so sweet.” She nuzzled against him.
“Whatever,” he said, trying to seem more masculine in front of the two vampires. “By the way, thanks for being there earlier today. You know, at the…intervention.”
“You’re welcome. I’m just returning the favor. You gave me hope, and something to live for, when you found me.”
“Really? Is that the only reason? There’s not another? Like maybe, oh, I don’t know, you love me?”
She nuzzled into him even more.
“Maybe,” she said, stretching the word out.
“Yeah,” began Ryker, “this is great and all, guys, very romantic, but Alessandro and I gotta get going.”
The Italian stood up and headed for the door, thanking an invisible presence as he went.
“Okay, but can you hang on a minute, Ryker?” said LillyAnna. “I need to talk to you and Landon.”
“Sure.”
“Yeah, you burst in here for some reason. What is it?” asked Landon.
“You should sit down.”
Landon and Ryker, slowly, each never taking their eyes of her, oblige, sitting in the first pew.
“Okay,” said Landon, “what’s so--?”
“Bianca’s pregnant.”
“What?” Landon asked, jumping up. “Pregnant? How? I mean, I know how, but, how? Whose is it? Where is she? Is that the ‘woman thing’ you were talking about? How long have you known? How far along is she?”
“Whoa, slow down,” she said. “I can explain.”
“It’s Jamie’s, isn’t it?” asked Ryker, calmly.
“Yes.”
“What?” Landon jumped up again.
“There’s something else. She’s having twins.”
The
creaking doors at the entrance to the church suddenly stopped, mid-closure, as Alessandro began walking back in.
“Twins?” asked the Italian.
“Yes.”
Landon paced back and forth, continuously, almost at break-neck speed, in front of the altar.
“I know this is the first time a werewolf has been pregnant with twins, but—“
“Who told you that?” asked Alessandro.
“Jacinda did.”
“Oh, my God,” said Landon. “Jamie’s gonna be a father.”
“You really need to calm down, Landon,” said Ryker. “She cares a lot about your son, be thankful for that, and she spent a lot of time with him in Savannah and Scotland. Plus, twins do run in your family, apparently. Besides, it’s not just that he’s going to be a father—you’re going to be a grandfather.”
“Oh, my God!” Landon paced faster.
“Jacinda is mistaken,” Alessandro said, reaching the group. Everyone turned in his direction.
“What do you mean?” LillyAnna asked. “She said the pregnancy would move in twice the time as a normal one, because Bianca’s a werewolf. Then she said that, because it’s twins, it’ll take even less time, but that that was just a theory because no werewolf has ever been pregnant with twins before.”
“And she was telling you the truth—as she knew it.”
“So what’s the truth, Alessandro?” asked Ryker. “Who’s had twins before?”
“The Dark One,” said Alessandro.
“Nicholas?” asked Landon. “That’s not possible. He can’t give birth.”
“I don’t think that’s what he means,” Ryker said.
“The woman of Nicholas, many years ago, when he ravaged the refugees of our Eternal Empire, had twins. They did not survive, no they didn’t.”
“What happened?” asked LillyAnna.
“He killed them. Then killed her for having the children.”
“I can’t listen to this,” she said. “I’m going to check on Bianca.”
Leaving the three men behind, and without looking back, LillyAnna walked down the nave and out the door.
A short time later, LillyAnna, sitting beside a sleeping Bianca, looked up to see Landon slip quietly into the room.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s okay. It was going to be a terrible story and I couldn’t take it. Ryker and Alessandro leave Venice, yet?”
“Yeah, they’re gone. There really wasn’t anymore story to tell. But, that’s not what I’m sorry for.” He took her hand in his. “I’m sorry about the baby—our baby. I’m sorry about what happened in Kentucky when you shifted.”
She didn’t even try to hold back the tears, and didn’t bother to wipe them away.
“I know,” she said. “I just didn’t know I was pregnant. If I had known, I wouldn’t have changed. I catch myself mourning the loss, at times. I don’t know if I should, or not. I wonder though…” She trailed off to another place and time in her mind.
“If you want to mourn, go ahead and do it. I do. Sometimes, I think maybe I could have gotten that one right. I never really had a chance with Jamie. And I have that with the twins, they’re still so young, but they’ve just been thrown at me. I feel so lost. But, with a new baby, I could have learned my way more naturally, from the very beginning. So, react the way you feel. And, what do you wonder?”
“What would have been. What could have been. Boy, or girl? What we would have named them. What they would have looked like. Would they look like me? Or you? Would they look at all like their brothers or sister? I wonder those kinds of things.”
Landon kept quiet, listening.
“I could have been a mother if it hadn’t been for Nicholas.”
“You’ll have another chance,” he said. “And I think, whether boy or girl, our child would have been…will be, beautiful, like you.”
She squeezed his hand.
“As far as names go, I think Wilfred is a good name, for a boy and a girl.”
LillyAnna giggled, even snorted a little, causing her to throw her hand to her mouth as she laughed a little louder. She looked quickly to make sure Bianca was still sleeping.
“Don’t wake her,” she said.
“You’re the one laughing,” said Landon.
“Look, when this is all over, we’ll try again for a baby. Okay?”
“I don’t know,” said Landon, taking a more serious tone. “I’m afraid I’m not going to make it through all this. I know it’s my destiny to face Nicholas, but how can I possibly survive? Sometimes, when it’s someone’s fate to confront evil, it’s also their fate to die doing so.”
“Don’t say that,” she said, moving her chair around to his side of Bianca’s bed. She wrapped her arms around him. “We’ll get through this together.”
They both sat quietly, holding each other, watching Bianca sleep.
Chapter 6: Requiem
Nicholas entered the dark chamber at the far end of Kilchurn Castle, closing the old, heavy, wooden door behind him. A black chair and a pair of rusted chains jutting out from a wall were the only other adornments in the ubliet. In front of him, dangling by her wrists over an even darker, seemingly bottomless pit, was Annelise.
“Comfortable?” he asked.
“I’d be a lot more comfortable if you’d let me down and I could wrap these chains around your neck.”
“Hmm, verbally you’ve still got some bite left, but it looks like the measures I’ve taken to prevent any fight from you has worked.”
He bent down, examining the bottoms of her feet, looking at two silver, metal instruments, each wrapping around a foot and extending into open slits in her soles, like rib cage spreaders, preventing the wounds from healing.
“Still a little bit of blood leaking out,” he said, shaking the contraptions, making sure they were still tight. “You’re just about all out.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “That jugular in your neck is calling my name.”
“We’ll see if you’re still making jokes momentarily,” he said, very dryly. He meant business. “There’s not much you can do when you’re so weak, drained of blood. Not much for me to worry about.”
“You can do whatever you want to me, and ask all the questions you want, I’m not telling you anything.”
“Oh, I’m well aware of that. I have no intention of asking you questions.”
“You’re just going to torture me for the fun of it?”
“Why else would I do it? I need no information, and you have none to give. If they are planning something at this moment, something other than the anticipated final assault with a failed attempt to increase their numbers, you are not there to hear it. Therefore, there is no purpose to an actual interrogation. So, yes, I’m going to torture you for the fun of it, though not the way you think. Now, please, no more interruptions.”
Nicholas removed from his inside coat pocket the blood-stained thermos, took the lid off, and took a drink.
Annelise, using a little of the energy she has remaining, struggles in the air, the chains above her head jangling and rattling.
“You know what this is, don’t you?” he asked, his tongue licking his red lips as he neared her. “I mean, of course you know what it is, you’re a vampire. But you can tell the age of the source. Can’t you?”
“Get the hell away from me. Where did you get that? What did you do?” She struggled no more, having grown more exhausted from the sudden burst of energy. The blood dripping from her feet increased in speed for a moment, then resumed its one-drop-every-several-minutes interval.
Nicholas drew closer and closer, until he stood only inches from her, his feet standing on the edge of the precipice over which she hung.
Suddenly, taking another drink from the canister, he wrapped his hand around her back, pulled her to him, and kissed her. The blood came pouring out of his mouth and into hers as she fought violently to be released. He let go. She her swung back and forth over the pit, like a pendulum.
>
“There. Just enough for now to sustain you,” he said.
“You bastard! How did you get that?” She tried in vain to spit the still warm liquid out, but her body only took it in, drained and desperate for sustenance.
“Come now, Annelise. I’d thought you’d be happy. I have it on good vampire authority that a child’s blood tastes best. Less tainted by outside chemicals that accumulate in an adult’s bloodstream over time. Plus, being aware of your fondness for children, especially since you are unable to have any, I thought this might help to fill that…hunger.”
“Please tell me you got it from a hospital’s blood supply, or a blood bank.”
“Now, you know that fear gives blood that extra kick. Adds a little spice. So, no, the drink was not outsourced, as some might say. But don’t worry, the child still lives. He can now tell the world that, ‘Nicholas is coming.’”
Annelise’s eyes glowed a faint blue, unable to muster the energy required to become fully enraged and free herself.
A sudden knock at the door drew their attention away from the moment as Tsukiko entered.
“She’s ready when--,” began the Japanese werewolf, when Nicholas suddenly backhanded her cheek, sending her flying to the cold, stone floor.
“How many times do I have to say, ‘No interruptions?’”
With that, Nicholas began an unrelenting assault on Tsukiko, kicking her from one side of the small ubliet to the other, nearly sending her diving head-first into the round opening under Annelise.
“Stop!” Annelise screamed. “Leave her alone. Please.”
The vampire’s pleas seemed to only enrage and encourage him further, as the intensity of the beating magnified.
“Shut up!” Tsukiko yelled back, giving Annelise a seemingly pleading look of her own.
“Interesting,” Nicholas said, finally stopping, out of breath. “That you, Annelise, would defend the one that brought you here.”
Tsukiko lay on the floor, bloodied and battered, attempting to crawl toward the door.
