by Bonnie Lamer
Table of Contents
1 Chapter
2 Chapter
3 Chapter
4 Chapter
5 Chapter
6 Chapter
7 Chapter
8 Chapter
9 Chapter
10 Chapter
11 Chapter
12 Chapter
13 Chapter
14 Chapter
15 Chapter
16 Chapter
17 Chapter
18 Chapter
19 Chapter
20 Chapter
21 Chapter
22 Chapter
23 Chapter
24 Chapter
25 Chapter
26 Chapter
27 Chapter
28 Chapter
29 Chapter
30 Chapter
31 Chapter
32 Chapter
33 Chapter
Demon Blood
Bonnie Lamer
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, dialogue and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright ©2016 by Bonnie Humbarger Lamer
All rights reserved.
No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without the express written permission of the copyright holder.
Other Titles by Bonnie Lamer
The Witch Fairy Series:
True of Blood
Blood Prophecy
Blood Lines
Shadow Blood
Blood of Half Gods
Blood of Destiny
Blood of Dragons
Blood of Egypt
Blood of Retribution
Blood of the Exiled
Doppelganger Blood
Blood of Centaurs
Blood of Sirens
Elf Blood
Blood and Spirits
True of Blood: Kallen’s Tale
Blood Prophecy: Kallen’s Tale
Blood Lines: Kallen’s Tale
Shadow Blood: Kallen’s Tale
Blood of Half Gods: Kallen’s Tale
Blood of Destiny: Kallen’s Tale
Blood of Dragon’s: Kallen’s Tale
Blood of Egypt: Kallen’s Tale
Blood of Retribution: Kallen’s Tale
Blood of the Exiled: Kallen’s Tale
Blood of Centaurs: Kallen’s Tale
Blood of Sirens: Kallen’s Tale
The Eliana Brennan Series:
Essence of Re
Exposed
Homeland
Sutekh
The Secrets of the Djinn Series:
Marked
Bound
Unchained
I love to hear from fans! Contact me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonnie-Lamer-Author/129829463748061
For my great nieces Kiersten and Karma. I hope you never grow out of being excited to see your Aunt Bonnie.
1 Chapter
“They’ve come a long way in the last few months,” I muse, laying my head on Kallen’s shoulder. We are watching my parents walk hand in hand by the shore. They are walking slowly, and carefully, but they are walking. Their atrophied muscles were slow to wake from their years long slumber, and it’s good to see them up and about without the physical trainer who comes daily to help them exercise. I offered to try to heal them my way, but they wanted to do it without magic.
“Yes, they have. If their ability to walk returned as readily as your father’s appetite, though, they’d be running along the beach by now,” Kallen replies with a wink.
I can’t help but giggle. As a spirit, Dad missed food the most. Since returning to his body, he has gained a good ten pounds. He was always fit, so no one really notices other than him, but he mentions it a lot. He’s eager to be able to exercise more enthusiastically so he can continue to eat what he wants and not worry about it. I try not to roll my eyes when he talks about it. It’s ten pounds, for goodness sake.
“Ow!” Kallen suddenly exclaims, rubbing the back of his head.
“Leave the man alone. He hasn’t eaten in years,” Tabitha scolds.
“I was kidding,” Kallen grouses, still rubbing the spot where she smacked him.
Tabitha sets the bowl of fruit she is carrying down on the table. Peering over the sand at my parents, she shakes her head. “I still can’t believe it.”
“You can’t believe we have a Witch and a Cowan living in our realm?” Kegan jests, plucking an apple from the bowl.
“Hey! My mother is a Cowan and she has lived here since before my birth,” Alita growls.
Fear suddenly registers in Kegan’s eyes wiping away any trace of mirth which once resided there. Since Alita entered the last phase of her pregnancy, her moods have become increasingly difficult to gauge. Generally, though, they run toward being annoyed with everything her husband says and does. At this point, I’m not sure why Kegan hasn’t taken a vow of silence until after the baby is born. It would be most beneficial for his health and wellbeing. Tabitha swears Alita’s behavior is due to the fact that the end of a pregnancy is extremely uncomfortable and her hormones are completely out of whack. She swears it’s not because Alita has finally realized she has married a jerk and is plotting to kill Kegan in his sleep as Kallen likes to insist is the case. Still, Kegan really should have known better than to say something even in teasing regarding a subject Alita is so sensitive about.
“I love your mother,” is Kegan’s lame response. He knows he’s in trouble and there are no words he can think of to get himself out of it.
Tabitha takes a step back toward the house. Kallen takes my hand, ready to pull me out of harm’s way. I’m not worried, I’m confident I can put up a magical shield before anything painful happens. To me and Kallen, at least. Kegan is on his own since it was his mouth that got him into this mess. Even I am smart enough not to make teasing comments around Alita right now. About anything. She takes a lot of things personally at the moment.
Magic floods the terrace. “You don’t think Cowans should live here, do you?” Alita demands.
Kegan’s eyes are wide as they dart from Alita’s face to her humongous baby bump. Technically, it is the baby’s magic spreading outward from his wife. It is his baby’s magic which he needs to fear. I believe he is beginning to worry his baby hates him. Taking a deep breath, Kegan attempts to placate both wife and child. “I think whoever desires to live here in harmony with us should live here. I am delighted that our family is so diverse.”
“Liar,” Alita hisses. The magic that has thus far been held back is about to be flung forth, which will probably result in Kegan going flying across the sand. Painfully. But instead, we are all shocked when it simply dissolves back to the earth as quickly as it was pulled. A look of wonder crosses Alita’s face, which is a nice change from the permascowl she’s been wearing lately. Unfortunately, the look of wonder is immediately followed by a contorted expression of pain.
Kegan is by her side in an instant, all threat of magical punishments forgotten in his haste to be sure she is well. “What is it? What is wrong?”
Since Alita seems beyond words at the moment, it is Tabitha who answers. A wide grin spreads across her face. “From the puddle on the ground, I would say her water just broke.”
Kegan turns his now ashen face to the older Fairy. “The baby is coming?” Worry, fear and joy are colliding on his face. It’s really rather charming. I elbow
Kallen in the ribs when he snickers at his cousin’s discomfort.
Alita finds her voice again and she snarks through a contraction, “What, you think it is only raining under my chair? Of course the baby is coming.” She attempts to stand, but her center of balance is so off, she has trouble. She holds an expectant hand out to Kegan and he immediately rises and assists her. “Help me upstairs,” Alita orders. “I am not having this baby on the terrace.” Lord, I love her pregnant. She is such a bossy, take control Fairy right now. I wonder if any of it will stick with her after the baby is born. I hope so. She was too meek before. Studying her closely, I see the pain in her eyes is retreating, so her contraction must be, as well. Good. Unfortunately, there are many more in her near future.
“I will carry you,” Kegan insists.
Alita shakes her head and her words are even more insistent. “I can walk. Just help me.”
Kegan turns worried eyes to Tabitha for guidance. Tabitha nods. “She is fine to walk. Help her upstairs and I will be along shortly.” The older Fairy turns to Kallen. “Send a message to the midwife while I gather clean linens and the pain potions I made.”
“Can I help?” I ask.
Shaking her head, Tabitha says, “No. You better stay out here and keep an eye on your parents. Don’t let them tire themselves out too much.”
In other words, stay here and out of the way. I get it. And since I’ve never had any particular desire to be present for the birth of a baby, I’m secretly relieved. Dad showed me a video once during an anatomy lesson when I was homeschooled. So, I know the joy of giving birth is a rather messy, bloody and painful affair. I’m good staying on the beach. Especially since I also know that Alita is in excellent hands with Tabitha and the midwife. “Okay.” I watch Alita and Kegan disappear through the door excited for them and their future.
Kallen gives my hand a squeeze. “My cousin is going to be a nervous wreck. If he survives the birth.”
“Are you afraid Alita will kill him before it’s over?” I ask.
He smirks. “I am almost certain of it.”
“What’s going on?” Dad asks as he and Mom approach the terrace. Their excursion on the beach has tired them. I can see it in Mom’s eyes.
“Alita is in labor,” I tell them.
Looking longingly at the door, Dad asks, “Do you think I could be of help?” He missed more than food while he was a spirit. He missed being a doctor, as well.
Mom pats his arm sympathetically. “I’m sure the midwife has everything under control.” Dad nods, but the doctor in him is feeling useless at the moment.
“How are you two doing?” I ask to change the subject. “I can’t believe how well you’re getting around now.”
A smile breaks out on Mom’s face. “The feel of the ocean on my toes is magical. I tried to convince your father to take a dip with me, but he refused.”
I give her a dubious look. “The ocean’s a little chilly for swimming right now.”
She shrugs, gazing over her shoulder at the water longingly. “Soon then.”
Tabitha comes bustling back onto the terrace. “Just got a message from the midwife. She’s delivering a Fairy in the village and can’t make it.” Even without Kallen’s mental ability, Fairies are able to send messages with magic. They are simply sent to a notepad Fairies keep in various places instead of a person’s mind. Sort of like calling someone and leaving a message. Kallen’s method is more efficient as a note can be overlooked for some time. Not in this case, apparently.
Tabitha’s eyes move to me and I pale. She can’t expect me to deliver a baby. Fortunately, her eyes slide immediately on to Dad. “Jim, we could use a hand if you don’t mind.” I am not going to be completely left out, though. “Xandra, magical births are a little different than what your father is used to attending. For his safety, you should come along, too. The babe’s magic could get out of hand.”
Now it’s Dad’s turn to pale. His eagerness to help has dimmed a little. He recovers quickly, though. “I’m sure I can manage,” he says, doing his best to exude confidence.
“Probably, but I’ll help anyway.” Standing up, I give Kallen a quick hug. “Wish us luck,” I whisper in his ear. Kegan might not be the only one in trouble now. The baby has more targets. Hopefully it doesn’t remember any of the teasing I did toward Alita earlier in the pregnancy. It was all in good fun. I was never mean. Still, do Fairy babies hold grudges?
“Good luck,” Kallen says with a soft chuckle. He must be reading my mind. He gives me a light kiss before leaning back in his chair, getting comfortable.
I eye the chair I just left longingly. With a sigh, I walk to Dad and hold my hand out to him. “Let’s teleport upstairs.” No sense in wearing him out before he even gets to Alita’s room. He doesn’t look quite as weary as mom, but he’s not as robust as he was this morning, either. He must be thinking the same thing because he doesn’t argue. He simply grasps my outstretched hand.
“Good luck, dear,” Mom says before Dad and I disappear from the terrace.
A second later in the hall outside Alita and Kegan’s room, I ask a now slightly dizzy Dad, “Are you sure you’re up for this? It’s not too late to say no.”
“Are you kidding?” Dad scoffs, straightening his shoulders and reaching for the doorknob. “This is the first time I’ve felt useful in years. It’s about time I earned my keep around here.”
I roll my eyes. “No one is keeping score, Dad.” He ignores me and opens the door to the bedroom.
We are met by a low and vicious growl.
2 Chapter
Fortunately, the growl is not meant for Dad or me. Kegan is trying to help Alita into bed after placing her in what sort of looks like a hospital gown from the Cowan realm. It’s a loose flowing thing that ties in the back. I am going to assume Tabitha told him what to make when the time came. I doubt Kegan is thinking clearly enough at the moment to have come up with it on his own. Unfortunately, he was so focused on getting her gown correct that Kegan wasn’t paying enough attention while steering Alita to the bed. She ended up stubbing her toe on the bed frame just as we came in. Hence, the growl. She doesn’t seem as angry with him as I would expect about it, though. Maybe it’s because she is currently having a contraction and she is distracted from the pain in her toe by pain elsewhere.
“Let me help,” Dad says, hurrying over to them. He takes Alita’s other arm and helps steer her more safely toward the side of the bed. She waits until her contraction is done before climbing on. Once she is settled, Dad explains about the midwife. Kegan shoots me a worried look over my dad’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry, he’s delivered a ton of babies,” I assure the anxious dad-to-be.
Switching to doctor mode, Dad says to Alita, “I should check your progress.” After the two agree, Dad does a quick exam on Alita to get an idea of where she is in terms of labor. Unfortunately, she is not very far along. “It will be hours yet,” Dad informs us all.
He’s right, of course. Who knew how time consuming labor and delivery could be. Not to mention boring for those of us not directly involved in the process. In the movies, women go from their water breaking to having a baby in minutes. Real life is not at all like that. And if you’re not the one having painful contractions, it can be rather dull. I am not stupid enough to say that out loud, though. Good thing I’ve had practice keeping my mouth shut around Alita these past couple of months.
The next few hours are mostly about making the mother-to-be comfortable. Tabitha brings her a potion which takes away most of the pain of the contractions and Alita’s mood lightens considerably afterwards, much to Kegan’s relief. His fear factor lowers proportionately as her pain lessens as Alita and the baby are much less likely to cause him magical harm if they are comfortable. Every once in a while, Dad checks to see how far dilated she is. The rest of the time, Kegan sits next to her on the bed doing his best to make her laugh, which is really sweet. When Alita has a contraction, he holds her hand and talks her through it
. For the most part, they are both much calmer than I would have expected them to be. Kallen and I would be freaking out, I’m certain of it.
The baby, on the other hand, is not so calm and seems to be growing more agitated by the minute if the growing magic in the air is any indication. It may not be attacking its father, but it is definitely using its abilities. Tabitha suggests it is impatient to be born and is showing thus impatience with a pretty impressive magical show. Random things are floating around the room. More than once Dad needs to bat something away from his head or face as he can’t use magic to dispel it. I try hard not to laugh. At least, when the small things fly at him. The bigger things I need to keep from causing him actual harm.
It becomes less funny as Alita nears delivery time. The baby is growing more and more aggressive, and I try not to see the worry lines on Tabitha’s face. But, when the dresser rises a good ten inches from the floor and crashes forward, I know something is wrong. Even Dad can sense the anxiety in the magic around him. He turns to me. “Can you make me a stethoscope?”
Me? I almost squeak. Then I see a flash of pain on Alita’s face and my performance anxiety disappears. A stethoscope appears in Dad’s hands. He moves to the side of the bed and places the ear pieces in his ears and presses the end to Alita’s stomach. He moves it around several times. Each time, his expression grows grimmer. Finally, he says to Alita and Kegan, “I don’t like what I’m hearing in regards to the heartbeat. I think the cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck.”
Kegan turns ashen. “That is bad, right?”
Dad nods sympathetically. “Yes, that’s bad. If the baby moves into the birth canal with the cord wrapped around its neck, it will strangle itself.”
“Xandra, come here,” Tabitha says sharply. I’m so startled by her tone that my feet start working before my mind catches up. I am already standing next to her by the time I say. “What?”
In a hushed tone, she murmurs, “The midwife would be able to ease the cord from the baby’s neck with magic. I have never done it before.”
