by Al K. Line
"Yes, Oskari. I'm sorry." And you know what, I was. This wasn't his fault; I had a choice in all this. I could be whatever I wanted to be. Could end it all and be nothing. I knew what the ink meant, that I was forever marked as a magic user, beyond merely vampire, and I wanted it. Oskari was right. I wanted to be a mother but I wanted to live on the edge. Magic of the Hidden and the blood kind had done that to me, but I'd allowed it to.
"Good. Now, do you wish to know the sex of your child?"
"No, not yet I don't think. But I'd like to know how long I've been pregnant."
"Oh, three days. Plenty of time to get used to the idea yet. What a momentous occasion the birth shall be. The first vampire baby in many centuries."
An image formed in my mind of Oskari at the birth, holding up a pink, screaming infant, smiling as their picture was taken. Then it turned dark as my baby's gums bled and two tiny, sharp incisors bit down onto the arm of a nurse.
"Haha, do not concern yourself with such worries. Vampires are made by the venom in a bite from another, not by being born. But this will be no normal child, this child will be born with Hidden magic inherited from you, Kate. Interesting times are ahead."
"I think you're right."
I don't remember what happened next but I guess at some point I left and drove home. Dazed, confused, and joyous doesn't even begin to describe how I felt.
I was gonna be a mummy.
Shellshocked
Back home, I sat in the car, listening to the ticking of the engine as it cooled. I turned my phone back on—I always turn it off at Vampire HQ because I'm paranoid and the buggers really are out to get me—and discovered I had more messages, missed calls, and texts from Dancer than I felt was right from a Head. I groaned and went through them.
Most were reports of more trouble, of raids and scared Regulars, of incidents at various out-of-the-way places, of sightings of ghouls and weird, half-formed things. It was only then I realized that all this had been going on since the morning. While I'd been sitting in a library then shouting at Oskari, there could be countless new ghouls in the city.
I should call Dancer back, report in, see what he wanted me to do. I should tell him about the ghouls in the cave.
But I didn't.
Instead, I went inside, smiled at my new, gleaming kitchen, climbed the stairs, undressed, took a quick shower, then slipped between the sheets and cuddled up to Faz.
"You're going to be a great father," I whispered into his ear as I snuggled up to him and felt his warmth, his hard body.
Then he started snoring and I had to punch him to be quiet. I'd tell him in the morning, it would be a nice surprise.
Hopefully.
Surprise
I don't really do nervous any more. Probably something to do with being an immortal vampire full of magic and being able to kick anyone's ass—within limits.
But sitting in my shiny kitchen, awed by the sparkle of every surface, wondering how someone like the Chemist could make such a wondrous room but failed miserably to keep his own old home anything close to respectable, I was actually trembling. I sat holding a shiny mug, drinking delightful coffee at the waxed wooden table, and must have glanced at the door a thousand times, waiting for Faz to come downstairs.
I knew he needed his rest, but why did he have to sleep so late on this particular morning? Hell it was almost seven, where was he? I caught myself stressing and laughed. We never got up this early unless there was work to do, and he probably didn't even know if I was home yet. Then I frowned. If that was the case, shouldn't he have woken already, worrying about if I was okay or if the job had gone sour?
No, because this kind of thing happened all the time. It was a regular day at work in our family.
Ugh, where was he?
I heard footsteps and my heart leapt into my mouth.
"Morning," said Mithnite, looking all kinds of bedraggled.
"Morning. You really don't do early do you? How is it possible for hair as long as yours to stick up?" I stared at this young man with awe. His lustrous, brown hair, now well past his shoulders, was sticking out at impossible angles like he was being electrocuted. His patchy beard was just as bad, wisps of hair pointing up his nostrils, others seemingly having wandered off around the side of his head. The dressing gown he wore more than he should was creased and there was a definite whiff of young man smell. I didn't want to think about what was causing the odors.
"Huh?"
"Put your dressing gown in the wash after you shower," I said, the words coming out more like an order than I'd have liked, but it came natural now.
"Yes, Mom," he said, smiling and shaking his head. He liked this, liked being told what to do, within limits. Guess it made it feel like a real family, me taking charge of certain things in the house.
So I burst out crying like an utter lightweight.
Mithnite took a step forward, paused, then glanced around at the door, probably wondering if he could make a hasty retreat and pretend I wasn't crying.
"Um, I'll wash it more often, okay?"
"Sorry, I'm being silly."
Mithnite edged closer, scared he could catch crying woman backlash, but he nonetheless put his hand on my shoulder and patted me. Men, they freeze under such conditions, but I guess it's not what you expect when you just wandered in for a coffee.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"It's nothing." I wiped my eyes and got a grip. "Okay, it is something, but I can't tell you yet."
Mithnite looked into my eyes and slowly they widened. He smiled, then he whooped and grabbed me, hauled me to my feet and hugged me tight. "I knew it, I knew it."
"Knew what?" asked Faz. If I'd thought Mithnite looked rough then Faz took it to a whole other level. He looked like he was auditioning for the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. He'd get it, too. If he trailed straw behind him I wouldn't have been surprised.
"Kate's pregnant. That's great news, guys. Awesome. Why didn't you say last night, Faz?" Mithnite released me and stepped back to smile at us both.
"You are? Really?" asked Faz, wiping at his face like maybe he was still dreaming.
I nodded once, unable to speak, not even up to scalding Mithnite for ruining what I'd hoped, prayed, would be a nice surprise.
"Oh, wow!" For a moment we just stared at each other, then Faz's gaze lowered to my belly and I put a hand there. When we locked eyes again we both grinned like utter idiots.
"You're going to be a father. I'm going to be a mother."
"A father."
"Hey, can I be Uncle Mithnite?"
"Sure you can, buddy," said Faz with a numb nod. "He can, right?"
"Of course. Uncle Mithnite, I like it."
Then Faz came to me and we hugged so tight and for so long I felt all the stress drop away until I was left empty of pain and anger, worry and guilt, at least for a while.
"Anyone want coffee?" asked Mithnite, his voice sounding like it came form another world.
We broke our embrace and both said yes, and then we proceeded to have the strangest morning I've ever had in my life.
It was odd because once you answer the usual questions about how long have you been pregnant and how did you find out, which I guess was a little different to most people's experience, there wasn't a lot else to talk about. It wasn't like I was showing or as though there was anything different I needed.
Breakfast time was surreal as after ten minutes or so it was so normal. We drank coffee, ate, talked about what had happened with the Chemist and the ghouls I'd discovered, the guys talked about their day, and everything seemed so normal. Just the stuff we always did, but how could that be? How could we be talking, laughing, and joking about everyday life when there was a child growing inside me right here in the room? Surely something momentous should be happening? Fireworks going off, stomach cramps at least, me getting weird cravings for odd food and making them run around just for the sake of it because I could do what I wanted now I was pregnant.
Th
ere was none of that.
We showered, dressed, drank more coffee, opened the windows to air the house, all the mundane things any family did, and the world kept turning.
I was dazed and everything felt otherworldly. I wanted to shout, tell everyone that I was going to have a baby. But nobody else cared, just us.
Our family. Soon to be one tiny member bigger. Bugger, should I be drinking decaf now?
Itchy Feet
By late morning I was going stir crazy, and it wasn't just because my mobile, the Dancer hotline, had gone eerily quiet. Faz was wheezing about the place as he did various chores, although he seemed much better than I'd expected. There was a definite change in him, as though the reality of impending fatherhood had ignited something inside and his recovery was speeding up.
He was constantly snacking and I caught him doing push-ups for lightweights against the counter, which until now would have left him drained for the entire day. Mithnite kept getting in my way, seemingly having decided that now, right now this instant, he'd help around the house. His "help" mostly consisted of moving things from one room to another, getting distracted, then wandering off and leaving them there for me to clean up after him.
In other words, they were being men. And men are annoying, especially when they're "making life easier for you."
I called Dancer and filled him in on everything that had happened, even told him of the pregnancy, and he was delighted about it. Even he ended up being nice after that, and it was then I realized the mistake I'd made. Why hadn't I kept my mouth shut? Why tell anyone? Now all they'd see was a pregnant woman, not a kick-ass enforcer who could take care of herself. Dancer didn't ask it outright, but the hints were there—he could find someone else if I needed to rest, or some such nonsense.
I hung up on him in the end, after he'd said he'd call if any news came in, because currently nobody knew where the Chemist was or where all the ghouls had suddenly disappeared to. Everything was quiet, and that was more worrying than if they were running rampant. At least then we could have rounded them up, or tried to. He didn't even chastise me for what had happened at the cave, even though I knew he would have preferred me to blast the grubs, and said he'd send "people" to "investigate."
As I suffered two idiot men getting in my way, I wondered why I'd told everyone so soon. You don't share the information that you're pregnant until six or eight weeks, do you? And at a couple of days, well, that's hardly even news. But this was different. I was different.
Don't ask me to explain it, to say why exactly, but I knew, with utter conviction, that nothing would go wrong. That my body wouldn't reject this fetus although it wasn't even that yet, just cells dividing, getting ready to perform a miracle. My body was primed for this, the child would be safe, protected inside my womb. A womb swirling with magic, more than enough to safeguard something so small and delicate.
And then the pains began.
Back at It
I'm not usually one for aches and pains, in fact I never have aches and pains now. Sure, I get battered and bruised, even break bones, and don't even get me started about my nose, but my body repairs so fast it's never more than an inconvenience, albeit a painful one. But that general dull throb, or pain when nothing has happened to warrant it, in other words getting old, that doesn't happen. Ever.
By late morning, as the guys became increasingly annoying, I began to get cramps in my stomach. They were stressing me out, that was it. Nothing to worry about. Dancer hadn't called back, why hadn't he? What was happening? What was the Chemist doing? Was there something wrong with the baby? How could there be? There was nothing to worry about, I was being silly.
Alone in the kitchen, I doubled over, the pain in my stomach terrible. I was just jittery, stressed, my nerves getting the better of me. Silly, because I could face down anything the Hidden world could throw at me and feel confident I could either fight or run away. But this was different, this was all coming too fast and the guys were being muppets, asking if I needed a lie down or if I wanted a drink. Since when did either of them ever ask me if I wanted a drink? They asked if I'd make them one, but never offered out of the blue. It was all too disconcerting.
I winced as my belly cramped up again and I almost cried out, but if I did that they'd be running around like headless chickens. And besides, it absolutely, under no circumstance, could be the baby. It was a couple of days old, I wasn't even pregnant yet, not really. This was psychosomatic, me getting myself all worked up and causing the discomfort because I'd switched from cool, calm, and collected mode, to stressed out and worried as hell about what was I thinking wanting a baby mode. Yeah, that was it. I needed to work it off, I needed to do something, I sure as hell needed to get out of here.
Faz walked in and I straightened, turned, and smiled.
"You okay?"
"Sure, you?"
"Absolutely bloody brilliant. This is amazing news, right?"
"Sure is. I'm going out. The sooner I find the Chemist the better."
"Kate, do you think that's a good idea?" he asked, looking concerned.
I wanted to punch him. "Faz, we went over this a hundred times before we even decided to try for a baby. There's no point denying who, or what, we are. This is us, what we do. Even if we don't go looking for trouble it finds us anyway, so please let's not have this conversation again."
"I was just saying. I worry. And now I'll really worry."
"And when you're better, are you going to stay at home and not take on any jobs?"
"Not bloody likely, it's doing my head in."
"There you go then. Love you." I kissed him, hugged him tight, and he held me and I knew he didn't want to let me go. I released his grip, looked him in the eyes, and said, "I'll be fine."
Faz nodded and stepped back, not wanting to press matters.
"I'll be back soon, promise. Don't worry, I am an immortal, ass-kicking vampire."
"How could I forget?" Faz smiled and I left.
By the time I'd got my things together, loaded the car, and had finally got out of there, I was ready to scream.
I drove off and once out of sight down the lane I parked up. Sweat was soaking me through, my head was pounding, and my stomach was killing. For something psychosomatic it sure as hell packed a punch.
If I Was a Ghoul
The pain and the panic passed. I had to get a grip, this was ridiculous. I let my ink swell, let the blood magic work as intended. Combined, these two very different, yet in the end the same, powerful energies made my body feel my own again.
Calm descended. I was pain free, felt buoyant and energized. For the first time since Oskari told me, I felt elated at what was happening. I laughed at my own ridiculousness, how I'd overreacted. Maybe it was like this for all women. Maybe it was being vampire that made me react in such a way. If I looked at it logically then it was perfectly understandable. After all, I remembered the life I'd had before I was turned. It was distant, but not like Faz who'd been a wizard for a century. He didn't know any other life, hadn't since a kid. I was a grown woman and however much I liked to pretend differently this was still new to me. I was a babe in the Hidden world.
At the thought of babies my stomach cramped again and I had to focus so that the pain would ease. I let energies surge once more until I was brimming with magic and my ink screamed for release of the violent, blasty kind. That was more like it, what I needed. A distraction, a diversion to release some of this pent-up emotion in spectacular ways so I felt whole again and not just a vessel for the child within.
Time enough for that later. And even though I'd told Faz that things would continue as they had before, I knew they wouldn't. I'd quit, and soon, stay out of danger.
I made that promise to myself like all good addicts do. Knowing full well that it was a promise I'd more than likely break. This stuff is addictive. The only thing that keeps most Hidden away from it permanently is death, and even then some of them can't let go.
Faz had said he'd call Grandma, that
he knew what she was like and if I went there or spoke to her she'd be filling me up with potions and making me wear a scarf. I wanted to see her, but knew it would have to wait and he was right. I needed some mothering but that would bring the focus back to the baby, and right now, until the Chemist was dealt with, I had to put it aside and get back into enforcer mode.
Not knowing what else to do, I went for logical. I spent the next hour going through all the messages Dancer had left, jotting down the various places the Chemist or his ghouls had hit. It was an extensive list, but I was focused on one thing, the cemeteries. It's surprising how many there are when you add up all the ones attached to small churches. Guess it makes sense if you think about it. Everyone dies, and although cremation is more popular these days, a lot of people still want to see out eternity underground.
I pulled up a map of the cemeteries on my phone and after some cross-referencing I was left with only two of any real size that hadn't yet been hit by the ghoul squad.
With nothing better to do I decided to go check them out. You never knew, I might get lucky.
Yeah right!
A Reach Around
I struck out at the first one. Either nobody had reported the desecration, or Dancer simply hadn't informed me. Either way, although the cemetery showed no obvious signs of having been tampered with, my keen eye, and keener sense of smell, left me in no doubt that something gross of the ghoulish kind had gone down here. I'd bet my two favorite top teeth that if the suspiciously fresh looking grass was disturbed and you dug down a little, you'd discover the earth was soft and that the coffins were missing bodies or at least several limbs. Not that the occupants needed them for anything, but it's the principle, right?
