by Dawn Gray
Slowly, taking his time, he made his way across the lawn and stood looking down over the dune at the man who stood up to his knees in the water.
"What are you doing?" Justin asked as David quickly dipped his arms into the water and came up empty handed. David turned and smiled at him.
"Fishing." He replied.
"Don't you think that's a bit dangerous?" He inquired.
"How is she?" David asked, changing the subject. Justin shrugged.
"As well as can be." Justin sighed. "You know that I don't care what Quinn and Michael say about you, right." David looked back at the water. "She needs you."
"Like she needs a hole in the head." David sighed. Justin shook his head.
"That's bullshit and you know it." Justin argued sitting down on the lawn. "You're her friend and I know how she feels about you. You can't tell me you don't feel the same, and isolating yourself from her is not going to help her."
"Aren't you jealous?" David asked, looking back up at him. "I mean Cristian doesn't want me anywhere near Taryn or Bobbie."
"I'm not my brother. I have more confidence in my relationship, besides, I would be worried if she didn't tell me about your friendship and continued to sneak around seeing you." Justin looked at his hand. David splashed down into the water, came up empty handed and decided to give up. He climbed up onto the grass and sat by Justin.
"So, how long have you known?" David asked, rolling his sleeves down.
"Oh, since that day she cornered you in Julian's office." He smiled. He looked at David then at the moon. "Neither of us is powerful enough to take her on. I never thought she was in any kind of danger from you."
"She'd probably rip my head off if I had tried anything anyway. Not that I would." David smiled, then sobered up and sighed. "Listen, since the other night when Victor attacked her I've been thinking about something."
"That we're all nuts for even staying here." Justin replied.
"Have you ever heard of Larado's Prophecy?" David questioned. Justin looked at him quickly.
"The nutty little verses that Julian's so fond of looking up?" Justin asked. David nodded. "I've never really thought of them." He looked out at the moon. "Do you really think this is connected to something, that it has something to do with the baby?"
"Well, she said that Caitlyn mentioned a baby in their discussion, doesn't it make sense that maybe there really is something at work here beside, well, vampires and witches."
"You’re talking about a higher power? David, that's just ridiculous." Justin said and stood up.
"Look, I know it sounds strange but I'm going into town to check it out in a few days. A friend of mine is opening up the occult archives in the lower level of the library. I can't look through Julian's book, I wouldn't know what to look for, so if you want your more than welcome to come and look with me." David said and looked up at him. Justin shook his head and put his hands on his hips. "I'm doing it for her."
"David." Justin said sternly. He looked down at the hazel-eyed young man. "If you want to help her, talk to her, hold her hand and be her friend. She doesn't need you to find a prophecy; she needs you to be there for her."
"I know." David said and sighed, then looked out at the water again. Justin patted him on the shoulder, then turned and walked away. David looked back at him as he walked away then he closed his eyes and looked at the water.
* * * * *
I opened my eyes and glanced over at the chair in the corner of the room. I smiled, and then stretched out on the bed. Justin, who had been sleeping beside me only about an hour ago had snuck out to eat a short while ago. I watched the figure sit forward and turned back on my side.
"Does Justin know you're here?" I asked him, softly. David smiled, widely, and then sat back in the chair.
"Actually, he does." David whispered to me. "He asked me to come in and keep an eye on you while he was out."
"Ah-ha." I replied as I sat up slowly, pulling the covers with me. I watched him as he sat there, very calmly, biting on his small finger. "I've missed you." I whispered to him, David sat forward and sighed. "Where the hell have you been?"
"Hiding." David sighed. I shook my head,
"What on Earth would you have to hide from?"
"Everything."
"David." I sighed and slipped off the bed. I knelt on the floor in front of him and put my hands on his knees. "There is nothing to be afraid of, and even if there is, you have me, and Justin and the others to help you with it."
"I'm not afraid, Sage." David replied his voice seemed barely audible. He put his hands on mine and squeezed them gently. "I should have killed him that night."
"Who?" I asked.
"Victor, he almost killed you." I sat up straight, and looked at him as he rubbed his forehead.
"Is that what this is all about?" I asked and watched him nod. "You couldn't have stopped him, David."
"I should have at least tried." I reached up and put my hands on the side of his face.
"You saved my life, maybe not like Justin did, but think about it, Dave, he let go because of you." I sighed and put my forehead against his, then watched his eyes close. "You saved my life, David, you are my friend, and for that I'll always love you." He opened his eyes and looked at me. "What is that look for?"
"What did you just say?" He asked. I laughed at him.
"David, believe it or not, people do care about you. I care about you, you’re my friend. Is that so hard to believe?" I smiled at him. David smiled and sighed, and then he nodded. "Why? Because of what happened in the past, because of that Ashley thing?" I watched him nod. "Okay, here's the deal. I could care less about what happened before I got here, all I care about is that you stop trying to avoid me."
"I'm sorry about that." David sighed, and then rubbed his face. "I just wanted you to be safe, and I thought staying away would do it."
"My family is made up of vampires, Dave. Almost all of you boys have been around long enough for me to feel quite safe, thank you." I smiled and got up. I leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, and then I climbed back in bed. "I'm going back to bed; you can stay in here tonight, if you want, or until Justin gets back."
"Go to sleep, Sage, I'm not going anywhere." David smiled at me then came over, pulled the covers up to my neck and kissed me on the cheek. "Sweet dreams."
I closed my eyes and slowly drifted into the blackness of my mind.
* * * * *
Late October
Julian flipped through the large, ancient looking book in front of him. He was looking for a prophecy, and the book in front of him was one of Larado's older volumes. He read several verses on one page, and then flipped to the next until he found one that seemed awfully familiar, one that mentioned the Kingdom of the Nine, the only one he found so far.
He read it over then gathered the book up and walked out of the study. Julian walked up to the second floor and knocked on the double door. Slowly, he walked in, after hearing the faint, but obviously aggravated voice of his brother asking him to enter. Julian stopped in the doorway and looked at the desk, which was full of planners and organizers.
"What are you doing?" Julian questioned.
"I'm planning my wedding." Quinn said, as he shuffled through the mess.
"I didn't realize that you set a date." He laughed. Quinn looked up at him.
"She said to surprise her with the date, because we couldn't make up our minds, so, I decided to surprise her with the whole package." Quinn replied. He sat down in the chair and sighed. "Who would have thought it would be this difficult." He looked over the books then up at Julian. "So, what brings you here?"
"I need your help with something and I couldn't go to the others, some of them might be involved." Julian replied, found a clear spot on the desk and set the book down, opened to the page he had marked. "Okay, now listen to this and tell me who you think it might pertain to?" He cleared his throat and began: "An Enemy, of blood, who was once thought gone, will rise again to break the ties,
of a bloodline that has withstood the test of time. He will cast a shadow, that blocks the sun, so that darkness will engulf each one, but within the darkness, there is a light, three familiar souls will make it right. One, who's darkness is fading away, and has come to see the light of day. One, who carries the hurt of his past, and wishes to be at peace at last and, finally, the one who holds the keys to how this all unfolds, a barrier who carries, within her womb, a child of prophecies foretold. If together they stand, tried and true, then this Enemy will be forever entombed, in the fiery hell of eternal doom." Julian looked at his brother, who looked up at him and shrugged.
"Could be any of them." Quinn replied. "I mean, think about it. The one with the darkness could be either Justin, David, or I, for that matter, we all have our own darkness. The one with his past could be Justin, David, Michael or Cristian. It's the last one that confuses me, but, at least we have the enemy figured out."
"Yeah, Victor." Julian sighed and shook his head. He looked at Quinn, who had gone back to his wedding planners, and then he picked up his book and walked to the door. "Thanks for your help."
"Anytime." Quinn replied, softly, without looking up. Julian walked out of the room and closed the door.
He walked down the hallway thinking about what his brother had said, about who might be involved, and realized that Quinn had mentioned, with two of the three in the prophecy, that Justin and David could be possibilities. This made Julian think that it might be them. It was just figuring out the last one that baffled him.
* * * * *
I turned and looked at the three girls in the room. Bobbie, who sat on my bed, had the look of worry on her face, which always made me feel as if I was her child instead of her cousin. Taryn was just as she always looked, content and probably thinking about
Cristian, and Lauren, who had suggested that I do this whole thing to begin with.
I looked down at the little white stick in my hands, and closed my eyes. This was not what I had expected when Lauren had suggested a pregnancy test, in fact, I had laughed at her for even bringing that up. Justin was a vampire, unable to have children, what were the odds that he'd be the once in a lifetime one. I looked up again, this time; the shock wasn't so much there.
"Positive." I whispered. Bobbie got up quickly and looked at the test, then back at me, as I walked away with my hands over my mouth. "It's positive."
"Yes, we've established that." Lauren sighed. "It’s the how that I want to know."
"I've never been with anyone else." I said and looked at them. "Justin's going to kill me. He's going to think that I cheated on him, but I would never do that. What am I going to do?"
"Well, I think with Victor on the loose, that it would be a good idea to tell the boys, all of them." Lauren said softly. I looked at her as my hands started to shake. "Listen, Sage, Justin will understand, I'm sure. This it just something that happened."
"Oh, yeah, Immaculate Conception, right!" I said sternly. "I'm not that much of a good girl for that to happen." I rubbed my eyes. "Should we test again?"
"If you want." Bobbie said softly. "But, I've never heard of a false positive on these things."
"You help a lot." I sighed. "Well, let's go break the news before I change my mind and run away to a convent."
The three of them smiled, as I grabbed the test away from Lauren and headed out the door and down the stairs with them in tow.
* * * * *
Julian walked into the sitting room, and looked at Michael and Justin, who were watching television, and Cristian who was watching out the window. David slipped by him without a word and grabbed the morning paper off the table, then relaxed in a chair in the corner.
"Michael." Julian whispered. Michael got up and walked over to him. "Have you checked on Sage today?"
"Yes, she's fine; there haven't been any incidents with her dreams in a while, but she looks a bit pale." Michael shrugged. "Is something bothering you, Julian?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you could give me your opinion on this prophecy." Julian sighed and the two men sat down with the book. Julian opened the large volume and then looked up as the four girls walked into the room.
* * * * *
I looked over the crowd of men that huddled in the sitting room, and then turned to Bobbie. "I can't do this."
"You can and you have to, Sage, think about the baby." She whispered. I took a deep breath and turned around, picking out Justin's eyes, which were full of love. We stared at each other for a few long moments before I stepped further into the room, walking towards him.
Justin stood up from his chair and came towards me, meeting me in the center of the room. I looked at Michael, Julian and Cristian then at David, who smiled, lovingly and went back to his paper as if he knew what I was going to say and that it wouldn't be a shock to him. Justin took my hand and looked into my eyes, catching me in his.
"You look sick." He whispered. "What's the matter?" With those words I couldn't hold back the tears the streamed down my cheeks. He smiled and pulled me close to him, holding me in his strong arms. "You can tell me, Sage. I promise that I won't be upset, whatever it might be."
"No, you can't promise that, Justin." I whispered to him and backed away, wiping my eyes with my hands. This caught the attention of the others and Michael drew closer to me. "I don't know how it happened, I mean, well, I think I know how it happened, but it's
Not possible, is it?"
"You’re not making any sense." Michael whispered. I looked at him and sighed. "Calm down and let's get to the bottom of this. Is it Victor?"
"No." I said softly and then thought to myself, I looked back at the girls, suddenly, then at Michael. "Oh, my God. What if he did this to me? What if it's his?" I panicked and backed away from them, but Justin caught me by the upper arms and looked right at me, then he smiled. "What if it's evil?"
"It's not." He whispered, gently, and this made me stop. I stopped moving, stopped crying, and for an instant, stopped breathing, and then I looked at him oddly. "Listen to me, Sage. It's not. It's you, and it's me."
"What?" I asked him, as if I didn't know what he was talking about. "You know?" Slowly, he smiled, which made me cry again, knowing that he wasn't angry. "How?"
"Okay." Quinn said from the doorway, apparently having been summoned by all the emotion in the room. "What exactly are we talking about?"
"She's pregnant." David whispered, which turned all eyes to him. David looked up, slowly, from his paper at the faces of the others, then at me. "Sorry."
"Sage?" Michael asked me. I turned from David, and Justin, to my father, and I nodded.
"It's true." I whispered. "That's what I came down here to tell you, that I just found out." I turned back to Justin. "How did you know?"
"Victor told us." David spoke up. He stood up and walked over to me as I stood next to Justin. It amazed me at the friendly connection that I saw between the two men as Justin patted him on the back. "The night Victor got loose, when he attacked you. I was going to kill him, but he told me that you weren't the only one in danger of dying. He told me that the life of your child was also in danger. Your body can heal, much like ours, but I didn't believe that it could heal you both fast enough."
Michael turned and looked at Justin, who leaned down and kissed the top of my head then looked up at him.
"This was your other circumstances." Michael said softly.
"I saw no other way." Justin replied and took my hand. "I would lay down my life for her, she is my life, and when I found out about the baby, from David, I didn't see any other way out." Justin sat down in the seat beside me and turned me to look at him. He took both of my hands and kissed each one then he smiled at me. "This baby is not Victor's, so; just get that thought out of your head. This child is ours; it is part of the prophecy."
"Which prophecy?" Michael asked.
"The one in Julian's hand." David replied. Julian looked down at the book, sighed, and then looked up at David. "Justin and I thought that this whol
e thing smelled kind of funny, the way we all came together, the whole Victor thing and then Sage and the baby."
"So, we decided to venture out on our own and look things up." Justin said as he pulled me down to sit on his lap. "We found that very same prophecy, but not here."
"Where?" Cristian asked.
"Caitlyn O'Neal." Justin replied. Julian looked at him then at me, with a bit of concern that they had exposed themselves to her. "She came to us; we didn't need to find her. About three weeks ago, David and I were searching the city archives for a book on the Kingdom of the Nine and she approached us there. She told us about the prophecy, and about how the baby was involved."
"It gives Sage powers that she didn't have before, but that will stay with her after he's born." David smiled. I had closed my eyes and was leaning on Justin, feeling the warmth of his touch. "There is one thing, though."
"What's that?" Quinn asked, stepping closer.
"This all comes to a head on the Eve of the New Year." He replied.
"Yeah, so, we have until December 31st." Michael replied.
"No, not our New Years." He replied.
"Samhain Eve." I whispered, as I opened my eyes and looked around the room.
"What's that?" Cristian asked.
"October 31st." Bobbie spoke up. "Halloween."
"That's in seven days." Taryn replied.
"Seven days to prepare for the end of the world as we know it." I whispered. I looked back at Justin. I sighed and shook my head. "We're it, aren't we?"
"Yes, we're it." He replied softly and leaned his forehead against mine.
"Are what?" Michael asked.
"The prophecy." Julian replied. Michael looked at him. "The three familiar souls, but how?"
"A soul mate?" I asked, softly, then smiled and looked up at David, who reached down and touched my shoulder. "A soul family."
"So, now we know." Ashley said, speaking up for the first time. "So, what do we do now?"
"Well, first, our young mother here should really get to a doctor and take care of the baby." Julian said and looked down at me, smiling. "As for the rest of us, we need to see what we can do to protect the house. I have a feeling that whatever's coming, will get stronger as the 31st gets closer."
