Birth of Jaiden

by Malone Wright, Jennifer

  She found a spiraling stone stairway that led down. Step by step, the howling got louder and louder. Each step closer, she wished with all her heart that she could do something for those trapped people. It was almost more than she could bear knowing that they were going to leave those people to die.

  Finally, at the bottom, she looked around her and found that she was only faced with more doors and caves.

  Victoria cursed inwardly and chose to go left, the cave with the least doors. Once she stood in front of the first wooden doorway, she knew she was forced to use her magic. She had wanted to avoid it at all costs but there was no way she was going to see inside all of those rooms if she had to wait for each door to be opened.

  In a whisper, Victoria performed a spell to shield her magic from the enemy. “A touch of magic I shall use, in turn we face too much to lose, blind our enemy’s ears and eyes from what magic I shall rise, I call my powers within, the powers around, I will our secret not to be found.”

  Victoria had closed her eyes and felt the whirl of magic that could almost be compared to ecstasy. When she opened them, there was no evidence of a spell. Everything was exactly the same. It would prove itself later.

  She turned to the door and faced it completely; then, she raised her hands slightly and put her palms flat against it. There was no spell, no chants for her to say that time, only the melding of her mind with magic.

  Again, she felt her body fill with warmth, felt the tingling in her belly that made her toes want to curl. The door glimmered with light for a moment and took the shape of a substance much like water, with an aura of white diamonds.

  Victoria smiled with triumph and looked through the watery waves of doorway into the room. There was nothing. It was bare. The next room proved the same. But the third time is always a charm.

  The third was all the way at the end of the cave, the last door. Behind it was yet another stairway leading down. Cautiously, after she had looked around to make sure no one was watching the door, she quietly opened it and went down.

  She felt the presence of the guards before she could see them. They were human, less able to sense her. A glance around the corner showed her that they stood silently guarding an open archway without a door. Luckily, though, it was a large archway and she would be able to simply slip right through.

  Then, she heard a precious sound, a baby’s cry.

  Jaiden.

  She was in there, Jaiden was in there and there would be nothing she could do. As much as she wanted to, it was an intelligence reconnaissance only.

  Oh, please God, keep her safe, Victoria prayed.

  She also prayed silently for the lightness of her feet as she crept toward the guards. Both of them were leaning back on the wall of each side of the archway. One had his arms crossed. The other, a rather small man for a human guard, was tapping his foot and whispering words to a song.

  “Be quiet,” the larger one said just as Victoria was directly in front of him.

  She froze.

  The little guy continued to tap his feet and sing quietly.

  “Damn it, you idiot, I said be quiet.”

  “What.” The little guy spread his hands out. “Just passing time.”

  “If you keep that up, Levine or Malcolm will have you for lunch. You know how she hates messing around while on duty; she likes it quiet.”

  Victoria let out the breath she had been involuntarily holding at the same time the little guy responded.

  “Dang, dude. I was just trying to keep busy, this is bo-ring.” He rolled his eyes up for emphasis.

  Victoria left them to their bickering and crept on.

  The archway had led her into a scene she could have done without seeing.

  Malcolm sat on a jeweled chair on a raised stone platform, his cape wrapped around him, legs crossed and Jaiden in his arms.

  Victoria could see her red hair and pale face peeking out of her pink blanket. An old-fashioned bassinet stood somewhat royally beside Malcolm’s self-proclaimed throne. Victoria fought the urge to run and grab Jaiden from him.

  When she could finally tear her eyes off of them, she continued to look around the room.

  Victoria’s gut lurched when she spotted the pool of blood. It was sunken into the ground like an in-ground pool, only not as big. It was only about the size of a large hot tub, but nevertheless. It was a damn pool of blood.

  Oh, good god.

  The pool bubbled and moved as if it was alive. It splashed up and Levine appeared. She flung her black hair back as she rose out of the pool like a mermaid from the sea.

  Blood dripped off of her from everywhere. Her bare white skin was tinted pink, darker droplets fell from her porcelain face and onto her breasts where more dripped from her large dark nipples.

  Gracefully, her hands rose from the pool and caressed her own breasts.

  “Malcolm,” she said as she circled her fingers around her nipples, “put that baby down and get in with me.”

  Malcolm looked up from Jaiden. “My dearest, I am content watching you being pleasured.”

  “But it’s not the same; I want you.” She formed her lips into a pout.

  Malcolm was never able to turn down anything that Levine asked of him so he rose while Jaiden still cried. “Very well, then, I couldn’t live with myself if you weren’t happy, my love.”

  Carefully, he placed Jaiden into the bassinet and descended the platform.

  Levine reached down into the pool and yanked up hard. Another vampire had been under the blood pool. She held him by the hair.

  “Get out,” she told him and flung him toward the edge.

  While the blood-covered vampire scurried off, she swam to the edge to wait for Malcolm, who was at that moment disrobing his clothes. He left his cape on the floor along with everything else that he had been wearing.

  Levine watched him intently, lowered her head and took some of the blood from the pool into her mouth. Once Malcolm finally stood naked in front of her, she stood to offer her body to him.

  Malcolm slipped into the blood and wrapped his arms around his woman, pulling her tight against him. Levine held onto his neck and entwined her legs around his waist. Slowly, they began a rhythmic motion that sloshed blood everywhere.

  Victoria couldn’t take it anymore; she covered her ears in a desperate attempt to silence Jaiden’s screams.

  That’s it. Unable to keep herself from doing it, Victoria went to her. She looked down at Jaiden and touched her fingers to Jaiden’s cheek.

  Immediately, Jaiden stopped crying and stared up.

  That child can see me, she thought. I know she can. What a powerful witch she will be, she already is. You will do great things, little one.

  Reluctantly, she pulled her hand away from Jaiden. It came as a surprise to her that she cared so much for that baby. A baby that she knew nothing of, only that she would eventually ensure the survival of mankind. How could one child be so powerful, so special?

  The loud moans from Malcolm and Levine tore her from her thoughts. She knew that her gut couldn’t take anymore so she rushed out doing her best to avert her gaze from the two naked bodies thrashing about in a blood bath.

  But as she approached the archway, Jaiden started to cry again. She turned and looked up to the ceiling to pray. Instead, she had to swallow down a mouthful of vomit.

  Several bodies hung from ropes by their feet. Dead, their throats slit to let the blood flow into the pool below them.

  Oh God, no!

  She fled the room as quickly and quietly as she could.

  35

  While Victoria faced the horrors within the mountain, Alex woke to facing his own. Hunger, a deep ravenous hunger woke him.

  Sure it was a sign that the night was bound to be a failure, he rolled over in his bunk and saw Chris spread-eagled on his bunk, covers thrown off, announcing to anyone around that he had slept in only his boxers.

  The slayers all did pretty much the same thing that they had done when they had entered
the truck. Jackie noticed the movement from his bunk and motioned a cup of coffee at him.

  “Evening. You want some?”

  “No.” He rubbed his eyes with his palms. “No, thank you.”

  “Suit yourself; it’s safe enough for you to go outside now.”

  “Thanks.”

  God. She smelled good. He could almost taste her sweet blood, pumping freshly through her veins.

  I have to get out of here!

  Alex clutched his stomach with both hands and launched himself off of the bunk, then rolled onto his hands and knees.

  Unaware that Jackie had slid her hand discreetly from her coffee cup to her cross bow, Alex crawled across the floor toward the doors.

  “Alex, Alex!” He could hear Chris calling his name; only it sounded hollow, as if called from a long hallway.

  “I have to get out of here!” He harshly shoved away Christopher’s hands when he tried to help. “Just stay away,” he growled.

  Alex grabbed the door handle and rammed it upward, flinging the rolling door up with so much force that everything in the semi shook like it was an earthquake. Jackie and the other slayers ran about and tried to recover their fallen belongings. Alex jumped out of the truck and ran into the trees.

  Nothing, absolutely nothing could compare to that kind of hunger. Alex knew what could happen; he knew it and he knew that soon he would be unable to stop it from happening.

  “Alex!” It was Chris, behind him.

  “Go away, get away from me.”

  “Alex, you need me.”

  “No! I don’t need anyone. Get the hell away from me!”

  “Alex, you won’t hurt me.” Chris slowly came to him and held out his bare arm. “You don’t need to hurt me. I want to help you, take my blood.”

  Alex snapped his head toward Chris, brutally grabbed him and dragged him forward. No discussion, no words, only a hiss of pain when Alex lifted Christopher’s arm to his lips and pierced his wrist. Just like the first time, the only other time he had drunk from Chris, he did not fight him. Chris gave himself willingly.

  With a moan of satisfaction, before he could stop, Alex found himself drowning in Chris’s memories. He saw Chris as a child, running fast through the streets of the small town in which he had grown up. There was Chris in high school, in a suit and tie, bearing the crown of the homecoming king. Then Chris with Marissa, his first and only love of his life; they sat basking in the sunshine, side by side on a large rock along a slowly moving river. Marissa giggling and adjusting her bikini as Chris tugged at the straps.

  Then, with a flash, he saw Chris staring down at Marissa’s coffin, watching her in death, with tears in his eyes. He saw himself with Chris, Chris begging him to make him immortal.

  “Let go, Alex. Alex!”

  Reality slapped at him and, with a large gasp, he released Chris’s arm.

  Chris pushed Alex so that he fell down onto his butt. “Damn, Alex, I know you were hungry but did you have to try to kill me.”

  Ashamed, Alex scooted away from Chris. “Sorry I…”

  “Don’t worry.”

  He extended his arm and let Alex grasp it. Chris yanked him up to a standing position.

  “Well, if you’re all good, then.” He glanced back at the semi. “I’m going to go get dressed.” And he was gone.

  Alex turned the opposite way. He hadn’t gotten very far when he heard voices. After only a few seconds of listening, he realized that he was overhearing a not so hushed argument between Damion and Danielle.

  “She isn’t back yet. I am going after her.”

  “No, Damion, we go as a unit. We would know if Victoria wasn’t ok.”

  “I don’t care; you know as well as I do that she wouldn’t risk using her telepathy so I don’t give a damn.”

  “Damion!” The shock saturating Danielle’s voice was crystal clear.

  Alex inched closer until he could see them. Danielle stood facing Damion, her body straight and her long black hair floating around her face.

  “How dare you, Damion Snow! You truly are a demon; I can’t believe you would put all of our troops at risk for one, even if it is Victoria. You are supposed to be the one that strives to lead us all in battle, not the one that makes rash decisions.”

  Alex watched Damion take two steps forward until he stood almost nose to nose with her. Danielle did not retreat; she stood her ground.

  “Danielle, I may be a demon, I may also be a leader for the good guys, but I did not choose this as my afterlife. Victoria is one of the few mortals left who sit upon our great council. I won’t let her perish within this mountain.” He gestured wildly with his arms.

  This time, it was Danielle who stepped forward till they were nose to nose. “Well then, nor shall I, but we will not move until she returns, for she is key to our victory.”

  Then, to his amazement, he watched Damion lift his hand and move Danielle’s wind-blown hair out of her eyes, letting his fingers lightly caress her pale cheek.

  Astonished, he kept his eyes glued to Danielle who responded as a woman would, not how he would have expected an angel to react. She tilted her head to the left so that their noses broke contact and their lips met.

  He continued to watch as he quietly backed away. Danielle’s arms moved around Damion’s shoulders.

  When Alex finally found the will to turn around, he realized that the hunger pangs that had hurt him so badly were still there, or it was some other kind of hurt. To help him think, he bent and picked up a couple of twigs off the ground to play with.

  Could an angel and a dark angel be together? Were they truly bound to the earth so permanently that God would find this all right?

  There were so many questions he was just dying to ask but Damion was still, after all, a demon, as Danielle had said. How long had this been a secret?

  What do I care, anyway, it is Danielle, out of all of us, who deserves love. Why shouldn’t she have it?

  “She’s here!” someone shouted. Alex threw down the twigs and sped toward the gathering crowd. However, he quickly skidded to a stop when he saw Victoria lying naked and shivering on the forest floor. She had obviously been too preoccupied to remember her clothes.

  “What happened to her?” Alex heard someone ask while one of the slayers threw a blanket over her.

  Alex felt like his mind was spinning out of control. It was one thing after another that evening; was it a sign?

  Corrine pushed her way through the crowd toward Victoria. Everyone watched intently as Corrine knelt beside her and proceeded to perform what looked like taking her vitals. After a few moments, Corrine lifter her head up.

  “She’s going to be ok,” she announced loudly. “She’s overworked is all; it looks like she has used an enormous amount of power throughout the night.”

  Alex ignored the murmuring crowd and moved to kneel down beside Corrine.

  “Is she really going to be ok?” he asked her.

  Corrine turned her head toward him. “Yes, she really is; I just don’t know how long it’s going to take her to be ok enough to help us.” She looked deep into his eyes. “We can’t do this without her.”

  Alex put his arm on Corrine’s shoulder. “I know, but right now, we need to worry about getting her onto a bed and getting her some food or something.”

  Corrine shook her head to clear it. “Yes, yes, of course.”

  Michael and another one of the slayers showed up behind them.

  “We can move her to one of the trucks. This here is Josh; he’s our Doc.”

  Corrine moved her large mane of hair over her shoulder and nodded to them. “Thank you, just what we need. But, please, please, tell us as soon as she is strong enough to work with us.”

  Alex helped Josh and Michael lift Victoria’s limp body onto a stretcher.

  “Don’t worry, Corrine,” Michael told her. “We will do our best to get her conscious and healthy as soon as possible.”

  “Thank you, again.”

  Michael nod
ded at Alex. “Walk with us.”

  Alex nodded back at him. “All right.”

  As they walked through the trees, Michael and Josh carried the stretcher while Alex walked beside them, keeping Victoria stable. After a few moments of complete silence, Michael finally spoke.

  “So, Alex, are you all right now? I heard you had a bit of an episode a little while ago.”

  Damn it, Alex thought. Why did this have to happen today? These guys need to trust me and now it’s going downhill.

  “Whatever happened with me back there,” Alex told him, “you should never fear me; I have no intention of hurting any of you.”

  Michael nodded. “Yeah, that may be true, but sometimes it’s not up to you.” He moved his gaze over to Alex. “You and I both know that.”

  Alex felt that he could be honest with Michael. “Yes, yes, that is true. But, none of my council would ever let me hurt anyone. They know of my hunger, I know of my hunger and I loathe each time I need to sate it.”

  “Alex, I believe you; I have no reason not to believe you.” That time when Alex met Michael’s gaze, he saw loyalty and ice. “However, if you hurt any of mine, I will see your blood on my blade without a second thought.”

  Alex nodded, for he felt the same way. “Agreed.”

  They had arrived at the semi and were in the process of hefting Victoria up into it when she woke.

  “What in god’s name is going on? Why am I still naked?”

  Alex leaned in over her. “Hi there.”

  “Shut up, idiot. Why couldn’t any of you fools get me something to wear besides this blanket? It’s not as if I haven’t made a big enough spectacle as it is.”

  Alex grinned. “There’s the Victoria that we know and love.”

  Victoria grunted. “Didn’t I tell you to shut up?”

  Michael came to Alex’s rescue. “Don’t worry, Victoria, we got you some clothes in here, and we are going to get you all taken care of and good as new.”

  Victoria rolled her eyes upward and moaned. “Oh, now I feel soooo much better.”