Chapter Thirteen
Momma-C or R-daddy must have channeled something to me. According to the clock, I had only napped for fifty minutes. But, I felt completely refreshed.
I woke up in bed at the House of Vayles’Rodier – Momma-G and Daddy-Jax’s home in this realm.
“Hello beautiful daughter of mine…did you enjoy a restful slumber?” Momma-G asked me when I walked out to the garden to find her.
“Yes…I’m so happy to see you! I’ve missed you so much,” I said, rushing into her arms.
“I have also missed you…”
“Where’d everyone go?”
“They were kind enough to leave us, so we could spend some time together. I would dearly love to hear about your meeting your traditional gypsy relatives and what is happening in your life. But, before we begin, I need to make a request.
“I would like to take you tonight to a small dinner party at my parents’ home. They are looking most forward to meeting you. I realize your day has been quite full, already. So, I will understand if you are not feeling up to meeting them…” she said.
“You don’t even have to ask, Momma-G. I’m looking forward to meeting them, just as much as they are to meeting me…”
“Your Momma-C and I got so wrapped up in planning events that we neglected to take this mandatory introduction to you into account. We would likely not survive the wrath of our parents if they were not introduced to our youngest daughter before the general public…” she explained and grew silent.
Her voice was thick with emotion. So, I embraced her and made her the same offer as I did with Momma-C. After pulling out her calendar, we scheduled a monthly mother/daughter lunch.
“Momma-C will join us in about an hour. Together, she and I will get you dressed and ready to meet your royal grandparents.
“We will also be enjoying the company of Taft, Natrice and Dylan Rhinehart this evening. They will arrive after my parents have spent time getting to know you, privately. This dinner party should not be quite as overwhelming as your breakfast meet-and-greet.
“Your g-mom had a prior commitment and will be unable to attend. I also invited your R-daddy and Momma-C to this dinner. They politely declined. I hear the morning events were quite festive and draining…” she stated.
I told her all about meeting my traveler relatives. Then, I offered her the same update I gave to Momma-C this morning.
She was riveted as I gave her the details on meeting my traditional family members. She paid particular attention when I told her about Scarlett Reigns because she hasn’t met her yet. I took my phone out and let her scroll through my pictures. Even using all the tricks my g-mom taught me to recall new faces, I still forgot as many names as I remembered.
Momma-C arrived just as the topic switched to Tray and his viewing of the “Wop” dance at Sunridge. My mommas’ compared perspectives and the three of us laughed hysterically.
I dressed in the outfit Momma-G had laid out for me, after taking a swift shower. They would work together on my royal make-over. And, I tried not to interrupt them as they revealed their lives to me.
Momma-G had shared some of her personal history at our family meeting. But, she expanded on it and added details about growing up in her sizeable, blue-blooded gypsy family.
Next, she told us about how Daddy-Jax had swept her off her feet during their whirlwind romance. She would delve into some very private areas of her life, freely sharing them with me and Momma-C. And, I was completely immersed.
“Being raised in a large gypsy family, and being so desperately in love with Jax, made me crave to have a child with him. However, the war in the Ava’shay realm prevented us from starting a family, right away. He returned to the battlefield after a short honeymoon. We spent a number of months apart while he was leading various campaigns. This left me to navigate the intricacies of Ava’shay life alone. Everything was new…well, except for the social aspect of running the Houses. But, I am adaptable. So, I stayed rather busy.
“By the time Jax’s first leave rolled around, I had established myself as his High Reigning Lady. We did not get to be together very often. You see, the High Reigning General had just risen in authority a few years before our marriage. Jax had the responsibility of properly training him on the battlefield. I was aware of where our priorities would be placed before our wedding. Therefore, his frequent and prolonged absences were expected. But, it was still certainly a different life than what I was accustomed to.
“The topic of having a family was never far from my thoughts or omitted from our conversations. My gypsy upbringing is hard to ignore. And, I truly longed to have a piece of him with me when he was gone.
“Jax, however, was and is, quite adept at guiding me to other subjects when I wander into uncomfortable territories. He wanted to give me a baby, almost as desperately as I wanted to have one. But, he was determined to have my pregnancy occur in the Hallows through the Covenant Rites. Although he has never blatantly admitted this to me, he was terrified of what might happen if I were to bear him an earth-realm baby. Those trepidations are justified and have merit.
“At the time, my pure Ay’sha lineage would have made carrying his Ava’shay baby an excruciating experience. Before Ember came into our midst, Jax would have been forced to stay with me around-the-clock while I was pregnant. His channeling would have been necessary to protect both me and our unborn baby…
“Actually, I need to clarify that statement. A physician could have easily been substituted to provide me with continual channeling. But, I know my husband. Jax would have never left my side during such a vulnerable period and would want to be available to me until our child was delivered. He would have been torn as well, between the responsibility to his commission and fathering, once our baby arrived.
“His absence would have greatly impacted the General’s training…not to mention, Jax is a strong, effective leader. I had to remain mindful of doing what was best for the Ava’shay population. My personal desires had to be tempered until the timing was appropriate and Jax would not be forced into a compromising position. Such is the life of a queen…duty, first…desires, thereafter.
“Leaving the battlefield and an inexperienced General to command it were not his only concerns. The pain of pregnancy while bearing an Ava’shay offspring, outside of the Hallows, would have begun within hours of conception and would not have abated until I delivered. Additionally, the pain of Ava’shay childbirth, from what I am told, is more overwhelming than the agony of pregnancy.
“On top of those rigors, I have my own spiritual gifts that would have contributed to the overall experience. Having a pure lineaged, spiritually gifted Ay’sha baby is no picnic in the park either. My lineage is one of the most powerful of the gypsy bloodlines. This would have exponentially increased my chances of dying during the birth process – a fact that was inescapable and one Jax understood, as well.
“Even now, with Ember’s permanent channeling that safeguards both expectant mother and baby, pregnancy with an Ava’shay offspring is extraordinarily taxing. The discomfort felt during pregnancy is actually nominal. But, Willow claims the agony was so intense when she gave birth to Quinn in this realm, that she actually felt her heart stop beating at various points.
“Tray has only one-quarter Ava’shay heritage. Jax is pure lineage Ava’shay. The excruciating pain that I would have experienced would have been tremendous…”
“Won’t an epidural help?” I asked, finally interrupting her because I couldn’t take it anymore.
“No…” she responded and Momma-C agreed by shaking her head.
“Well, can’t R-daddy do something to relieve the pain of childbirth?? He’s a powerful shaman. Surely, he can help the mother’s out or cast a spell to make it safer??” I inquired.
“I’m sorry, sweet girl…his hands are tied in this instance. Unfortunately, there is no pain reliever or channel, or ‘spell’ as yo
u call it, known that can quell the agony of giving birth to an Ava’shay baby. That is the primary reason most of the Ava’shay have no siblings…” Momma-G revealed.
“I’m sorta confused. You said your Ay’sha lineage would make pregnancy even more dangerous for you. But, gypsies typically have huge families and most of their kids are spiritually gifted, right? So, is it just having an Ava’shay baby that’s so physically demanding and hazardous to the mom’s health?” I questioned, perplexed.
“All spiritually gifted pregnancies are painful propositions…just some are more so than others. The baby’s genetic gifts must be factored in, along with both the mother’s and the father’s spiritual powers,” Momma-G told us, but I was still struggling with the concept.
“Krista, I gave birth, twice and had two spiritually gifted daughters. So, I can attest to the truth in Momma-G’s statement. Between my gypsy lineage and Rave’s indescribable Vaydem giftings…well, I’ve gotta admit, I actually wished my heart would stop beating during a few of those moments while I was in labor.
“Giving birth to Vixie Edara was much more painful than my second experience a year later, with Lillen Eva. I used to believe Vixie was more gifted than Lillen because of the pain involved delivering her. That turned out to be an ironic fallacy. Neither one of my biological girls were extraordinarily talented when it came to spiritual giftings.
“Vixie’s birth was more rigorous because she was a challenge from her first breath, forward. Nothing ever came easy with her…potty training…walking…talking…all the milestones took her more time to master than even a human baby. She would get overly frustrated from the slightest setback. And school was nothing more than a hunting ground for her. She wasn’t interested in learning anything that wasn’t profitable. So, she loved to spend as much time as possible with my parents. But, my dad will not tolerate drug use or drinking when it comes to gypsy girls. When he discovered her chemical addictions, he asked her to come and live with them, exclusively.
“I was all for it because they could’ve cleaned her up. But, Vixie knew that meant a permanent and abrupt end to getting high. My mom wouldn’t have permitted her one second of freedom. Still, I realized that my parents were on to something. Vixie declined their offer, but it wasn’t going to get her off the proverbial gypsy hook.
“I gave her a choice. She could either stay with them, or come home to her “authentic gypsy mom”. The girl might have damaged her brain from overuse of intoxicants, but she was smart enough to read between the lines. She thought over the decision for a few days.
“Vixie eventually chose to come home. She felt like she would have better luck manipulating me than her grandparents. But, I was at the end of my rope. I wasn’t joking about handling her addictions like a gypsy mom, instead of a Vaydem.
“Less than ten hours later, she made a beeline for freedom. She took off in the middle of the night. She had just turned fifteen. By the way, running off at an early age is a very traditional gypsy thing to have happen. So, I got no sympathy from my parents when I gave them the news.
“Aunt Embree, sorry I mean, Grandma Edie and I have compared our wayward daughter war-stories. Her Journey and my Vixie were incredibly similar in many ways. But, Journey was always looking for men to add to her collection and making them believe they were her one and only. Vixie was looking for men to use to feed her addictions. Once the well ran dry, she was off to find another victim.
“The day she brought my newborn son to me was the beginning of the end for her. If it hadn’t been for her dad, Vixie Edara Jansen would have been a memory carved into a headstone. I have lived as a Vaydem since I moved to the Preserve. And, I truly believe in peaceful coexistence. But, the gypsy mommy in me was riled to the boiling point that day.
“I’ll never forget it. We came home at precisely 5:16. I don’t know how long she had been waiting at Sunridge. But, Vixie surprised us when we saw her sitting on the picnic table, smoking. I noticed she had an oversized knapsack resting on the landing.
“Rave seemed happy to see her, but something felt off to me. At first, I chalked up the uneasiness to my upbringing. My family had raised me to be suspicious of everyone’s motives. She ran into her dad’s arms and reunited with him. But, when she didn’t immediately respond to his questions I knew my unsettled spirit was a sign.
“She attempted to hug me, but I told her not to bother. She blocked my path, kept asking me to forgive her and accept her back. Her pleas were a ploy. I knew she was buttering me up for something, trying to manipulate me.
“My less than warm reaction made Rave hurt for her. He’s sensitive to emotional slights. I watched him wince as I rejected her.
“Normally, I would have at least attempted to thaw, slightly if only for his benefit. But, I could see right through Vixie’s charade. She wasn’t being sincere. I didn’t see a need to fake a loving mother/daughter reunion. So, I silently apologized to Rave with a facial expression before coldly, ordering Vixie to move out of my way. After picking up her knapsack, I headed inside.
“Carrying that bag into the house was an unexplainable action. Why take her things inside when I wanted her to leave?
“The bag felt unusually heavy. But, I didn’t give it much consideration. We are very private people. I never went trolling through Vixie’s things when she lived with us, even though I knew she had addictions. And, I had no intention of searching through her bag then either. Evidently, she didn’t realize that. She was hot on my heels when she grabbed my shoulder in an effort to turn me around. She said, “…give it back” and tried to snatch her knapsack out of my arms.
“Those next few seconds are still hazy in my mind. From what Rave tells me, I pushed her hard enough to make her hit the floor. I ordered her to never touch me again. Then, I stated, “…I’m not giving anything back that belongs to me.”
“I don’t remember any of that. The next thing I can recall is catching a glimpse of movement. I opened the knapsack and found Zander curled up inside.
“Vixie had tossed him in that filthy, old sack and had just left him lying on the concrete landing while she went to the picnic table to smoke! He didn’t have on a stitch of clothing and his ribs were protruding through his skin. He had smelly newspapers stuffed around him. His naked body was covered in uncapped needles, other paraphernalia, drugs and cigarettes. She had just tossed all of that junk, in on top of him.
“I found three pairs of unlaundered underwear, wrapped around a dented flask at the bottom…her idea of a crib, I suppose!
“A furious rage was building inside me as I wildly tossed contraband and gently lifted Zander out. He was cooing, softly as he snuggled against me. He pressed his little face against my chest with so much force and determination. It was like he had never been touched by a human being.
“Vixie gasped, said “…it’s not alive” as she ducked behind Rave. For a fleeting instant, I saw a flash of anger in her dad’s eyes. His look of fury made my spirit so cold it shivered. I have never been that petrified in my life…
“But then, his anger disappeared almost as quickly as it found him. He returned to his normal peaceful, loving self. And, my own fear was quickly forgotten. I transformed back into a rising lunatic, consumed in livid wrath.
“That is the only time, since I married Rave that I wished we had still been living with my family. My dad and/or my mom would’ve handled that girl in a permanent fashion, instantly. To gypsies, our children are our life. We don’t leave them alone as infants or ever throughout their childhood. And, we would never place them on a concrete stoop, stuffed inside a nasty bag with sharp objects and poisons.
“Vixie had been high when we drove up that afternoon. But, dread sobered her up. She was terrified of what I might do, with excellent reason. I was narrowly focused on her and ready to exact some severe gypsy punishment.
“I cradled my son, protectively while I lunged for Vixie’s t
hroat. I didn’t know it at the time, but Rave had placed a strong protective shield around Zander called unconquerable bearing.
“He knew I was furious and barely in control. I shouldn’t have been holding a baby. But, it wasn’t safe for Rave to take him from my arms. He understood that. In order to keep Zander from getting hurt, he shielded him. It was the only thing he could do right then.
“Rave continued to block my advances as we listened to Vixie ramble about how that was “…a corpse in that bag for burying, not a real baby”. Oh, there was going to be a funeral at Sunridge that day. I told her I would oblige her dead body request. She shrieked and attempted to climb into her dad’s skin for protection.
“Rave allowed me to vent the anger. He didn’t try to quiet me down or stop me from threatening her like a deranged killer. But, he maintained his guarded position because he knew I meant every threat I issued to her.
“She kept shrieking that she could explain. There was nothing she could do to stop me. She ripped her dad’s shirt off, ducking and dodging. Before I could catch her and/or waylay her with a channel, Zander started crying.
“That was the first time, and one of the very few times, he ever cried as an infant. I stopped instantly and got ahold of myself. I soothed him until he quieted down. I was comforting him and acting normal. But, I was simultaneously calculating how to end Vixie without Rave being forced to witness it and without scaring Zander in the process.
“That’s a very ugly thought and one I’ve not shared…ever, until now. I momentarily turned into an evil monster. But, I’m a Reigns’ and was raised in the traveler culture. My parents would have slaughtered me if I had stuffed an infant in a bag and never given me, or what they had done, a second thought.
“As fortune would have it though, I’m married to the most patient and gentle man in any realm. He prevented me from taking any homicidal or even harmful action. Rave was the only person who had the power and knowledge to diffuse my raging gypsy emotions.
“I want you both to know that he’s still unaware he singlehandedly saved Vixie’s life. I had plans to call my dad the first chance I had. I was going to ask him to hunt her down like an animal and eliminate her for me. Rest assured she would have been dead within days, if I had made that call. But, I would later learn that murdering her would have turned out to be a huge, costly and devastating mistake.
“The gypsy way would have brought me temporary satisfaction. But, the Vaydem way would wind up saving my real children and my entire family…” Momma-C told us before her cell phone rang.
Momma-G continued to curl my hair in silence, as we waited for Momma-C to hang up the phone and resume her story. It was evident that Momma-G had never heard this particular tale. Neither of us knew how Zander was delivered to Momma-C and R-daddy. Momma-G was wiping away tears when she kissed me on my forehead.
Zander’s filthy knapsack seems to mirror my own delivery. The similarities gave me the chills…
“Sorry, Rave couldn’t find the keys to his truck. He hates it when I go on a gypsy cleaning spree. He says he can never find anything…
“Okay…where was I…oh yes, Vixie…
“She was streetwise and wary. She knew enough to be terrified of me, no matter how calm I appeared and sounded. So, she mainly directed her bizarre explanation to her dad.
“Vixie claimed that she didn’t know she was pregnant or she would’ve taken care of it. She wasn’t interested in wasting hard-earned funds or her youth on a “squalling, life sucking leech”. I nearly lost control of my façade when she said that.
“She also swore up and down, that when she woke up from “one of the best buzzes” of her life that “it” was just lying dead beside her. The lethal look I provided her was more than enough incentive for her to stop calling him, it, and use pronouns.
“She said his lips were blue and he never took a breath. I didn’t believe her and neither, did her dad, obviously. She was actually offended. So, she offered us a twisted tale as evidence that he was dead when she noticed him. She reminded me and her dad that healthy newborns are worth a wad of dough and she wouldn’t be stupid enough to give up major dollars if he’d been alive to sell. That was her proof!
“Vixie was so high, she thought he was dead. If he had been born alive, she would have sold my baby on the black market to the highest bidder. But, in her inebriated perception, he was stillborn. So, she had to think of a solution to deal with the body.
“She informed us that she couldn’t bring herself to touch him. After sliding him out of the way with a discarded two-by-four, she covered him with newspapers and took off for “a day or maybe, just an hour”. She had to find some pills or some smack, so she could figure out what to do.
“He was still “totally dead” when she returned, according to her account. Her original plan was to just toss him in the nearby landfill because it was convenient. And, according to her infinite wisdom, it would be, “…cool to be laid to rest surrounded by so much history…” I promise that’s what she said, word-for-stupid-word.
“Wasted or not, she still couldn’t bring herself to touch a corpse no matter how small it was. She was searching for a plastic bag when “the voice” started talking to her. It told her throwing him away would lead to bad luck and horrible misfortune. This “voice” told her that she had touched him in her sleep. When that happened she was placed under a ‘graven gypsy curse’. She didn’t know what that meant, but she heard the word “curse” and froze in terror.
“Traditional Ay’sha folks are superstitious about many things. But, I have never heard anything about the accursed perils of napping and brushing the skin of a dead body. She claimed “the voice” told her the only way to end her “graven gypsy curse” was to give him the proper burial, with sacred funeral rites. The “voice” was finished talking. She didn’t know of anyone who could perform funeral rites, sacred or otherwise, besides her dad. So, Sunridge was her only option.
“I would later inadvertently discover that Vixie has a criminal record and her DNA is on file in the national database. I personally believe she was scared the authorities could link her to Zander if she had just dumped him. I’m guessing she invented “the noble voice” that coaxed her into bringing him home.
“Rave had placed an additional rhythmic shield around our son while Vixie spun her ridiculous tale of intoxicated-fantasy. The rhythmic shield prevented Zander from hearing anything besides my heartbeat. He was nestled against me, sucking his thumb, content and happy.
“By the time Vixie was finished, I had lost my desire to let my dad handle the matter. I was so appalled that I wanted to do it myself. All I was waiting for was a direct line of fire to channel decimated waste. I was so far gone in vengeance.
“Rave must have understood that Vixie’s horrific excuses only added fuel to my rage. His Vaydem wife had temporarily vacated. I was an Ay’sha mommy, at that point and was prepared to deliver blood justice.
“He was careful to stand between us when he turned and told Vixie we needed to go into the bedroom to privately discuss this matter. She begged him not to leave her. I remember her shrieking, “…please, daddy…no…she’ll get me without you being there…I’m scared…” But, what I didn’t see was a single tear. She had no remorse…no shame for what she’d done.
“Rave promised her she would be safe, as long as she stood very still. Then, he cautiously moved me and Zander away from her. I had fully anticipated that he was going to offer me a fluffy piece of Vaydem wisdom about the sanctity of life. And, I had an argument ready to counter his. But, that wasn’t what he had in mind.
“He tilted my face up, so he could look me in the eyes and whispered, ‘Please, let me handle her from here…’
“And, I told him, ‘I’d rather be dipped naked in kerosene and set ablaze than let her get away without receiving some motherly gypsy punishment…’”
“He responded by saying, ‘
Just answer this one thing for me before you act on those emotions and expend all that effort it takes to exact justice. Who deserves your time, right now – the delivery girl, who’s not worth her salt, or our son who must be really hungry?’
“The reality came crashing into my awareness. I wanted Ay’sha vengeance, but my son needed me. He was naked and hungry. He was in dire need of a bath and a warm bed to sleep in. I was standing around, wasting daylight, listening to a drug induced fairytale and plotting revenge, when my baby had needs that only I could fulfill.
“My rage and animosity melted away. I left Rave to handle Vixie. I don’t know what else she told him or what he said to her. And, I have never bothered to ask either. My focus was on my son, Zander and it never wavered, again. I carried him to the basement with me. After I found Lillen’s old car seat and a soft, clean baby blanket, I strapped him in and took my son shopping with me.
“Vixie actually spent that night in her old bedroom. Once she fell asleep, I used my gypsy maternal privilege, stripped her of Ay’sha gifts and offered her a channel. The channel permanently fragmented her memory. It took effect as soon as she stepped off the Preserve.
“Beyond those things, I didn’t give her another second of my consideration. Rave slept while holding Zander in his recliner. And, I spent that night decorating his nursery, laundering baby clothes and nesting like all new mommies.
“By morning, Vixie had vanished without saying a word to anyone. She simply “stole” the cash Rave planted for her and headed off to waste her life.
“My mom questioned me several times about why I didn’t handle Vixie like a Reigns’. Killing her was expected and within my maternal rights…at least, it is in the gypsy philosophy. I told her that my time and effort was better spent loving my son, Zander. His surrogate was no longer my concern. I can’t tell you how many times I repeated those words, but they never quite satisfied her. My family believes in exacting retribution and seeking blood justice. I didn’t respond like a true Reigns’ would. I didn’t retaliate like a real Ay’sha.
“Years later, I would be down on my knees, thanking the Creator that love triumphed over gypsy retribution. If it weren’t for Vixie…her addictions…and her lover, I would have lost my babies, Ember and Tray. And, we never would have found Grandma Edie. My family…our family…would still be scattered to the realms and winds.
“One day, when we have more time, I promise to tell you that ironic story and all the bad that could’ve happened. For now, it’s enough to understand that I had a righteous right to retaliate against Vixie. But, I didn’t take it. My parents and my extended biological family were both incensed and disappointed in me. They couldn’t comprehend why I would relinquish my right and absolve her. They didn’t understand…me.
“So, now you know the reason they question my mothering abilities. And, you get why they wonder if I’m truly a gypsy, anymore. They look at my real children to see how I’m raising each of you…searching for the answers. But, I doubt they’ll ever find them. They don’t understand forgiveness…they only know justice.
“Living under their constant scrutiny and always, being forced to prove myself is well worth the hefty price tag. The alternative would have been way too costly. In fact, I see no way to survive without any one of you.
“Nothing is more valuable to me than my sealed family members. And, nothing is more precious in this world to me than my sealed babies. And, nothing ever will be…”