“What the…?” she screams.
“Oh, I guess you haven’t played tag with Elyn yet,” I say barely able to get the words out.
Matt walks in, lets out a hearty chuckle and says, “Elyn, stop teasing your auntie and give her a hug.”
Elyn smiles and lands right in Eliza’s arms. “Your daddy was right when he called you trouble, even before you were born.” Eliza kisses her. “So, is everyone else on their way?”
“Yeah, Sophia and Nate should be here shortly, as well as the rest of the Pierce family. Is Luke here yet?”
“Oh yeah, he is helping me cook dinner. It’s nice having him back. I know school has only been back in for a few weeks, but I really miss having him around,” Eliza admits.
“Will the McCord’s be joining us as well?” Matt asks.
“Of course, I couldn’t steel both their sons and not invite them to come for dinner.”
Sophia, Nathanial, Alexander and Matilda arrive shortly after us. I can’t help but wonder where the rest of the family is. I notice they are fairly somber.
“What’s wrong, where is everyone else?” Eliza questions with concern.
“It is time, the Cerberus are just on the out skirts of town. The rest of the family is setting up a perimeter. The Williams’ have taken their forms and are patrolling, keeping close to the Cerberus. Alexander has an open connection with them, but I think we better gather supplies and go as well,” Sophia answers.
“What? Not tonight!” Luke shouts.
“I’m sorry Luke. We have to do this so that the innocent people of Wenham don’t get hurt,” Matilda apologizes.
“I was hoping to have a nice dinner with all our families. I wanted things to be special,” he admits.
I notice Alexander look at Luke with wide eyes, and Luke shakes his head. I can’t help but wonder what is going on.
“Luke, I think you should continue dinner with your family and Matt. You boys will need to keep an eye on Elyn while we fight. This is the safest place for all of you,” I insist. Because of the protection spell we’ve placed on the manor, this is the safest place in town.
“And what do you suggest I tell my parents when they get here, and none of you are here?”
“Hun, I am sorry to put you in this situation. You can just tell them we had an emergency. That way you are not lying to them.” Eliza looks devastated putting Luke in this situation.
“Okay, I can’t fight it so don’t worry about us. You better go get everything you need.” Luke hugs Eliza, “and please stay safe. I want you coming home to me.”
We go to the closet and collect all the supplies we had packed and prepared. I quickly give Matt and Elyn a kiss. It’s hard to leave as Elyn is showing signs of her empathy powers and starts freaking out.
Matt takes her in his arms. “Don’t worry about her. I’ll calm her. You have to concentrate on the fight.”
“We gotta go, now! They are in the town and attacking. They caused a car accident on Main Street,” Alexander yells, as he grabs a bag. “Mati, you drive Eliza, the rest of us will go on foot. It will be faster.”
***
We run out the door, and head to the scene of the accident.
I can’t help but wonder who’s been hurt in the accident, and also worry about being revealed to the town people. If this fight is going to take place in the middle of town someone is bound to find out about us. I guess we’ll have to deal with the repercussions after. Sophia, Alexander and I arrive at the scene of the accident within minutes. As we arrive a Cerberus vampire is feeding off one of the accident victims.
Sophia begins to freak out, “Oh my god! I know that car, it’s…” She runs faster towards the car.
Alexander chases after the Cerberus; I notice one of the shape shifters flying above in his eagle form. He swoops down and grabs a satchel of wooden stakes in his claws. Then he disappears into the moonlight. Sophia, Matilda and I race to the car and the victims. Pulling them from the car, I realize it is the McCord’s. No wonder why Sophia is so frantic.
“I have to heal them,” she cradles Nathanial’s expectant mother in her arms. “NO!” Sophia buries her head in Nikole McCord’s chest.
“What is it, why can’t you help her?” I ask.
“She’s gone. Her life force has left her and once that happens you know I can’t help.”
“The baby too?” I gasp.
“Yes…wait…I can sense it. Call Isaac now!” She orders.
Matilda and Eliza arrive, Matilda calls Isaac and he arrives in a blink of an eye. Scooping Mrs. McCord into his arms. “I will get her to the hospital and perform an emergency cesarean section, and try to save the baby.” He’s gone just as fast as he arrived. He is going to have to move at lightning speed to make it on time. Without performing CPR on Mrs. McCord, the blood won’t circulate through her body, this causing the baby to also die.
“Oh no, what about Nathanial’s dad?” I remember.
“I sensed he’s gone the moment we pulled up. He must have died right away. What am I going to tell Nathanial and Luke?” Sophia worries.
“I’m worried about them too, but first we need to roast the assholes that did this,” Eliza says with a fire in her eye I’ve never seen before.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Changes
Rouge vampires begin surrounding us. Elijah, Florence, Constance and Danika all arrive taking out a few by surprise as they join us. There must be at least fifty vampires closing in on us. I notice the town’s people taking cover, at least the few that were left on the streets. Eliza pulls out the potions from her bag. This is Danika’s first fight, she was too new the first time around, but since her experience at Club VC, everyone agreed she has matured enough. I guess they figure because of my mystical powers and how well my training is going that I will be alright.
“That one there, he’s getting closer.” She points and he bounces off a force field.
“What the hell was that?” I ask.
“I have no idea; I guess I am finally getting a new power,” Eliza suggests.
“Okay, let’s use this to our advantage. Try to place a force field around our group,” I suggest.
The vampires come closer; we need to ensure that we can still attack through the shield. Elijah throws a stake aiming at one of the vampires; it penetrates the field and stakes one right in the heart.
“Okay, this is good, but we don’t have enough stakes,” Danika notes.
“And I can’t hold this much longer,” Eliza admits.
“I have an idea. Elijah, Florence, I need both of you throw a stake, as hard and fast as you can,” I order.
As they each throw a stake I use my telekinetic power to move the stake through as many of the vampires as I can. It penetrates through each vampire completely moving on to the next one with full force.
“Ebony, you just took out over half of the Cerberus with only two stakes,” Danika says with surprise.
We watch as the staked vampire turn into dried up corpses ready to be beheaded and burned. Then Eliza collapses to the ground and the force field retracts. Isaac returns with six shifters. Caspian is right behind them. I pick up the protection potion and throw it down at Eliza, as we run and physically attack the remaining Cerberus. Sophia is out for vampire blood. She wants to destroy them for taking her boyfriend’s parents. I can’t help but think the boys are going to be destroyed. As we fight we all hear a cell phone ringing from the McCord’s car. The boys must be trying to call and find out where their parents are. Alexander connects to Nathanial and tells him to stay at the manor. He explains that the boys’ parents are at the hospital with Isaac, and no one can leave. We all look at him, knowing it’s not really a lie, but a stretch of the truth that must be told to protect the others.
“Alexander, watch out, there’s one behind you,” Matilda warns as she flips her attacker over right on to a broken tree branch and stakes him.
Elijah is going hard with the fight leader, one of Drake’s head hunt
ers. Caspian described him when he came to the house that day and this must be him. He is powerful and fits the physical description. Just under six feet tall, shoulder length brown curly hair, goatee and black eyes surrounded by a red rim so bright it glows. Elijah narrowly misses a stake in the chest, turning as the leader is able to move one from the ground and nicks his arm. Others try to help their leader as we attempt to keep them clear of Elijah.
Through peripheral vision I see Eliza coming to. “Ebony, catch,” she shouts as she throws a trapping potion. I throw it at Elijah, Caspian and the leader, trapping them together so no others can interfere. This gives us an advantage, since no one can help the leader now. Danika gets hurt in her altercation with a female vampire. I think it may be that Marcie, Danika told us about. I wasn’t at the club when they rescued Danika, so I never got a look at any of the vampires there.
“Sophia, help,” Danika shouts.
Sophia races to her sister’s side, as she lays there with broken limbs. Sophia helps her heal faster as Eliza throws a force field around them just long enough to protect them. Elijah and Caspian are finally able to stake the leader and suddenly the other Cerberus weakens enough that we can destroy them easily.
“Now, that was easy. Why is it that they were so weakened once the leader was destroyed?” I ask.
Elijah smiles. “Whenever a Vampire’s creator is destroyed, it weakens all of his minions. They can survive, but are weakened depending upon how many years they have behind them. They can gain strength by embracing others and becoming a creator themselves,” he explains.
We spend the next few moments putting the ashes of the destroyed vampires in silver boxes, the same way we did last time. Alexander takes care of burying the boxes to ensure there is no returning. He always wears the thick neoprene gloves when handling the silver boxes, so he doesn’t get burned by the silver. I hope that maybe we can get Drake and Cyrus next time, the true leaders of the Cerberus.
Eliza approaches the rest of us, “I don’t mean to break up the party, but we need to get to the manor and get the boys to the hospital. We still don’t know if Isaac has been able to save the baby.”
***
Back at the manor, the boys all come running as we enter.
“Is everyone okay, where is Mom and Dad, are they still with Isaac? Did any of the towns people see you or worse get hurt?” Nathanial asks.
We all freeze not knowing where to start.
“Let’s sit down and we’ll explain,” Sophia suggests.
Eliza sits next to Luke and holds his hand, as Sophia does the same with Nathanial.
“Well boys, it was a difficult fight and a few of us got injured. We destroyed the leader and all those he brought with him. When we arrived on scene there was a car accident caused by the Cerberus. That is why Isaac is at the hospital,” Florence explains.
“Oh lord, I hope the victims will be alright. Is it anyone we know?” Luke inquires, not suspecting what is about to come.
“Well, that is where things are difficult. Yes, we all know the victims. I hate to tell you but it was your parents,” Constance breaks the news.
Nathanial and Luke both jump to their feet, “We gotta get there now,” Nathanial insists painfully. “Are they going to be okay?”
“Actually Nate, Luke, I hate to tell you this, but they did not make it. The Cerberus that caused the accident fed off them before we could get there,” Constance continues.
We all watch as the two men who are like family to us, fall back to the couch and begin to cry for their parents. “Why, why them?” Nate sobs.
“I’m so sorry, hun.” Sophia cradles the man she loves so dearly as he tries to process the information.
“The baby, oh such an innocent little soul, gone before it’s time. He or she did not even get a chance to experience life.” Luke cries even harder.
“Actually, that’s where there may be some good news,” I insert.
“Good news, what could possibly be good about a baby dying before even born?” Luke defends.
“Isaac took your mom to the hospital, for a caesarian section to try to save the baby. Your mom was gone, but I could still sense the baby. We don’t know if Isaac was successful or not, that is why we need to get there now. If he was able to save the baby, the two of you will need to be there.”
Chapter Thirty
Trials and Tribulations
Once again we find ourselves walking through the front doors of the hospital to say goodbye to someone we love. The elevator doors open and Isaac steps out.
“Come with me, we will talk in private,” he says as he leads us around the corner. Isaac leads us to a large private waiting room that will fit all fifteen of us. The same one we sat in just one year ago.
As we take seats on the large couches and chairs, Isaac begins to explain to Nathanial and Luke, “When we got to the scene of the accident, Sophia realized it was your parents. We were able to get Nikole out of the car and Sophia tried to heal her. She soon realized that it was too late for Nikole, but the baby was still viable. I raced your mother here and performed a cesarean section to try to save the baby.”
We can all see that the boys are destroyed. Luke fights through his tears, “You couldn’t do it, could you? It’s too soon; Mom wasn’t due for almost two months.”
“I was able to save the baby. He is very small, but I have never seen a baby as strong as him,” Isaac offers a glimmer of hope.
“He, we have another brother and he is alive?” Nathanial says with complete surprise.
“Yes. Would you like to meet him?”
“Yes, of course. We’re all that little guy has now.” Luke jumps to his feet, with a renewed sense of hope.
“It’s okay Luke, I will go get him and bring him to you. He is so strong we do not even need to keep him in the nursery,” Isaac says as he leaves the room.
Sophia and Eliza try to console their boyfriends. We’re all devastated over the loss. Mrs. McCord wanted another baby so bad and now he is here, but yet she is gone. This just seems like such an injustice. Yet the boys have recomposed themselves and like the men they are, become a new strength of their brother. Isaac then walks in with the baby.
“Nate, Luke, I would like you to meet your little brother.” He pushes the basinet in front of the two brothers.
“He is so small. Are you sure he is alright?” Luke questions.
“Yes, he is small, only four pounds. Although, like I said, he is so strong. Most babies that are born almost two months before they are due suffer many complications. They have difficulty breathing, eating, they can have a hard time keeping their temperature and have heart defects, and the list goes on and on. I cannot understand why he is so strong. He is the healthiest baby I have ever seen, and there is no explanation,” Isaac admits.
“Can we hold him?” Nathanial requests.
“Of course, I actually suggest it. One thing that is amazing for premature babies is called kangaroo care. This is where you place the baby to your chest, skin to skin. They absorb your warmth and hear your heart beat. It has proven to be miraculous in helping the little ones progress.”
Nathanial reaches down and picks up his new baby brother. “What are we going to call you little one?” He asks with tears rolling down his face. Only holding him for a moment, he places the baby back in the bassinet.
Luke looks at his two little brothers. “I don’t know what Mom and Dad would have called him, but I think we should name him after Dad, Arthur.”
“Don’t you remember how much Dad hated his name?” Nathanial says with a smirk.
“Yeah, your right, I guess we have something to think about.”
Everyone in the room forgets about our grief for a moment and takes in the beauty of the new life in front of us. Eyln starts to levitate and places herself in the basinet, next to the new life. She snuggles right next to him and goes to sleep.
“That is the sweetest thing in the world,” I awe.
Matilda smiles. “If
you only knew,” she whispers.
“What do you mean by that?” Sophia snaps her head to look at her sister.
“We have another match. Elyn and the baby are soul mates. I would also have to assume that Elyn knows it too.” Matilda laughs.
Pondering what will happen to the baby and what he will be called. I smile at my baby girl snuggled next to him.
“I got it, Nikolas Arthur. That way he has both Mom and Dad’s name, but doesn’t have the name Dad hated so much, every day,” Nathanial suggests.
“That’s the perfect way to honor Mom and Dad,” Luke agrees.
Luke reaches down placing his hand on the baby’s head. “It is settled, you have some big shoes to fill little Nik. Our parents were amazing people and you now carry their names.”
“This is really amazing, but getting back to Mom and Dad, how did they die, was it from injuries from the car accident?” Nathanial wonders.
Sophia takes his hand, “Actually the accident killed your father and only hurt your mom. The Cerberus attacked and fed off you parents. I could have Embraced your mom if I had been just moments earlier, but don’t believe that would have been the best choice, even if it were possible. Embracing only works if the heart is still pumping, at least enough to circulate the vampiric blood and venom through the system. I believe they deserve peace anyways and it seems they didn’t suffer long.”
“Thank you for that, Sophia, I don’t think they would have been happy as vampires,” Luke admits.
Elijah and Florence share a look, and Elijah looks over little Nik. “What did you say? One of the Cerberus fed off of Nikole.”
“Yeah, he almost drained her dry. Sorry boys, I don’t mean to be insensitive,” Sophia shares.
The eldest Pierce’s begin to examine the baby. Lifting his limbs and testing his strength. “Oh no, Florence do you think…” Elijah slips.
“What, What is it. What is wrong with Nik?” Luke begins to panic.
“No, no, Luke don’t panic. The baby was in-utero when your mom was bitten. So the venom from the vampire that fed off her traveled through her system and crossed the placenta to the baby,” Florence explains.