With the last light of day glowing behind the hills across the river, Jem stood on the beach staring at the beach hut. It still looked the same from the outside. There was nothing different about it as far as he could tell. No one passing by on the coastal path would realise how drastically it had been altered.
Before they had left the castle following the conclusion of the dark angel’s trial, he has mentioned to Jai that there wasn’t much space in their much-loved beach home for the baby.
“I can help with that,” Jai had promised. “Allow me to go home to my family for two months then I will visit you and show you how to make your beach hut a beach palace.”
At first Jem had been sceptical about the vampire’s promise but Meryn had explained to him that Jai’s gift lay in extending spaces. She described it as an ancient form of earth magic.
True to his word, Jai had arrived a week before July’s full Sturgeon moon, bearing gifts from his Indian family for the baby. Having surveyed the hut and the geology around it, he declared that the rock bed was suitable to extend the hut down into the earth without making any changed to the current exterior or destabilising the structure. The three vampires consulted at great length long into the night before it was agreed that Jai would create a staircase down from Trine’s old bedroom and create three new underground rooms. When Jem had offered to help, Jai had politely declined.
“This magic is sacred to my family,” the Indian vampire had explained. “I need to work alone. Once I have the tunnel started, you must seal the entrance until I return to the surface.”
“Jai!” Trine had protested. “That sounds barbaric even for vampires. I am not sealing you under our house. We’ll lock the door to the room. Will that be enough?”
Reluctantly he had agreed.
“This will take me one month,” he stated as he’d entered the room. The small Indian vampire closed the door before either of them could ask him any further questions.
Over the next five weeks, Trine and Jem heard the occasional rumble of rocks moving but otherwise were oblivious to the changes going on under their feet.
By the time Jai returned to the surface, there were only four weeks left until the baby was due to arrive. Pregnancy suited Trine. With Meryn’s help, the ice maiden had devised a way to get all the vitamins and nutrients that she needed to support her body to carry the baby. Blood alone was not sufficient to nurture the unborn child. Much to Jem’s amusement, Trine developed a more human pregnancy craving in the latter few months of her pregnancy. She was craving ice cream.
The night that Jai finally emerged from behind the locked door, Jem had just returned to the hut with two tubs of cookie dough ice cream that he’d acquired after hours from the local supermarket. He was scooping some into a bowl for Trine when the door creaked open.
“Jesus!” yelped Jem, dropping the spoon he was holding into the bowl with a clatter. “You scared the crap out of me, Jai!”
“My most humble apologies,” said the small Indian vampire with a deep bow. “My work is done. May I show you the new rooms then I must return to my family tonight.”
Awkwardly Trine got to her feet, wincing as the baby kicked her ribs sharply.
“Lead the way,” she said as she smoothed her loose blue dress over her large bump.
Abandoning the ice cream for the moment, Jem followed them into what had been the been Trine’s bedroom. A staircase spiralled down in one corner of the room. In lieu of a handrail, tick rope had been draped against one wall as the steps curled down to the beach hut’s new lower level. With Jai leading the way, the three vampires descended the staircase to the square hallway at the bottom which had three doors opening off from it.
“Allow me,” said Jai, opening the left-hand door. “I’ve left décor and furnishings up to you but each of these rooms is large enough to be a bedroom or if need be, a sitting room or a suite of rooms. They are all interconnected from within the rooms too.”
“How?” gasped Trine, her eyes wide with wonder at the subterranean transformation of their home.
“Trade secret,” said Jai with a wink. “Jem, if you would like assistance to decorate the room I could come back in a few more weeks.”
Shaking his head, Jem replied, “Thanks but I know how to drive a paint roller.” He paused, looking round the first room. “This is awesome. How did you remove the rock and dirt? You never came out the entire time you were down here.”
“Magic,” answered the Indian vampire. “I cannot disclose our secrets. You would need to be part of my family before I could consider revealing that.”
As they moved into the second, more rectangular room, Trine declared, “I have no idea how you did this, Jai, but it’s fantastic. So much space! I love it!”
“Happy to have helped, my dear,” he said with a formal bow. “In winter, these rooms will be warm. In summer, they will be cool. There’s a climate enchantment in place.”
“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” gushed Trine. “Thank you!”
“This is amazing, Jai,” compliments Jem. “Thank you doesn’t seem enough.”
“It’s been my pleasure,” assured Jai warmly. “Now I must take my leave. I have been separated from my family for too long.”
After the Indian vampire had departed, Trine and Jem sat discussing how they were going to decorate and furnish their three new rooms. As Trine devoured her ice cream, they debated colours, eventually agreeing on a pale neutral colour palette for the walls. Jai had already laid beautiful wood floors throughout the lower level that would tone in with any colour choice.
“Been a while since I’ve done any painting,” mused Jem, thinking back to his previous life and the hour spent decorating his family’s home back then. “Actually kind of looking forward to it.”
“How long will it take?”
“A few days. A week tops.”
“What about furniture?” asked Trine, licking the last drops of her ice cream from the spoon.
“I can transport some from my old house or we can get new stuff. Up to you.”
“I’ll have a think,” promised Trine, wriggling into a better position in the chair.” Your little princess is restless.”
“Probably a sugar high from all that ice cream,” he teased with a smile. “Won’t be long til she’s here. We still need to stock up on baby supplies too.”
“I’ll make a list,” said Trine. “Meryn said she’d bring some essentials. She’s arriving next week.”
“Guess I’d better decorate a room for her,” laughed Jem, appreciating the human normality of it all.
A soft noise on the shingle behind him brought Jem back to the present. He didn’t need to turn around to know that his mother had arrived.
“Still looks the same,” Meryn commented as she came to stand beside him.
“Looks can be deceiving,” said Jem with a lazy grin. “Jai has worked miracles with the place. Wait til you see inside.”
“I’m sure he has,” agreed his mother warmly. “And how’s our mother -to-be?”
“Fine, I guess. Getting bigger by the day.”
“Has she been able to hunt?” quizzed Meryn.
“Not for a few days. She said she felt too heavy for it. I think she’s worried that she accidentally hurts the baby.”
“Then you’ll need to hunt for her,” stated Meryn plainly. “She’s going to need all of her strength. Ideally, she needs fresh blood daily until the baby arrives. You’ll need to keep the blood warm for her to ensure its at its best.”
Jem nodded, “How hard is this going to be for her? One of my other children was a C-section. I’m guessing that’s not an option here.”
“It’s a last resort,” admitted Meryn. “Any birth takes effort. They don’t call it labour for nothing, but Trine is young and healthy. Vampire labours are different to most human labours. They tend to be short and intense.”
“How short?”
“Less than three hours. I’ve only attended a handful. Vampire babies are rare creatures.”
“But she’ll be ok, won’t she?”
“I’ll take good care of her. Of both of them,” promised Meryn, trying to sound reassuring. “Now, are you going to help me inside with these boxes?”
Turning round, Jem noticed a pile of boxes and a wicker moses basket sitting on the beach behind them.
When they entered the beach hut, Trine was sitting crocheting a tiny white baby bootee. She set her work aside and struggled to her feet to greet the senior vampiress. Her baby bump made their embrace awkward, but she twisted to the side to wrap her arms around Meryn.
“Someone’s blooming,” complimented Meryn with a smile. “That bump looks lowers. I’m not sure that you have much longer to go, my dear.”
“It feels different today,” admitted Trine, resting her hand on her swollen abdomen. “The baby’s seemed restless too. Lots of movement.”
“Baby knows what she needs to do,” assured the older woman warmly. “Your job is to help her.”
Behind them, Jem had brought in the pile of supplies that his mother had brought with her.
“Jeremiah, pass me that brown leather bag, please,” said Meryn. “The rest, apart from the square box, can go in the nursery.”
“Meryn, have you brought an entire baby department’s worth with you?” giggled Trine when she saw the pile of boxes.
“Only essentials to see you through the first six weeks,” replied Meryn. “Now, let’s get you into the bedroom so that I can check you over. Jeremiah, remember what I said about blood. There’s collecting flasks in the green box. Can you fill them for me, please?”
“Any preference of source?”
“Something rich. Deer would be ideal.”
“Leave it with me.”
Lightly Jem touched down in the shadows beside an empty factory unit a few miles to the east of the beach. He hadn’t wanted to stray far, and he was confident that he would find deer in the woodland that bordered the factory’s deserted carpark. Scanning the treeline, he watched and waited, sensing that there were deer close by. Sure enough a couple of minutes later, two young bucks sauntered out of the trees onto the grassy embankment in front of the building. Before either of them picked up on his scent, Jem swooped in killing them both. Fighting back his burning hunger to feed, he filled the four flasks that he had brought, tucked them inside his shirt and then turned his attention to the second deer. Already the blood was cooling but he drank eagerly, feeling the blood’s richness filling his veins. Once his hunger was satiated, Jem took care to hide the carcasses in the undergrowth near the road. If anyone found them, they would assume that the animals had been struck by a car or a delivery truck.
Just as he was checking that the flasks were secure before he headed for home, something caught Jem’s attention. It was faint but just as had happened months earlier back at the castle, he heard a whisper of a voice pleading for his help.
“Anna?” he thought as he focused on the voice.
“Help me, Son of Perran.”
The cry was barely audible, but it was there and there was no doubt in his mind that the voice belonged to the dark angel. The question was how… how as she reaching him when her magic was bound? Shaking his head as if to rid himself of the voice, Jem spread his majestic wings and soared soundlessly into the night.
The moon had fully risen by the time he touched down in the shadows on the shore cast by the beach hut. Glancing up, he noted that the moon was almost full. When he entered the hut, both vampiresses were sitting crocheting by the fire.
“Perfect timing,” declared his mother. “Fill Trine’s glass before that blood cools.”
“A fine vintage it is too, if I may say so myself,” he joked as he emptied the first flask into the large crystal goblet. “It’s limited to four flasks. I advise you to enjoy them while they are fresh.”
“Not all of them,” interrupted Meryn. “I need to keep two aside.” She held out her hands and accepted the flasks from her son. “Excuse me while I go downstairs to keep these warm.”
Jem stared after his mother as she disappeared downstairs.
“Best not to ask,” said Trine softly.
“I won’t,” he replied, pouring himself a glass of wine.
“Meryn thinks the baby will come in the next day or two.”
“I thought there were still a couple of weeks to go?”
Trine shook her head, “Apparently not.”
Looking deep in thought, Jem pulled over a stool and sat gazing into the flames in the woodburning stove.
“Jem,” prompted Trine softly, “You look worried. What’s wrong? Did something happen out there?”
Deciding against mentioning hearing Anna’s pleas for help, he replied, “Was just thinking about my kids. Thinking about their births….”
“You must still miss them.”
He nodded, “They’re adults with kids of their own now.”
“Do you ever….” Her words faltered on her lips.
“Only my daughter lives near here,” he revealed. “I’ve seen her twice from a distance since…well…you know.”
“You’re allowed to miss them, and you’re allowed to talk about them.”
“It’s easier if I don’t,” he stated without lifting his gaze from the dancing flames. “Better they believe I’m still missing. They must assume that I’m dead by now.”
Reaching out to touch his slender shoulder, Trine said, “You’re going to be the best father to our little princess.”
Two nights later as the full moon rose, Trine let out a sharp gasp as she rose from her seat by the fire. Grabbing at her rock-hard bulging belly, she flashed a panicked look across to Meryn.
Calmly the older woman got to her feet and said simply, “It’s time.”
Trine nodded.
“Help me to get her downstairs,” she instructed Jem.
“I can manage,” protested Trine, hating being fussed over.
“If you’re sure, my dear,” agreed Meryn. “Take it slowly. If you feel another contraction building, stop and let it pass.”
Trine nodded as she headed for the staircase.
“What can I do?” asked Jem, looking almost as scared as his partner.
“Wait there,” said his mother bluntly. “I’ll call you if I need you.”
“I want Jem with me,” called back Trine.
“Let me get you settled, my dear, then he can come down,” compromised Meryn following the younger woman down the spiral stairs.
Alone in the living room, Jem began to pace nervously. What if this all went horribly wrong? Vampire births were dangerous. What if Trine died in labour? What if he lost them both? He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. In his heart, he knew Trine was in the best hands.
“Jeremiah!”
His mother’s voice rang out clearly from the foot of the staircase. Within seconds, he was standing beside her.
“Is everything ok?”
“Everything’s fine,” she assured him. “You must promise though to do exactly as I say once we are in the birthing room. No questions. No debate.”
He nodded.
“Your primary role is to keep Trine calm.”
Again, he nodded.
Inside the smallest of the three new rooms, Trine had changed into loos shift nightgown and was standing leaning against the wall, as a fresh contraction ripped through her.
“Don’t fight it,” coached Meryn, rubbing Trine’s lower back. “Let gravity help here.”
“I’m trying,” gasped Trine.
“You’re doing fine,” assured Meryn, signalling to Jem to step forward. “Why not lean on Jeremiah for support? Put your arms over his shoulders and allow him to take some of your weight.”
Three more strong contractions tore through Trine in quick succession as she clung onto Jem. Following his mother’s lead, he praised his partner and rubbed her back as he nuzzled nose into her neck whispering that he loved her.
“I need to push,” groaned Trine as the next contraction began to build rapidly.
“Let this one pass then I’ll check for baby’s head,” said Meryn, reaching for a bottle of hand sanitiser. “The longer you can stay on your feet, the easier this will be.”
“Easy!” yelled Trine, her blue eyes blazing with anger. “There’s nothing easy about this!”
“I know, my dear,” soothed the older woman as the next contraction held Trine in its iron grip. “Jem, hold her, while I take a look.”
Lifting the hem of Trine’s nightgown, Meryn reached underneath to check the baby’s progress. She gauged that she wasn’t as fully dilated as she had hoped. As yet, Trine’s waters hadn’t broken, and the older woman sensed that might be slowing things down. Muttering a quick spell as the contraction peaked, Meryn initiated the membranes’ rupture. A flood of dark liquid flowed down Trine’s pale legs fresh blood streaked among it.
“Lift her onto the bed,” snapped Meryn, her concern clear from her tone.
“Meryn!” pleaded Trine as Jem laid her down on the bed, propping her up on the pile of pillows.
“it’s fine. Baby’s just a little distressed. Settle back and let me take a closer look.”
The baby’s head was crowning when Meryn checked, much to her relief. Gently, she applied some herb infused oil to encourage Trine’s body to relax and stretch to accommodate the baby’s head.
“On the next contraction, bear down hard,” Meryn instructed as she lay her hands on top of Trine’s stomach.
Trine could only nod as she felt the pressure build rapidly. She reached out for Jem’s hand, crushing his fingers as she pushed as hard as she could. With barely a moment to take a breath, another contraction gripped her.
“Push as hard as you can, my dear,” encouraged Meryn, keeping her hands on the young woman’s taut belly. “Keep pushing.”
Gasping, Trine collapsed back onto the pillows.
“Baby’s head is almost out,” reported Meryn. “Another big push and that’ll be the hard part over.”
“I can’t,” wailed Trine.
“You can and you will!” stated Meryn firmly. “As soon as that contraction builds, push with all you’ve got, girl.”
Stunned into silence, feeling utterly useless, all Jem could do was Trine’s hand and watch.
“Push!” commanded Meryn sharply.
A scream tore from Trine’s throat as she pushed with the last of her remaining energy.
“Head’s out.”
Swiftly, Meryn worked to untangle the umbilical cord from round the baby’s neck before Trine instinctively pushed again. One final push and the baby slid out into Meryn’s arms with a soft whimper.
“You have a beautiful baby daughter.”
Before either of them could reply, the baby began to wail, her piercing cries suggesting she was hungry. Gently, Meryn laid her on Trine’s stomach then turned to her son.
“Do you want to cut the cord?”
Numbly he nodded as he accepted the surgical scissors from his mother. With a trembling hand, he cut through the touch knotty cord then watched as Meryn tied it off and smothered it in a paste. Wrapping the baby tightly in a soft blanket, she handed her to him.
“Meet your daughter, Jeremiah,” she said smiling proudly at him before turning her attention back to Trine.
The new mother lay propped up on the pillows totally exhausted. Her naturally pale skin was almost as white as the cotton pillowcase.
“Trine, my dear,” began Meryn. “We need to deliver the placenta now.”
“I can’t.”
“Let me massage your belly to encourage a contraction then give me one more push. The best push you can,” requested Meryn, her strong hands already working the flaccid skin of Trine’s belly.
“Pain….” gasped Trine, arching her back. “Pain!”
“Damn it,” muttered Meryn. “Jem, out the baby down. I need your help here now.”
On the bed in front of them it was clear that Trine was losing a lot of blood.
“What do I do?” he asked, eyes wide in horror at the scene unfolding in front of them.
“Stem the flow with this,” instructed Meryn, passing him a clean towel. “I need to get the placenta delivered. We need the blood from it for the baby then I can use magic to heal Trine.”
Doing as he was told, Jem held the towel in place, pressing firmly praying it was enough to stem the flow of blood.
“Step aside,” ordered his mother sharply as she pushed her way in. “Trine, one push. Just one.”
With a groan, the exhausted ice maiden used the last of her strength to push as the older vampiress guided the placenta free. She bundled it into a bowl then immediately turned her attention back to Trine. Muttering incantations in a language that Jem had never heard before, Meryn worked hard to stop the haemorrhaging.
“Mother?” Jem began softly gazing at his seemingly lifeless partner lying on the bed.
“She’s sleeping,” she assured him. “We’re not out of the woods yet but I’m confident she’ll be ok.”
“So much blood….”
Meryn nodded, “Too much.” She picked up the dish holding the placenta then used a large syringe to draw all the blood from it.
Jeremiah, pass me the baby… unless you would like to do this?”
Slipping a rubber teat over the end of the syringe where the needle had been moments before, Meryn handed it to him, “Let her feed. Don’t let her suckle too fast. She needs to take all of that slowly and steadily.”
“Don’t babies drink milk?” he asked looking bemused.
“They do but vampire babies need the blood from their placenta as a first feed. It strengthens the bond with the mother among other things.”
“What other things?”
“Vital nutrients. Antibodies,” Meryn paused. “Humans could do well to learn from our practices.”
In his arms, the baby sucked hard on the teat. Her eyes were closed as she drank thirstily. Marvelling at her perfection, Jem watched her rosebud moth suckling hungrily. Her long eyelashes were dark as were her tiny eyebrows. There was a light covering of dark hair on her head that was just visible under the folds of the blanket.
“Did you feed me your placenta blood?” he asked curiously.
“I did but I never told your father,” Meryn revealed quietly.
The second that the last drop 0f blood left the teat the baby’s eyes flew open. She gazed up at Jem with her mother’s blue eyes.
“All done,” he said softly, easing the teat from her mouth.
Behind him, he was aware of Meryn working on Trine and could sense magic in the air.
Objecting to her feed being over, the baby began to cry.
“Jem, the deer blood is in that wooden box,” said his mother, pointing to the corner of the room. “Be careful, the box is hot.”
“What do I do?”
“Take out one bottle. There’s a teat on it already. Let her feed,” instructed Meryn. “It’ll be a few hours before she can get a milk feed from her mother.”
“Is she ok?”
“For now,” replied Meryn. “The bleeding has stopped. I need to keep an eye on any signs of infections. The next day or so will be crucial here but I’m hopeful. I’ve given her something to make her sleep. Rest is as good a healer as any magic at this point.”
“I can’t lose her….”
“I know, son. I know,” nodded his mother. “Let the little one feed then we’ll bathe her and get her dressed properly.”
While Meryn bathed the baby, Jem sat holding Trine’s hand, running his thumb over her cold skin.
“She’s beautiful,” he whispered, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. “Wait til you hold her. She’s perfect.”
The ice maiden stirred. Her eyelids flickered,
“Rest. Meryn’s given you something to help you sleep.”
He watched as Trine’s eyelids flickered again and her lips moved as she tried to speak. Despite his vampire hearing Jem didn’t catch what she said. He leaned in closer as Trine repeated one word, “Luna.”
“Are you trying to tell me her name is Luna?”
He felt Trine weakly squeeze his hand.
“Luna,” he repeated. “I like that. Simple.” He paused, “And I know what to do.”
It was a still clear night with dawn still an hour or so off. The full moon was casting a shimmering trail of light across the river when Jem stepped outside holding his baby daughter in his arms. Carefully he carried her down the stone steps onto the beach then made his way down to the water’s edge. Standing in the full moon’s light, Jem gently peel back the soft white blanket and let the moonlight bathe his tiny daughter.
“Welcome to the world, Luna.”
In her cramped cell in Level Zero, the dark angel sat on the edge of her narrow cot bed visualising the full moon that she knew had risen above the castle. She felt a shift in her senses. Her connection to the runner was fragile but it was still there despite the bind on her magic. In her mind’s eye, Anna saw him present his newborn daughter to the moon. The dark angel smiled to herself, secure in the knowledge that there was still a glimmer of hope.
Coral McCallum 