Sekhmet's Curse (Pearl Vampire Chronicles) (34 page)

“Come on guys.  Let’s get this over with so we can go eat,” I said.

             
Matt and Carlos each held one of my hands as
I
tried to recover.  There was still pain when I stopped feeding, but it wasn’t nearly as bad.  I still got light headed, but I didn’t pass out anymore.  And I still got nauseous after I fed on Aquila, but I wasn’t throwing up anymore.  Carlos explained all of this to Matt as I sat with my eyes closed, taking slow deep breaths.  “She would pass out
and
then throw up?  And she did this how many times a day and for how long?  Jesus, Sarah.  You could have killed yourself.”

I smiled slightly, “I had no choice, Matt,” I whispered.

“No choice.  Well I’m going to have some choice words for Cameron, that’s for damn sure,” he hissed.

“No Matt.  It wasn’t Cameron.  It was her.  She had no choice because you were dying, Matt.  She had to
save you,” Carlos said.

Matt ran his hand down my hair then pulled me closer to kiss my temple.
  I opened my eyes, “Okay.  I’m fine now.  Let’s go eat.”  But Cameron walked through the door with an arm full of blood and stopped us, “Drink first, then you can go eat,” he said.

“But I just fed,” I groaned.

“Yes, and I took that right out of you.  You need to feed again,” he said.

I held my hand out and he dropped two pints into it, “Fine,” I groaned.  I dropped my fangs and grudgingly drained both bags.  I didn’t want to admit it, but I did feel a little bit better.  “One more, Sarah,” Cameron said.  “What?  Why do I have to have one more than everyone else?”
“Well.  Because everyone else isn’t having their period,” he said.

Matt’s head whipped around, “What?  You’re having your period?  When did that start?”

“This morning,” I whispered.

“Wow.  This just keeps getting weirder and weirder, doesn’t it?”

I nodded as I drained one more pint then the three of
us headed to the newly expanded kitchen, with the two newly hired chefs.  We found Jason and Mona in there enjoying spaghetti and meatballs.  Matt did a double-take when Carlos said, “Hello, Jason, Mona.”

“Mona? Not Mississippi Mona?” he
gasped.

She grinned at him in his wheelchair, “The one and only. 
Nice to see you again Matthew.”

“But, but, but, how?  You’re
a
s
eraphim
, a pregnant
s
eraphim
no less.  How is that possible?” he gasped.

“
Shapeshifting
,” she said.

Matt shook his head as I wheeled him up to the table, “Unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath.

             
We spent the next several days helping Matt heal and enjoying being a threesome again
.  By the end of the third day, Matt was walking
on his own
again.  We fed like crazy and we ate like pigs.  And we were all adapting to forgotten bathroom habits again.  “It’s a good thing we never disconnected the toilets in this place, isn’t it
?
” Carlos said as he emerged from the bathroom once again.

“I suppose, but I hope you lit a match in there,” Matt said, grinning.

“Ha
ha
.
  I’ve got a few things to deal with in the
office.  Will you guys be okay for a bit?” he said.

“We’ll be fine,” Matt said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.  I knew what he was thinking and I was thinking the same thing too.  My period had finished, Matt was stronger and
it
had been too long, way too long, for us.  Carlos headed out the door and we were on each other before it clicked shut.
             
             

Carlos woke me from my nap with a kiss a few hours later.  “Where’s Matt?” he whispered. 

“At the clinic.
  Physical therapy until six,” I said, yawning
as I stretched
.

“Thank God.  I can’t hold out anymore,” he said as his mouth crushed down on mine.

Hours later he handed me the box of tissues from the nightstand.  “It’s so weird to have to clean up wet spots again, Sarah
.”

“Tell me about it,” I said as I tossed the tissues in the trash then headed in to the shower.

*
* * * * * * *

             
One week later, I knew.  In the middle of the night, I crawled over Carlos and ran into the bathroom at full speed, barely making it to the toilet
in time to heave.  They both woke up and followed me in.  Carlos rubbed my back while Matt put cold water on a wash cloth and put it on my forehead.  Both of them were so worried.  “Is it something you ate, Sarah?  Or is this it?  Mine didn’t start with nausea but maybe it’s different with you.  We need to get you to the clinic right now,” Matt said.

I patted his arm, “Matt, stop worrying.  I know what this is and I’m not sick and it’s not something that I ate.”

“Then what is it?” he said.

“No way,” Carlos gasped.

“No way, what?”
Matt said.

I smiled at Carlos, “Yep.  I’m pregnant.”

“No way,” Matt gasped.

“Way,” I said.

“But Sarah, what is it going to be?
Vampire
,
s
eraphim
,
w
hat?”
Matt said.

“I don’t know, Matt
.  But whatever
it
is, it’s important.  It’s meant to be.  And it’s ours.” I said.

“Who
se
?” Carlos whispered.

“Does it matter?” I said.

Carlos looked from me to Matt and back again, “No, I
guess it doesn’t.
 
But h
oly shit.
”

“Well,
said
, Carlos, well
said
,” I whispered.

             
We spent the next month helping Mona with her pregnancy.  Putting up with witches and voodoo priestesses casting different protection spells over me and asking me to drink numerous disgusting tasting potions.  Taking care of sick vampires (ten more had fallen ill, two more had died).  Dealing with my much worse than normal morning sickness
,
a
nd anxiously awaiting the appointment for my first ultrasound.  That day was finally here, and I lay on the table, with Carlos and Matt on both sides of me, all of us intently watching Cameron as he moved the ultrasound over my growing belly.  “Well, I think I know why you’re much bigger than you should be,” he said.

“Why?  Is it
Seraphim
?” I said.

“It doesn’t appear to be.  But it is definitely an accelerated pregnancy.  I’d say that you’re already beginning your second trimester, by the development.  And there are two of them.”

“Two?  You mean twins?”
I said.

“Yep.
 
Fraternal.
 
Two placentas
.
  Two separate
fetus’
.  With your permission I’d like to extract DNA from both of the cords to study.”

“Will that harm them?”

“Not at all
.
  It’s a very safe procedure that you can be awake for and watch.”

“When do you want to do it?”

“Before the babies get too big.
  How about next week?  Monday morning okay for you?”

“That works for me.  I’ll be here at eight, okay?”

“Sounds good.”

             
The following Wednesday, the three of us sat in Cameron’s office, waiting for the test results
.  My hands were clamped tightly in Matt and Carlos’ as Cameron read through the file.  “I’ll be damned,” he said. 

“What Cameron?  Tell me,” I said.

“Relax, Sarah.  The babies are fine.  They’re growing at a rapid rate, which tells me that after they’re born, their growth will be accelerated too, just like a
Seraphim
.  But they show none of the physical characteristics of
Seraphim
s.  The thing that surprises me is that they have two different fathers.”

“Excuse me? 
Two fathers?
  Is that really possible?”

“It is, if you had sex with both of them very close together when you conceived.”

“What are you saying, doc?  Are you saying that one of them is Matt’s and one is
mine
?  I’m, I’m going to be a father?” Carlos whispered as he started taking deep breaths.

I squeezed his hand as Matt and I smiled at each other, “You’ll be fine, Carlos.  You’ll be a great father,” I said.

“But, Sarah.  I don’t know the first thing about being a father. My fath
er died when I was a little kid,” he whispered, with the panic clear in his voice.

“Oh Carlos, you are so wrong.  Look at how you are with Juan and Sophia.  My niece and nephew think you are the best thing to walk this earth.”

“She’s right Carlos.  They adore you.  And your own child will adore you too.”

“Shit.  I am not ready for this,” he groaned
as he sank into one of the chairs by the wall
.

“Carlos.  You’re
over
two hundred a
nd seventy
years old.  When the hell do you think you will be ready for it?” I snapped.

“I don’t know,” he whispered.

“Well, you’ve got about three or four months to figure that out.”

Suddenly Jason came running past Cameron’s window and burst through the door, “Guys!  Come quick.  It’s Mona.”

We all ran through the halls to Jason’s room.  I could hear Mona screaming the entire way.  We ran through the door and into his bedroom.  “It hurts!” she screamed as she fought the vibrations in her body as it tried to change back.  “It’s hurting me too much to hold the shape.”

I threw off the blankets and pulled up her nightgown, exposing her huge belly.  I gently placed my hand on her belly and began rubbing as I spoke.  “Hello baby.  It’s your Grandma Sarah.  I’m really looking forward to meeting you and so is your mommy.  She loves you so much and she’s strong, baby.  She’s strong enough to do this.  But she needs your help too.  She needs you to relax and stop moving so much.  Can you do that for her?  Can you help her stay strong, baby?
”

Mona’s vibrations stopped and she relaxed.  She took some deep breaths.
After a few more seconds
she opened her eyes and looked at me.  She smiled slightly.  “Thanks,” she whispered.

“Talk to him.  Reassure him.  Let him know that you love him.  You’ll be fine,” I said.

“I will.”

Suddenly Aquila poked his head in the door, “Everything okay in here?” he said.

I nodded.

“Well, I hate to interrupt but
it’s
Bahiti.  It’s time.”

Cameron and I looked at each other.  “Get David,” he said, “And Sarah, you should go to.  None of us have done this before.  You have.  He’s going to need your help.”

I nodded, “Okay.  Matt, can you show Aquila and Bahiti where the hot
springs are?  I’ll get David and bring him up there.”

“The hot
springs?”
Matt said.

I smiled, “Trust me.  She’s going to need it.”

Matt nodded then he and Aquila headed out the door.

I started to follow but Cameron stopped me, “You’re not getting in the water are you Sarah?”

“Why not, Cameron?
  I did with Jason and I’m a friggin’ vampire.”

“I know you did when you were pregnant
with a seraphim
, but they are much stronger.  This time it’s different, Sarah, and I don’t want to take any chances.  This time you’re pregnant with twins, yes they’re twin vampires, but you and they are also exhibiting some human qualities as well, so I don’t know what the hot water would do this early in the pregnancy.”

“Alright, I’ll stay out of the water
.
I’ll coach from the side, okay?” I said.

“Good girl,” he said as he went back to tending to Mona.

             
An hour later
, up by the hot springs,
Bahiti screamed.  “It’s too big.  It won’t fit.  It’s going to tear me open!”

“Bahiti,” I calmly said, “look at me.  Open your eyes and look at me.”  She did and I continued, “
It’s not to
o
big.  His wings are caught.  Reach down with your hands.  That’s it.  Now push gently as you pull up on him slightly.  Good but push a little harder. 
Harder Bahiti.
  I see him.  He’s coming.  One good push and he’s out.  Come on! 
Push!”