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Hours had passed as Izola sat by the bed and watched Celeste sleep. The fear she had that her daughter was going to turn from Drycus’ bites had slowly eased. She showed no signs of turning into a vampire. It was a miracle. One that Izola promised to forever be grateful for.
She looked at Celeste as guilt and regret seared a hole in her heart. She hated herself for sending her away when she was born. Over a hundred years had passed and still Celeste had no magic or powers of any kind. She was of no threat whatsoever to anyone. How could she possibly be responsible for changing the fate of the fairies?
The Seer had been wrong and because of Izola’s faith in the old Lenoi woman’s ability to see the future, she had abandoned her firstborn child and nearly caused her death by not protecting her better. Tears slowly streamed down Izola’s face as she reached out and wrapped her hand around Celeste’s.
A moment later, the door to the room eased open and Alyse stuck her head inside. “I’m sorry to disturb you” she said softly, “but Meglana is here. And she’s very upset. She’s demanding to speak with you.”
Izola’s jaw set into a hard line at the mention of the Seer who had misguided her about Celeste’s future. “I do not want to see her. She has caused enough pain around here. I will not let her cause any more” she said in a tight voice.
“I understand” Alyse said uncomfortably, “But she says it’s urgent. It’s something about Celeste.”
Izola let out a heavy sigh and stood up. “Let her in.”
Alyse nodded and pushed the door open all the way. A Lenoi woman who looked almost as old as Izola quickly walked into the room. Her grey-white hair was unkept and frazzled. The frantic look in her eyes as she stared at Celeste sent Izola into alarm mode. “What do you know about my daughter?” she asked in a hard tone.
Meglana made her way to the bed. “It isn’t good” she said and glanced at Izola. “May I?” she asked for permission before touching Celeste.
Izola nodded and stepped aside. She watched intently as the Seer neared the bed.
Meglana pulled back the silky white sheet that covered the princess. She leaned over and gently placed her hand on Celeste’s abdomen. The second she made contact with her skin, she jerked her hand back in horror. She looked at Izola with wide, frightened eyes. “I prayed it wasn’t true, that my vision was wrong.” Her hands shook as she stared at Celeste. “I don’t know how it’s even possible...but she’s with child.” She paused for a moment then continued, “Drycus’ child” she said sadly.
“What!” Izola yelled. She shook her head in denial. “Are you insane, Meglana? That’s not possible. Vampires cannot sire children. They aren’t even living creatures. Your visions are wrong yet again” she said coldly and turned her back to the Seer.
“No, I’m not wrong” Meglana said, defiantly. “All these years you assumed Celeste didn’t possess any magic. But she does. She just doesn’t have magic that can be tested on anyone here. Anyone alive. I didn’t see it when she was born, but I do now.” Her face softened as she took in the confused look on Izola’s face. “Your daughter has a very unique gift. One that no one else has ever possessed or even knew existed. She has the gift of life. Her body has given life to the dead seed of the man who took away her innocence. Drycus could not have impregnated her otherwise.”
Meglana paused to look at the bite marks all over Celeste’s body. It made no sense that she hadn’t turned, but the more Meglana thought about it, the more she understood the gift that Celeste possessed. “Her magic not only gave life but it saved her own. It somehow prevented the change from happening inside her. It is why she is still a Lenoi and not a vampire.”
Stunned by the unwanted news, Izola’s knee’s weakened and she absentmindedly fell backwards into a slouchy sitting position on the edge of the bed. Meglana’s words echoed in her head and made her feel dizzy. She looked at Celeste as images of the horror she must have endured at the hands of Drycus filled her mind. She didn’t realize she was crying until Alyse knelt down on the floor in front of her and offered her a tissue.
“Everything will be alright.” The uncertainty in Alyse’s voice did nothing to ease Izola’s pain and fear for her daughter’s future. “Celeste is safe now and that is all that matters” Alyse continued. She tried her best not to allow the tears she felt swelling in her eyes to surface. She needed to be strong for her friend because the truth was no one knew what was going to happen with Celeste.
Izola shook her head sadly. “It can’t be true” she cried and pleaded with her eyes for Alyse to agree with her. But instead of giving her the reassurance that she needed, Alyse looked away, unsure what to believe or say.
“I am sorry, Your Majesty” Meglana said from across the room, near the door. “But I did warn you of her fate when she was born. I didn’t know the details then, but I do now. Celeste will give birth to Drycus’ child and the world of Shohala Falls as we know it, will never be the same. Evil will be among us.”
Izola didn’t hear anything after that. She was too far gone in her grief to listen to anything else Meglana had to say. She laid her head on Celeste’s chest and cried silently for the innocence that had been stolen from her daughter and the horrid future that laid ahead of her.
Unable to watch her Queen fall to pieces in front of her, Alyse jumped up from the floor and stood in front of Meglana. She needed answers. “What else have you seen? How will everything change? What is going to happen to Celeste?” She threw out her questions too quickly for Meglana to respond to them all.
“You know it doesn’t work that way, Alyse” Meglana said. “I can’t see the future in its entirety. I only see certain things. Bits and pieces. And none of it ever makes sense at the time I see it.” She glanced over at Izola and Celeste. “The princess will give birth to a new species. A hybrid of Lenoi fairy and the vampire king. I fear that the child will be more powerful and dangerous than anything we have ever seen.”
“Should we destroy it?” Alyse asked, regretfully.
The instant the question registered in Meglana’s mind, a flash of the future came to her. It was blurry and she had no idea what she really saw, but an overwhelming need to save Celeste’s child suddenly consumed her. Her face contorted in confusion. “No!” she replied in a thick tone. Her eyes landed on Celeste once more. “We must protect the child. Keep it away from Drycus.”
Meglana looked stunned by her own words, but even so, she felt the truth in them. The baby had to be protected even if protecting it meant that one day the child would destroy them all.
Alyse turned away from the Seer. Everything she’d said seemed so unbelievable and confusing, but deep down, Alyse did believe her. Their world was about to change. All she could do was hope that they would survive their uncertain future.
*****
The next several months were extremely tense, but they passed by quickly. No one ever spoke of Celeste’s pregnancy, even though it was obvious that her belly was growing. She tried not to think about what was growing inside her. She didn’t like to be reminded of what had happened to her when she was in Torlan.
She didn’t remember much, but there were times when bits and pieces of her time there came back to her. Like the smell of the damp cave, the stench of vampires and blood...her blood. She would often wake up in a panic after seeing Drycus’ face in her nightmares. The pain of not really knowing exactly what had happened to her was too much for her to deal with most days. That’s why she was so grateful no one ever mentioned anything about the creature she was carrying.
It took some time for her to feel at home in the castle with the rest of the Lenoi. After spending her entire life living with the ogres and trolls, it was a major transition to fit in with her own kind. She did her best and most of the Lenoi and Pixies accepted her, even though they were confused as to why the queen had hidden her away from everyone. But there were a few who didn’t want anything to do with her. They feared her and her unborn child.
Celeste spent most of her time with her little sister, Adora. She was much younger than Celeste. At only thirty years old, she was more of a child than a woman. And her appearance was equal to that of a twelve year old human girl.
Lenoi didn’t reach adulthood until they were a century old and even then, they looked like humans in their twenties.
Celeste enjoyed spending time with her sister. It was the only time she felt as if she wasn’t being judged. Adora was too young to understand what was going on around her. Celeste envied her innocence and loved her for her acceptance.
Aside from spending her afternoons with her sister, Celeste had also became really close friends with Alyse. They spoke often, mostly about Izola. Celeste never tired of hearing things about her mother. The few times a year that she had been allowed to see her during her childhood had never been enough.
It was during one of her chats with Alyse, that Celeste’s world changed forever.
*****
“I don’t know about that” Alyse said with a crooked grin, “your mother has lost her temper a few times over the centuries but I don’t think she has ever used her magic to permanently seal anyone’s mouth closed.” She laughed, “Who told you that?”
Celeste brushed her white-blond hair back from her face and leaned forward on her knees to push the dirt down around the flowers they were planting in the garden. She smiled, “one of the Pixies. I don’t remember his name. He seemed very sure of himself though.”
Alyse shook her head playfully. “Ah, it must have been Rayus. He’s quite a handful. I can’t even imagine how he came up with that story.”
Celeste laughed. Using her hands to push herself up, she tried to stand but a sharp pain in her stomach made her lose her balance and she fell back to the ground. “Ahhh” she screamed as the muscles in her abdomen contracted painfully.
“What’s wrong?” Alyse asked worriedly and knelt down beside her.
Celeste’s face crumpled in pain. Her hands gripped her large belly. “The baby is coming!” she said through tight lips.
Within seconds, Izola, Nolan and several warriors were by her side. Nolan quickly scooped her up in his arms and carried her inside while Izola walked nervously beside them, holding Celeste’s hand. But even the comfort of her mother’s hand in hers did nothing to calm the fear that built in her heart of seeing the abomination that was about to be ripped from her body.
Celeste had never mentioned her feelings about the baby to anyone, she kept it to herself. But she was terrified of what was inside her. She was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to love the baby if it looked hideous. But at the same time, she knew she couldn’t send it away like her mother had done to her.
Once in her room, Nolan laid Celeste down in the middle of the bed and left the room to stand guard outside the door. He had no idea what was about to be brought into the world, but whatever it was, he had sworn his life to protect it, even if that meant against his own kind. It was no secret that there were a few Lenoi who felt that Celeste’s child should not be allowed to live. And it was Nolan’s job to make sure no one went near her room.
*****
Hours later, when Celeste finally stopped screaming, a new cry could be heard. It was a softer, whinier cry.
Izola looked down into the face of her first grandchild with awe. The baby girl was just as perfect as Celeste had been when she was born. Tears of joy filled Izola’s eyes. She quickly wrapped the infant in a soft blanket and cradled her in her arms. She looked down at Celeste, who was all sweaty and exhausted. “Would you like to hold your daughter?” she asked.
Celeste looked nervously from her mother to the bundle of blanket she held in her arms. “Is...is she...normal?” she asked, shakily. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she waited to hear the answer.
“Oh Celeste, she’s more than normal. She’s perfect” Izola said softly and eased down on the bed.
The apprehension in Celeste’s eyes didn’t stop her mother from passing the baby to her. When Celeste looked down at the infant in her arms, she couldn’t hold her tears back any longer.
All of the fear that she had kept bottled up inside that her child would be born some sort of abomination were instantly erased when she saw her daughter for the first time. None of the horrid images that she had conjured up in her mind came close to what her baby actually looked like.
The flawless, snow white, almost translucent skin that covered the infants body was something Celeste had never seen before. The baby opened her eyes and Celeste gasped. Her eyes were brighter than the brightest silver ever created. They shined like crystals and made the rest of the Lenoi eyes look dull and washed out in comparison.
Relief that she didn’t see any of Drycus in her child washed over Celeste. She let out a long, much-needed deep breath and expelled all the fear that had festered inside her since the day she found out that she was pregnant. She lifted the infant to her chest and hugged her tightly. Fresh tears streamed down her face as her heart swelled with so much love for the precious soul she held in her arms.
Izola watched as her daughter embraced so lovingly the child they had all feared since learning of her existence. It was clear from the look on Celeste’s face that she loved her child no matter what she was or would become in the future. Izola couldn’t help but feel that she should have had that kind of strength when Celeste was born. A sharp pain sliced through her heart at her failure as a mother. She should have kept her child with her no matter what anyone said. Regret over missing out on Celeste’s childhood filled her. “What will you name her?” she asked and reached out to touch the baby’s tiny foot.
Celeste’s eyes lit up as a broad smile crossed her face. “Kaia. Her name is Kaia.”
“That is a beautiful name. Young Kaia of the Lenoi fairies. I like the way that sounds” Izola said with a pleased smile that was instantly wiped away when Kaia started to cry as most newborns do. But there was nothing normal about the sound coming from the baby or what was going on in the room.
The stone walls of the centuries old castle began to tremble as if they were experiencing an earthquake. The ancient porcelain urns spaced throughout the room as décor, instantly shattered into millions of pieces as the baby’s high pitched screams grew louder and louder. Other objects such as wooden chairs, an elegant vanity and a mahogany wardrobe unit suddenly began to move on their own accord.
Izola stared in disbelief as the furnishings of the room came to life and started to move around the room. In all her years, she had never seen anything like what she was witnessing. Long, spiny vines and branches from the trees in the garden outside, slithered their way up the side of the castle and into the second floor window. They inched up the walls and across the floor of the room toward the bed as if Kaia’s cries were calling them to her.
“What’s going on?” Celeste cried and looked around the room in horror. Kaia was still crying and getting louder and louder. A thunderous pounding at the door made the noise in the room even louder.
Izola glanced frantically from the chaos around her to Celeste and Kaia. In a split second, she rushed to the bed and scooped Kaia into her arms. Celeste looked at her mother questioningly. Panic creased the lines of her forehead.
Izola held Kaia close to her chest and began to sing a soft melodic tune. Her voice rang out sweet and angelic as each note flowed from her lungs. Within seconds, Kaia calmed down and her crying stopped. The walls of the castle stopped shaking and the vines that had been alive and sneaking over the walls of the room, fell lifelessly to the floor. It was suddenly eerily quiet, except for someone beating on the door from outside the room.
Izola looked down at Kaia, who was sound asleep with her tiny thumb in her mouth. She appeared so peaceful and content. Normal. But there was nothing normal about the amount of power that Izola had felt coming from the tiny infant.
Magic that strong was unheard of, even in the fairy world. It even put Izola’s to shame.
Izola looked to Celeste, who was staring at her baby with wide eyes. When she finally raised her gaze to her mother, they stared at each other, neither wanted to admit what they both knew to be true. Meglana’s vision wasn’t wrong after all. Kaia was very different. And she possessed the power to be very dangerous.
The door to the room was forced open and Nolan rushed inside with a confused look on his face and his bow in his hand. He glanced around the room, unsure of what he might find. Izola and Celeste both turned their attention to him. “Your Majesty, pardon my intrusion, but is everyone alright? The walls...they were shaking. And the door wouldn’t open” he said in a confused tone.
His gaze landed on several green vines scattered around the room. He followed their length to the window, then opened his mouth to speak but quickly snapped it shut, not sure of what he should say. The sight before him didn’t make sense.
Izola quickly composed herself and gently placed Kaia in Celeste’s waiting arms before approaching Nolan. The urgency in her voice when she spoke let him know that something was seriously wrong. “Nolan, I need you to find Meglana and bring her to me. I also need all of the Binders that we know.”
Izola glanced over her shoulder to Celeste. Worry creased her brow. “And don’t let anyone know what happened in here” she said and turned her attention back to Nolan.
“That won’t be a problem, Your Majesty, because I have no idea what’s going on.”
“I will explain when you return” Izola promised and urged him forward, out of the room. “Now go. And please hurry.”