Darkness Falls (41 page)

Malorie blinked her eyes, not understanding the words coming out of Jiro’s mouth. It wasn’t until Feryn eased the dying infant out of her arms that she started to struggle. “Let me hold her.”

“Will her to live,” Feryn ordered Jiro as he placed the teeny tiny baby in his brother’s hands. At Jiro’s solemn nod, Feryn scooped Malorie into his arms, tore the fabric of space and time and stepped into Netherspace. At her look of betrayal, he kissed her softly, “It’s only for a moment, my love.”

“I want to hold my child before it’s too late,” she cried.

“We have a few minutes,” Feryn murmured, holding tight.

“Every second is precious, Feryn,” she begged, beseeching him to take her back. In her desperation to return, she was barely aware of the chaos that swarmed around her.

After a moment that seemed to last an eternity, he stepped back through and she felt the familiar tug and pull of energy surging through her. It was too much and if she touched the baby, it would destroy her and the child. Feryn’s calm voice broke through her thoughts, “Gently, my love. Control the flow of energy and give her just the smallest dose.”

Malorie swallowed, staring in horror at the tiny creature in Jiro’s arms. Her body trembled with raw power and she was frightened. Bring her shaking hand up to the baby’s cheek, she hesitated, feeling the power leap forwards. “I can’t control it.”

Feryn’s warmth seeped into her bones as he moved her closer to the baby, “Slowly, Malorie. You can do this.”

Taking a breath, she brought her hand up to the baby’s diminutive head and gently ran her finger along the smooth skin. Power fought to surge through her but she held back, taking it back into her body until she thought she was going to explode. After a moment, Jiro gasped and turned away, taking the baby with him, leaving Malorie with too much energy and a million questions.

Did it work?

“I need to discharge the rest,” she panted, feeling the energy building within her, knowing that if she didn’t find an outlet, she could take out the power.

“Malorie,” Ginny whispered, reminding Malorie of her presence.

Without thinking, Malorie wrapped an arm around Ginny’s neck and sealed her mouth over the redhead’s. Pinching the girl’s nose, she breathed the power into the girl’s body, completing the process of turning a vampire into a Breeder. Afterwards, the two girls collapsed and all Malorie knew after that was the feel of Feryn’s arms around her as he hauled her back to the bed.

“The baby?” Malorie gasped, clutching at his shirt.

“She’s alright,” he crooned, climbing into the bed next to her and cradling her in his arms. “She’s alright.”

“I want to hold her,” she insisted, searching for her daughter. Turning her head and meeting Feryn’s eyes, she pleaded, “I need to hold her.”

Pushing her hair away from her face, he looked at her with utter love and devotion and in the back of her mind it registered that it wasn’t a game to him, it had never been a game. Tears welled in her eyes and his expression darkened, “Sweetheart, you need to rest.”

“I’m okay,” she insisted, struggling to sit up, ignoring the way the room spun around her. A baby’s wail pierced the air and her heart tripped over itself in her chest. A smile broke out as she turned to Feryn, unable to contain her relief, “Please, Feryn.”

Holding her eyes, he motioned with his hand and she twisted around and trembled as Jack stepped into the room holding a pink bundle in his arms and a brilliant smile on his face. She was barely aware of Feryn propping pillows up around her as she held out her arms and Jack gently handed her the small infant. Brushing a strand of black hair from the tiny pink face, Jack breathed, “She’s beautiful, Malorie. We’ve figured she’s only about a week early.”

Blinking, Malorie tore her eyes away from her daughter and offered Jack a slight smile since her words had disappeared. Jack understood, offering her a wry smile as he said, “Ginny and I are watching Toby in the living room so the three of you can… talk.”

“Thank you,” Feryn murmured gruffly as Jack gave a jaunty wave and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Emotion washed through her as she turned her attention back to the baby. As she stared at the incredible miracle in her arms, Feryn wrapped his arms around her and held them close. His breath was hot against her ear as he slowly inhaled and exhaled and it took her a moment to realize he was silently crying.

“Feryn….”

“I thought I lost you, Malorie,” he choked out, tightening his hold on her and hugging her for all he was worth. “Don’t you
ever
attempt to create a Breeder again. Ever.”

“That’s not a problem.” Tracing the delicate curve of her daughter’s brow, her tiny nose, Malorie chuckled and sobbed at the same time. Resting her head against Feryn’s, she couldn’t tear her gaze away from her baby, her perfect, living, breathing baby. “Where’s Jiro?”

“I’ve banished him.” His tone was flat but he couldn’t prevent the clenching of his muscles and Malorie knew he was suffering.

“You can’t do that,” she said gently. A slight smile curved her lips as she thought of the perfect punishment. “Give him to me, Feryn.”

“Hell no.”

She frowned for only a moment before she realized he misunderstood her intentions. Chuckling, she looked at him and shook her head, “Not like that, my love. I want your brother to be my guard, to be Toby’s guard and the other Breeders’ guard.” At his bemused look, she continued, “He understands the temptation and now he understands the consequences of acting upon those temptations.”

He pressed his lips together in a hard line as he growled, “Malorie.”  

Kissing the top of the baby's head, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, the new baby scent wrapping around her and giving her a natural high. When the baby made a soft little sound, Malorie opened her eyes and found herself staring into the brilliant green depths of an Aradian infant. Clearing her throat, unable to look away from the ancient wisdom burning in the newborn’s eyes, she continued in a distracted voice, “We’ll give him a few days to sweat before we tell him…. Feryn, she looks at me as if she knows me. She doesn’t have the eyes of a baby.”

“Genetic memory,” he ground out, obviously struggling with her decision. “About Jiro….”

She didn’t want to talk about Jiro, not when her mind was made up. “I think we should call her Hope.”

“Malorie.”

She smiled to herself as the baby wrapped her teeny tiny fingers around Malorie’s much larger finger. “I’m not naming her after myself.”

There was a moment of silence before Feryn chuckled and pressed his lips against her neck. “I love you, you know.”

“I think I finally do.”

Epilogue

Malorie and Ginny sat on the blanket that was laid out on the grass and watched Toby, Feryn, and Jack playing a game of some sort. A brilliant smile curved Malorie’s lips as Feryn picked Toby up and ran from Jack, the three males laughing. Ginny heaved a lusty sigh as she rested a hand over her still-flat stomach, “I could watch that man all day. Have I thanked you enough for bringing him into my life?”

“You haven’t stopped thanking me,” Malorie chuckled. Her smile faltered when the baby sank sharp little fangs into her breast to drink some blood with the milk. Meeting Ginny’s concerned gaze, she shrugged her shoulders, trying to keep as still as possible as the baby nursed. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that part of nursing an Aradian babe.”

Leaning forward with a grin, Ginny brushed a kiss against the baby’s cheek as she squeezed Malorie’s shoulder in commiseration and stood up. “I’m going to round up my man and head home. The four of you are still planning on coming over for dinner, right?”

“Varick plans on joining us. He says there’s been a lot of promise with regular Breeder blood. And my dad and Tari plan on stopping by, too, with their baby.”

“That’s fantastic,” Ginny grinned. “So, we can expect all of you around seven?”

Malorie nodded and watched with a grin as Ginny flounced over, interrupted the game play and wrapped herself around Jack. It was good to see her ex-husband blissfully happy. The two created-Breeders had a unique bond that no one else would ever experience – ever – and it made Malorie incredibly happy that they fell in love with one another.

Life was definitely not how she imagined it would be.

Brushing a finger along her daughter’s cheek, her lips curved into a soft smile as she sighed, “You’re a miracle, Hope.”

The baby looked up at her with wide, vibrant green eyes and blinked as if she understood. She continued to suckle and Malorie just stared at her in wonder. The blanket shifted and Malorie looked up as Jiro sat down. Her smile was welcoming as she murmured, “Jiro.”

His eyes were fixated on Hope, the guilt still raging within him. “She’s beautiful.”

“She is,” Malorie agreed, bending her head and kissing the baby’s black curls and breathing in the baby’s intoxicating scent.

“It’s amazing,” Jiro murmured. At her look of bemusement, he smiled and glanced down at her bare midriff. “I think your bonding mark has actually gotten bigger. I know for a fact that my brother’s has grown.”

“Feryn has been particularity amorous and possessive lately.” She wasn’t going to admit that she had worried the mark was going to disappear after the birth of the baby. When she had reluctantly told Feryn her fears, he started kissing her before the words were fully out of her mouth. Once she lost herself in a haze of passion, he shook his head and told her that the mark was forever.

Jiro tore his gaze away from her and the baby and stared at Feryn in grief. She watched as he struggled with his words and after a few moments, he swallowed thickly and curved his lips into a sad smile, “I should have known a Breeder created by you would be stubborn and difficult and intent on having her own way.”

“You probably should have expected it, though,” she teased him. At the flush that colored his cheeks, she added, “It serves you right that she chose Jack, you know.”

“Such a waste,” he huffed in wry disbelief.

“Maybe their baby will be your mate,” she offered.

Jiro let out a little chuckle as he leaned back and relaxed, “I doubt Ginny or Jack will let me within a hundred miles of their offspring but it’s a nice thought.”

“Well, you have twenty years to work your charm,” Malorie prompted, a smile curving her lips. “It didn’t take me more than, what, a week? before I forgave you?”

“Have you?” he asked in sincerity. At her blank look, he cleared his throat and began again, “Have you forgiven me?”

“With all my heart,” she told him. “You gave my daughter her life back.”

“I didn’t actually know if it would work,” he admitted, unable to tear his gaze from Feryn. “But I had to try something since I was the one who put both of you at risk. He’s going to hate me forever, isn’t he?”

“It’ll just take time,” Malorie assured him, rearranging her dress as her sated baby fell into a milk coma. “He’ll come around sooner or later, you know.”

He gave a desolate chuckle, “He can hold a grudge for a very long time.”

“But not this time,” she assured him with absolute confidence. Nudging his shoulder, she grinned impishly, “You have me on your side.”

He stared at her in bafflement. “Why?”

“You saved my baby,” she repeated.

“If it weren’t for me she would never have been in danger.”

“You were desperate and not in your right mind.” She shrugged her slender shoulders and added, “Besides, you’re taking your punishment very well.”

He scoffed, “As if watching over a bunch of squalling infants when they’re born is going to be a hardship.”

“You have no idea,” she snorted. “You know, my grandfather might still be out there. Maybe when you have a break in babysitting a horde of infants, you can search for him. I don’t think Gustav will mind since he’s preoccupied with Tari and their baby.”

Finally he looked at her with bemused gratitude, “You are a remarkable woman, Malorie. My brother is far luckier than I ever realized.”

She ducked her head, uncomfortable with his praise. Trying to laugh it off, she grinned, “You’re just trying to sweet talk me so you can charm your way into having your pick of Breeders when they’re born.”

“Sparks,” he blurted. At her questioning look, he colored slightly as he explained, “As in life spark. Aradians can only destroy humans but you… you give them life. You are the spark that creates so Sparks.”

She grinned, mulling the name over in her head. It was far better than Breeder but she wasn’t sure if it would catch on. “Perhaps.”

“It was just a suggestion,” he said with a smile.

“Malorie,” Feryn crooned with absolute love and devotion in his warm voice as he and Toby joined them on the blanket. Without looking at Jiro, he spoke in an absolutely icy tone, “Jiro.”

Jiro chuckled but it was strained, “It seems my brother has yet to forgive me.”

“Time,” she reminded him as she handed Hope to her doting father. He cradled the baby in his arms with such tender care that it filled Malorie with such joy she thought she would burst. Leaning against Feryn’s shoulder, she ran a finger along the curve of Hope’s face and crooned, “It’ll just take time. Won’t it, little one?”