Eternal Fires

  JD’s voice reported again. “We’re stopping here. The cruisers have the front street blocked. Matt will stay near the van. Our teams will go in both entrances.”

  The screen showed officers in full gear jumping out of the van. They split into two groups: one ran along the side of the house toward the front door, the other cut across the backyard.

  “Who’s Matt?” Ari asked.

  “Sniper. If this thing tries to fly off the deck, Matt will shoot it.”

  She looked at him. “Chief, this is a powerful vampire. You’re not likely to kill him with bullets, especially if he’s on the move.”

  The chief’s eyes flickered. “Understood. But Matt’s an exceptional shot. We have to try.”

  Andreas laid a hand on her arm. Whether he meant to restrain or reassure wasn’t clear to Ari, but she nodded and sat back. The look on Pittman’s face confirmed her earlier suspicions. He did understand, but he had his orders. Why the hell were humans so political?

  JD’s voice told them when the front door was breached, and the camera showed the second group entering through the sliding doors. For the next twenty seconds, the listeners were given a room-by-room report, as the officers routinely cleared the house. Not even a hint of Porbius.

  “Oh, hell.” JD’s sharp words brought everyone to the edge of their chairs. “I’m hearing gunfire and shouting. And some god-awful screeching. Man down. Man down. Where are the medics?”

  Then silence.

  Chief Pittman punched the button again. “What’s happening, officer? Report.”

  His brusque order was interrupted by the video grabbing their attention. A huge black crow burst from an upstairs window, shattering glass onto the yard below. Its enormous wings unfolded.

  Ari’s fingers tingled as she came to her feet. If only she were there.

  They heard shots over the speaker. The officer’s microphone had picked up the sniper’s gunfire. On the live video, they saw the creature wobble, roll once, then right itself and speed away over the trees.

  “Did you see that thing?” JD blurted on the phone.

  The chief swore.

  Ari closed her eyes and slumped down on her chair. Gone again.

  The chief held down the speaker button and repeated his orders for a report.

  “Sorry, sir,” came the quick reply this time. “One dead, two more down. Ambulance en route.”

  And one angry vampire still on the loose.

  Chief Pittman stood, took the phone off speaker. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll handle the rest of this in private.” He gave them a dismal look and left the room.

  “We’re going to the cabin,” Andreas said. “You’ll be safer there.”

  Ari shoved back her chair, and they walked out without talking to anyone. What more was there to say? Andreas showed the good sense of not trying to console her. The trip to the cabin was quiet.

  Her hands had blood on them again. She’d worked with SWAT, admired them. They’d been asked to fight an enemy they couldn’t hope to defeat. She should have gone over Pittman’s head. Called Ryan. Done something.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Almost twenty hours had passed without news of Porbius. At least he hadn’t killed anyone, although a second member of the SWAT team had died during the night.

  Ari stretched, pushed Dona’s head off her lap, and got up from the couch to get a glass of water. She yawned, moody after yesterday’s fiasco and thoroughly bored with inactivity. Her husband had nearly begged her to stay out of town today, and she hadn’t had the heart to say no.

  Steffan and Jena had left midmorning. He had an early afternoon council meeting, and they planned to shop for groceries afterward. It might be another hour or two before they were home. She’d just spoken with Andreas. This was the regular day for food and liquor deliveries at the club, and two trucks were waiting to unload. He’d be running even later than the wolves, maybe not until dark.

  Even the baby was quiet. Ari smiled. Must be nap time.

  She stopped at the cabin’s front window. A rabbit hopped across the grassy clearing; robins and sparrows searched the ground for worms and insects. It was a pretty day despite the heat. A cool walk among the trees, and gathering a few herbs for a cleansing spell, might be the perfect diversion. She grabbed an empty basket that usually held fruit, stepped outside, and set out, reassured by the normal, everyday sounds of songbirds, cicadas, and squirrels playing in the trees.

  She ambled at first and picked up the pace as her mood lightened. The walk was exactly what she’d needed. Her legs and back both felt better, and now that she was doing something, she enjoyed the solitude. With everyone hovering over her the past months, she’d had a little too much togetherness.

  Eventually, Ari turned back. She hadn’t found all the herbs she wanted, but she’d picked a couple of sprigs for Claris to identify. The feel and minty aroma of the dark green leaves with silver veins appealed to her, and usually that was a sign they had useful magical properties.

  She halted and looked around. The birds had stopped chirping.

  Several tense seconds passed. Ari frowned. Had her own intrusion silenced them? Nothing else appeared to be wrong. She belatedly realized how far she’d strayed from the cabin. No more dawdling. Steffan and Jena should be back soon, and they’d worry if she wasn’t there.

  Ari started for home and quickened her pace.

  The first loud caw came from directly overhead, the second behind her. Her magic sparked; her pulse leaped. Two crows swooped toward her. Other wings flapped in nearby trees. Ari shot a blue stunner from her fingertips, knocking the two attackers out of the air.

  Then she ran.

  Leaving the open path, she threaded a parallel route through the thick brush, ignoring the sharp brambles that snagged her arms and clothes. The crows’ ominous calls followed her, but the dense foliage sheltered her from another attack. Despite her less than agile body, she moved swiftly and soon intersected a path that she recognized. She wasn’t more than five minutes from the cabin. As long as she avoided open spaces, she’d easily get to safety.

  “Oh, Goddess, no.” Ari stumbled to a halt as sharp pain doubled her over, and she clutched her swollen belly. “No. Not here,” she moaned. And not now. Paralyzing fear added to her natural alarm. The baby was coming.

  She braced herself against a nearby tree trunk and took two slow, deep breaths. Her mind raced, trying to wrap itself around this new development.

  She peered upward through gaps in the forest canopy. Black birds circled, continuing to talk to one another with their raspy caws as they searched for her. The thick foliage wouldn’t conceal her for long. She had to keep moving. But getting to the cabin wasn’t her only concern… She needed help. She wasn’t delivering this baby alone.

  Ari tugged her phone out of her pocket. “Kyra, it’s me. I’m in labor.”

  “Now?” the nymph shrieked. “Oh my God. Where are you? What can I do?”

  “Get your cousin and meet me at Steffan’s cabin. And, Kyra…hurry.”

  “I will. Stay calm. I know exactly where Milla is. We were just talking about you.”

  Not waiting to hear more, Ari disconnected as another wave of pain started. She breathed through it. It was shorter this time, giving her hope she still had time. She took off at a brisk walk.

  Her phone chirped.

  “What’s wrong?” Andreas demanded.

  An intense flood of relief at hearing his voice nearly brought her to tears. “Our baby’s in a hurry. I’m in the woods, and the crows have found us.”

  “Cara mia. I’m coming.”

  No questions, no angst. He’d simply follow the link and find her. If she wasn’t so terrified of the crows, she might have sat down and simply waited. Instead, she dialed Steffan, told him what was happening, and continued to move toward the cabin as quickly as she could. She stumbled over a large root but doggedly kept moving.

  The hunting cabin came into view, and she stopped at the edge of the trees.
The clearing in front of her loomed like a minefield. While she considered the wisdom of waiting where she was, a raspy sound behind her said she’d already been spotted. Ari tucked her head and took off running.

  The first crow dove at her face when she was halfway across. A second dug his claws in her back. She swatted at them and shot fire into a following group of half a dozen. The resultant screeching and odor of burnt feathers momentarily left the others in disarray. Ari whirled and raced for the cabin door. As she grabbed the handle, two birds dive-bombed her, gouging her head. She beat them off with one hand, got the door open, fell inside, and kicked it closed.

  Heavy wings beat against the door and windows, the sound nearly deafening.

  Ari pushed herself off the floor and leaned on the kitchen table to catch her breath. Her hands shook, and blood ran down her forehead. Dona leaped on the table, made anxious mewing sounds, and rubbed against her arms. Ari sank into the nearest chair.

  Sudden silence outside the door brought her to her feet again. She started toward the window and stopped, bit her lip, and grabbed the windowsill at the onset of another wave of pain. Sharper this time. She sank to the floor, gasping for breath and on the verge of panic.

  Andreas burst into the cabin. He snatched her off the floor and nestled her in his arms. “Arianna, my love. Are you all right? The baby?”

  “Yes.” She nodded her head against his chest. “The crows?”

  “Gone. I didn’t see them. Your head is bleeding. Are you in pain?”

  “I’m not hurt, if that’s what you mean. but I’m having a baby. Today. You need to put me down somewhere.”

  His eyes grew wide, but he strode into the bedroom, pulled back the covers, and set her down. He grabbed a towel and knelt beside her, wiping the blood from her face. His eyes scanned her for other damage. “What can I do?”

  “Kyra and Milla are on the way. I’m better just having you here.”

  Steffan and Jena rushed in the front door carrying rifles and ammo. “We brought the guns, but I don’t see any crows. How are you?” he asked.

  “Just peachy.” She bit her lip as another contraction started.

  Andreas was noticeably relieved when the two nymphs arrived ten minutes later, bringing an armload of sheets, towels, and midwifery supplies. Milla quickly took charge in her precise, no-nonsense manner, ushered the men into the front room, gave Kyra and Jena the task of boiling water, and closed the bedroom door. She attempted to oust Dona from her chosen spot at the foot of the bed, but the cat hissed, took a swipe with her claws, and refused to move.

  “Just leave her,” Ari said. “She’ll only get worse if you don’t let her stay.”

  Milla gave in with a sniff. “How far apart are the contractions?”

  “About four minutes. Sometimes less.”

  “Then we have a little time.”

  “But it’s early. Four weeks early.” Ari peered at her anxiously. “Is the baby OK?” Except for the intensity of the pain that she hadn’t quite expected, everything felt all right, but she’d never done this before. A little reassurance would be nice.

  “I’ll tell you in a minute.” Milla did some poking and prodding—which Ari thought was a little too vigorous, listened with her stethoscope, and finally declared everything was proceeding normally. “Good size for thirty-five weeks. Are you sure of the due date?”

  Ari gave her a faint smile. “I’m sure.” Truthfully, she was only sort of sure. She knew the exact day of conception, but had no idea what effect the time travel involved might have had on the child’s development. She was anxious to count all the fingers and toes.

  During the following thirty minutes, Andreas overruled Milla’s suggestion he continue to wait outside. He held Ari’s hand, wiped her sweaty forehead when needed, and shared the earlier parts of the process through their telepathic link. As the frequency of the contractions increased, he became pale and tense.

  Ari swore and clenched her teeth over a particularly sharp wave of pain.

  Andreas leaped to his feet. “Arianna!”

  “Shut down the damned link,” she groaned. “I don’t need you panicking right now.”

  He gave her a rueful smile and cut off the sensory input. “I always knew men were the weaker sex.”

  “Don’t you ever forget it. Oh, oh. I think this is it.” She gasped and nearly crushed his hand.

  Dona yowled and ran under the bed.

  “Time to push.” Milla nodded at her. “Now.”

  Ari tightened her jaw and tried not to scream.

  * * *

  She cuddled the dark-haired bundle in her arms and watched Andreas smile at their daughter. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

  “She is that.” His finger caressed the infant’s cheek, but he lifted his gaze to Ari. “Just like her mother. She has your green eyes.”

  “And Dona’s,” Ari added, glancing at the cat preening herself on the foot of the bed. “I thought we’d call her Rayne, if you like it. Do you want to hold her?” Ari had already examined her daughter from head to toe and counted the appendages. She was perfect.

  “I do, and I like the name.” He nestled the baby in the crook of his arm. “Very pretty.”

  “Names,” she corrected. “Rayne Talaitha Yana Claris Marie—for your mother—De Luca Calin-Valvano.”

  Andreas chuckled. “That is quite a mouthful. I think I’ll stick with calling her Rayne. But shouldn’t De Luca come last in that list?”

  “Not in witch tradition.” She arched a brow. “You should be Andreas Valvano. A witch or warlock is known by the surname of the practicing witch family. Since Rayne carries the heritage of two bloodlines, I hyphenated them.”

  “A heavy burden to bear for such a tiny person.” Andreas smiled when the baby yawned, and he adjusted the blanket to cover her exposed throat. “She is a miracle.”

  Rayne turned her head toward his fingers, making small gurgling sounds. She began to wiggle her legs.

  “I think she’s hungry and looking for her mama.”

  Ari silently held out her arms. As the child suckled, Andreas watched with a rapt expression until Ari asked again about the crows.

  Worry darkened his features. “Still no sign of them. I wish we knew how they keep finding you.”

  “We were so careful in coming to the cabin that I don’t think we were followed. And I haven’t talked to anyone on the cell phone that we don’t trust completely. I’ve made most of my calls from the office, except to you. At least until the labor pains started, and the crows had already found me in the woods by then.”

  “I hate to think about you alone out there,” he said. “Why were you in the woods?”

  She switched the baby to the other arm and explained her excursion to pick herbs. “Now I need a spiritual cleansing more than ever.” She touched her head where gouges from the crows were still fresh. “I know the blood was washed off, but I want a shower soon. I feel contaminated.”

  “You look wonderful.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “The shower can wait. You’ve had a big day.”

  “We have, haven’t we?” She gazed at Rayne’s petite face, peaceful in sleep now that she had her tummy full.

  The door opened, and Milla breezed in. “Time’s up, Andreas. I still have to check the infant over, record her length and weight, and Ari must sleep. You can come back later.” She held the door expectantly, and he got to his feet.

  He shot Ari a look of mild annoyance, then gave a rueful smile and walked out.

  Milla was a bit dictatorial. Ari hadn’t warmed to her, but she was grateful Rayne was healthy and the delivery had gone smoothly. By tomorrow, the midwife’s job would be finished, and she’d be off to direct operations at another birthing. Then Kyra would be in charge of the nursery. Ari smiled at her daughter, satisfied the nanny they’d chosen had all the warmth Milla was missing.

  When the midwife took the baby, Ari leaned back and closed her eyes. Every bone in her body felt weary, but a small smile played across her
mouth. She had the most beautiful daughter in the world.

  She breathed a contented sigh and had almost dozed off when she heard a click. Puzzled, she opened her eyes. “Did you just lock the door?”

  “You need to rest. I don’t want anyone barging in unannounced.”

  “Oh.” Hardly necessary. The midwife certainly took her job seriously.

  “Go to sleep now. I’ll handle everything,” Milla said.

  Ari smiled sleepily at Rayne’s protests during her bath and at the cute little sounds she made once Milla had her snugly bundled. Her eyes drooped and closed. She heard Milla open the window. Hmm, the early evening breeze felt good.

  A sudden flap of wings. Ari’s eyes popped open. She jerked straight up in bed. Milla stood at the window, holding out the bundled child to a large crow perched on the windowsill. His beak reached to grabbed the knotted blanket serving as a baby sling, and Ari lunged out of bed, screaming. “No, stop! You can’t have her!”

  Her legs were heavy. She stumbled and snatched at Milla’s arms in panic. “No!” she screamed again. This couldn’t be happening.

  The midwife jerked away, stiff-arming Ari in the throat with one hand. Ari fell back, landing hard on her hip and elbow. The crow reached for the infant again, and Ari scrambled on her hands and knees. Goddess, help me! She wasn’t going to get there in time. Why wouldn’t her damned legs work right?

  A white furry body hurtled from the bed, screeching and hissing, and flashed past Ari’s head with claws extended. The furious cat landed on the crow’s breast and dug in her claws. They teetered on the windowsill—the cat and bird both screeching—and tumbled out the window. The bedroom door splintered as Andreas and the wolves burst into the room.

  Ari grabbed Milla by the ankles and dragged her to the floor. “Give me my baby!” She punched her in the nose and snatched the wailing infant, the trembling cries shooting pain through her mother’s heart. Ari kicked the midwife and used both feet to shove her away. Steffan grabbed the woman’s ankles.