But the damage was already done. While they’d already shot most of their missiles, there was still a massive legion of Surge forces. He continued fighting but was forced back by the collective strength of the Surge. There were just too many of them.
Titus jumped into the air, kicking zombies from his feet. He flew back to his jet and jumped inside, telling his men to fall back. They had already lost several good dragons and vampires in the fight. They had to regroup, they needed more support.
This was the worst Surge attack in this country since Denver. Satisfied that they had no more missiles, and that the cities were safe for the time being, the Silverdrakes and Blackrose fell back to Chicago.
They met in the war room to discuss the events of the day, keeping an eye on the island with a drone that flew above.
"The forces are moving. The legions are headed east toward Michigan."
"Where did Xander find that witch?"
"Probably in France," Kyran said.
"Jerith needs to get back here right now," Titus said.
"He's on his way," Kyran said, clearly irritated.
Everyone knew that Kyran could never defend Chicago with the full force of the Surge coming down on them.
"He'll be here by the morning," Kyran said. "We've lost several sections of the city. The people are in a panic.”
"We had three missiles fired on St. Louis. One of them exploded over the river right near the city, but we were able to deflect the other two. Parts of downtown burned but we quickly put out the flames," Titus said. "We need to keep eyes on Xander at all times.”
"Where is he going?" Kyran asked, watching the drone footage. "The only thing in that direction is Grand Rapids."
"He’s creating a base of operations. This is obviously retaliation for Paris.”
"What did you think would happen?" Orion asked, speaking for the first time.
"What do you mean?" Kyran asked.
"Xander took Paris. He took New York and he took Los Angeles. He centralized his forces in those cities. Jerith decided to take Paris back and clearly Xander didn't like that."
"What were we supposed to do? Just give up Paris?" Kyran asked.
"Perhaps, for the time being," Orion said.
"As I recall, Orion Silverdrake, you are no longer Alpha of the Silverdrake clan,” Kyran said.
"Gentlemen," Bridget said, standing.
She wore a formfitting bodysuit in a bright burnt orange that made her look like a fighter pilot crossed with a fashion model with her bright red hair tied back in a tight bun. She was really quite fetching.
"Fighting about this isn't going to help. The one thing I can say for sure is that you need more magic here. There are not enough witches in this region to defend against a mage of that strength. I could barely dent her after I brought down the shield. Which, by the way, was not that strong, but the witch herself is fortified with runes and magic beyond my skill level. I've been studying magic since the sun was still dark, and I'm confident in my own magic, but that witch’s skill is beyond anything I've ever seen before. Honestly, it scares me."
"Well, thank you for that, Bridget. I'm sure it gives us all a lot more confidence," Kyran said.
"I'm just trying to be honest here, gentlemen. Now is not a time for fighting. Now is the time to be frank. We need to make plans. We all know that those who would suffer the most in this are the witches and humans. I do not want to see that happen. This isn't just about the immortal battle. The entire world is at stake. Yours, mine and ours."
"We can't just bring witches here," Kyran said. "The witches are promised as wives to the kings and alphas. They are meant for breeding, not fighting.”
“You will not last long against magic like that without a witch, I guarantee you. That mage is the one who created the portal. I don't think any of you have the magic, or the brute strength, or even the human technology to bring her down."
"We appreciate your counsel, Bridget. It is important that we hear all voices here, and Bridget is giving us another perspective," Titus said. "The magic was indeed strong and we do need defenses against it."
"I will speak with Lucia about this matter when I return with Bridget to the temple."
"There already aren't enough witches to go around," Kyran said.
"We all know that, Kyran," Titus said.
They watched a feed of the Surge ships landing on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.
"We need to fortify our cities, consolidate our strength, and call in reinforcements. I must return to my bride. I want to be informed of any new developments immediately."
Titus shook Kyran’s hand and then slapped his brother on the back. Titus, Orion, and Bridget walked out of the war room and continued together toward their jets.
“Thank you for arriving so quickly, Orion,” Titus said. “And thank you Bridget for putting yourself on the line. You were a great help to us in the battle. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
“We are all responsible for the safety of the new world,” she said.
“Your future husband will be very lucky to have you,” Titus said.
“Thank you,” Bridget said. “I’ve been waiting a long time.”
“Do you look forward to being matched?”
“Of course. I look forward to bringing children to my mate when I find him. The strength of the allied clans and covens will prevail in the end. I am so happy Desdemona is happy with you now. We knew she would be eventually, but she had us worried for a while. She refused to understand who she was in her previous lifetime. That information could have helped her a great deal. But we don’t force such things on our acolytes. Remind her to practice her music and carry on her studies. She always has access to our database if she desires. Now that she is mated and bound I’m sure she will be more interested in the information we have available to her.”
“I will definitely tell her,” Titus said, shaking Bridget’s hand one last time before he climbed into his jet.
He was back in St. Louis shortly, landing his jet on the roof of his penthouse. His dragon senses could pick up the smell of fire. A bomb had exploded over the river and the debris had caught fire downtown. His people had put it out quickly but the devastation remained.
He felt deep anxiety in his chest as he took the elevator downstairs to the second subterranean level. When the elevator doors swished open, he found Desdemona in the front waiting room. She shot to her feet as soon as she saw him. He crossed the distance between them and gathered her up in his arms.
She was everything to him and he would never let her go again. He kissed her softly on the lips, face, neck and cheeks. He felt the dampness of tears on her skin and pulled away to look at her, cupping her face in his hands.
“Have you been all right, my darling?” he asked.
“I’ve been so worried about you. What happened? Were you able to defeat them?”
“Come, let’s get you comfortable.”
He walked with her into the living room of one section of sublevel two and had his Goudy butler bring them refreshments. The room was made up with similar furniture as the penthouse with holographic screens that mimicked windows. The screens were set to a tropical beach scene and the air in the room was comfortable and warm.
Benny brought them sweet iced tea and jam covered cookies and set the tray on the coffee table between them. Titus watched Desdemona drink her beverage, enjoying the simple act of gazing at her across the room. He never wanted to lose this. This soft, settled domesticity. He’d never imagined that he would want it so badly. In the two thousand year since she’d died, he had pushed the possibility out of his mind, believing it an impossible dream.
“Orion brought Bridget with him from California and she was able to take down the shield. But she tells me that the witch who created the portal has magic stronger than anything she’s ever seen before. Bridget is convinced we need witches to defeat the Surge.”
“I heard a lot of bombs were dropped on Chicago.”
/> “That is correct. I was able to take out the generators powering the portal and finally shut it down. For the time being the Surge have no more missiles. But they are taking up encampment on the eastern shore of the lake across from Chicago.”
“And you know for sure that it’s Xander?”
“It is definitely him. I saw him myself.”
“What will we do?”
“We will fight. Jerith is coming back from Paris and will be here by morning. We are bringing in reinforcements from the other allied clans and covens. And Orion is talking with Lucia about acquiring the help of witches.”
“How do you think that will work out, since the witches are fated to be matched with immortal males?”
“The older witches who lost their fertility before becoming immortal may be of great use in the battle. If they choose to fight.”
“I think most of the witches will choose to fight. Most of them were more informed than me. I was stubborn and refused to learn about my own past.”
She laughed and leaned forward to pick up a cookie. He loved the sound of her laughter, but he also loved that she had changed her tune so completely. He knew that she’d been justified in most of her feelings, but was correct in admitting she’d been stubborn.
“You’ve gained much wisdom, my sweet,” Titus said, standing from his own chair to sit beside her on the couch.
She had changed into one of the long, flowing gowns they wore at the temple. She looked lovely in the simulated tropical light flowing in through the virtual windows.
“It’s funny, I kind of like it down here,” she said.
“That’s good, because we may be spending more time down here in the future.”
24
The months moved past quickly and Desdemona’s belly grew. She loved the feeling of her little baby moving inside her womb. From the first moment she felt the tiny quiver of life inside her, she understood what she really wanted.
The immortal Patrice had the right idea, Desdemona finally decided. In her sixth month of pregnancy, standing on the penthouse deck, with the warm summer breeze from below, she cupped her belly and decided that she would be a birthing goddess for her husband and the clan. She didn’t know how to tell Titus. It had been such a problem between them in the past.
The Surge gathered strength every day. Older witches had been deployed to Chicago to help in the battle, but Xander had sent ground zombie hordes around the lake. The city had required a wall be built around the entire perimeter, cutting them off on all sides.
That had been the only way to keep back the tide of zombie vampires that were being hurled against the Blackrose coven territory.
Jerith, the King of Chicago, had been fighting for all this time. The Surge seemed to have a never-ending supply of bodies. Some had even started the trek south, making their way to take a stand against the Silverdrake clan.
Titus assured her they would never make it this far, that his dragons would burn them all before they reached the river. But Desdemona still feared for the safety of her city, for herself, and for the child growing in her belly.
The time between arriving in St. Louis and the opening of the portal had given her a false sense of security. She and Titus had attended football games and gone shopping in the best boutiques. Now that Xander had turned his attention to the Midwest, that reality seemed a distant dream. People were scared and consolidating their resources.
Human weaponry had been brought up from military bases in the south by the southern clans, helping to fortify the Silverdrake and Blackrose strongholds. If they fell, there was little standing between Xander and the rest of the immortals in the country.
Desdemona turned back into her penthouse suite and went to the table that was set for lunch. Titus had gone to a meeting with Jerith in Chicago and she was alone for the day. When he was gone she always felt a subtle need to be in the fallout shelter without his protection beside her.
She sat at her table in the penthouse and ate her lunch. Her baby would be here soon. Once the child was born she would have another and another. It was what she could do for her clan, and for the allied immortals who wished to keep the people of the world safe from the evils of the Surge.
Her own transformation from ignorant girl to informed woman had been a difficult one, but she had made it and was now the mate of the strongest dragon in the country. Their strength would continue and good would prevail. She vowed it from the deepest parts of her heart.
After lunch, Desdemona retired to her rooms to play her guitar and study magic sent by Bridget. Desdemona had been studying every day in the databases from the temple. She learned a great deal about herself and about what it would mean to be a birthing goddess.
Once the decision was made, a spell was cast and the birthing goddess was able to have babies more quickly than the typical nine months.
The gestation period was cut to six months and the birthing goddess could be prepared to be inseminated in only one month after giving birth.
As far as she knew, no women had yet to take on the role of birthing goddess in the new world. She would be the first. Not even Lucia had taken the role of birthing goddess.
She picked up her guitar, strumming it with her fingertips. She began to sing and her kitten Snowpuff pranced on the carpet, chasing a catnip ball. She was learning subtlety with her music and the energy she sent through the air was growing more precise and more powerful. She sent a stream of energy that ruffled Snowpuff’s fluffy fur and the kitten pounced at it.
When she was done playing, she determined that she would tell Titus her decision as soon as he returned. When he got back later that day, he took one look at her and knew something was going on.
“What is it? You seem worried,” he said sniffing the air. “I can smell your anxiety.”
“I have something I want to talk to about,” she said, guiding them toward their sitting room.
“What is it?” he asked, taking a seat beside her.
“I’ve made a decision. And I need to talk to you about it. We have to be on the same page about this.”
“Tell me, Desdemona,” he said.
She let out a long sigh and grasped his hand on the couch beside her.
“I want to be a birthing goddess. I’m sure of it. I want Lucia to cast the spell after the baby is born.”
“Are you sure about this?” he asked, holding her hand tightly in his.
“As sure as I’ve ever been about anything. The way I see it is I’ve had two thousand years to think it over. I’m ready now.”
“I think you’re ready too,” he said. “I probably should have listened to you way back then. I was being just as stubborn. I should have trusted you to know what you could handle.”
“All that is in the past. All that matters is our future. I want to do my part for the clan and for the fight to save our world. We need the strength of our children. And, if this is something I can do from my ivory tower, or fallout shelter, that is what I want to do. For everyone’s sake.”
“You are a strong and brave woman, my sweet Desdemona. You will make the most magnificent birthing goddess the world has ever seen.”
He reached out and gathered her in his arms, kissing her deeply on the lips. She could feel the heat rising in her core as he slid his hand under her gown. He gripped her thigh and pulled her onto his lap, pushing the heat of his erection against her awakened body.
“I’m going to have my work cut out for me,” Titus growled. “Keeping a baby in your belly is going to be rough.”
Desdemona giggled as he bucked her softly on his lap. Her heavy breasts bounced and he grasped one in his hand, pulling her toward his mouth. He sucked in her nipple, fabric and all and bit down to tease her desire.
Desdemona unbuckled his belt while Titus slid his finger through the seam under her panties, sliding over the wet slit between her legs.
Titus pulled himself out of his pants and slid inside her. Desdemona gasped at the feel of his thick, long erectio
n entering her so quickly. Her belly brushed against his hard chest and he cupped the back of her head as he pulled her against him. She groaned and threw back her head, resting it in his strong hand. Titus pulled her gown down over her breasts and licked her nipples one by one as he pumped into her with agonizingly slow movements.
He twirled his finger on her clit as he thrust harder, forcing her to come with abandoned intensity. Desdemona let out a long wailing moan and her magic gathered in the pit of her stomach. As she sang out, she could feel the pleasure inside her intensify.
Titus held her behind with both hands as he released inside her. It met her own driving orgasm in a crescendo of magic and sensuality. She vibrated with pleasure from head to toe and she knew Titus felt the same. Until that moment, she had no idea her song could have such a visceral effect. They held each other in the afterglow of their lovemaking, their hearts beating wildly and their heavy breathing in unison. She would never get enough of him.
The last three months of Desdemona’s pregnancy moved swiftly. Her belly grew larger every day like a ripe fruit. As the winter winds blew down the river, Desdemona felt the first pangs of her labor grip her to the very core. She grabbed her belly and groaned, sitting up in the bed at night.
Titus sat up beside her, reaching out in the darkness.
“The baby is coming.”
“I’ll call the doctor,” Titus said, lifting his glass pad from the beside the bed.
Desdemona climbed out of bed and began to pace the floor, as she knew walking would quicken the labor. When she became a birthing goddess, this would be her life, and every seven or eight months another child would be born. She would give birth to little dragons and little witches for the Silverdrake clan for years to come.
She felt another surge of pain grip her belly and she grasped the back of her chair. She sucked a sharp breath through her teeth. This pain was mind-boggling and she had to find a way through it or it would make her lose her resolve to fulfill her destiny.
Just as the doctor entered the room, Desdemona understood her fate. She understood her magic and where it fit into her life. As the next contraction hit, she opened her mouth and sang. The note reverberated through her body and through the space around her in the room. Titus and the doctor looked at her as if they too felt the magic enveloping them. As she continued to sing, the pulsing tones sung with each breath brought relief to her pain and helped her body open to deliver her child.