A Voyage of Founders

  Just then, Aida’s cries of labor pain pierced through the waiting room once more. The contractions were getting more frequent, their intensity increasing as well. The sounds of labor pain exhilarated and terrified me at the same time—memories of my own experiences coming back to me… but not in a bad way, I realized. Lately, I’d been thinking about the joys of motherhood.

  Sure, it was a messy and tiring business, but it was all worth it. Gifting the world with amazing creatures did come with its perks. My favorite was the pride I felt whenever I looked at Ben and Rose. They’d done so well for themselves. They’d been through their own ordeals, and they’d risen to the top, relentless and filled with love.

  I knew the day would come when Aida and Field would experience that same mix of emotions. I could only imagine their expressions while in the delivery room, as the baby prepared to enter this world. Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Jovi’s face depicted pure dread. He’d stilled, his eyes wide and his face covered in a sheet of sweat, as he listened to his sister’s wails.

  “I should be in there,” Jovi breathed.

  “Aida was pretty specific about you and all of the immediate family staying out here,” Dmitri replied. “Field barely made it in there!”

  “She sounds like she’s in a lot of pain, though,” Phoenix said.

  “You’re not helping!” Serena shot back, then gave Jovi a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. Seriously. Aida’s getting the best care right now. She and the baby will be okay.”

  “Did you see something?” Jovi asked, putting on a hopeful expression.

  Serena giggled. “I peeked in a little, yeah. She’s close, Jovi. It sounds horrible, I know, but Corrine’s got her covered,” she replied. “It was Aida’s choice to have a fully natural birth. Besides, Field is in there with her.”

  “My guess is she didn’t know what she was getting herself into,” Dmitri muttered, crossing his arms.

  “None of us knew,” Jovi replied, then chuckled softly. “But I can’t wait to see my nephew… or niece.”

  “Oh, yeah,” I interjected, “Field and Aida decided to keep the baby’s gender a surprise.”

  Jovi nodded. “They’ve got the names ready, and the room was painted in a more neutral tone, anyway,” he said. “Though I’m hoping it’s a boy.”

  “Why a boy?” Sky asked. “A girl’s too much of a handful for ya?”

  “If it’s a girl, and she’s even half as gorgeous as her mom, do you realize the number of males that Field and I will have to put the fear of the Novak clan into?” Jovi replied, grinning. “That is a lot of hard work, buddy. I’m not trading my sister’s cravings for the sheer horror of looking after a niece—because we all know I’ll be babysitting a lot.”

  “And if it is a girl?” I asked, then laughed lightly as a resigned expression settled on his face.

  “If it is a girl, well… I’ll have about seventeen years to prepare for her first prom,” he said, then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Gosh, if I’m feeling like this already, I can only imagine what Field is going through. He’ll be doomed to a lifetime of misery once she goes away.”

  “For a father, it will be just as painful with a son.” Derek finally spoke, mildly amused. He stood, then walked over to Jovi and put a hand on his shoulder. “Jovi, that’s the thing with having children. We don’t have them forever. We only get a few years to spend with them. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, it doesn’t really matter. The process will be pretty much the same. I have no doubt that Field and Aida will raise an extraordinary creature, anyway. And that creature is already incredibly blessed to have an uncle like you.”

  Jovi teared up, just as Aida’s screams cut through me, directly.

  “Aida’s generally loud, anyway,” Serena murmured. “She’s probably just externalizing everything at a higher volume, as per usual.”

  “Making a big deal out of nothing?” Dmitri retorted.

  “She’s in labor, dude. That’s not nothing,” Serena shot back, laughing.

  Vita’s baby bump was showing now. She, too, had fallen victim to mood swings and cravings. And Dmitri had inadvertently just set her off. She scowled at him.

  “Oh, you think Aida’s loud with her labor pains?” she demanded. “Cool, I promise I’ll make your ears bleed when it’s my turn!”

  “Who says I’ll be around for that?” Dmitri replied with a grin.

  “I do.” Anjani cut him off, giving him a cold death stare. Nothing worked better to keep Dmitri grounded than the young warrior succubus. While Jovi fawned over her, Dmitri was downright intimidated by her. We’d all agreed that he secretly worshipped her, but that if she were to make any kind of sudden move, he’d jump out of his skin.

  We all chuckled throughout the exchange. Vita was handling her pregnancy quite well, despite her petite stature. Bijarki was still literally glowing, his silvery skin shimmering extra bright—a sign of intense emotions in his species. Fatherhood definitely suited him.

  As expected, the guys noticed just that, for the umpteenth time.

  “I can’t take my eyes off you, Bijarki,” Dmitri said, the corner of his mouth twitching. “You’re literally too bright.”

  Bijarki grinned, then shrugged. “Can’t turn it off,” he replied, gently brushing his knuckles against Vita’s baby bump. “I’m ridiculously happy.”

  “And I’m ridiculously pregnant.” Vita sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “Yeah, but you’re the one who’s supposed to be glowing, not lantern-husband over here,” Sky said.

  “He’s glowing enough for the both of us,” Vita replied, smiling.

  “Bijarki, the lighthouse warrior,” Jovi said, stifling a laugh.

  “Bijarki, the radioactive incubus,” Harper pitched in.

  The group burst into roaring laughter, Bijarki included. He shook his head slowly, then dropped a soft kiss on Vita’s cheek. “Hardy-har-har, but I’m the luckiest creature in the world.”

  A baby’s high-pitched cry made us all freeze. My heart skipped a beat.

  The doors opened, and Corrine came out wearing a pale yellow hospital gown. She was beaming like Neraka’s triple suns.

  “Well, then, everything is A-OK in there,” she said, then looked at Jovi and Dmitri. “Congratulations, pups! You’re the uncles of a healthy, gorgeous baby boy!”

  Cheers burst from the entire waiting room, as we all shot to our feet and applauded. It was a funny reaction from all of us at once, but I figured it still made Aida feel better, after everything she’d just been through.

  Jovi, the poor thing, was beside himself as he hugged Corrine and burst into tears. Corrine laughed lightly, then pulled herself back and squeezed both his shoulders.

  “Now, we don’t yet know what kind of hybrid he’ll be, but we’ve taken some blood samples,” she added. “We’ll have the results over the next few days.”

  “I’m not sure I care about that right now,” Field replied from inside the delivery room, then called out to River, whose tears of joy were already streaming down her cheeks. “Mom… I’m a dad now. Can you believe it?”

  We entered the room with, Victoria, Bastien, River and Ben and witnessed a most incredible sight—Aida, sweaty and exhausted, but smiling so brightly that she lit up the whole room. Field, trembling like a leaf next to her. And the Daughters and Lumi huddled around the baby on a separate table, taking care of the umbilical cord and wiping him down. River sighed, then hugged Field. He wrapped his arms around her.

  “I’m so happy for you. So proud of you,” she whispered in his ear.

  “We all are,” Bastien chimed in. Victoria was hanging by a thread—barely.

  She and Bastien were grandparents now.

  Our family was growing bigger and even more beautiful. Sometimes, I felt guilty for experiencing this much happiness. I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help it, either. In all fairness, we’d worked hard, and we’d suffered a lot to get to this stage in our existence. Others weren’t so lucky. We’d m
ade the best of what had been given to us, and then some.

  We’d earned our happiness, and so had Field and Aida.

  Derek

  We took turns spending a little bit of time with Aida, Field, and their newborn baby, since the birthing room wasn’t big enough to hold us all. The waiting room had barely sufficed. We were a big family.

  Vivienne and Xavier joined us in the room, shortly after Jovi, Dmitri, and the Hawk brothers presented their congratulations and best wishes—as well as the many parenting jokes they’d been holding on to since Aida had first broken the news about her pregnancy.

  “Oh, my…” Sofia gushed, unable to take her eyes off the little one. “He’s absolutely gorgeous!”

  Aida held her newborn close, wrapped up in soft linens. He was tiny, his skin still flushed from his journey into the world. His eyes were closed, but he sure loved making noise, calming himself whenever he heard Aida’s gentle, loving voice.

  “Congratulations, baby,” Victoria breathed, then kissed Aida’s forehead and hugged Field.

  We gathered around the bed, watching the couple as they gazed at their son. My heart swelled, barely contained by my ribcage. My very soul was soaring, and I could only imagine what was going on in Xavier’s and Vivienne’s heads. It seemed like only yesterday we’d cracked the first jokes about them becoming parents… then grandparents… and now, great-grandparents.

  “He’s the cutest little pink raisin I’ve ever seen.” Xavier chuckled.

  Aida was glowing—not as brightly or as literally as Bijarki, but she wasn’t far off, either. She looked tired, but alert. I recognized the look on her face. It was a mixture of unending love, exploding joy, and heart-filling pride. I had seen it on Sofia when Rose and Ben were newborns (well, after we’d gotten Ben back from Aviary).

  “Congratulations, Aida,” I said, moving closer to get a better look at my great-great-nephew. “You did it.”

  “Welcome to the Novak parents’ club,” Sofia added, laughing lightly.

  “I’m exhausted,” Aida replied, then smiled at her little bundle of joy. “He’s so… weird.”

  We all chuckled. We’d heard that before.

  “Don’t worry, sweetie. You were just as red and crinkled when you first popped out!” Victoria said, laughing.

  “Jovi, too, huh?” Aida asked, grinning.

  “Oh, yes. And out of the three of you, Dmitri was the loudest!” Victoria replied.

  “Chances are he’ll be one of the most devastatingly handsome Blackhalls,” Bastien chimed in, beaming with pride as he crossed his arms.

  “And the Novaks,” Field chimed in.

  “What name have you picked for him?” I asked, looking forward to adding a new member to our ever-growing family tree.

  Aida took a deep breath, then exchanged a quick glance with Field, and smiled at us.

  “We’d like to introduce you all to Voss Blackhall-Novak,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.

  “Hi, Voss.” Bastien addressed his grandson, who squirmed inside his linen swaths.

  “It’s a beautiful name, Aida,” Sofia replied. “You’ve chosen well.”

  I couldn’t help but tear up. My vision was hazy, and my throat was burning up. It wasn’t in my nature to get this emotional, but I’d been around long enough to understand and cherish the value of life, especially when a new one made its way into existence.

  “Oh, honey,” Sofia murmured, then slipped an arm around my waist and pulled herself closer. I welcomed the feel of her figure against mine and pressed my lips against her temple before I shifted my focus back to the young parents.

  “The Novaks are more powerful and richer than ever, now that they have Voss,” I said. “May he fill your hearts with nothing but love and joy. May he bring you light and happiness, and may he grow up to become the very best of you both.”

  “Thank you, Grandpa,” Field replied, giving me a faint nod.

  “He’s going to break so many hearts when he grows up,” Vivienne said, gushing over the little one.

  “Yeah, I think I should start writing an apology letter template, for the parents of all the girls who will fawn and sob over him,” Field replied, chuckling softly.

  “How does it feel to be a grandad?” I asked Bastien, grinning.

  He scoffed, then scratched the back of his head. “Honestly? I have no idea. It’s weird as hell,” he said. “But it’s amazing. I can’t wait to spoil him rotten.”

  “If you want access to him just once per year, by all means, Dad,” Aida retorted. “Spoil him, make my life hell, then see what that gets you.”

  We all laughed, while little Voss wrinkled his nose and cried out a couple of times. Aida shushed him gently, then kissed his perfect little nose. He instantly relaxed. The effect she had on him was incredible. I’d seen the same in Victoria when she’d first given birth to Jovi, then Aida, then Dmitri. Every single time, the little ones made noise until their mother’s lips found them.

  “You’re a baby-charmer, just like your mother,” Bastien told her.

  “Took the words right out of my mouth,” I replied, chuckling.

  “Well, she did charm Field first!” Jovi’s voice cut across the room.

  “What are you three still doing here?” Field asked, watching Jovi, Anjani, and Dmitri as they stood in the doorway.

  Jovi shrugged. “Sorry, man! Your kid’s just so darn cute, we can’t stay away!”

  “Plus, he’s an uncle now. He can’t get over that. I don’t think he ever will,” Anjani chimed in, smiling.

  Aida giggled, then looked at Voss. “Did you hear that, baby? You’ve got an uncle. No, wait, you’ve got two uncles! No, wait… the Hawks, too… Voss, you have so many uncles!”

  “Yeah, he’s going to get spoiled out of this world.” Dmitri chuckled.

  “Well, we could always spread the spoiling around a little bit,” Anjani replied. “Jovi and I could make you an uncle, too.”

  Jovi froze, his cheeks turning red and his eyes nearly popping out of his head. “Wait… what?”

  Anjani shrugged, while the rest of us were suddenly on edge. She was a succubus warrior, and she’d never hinted at wanting to have a baby before. We’d simply assumed that it wasn’t something they were planning for, at least for another decade or so.

  “I’ve been thinking about it lately,” Anjani said quietly. “And seeing how ridiculously happy you are with a nephew, I can’t help but wonder what a son would do to you.”

  “I’m totally on board with that,” Jovi replied, lovingly staring at her.

  “Did you hear that, Dad?” Dmitri chuckled, looking at Bastien. “The Blackhall clan’s bound to boost its numbers again.”

  “All I ask is that you don’t rush and give us a third grandchild too quickly,” Bastien replied. “My heart wouldn’t take it. Give me an adjustment period first.”

  “Don’t worry about me,” Dmitri said, smiling. “As much as I love this whole family thing we’re into, I’m way too happy as a single half-breed,” he added. “I doubt I’ll consider settling down anytime soon.”

  Victoria frowned slightly. “I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

  “Mom, he’s free to do whatever he wants,” Aida cut in, giving Dmitri a friendly wink. “Besides, we never plan for love to happen. When it does, it hits us over the head like a sledgehammer. Usually, the more we avoid it, the harder the blow.”

  “By that logic, shall we assume Dmitri will get his brains splattered all over the place by… love?” Jovi replied, a grin slitting his face from ear to ear. Dmitri replied with a brief growl. “That’s what I thought.”

  Laughter made us all shudder, until Anjani, Jovi, and Dmitri moved inside the room, by the wall, so that Lumi, Corrine, and Viola could come in. They’d changed into their usual garb, wearing warm smiles on their faces. It was always a pleasure to see them together—such different creatures, so powerful, yet so kind and so much alike.

  “How are you feeling, Mommy?” Corrine asked
Aida, who gave her a bright grin in return.

  “Worn out, but good,” Aida replied. “Thank you. All of you. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “Pish-posh!” Lumi scoffed. “You were fantastic, Aida. You nearly broke my wrist in the process, but you pulled through. We barely did anything.”

  “Sorry about that.” Aida sighed. “The pain…”

  “I know, honey,” Lumi replied. “Trust me, you weren’t even half as bad as my first lamia delivery. She was seconds away from choking me to death.”

  “You’ve helped deliver babies before,” Sofia concluded, as if she was seeing Lumi through different eyes, all of a sudden. We’d all thought of her as the secluded and sharp-tongued swamp witch, the last of her kind. Thousands of secrets hid behind her white eyes and their bluish edges.

  Lumi nodded. “Back when there were more of my kind, yes,” she said. “They used to call us out for high-risk pregnancies because of our magic.”

  “And, speaking of magic, we have a gift for little Voss,” Corrine added.

  They reached the foot of the bed. Corrine took out a small ring—a band, in fact, made of three rings, each forged from a different metal. She handed it to Aida, who took it and brought it up to get a better look at it.

  It was simple but elegant, with tiny engravings both on the interior and exterior.

  “This is beautiful. And so tiny!” Aida giggled.

  “It’s for Voss to start wearing as soon as today,” Viola replied. “It’s made of three different rings, each imbued with a special charm. The silver one is from me. It will help his wounds heal faster, much like a vampire.”

  “The gold one is from me,” Corrine said. “It will act as a beacon. You’ll be able to find Voss anywhere in this world and the others.”

  “Oh, gosh,” Aida breathed, tearing up. “Thank you all so much…”

  “The rose gold one is my little gift to you,” Lumi said. “It amplifies his abilities. Think of it as a little booster of sorts, just enough to give Voss equal standing among his vampire and werewolf peers.”