As Seraphina reached the training field, she saw Aurelia had changed into her armour and was waiting with Credence. “Seraphina!” Credence called out to her, he wrapped his arm around her in an awkward side hug.
“I’m really glad to see you healed and back here,” he looked down at his shoes and blushed. Seraphina smiled warmly at the young Prince. “Hello Credence, are you going to be training with us?”
Credence shook his head, “No, actually, I was uhm, I was wondering if you wanted to go for a fly?”
“Credence, do you perhaps have an infatuation with Seraphina? You do know she is basically your sister!” Aurelia was merciless in teasing her younger brother.
Seraphina stared at the walls of the infirmary for what felt like an eternity.“Seraphina, Seraphina?” Achilles voice finally broke through her trance.“Yes?” She looked up at him with glassy eyes.“Seraphina, we’re having a baby, well babies…We’re having twins!”Achilles wrapped his arms around her and captured her slack mouth in a gentle kiss.Silent tears ran down her cheeks, Achilles pulled back and looked at her with worried eyes.“Are you not happy? I thought you wanted this?” tears filled his own eyes.
Achilles paced the floor of Seraphina’s bedroom, they had decided it would be best to return to the DeBeaux Angelo manor as very few were aware that she had decided to live there.It had been a few days since the assassination attempt by poison and, the attempts on Seraphina’s life had been coming daily since.“In our bed Seraphina! Someone thought they could take your life whilst you slept! They didn’t even want to give you the chance to defend yourself, cowards! They are cowards!” Achilles pulled on his hair in frustration.“Achilles, calm down my love. We weren’t there, it’s a good thing Aurelia had the foresight to move into our quarters at the pala
Helga placed the pinard on Seraphina’s enlarged stomach. After what felt like an eternity, she finally raised her head.
Seraphina shuffled around the nursery putting the final touches in place ready for the arrival of the babies. She bent over to tuck the soft cotton sheet in and winced as a shooting pain emanated through her lower back.
“Ahhhgghhhhhh, get this bastard out of me!” Tears streamed down Lady Briseis face as another contraction took hold of her.Achilles was frozen watching Lady Briseis’ body contort in pain.“You did this to me!” Her black eyes bore into him. “Fucking do something!”Achilles stumbled back out of the room, “HELGA! HELGA! QUICK, COME QUICK!”Helga fell out of the library and rushed over to Achilles, her face paled as she noticed his distress.“What’s wrong? Is it Seraphina?”
Achilles frowned at Isobella and Eloise.“I don’t understand, I know her parents, they are both Vampires.”“Her mother may be a vampire but, I can assure you, her biological father is not.” Eloise fumbled with her hands.“But she has a familiar, I’ve seen her marking,” Achilles shook his head.“That could be genuine or, it could be another glamour but, she is a Dhampir, a powerful and dark Dhampir.” Isobella shivered.A heavy silence hung in the air.
The afternoon sun had just begun to set, lighting up the evening sky in an array of purple, blue and orange light. Seraphina tightened the blanket around Leonardo as a cool breeze drifted through the garden.His head turned to root against her breast, Seraphina chuckled as she unlaced her dress.“Does he ever stop feeding?” Ethena gasped.“No,” Achilles answered, “He’s been like this for the last week, constantly attached to Seraphina’s breast.”“Feeling jealous brother?” Aurelia teased hi
Grief. Bone chilling, stomach turning, blood curdling grief. That’s all Seraphina could feel. She collapsed and let out a wail that sounded demonic. Wait… Seraphina had been here before. She recognised this dream, this vision.Her consciousness fought to the surface as she tried to pull through the haze of sleep.Excruciating pain coursed through her body as she abruptly awoke. It took all of her strength to not pass out again.The stench of blood mixed with something else burned her nostrils.Seraphina opened her mouth to scream but, no sound came out. She out stretched her hand in the bed to feel for Achilles, her panic only rose furth
“Do you think it will work?” Seraphina’s eyes followed Isobella as she paced back and forth.
Grief. Bone chilling, stomach turning, blood curdling grief. That’s all Seraphina could feel. She collapsed and let out a wail that sounded almost demonic. She clawed at her naked skin and screamed into the night. Her screeches loud enough to disturb the heavens. Raging fires encircled her like a protective wall.She wrapped her arms around her stomach, feeling empty, hollow, lost. She could hear the sound of laughter, a cruel, demented laugh. Turning her head towards the sound, her eyes reflecting the flames dancing as they were slick with tears. Stepping through the flames, she stalked towards the person laughing at her, her hands partially shifted into the claws of her dragon. Ready to tear out the throats of whoever had dared to mock her.
It felt as though a lifetime had passed by the time they arrived back at the manor. All the while, Seraphina had been calling out to Achilles in her mind, hoping and praying she would hear from him. A response, a whisper, a cough, anything…but nothing came.As the courtyard came into sights, she came to a halt as she hovered in the air, gently allowing herself to descend onto the ground.Cheers erupted as soon as they landed and she was immediately surrounded by anxious and tearful faces.As the mages dismounted with the children, Matteo came rushing over to Seraphina holding a robe open in his arms. Nodding her head at him, she shifted back and shrugged her arms into the robe before tying it in place.
The two older girls looked at each other before settling the babies down and stepping forward, careful to keep the younger girls behind them. Crouching down, they dug their hands into the dirt before looking up at the crowd before them, their eyes glazed over as roots and vines shot out from the ground and began to wrap around the legs of the soldiers, winding their way up around their torso and arms.The vampires among the soldiers made effort to free themselves though, the humans for the most part were completely stuck in place fighting against their little cages.Freeing herself from the vines, Seraphina bent down to get onto their level and opened her palm out skyward. Whispering words in the air, a small handmade doll appeared in her hand as she
A wave of nausea passed over Seraphina as she approached the circle of mages. Swaying on her feet, her hand shot out to grab Aurelia’s arm, steadying herself.“Is everything okay Seraphina?” Aurelia whispered under her breath.She gulped audibly before nodding and gesturing for them to continue forward.The circle of mages parted as Seraphina, Achilles and Aurelia came to meet them. Isobella opened her arms out to embrace Seraphina, as they parted she paused momentarily and cast her eyes over Seraphina’s body. An unsettling look came across her face before she shook it away and gave a solemn smile.“Are you sure it is wi
“Violence will be avoided if possible, our main priority is to get in, get the children and get them out. The mages along with Princess Seraphina will be entrusted with bringing the children back to the manor. Magnus?” Aurelia addressed the solider.“Yes Princess,” the aforementioned stepped forward with a salute.“You will stay here with your men to await their return in case anyone tries to follow. The children will stay the night here with their families, they will be seen to by the palace doctors, Helga and Bethel to see if they require any treatment. You are to guard them at all times. I want 2 soldiers stationed inside each of their rooms and an additional 2 guarding the doors.”
An electric buzz coursed through Thea as the mages chanted their syphoning spell. Seamus had warned her that she would feel the absorption of the magic but, she had no idea it would feel so…thrilling. Butterflies, more akin to flying rocks, danced around in her stomach, a radiant sensation passed through her body, warming her from head to toe.The notion that she was absorbing her father’s magic suddenly occurred to her. She had never felt connected to her parents, having no memories of them whatsoever. Moving to the DeBeaux Angelo manor, she thought she would’ve felt a connection, a spark, something but, she didn’t. It just felt like a house.Now, for the first time, she felt connected, she felt the love her father had for h
“I should have known your father would’ve kept an alter hidden somewhere,” Isobella grinned as she walked into the secret room.
*A light breeze drifted through the hallway twirling Seraphina’s sk