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Chapter 362
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Leesa met Ralin for real on a sunny afternoon in mid-April, almost six months exactly from her wedding day.
Knowing the baby could arrive any day, she and Rave spent their time at home in the company of Balin and Kaila, a volkaane mid-wife almost as old as Balin who had delivered scores of volkaane babies over the centuries. Kaila looked enough like Balin to be his sister, with the same gray hair streaked with dull copper highlights and a similar lanky build. Since no one knew precisely what to expect from the magical human/volkaane hybrid child, they thought it best to be prepared for anything. Balin and Kaila did not mind sleeping on mats spread out on the floor of the living room, when they slept at all. If Rave’s nocturnal habits were any indication, Leesa suspected that most evenings the three volkaanes probably spent a significant portion of the night watching her sleep. She felt self-conscious at the thought, but there was also comfort in knowing they were there
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 363
“What's wrong?” Kaila asked. Her voice was calm and matter of fact, disguising any anxiety she might be feeling inside.“It’s my shield,” Leesa replied. “It’s preventing Ralin from going where he needs to go.”“What do you mean?” Balin asked. “Preventing him how?”Leesa drew another deep breath. “It’s wrapped around him, keeping his magic inside, but it’s also keeping him where he is. I’m not sure I can explain it, but I don’t know how to adjust the shield so that it will slip out of me with him.”Rave’s fingers stopped moving on the sides of her head. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” he asked, his voice heavy with concern.Leesa nodded. “Yeah. As long as I keep the shield in place, Ralin’s not going anywhere. I have to remove it.”“But you can still feel his heat, even throug
Leesa's Advent Chapter 364
Baby Ralin grew even more rapidly than he had inside Leesa’s womb. By three months he was as large as a human child twice his age, and by six months he was pretty much the size of a one-year-old. His physical abilities were equally accelerated—he started walking at four months, and within days was toddling easily around the house, keeping mom and dad anxious and on the alert. Not long after, he could jump from a standing start up onto the bed. Once he learned that trick, he began leaping up and down off all the chairs in the house. His favorite landing spot, though, became the old round end table still stashed away in the corner of the living room.The first time Leesa saw her tiny infant son leapt up onto the creaky table, she was beside herself with worry that he would miss or fall or suffer some equally disastrous fate. She soon learned that his balance and coordination were as advanced as his strength, and her concern turned more to the furnishings in the hous
Leesa's Advent Chapter 365
Ralin's magic returned the very next day, triggered by a totally unexpected occurrence.After his birth, Leesa took a week off from practicing her magic before resuming her daily sessions. Occasionally, she held Ralin cradled in one arm while she practiced; most times, though, Rave held their son while Leesa worked on her ever-increasing repertoire of spells. For the first few months Ralin seemed oblivious to what his mother was doing, but had then taken to watching her with more patience than either mom or dad would have expected from so young a child.Now and then Leesa even had the feeling that Ralin was studying her, but she thought she might be reading more into his watchful eyes than was really there. He certainly noticed the results of her magic, though, often laughing delightedly when she made objects grow or blasted something with bolts of energy. He especially liked it when she floated him through the air from Rave’s arms to hers or vice versa.The October afternoon was cool
Leesa's Advent Chapter 366
Stefan's appearance seemed to trigger a rebirth of Ralin’s magic. It didn’t happen immediately, but looking back, Leesa was pretty sure the incident marked the beginning of the magical resurgence. Whether it would have occurred anyway without Stefan’s visit no one knew for certain. She thought it probably would have happened eventually, and probably sooner rather than later. Balin concurred.What did happen right away was that Leesa became more careful with Ralin when he was around other people, keeping him wrapped in a protective shield for the overwhelming majority of the time. Hugs from relatives and friends without a shield became far less frequent and much shorter in duration. Whenever she allowed a hug without a shield, Leesa made sure to focus her attention completely on her bond with Ralin, alert for any small sign his magic might be about to erupt. People who loved holding Ralin were disappointed at the restrictions, but they all understood the newly awakened danger and the n
Leesa's Advent Chapter 367
Now that Ralin’s magic had spontaneously reappeared without the stimulus of a nearby vampire to trigger it, Leesa immediately became more careful about where she took him. She knew she might be overreacting—other than blasting at Stefan, all he had done so far was harmlessly turn a smoothie green—but she thought excess caution to be the wiser choice, given the total unpredictability of Ralin’s power. Gone were the visits to her mom’s or aunt and uncle’s that she used to make with Ralin. She didn’t want to take the chance his magic might damage their homes or be witnessed by neighbors. When his relatives wanted to see Ralin, they now had to come to Leesa’s house.Worse, she grew increasingly anxious about leaving Ralin alone with Rave while she went out on errands like shopping. She wasn’t worried that Ralin would hurt his father—Rave was still much too quick, as long as he remained alert, which was pretty much his na
Leesa's Advent Chapter 368
On his first birthday, Ralin decided it was time to begin talking. Unlike most children, his first word was not “Ma-ma” or “Da-da.” Instead, it was a word he had heard his parents use often.Friends and relatives gathered in the back yard to celebrate the occasion. Judy and Bradley were there, of course, as were Aunt Janet and Uncle Roger. Cali showed up wearing a rainbow clown wig and a bright blue sweatshirt festooned with big yellow polka dots. Where she had found the psychedelic garment, Leesa had no idea. She was just glad Cali hadn’t added clown-face makeup to her getup—potentially saving Ralin from being scarred for life by a fear of clowns.Balin, Bain, Dral and Kaila came from the volkaane settlement, and Jenna had happily responded to Leesa’s invitation as well. Ralin watched excitedly when a big brown and white owl descended slowly into the yard and then, with a bright silver flash, transformed into a person. He laug
Leesa's Advent Chapter 369
“Blue fire doesn’t burn volkaanes,” Rave explained. “I was pretty certain the green fire wouldn’t affect Ralin. Whether he’s immune to blue fire, or to blasts of his wizard magic, is another matter, though.”Leesa picked up a napkin and wiped a big smudge of icing from above Ralin’s lip.“Let’s hope he is. But let’s not be in any hurry to find that out, please.”Ralin’s birthday seemed to mark a major transition in his magic. Leesa and Rave didn’t know if it had anything to do with his turning one year old, but magical outbursts of varying sorts began to appear with increasing frequency, until they were occurring once or twice each week. It wasn’t until he was a year and a half old, however, that the magic started to become truly dangerous.The leaves in the two tall oaks in the yard behind the house were just beginning to turn. Most remained green, but
Leesa's Advent Chapter 370
Leesa sat at the table in the living room, gripped by a feeling she could neither understand nor explain. Her book of magic lay unopened in front of her—for the first time ever, she felt hesitant to lift the cover. She was troubled by a nagging sense that events were combining to drive her toward a dangerous future, and that by opening her book this afternoon she might be taking one more step in that uncertain direction.It wasn’t just Ralin’s brush with disaster the day before, though that was almost surely part of it, as was his increasingly powerful yet uncontrolled magic. She wondered if perhaps some innate wizard sense might be warning her of portentous events to come, or if her feelings of foreboding were simply a normal reaction to the unpredictable way things were unfolding.She felt foolish for hesitating. There was no way she wasn’t going to open her book, the same way she had done pretty much every day since Dominic had given it to he
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Serena awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of fresh coffee brewing. She rolled over lazily, reaching out for Raphael, but the space was empty. With eyes still closed, she frowned. Where is that man? That man had probably been out of bed since the crack of dawn, beside himself with nerves for today’s big event, she thought regretfully. They were to be married today. Their lives intertwined for all of eternity. What man wouldn’t have cold feet at the prospect? And they’d known each other such a short time, too. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, and frowned again. She had awakened in the safe house. Last night, she’d killed a man in her own home, and knew she could never go back there ever again. She didn’t care how good the Brethren’s cleanup crew could restore her home. It would never erase the vivid memories and horrors of what had happened there. She and Raphael would have to find themselves a new home, together. Until such time, this place would be it, th
Leesa's Advent Chapter 726
It’s going to be a long day without Raphael, Serena thought, as she washed and dressed. But she carried on. With so many loose ends to tie up, final checks to be made, people and places to coordinate, she scarcely had time to think about anything else. Except for her father. In the quiet moments between the bedlam of planning a wedding, she reflected upon him and her heart ached. She had arranged for a nursing home staffer to drive him and his wheelchair to the Chapel of the Holy Cross for the wedding. They didn’t usually allow weddings there, but somehow, Raphael swayed their decision. Kemuel promised to wheel her father down the aisle beside her, and she loved him instantly for that. But her dream was to have him walk her down that aisle. A sob caught in her throat, and she quickly shook her head to whisk it away. None of that nonsense, Serena. Don’t be greedy. At least he is alive and here to be a part of it all. As the day waxed on to evening, Serena felt unsettled. She hadn’t s
Leesa's Advent Chapter 725
Raphael spent the next few days cloistered with Serena, away from everyone and everything, like a honeymoon before the wedding. But every morning he made creative excuses to tear himself away from her for a little while and work with Fred. To make sure she didn’t visit her father, he dropped her off at her shop first so she could plan a small wedding with Callie and catch up on the mountains of paperwork.The healing sessions with Serena’s father went spectacularly, and with Raphael’s charisma, he convinced the nursing home staff to keep any improvements secret from her. They thought it romantic that he came to help with his fiancée’s father’s rehabilitation. Everyone there rooted for him, amazed at his miraculous awakening. All of the therapists worked their tails off during his therapy sessions, wanting to see their severely stroke-damaged patient beat the odds and walk his daughter down the aisle.On the morning of the fifth day, Raphael got Fred walking without any assistance.“Co
Leesa's Advent Chapter 724
Raphael grabbed her hands. “Do it!” he demanded. He placed them on his temples and spoke to her through their bonded connection. She felt every thought he had had of Sirona over the years straight to the present down their threaded connection. She heard every thought he’d had of her, including every word he had spoken while holding her in his arms at Dr. Chappo’s estate. He sent her everything that filled his heart and soul about her, and finally, at last, she knew.She knew. And knowing was everything to her. He gently brought her hands away from his face, kissing her fingertips as he eased them down, and she took a few steps backward, looking at him as if for the first time. No one before had ever felt about her the way he felt about her, let alone express so strongly all he’d expressed when she’d lain dying in his arms.“You’re in love with me.” She gasped, astonished. Tears welled again in her eyes, but this time, for a very different reason.“Yes.” He took a bold step toward her.
Leesa's Advent Chapter 723
A bundle of nerves, that’s what she’d turned into. Since leaving her father’s, Serena had been nothing but a bundle of nerves, rehearsing over and over again what she would say to Raphael up on the Rock. Looking all around her now, frightening memories kept popping into her mind, making her think that at any moment, Steve or Wheezer were going to jump out and nab her. Unfortunately, she had gotten to the summit way too early, and now paced like a caged bobcat. It had to stop. The bad guys are dead, Serena. Think positive, and let go the past. So, finding a suitable rock to sit on, Serena decided to do a little meditation to soothe her worried heart. “When I see him, I’ll know the right words to say,” she notified the birds. It may sting for a bit, but it’s for the best.****Raphael showed up at the base of the mountain with time to spare, and noticed Serena’s Jeep already parked. Perfect, he thought. He checked his pocket for the millionth time, making sure the ring box hadn’t fallen
Leesa's Advent Chapter 722
Raphael watched Serena leave the nursing home from behind one of the bushes in the front. She seems in good spirits, he thought. Only when he saw her disappear down the street did he dare to venture out of his hiding place. He walked into the nursing home and headed straight to the reception desk.“Hello, I’m here to see Mr. Sikes.” He smiled amiably at the receptionist.“Wow, two visitors in one day. Fred’s a lucky guy. Sign in right here, please. You’ll sign out before you leave. Take this badge so we know you belong here. Room 103 is down the hall, make a left, and he’s at the end on the left.”He looked at her name tag, and winked. “Thanks so much, Judy.”Walking down the hall, he found himself fidgeting with the badge in his hand. Am I actually nervous? Hell yeah! Raphael, the man, is about to meet the father of the woman he loves. Raphael, the man, is about to ask for this guy’s daugh
Leesa's Advent Chapter 721
Great! Just great! There’s a leak in my bedroom ceiling. Wait a minute, that’s not right. I’m not in my bedroom. I’m locked away in Dr. Chappo’s house. She remembered more. Being bound to a gurney, her body broken and dying. But I’m not lying on a gurney now, and I actually feel great. How could she be dying and still feel great? And what’s with the rain shower on my face? Slowly her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped.It was raining. Angel’s tears. Raphael’s tears, to be exact.She lay in his arms, and from the way he shuddered and sobbed, she thought maybe he didn’t know she lived. To be honest with herself, she’d only realized this fact just a few moments before. Iridescent wings were outstretched and trembling though no breeze made them flutter so.She gently raised her hand to caress his cheek and whispered softly. “Shh…there now, Raphael, shh. It’s all right. I’m ok
Leesa's Advent Chapter 720
Raphael noticed a knob on the box. It made sense to dial it to its lowest setting. He followed the tubing to its clamp on Serena’s side and decided to completely clamp it off. Now, no more blood could flow. But he still needed to get the needle out of her arm. He found gauze and tape on the tray stand and proceeded to extrude the catheter from her arm carefully so as not to injure her. He replaced it securely with the gauze and tape. His hands shook. I can’t fall apart like this right now! He quickly shrugged off the threat of paralyzing fear.“Hey, Raphael, this guy says his name is Steve. Isn’t that the name of one of guys who assaulted Serena?” Gabriel asked.“Yes, yes it is,” he said through gnashed teeth. Rage filled him and he clenched his fists, trying to gain some semblance of control. “Bind him, tightly. Make sure he can see Dr. Chappo. I’d like him to see what happens to assholes like him when they choose
Leesa's Advent Chapter 719
Searing hot pain shot like lightning throughout every inch of Serena’s body. Well, every inch she could feel, which left her very disturbed indeed, because she couldn’t feel anything past her waist. She could barely breathe without severe pain ripping through her chest and back. She knew what that meant—broken ribs. But what about her legs? Where were they? And why did her wrists feel shackled? Oh, dear God! What’s become of me? Her shallow breaths quickened. Her heart raced and fought for freedom behind her aching chest. Tears burst through her closed eyes and flowed untapped down the sides of her face.A voice sliced through the whooshing sound in her ears. A voice she knew all too well, and had come to despise with every molecule in her being.“Uh, Doc, I think she’s coming ’round. What do you want me to do?” Steve asked.“Hmm? Oh, nuffin. Nuffin, Seeve. Jus’ keep watchin’,” Dr. Chappo sl
