MAE DAY 2 - GUARDIANS (ON HOLD TILL FURTHER NOTICE)

Chapter 16

"Uncle," Lee's mother called as they lifted the baby from out of the hand. A hand, which was twitching and closing again as we tried to move the baby. It was not giving it up without a fight, trying to snatch the baby back and crush it. The baby was free and passed to Lee's father.

I grabbed a steak knife off a plate and stabbed the hand several times severing tendons to stop it moving, as Lee's grandfather growled at it in Lion form, ready to savage it if it twitched one more time.

A few tiny whimpers and attempted screeches came from the baby. I let Lee's grandfather deal with the hand, dragging it back outside. Lee was protecting the perimeter in case any more came through.

Lee's father and Uncle tended frantically to the baby. He flopped about like a crushed moth, trying to fly or stagger as they fought to get him to lie down. Demons grew quicker than humans, especially males but he was so tiny. He looked stunned with terror. Desperately scrambling to get away from every hand trying to catch him and pin him down. His mouth opening and closing in an attempt to both screech and breath... he was crushed.

The baby bottles Lee had fetched from the store earlier were sterilising nearby. His grandmother rushed to rinse one as his mother rushed in the direction of my pumped milk. She poured it in and zap it to the right temperature. They were going to try to appease him with a feed. Would that work? Demons were greedy but he was barely alive, how would he feed? My breast milk would never satisfy him. Lee's mothers milk used to be richer than mine to satisfy him longer, plus she spelled it.

Conrad's brother Mason arrived in full demon form with some of the demon's he commanded, all rushing to seal the realm around us. "My father approaches," he informed Uncle, his eyes flicking wildly around the room assessing danger. I found myself hoping he didn't eat me like Conrad.

"Help with the child," Uncle instructed.

Mason struggled but eventually after a short battle of wills, pinned the baby down, staring into its wide and frightened eyes. "Calm, child. Calm," he whispered, as Uncle placed a hand over the tiny mouth all was silent for a second before an almighty screech broke out followed by a hysterical high pitched baby cry.

"Oooo I know it hurt but you can feed now," Uncle apologised reaching out a hand for the bottle. The baby struggled again, Mason lashed his tailed, cracking it in anger on the floor. The baby stopped long enough for him to put the bottle in its mouth and fight off the flaps from broken wings as the baby tried to get away with the bottle to ensure he could drink it all. He was starving.

Sebastian arrived with a roar that nearly made my head explode. He rushed to the child who screamed when he saw his grandfather.

"Open a vein, I need your blood Sebastian," Uncle instructed. "Calm him enough to drink the milk. I need him focused on the bottle instead of worry about his wounds before we can sedate him properly. He is shifting form like drunk butterfly, I need him to stay in one form to help him."

"Who is responsible for this?" Sebastian roared.

"Focus on the child," Uncle snapped.

I had to sit down, I felt weak. Lee's arms wrapped around me as I slid to the floor watching the baby's broken wings trying to flap around as everyone panicked to get him calm. His mother passing the breast pump, "He will need more." I lifted my top and attached it to my breast not caring who was looking. Not that anyone was, they were all focused on the baby.

The bottle was emptying faster that I could pump. Sebastian's eyes flicked around as he didn't want to upset the baby again, his hand extending and stretching to touch the pump. My breast seemed to fizz and the pump was half full. I moved it to the other quickly as Sebastian's eyes flicked from mine to the baby. His hand again touching the pump, and the other breast emptied in demon time into the pump. Lee's mother passed him the pump as I adjusted my clothes, just in time for screeches from the baby for more, reaching out to his grandfather who filled the bottle with a transference spell from one vessel to the other. The little bugger was sucking it at lightning speed.