Finding Grace: The Guardian Chronicles Book One

Chapter 62. Sleepyhead*

Nathan peered up at the tall vampire before him. He wanted to like Xavier but felt protective of Evan. The other vampire was dark haired like Emil, but was taller by several inches. Nathan knew that Xavier was also much older than the others. He was striking with his pale blue eyes and pale skin. After considering him for a moment, Nathan said, "Yeah, I can handle it. Don't expect me to call you. Like you said, I can take care of helping Evan."

Exchanging a knowing look with Evan, Xavier left the two alone on the couch and went out to the lobby. They had agreed that the entire building would go on lockdown once the group had left. The elevators had been shut down, the doors on the main floor had not been unlocked since the whole mess had started. The garage had been locked and the alarm system activated. Xavier passed through the lobby into the hall that Hannah and Hawk's apartments were in and then went to the stairway door. Trying it, he was satisfied when it did not open. He had insisted that all the doors to the stairwell be locked. The only way in from below was for one of the Guardians to return and deactivate the alarm. Xavier had managed to get a key from Emil to the balcony that surrounded the main apartment. It had a stairway that led to the roof. Xavier had wanted to be able to make rounds outside on the roof to watch for a rooftop attack.

Passing back into the lobby, he went to one of the two doors that led to the balcony and let himself out. Climbing the stairs to the roof, he began a systematic inspection of the surrounding areas, dividing the space around him into quadrants. All seemed peaceful, but like Emil, he was uneasy. Something was in the air.

Nathan sat next to Evan as she drank the blood he had brought her. He was worried about her. Now that he was close enough to see, she looked like she was sick.

"Are you sure you're okay, Evan?" he asked.

She finished the last bit of blood in the glass. Looking Nathan in the eye, she answered, "I'm hurting a lot, honestly. I'm not sure how long this baby is going to wait to be born. But...I'm going to be okay. Don't worry about me."

"When do you think the baby is going to come?" Nathan asked with a familiar panic on his face.

"You men are all the same. Worried you might get stuck delivering a baby," Evan laughed. "I can't be sure, but I'm pretty sure it won't be tonight, so don't sweat it."

"You scared me!" Nathan exclaimed, relief written all over his face. "Do you need anything else?"

"I'm going to sleep again, I think. I've never been so tired before," Evan declared. "In an hour or so, will you wake me up and bring me another drink? I think if I keep well fed, I won't be so tired."

Nathan nodded and took the glass from her. "I'm going to go back to watching the security camera monitors. I need to do my job, you know. Call out if you need anything."

Evan could appreciate the little puff of his chest when he stood and took the masculine stance that seemed too old for his fifteen-year-old frame. He was doing what he could to pull his weight in this crazy life he'd been dragged into.

"Yes, sir!" Evan said with a little salute. "One last thing though. Will you help me get my feet up on the couch?"

Nathan bent and carefully lifted her feet up as Evan failed to hold in a yelp when she laid back on the cushions she had piled up for her head. "Thanks."

The look of concern on Nathan's brow frustrated Evan. She was so tired of feeling like a weakling. First the locker room, then the attack in her own home, now a pregnancy that was taking everything out of her. She wondered when she would just be able to experience her new life as a 'normal' vampire would expect to.

She watched as Nathan's narrow frame disappeared into Emil's office then Evan closed her eyes, hoping for some respite from the pain that was now lancing every few moments through her abdomen. Having never been pregnant before, she wasn't sure, but thought perhaps this might be contractions. With no real precedent for a pregnant vampire, there was no telling what was normal or not. Evan was just going to do what she would have told a mother in her second trimester to do in her situation. Keep her feet up and stay well hydrated. That was why she'd asked Nathan to wake her for more blood in an hour. If the pains did not stop, she would have to tell Xavier. There might be a baby before any of them were ready.