Thanks guys for the awesome fast responses to the last chapter!! The beautiful animal above is an ocelot. It will make more sense when you read the chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 22– Ocelot
Again there was something in Gwion's tone that made me believe his words. I followed him curiously. The staircase wound gently as we traveled up two flights. A grand door blocked our entrance. Gwion easily opened it and ushered us through.
I couldn't contain the loud gasp that released from my lips, as I stared upon the most glorious library I had ever seen. There were unending rows and rows of books reaching close to 12 feet in the air. And that was just on the lower level where we were standing. As my gaze drifted upward, I was astounded to realize there were two more levels above us; all of it exquisitely framed with intricately carved rare-woods.
My heart beat faster in my chest. Gwion stared at me with a satisfied smirk. He hadn't been wrong. I wouldn't have missed this for the world. My first love – my thirst for knowledge – ached to be satisfied.
He started up the stairs to the second level. I needed no explanations this time, as I eagerly followed him. After walking through multiple rows of filled-to-the-brim bookcases, we stopped in a secluded corner. Eve seemed grateful when she saw a small seating area and quickly relaxed into one of the comfortable chairs. My brow furrowed as I watched her. She puffed, a little out of breath. I worried what toll this baby would have on her body by the time she delivered.
Gwion took a seat next to her and waved his arm toward the closest bookcases, "I suspect you may find what you are looking for here."
I blinked as I stared at the hundreds of books in front of me. The task was daunting, but the clock was ticking so I hurriedly jumped right in, lightly running my fingers over the aged bindings. "Gwion, what phrases or words am I looking for?"
He rattled off words in several different languages. My brain was on autopilot as I compiled the data he provided and compared it against the titles in front of me. Liam came to my side and murmured, "Let me help you." I smiled at him gratefully but suspected his help was 100% for the benefit of Eve; not to relieve the challenge of my search.
After 20 minutes of searching, I selected three typeset books and two manuscripts that were written on parchment. Liam had also pulled a handful of potential options. We settled on the floor together near Eve's feet, and spread the volumes out in front of us, so she could see them as well.
I flipped through the pages of the first book as quickly and carefully as I could, only to stop in shock when I saw an illustration of a clearly pregnant woman along with a vampiric symbol. "Look," I told Eve as I held the book up for her to see.
"What does it say?" she breathed to Liam.
He flipped back a few pages and then forward. "It appears to pertain to gestation."
Eve pointed to characters similar to Roman numerals. "What do those mean? Are they dates?"
"No...they represent time frames." He looked closer at the page and murmured almost to himself, "That can't be right."
"Tell me," Eve demanded, her voice tight with strain.
"If this is accurate, it means your total gestation will be about 10 weeks. It is shortened compared to a human pregnancy due to the accelerated cell regeneration of vampires."
Eve let out a small cry of surprise and asked, "When does it start from?"
I took the book from Liam, examining the other illustrations and dates related to the pregnancy cycle. "I think the start date is exactly like a human." I tried to keep the shock out of my voice, as I added the segments in my head and projected her estimated due date, "You are 3 ½ weeks late +2 weeks for conception, which means you are almost 6 weeks pregnant."
Eve's eyes were huge as she did her own math. I saw her chest heave, as she tried unsuccessfully to swallow back the hysteria, building in her throat.
Liam saw it as well. He flipped his body around, crouching in front of her and held her hands. He whispered soothingly, "You can do this."
Eve seemed lost in his eyes for a moment, struggling to believe him. She finally found her words. "Do you mean to tell me, that I'm going to give birth in four weeks?!" she gasped.
Liam and I were silent, equally dumbstruck by this shocking revelation. Gwion showed no emotion as he replied, "Many species have shortened gestation. Felines, for example, bobcats normally gestate for eight weeks while the larger carnivores such as lions and tigers average 14 weeks. The ocelot actually has the closest timeframe to you with 10 weeks."
Eve narrowed her eyes dangerously at Gwion. "Are you comparing my baby to an ocelot?!"
He replied unaffected, "Ocelots are beautiful creatures."
Suddenly Eve's eyes turned fearful as a new thought occurred to her. "What will this baby look like?" she breathed.
I had been holding my finger inside one of the pages of the large frail parchment manuscripts. "I think I may have that information," I said softly as I gently handed the text to Eve.
Eve examined the book intently, her face relaxing into an expression of awestruck love. "They are beautiful," she murmured, a single tear running down her cheek.
"Yes... she will have exquisite features...pleasantly angled cheekbones and large round eyes," Gwion commented, without looking at the page.
Eve met Gwion's eyes. "Her heart beats. Does that mean she's human?"
"Far from it," he shook his head, not offering further details.
"What does that mean?" Eve asked, frustration filling her tone, trying to understand. "Is she some sort of human/vampire hybrid?"
"Hybrid is such a distasteful word. It implies two elements, mashed hastily together, to form a combination that is only 50% the equivalent of each source. No, your daughter will be uniquely and elegantly 100% her own creation."
As I listened to Gwion, my eyes scanned a smaller text with illustrations reflecting potential outcomes dependent on the original contributions. There were several pages with hundreds of symbols that seemed to define characteristics of these children. Suddenly Gwion's words made sense. "Oh," I breathed, looking up at Gwion for confirmation, "she will not be half of anything – but rather, she will be something entirely new."
He nodded his head, "That is correct."
I studied the markings. Some appeared to be emotions and physical traits, while others expressed talents. "How will we know which of these symbols apply to Eve's baby?"
"I think I can answer that," Liam murmured, handing another book over to me.
I was surprised to find drawings of babies and children, with several characters imprinted on their bodies. "Are these tattoos?" I was a bit appalled that tattoos would be applied to ones so young.
"No... They are birthmarks," Gwion answered.
"Let me see," Eve whispered, reaching for the book.
I released it into her trembling fingers. She studied the pages for a moment and then held the book lower, so that Liam, who was resting gently beside her leg, could see what she pointed to, asking, "What do these say?"
Liam interpreted, "They are various emotions: love, kind, bold, daring, laughter, impulsive, and honesty.
"What does it mean if the symbol is shown, but it has a line through it?" Eve cringed, her features suggesting she already knew the answer.
Liam confirmed her fear, speaking slowly, trying not to alarm her even more than she already was, "It means the child will be devoid of that characteristic or have the opposite effect."
"She could be devoid of love?" Eve's voice broke as she murmured to herself, considering the possibilities.
Liam turned to face her again. I was surprised when he gently cupped her cheeks in his strong hands. Eve did not pull away. Instead she just stared at him; fear the predominating element in her eyes. "That is not possible. Your child will be able to feel and give love."
"How can you know that?" Eve whimpered.
"Because the text is clear; the outcomes are dependent on both the maternal and paternal factors. No child of yours would be without love."
Gwion supplied, "He is correct. This child would not be possible without a specific maternal influence. Michael would not have been able to get just any woman pregnant. The combination does not happen, except with the rarest of elements."
Eve blinked, "So that means there is something about me... my history?"
"Yes...so what is different about you?" Gwion seemed to contemplate almost to himself.
Eve's eyebrows rose as she answered sarcastically, "Besides the fact that I am a knocked-up Goth chick, who regularly battles vampires, all while laughing irony in the face by being married to one? Isn't that every little girls dream?"
I could tell she was compensating for the real insecurity she was feeling. She had to be questioning if the family she thought she came from, really belonged to her. Eve verbalized my concerns as she stared at me, "I don't look like them... And I sure as hell don't act like them. What does that mean?" her voice trailed off.
I stood to my feet and reached over Liam to hug her. I whispered, "It means you are the same brave, sassy, aggressive yet gentle girl you were before all of this began."
Suddenly Gwion rose. "I must leave you now. There are a few things I need to attend to before our departure. You may carry the book along with us on our trip," he allowed, indicating toward the book Eve was clutching. "Feel free to stay as long as you like to explore the library," he looked at me when he said the last sentence, knowing I desperately wanted to see more.
"Thank you," I whispered.
He nodded and disappeared.
I looked down at Liam and Eve. He was still interpreting passages and illustrations as she pointed to them. "I'm going to take a minute to walk around," I told them.
Eve looked up at me, "Okay." I knew she felt safe with Liam by her side, but I still had no idea why. I suspected Myrnin knew more than he was sharing. When I got back to the cottage, I would make him tell me, I determined.
My thoughts were silent as I wandered. I let my feet carry me without any real plan as to my destination. I just wanted to see as much as possible. I traveled up a set of grand steps to the third level. There were more areas of seating, dotted throughout each level. I assumed their purpose was to make it more comfortable for those studying the materials. I wondered how frequently the library was visited now, given the availability of the Internet. I felt a sense of loss, at the idea that most libraries were left untouched, no longer relevant. However as I stared at the immense collection of ancient books around me, I knew none of these texts could be found online. Gwion had collected them over the course of his long life, more than 1000 years.
I reached the back wall, when a door caught my eye. There had been no other doors in the entire library, so my curiosity was piqued at what lay behind this one. I took the handle, turning it slowly to test if it was locked. Surprisingly it gave way for me.
I could see another room. It was arranged similarly to Gwion's study, with warm wood paneling and plush velvet intricately carved furniture. I hesitated. There was something familiar about this space. I couldn't put my finger on it. I didn't know if it was the room that felt familiar or the space around me. I shook my head, knowing I was just being ridiculous, and stepped through the door.
As soon as I passed through though, I realized my mistake, and gasped, trembling. It wasn't a normal door. It was a portal! That was why the air felt so familiar. I was stunned. I had no idea how I had been able to activate a portal outside of Morganville, but clearly my mind now had many of Myrnin's abilities flowing through it, which I had yet to learn how to fully control.
I spun to face the door again, intent on getting back to the library. I jerked it open, dismay crashing through me when I found only a small closet. My heart raced. I had no idea what I had done in the first place to open the portal, so did not know where to begin trying to re-create my steps.
Before I could think further, a woman's voice spoke from right behind my neck, "This is unusual. I do not normally find random women in Gwion's private suite."
I locked down my reaction, not allowing my body to startle in surprise, and turned to face her. Gwion's private suite? Oh, no! "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... I'm not even sure how I...," I stuttered, before getting a grip on my crazy talk. I tried to focus on making an intelligent sentence and began again, "My name is Claire..."
She cut me off curtly, her pupils turning slightly crimson, "I know who you are."
She was stunningly beautiful, with long black hair that curled around her petite angled face with high cheekbones and full lips. As the crimson receded from her irises, I could see her eyes were a haunting shade of silver.
I fell silent, trying not to breathe. I reached for the emotional block inside my mind; it was holding strong. But that wouldn't protect me from a physical attack. I hoped that whoever this stranger was; she did not plan me harm. I was intent on not pissing her off, so I waited for her to speak.
"I am Raven," she said coolly, her voice lilting with her accent. She circled me slowly, studying me with narrowed eyes.
I had no idea what she was looking for. I waited for another moment for her to speak again, but she remained silent. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and whispered, "What?"
"I'm just surprised you are in one piece. Myrnin likes to play rough. He has a very adventurous appetite with his women...which most humans would certainly not survive" she said, still evaluating me.
She sounded as though she spoke from personal experience. My pulse beat in my ears, as jealousy and insecurity lapped at my brain. I knew better, but couldn't stop myself from asking, "And you would know this how?"
Her lips turned up into a wicked smile as she leaned and whispered conspiratorially, "I like to play rough too. But don't worry, my attentions are otherwise taken with Gwion – for now," she added, a clear hint that her intention could shift at any time.
I stared at her wide-eyed, uncertainty and anxiety running rampant through me. There was no way I could ever compete with whatever sexual skillset she was alluding to, that he preferred. It was stupid of me to ever think I could truly satisfy him, I told myself harshly. Breathtaking pain washed through me. I felt the impact of it in my bones, pulling me down, making me desperately wish I were alone, so that I could crawl into some dark room and curl into the fetal position.
She changed the subject, tilting her head, "How did you know how to manipulate the portal? There are only three people here with skill to do that. Gwion refuses to teach it to anyone, and those that know how, are sworn to secrecy under penalty of death."
I was too emotionally shattered to come up with any response other than the truth, and mumbled, "I don't know."
I had no idea what my countenance revealed, but it must have been sufficient to convince her I was speaking the truth, because she ordered, "Come," as she headed toward the door on the opposite side of the room. I understood then, that she was not one of the three who knew how to manipulate the portal, so we would be walking back to the library. I had to jog a little to keep up.
When we finally breached the entrance, I inhaled sharply. I didn't think I had been gone long enough for Eve or Liam to notice. Clearly I was wrong, because Myrnin had joined them - his entire body vibrating with fury.
Profound relief flooded over the expressions of Liam and Eve when they saw me, but I knew Myrnin was too angry to recover as quickly. He stared at me, conflict still raging in his eyes as he wrestled for control over his emotions. His features shifted softer and then froze, when he saw Raven come through the door behind me. An entirely new expression masked his face when he saw her; it was clear to me, he never intended for us to meet.
A fresh wave of pain hurtled through me. If I had had any doubts before, they were gone now – Raven had spoken the truth.
"Hello," Raven purred as she walked around me, her eyes transfixed on Myrnin. She didn't hesitate as she approached him confidently. "It is good to see you again," she murmured, kissing his cheek. "I have missed you," her words were innocent, but I couldn't miss the open-ended invitation in her tone.
I stood rooted the floor, watching them, as wave after wave of agony flowed through me. I was never more thankful than in this moment, that my emotions were completely concealed – especially from Myrnin.
Raven reached a hand to touch his chest, but he snatched her wrist in the air, holding it away from him. His grip was so tight, I could see the tendons flex in is arm. If she had been human, her wrist would have crumbled into pieces. Even still, his hold must have been severe, because she opened her fingers in surrender and backed up as she murmured soothingly, "Now... there is no need for that."
He dropped her hand and she made no move to touch him again, as she spoke smoothly, "I can see that you are busy...I just wanted to bring your little pet back to you." With that, she turned and walked out of the door.
After a beat of silence, Myrnin advanced dangerously toward Liam, angrily hissing, "You were supposed to be watching her."
Eve cried, "Don't..." as she tried to get in between them. Liam swiftly spun her body, so that she was behind him and out of Myrnin's path.
"No! It wasn't his fault," I rushed, "I found a door and somehow accidentally opened a portal. I didn't realize it until I had already gone through, and then I couldn't make it open again to get back. "
Myrnin looked at me, anger still his dominant emotion. Abruptly he demanded, "We're leaving," and headed toward the exit. I shot an apologetic look to Liam and Eve and followed him.
The walk back to the cottage was silent. I had no idea what to say. Worse than that, I didn't think there was anything I could say – or do – that could fix what had changed between us. I knew the truth now. I was way out of my league, and had no one else to blame for thinking I could ever truly be enough for him.
We crossed the threshold and I went to collect my small bag of things in preparation to leave. I was determined not to fall apart. I had a job to do. This was my job and I never should have forgotten that.
"Why are you still blocking me?" Myrnin's eyes were tight with concern as he looked at me. He knew something was very wrong. I had just told Gwion that I never denied him any part of me – but I couldn't let him see this.
I turned my back on him, not at all sure that I could formulate an answer, without breaking down completely.
He rotated me back to face him, the strength of his arms not allowing for any other option.
"Let me in," he pleaded softly, holding me close to his chest.
Every fiber in my body ached to respond to him, to give him what he wanted, but he didn't need to feel my pain. My disillusioned thinking wasn't his fault. "You don't want that," I warned him, my voice on the edge of control.
"I do... want that...don't shut me out," there was pain in his voice now.
A tear broke through my defenses and rolled down my cheek. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold on.
"Please..." he murmured huskily, his dark liquid eyes locked on mine.
I couldn't tell him no.
I dropped my defensive wall, and watched his eyes open in shock as he felt the flood of my shattered emotions...
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