Sekhmet's Curse (Pearl Vampire Chronicles) (35 page)

             
Bahiti cradled her son in her arms and smiled at me, “Thank you, Sarah,” she said.

“Thank me?  You did all the hard work, Bahiti.  I just talked.”

“Yeah, but you said all the right things, so thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

                    ********

             
The next month and a half flew
by.  Mona struggled, but still held her changed form as she prepared for her imminent labor
that was
just days away.  And my ever expanding belly continued to both frighten and fascinate Matt and Carlos.
  They both lay on either side of me with a cheek resting on the side of my belly.  “Whoa.  I felt that.  He kicked me,” Carlos said.

“How do you know it’s a he?” I said.

“I just do,” he said.

“Mine too.  He’s kicking like a soccer star,” Matt said as he grinned at me.

Rapid knocking at our door brought us out of our
baby joy
.  Carlos jumped up, ran through the living room and opened the door.  It was Jason, “I’m taking Mona to the hot springs.  Please tell Sarah that it’s time,” he said, clearly worried and out of breath.

             
Up at the hot springs much later the tension was clear as I said,
“Damn it.  She’s losing it.  I need to be in there.  Cameron? Can I get in the water for a minute without harming the babies?”

Cameron looked at me for a second then nodded, “Yes.  This water isn’t too hot.  Just don’t stay in too long.”

I jumped in and moved in front of Mona.  Jason was behind her with his hands massaging her huge belly.  His panicked eyes locked on mine.  I smiled slightly then concentrated on Mona.  Her head was lolling to the side.  “Mona, MONA!”

Her eyes rolled then finally tried to focus on me.  “Feel with your hands, Mona.  Do you feel me holding your hands?”  She nodded slightly.  I guided her hands down between her legs.  “Do you feel that?  That is your son, Mona.  That’s his head.  He wants to come out and meet you.  All he needs is one more good push.  I’m going to help you.  I’m going to pull your legs up and hold them.  You use them to push against me as you push down with your hands.  Push your son into your arms Mona.  You can do this.”

“But, but I’m so tired,” she whispered as her body began to vibrate.

“I know you are, Mona.  All he needs is one more push and then you don’t have to hold your shape anymore.  Here comes another contraction.  Come on, Mona. 
PUSH!”
I said as I pulled her legs up and braced
her
feet
against my shoulders.  She screamed and grunted as she gave one final push.  The baby slid out just as her body changed back into her human form.  She passed out and lost her hold on the baby so I quickly dropped her legs and grabbed him.  I pulled his head out of the water and rested him on his mother’s chest as Jason moved to scoop them both into his arms.  Cameron went to work then, “Sarah, get out of the water.  Jason, bring her back to the clinic quickly.  I need to get the placenta out and then stitch her up.”

Cameron flew down the mountain then
Jason spread his eight foot wings and took flight. 
I climbed out of the water took one step then the dizziness hit.  I went down into the grass on
my
hands and knees
, and that’s the last thing I remember.

Chapter Fourteen

             
Carlos and Matt walked up to Mona’s bedside.
  “How are you feeling, Mona?” Carlos said.

“Better, thanks.”

“Well, I gotta say that you look better now,” he said, winking.

“Funny,” Jason said, smiling down at his son cradled in his arms.

Matt suddenly looked around the clinic, “Hey.  Where’s Sarah?”

“What do you mean?  Isn’t she with you?” Jason said.

“No.  We haven’t seen her since she left to help Mona.” Carlos said as he too began looking around the room.  He spotted Cameron tending to another patient on the far side of the room so he ran over to him.  “Cameron?  Did you see Sarah come down off the mountain?”

“Come to think of it, no I didn’t
.
”

Carlos turned around, caught Matt’s eye, nodded his head toward the door then ran.  Matt caught up with
him as they leapt over the wall.  They ran together up the hill and found me curled up in a ball in the grass next to the hot springs.
  “Sarah!” they both shouted as they slid to the ground next to me.

I kept my eyes closed as I answered them, “I’m okay, guys.  Just go
t
a little dizzy
,
h
ad to lie down for a second.”

“Ummm.
  You’ve been here for at least an hour, hun,” Carlos whispered.

“No I haven’t.”

“Yes, you
have,”Matt
replied.

“Well.  Then we might have a problem.”
I whispered.

Matt scooped me into his arms.  Carlos grabbed the back of my head as it started to roll back, “Uh
uh
.  No you don’t.  Stay with me Sarah.  Sarah!  Look at me,” he said.

My eyes started to roll back, but I clenched my jaw and forced them to focus. “I’m here,” I said as I tried to smile.

He held my hand as he and Matt took to the air, “You’re here and you’re not going anywhere.  Do not take your eyes off of me, Sarah.  Do you hear
me?  Your eyes don’t leave mine, not even for a second, got it?”

“Got it,” I mumbled.  God, I was so tired.
  My eyelids felt like they weighed a hundred pounds.

“Don’t, Sarah,” Carlos said as he tapped on my cheek, “Stay awake.  Please stay awake.”

Suddenly a voice that sounded exactly like Carlos’ said, “Sleep.  It’s okay for you to sleep now.  Everything’s okay.  You can sleep now.”

“Really?
  I can sleep now? It’s okay?  Thanks, Carlos,” I mumbled.

“Sarah!  No!  I didn’t tell you that it’s okay to sleep.  That wasn’t me.
Stay awake, honey.”

“I’m confused.  Why are you telling me to sleep and stay awake at the same time?”

Matt touched down on the ground inside the compound.  He stopped for a moment and lifted my chin, “Sarah, honey?  Look at me.  Carlos isn’t telling you to sleep.  That thing is.
The
curse
.
  It’s trying to get you to sleep because you are weaker when you sleep.  I know.  It lulls you into a false sense of security.  You think everything’s okay so you don’t even try to wake up, but then you get
weaker and weaker as it gets stronger and stronger.  Don’t listen to it honey.  No matter who it sounds like, don’t listen.  Fight back.”

My eyes rolled back once, twice then finally found his.  I smiled.  “That’s my girl,” he whispered as he pressed his forehead into mine.  Carlos pulled the door open, “Let’s get her to the clinic, Matt.”

Matt dashed down the hall
.  Cameron was waiting for us outside the clinic doors, “I’ve got a room set up for her.  This way,” he said as he ran down the hall ahead of us.  He held open the door then followed us inside the room.  “I’ve already called Aquila,” he said
.
“What?  Why?  You don’t expect her to feed on him and stop do you?  Doc, you know how hard that is on her.  She’s too weak.” Carlos said.

“No.  You’re wrong.  She needs this.  His blood makes her stronger.
”

“But not when she has to stop.  Can’t you just drain a few pints from him and have her drink it that way?”

Cameron shook his head, “It won’t help her that way, Matt.”

Suddenly they all jumped when I spoke, “
It’s
okay. 
The babies will help me
.  They will keep me strong,” I said.

Carlos walked over and held my hand while Matt caressed my forehead and hair, “Honey.  The babies aren’t born yet.  They’re still inside you,” Matt whispered.

“I know that,” I smiled as I placed my other hand on my belly, “but they were talking to me when I was up on the mountain. They know what this thing is and they’re not afraid of it.  In fact, it’s afraid of them.”

“Why would it be afraid of them?” Matt said.

“Because it can’t infect them.
  It keeps trying but it can’t get inside them.”

“Is that because they’re inside you?  Or is it just something about them?” Carlos said.

“I’m not sure.  I, I, I,” suddenly the room was spinning again, “Oh shit, its back
.  Save my babies
,” I mumbled just before I passed out.

             
The wind rustled through the trees as I walked down the beach.  When had I come to the island and where was everyone? Oh well, it felt good to feel the sand between my toes again, I would remember how I got here soon enough.  I was so
mesmerized by the sun sinking below the horizon that I didn’t hear the footsteps behind me.  “Sarah, it’s time to go home. You don’t belong here,” Jonas said behind me.

I spun around, squealed then threw my arms around his neck, “Jonas!  I can see you
and I can hug you
!”

He squeezed me tight, “I know you can.  But you don’t belong here.  You have to leave.”

“What do you mean ‘I don’t belong here’?  This is my island.  Of course I belong here.”

Jonas shook his head, “No, you don’t.  This isn’t your island, Sarah.  It looks just like it, but it isn’t.  This is my island.  Mine and others like me.”

I stopped hugging and looked at him.  I smiled, “You are such a dork.  Of course this is my island.  Look!  There’s the cave rock, there’s the house and there’s the garden,” I said as I pointed to each one.

Jonas smiled sadly, “I know that it
looks
like your island but think about it Sarah.  I’m dead.  I’m a ghost. Yet you can see me.  You can touch me.  You can feel me do this,” he said as he traced a finger down my jawline, “And this,” his hand traced down my arm and came to a stop on my lower back as I
shivered, “And this,” he leaned in and his mouth closed onto mine.  His tongue parted my lips and began dancing with mine as sparks began igniting throughout my body.  My shock quickly gave way and my arms moved up his back and pulled him tight.  I moaned as his hand pressed my pelvis closer to his and I felt his growing desire.
 
My mind screamed ‘Stop! What the hell are you doing?’ but I had no control over my body
.
My hands moved to the bottom of his shirt and
started to
push it up over his head
but his hands reached back to stop me
.
“No, Sarah, not like this.  It can’t be like this.  Not here.”
 
Jonas
looked at me with a sad smile on his face.  He leaned down, kissed me tenderly then turned around
, dropped onto the sand
and sat facing the ocean.  I sat
next to him
and rested my head on his bicep, “What is it?  Why so sad?”

“Because
I want this more than anything, but it can’t happen here.  If it happens here, you won’t be able to leave.”

“What do you mean
, why not?”

“
Sarah, I’m dead.  You sleep with me here, in this
realm,
it will bind you
to
it.  That’s what this curse
wants.  You’re too weak to fight this so it’s using your love of sex and my own desire for you to try to permanently bind you here.  For once, I have to be the strong one and say no to you.
”

“But, but, but what am I doing here?  How did I get here?”

“You’re hiding.”

“I’m hiding?  Hiding from what?”

“From that,” he said as he pointed over my shoulder.

I gasped and my skin crawled.  Just down the beach was the blackest, densest, scariest looking forest that I had ever seen.  “But what is that?  Where did it come from?”

“That is what’s keeping you from your children and your husbands.”

My hands immediately went to my stomach, “My babies!  I was pregnant.  What happened to my babies?”

“They’re fine, Sarah.  They’re growing like weeds.  But they need their mother, Sarah.  They miss you.”

“But I thought I just got here.  How long have I been here, Jonas?”

“You did just get here.  But here, time is different. 
You’ve been gone from over there for over nine months.  You’re babies are toddlers now
.”

“Toddlers?
  So they’re not growing like human babies?”

“Not exactly.
  They’re more like a human, vampire,
s
eraphim
hybrid.”

“Does that mean that they will get old and die?”

Jonas shook his head, “No.  Cameron’s fairly certain that, just like a
s
eraphim
, they will reach adulthood quickly and then stop aging.”