Birth of Jaiden (22 page)

“
How will we find him?”
Deanna, who usually had the good ideas, was all out.

Damion began to pace.
“We’ll figure it out soon. Maybe Stewart will remember
something.”

Alex watched Chris
closely. Chris was one of those where you could tell when something
was on his mind. He might as well have had a light bulb above his
head.

“
What is it,
Chris?”

“
I was just
thinking.”

“
Thinking
what?”

“
No, don’t worry. It’s too
dangerous, probably not a good idea.”

Damion rushed over to
Chris and smiled wickedly in his face. “I laugh in the face of
danger!”

Although a poor attempt at
humor, Alex, along with a few of the others, couldn’t help but
chuckle.

Chris leaned forward. “What if
we lure Malcolm to
us
?”

Danielle, who had been
staring off into space, focused on Chris. “That would work, but how
will we get him to come to us?”

“
Bait.”

“
Bait?” Danielle
repeated.

“
What…
bait
?” Jeremiah asked cautiously.

Chris looked at Alex and
then at Danielle. “Jaiden.”

“
No! Absolutely not!” Alex rose
from his chair. “I will not use Jaiden as
bait
!”

Chris stared directly into
Alex’s eyes. “If she is truly as important as Danielle says, than
Malcolm will come for her sooner or later. We will just make it
sooner and be ready for him.”

“
I said no!” He could not
let them do this.

“
Alex.” Danielle took his
hand. “Chris is right. It could work.”

“
What if it doesn’t, what
then? You are the one who keeps telling me I need to protect her,
to keep her safe. Now you are telling me to throw her to the
lions!”

“
Malcolm knows of Jaiden’s
power. He wants her.”

Christ continued to
elaborate on his plan. “When Malcolm realizes we rescued Stewart
right out from under his nose, he is not going to be the happiest
vampire in the world. In other words, he’ll be determined to get
his revenge. What if we spread word to the right people? Somehow,
it will get to Malcolm that we are going to drive cross-country
with the baby. It would give them the perfect opportunity to strike
against us.”

“
That’s crazy,” Victoria
said to him. “Why on earth would we be driving across the
country?”

Chris curled his lip
impatiently. “I don’t know; it’s just an idea.”

Damion shot Victoria a
dark look and, for once, Victoria held her tongue.

Alex could see Damion’s
mental wheels turning. He nodded. “I think this is going to
work.”

“
No
!” Alex shouted again. “She is
a
baby
.” He felt as if they had all ganged up on him.

Damion went on with the
idea. “What if we take Jaiden to see Corrine?”

Corrine was the mother of
witches. Any natural witch who was branded with her mark was bound
to be exceptional. She lived deep in the back woods of northern
Idaho. Some said she had found the fountain of youth because she
didn’t appear to age. Of course, she would never reveal her secret,
either, although Alex had his suspicions.

Alex knew Jaiden would
have to eventually make the trip for her dedication anyway but he
didn’t want it to be under those circumstances.

He watched Deanna as she
rubbed her left wrist at the mention of Corrine’s name. She wore
the mark of her dedication there; red, raised skin in the shape of
a circle with a small eye within it.

Damion had seen Alex staring at
Deanna’s mark and persisted, “
See
, it could work.”

“
But we don’t know when he
would attack,” Deanna countered. “Also, we can’t jeopardize
Corrine’s safety, either.”

Damion’s wheels were still
turning. “We can travel in large groups with the
slayers.”

“
I don’t think so,” Alex
interjected. There was absolutely no way he was going to ride
around with a bunch of vampire slayers with wooden stakes and
flaming bolts.

“
I agree.” Chris raised
his hand.

Deanna shook her head.
“They won’t hurt you; they know all about you and Chris. They know
you have a human heart and how you try so hard to evade the evil
which plagues the vampire species.”

“
Like I said before, no
way!” He tried to remain calm but he felt increasingly
agitated.

Danielle crossed to him
and laid her soft hand on his shoulder. “Alex, we all need to be
part of this for it to work. We are much stronger together than
apart. Besides, the slayers would have no chance against the amount
of magic we possess together.”

He knew he was
outnumbered, defeated. The group acted as if his silence was an
agreement because they immediately began discussing the plan while
they cleaned up the mess of what was left of his table. It was
decided they would leave in two nights.

Alex and Chris were simply
going to have to suck it up about the slayers and just go. Isabella
had to go as well. She had to take care of Jaiden. Alex knew
Corrine would want to see her too. Well, at least he got to go on
the mission like he originally wanted.

He thought of Jaiden. In
the few weeks she had been alive, she had already been through so
much and the rest of her life was going to be like that. It
appeared she might be more cursed than he.

24

Once the members had left,
Alex joined Isabella and Jaiden in the den. Isabella was lying on
the sofa with Jaiden rocking back and forth in the swing beside
her.

She turned her head when
she heard Alex enter. Normally, she smiled widely when she saw him,
but this time, her face stayed flat when she said hello. She looked
totally wiped out.

“
How are you doing?” he
asked her.

“
Oh.” She sighed. “I’m
really, really tired.”

“
Well, you were amazing in
there.”

“
I didn’t think it would
work.”

He smiled. “But it did,
and we couldn’t have done it without you. Now I understand what you
meant when you said I would have to see it to really understand
it.”

“
Yes, but I have
never
moved someone I
haven’t even seen before, and it wears me out when I do it.” She
yawned.

“
Well, I hate to tell you
this but we are going on a road trip.”

“
What?” Isabella’s eyes widened,
frightened at the prospect of going
anywhere
right at the moment.

Alex waved his hand
loosely in the air. “No, no, don’t worry. We aren’t leaving until
night after next.”

“
Whew.” Isabella sighed
with relief. “I thought you meant right now.”

Alex examined her face.
“Don’t you want to know where we’re going?”

She returned his gaze.
“Honestly, I don’t think I do.”

He didn’t blame her. She
had been through quite a bit in the other room and she had also
witnessed the secrecy the council required so she probably
suspected it would be dangerous. But, he wanted to talk to her
about it. Out of all of them, she would be the one person who would
be on his side, the one other person who would say no.

Unable to keep it to
himself, he selfishly blurted out, “They want to lure Malcolm to
us, using bait.”

She lifted her head a bit.
“Huh?”

“
They all say it will be
fine, but…they want to use Jaiden to draw Malcolm to us. We can’t
find him so they think this is the best way.”

The exhaustion which covered
her face turned to worry. “What?
No
! That sounds way too dangerous.”

“
It is, but it’s
necessary. Besides, I have fought with Malcolm before; we can
predict his moves and the tricks he may try.” He paused. “And there
will be vampire slayers along for the ride.”

She simply shook her head.
He saw anger twisting and turning inside her green eyes, trying to
make its way to the surface.

“
And you agreed to
this?”

Alex was simply shocked she
thought he would have. “
No
! I was the only one who didn’t want to do it. I lost by
majority.”

She sat up slowly. “Alex,
I would really like to get to bed now.”

He felt terribly guilty
for saying anything about it. Eventually, he would have had to tell
her, but he could have picked a better time. He had taken advantage
of her because he knew she would side with him.

“
I’m sorry,” he told her.
“Do you want me to carry Jaiden up for you?”

“
No, I can take her. I’ll
be fine.” She rose and lifted the sleeping Jaiden out of the swing.
Jaiden was wrapped in her little pink blanket and her lips were
pursed like she was waiting for a kiss.

Alex decided to let
Isabella cool off before they spoke of it anymore. He said his
goodbye as she slowly maneuvered the staircase with Jaiden. She
called a soft goodbye over her shoulder and disappeared.

He needed to pray, to let
things out.

He let himself into the
church and then rushed up the isle to the altar. The flower
arrangement of the day was white roses with tiny red carnations
placed amidst the pure white petals. He lowered himself to his
knees in front of the open bible.

“
Lord, I know it is your
way to reveal what is supposed to be, over time. I have relented
and accepted to be a protector of this child. How is it that I can
agree to do this, yet be outnumbered when others want to put her in
danger? I cannot defy the council; the decision has been made by
majority. I can’t possibly go against the decision because they all
believe they are doing your will.

I have so much faith in
you and what you want. Have I gone too far to be so trusting of
Danielle, simply because she is an angel, as well as my friend? She
is earth bound so I have no idea what really goes on with her and
any communication with you. Is it wrong for me to doubt an angel?
These kinds of thoughts would never make me love her less; I just
don’t know if it’s right.

She tells me it is all
right that we are going to use Jaiden to get to Malcolm but it
doesn’t feel right to me. Not one bit. It seems just wrong to use a
baby as a trap.

But, then again, I thought
Stewart was a traitor and it turns out he is not. I saw parts of
him today I never saw before and I feel guilty for not having tried
to know him better. I couldn’t get past his attitude and lack of
manners.

Lord, I have a feeling what’s
coming is huge and I am humbly asking for strength and guidance to
make the right decisions when the time comes. Please keep us safe
on our journey to see Corrine. If something happens to Jaiden or
Isabella, I don’t think I could bear it. The thought of losing my
new family tears me apart.
Please,
Lord, keep your angels around them.

In your precious
name,

amen.”

On the steps outside of
the locked church, Alex scanned the sky. Dawn would be coming soon.
He had to get home quickly.

He sped through the clear,
crisp night with his windows open and the music pumping.

The house was dark and
quiet with only a single porch light burning for him. He entered
the house quietly and made his way to his room. Instead of dressing
in his bedroom, he grabbed his pajamas on his way through the room
to his chamber.

Troubling thoughts of the
nights to come flashed through his mind in that watery state
between sleep and consciousness. He kept asking himself how he
could consent to it, but on the other hand, she would be at risk
for the rest of her life.

“
I am her protector, her
teacher and her father,” Alex said aloud and repeated over and over
until he fell asleep, comforted by the sound of his own
voice.

The next evening, when
Alex woke and went in search of Isabella, he discovered she was
still in bed. He peeked in and heard Jaiden fussing in her
bassinet, but not loud enough to wake Isabella.

Alex went to the side of
Isabella’s bed.

“
Hey,
Isabella.”

She didn’t
answer.

“
Isabella.” He raised his
voice above a whisper.

“
Whaaa.” She rolled over
toward him.

“
I’m sorry to just come
in. Jaiden was fussing.”

When she heard that,
Isabella quickly sat up. “Oh, she was? I’m so sorry. I didn’t hear
her.”

“
Don’t worry,” Alex
assured her. “She wasn’t even that loud. I was just trying to find
you two when I heard her.”

“
Oh.”

“
I’ll take her downstairs
with me so you can sleep some more.”