Heir of Night by Emily Goodwin
Chapter 44
“I’m guessing that’s another thing that’s easier said than done.” Nicole twists her auburn hair around her fingers.
“Oh, of course.” Lucas puts the book on the coffee table. It’s open to a page about Anubis and the Underworld. “The blast of divinity was enough just to cause War to get off balance. We’re going to need something stronger to knock one completely off. Hellfire killed Bael, I’m going to bet it will work against them too.”
“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Naomi stands, pacing to the window. I hate that they’re freaked out—though they should be. We’re talking about the fucking Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
“Get the traps laid first and foremost,” Lucas tells us. He eyes the book again. “Maybe this is what Julian was working on…a way to kill them for good.”
“Let’s say Callie can knock one off and kill it. Do you think the others will want revenge or will amp up…whatever it is they’re doing?” Kristy asks.
“I can’t say,” Lucas tells her, not wanting to bullshit anything. “We can run through a dozen what-if scenarios about what could happen, and it would do us no favors. For now, lay the traps. We need at least one line of defense against them if Callie does indeed go into labor tonight.”
I run my hand over my stomach, feeling Juliet moving around. “Can we eat first? I’m starving.”
“Me too,” Nicole says. “I get hungry when I’m nervous, and I’m really freaking nervous.”
“We got this,” I say automatically, going into annoying hero mode, as Eliza puts it. We so don’t got this, but we have to have hope. I close my eyes in a long blink, feeling a tug on my heart. I wish Julian were here, not just so he could help us fight the Horsemen.
“What can I do to help prepare for the spell?” Lucas asks, brushing my hair over my shoulder. His fingers linger on the side of my neck, feeling my heartbeat.
“There’s not much we can do until Tabatha and Evander get here with the rest of the gemstone fragments,” I start. “But marking off a square in the yard would help. And then dividing it into triangles.”
“We have a bunch of flags from when the wires were marked off before the pool install. Will that work?”
“Yeah, that would be great,” I tell him. “It’ll help with the visual when we cast the spell and can be easily removed.”
“Maybe I’m missing something,” Eliza says, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she comes into the room. “How exactly are you going to get the Horsemen into the traps? Wouldn’t they see them on the ground and avoid stepping right into a magical circle?”
“It’ll be like the warding around the house,” I explain. “You won’t be able to see it. We’re going to glamour the gemstone fragments too. But getting them here…” I look at my friends. “That’s the million-dollar question. It’s really a shame they don’t share Paimon’s burning hatred for me.” I can feel Lucas’s glare without turning my head to look at him. “Which I might be able to use to our advantage.”
“Whatever you’re thinking, no,” Lucas tells me, voice gruff.
“Hear me out,” I start.
“No,” Lucas repeats, face set. “You are mine, and I won’t allow it.”
Having anyone tell me what to do irritates the crap out of me, and being told what I can’t do makes me rage. But there’s something so damn hot about Lucas getting possessive and protective like this.
“I’m gonna run it by you, and then you can shoot me down,” I counter.
“Fine, but it’s not going to change my mind.”
I roll my eyes and huff as I put my feet up on the coffee table. My lower back is starting to hurt again. “Let’s go back to Paimon’s burning hatred of me. He commissioned the Horsemen to assist him in my demise, and they didn’t fulfill their end of the bargain because my demise didn’t happen. So, if we trick Paimon into thinking I’m making a move on him, he’ll send the Horsemen to stop me.”
“I fucking hate that it might actually work,” Lucas grumps. “But you’re not doing anything remotely close to baiting demons or the Horsemen until after you’ve had our daughter. It’s too risky for you both.”
“I know,” I say quickly. “For this to work, I’m going to need full access to all my powers. Plus, I can’t really see my feet right now, let alone run away from demons.”
Lucas slides his hand up my thigh and onto my stomach. His gaze lingers on mine for a moment. “I will go mark off the corners of the square. For now, this trap is nothing more than a way to buy us time. If the Horsemen come to the house, I’m taking you to the Covenstead.”
Nodding, I put a hand over his, moving it to the side so he can feel Juliet moving. She’s been a little less active today than usual, or maybe I just haven’t noticed it as much since I’ve been distracted.
“I love you,” I tell him, and he kisses me before getting up. Binx takes his spot as soon as he’s off the couch, purring and rubbing his head against my arm. I tuck him against me and let out a sigh. I rest my head against the back of the couch, eyes falling shut for a few seconds.
“You good?” Kristy asks.
“Yeah, I’m just tired. I have this little thing stealing my energy.” I pat my stomach. “I was trying to explain it to Lucas. Being pregnant-tired is different than being regular tired. It’s not from lack of sleep or overexertion. It’s my daughter literally taking everything from me. A nap will help, but I’ll still be tired.”
“And from what I’ve heard, you’ll be even more tired once she’s born.”
“Yeah, though I might be totally naive to say this, but between Lucas and Eliza not really needing much sleep, I think I’ll be okay.”
My friends nod, too nice to know what I don’t want to admit to myself. There’s no way I’ll have my baby, hand her off, and be able to sleep for a solid few hours. She’s going to cry, and I’m going to want to be the one to console her.
“What do you guys want to eat?” I pick up Binx and slowly get up. Freya and Pandora are in the library too, waiting for me. “I was craving Thanksgiving dinner yesterday and made green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, dressing with gravy, and cranberries. There’s plenty left over. Or I can put in a frozen pizza.”
“You made Thanksgiving dinner but there’s no turkey?” Kristy laughs.
“Meat has been unappealing lately.” I shrug. “And I’ve been drinking milk. I never drink milk. Being pregnant is so fucking weird.”
“I’m excited to be pregnant one day,” Nicole tells us. “In the far, far future, that is.”
“Not me,” Naomi says with a shudder. “I’ll happily be the rich auntie who spoils my nieces rotten, starting with Juliet.”
“Spoil her all you want, just don’t turn her into a brat.” I laugh. “Oh, the mashed potatoes are in the basement fridge. I’ll get them.”
“I can get them,” Kristy offers.
“Nah, it’s fine,” I say, still wanting to walk around. I won’t suggest taking Scarlet for a walk because I already know the looks my friends will give me, yet for some reason, getting out and walking just seems like a good thing to do tonight.
I’m not as out of breath coming back up from the basement as usual, despite Juliet feeling heavier by the second. The same queasy-stomach feeling that woke up me last night comes back rather suddenly, and I have to make a quick trip to the bathroom while the food is heating up. Lucas comes back inside when we’re seated at the island with our plates.
“The center of the square is directly off the steps of the front porch.” His hands land on my shoulders. “I put a rock in the center to make it easier to find without looking obvious.”
“Good idea. Thanks, babe.” I tip my head up so Lucas can kiss me. I take a few more bites, and my stomach gurgles again, forcing me to excuse myself to use the bathroom. Wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed and take a nap, I mentally calculate how much coffee I can drink tonight if I skip tomorrow’s coffee all together.
Slowing and throwing out my hand, pressing it against the wall, I start to feel sick to my stomach as another contraction tightens my middle. This one fucking hurts, and I can’t talk, can’t call for Lucas. Hell, I can hardly even breathe.
Binx, who followed me to the bathroom and sat outside the door, meows. Freya and Pandora are in the hall not far behind, and they all shadow around me, helping me stay upright until the pain is gone.
“Fuck,” I grunt, jaw clenched, and somehow, Lucas hears. He’s at my side, one hand on my back and the other going to my stomach to give me support as I lean over, but I don’t want anyone fucking touching me right now. Shaking my head because I can’t take my hands off the wall to swat him away, I squeeze my eyes closed and wait for this to pass.
“Your last contraction was about twenty-five minutes ago,” Lucas tells me when I can breathe again. I straighten up, thankful for his arms around me.
“Still random.”
“For now.”
Yawning, I hook my arm through his. “I’m really tired.”
“Rest. If this is the start to labor, you need to rest while you can.”
“I can’t. Not until the spell is cast.”
“Your friends can cast it,” he reminds me. “Tabatha and Evander are on their way, and Ruby will come if you ask her to. You’re only using your witch powers for this, so you have nothing to offer they couldn’t do on their own.”
I frown but bob my head up and down. “You’re right. But this is my spell, and I need to lead the casting.” He holds onto me on the way back to the kitchen. My appetite is gone, and I get out foil to cover my plate. I’ll eat this later so I don’t waste food.
“You doing okay, Cal?” Kristy asks.
“I had another contraction on the way back from the bathroom,” I tell her, and she gasps, smile on her face.
“Get your butt onto the couch. We’ll clean up in here.”
Normally, I’d feel bad leaving a mess like this for my friends to clean, but I’m so fucking tired I’m doubting my ability to keep my eyes open much longer. My familiars are glued to my side, and all lie on the back of the couch, needing to be close to me. Scarlet has been chewing on a bone, lying on her oversized bed in the family room, and thumps her tail against the ground when she sees me.
Lying on my side, I hug a pillow and close my eyes. My mind is whirling, but my body is just so fucking tired. Lucas covers me with a blanket and rubs my back. Almost instantly, I pass out, being jolted awake by the pain of another contraction. I whimper and grimace, back seizing up along with my uterus.
“Fifteen minutes,” Lucas says, working hard to stay calm. “And that lasted a minute.”
“It felt like an hour.”
He chuckles. “I can only imagine.”
“Can you get me some water?” I ask, exhaustion hitting me.
“I’ll bring it,” Kristy says, and I’m not surprised she and the twins are hanging back in the family room.
“Thanks.” With Lucas’s help, I sit up. Kristy brings me a glass of ice water and takes a seat on the end of the couch. Nicole and Naomi sit together on the loveseat.
“We need to pick our elements for the circle casting.” I take a drink and prop myself up on my elbow. “I’ll invoke fire since I’m the only one who can summon it from hell—or the Underworld, if I want to be correct. That leaves earth, water, and air. What do you guys want?”
“Earth,” Kristy answers. “I feel very connected to it right now.”
“I’ll do air,” Nicole says and looks at her twin. “Unless you want it.”
“Fire is my element of choice,” Naomi answers. “It makes more sense for Callie to invoke it. Water, it is.”
“Good. I’m thinking we can go old-school with a jar of moon water, lavender incense, and a bowl of graveyard dirt. Julian showed me that I can actually put a flame of hellfire in a jar and it will keep burning. Not sure how long, but it’ll last enough to do the spell.”
“Whoa, that’s crazy,” Kristy says.
“Yeah. It was…it was one of the last things he did.” I’m blinking away tears again, and the sudden reminder of how much I miss him hits me all over again. “We went over this, but it makes me feel better to say it out loud. We’ll use the modified Solomon warding to create the outside boundary and then will move to the middle to cast the smaller lines.”
“Should we drink a cleansing tea?” Nicole asks.
“It’s always a good idea,” Kristy tells her. “Can you have it?” She looks back at me.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It has a few herbs that aren’t recommended for pregnant ladies. You guys should, though. I still have a jar of the herbs mixed up and in the cupboard from the last time we had it.” My eyelids start to feel heavy again. Kristy goes into the kitchen to put a pot of water on to boil, and I’m almost lulled to sleep from Lucas gently running his fingers up and down my arm.
Before I can fall asleep, another contraction takes over. This one squeezes tighter than before, and I think I’m going to throw up the whole time my midsection tightens. I can’t breathe until it’s over.
“Fifteen minutes,” Lucas tells me. “Again. And that lasted a little over sixty seconds.”
“Still could be a coincidence,” I try.
“It could. We’ll know in fifteen more minutes.”
“We should try and get the spell done,” I insist.
“Callie,” Naomi starts, in her what the fuck tone. “If you’re having contractions fifteen minutes apart, there’s no way we can prepare for and then cast the circle. It requires skill and concentration.”
“Party pooper,” I grumble and rest my head against the pillow again. I could easily fall asleep here, which I almost do. Kristy doesn’t bother with the tea and comes back. I can hear her talking with the twins but don’t really pay much attention to it. My mind is finally settling down, and I can maybe get a good nap in.
And then I have another contraction.
“How long has it been?” Nicole asks.
“That was exactly fourteen minutes and twenty seconds since her last contraction,” Lucas tells everyone.
“Okay,” I say once I can breathe again. “If they continue in this pattern, we can assume things are progressing. In the meantime, we should do the spell. I can get the first circle cast, stop for a contraction, and then get the triangles laid out.”
Everyone looks at me like I’m insane, and maybe I am. Lucas, who knows better than to challenge my mental state right now, also knows preparing for demonic attacks is my way of nesting. Plus, having the circles cast is one more way we can level up our protection against the Horsemen.
“Let’s reassess in fifteen minutes,” he tells me, deep voice calm and level.
“Okay.” I lean forward, trying to relieve some of the pressure on my lower back. Lucas massages my shoulders, and I can’t decide if I should get up and move around or try to take a nap. I have to use the bathroom again and then decide to slowly wander through the house. Lucas holds my hand, shuffling along with me. We pass the library, when he notices a note in the fireplace. I stop in the hall, waiting for him to get it.
“It’s from Evander,” he tells me. “He said they’re having issues with a few students violating curfew and found contraband in their dorms and have to deal with it before they can come over.”
“Sounds like you’ve been hanging around the Academy a little too long,” Naomi jokes.
“Hey, I wasn’t a bad student. I was just a troublemaker.”
“Remind me again how those things are different,” Kristy says with a laugh.
“I didn’t try to break the rules,” I insist. “I, uh…I did on accident. I had good intentions, at least.”
“You did, most of the time,” Nicole says. “You know, I always thought we’d grow up, get married, and have kids around the same time, and they’d go to school together. You’re putting the pressure on us, Cal.”
“Hah,” I say. “I honestly thought you or Kristy would be the first to settle down. And I’d be the last.” I look up at Lucas, heart swelling.
“I swept you off your feet,” he replies with a smile, dark blue eyes glimmering. “You couldn’t resist, even though you tried.”
“It’s true.” I smile right back at him as the surrealness of the situation starts to really get to me. I’m half-human, half-angel, and am pregnant with my vampire husband’s child. I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried. Inhaling, I start walking again and realize Scarlet hasn’t been out in a while. Lucas takes her out while I hang out on the porch, and fifteen minutes later, I have another contraction.
Lucas speeds to me, helping me stay upright as I double over in pain. I’m gripping the porch railing, and my familiars are sitting patiently at my feet, refusing to leave my side.
“It’s been a minute,” Lucas says, and I want him to shut the fuck up because I’m still riddled with pain, waiting for this to pass. Another ten seconds go by before it does. “That’s several contractions all fifteen minutes apart, lasting a minute.” He can’t hide the excitement in his voice this time. “Callie, my love, you’re in labor.”