Heir of Night by Emily Goodwin

Chapter 46

“Can you believe we made this?” I whisper to Lucas, looking at the baby in my arms. Juliet is sleeping against my breast. We’re sitting in bed together, alone in our bedroom. Lucas cut the cord and got to hold Juliet while Maryellen took care of me. Once Juliet was gently toweled off, Lucas put on her first diaper, and she looks so small against him. Maryellen is going to come in and check on us again shortly but stepped out to let us have this time together as a family.

“She’s perfect,” Lucas repeats. “Like her mother.” One of his arms is around my shoulders and the other is gently stroking Juliet’s wispy brown hair. She has dark blue eyes like her father, and I have a feeling they’re going to stay that way and won’t lighten up as she ages. She was born weighing seven pounds and one ounce and is nineteen inches long, putting her right at an average size and weight as a full-term baby, even though she was born weeks early.

“It’s crazy the universe trusts us with her, isn’t it?” I let my head fall against Lucas’s shoulder.

“No one will love her more than we do.”

We cuddle together, staring at our baby for a while longer. Maryellen knocks at the door, coming in to check on me. Lucas takes Juliet, and she startles from the shock of his cool skin against her after coming away from my warmth. We already discussed this, knowing it was going to be an issue. Babies like the warmth of skin-to-skin contact. Lucas is always cold. Warming himself with the heated blanket works for me, but it’s not something we can easily do just anywhere with a baby.

“Do you want anything for the pain?” Maryellen asks me.

“Um, sure,” I say, knowing the second I try to move I’ll regret not taking anything. Lying here unmoving isn’t so bad. She takes a small potion vial from her bag and gives me another bottle of electrolyte water. I down the potion and drink half the water. I’m so freaking thirsty. Lucas walks around the room, gently swinging Juliet in his arms. Her eyes are closed and she’s starting to fuss, turning her head in against Lucas with her tiny mouth open.

“She’s hungry,” Maryellen tells us, and Lucas comes back to the bed. I sit up, wincing as I move, and adjust the pillow under my arm. Unhooking a strap to my nightgown, I carefully take our baby from Lucas and bring her to me, thankful for Maryellen’s help to get her positioned to nurse. It takes a few tries, but she gets it. It’s another emotional moment for Lucas and me, and it hits us both at the same time how incredible this is.

Lucas is a vampire. He’s been dead for over sixteen hundred years. And he’s looking at his living newborn daughter. Juliet falls asleep after only a few minutes of nursing, and I give her to Lucas. He cradles her against his chest, whispering to her, telling her he loves her.

I need to use the bathroom and gratefully accept Maryellen’s help. Once I’m back in bed—with an icepack between my legs—I take Juliet so Lucas can let everyone know they can come in. Tabatha, who was there when Juliet entered this world, stands back with tears in her eyes.

Eliza is the first one in, racing with vampire speed to come to the side of the bed. She stops short, hand flying to her chest.

“Oh my god,” she whispers, rapidly blinking away her emotions. “She’s so tiny.”

Binx, Freya, and Pandora, who have been patiently waiting right outside the room, come in, jumping up on the bed. They’re all purring, acting like normal happy cats, but I can sense them pledging to guard this child the same way they guard me. Freya is particularly drawn to her and rubs her head against my hand.

“That’s Eliza, your big sister,” Lucas tells Juliet, and it’s such a beautiful moment that the strangeness of it is lost on me. “I’m sure you’ll steal her clothes someday.”

“I wouldn’t even care.” Eliza wipes away a tear. “Better to dress like me than her mother.” She smiles and perches on the edge of the bed. Kristy, Evander, and the twins come in next, and everyone takes a turn gushing over Juliet and taking pictures of her. The happy chatter in the room keeps her attention, and her big blue eyes curiously look around, trying to take it all in.

“How are you doing?” Kristy asks me.

“I’m a little sore,” I admit. “And I’m hungry.”

“What would you like?” Tabatha asks, eyes still glimmering.

“Just a sandwich,” I tell her. “Without warming the meat up first to kill bacteria.”

“I’ll bring it up.” Tabatha kisses the top of my head and looks down at Juliet. “I’m holding my grandbaby as soon as I’m back,” she tells me with a smile, and hearing her refer to Juliet as her grandbaby makes me all teary. It’s going to be a while before my hormones balance back out, I know.

Juliet opens her mouth and turns in again, wanting to nurse. I switch her to my other side, and Lucas moves a pillow under my arm once she’s against me. She nurses for maybe two minutes and falls asleep again.

“I don’t feel like she’s getting anything,” I say, looking at Maryellen.

“She is,” she assures me. “Your milk will come in shortly. Try not to worry.”

“I just can’t believe how fast she got here.” Nicole’s sitting on the bench at the foot of the bed, petting Scarlet, who’s crowding in around everyone. “It might not have felt fast for you.”

“It did and didn’t.” I look at Lucas, and he nods in agreement. “I was worried I would end up in labor for days.” The first contractions I felt while on the phone with Abby was the actual start of labor, but it didn’t get painful until much later in the night.

I talk with my friends for a bit more and learn that the lights were flickering like crazy throughout the house, which I hadn’t realized since I thought it was only the ones in the room with us. There was no way I could have delivered in a hospital just because of that alone, not to mention the magic that sizzled and sparked around me.

Tabatha holds Juliet for the first time after she brings me something to eat, and it feels so fucking good to get food in my stomach. The adrenaline of birth is wearing off fast, and I’m getting more tired by the second—and feeling more pain.

Lucas changes Juliet’s first messy diaper, and Eliza records a video on her phone. Despite my fears, everything is okay.

I’m okay. Juliet is okay. Lucas is here and was able to be with me through the whole labor and delivery. Our family is together and is complete.

Lucas snaps the last button of Juliet’s little black onesie and picks her up, kissing the top of her head. He looks so good with a baby in his arms, and the way he’s looking at his daughter with so much love makes me tear up.

Maybe the universe is looking out for us after all.

Then the air shifts, and Juliet’s eyes open, as she can sense it too. Only a second later, Michael appears in the room.

“Dad.” I sit up straighter, heart skipping a beat.

“Hello, Callie.” He smiles at me and strides over, eyes going to the baby in Lucas’s arms.

My lips part as I suck in a breath, choked by my emotions. “Julian.”

“I know.” Michael’s brows furrow.

“I tried,” I start, eyes falling shut. “But I couldn’t.”

“It’s not your fault,” he tells me, hand landing on my shoulder. “You can’t blame yourself.”

I want to tell him I don’t, but that would be a lie. Because I do, and I want Julian here, sharing this moment with us. It’s because of his sacrifice we are here, and I hope he knows how grateful I am. If it weren't for him, I wouldn’t have my baby.

“That’s the archangel?” Maryellen loudly whispers.

“Yes,” Tabatha replies. “That’s Callie’s father. Let’s give them some space.” Everyone shuffles out of the room, closing the door behind them.

“I am sorry I couldn’t come sooner,” Michael tells me. “Uriel has been watching my every move. He is now certain the Nephilim child is alive and still believes Lucifer is the father, which is why he’s in hiding.” Michael holds up his hand to keep me from asking questions. “He does not know I’m here, though I can’t stay long.” His face splits into a smile. “I had to meet my granddaughter, and there’s no need to keep your powers locked up now that you’re no longer carrying a human baby.”

He puts his hand on my collarbone, and something warm zaps through me. My eyes glow blue, and I get the strangest feeling of having wings, but only for a fleeting second. “Do be careful. The more power you have, the more likely you are to get caught using it.”

“Juliet has powers,” Lucas starts, eyes still on his daughter. “Do they need to be bound?”

“As of now, no,” Michael tells us. “Her divinity isn’t as strong as Callie’s.” He walks around the bed, going to Lucas’s side. “May I?”

Lucas passes the baby to him, and Michael’s eyes get all misty when he takes Juliet into his arms. “She looks just like you did when you were a newborn,” he says softly, and I realize how hard this must be for him and why he risked so much to come here.

The last time he held a newborn in his arms, he was getting ready to pass me off to the cruel Martin family, doing what was necessary to keep me alive.

And my own mother, the woman Michael risked everything to be with, was dead.

“Really?”

“You had more hair.” Michael looks from Juliet to me, small smile on his face. “Your mother would be so proud of you, my daughter. All she wanted was for you to be loved, and I am sorry your life was hard in the beginning.”

“I used to be so mad about it,” I say as the realization settles down on me. “And I used to hold so much resentment. But right now…” I turn, looking at Lucas, my father, my familiars, and of course, my baby, and feel so much. “Now I see people saying things happen for a reason isn’t total bullshit.”

“Some of it is,” Michael admits and holds Juliet so he can look straight at her. He whispers something, and his eyes glow blue. He holds her for another moment, looking conflicted. I don’t need to ask to know why: he can’t stay and be here with his family. Just being here now is a risk, and not one we can take.

The Horsemen are still on the loose.

Paimon is going to make another attempt to steal the throne.

And Uriel is only a few steps behind figuring out the whole truth.

“Dad?” I start, brows pinching together. “Julian was working on something that would get rid of the Horsemen. I don’t know what it was, but he wanted me to find Lucifer. He…he didn’t say anything to you?”

“No, he didn’t. We hadn’t had much contact as of late. With him being here, it would have been too obvious. You just delivered a baby, Callie,” Michael says. “The Horsemen aren’t going to come after you tonight. I’ve already put extra protective measures on the house and gave Juliet a blessing.”

“I know.” I don’t have the energy to go after demons right now anyway. “You don’t know where Lucifer is?”

“He’s been evading us again, which is something he’s quite good at. The cloaking spell has worn off, and if I leave now, I still have enough time while Uriel is distracted to try and find him.”

“I want you to stay,” I tell him. Our time is limited enough already, and I don’t want him flying out to look for Lucifer when there’s a good possibility he won’t be able to find him. “My mother,” I start and take Lucas’s hand. I’m feeling so much for him right now, and the fact that the only two people in this world who are biologically related to me are in the room with me is overwhelming. “Did she get to see me at all?”

“Yes,” Michael replies softly. “She held you and passed with you in her arms.” Michael looks out the window, pained from the memory. “Her final moment on earth was filled with joy and so much love for you.” Lucas gives my hand a reassuring squeeze and wipes a tear off my cheek.

There’s a soft knock on the door, and Lucas gets out of bed to open it.

“I had at the strongest feeling I need to come check on Callie,” Tabatha says from the hall. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah,” Lucas tells her, voice low. “This is a lot for her to process.”

“A regular human birth is enough on its own,” Tabatha agrees and looks in on us, unable to help but smile when she sees Juliet. Michael puts her back in my arms and rests his hand on my shoulder. The feeling of comfort and peace I get just by being around other angels relaxes me, and I lean back against my pillows with my baby on my chest.

“I called you here,” Michael tells Tabatha, crossing the room. “So I could thank you for being the mother Callista wanted our daughter to have.”

“Oh my.” Tabatha is instantly choked up. “It’s been a blessing having Callie in my life. I am proud to be able to call her my daughter.”

“Take care of them both,” Michael says, looking from Tabatha to Lucas. He turns, eyes full of emotion. “I do love you, my daughter.”

And then he disappears.

I let out a shaky sigh and close my eyes. Lucas was right to say this is a lot to process, because it fucking is.

“You have to be exhausted.” Tabatha comes to me and runs her finger over Juliet’s tiny hand.

“I am.”

“Sleep,” she says. “I’m not going anywhere.”

My eyes go to Lucas. He knows I can’t just pass the baby off and lie down. My mind won’t allow me to do just fall asleep like that. Lucas sits on the bed next to me again and takes Juliet from me.

“We’re not going anywhere,” he says. “You pushed a living human out of your body. You need to rest.”

“Holy fuck. I did.” I shake my head, and Lucas kisses me, settling into bed next to me. Tabatha gets Maryellen, who does a final assessment of us before heading out. She’s going to come back in the morning to check on us again and will have her phone next to her in case anything happens.

Everyone else comes in one last time to see Juliet. Tabatha and Eliza are the last to leave the room, and Tabatha shuts off the light and closes the door.

“Get some sleep, Callie,” Lucas tells me. “It’s been a long day.”

“It has.” I realize that I don’t even know what time it is, but we have to be approaching dawn.

“We’ll stay right here,” he assures me.

“Wake me up if she needs to eat.”

“I will.” He slowly leans back, adjusting Juliet’s little blanket over her body. She starts to cry but stops, settling down and falling asleep now. I turn, lying on my side so I can look at Juliet.

Our baby.

My eyes fall shut and almost instantly, I’m asleep.

I wake in a panic,sitting up fast and blinking rapidly. I reach out, thinking I fell asleep with the baby in my arms and she fell off the bed or is tangled in the blankets.

“Shhhh,” Lucas soothes. “She’s still asleep.”

My eyes adjust to the light, and I see Lucas standing by the window, Juliet swaddled in a new blanket than she was in before.

“Is she okay?” It’s a dumb question, but I have to ask it.

“She’s still perfect.” Lucas comes to the bed and seamlessly passes her to me. She moves her head, rooting for milk. I bring her to my breast and struggle to get her latched on. Hungry, she’s frustrated not to get any milk and starts crying, which in turn makes me almost panic.

“I’m doing it wrong.”

“It’s all right,” Lucas says, calm voice reassuring.

Muted sunlight glows behind the curtained windows. I want so badly to go back to sleep but know I need to feed my baby. Lucas tries to help me adjust the baby, but with her crying, I can’t get her latched on. Lucas takes her, and I move the pillows, leaning back a bit instead of sitting straight up.

It takes a few more tries, but we get it. Beaming, I look from Juliet to Lucas. She nurses for a good few minutes before falling back asleep, and Lucas says he can hear Eliza at the door.

She’s ready to jump in and be the nanny. I didn’t think it would be hard to let anyone other than Lucas take my baby, but when Eliza swaddles in her a pink blanket and takes her in the nursery so she can sit in the rocking chair while I shower, I feel uneasy.

“I can hear her cry from here,” Lucas reminds me. He pulls the blankets back and helps me out of bed. I’m not as sore as I expected, which I’m sure has to do with being back to my old Nephilim self, though this time I have access to more powers.

It feels good to shower, and I look at my body with a new appreciation once I’m out and dressed in only mesh underwear with a diaper-like pad. My middle is still swollen and squishy, a far cry from the abs I used to have, but damn. This body grew, carried, and delivered our daughter.

I have to check on Juliet—she’s sleeping in Eliza’s arms and Eliza is reading fairy tales to her—and then dry my hair. Getting back to a routine after having a baby is important, I know. I want to feel good and like myself again, only this time, like myself but as a mother.

Once my hair is dry, I go into the kitchen, finding Lucas with Juliet. He’s standing by the windows, looking out at the yard. He put on a pot of coffee, and there’s a basket of freshly made muffins that my friends had to have baked for me last night while I was in labor.

“There’s your mama,” he whispers to our baby. Juliet is awake, looking around this big new world curiously. “She’s going to get breakfast and then you can have yours.” Juliet cries, and Lucas brings her against his chest, rocking her as he walks around the kitchen. Juliet quiets down, and my heart swells in my chest.

We’ve been through so much to get to where we are. Our life is messy, but it’s so damn perfect. And I won’t let anyone get in our way.