A Vampire's Life Book 4

Chapter 30 - Ethan

I could hear the baby in her womb, how amazing it seemed to me, my child growing inside of her. It wouldn't be long now, she was getting bigger and bigger every day. The section of the castle that was to be ours was almost finished, Josie had given me free reign with its design and construction. She was too busy with the council. Because of the size of her stomach, she now waddled around the castle, any distance would take time to get there. That was one of the main reasons why we were still in the main part of the castle, my bedroom was only on the first floor. If we had moved into our new section, she would have three flights of stairs to climb in order to get to the bedroom. It was probably the only fault about the layout of the place but neither of us cared. Everything had gone well, the place had been brought back to its former glory. Josie hadn't been in there in a while, she wanted to be surprised and see it all when everything was done. My once spacious bedroom was now littered with baby things. I wanted to get into our own area and spread out, not to be cramped into one area. But it would have to do for the time being.

I suspected she was itching to get out and see Alina, to make sure she was alright. I was nervous to let her out, even though she always had the guard with her, I knew that if she was to go and see the child, she would have to go without the guard. It concerned me that she might be followed, that she would be in danger and in turn put the princess in danger. We had spoken in great length about it, she had developed a bond with the child in the month that she had been with her, she wanted to make sure that she was ok, that the parents were coping. The only thing I could suggest to her was that she waited until our child was born and shape shift into a bird. She reluctantly agreed, knowing that being pregnant and trying to shape shift was a difficult task, an ability that she had not honed too well.

She woke with a smile, looking down at me with my head on her stomach.

'What on earth are you doing?'

'Listening.'

'Ok, well enough listening, I have to visit the little girls room.'

She tried to hitch the pants as she walked, the band stretched and worn, hanging under that enormous belly. I sat up with concern as she gripped the frame of the door, holding her belly.

'Jos?'

She turned and looked at me, the pain on her face said it all, labour had begun.

The doctor arrived ten minutes before the baby arrived, much to my annoyance. The birth was easy, as is expected, an hour after the first contraction our daughter was born. Josie laid on the bed with her for ages, just watching her. I don't think she believed that it was true, the child in front of her was her own, her own flesh and blood. She too would be a phoenix like her mother.

'Evangeline.'

'You still like that name?'

She nods at me as her fingers gently hold the little hand that wraps around her.

'You know; she will be the right age to go to the same school.'

'That's a few years away and do you really want to send her to a human school?'

'Why not? I went to one and I was perfectly fine.'

I breathe out heavily as I lingers in my mind. I know why she wants this, she is worried for the princess, she wants to keep an eye on her.

'It is my duty to watch over her, I know it is what Godfrey wants. This is my life for the next eighteen years.'

'Has he asked you directly?'

She nods at me.

'And what does he propose?'

'A double life, here as Josie Blackwood, mother, wife, council member in the form that you see now.'

'And the other life?'

'As someone else in a different form, a neighbour, good friend to the parents, our child to become close to her.'

'That could be rather dangerous and I can't change like you can and neither can she until she learns control.'

'Maybe I could just visit; you wouldn't need to take another form.'

I didn't like the scenario one little bit, but I knew that there was no arguing with this, this was what Godfrey wanted, he wanted her to watch over the princess. We couldn't just disappear for eighteen years, could we?

'If I could change then we could get a place close by.' I shrug as I play with the tiny toes of my little girl. 'But I can't change and I don't want you out there by yourself.'

'Ok. Give me a sec.'

She sits up on the bed, crossing her legs and closing her eyes. Josie was different to Miranda in the way that she was able to communicate with Godfrey. Miranda needed all four elements to effectively communicate with him, wind, earth, water and fire whereas Josie just needed quiet, closing her mind to everything else. It was a meditative like state that she found when she spoke to him. Her eyes open with a smile.

'He said that I can turn you into a half-half being. The turning would be the same as what you would do to turn a human to a vampire. I have to be in the shape shifter state to do this effectively.'

'So I would be half vampire, half shape shifter?'

'Yes. If you wanted to return to full vampire I could do the same again, so long as I was in the vampire state. He did say not to do it too many times though and not to go telling everyone that this is possible.'

'So, you turn me half, half. We move to a place near the princess and live out the next eighteen years, there, not here?'

'Yeah.'

'My parents are going to be so unimpressed at not being able to see their grandchild.'

'It doesn't mean we can't come back here, we just have to be really careful.'