Curiosity's Price

Chapter Sixteen

"Do you think...?" Alice began to ask, but then petered off unsurely.

"What is it?" Matthew asked his wife. 

"I'm just worried," she answered, looking down at the ground. "This is kind of new to me."

He chuckled a little and shook his head. "It's new to me as well. But we'll be alright. You will be fine."

Alice wrapped her arms around him, having to twist her torso a little to the side because her swollen belly would be squished between them otherwise. He returned the hug, pressing a kiss to her hair while he rubbed her back. "...Did you have another weird dream last night?"

She stiffened momentarily, but gave in and sighed. "Yeah. It was short, but I wasn't sure what to make of it."

"What happened in it?" After a couple of years married to her, he knew to trust her dreams, bizarre as they may be. 

"There was a lot of pain," she said. "Just pain. I didn't even see anything."

"Oh." Matthew frowned thoughtfully, resting his chin on top of her head. "Maybe it was just about the birth?"

"I hope so," she agreed softly, clinging tighter to her rock.

~

Around this time, the best in the magic sector were picking up the soul imprints of something else down on Earth. 

They knew they would have to do something about the child, because it wasn't supposed to be down there on the foul, unholy ground.

~

"What are we going to do?" Alice asked her husband as she held their newborn baby in her arms protectively. "Mattie?"

He was facing the window contemplatively, staring out with a troubled expression at the sky. He turned around and met her tear-filled gaze. "I... I don't know."

Mother and baby were healthy, perfectly fine. The home delivery had gone well. There was just one problem...

Wrapped up inside the baby bundle were two tiny, almost featherless wings. They pressed against the child's back as he slept on peacefully for the moment. 

Alice looked down at her son with a fearful expression. No, she wasn't afraid of him. She loved him with all her heart, but she was afraid for him. "Milo..."

What would happen to him? Would they even be able to keep him? He was their baby!

~

"Sera, what do we do?" Alice asked her older sister fearfully. "My parents, they want to see him but how can I show them?"

Sera folded Alice into her arms and held her quietly. "I'm so scared, Sera..."

"I wish I knew what to tell you, Alice," Sera said honestly. "But I don't. It's just... I've never heard of this happening before."

A baby's wail erupted from the cradle, and Alice immediately rushed over to pick him up and soothe him. Surprisingly, as soon as her arms were around him, he quieted and opened his eyes even though it was unlikely he could see much of anything. 

Sera hovered over Alice's shoulder and peered down at her nephew. "Hi there, Milo~"

The baby gurgled in reply and smiled a wide, toothless grin. 

"He's so sweet," Sera said. "I hope things go well for you all."

~

"You can't take him!"