Covenant (A Lapidot Fanfiction)

Chapter 43: Difficult

I clutched my baby close to my chest. She didn't seem to notice the urgency in the movement. She looked up at me as I sat down, clearly curious about me. I kept staring down at her, hoping just looking at her and being there with her could calm me down. The wolves were gathering around in front of me, but Peridot sat close to me. Close enough to take my hand in hers and hold it tightly. A protective grasp, really. Turquoise was too tired to want to share the hold of her mother's hand, as she began to fall asleep.

"That was good," Peridot said, her confident grin clear on her face. "I admit, we have the vampire to thank for that." I glared at her. "Topaz, I mean. We have Topaz to thank for that." She sighed, her face flushing with pink. Never before this did she have a vampire to thank. "If we didn't have her, we probably wouldn't have come close to winning. In fact, we all probably would have been dead." She chuckled a grim chuckle.

"Th-the baby?" The words barely left my mouth.

"Dead." Her words came out in a hiss.

I held my daughter even closer.

"She's a wolf," Bismuth said. "Wouldn't her scent be rather...potent to them?"

"She's a baby," Peridot responded. "A young baby. Barely more than a newborn. Her powers haven't awoken just yet. Babies are like little snacks to vampires."

Turquoise sleepily shifted in my arms, forcing me to accommodate her position differently. Once she decided she was comfortable, she became still. I tried to filter the words of the werewolves out of my head to only hear and feel the rhythm of her breathing. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. She was okay. She was just fine. I knew she was.

As any time this type of thing happened, my blood boiled to fight against these vampires. Of course, that would only make me a nice, warm meal for them. Like Peridot had said. Turquoise was barely more than a newborn. I had given birth so recently. I couldn't imagine that I would be ready for that type of thing again.

Peridot's hand squeezed mine, pulling me out of my trance. She was looking at me as if she were awaiting my word. Had I missed something?

"I-I can't go." That was the only thing I even struggled to sputter out.

"We're not making you," Peridot replied in a gentle tone. "We were just thinking...maybe it would be safe for you to go back to your father."

"M-my dad?" I asked ever so quietly. "B-but...this is my home."

"They've been tracking us to here," Peridot answered. "You really need to go. Get out. Bring Turquoise with you."

"What about you?" I whispered. "I can't leave you here alone! I have to stay and help!"

"No, Lapis," Peridot said, squeezing my hand again. "I wish I could say yes, but...they'll hurt you. They will. I don't want that to happen."

I stared at her for a moment in the complete silence of the room. Once again, I could hear Turquoise's little breaths.

"I'll go," I finally surrendered. "I-I will."

Peridot pressed a gentle kiss against my cheek, ruffling my hair one last time. "They've retreated," she said as she brought her hand back to mine. "This is our only chance to get you out of here safely. We have to hurry."

I nodded, swallowing my worry. I really, really did not want to go. The vampires were so much more dangerous than the other ones we had seen before. The sight of the red line across her cheek where blood was once flowing from caused me to fear even more. The last thing I wanted to hear was that she was gone. Gone to never return. At the very least, I wanted to be there with her. I then felt I couldn't bear to think about that anymore.