Children Of The Night
By Veronica Leigh Marquette
CHAPTER 17
"You know, boy, if you weren't my Great Grandson, I might be tempted to be
jealous of your good fortune." Anise looked around the room, to his daughters
GrandChilde. "And you want to take on the duty of being the infants father, in
truth?"
"He is my Father, Anise. I'm sorry if I upset anyone, but, Marcus might
have made me, but Jessy is my father." Kris lay her hand on Jessy's arm, as he
stood by her, holding his son. "I know it sounds really strange, but it works
for me. And I already accepted Nick as my little brother, not like me, but
still my little brother."
Anise looked at Janis. "And you are at peace with this GrandChilde?"
"I really don't have a lot of choice in it, Anise. Jessy is an adult. I
placed her in his care, to see to her raising. What else could we expect? He
might be young, but he is my Childe, after all. Now the mortal he has decided
to father as well, I didn't expect, but again, he is an adult. It is his right.
There can never again be another Childe made. Until another of us dies, Kris is
the last one. So my boy, he has sought out the only road to fatherhood left
available to him." She would not let him pass judgement on her son. He was her
Childe, and an adult. She would protect his rights.
"Give it up cousin, the girl is as bad as her Childe when it comes to being
protective of what is hers." Ramaine laughed. "The Infant had come to me, back
when she was first trying to come up with a way to see her father's dream
materialized. I was the one that told her that it was possible, The boy is
strong enough to handle it. A mortal child's mind is very easy to mold and
shape."
The elder vampire just chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, I'm not fussing. I
think, as rebellious as this new path that the boy is taking is, it is also a
wonderful one." Then to Kris, "no infant, I was not questioning the right your
father had to make you his Childe. Only if he fully understood what the act of
re-making you would mean. To go from your Sire by adoption to by birth."
There was absolute silence after his words. Other than him, and perhaps
Ramaine no one else knew what he meant.
"What do you mean, 'Sire by birth'?" Jessy looked from him down at Kris.
"Elder, she is one of us already. I can, and have adopted her as mine, but are
you saying that I could have done more?"
"Yes, 'Father'," Asha crossed her arms in front of her. "You keeping
secrets from me?"
Anise just laughed. "Not hiding from you, Daughter. Just something that
this is the first time it has come up, in more years than you have been my
Childe."
"What are you talking about Father?"
"If his mother wasn't here, I wouldn't suggest this. But as she is, and is
your Childe, and you mine, I think it is safe enough to do.
"Do?" Jessy handed Fran their son. "Do, what, Elder?"
Anise motioned for him to come close. Gathering his younger kinsman close.
"You are very young for this, Jessy, but the display you have shown thus far,
with not only her care, but the control you have over your herd, has me
believing that even as young as you are, you will be able to take on this
challenge."
"Elder, you are now the Father of our family. I trust you, as surely as I
trust my mother or grandmother. But I still don't understand what you are
saying."
"Rare is it that an infant or Childe is orphaned. Which is why it is so
uncommon for one to be adopted. You know that. The very fact that you even
thought to invoke that most archaic law speaks highly of your mother's training
of you. But even rarer still is the knowledge that one, who is still so much a
Childe that he or she is near newborn, can be re-made by another. Yes Marcus
did indeed make her his Childe, but he is dead, it is to you that she has turned
to for support. You, who have held up and grown with her, so to you, should go
the honor and joy of her parenting."
"Are you sure, you can safeguard him, cousin?" Ramaine watched as Jessy
pulled away from Anise, to gather Kris close.
"Janis is him mother, if she can't control him, Asha is hers, and I am
Asha's father. Yes, I am sure."
"What about the ban, adoption, yes, but to make a Childe. I don't know
Anise, I had to watch my brother go into the sun already for that sin, I can't
ask that of my son."
"Marcus might have been your brother, Janis, but he was my, GrandChilde.
You will never fully understand what the pain of his death was for me. I would
never risk doing that to another of my family. Jessy is my Great Grandson.
Now, Kris, if they agree, will be my Great-great Granddaughter. I had given
Marcus my word and bond that I would never let her be hurt. The ban has no
bearing on this. She is one Of the Blood, already. There will be no, true,
death here. Only a change of allegiances." He smiled at the two as Kris held
on to Jessy. "Had Marcus not did what he had, and had only pointed her out as
his replacement, with all probability, you son would have been her brother at
the start, but like you did with Marcus, he would have ended up being so much
more than just her older brother. This way, at least we can see to it that they
are set on the proper path now, and let it play out as it will."
"But, I can see, if I was going to do it, or my mother, or you. But Marcus
was much older than my son. Just how can he change what is already been set
into play?"
"That is why I am here, to see to it that he can do this. You are his
mother. You should be able to see that it is done safely. Like your mother did
for you the first time you made a Childe. Jessy is going to have to kill her
again, and then, as she hangs between life and death, do as we all did when we
chose to pass our blood to a Childe, and give her his. You will see to him,
just as you have seen to your other children when they passed on the blood, for
the first time, to your grandchildren." He nodded at Asha. "Your mother is
here, if it is too much, what with Kris being one of us, already, for you to
guard him and his Childe's life. And I am here. Asha is my Childe. And if
that is still not enough, Ramaine is my father's sister's Childe. And is older
than I. If that cannot safeguard her life, nothing can." Anise lay his hands
on both Jessy and Kris. "So, Childe, are you up to this? Is the promise of
making her Your Childe greater than the fear of failure?"
Jessy looked into Kris's eyes, lost in the openness there. She was more
his, now than he had ever thought anyone would ever be. More open than he
thought anyone could be. "If I knew that I could do this, I would."
"You can do this, Childe. I know it."
Jessy looked up at Anise. "But, Elder, her life, it's tied to mine so, if
she dies, I die too."
"She won't die, Childe. You were not put at risk when Janis made you. So
you will not her."
"But I am the twelfth of her children. She had done it many times. Me,
I've never."
"Why do you think, I brought both my Childe and your mother when I came
here. Janis will watch over you. Asha will watch over her, and if I have to, I
can help Asha if she needs it. And, as I said, Ramaine is my cousin, and older
than I. I know it can be done."
*Please, Father. * Kris begged him.
*If, I hurt you, * he began.
*But you won't. Please, be my Father, for real. Let me be more than just
your mate, wife and Childe by adoption. Let me call you Father, and mean it. *
Jessy touched her cheek, wiping the trail of tears that flowed down her
face. "So, baby, you want to be mine?"
*It's okay, Childe, I am here. * Janis's mind touched Jessy's as he began
to re-make Kris.
Jessy felt his mother's will on his as he went to do something that before
this day, was considered sin. He made a Childe. *Hold on, baby, I've got you.
* Janis's supported his strength, and he could feel Asha and Anise's hand as
well.
Kris clung to Jessy, as she felt death near again. But this time, she
didn't face it with fear, but gladly.
Randy held Mitch as they watched on. "It's okay, Kris will be okay. You
don't know them like I do." He had no doubt that Kris would be just fine. He
knew personally what Jessy was able to do, and had felt both Janis's and Asha's
power before. And if the Elder was anything like Asha, then there was no chance
of failure.
* * *
*Go on, love, live, * Jessy pulled her head to his throat, as he pulled back
from feeding on her. She was so weak now, anymore and she would die in truth.
*Keep feeding from her Childe. As she feeds from you, as long as there is
any of Marcus's blood in her, she will not be yours. * A soft voice in his
mind.
Jessy had never had to focus on the taste of his own blood before. But as
he went to drain Kris of all of Marcus's, he had to be very aware of it, so that
when the blood he pulled from her was purely his, he would know.
*It's done. You are mine. * Jessy couldn't believe what he was feeling.
He kept being overwhelmed with her, at every turn. How could anyone bear to ban
this from them? And how could anyone agree? He had thought that there never
was going to be anything that compared to what he felt the night Janis made him.
But the completion of a cycle, in him making Kris his, was so much more
powerful?
"I seriously hope that the next Childe is from another family." Ramaine
commented to Asha. "I'm just too damn old for this sort of thing anymore. So
best you and Anise plan to live for a very long time to come."
"As long as there is still the ban in place, I agree." Anise commented
back, smiling as Jessy lay with Kris, lost in the newness that all felt with the
birth of their Childe. "As sweet as this is, I would just as soon never have to
do it again. My Father died before the ban, so there was no need to hurry and
replace him in the number. But now, there is six thousand four hundred and
thirty-one in the world, and that number must remain constant.. No more, no
less, and the making of a Childe is going to be a fast thing, so that if there
is another death, that number will remain as it is."
* * *
Randy was the first to graciously bow out of his normal spot with Jessy for
the day. And after him, they all just suddenly found somewhere else to sleep.
Leaving the vampires to share a bed, or as many of them as wanted to, that was.
"So, cousin, it does appear that we are the odd men out tonight." Ramaine
leaned on Anise. "It would take an act of God and three of Congress to get
those two separated right now. And Janis and Asha are going to be as bad. So,
old man, shall we call it a day?"
"Wait, let's see if the boy is still the master of his house, or if he is
still too lost in the new tie to his Childe." He cleared his throat for his
bedazzled boy to hear him. "So, Childe. This is your home, your herd and
Childe. It is late, where do you want us?"
"Elder, I'll be honest. Right now, I don't care where you want to sleep, as
long as it is below ground. My boy's, and Kris's three, have bowed out for the
evening. I'm sending Darlin to sleep in the same room that Nicky is in. Jake
will probably end up with her. I promise, any of my, bunch would be thrilled to
open their arms to you. puck most of all Ramaine, he has found a certain peace
with you. Must be your artist's soul." He pulled Kris even closer to him.
"Forgive me Mother, Grandmother, Elder, but right now." He smiled softly. "I'm
just one of a long line of children that are part of this. So I know you all
can understand."
"Go on, Childe. There are too many of your family under your roof for you
to worry about any of your toys. Remember, the law." Janis kissed his cheek.
"Take my GrandChilde and put her to bed. And don't worry if she keeps you busy
late tomorrow. I have been where you are, several times. Enjoy the new wonder
you share with her."
"Just remember, boy, I don't plan to leave this place until I have gotten to
know my youngest kinswoman. So, unless you have a need for my constant company
for an extended time, best you be willing to let me get to know her."
Jessy looked up at him, a soft humble look on his face. "Elder, you can
stay as long as you wish, visit any time you like. This is my home, and it is
always open to my family."
* * *
Fran hated bothering Jessy, while he was as distracted with what they were
doing with Kris, but Nicky wouldn't calm down. He had been crying for the last
hour. She had learned within the first two days, that Jessy just seemed to have
an almost magical touch with him. And no matter how upset he was, it never took
Jessy, more, than just a few minutes to settle him. "Jess?"
Jessy looked up, wiping his tears, smiling at her. "Yeah, Darlin?"
"I'm sorry, but can you talk to Nicky here. He acts like he would like to
see you."
Janis laughed, reaching for the baby that Fran was holding out to Jessy.
"Give me my Grandson. He is just a baby, I am sure that with all the emotions
and power that is going on around here, he is just a little confused. You all
know that your master has not abandoned you for his Childe. But this wee one,
he isn't old enough to understand what is going on."
Jessy shook his head, taking the baby. "No, Mother, he is my son." The
infant stopped crying the moment he heard Jessy's voice. "See, he just needed
to hear me." He brushed his lips over the baby's forehead. "Jealous, that is
what the little man is. Poor thing, he doesn't understand I haven't left him.
Just giving him a sister." He handed the baby to Janis. "Darlin, this is my
mother. That makes her Nicky's Grandmother, as surely as she is Kris's."
"Get on with you, you young scamp. I am not so old that I have forgotten
how to hold a mortal child." She smiled at Fran. "Tell his mother, that I
would never harm him."
Jake pulled up to wrap an arm around Fran. "She isn't going to hurt Nicky,
Franny. I've known here for almost thirteen years. She is master's mother. So
quit standing there ready for her to drop him."
"Darlin, honey, you listen to my boy and my mother. Nick is as safe with
her as he is with me, more so, she is much stronger than I am, and it would take
a great deal more to get past her to reach him."
"And child, if it were more than I can face, I have my mother to turn to,
and she her father. This is the first mortal that has ever been placed in such
a safe place. Oh the others here, the feeders, I am sure that my son loves
them. But this child, he is his son. And by his adoption of him, family."
"Yes, indeed, if I could get my hands on that thing that sprung her on us
and then had the bad manners to die before we could get to him. I would kill
him." Ramaine growled. "This is going to be an even bigger headache than
setting up the ban was. Do you have any idea how many are going to take it into
their heads, to start raising a child of their own?"
"Maybe, let's hold off on changing the law until we see how Janis's boy
deals with this. He is taking on so much, so let's let him experiment with
these things. Soon enough, ten or twenty years, and maybe then you will have a
real worry, but right now, it is just a new thought."
* * *
"So tell me child, Puck is what your master called you, correct?" Ryan
nodded, trembling with excitement. "Answer me this, was that your work I saw
over the fireplace earlier?" Ramaine leaned over to kiss Ryan's shoulder.
"I made that for M'lady for her first birthday. She likes it. They like
all the stuff I do."
"You have more? It's not too late, may I see it?" The boy was an absolute
wonder. The painting looked almost lifelike, or as lifelike as a painting of
two vampires could be.
Ryan pulled away, to gather the sketchbook and few pieces he had finished.
"They are no where near as good as the one that I did for her. I don't know if
I will ever do anything that good again." He held out the sketchbook. "But for
doodles, they're pretty good."
'Doodles', this child called the work he had crafted doodles. "Boy, lucky
you are indeed, that I don't poach from my family. If this is just some of your
'doodles', as you call them, and if the height of your skill is that which hangs
in the living room, you are a prize. And if I could, I would snatch you.
Aaron's girl is good, but alas, she is still a woman. But you, you I could
watch paint all night, and share my bed during the day with." He looked up from
the book. "Tell me this, Puck. How is it that your master is so damn lucky?
There can never be another Childe, and yet he is Kris's new father. He has you
all, so well trained. And that baby. Anise feels sure that the change, if it
is a good one, will take time for us. But with as many that miss having a
Childe to raise, the prospect of raining a mortal just might be more than they
can bear, particularly, the women among us. Did you see how Janis was carrying
on over Nicholas?"
"M'lady says that just because their dead, doesn't mean that they don't want
to still be parents. I think, later, when she is finished doing whatever master
has planned for her. She might go out and take one of her own, to, raise." He
found the whole discussion somewhat amusing. First they were vampires, vampires
for Christ's sake. Jessy had a new idea oh how to keep his, 'herd'. Then the
baby, and now, if it wasn't so scary, all the things that were coming up fast
and hard around them. It would be funny.
"So, pretty one, who came up with this lovely mark you all have? You do
realize that for the most part, the others who belong to one of us that is not
your master, we don't insist on collars. Though if you all will be living here,
and those who are here start to visit and get a good look at how pretty you all
are in them, it will only be a matter of time before it is very common. And
that tattoo, is simply a work of art. I know Aaron and his girl's work."
"It was one of the presents he gave us for Christmas, along with the tags
for our collars. He had me come up with one that was pretty enough for him, and
then he had us all tattooed. His and hers are the art I gave them for
Christmas. They like it enough to have Master Aaron color it on them. The
ring, Mitch gave master for Christmas, is one I drew as well. He won't take
that ring off. I seem to be the artsy one in the family." He blushed looking
down shyly.
Ramaine lay the book aside, reaching for the boy. "Well, then why don't you
come over here and be creative with me."
* * *
Jessy moaned softly, cupping Kris's head to his neck as she fed. You
haven't been this greedy in a while.
*Morning, Father, I haven't been hungry like this in a while, either. * And
she was, she was starved. It had been a long time since she had ever been this
hungry. Having Jessy and the rest around had healed her of this feeling rather
quickly.
Janis, who lay with Asha, curled up beside them yawned. *Marcus was much
older than you Jess. So your Childe is going to have to relearn all the control
she had gained thus far. *
*Back to feeding all the time, great. * Kris pulled away to lay back.
"Morning Father," she pulled up at smile down at him. "Or can I get away with
calling you Daddy?"
Jessy groaned as both Janis and Asha laughed at Kris's joke. "Be warned
Grandson, that infant is going to give you gray hairs before it is done. She is
as bad as Janis was at her age. Marcus must have known his sister would see to
your care, and settle you with your father, because he has in choosing and
making you, invoked the mothers curse on her."
"But she is my Childe, so his mothers curse landed on me." Jessy
complained, kissing Kris lightly. "That is just fine. I can deal with you
being like my mother. My mother was no where near as bad as I was." He
chuckled evilly as Kris gasped as he pinned her to the bed. "Our bunch might
just decide they really love you for a while, baby. With as much loss of
control you have suffered, for now, I am going to have to feed from them, and
you from me. I am back to being the only one to take care of all of them, and
you, for a while."
"Not near as long this time as it was the first, dear. She knows what to
look for now. It won't take her anytime at all to relearn it."
* * *
Anise closed his eyes, losing himself in the feel as Kris fed from him.
Lucky Childe, to be so young again. To be able to live again in that continual
glow of blood lust. He had to finally take pity of this infant's father, and
let her feed from him. She had fed from Jessy so often that night, that as fast
as he could gain his strength, she was latched on his throat again. And as of
rising, tonight, he had decreed that none but her family would feed her. The
mortals complained at the loss of her attentions for a while, but Jessy had been
firm.
It was like a, never, ending need. No matter how often she fed, she never
felt full. She was always hungry. "Damn, I don't remember it being like this."
She lay over Anise.
"It will settle down soon enough, Childe. The first night is always the
hardest. That was another reason why we came, to see that your father could
finally be just that, and so that you wouldn't risk hurting him or yourself with
your hunger this first night. Marcus was, much, older than Jessy is. So his
blood was more powerful, enabled you to come through that first night much
easier than this." He pulled her head back up against his throat. "Go on,
Childe. Your fathers 'pets', they have seen to me, I am fine for now. And if
you take too much from me, I am sure that by the time I need more, one of them
will have recovered enough to take care of my hunger. Feed Childe," he stroked
her hair as she drank. "Just feed."
* * *
"Janis, my girl, have you seen what this boy of your sons can do?" Ramaine
squeezed Ryan.
"Other than make you smile, cousin, no. I haven't gotten to know my sons
herd as well as you have. This is the first time I have visited him since he
moved here."
"Best you not let that infant hear you calling them that. She whined at me
that though she would never dream of telling me how I was to relate to my boys,
her father and she don't refer to their pets as a herd."
Janis just laughed. "Okay, then, let me rephrase that, I don't know my sons
'toys' as well as some here."
"Well, take a moment and look at the painting that is displayed over the
fireplace. Your sons little painter created it. The lovely tattoo that they
all wear so proudly, his work as well."
Janis looked from the painting to the boy that rested against Ramaine.
"Goodness, Jessy is just full of all kinds of little surprises with his bunch
isn't he."
* * *
The following evening, had Anise leaving with Asha, Janis made a long winded
speech at both Jessy and Kris about how he would have to be even more vigilant
with her than he had been her first time through. Back then she had been just
his cousin, an orphan that she had placed in his care. Now she was his full
Childe, and that implied all sorts of added responsibilities. They had finally
left, so that Ramaine could drive them to the airport.
"They will be back soon enough. You are even more of a distraction now,
than you were back this time last year." Jessy pulled her close against him.
"Back then, you might have been the youngest, but as an orphan, they respected
your separateness. But now, You are Janis's GrandChilde. She is going to
practically move in here. Bet money that before the year is out, she is going
to live close to us."
"Great. I didn't know that when you did what you did, and made me your
Childe, I was going to inherit that many relatives."
"Baby, so far you haven't met any of my older brothers or sisters. Or any
of my aunts and uncles, trust, me. You have just met the very tip of the
iceberg when it comes to family.
"Well, at least with her close, you can get her to baby sit every now and
then, and we can chase Darlin around the house." She stretched. "You do know
that Ramaine is going to be a pest from this point on. He just adores our pet.
And puck is no help at all. Keeps throwing himself at the guy."
"Well, I wanted to begin to show off how we keep them, how better than to
have them charm everyone of our people that come to visit us. I think, if, puck
knew exactly just how attracted he was to boys, he would be just a little less
friendly. That boy of ours, likes his women too much to ever be happy with only
a man."
"Not even one that strokes his ego as much as Ramaine does? He got to see
some work that not even we have had a chance to look at yet. You know how puck
is when it comes to showing off his stuff. He hates when he has to let anyone
see anything that he hasn't finished. But he was deep in discussion with him
about what he wanted to do to finish more than one piece."
"Sounds like I'm going to have to have words with him again, about us being
the first one to see anything he did. He is ours, and by the gods, so is his
work. I have to be even more picky with them now that everyone has their eyes
on us, waiting for me to fall on my face."
Kris sat up, reaching to lay a hand on his arm. "Jessy, Father, don't. You
aren't doing anything wrong; they all are perfect in their own way. The rest
don't like what they, see then they will just have to, figure out, a better way
than the one we have to deal with their feeders. Personally, I can't think of a
better way than ours, but then again, I'm not near as old as anyone of them.
They might have a better idea."
"So, Jessy, is she free to feed as she wills again, or do you still have her
latched to you?" Mitch threw himself down beside them.
"Be nice, kid. You have all the nights you could possibly hope for with
her. But she might have been made twice so far, but I have never even hoped to
have the chance I have with her. Be patient. Soon enough she'll be feeding off
of, you all. Let me have just a few more weeks with her. She shouldn't be as
bad off as she is right now, for long. Let me walk her though it, and make sure
she is a little more connected to me before I start letting her feed from all of
you." He pulled Kris's head back to his throat. "Just a little while longer
baby. Soon, I promise, soon."
