Angel's Messiah

3. Miracle

3. Miracle

It was almost twenty hours before my body was finally at rest. I was sorely weakened and could hardly stand. Danny carried me home, to the cottage, in his arms.

I lay on the bed, weak, angry and frustrated by what was happening to me.

“We have to get help,” Danny said desperately. “This isn’t natural. You shouldn’t be sick, not like this.”

I tried to make light of the situation. “At least I’m not crying tears of blood anymore.”

“Helena, I can’t leave you to get help. Why won’t you let me take you to Michael?”

“I don’t want to go,” I said adamantly. “If you really want his help ask him to come here.”

“I can’t do that,” Danny said.

“What about Hael, then?” I said I was fond of Hael. He was the angel who had erected a plaque in Danny’s memory, after I’d killed him, in order to save him from being cast out and becoming a demon. “He might come.”

“I can’t call down an archangel. We have to go to them.”

I sighed. He was being pig-headed again, but then, so was I. If our positions were reversed I would’ve being yelling at Michael or Hael to get their butts down here and help him. Danny could be funny about things like that at times.

He’s set in his ways.

“Can’t you try to heal me?” I asked. “Whatever it is it seems to be beyond me.”

“If I try and fail, will you consent to seeing Michael?” he asked.

Damn, I thought to myself. He wants to hedge his bets, in case he can’t help me. I guess it’s only reasonable.

“Fine,” I grumbled. “Just get on with it, will you.”

Danny placed the heel of one hand on my forehead and the other hand over my heart. I waited to be filled with bliss and peace, for my body to spasm from the connection … and felt nothing.

“Why isn’t it working?” I asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Try again,” I encouraged him.

He did try, another three times, and each time nothing happened — he felt nothing and I felt nothing.

“Try the thing you do to heal bones,” I said.

“You don’t have any broken bones though.”

“Just try, please.”

Danny cupped his hands and held them slightly above my body, starting from my head and slowly working his way down my neck, shoulders, each arm and torso. As he passed my lower abdomen he stopped and backtracked. His hands hovered there and I knew he’d found something. He fell back into the chair he’d dragged to the side of the bed, his hand still cupped and a look of shock on his face. The blood had drained from his face. He was paler than me at my worst.

My heart started racing. I was almost afraid to ask, yet I had to know.

“What’s wrong with me? I’m dying, aren’t I?”

He shook his head, opened his mouth to speak and closed it again. He leaned forward and ran his hands through his hair, a gesture I knew well. It meant that things didn’t bode well for me and he was trying to work out in his head how to phrase it.

“Tell me what’s wrong with me,” I demanded.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he sighed, the colour slowly returning to his face.

He sounded a little baffled by what he’d found, which was apparently nothing bad at all. So what was it then? Was I somehow evolving into something else, or was it all in my head?

“Then how can I be so sick?” I asked, confused. “Are you saying it’s psychological, all in my head?”

“No, I’m not saying that at all.”

“Then what are you saying?”

He knelt on the floor beside the bed and clasped my hand. He kissed the palm gently and folded it within his own hands. My heart beat faster now. I wanted to scream. The suspense, or something else, was killing me.

Danny looked into my eyes and I saw the initial shock was now replaced with wonder.

“Tell me, please,” I begged.

“You’re pregnant.”

I pulled my hand away from him. If this was his idea of a joke it wasn’t funny at all. I couldn’t have children and he knew it.

“It’s hard to believe, I know,” he said, “but there is a life growing within your womb. From what I can tell it’s been there for about two months.”

“I can’t be pregnant,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “I can’t have children.”

“He told me He would give us a gift. I always thought He was referring to our being together. Perhaps He meant this,” Danny rubbed my abdomen with his hand, gentle and tender, “as the gift. A miracle of our own.”

“So you’re saying I’m suffering from the immortal equivalent of morning sickness?”

“Apparently, yes,” he chuckled.

“This sucks, big time.”

Danny looked upset. “You’re unhappy that you’re pregnant?”

“No, I only wish the morning sickness wasn’t so bad. This is probably one of the only immortal drawbacks I’ve come across.”

“But mortal women suffer morning sickness,” Danny said.

“Yeah, but not like this. This is easily ten times worse than mortal morning sickness,” I sighed. “I guess that’s why immortals don’t have babies.”

I thought about Kiana, a varakiana who had given birth to a child half mortal, half immortal. I wondered if she’d suffered as much as me. Perhaps not. Her diet was closer to a mortal diet than mine. That had to make a difference. Vomiting blood was not a nice thing.

“Are you absolutely sure? I mean, shouldn’t we get a second opinion, or is there some sort of pregnancy test I can take?”

“Helena, I’m certain. There is a spark of life in your womb. Look inwards. You should be able to find it for yourself now you know what to look for.”

I closed my eyes and let my mind reach within me, probing every inch of my body until I reached my womb. I heard the faintest of flutters — a tiny heart beating so rapidly mine had stopped in comparison. I reached out to touch it and something smacked my mind. There was no other word to describe what had happened. It was like I was child reaching out to touch a hot stove and had been smacked, not in anger, but in fear, in an effort to make me withdraw so I would not hurt myself.

It was amazing. I was pregnant.

I wanted to do a little happy dance, or shake my booty, but I was so weak all I could manage was to lean over and grab hold of Danny, hugging him fiercely. I started crying. I couldn’t help myself.

“Why are you crying?” Danny asked.

“Because I’m happy.”

He laughed. “You cry when you’re sad, you cry when you’re happy. How am I meant to know?”

“You’ll get used to it, I’m sure,” I laughed and sobbed, “after a few hundred years.”

He laughed again. “Helena Malakh, I love you.”

I smiled and cried some more. It was nice to cry proper salty tears again and not blood. I didn’t look like an immortal freak anymore, just your regular blubbery kind.

“How long does morning sickness usually last?” Danny asked.

“Usually by the second trimester it’s gone, but with me, who knows?”

“I hope you’ll be able to keep some food down soon. You’ll need to keep up your strength.”

“Danny, I know this sounds really weird, but maybe that’s why I’ve been wanting to hunt werewolf. Maybe I need something other than vampire blood.”

“It’s possible. Do you think it’s a wise idea though?”

“No,” I snorted, “but we’re running out of options, aren’t we?”

“Tomorrow?” he asked.

“Tomorrow,” I sighed.

Danny climbed onto the bed and I crawled into his arms. He rested a hand on my stomach and traced little circles.

“What are you hoping for?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you hope it’s a boy or a girl?”

“I’ve never had to think about a child before, never mind what I’d like,” he drummed his fingers on my stomach while he thought about it. “A little girl.”

“Why?” I asked.

“A beautiful little girl to dote on. What more could a father ask for?”

“She may not be beautiful, you know.”

He smiled. “She would be beautiful to me, and that’s all that matters.”

“Would the baby be immortal or part mortal?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Never in the angelic histories — we’re making history here, Helena — has such a thing occurred. I guess we’ll find out when the time comes.”

“Do you think it’ll be a standard nine month pregnancy?”

“We’re not elephants, Helena,” Danny laughed. “I think nine months, give or take, would be more than enough, don’t you?”

“Definitely.”

“What about you, boy or girl?”

“I don’t care,” I said excitedly. “I thought I’d never have children. You’re right, it is a gift from God. As long as the baby is healthy and happy, that’s all I care about.”

Danny kissed the top of my head and I yawned. It was time for a well-deserved nap. I’d probably want more sleep over the next few months. I imagined it would be a very exhausting time, being pregnant, particularly if the start was anything to go by. Just when I thought I was getting by on less sleep, this happens, and everything is thrown into chaos. Wonderful, unpredictable, though thoroughly welcome, chaos.

It was dark when I woke. Danny had a book open, resting on my stomach. He was reading aloud, very quietly. He hadn’t noticed I was awake. I looked down at the book and listened to him talk. He was reading mortal nursery rhymes.

“Nursery rhymes?” I asked.

“It was a book from one of your memories, when you were very little. You’d enjoyed it and I thought the baby should know about her mother’s heritage as well, fact and fiction.”

I leaned to one side of Danny so we could see each other.

“Danny,” I said fiercely, “there are things about my life I’d rather she didn’t know.”

“She doesn’t have to know everything, at least not until she’s old enough to understand.”

“No,” I said firmly. “She doesn’t need to know anything about my life before you, and when I was without you. If I find out you’ve told her I’ll whoop your arse!”

Danny chuckled. “I see you’re going to be suffering from mood swings as well.”

I started crying. I just burst into tears for no reason at all. I wasn’t unhappy and I wasn’t upset with Danny’s comments about mood swings, but the tears came anyway.

“Yep,” Danny said, handing me a handkerchief, “definitely mood swings.”

I didn’t think I’d heard him use the word yep before. Was I influencing his vocabulary as well? First s**t now yep. What was likely to be next?

Live together, grow alike. So when are some of his more angelic and virtuous qualities going to rub off on me?

“What’s the time?” I asked.

Numbers flared in the air to the right of me. We still had at least another three hours until sunrise. I waved the numbers away.

“There goes my idea of getting you a watch to tell the time with,” Danny sighed. “I know how you like to keep track of time.”

“I haven’t had a watch in years,” I laughed. “Why don’t you give me a digital camera instead? We’ll be wanting to take lots of photos soon enough.”

“You know we won’t ever forget anything, not even the smallest detail?”

“Yeah, but I’d like to have family albums to flick through to remind me of how the time has flown, and then there’s all the photos I’ll want to cram on the mantle above the fireplace. Maybe when the baby is born you can give me a locket as well,” I said excitedly. “I’d like a photo of you on one side and the baby on the other. You know the type of locket I’m talking about, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. When the baby is born you shall have your locket.”

“Danny, you do know that once the baby is mobile we’ll have very little privacy for a number of years. We’ll need to be selective about when and where certain things happen.”

“Are you talking about s*x?” Danny chuckled.

“Yes,” I hissed.

“It’s not a dirty word, Helena. It won’t corrupt the baby — s*x, s*x, sex.”

“Stop it,” I said.

He rolled his eyes. “Great. Morning sickness, mood swings and now you’ve turned into a prude.”

“I have not,” I snorted. “I just don’t want the baby knowing about some stuff until it’s old enough.”

Danny grinned. “You’re going to be a wonderful mother.”

“I don’t know,” I said hesitantly. “I haven’t really had any good role models. I’ll be relying on you a lot for help with parenting. I’m expecting you to be a very hands-on dad.”

“I’ll help however I can, Helena, except for breastfeeding.”

I blushed. It takes a lot to make me blush and I didn’t think I’d ever blushed in front of Danny before. I hadn’t given any consideration to feeding the baby and truthfully it embarrassed me. I could dance butt naked in front of a crowd of wild and rowdy men and engage in all sorts of s****l games, but breastfeeding? I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to handle that.

“Your cheeks are red,” he said. “Are you feeling okay?”

I waved my hands in front of my face to stir the air. I could still feel the heat in my cheeks.

“Haven’t you ever seen anyone blush before?” I asked.

“No. Why are you blushing?”

“Because for some stupid reason I found the thought of breastfeeding, and maybe having you watch, embarrassing. I know it’s the most natural thing in the world to do, and I shouldn’t feel embarrassed about it, but I am.”

“I find it hard to imagine you getting embarrassed about anything.”

“I know,” I said. “That’s why it’s so bizarre.”

“Hormones,” Danny said, nodding his head.

I rolled my eyes. Danny was going to analyse absolutely everything to do with this pregnancy and store it for future reference. I was going to be the subject of much curiosity over the next few months, and none of it mine.

“I’m hungry,” I complained.

“You’re always hungry, but at least now we know why. There are only a few hours to sunrise, then I promise I’ll fetch you a werewolf or two.”

“No, Danny, you don’t understand. I feel the need to hunt them as well.”

“That might be a bit dangerous,” he said.

“I can’t help how I feel, and I feel like I need to do this. You can catch them for me, I just need to run and join in the hunt.”

“Are you sure?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes. I wouldn’t be saying it if I didn’t think it was the right thing for me to do. I promise I’ll head back to the cottage if I feel even slightly sick or dizzy. I’ll even come back if I think I’m going to cry, if that’ll make you happy.”

Danny thought about it for a moment. He was weighing up his options, trying to decide which way to go.

“You stay behind me at all times, at a pace of my choosing. No overtaking or running backwards and definitely nothing that might put you or the baby at risk,” he lectured.

I held up my right hand, the palm facing outward, as I made a solemn pledge, “I promise.”

I turned onto my side and snuggled into Danny, smiling. “You know, we could put the last few hours of darkness to better use.”

Danny chuckled. “You’re incorrigible, Helena. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Well,” I said cheekily. “First you put one hand here …”

A couple of hours later, as the pre-dawn light broke the gloom, I sighed contentedly. Danny kissed my cheek.

“Shower?” he asked.

“Yes please,” I said.

“For someone who was so weak yesterday she couldn’t even stand, you sure found energy from somewhere.”

“Don’t you know that I’m an energy vampire,” I teased. “I sucked all the energy from you.”

Danny shook his head and mumbled, “Wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest.”

I smiled and followed Danny to the bathroom.

Towel.

A towel appeared in my hand and I flicked his butt. He jumped, not expecting an attack from the rear.

“Get along little doggy,” I said playfully, “or Momma’s gonna have to spank you some more.”

He turned around and scooped me into his arms.

“Try and spank me now,” he laughed.

“No fair,” I said, “you’ve got my arms pinned.”

Towel, smack his arse anyway.

The towel complied with my wishes.

“Hey,” he complained. “Talk about fair, you’re not even using your hands.”

After we’d showered, dried and dressed we sat on the garden swing outside. The sun was starting to touch the horizon. We waited until it was well and truly up before venturing off.

“Remember, you’re following me, not the other way round,” Danny reminded me.

“Sir, yes sir!” I yelled, saluting him.

“And keep the noise down. Don’t forget that werewolves have very good hearing.”

“Okay,” I whispered. I was just excited to be out on a hunt.

Danny took to using hand signals, not unlike those employed by Drake’s specialists, to tell me where we were going and how many scents he’d picked up. We were on the trail of two werewolves — I was glad it wasn’t three — and they had about a twenty-minute head start on us.

I was itching to run as fast as I could, yet I’d promised — when did I start making promises? — I’d follow his lead. Here I was, barely two months pregnant and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I wanted to have what I was sure were the first of many restrictions lifted.

Danny knew I was getting restless and as I seemed to be fine he picked up the pace.

This is more like it, I thought.

The wolves were drinking from a stream when we caught up with them. It seemed such an ordinary thing to do. I almost envied them, being able to drink the cool, clear water. To be able to eat and drink whatever you liked seemed like a distant memory to me.

Danny signalled for me to stay under the cover of the trees. I didn’t like him going out there on his own. As long as there were only two he should be able to handle himself.

We should have realised they rarely travelled in twos. We didn’t stop to think they might be heading off to meet up with one or more of their own kind. I should have let my vision range out well before we reached this spot, to make sure it was safe.

As soon as Danny walked in their direction three more werewolves ran out of the forest. They leapt from the other side of the stream to where their companions had been drinking, and hurtled towards him.

“No,” I yelled out, running to his side.

The wolves were distracted by my shout. Thinking I might be an easier target, they changed direction and charged me. It all happened so quickly. One knocked me backwards to the ground and I felt sharp pain, as three sets of teeth sank into my flesh. My reflexes weren’t as fast as they had been pre-pregnancy.

I could hear Danny yelling in the distance and saw the flash of angel fire. I heard other sounds as well — whimpers — and thought it was the wolves Danny was tackling.

The pain didn’t get any worse. Shouldn’t they be ripping and tearing me like mad by now, the bloodlust having taken over? What I felt was no worse than the initial bites. In fact I felt fantastic, as if I was getting stronger while they remained where they were. Maybe I really was an energy vampire. There was no doubt that I was a living magnet for strange things.

“Helena,” Danny yelled. “Are you still here?”

“Yes,” I called out, though the sound seemed slightly muffled.

I saw Danny’s face appear above mine. For the first time since I’d met him he looked ruffled. His hair was messed up and his clothes dirty and torn. It was a turn-on, seeing him like that. A pity I was being torn to shreds though. I realised then that when he patrolled he must clean himself up after a fight, before returning home to me.

“Helena, have you blinked again?”

“I’m gone am I?” I asked. “What about the wolves, they’re still here, aren’t they?”

“Yes, you’re gone, but you don’t have to worry about the wolves.”

I felt a twinge of pain as Danny pulled the wolves from me and their teeth came free of my flesh. I sat up and focused on blinking back. Danny was relieved to see me in one piece.

“We have to be more careful,” I said, and pointed to my stomach, “baby, remember.”

“It’s my fault,” Danny said. “I’m getting as reckless as you.”

I laughed. “As if.”

I looked at the scene around me — three statues of werewolves and two piles of ash.

“What happened to them?” I asked, pointing to the granite-like bodies.

“Helena, you’re causing it. You’ve developed another defensive mechanism,” Danny said. “Perhaps it’s in response to being pregnant. I really don’t think there’s anything in heaven, earth or hell that could kill you at the moment. I think you and the baby are being protected.”

Wow! I was some sort of super-mum, protecting myself and the life growing inside me, without even knowing it.

“Cool,” I said.

“How do you feel though? The bites were quite deep.”

I thought about where they’d bitten me — leg, stomach and arm. Stomach. I lifted my top. The wounds had already healed. Had the werewolf’s fangs punctured my womb? Was the baby at risk? I looked inwards and heard the fluttering of the tiny heart, unchanged. Nothing had been damaged.

I looked at Danny and smiled. “Everything’s fine and I feel great. You look a little worse for wear though.”

“I was rushing to get to you quicker.”

I stood up and poked my finger through a hole in his shirt.

“I think I need to tend to your wounds,” I said.

“I don’t have any wounds,” Danny replied.

“No, I need to tend your wounds.”

I pushed him to the ground and sat on his lap, tearing at the holes in his shirt as I did so.

“I don’t think here is a good place.”

I transported us back to the garden outside the cottage and continued in my attempts to undress him.

“Are you happy now?” I purred. “Oh look, here’s another place they scratched you,” rip clothes, kiss the long healed wound, “and this one’s definitely a bite mark,” rip clothes, kiss the long healed wound.

Danny ended up enjoying himself as much as I did. He wasn’t the least bit phased about hurting the baby and I totally forgot I was pregnant, for a while.

The next day I was ravenous again. Werewolf agreed with me, even though I’d eaten in a very unconventional way — it’s not every day you get to turn your attackers into stone and score their energy.

I really was eating for two. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was burning off the energy with Danny almost as quickly as I was gaining it, I would have soon ended up with a body the size of a pig, to match my pig-headedness. My hungers had not waned — not for food, not for Danny.

Danny rolled his eyes. “Is it time to feed you again already?”

“Yes, I’m starving.”

“It’s all well and good to feed you, but the time you spend burning off the energy afterwards is going to kill me,” he complained.

“I can’t help it,” I pouted. “My body has special needs at the moment. You just happen to be one of them.”

“If you continue to have as much success with the wolves as you did yesterday, I might let you out on your own in a week or so. That is, provided you don’t feel sick or dizzy. I’ll be in need of a rest.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said dryly.

I felt like Danny was coddling me in some areas — like feeding — and giving free rein in others — like s*x. I guess it was a miracle he agreed to s*x at all now I was pregnant.