Our Last Hope

The Gemini Twins

I slept like s**t last night, the creature that I encountered, haunted me. Those yellow eyes were ingrained in my memory forever. I had finally had enough of the tossing and turning. I flipped onto my back and stared up at the ceiling and watched the fan blades twirl. The twins were still fast asleep between Gregor and I.

"Win? You okay?"

I turned to face him with tears streaming down my cheeks. He reached out and stroked my forearm, trying to comfort me as best as he could. But there was no use. There was too much at stake, every day was a risk until we had answers. Answers to what that thing was and how Lilly was able to protect us from it.

I tried to reach for my phone, but fumbled to grab it without waking the twins.

“What time is it?” I whispered to Gregor.

“Just after 5,” he replied in a hushed tone.

I nodded my head, even though he couldn’t see me. I should probably get up and get moving. The sooner we found out what was happening, the better. I slowly shimmied my way out of bed and headed straight for my closet. I grabbed a plain pair of black leggings and an over-sized hoodie. I snuck over to the bathroom to freshen up. I washed my face, popped in some contacts and brushed my teeth. I tied my hair up in a messy bun and headed back out into the bedroom. Gregor’s eyes were fluttering, no doubt from the lack of sleep from last night.

The twins started to stir and slowly, one at a time, the twins got up and were fully awake.

”I’ll take the twins down to the library with me. It’s your turn to get some rest.”

Before he could come up with a rebuttal, I pressed my lips to his. “No negotiations, you need to rest up, at least for a couple hours.”

Momma, can you come help me with the twins please?

I’ll be right up my love!

I leaned over on the bed and kissed the twins good morning. They were still a little groggy, but once they were changed and dressed they would have more energy. I turned towards the small stack of clothes in the laundry basket against the wall. Something simple and comfy for them would do. I was halfway done with Henry by the time mama fluttered into the bedroom.

“Good morning my babies.” She came immediately over to the bed and scooped up Lilly and kissed her cheek. Mama set Lilly back down on the bed and started to change and dress her. We had both twins ready to head downstairs in a matter of minutes. I gave Gregor another quick kiss. But he was already half asleep by the time we stepped out into the hallway.

***

The nannies met us in daddy’s office to keep an extra eye on them while mama, daddy and I dove right into the vast library of the supernatural. We spent hours bent over these dusty old books with no avail. We were just about to take a break when mama piped up.

“It may not be much, but I think I found something. It sure makes a lot of sense, but it’s from the late 15th century.”

Daddy and I turned our gaze towards mama as she read. “It says. Although twins are rare within the vampire race, they can occur at least once every other century. This anomaly can and will most likely occur during the first moon cycle of that month. These particular sets of twins are known as the Gemini Twins. The Gemini Twins will harbor unusual powers, they are said to be a force of nature. They can siphon from other supernatural occurrences and creatures. Such as full moons, meteor showers, eclipses and aurora borealis. Not every set is the same and their powers may vary, depending on the genetic history. There have been recorded instances such as, mind control and visions, manipulating the elements, forcefield manipulation, and several others.”

Mama looked up from the page briefly to gauge our reaction. Both daddy and I were trying to grasp what she was saying. How has this been happening for millennia and we haven’t heard of this yet? Mama read our mind and shook her head. We were all so excited that we had finally found a break in information. “There is more, listen to this.” Mama returned her eyes back to the page she was on. “One twin will harbor more power than their sibling, which is referred to as the Alpha or Superior and can show signs of power as early as 6 months of age. The inferior twin or the Beta will still come into their power, but not until their 16th year of life.”

It was crazy the time difference between the two of them. It was clear to see how my kids' futures would play out already. With their 1st birthday quickly approaching, Lilly was already showing signs of her magic at 11 months. I felt a sense of relief but it was short-lived. My mind started to spiral at how dangerous this new information was. We had to keep this under our hats, and hope that the wrong person didn't find out about how truly special the twins are.

I collapsed back into my chair and closed my eyes and tried to clear my head.

"Well, at least one mystery is solved. Now, we have to figure out what that thing was from last night." Mama took a screen shot of the page that she had just read and set it aside in a different pile. "I'll come back to this one. Let's focus on hybrid creatures and hope that we stumble across something helpful."

We all switched up our reading choices in the hopes that we would get lucky. After an hour or so, daddy came across something in "The Mysteries of Hybrids. Vol. 2"

"It says that there have been no reported sightings of a naturally occurring hybrid. It doesn't discredit the fact that they cannot occur but it doesn't exactly outline the process either." he quoted from the passage. "Any supernatural being may inherit another creatures' powers or abilities when it's very being is threatened. Out of the known supernatural beings that have been reported, the most common creature willing to transition is in fact, the vampire race."

We let that last part sink in for a moment. "So this being could potentially be someone from our community." The appearance of shock inhabited mama features. Daddy nodded quickly before he continued the passage.

"It says, 'When a supernatural being feels threatened or their abilities begin to fade. There is a mutation spell that can be performed by a sorceress. The spell will pull magic from the surrounding forces and cause the said genetic mapping to become compromised and help rebuild the structure with various abilities only known to Warewolves, witches and sirens alike. This being may be able to maneuver the world with ease, and become known as indestructable. However, the only way to survive is to continue the vicious cycle or siphoning power from other beings for the remainder of their lives."

It all started to make sense, "That explains why there have been mystical deaths as well as human ones. I remember reading something about Charlston. It was recent, within the last couple weeks. The bodies that were discovered were not only humans, but several vampire corspses were found amongst the c*****e. The article I read described the bodies as mutilated, not usual for a normal feeding frenzy."

We were all bouncing ideas off of each other, trying to fit it all together.

I was thinking out loud, "that's what the hybrid wanted. It was here to siphon the twins' power. It's the only way for it to survive."

Mama nodded and added to my thought process, "but with the twins having an extremely rare form of magic, I can only imagine how much more powerful this hybrid would have become."

My head was spinning, but that still doesn't explain how Lilly was able to expel it from the hallway last night? I needed to tap into what kind of abilities now resided inside my daughter. She was too young to understand what she was capable of. I would have to be creative in drawing out her powers. Like any abilities, they are controlled by extreme emotion. We would just have to lie in wait and take notes as she refines her skills.

My brain was starting to hurt, and it looked like the twins were fading fast. "I think it's nap time."

****

I carefully placed the twins in their cribs. I posted two highly trained soldiers in front of the nursery and snuck down the hallway to my bedroom. Greg was still curled up on the bed. I didn't want to wake him, but he needed to be let in on all the information that we had discovered earlier in the day.

I climbed onto the bed and lightly stroked his back. "Gregor, wake up baby." He grumbled a bit and rolled onto his back. He blinked rapidly before registering what was happening.

He shot up in bed. "Is everything okay? Where are the kids?"

I placed my hand on his shoulder, "shh. Everything is fine. The kids are fine, they are asleep in the nursery. I have men standing guard." He nodded his head, and I could see him calm a bit. "I need to show you something. Will you come downstairs with me?"

I led Gregor into the study where mom and dad were still speed reading through the hybrid encyclapedias.

"What did we find?" Gregor sounded anxious. I pointed to the small stack of books on the corner of the desk. We had ear marked the specific pages that we would need to revisit. I watched his facial expressions as he read through the information. "Holy s**t, that makes so much sense. My God, this is what we're up against?" we all nodded solemnly. "are these all the books you have on the topic?"

Mama looked around the room, "This is what we've found so far, we still have a full book shelf to get through." I could tell that Gregor was searching the shelves, waiting for something to jump out at him.

Gregor looked over towards dad, "I have a hunch, and I'm wondering if you'd allow me to follow up on it." Dad closed the book that he was skimming through.

"What are you thinking?"

Gregor took a deep breath, "I know it's been awhile since I've been back, but I'm pretty sure that there are some research journals that could help." Gregor took a deep breath, "but they are back at the Bright compound."

Mama looked confused, "I thought the compound burned down?"

Gregor glanced over to mama, "It did, but most of the important documents are stashed away in a storage facility on campus. Father, always had a copy of everything he had, in case of an emergency."

Dad looked surprised, "How can we help?"

****

I felt uneasy about leaving the twins, but I couldn't let Gregor go alone. Mama assured me that they would be under lock and key until we returned. They had converted a panic room into a small playroom for the time being. Once locked, the room was impenetrable.

Gregor held my hand as we sped down the main highway towards his childhood home, or what was left of it. The Bright compound had become the home to the rouges in our territory for some time now. We didn't know what awaited us, but it wasn't going to be a warm welcome.

"Are you nervous?" Gregor seemed on edge, I can only imagine how difficult this was for him.

He looked at me intently, "Nervous is putting it lightly, but this is for our children. I would gladly pass through brimstone and fire for them if it mean their safety and well being." He gave my hand a light squeeze for reassurance.

We were only about an hour out from the Bright compound when Gregor pulled off at a nearby exit.

"We need gas. Do need anything?"

I smiled back at him. I could tell that his mood started to change. He was getting more anxious the closer we got.

"No thank you baby, I'm fine."

He shut the door harder than he meant to, but I forgave him instantly. He returned a couple of minutes later with a couple bottles of water and my favorite snacks.

"I'm sorry for my attitude, baby, I just don't feel like myself." I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"It's okay baby, I understand, I'm here for anything that you need."

"I'm just anxious to get there. I want to be in and out."

I nodded my head sharply, "understood."

We were silent as we approached the compound. The front gate was in shambles and there seemed to be a residual fog that ascended over the whole camp. Other than the sound of distant voices, there wasn't anyone in sight. We took a slight right towards the remnants of the main house.

"Where is the storage facility?"

Gregor pointed off to the left side of the compound, "it's over there past the treeline."

We followed the winding road back behind the trees. We pulled up to a small shack in the middle of the woods. It was so well hidden that no one would know that it was there.

Gregor put it in park and turned off the engine. "Shall we?"

I nodded my head and reached for the door handle and followed Gregor up to the shack.

He stopped dead in his tracks, something was wrong, "What's the matter?"

Gregor lowered his voice, "Someone's here. Go get in the truck."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Gregor was annoyed with my rebuttal. "Fine, just stay behind me."

I followed Gregor like I was his shadow. He motioned to the padlock. Someone had already broken in.

He opened the door and I audibly gasped. I was not expecting him to be there.

Gregor pushed me further behind him to shield me from William.

I felt a blinding rage take over but Gregor beat me to it. "I should rip your f*****g heart out."

Will put his arms up, I could actually see the fear in his eyes. "Listen, I'm just here for our-"

But I was the one that cut him off. I took a step forward, "I'm sorry, were you going to say our kids? No... see that's not possible. You gave up the right to say that when you laid hands on me!"

William took a step forward and I squared off with him. "I don't deserve to live after what I have done to you, and I know that I don't have a claim on our children, but I'm doing this for them. I was down towards Charleston a couple weeks ago. I overheard a pack of wolves talking about this creature that had been terrorizing the region. They had said something about how this thing needs to consume other supernatural powers in order to survive. My mind went right to Lilly and Henry. I knew that they were special, which meant that they were in danger. I knew that I needed to know more about them and their abilities. This is the only place that I knew that would have something on it. Please tell me they're safe."

I rolled my eyes, "You don't need to concern yourself with the safety of MY children."

He looked pained by my remark, "Win, please."

Gregor barked at his brother, "You do not get to call her that. As far as I'm concerned, killing you now, would give us one less problem to worry about."

" Brother please, I just want to make sure they are protected."

I scoffed at Will, "they don't need your protection if that's what you are implying. You can f**k off with your fake ass concerns. Now get the f**k out of the way. We know what we came for, and it wasn't to hear you talk out of your ass."

"I'll stay out of your way, but I'm not leaving. I have just as much right to be here as you do."

I had had enough of Will. We were on a strict timeline and I didn't have time to deal with this. I pushed past both of them and headed for the big mound of boxes. There were too many of them to warrant sifting through them now, I turned to look at Gregor.

"Let's just take them all, we'll be here for hours if we go through them one by one." I walked back over to him and held my hand out, "Keys please, I'll go back up the truck." Gregor reached into his pockets and produced the key ring.

I wanted to scream the second I felt the fresh air outside. What are the f*****g chances? Now is not the time for Will to play nice. I wanted to knock his head from his shoulders. I didn't have time to waste on the thought of him. I climbed into the truck and quickly whipped it around so the trunk was facing the door.

It was silent when I re-entered the shack. They were both concentrating on rounding up the boxes and stacking them by the door. I started hauling them out in large stacks at a time. Thank God for my supernatural strength, this would have taken so much longer without it.

Will was lingering, waiting for something when we were done packing the truck. I turned to him before I got into the Tahoe, "forget that we saw each other and disappear. If I see you again, I will kill you." Without another word, I pulled myself up into the truck and Gregor tore down the gravel road, leaving Will in the dust.

****

I popped off in frustration once we had officially pulled out of the compound.

"What the f**k was that about? You can't tell me that he was being genuine! It's all about control and power with him. I don't believe anything that comes out of his mouth! How dare he refer to Lilly and Henry as our children! God I wish that I would have killed him right then and there! Gah, I'm fuming!"

Gregor chuckled, "Really? I couldn't tell."

I playfully slapped his shoulder, "you're an asshole! Do you blame me? I'll tell you this, I'll make good on my promise. I will kill him, sooner or later."

I called home when we were about 30 minutes out to check on the twins. There was nothing new to report, thank God.

"Alright mom, we're about 20 minutes out. We have about 25 boxes to go through. There might not be anything in them, but better safe than sorry. If there's something in these boxes that can help us, I'm not going to take any chances."

"Agreed. Drive safe, we'll see you when you get here."

****

Mama had sent out easily a dozen men to help us bring in our haul. I hadn't decided if I was going to tell them about William or not. We had bigger problems to worry about right now. Although, it might give me at least a little solitude in these dark times. We made quick work with boxes, we had them brought straight into study and prepared to get right to work.

Seeing as this was Gregor's past condensed into these boxes, we let him take the lead.

"Before we start, I would like to keep everything we have here. I know that I shouldn't care about anything that has been left behind, but this is the Bright legacy. I want to make sure to save anything of revellance."

We all nodded in agreement.

The four of us dove in head first and started sorting through the letters, documents and treaties. It wasn't until we got to the last ten boxes that we finally found what we were looking for. They weren't so much encyclopedias but journals. Some of which were from the early 1700's. They were passed down from generation to generation. At least half of them were written in German, others were written in Latin. One thing was for sure, this was not the first occurrence with this hybrid threat. The tricky part was to find something that had both occurrences tied together.

We spent the rest of the evening speed reading through as many journals as possible. We came across at least a dozen that we needed further translation on. Between the three of them, we were able to decipher most of the text, but it was up to me to re-write the translation so we could refer back to it later on. We kept at it until I went cross-eyed.

"Okay, I'm calling it. I physically can't do it anymore. I think we all need to get some rest. We'll start up again bright and early tomorrow morning."

Mama came over and put her arms around my shoulder, "we've all had such a long day. You're right, I think we should all get some rest."

Gregor hung back with daddy to strategize for a while. I went straight to the nursery to check on the twins. The nannies had brought them down to see us shortly after we returned. It was now close to 9, they had been asleep for at least a couple hours now, but I needed added peace of mind. My gut was urging me to keep them with me tonight. My gut is never wrong.

Henry was stirring when I opened the door so I picked him up first. Gregor snuck in just as I placed Henry on my shoulder.

Do you need some help?

I turned in his direction and nodded my head.

I don't know why, but I have a pit in my stomach. I'm not going to ignore it.

Gregor carefully picked Lilly up and held her close to his chest. He swiped a loose hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. They may not be biologically his, but he is the best father that I could have hoped for them to have.

Once we got the twins settled in, Henry climbed in next to them and pulled them close.

I'm going to go get ready for bed.

I'll be right back.Take you time baby, I got them.

I did my normal routine and was ready to head back into the bedroom when my baby bump caught my eye. I couldn't believe how much faster I was showing this time around. It had only been a day and a half since I last checked it. You could definitely tell I was pregnant now.

I let my mind wander a bit as I mindlessly rubbed my belly. There was so much going on that I almost forgot that I had another little nugget on the way. I prayed for peace, I prayed for happiness and stability. I know that it was unlikely to happen, but I willed it to be true. I didn't want to bring a new life into this world with so much uncertainty and danger.

I could feel my energy draining as I stood there in the bathroom. I knew that my bed was calling my name. Henry was still awake as I approached the bed.

Everything okay baby?

I nodded my head and gave him a small smile as I slid in under the covers. Gregor reached out to me and placed his hand on my hip. I was crazy how well he could read my mind. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise since he is my one, true mate.

There will always be danger to face Winnie. All we can do is protect our children the best we can. I promise you, nothing will happen to them, not as long as I am around. You know that I will protect my family at all cost.

Tears started to flow down my cheeks, but I didn't dare stop them. It had been such an emotional couple of days, I needed to release as much as I could. I wouldn't be any good to anyone if my judgement was clouded. Gregor reached up and stroked my cheek, wiping away the tears.

"I love you baby."

"I love you too."