Centuries of Sin : Book IV

6

"I don't suppose you've heard anything from Karoline?" Selene spoke so quietly that it was difficult to hear her, and she was hovering in the entrance of Karoline's living room.

She was talking to Jonas, but the baby was sleeping in his arms and Francesca was asleep in the other room so she didn't want to risk waking either of them.

"I haven't seen her. Why?"

She took a step closer to Jonas, and his smile put her at ease enough to sit down on the chair opposite him.

"I thought she would have been back by now. I coped with helping Francesca, but I don't know what to check for now… I don't know how to tell if everything is OK with her, or with the baby. I really wanted Karoline to check that nothing is wrong. Everything happened so quickly…"

Selene trailed off, and Jonas looked up from the baby to speak to her.

"I appreciate that more than I can say, but I don't think there's anything to worry about. Look at her… she's perfect; and so is her mother."

"I would still like Karoline to check them both over; I don’t know what to look for, and I would rather be safe," Selene sat up a little straighter, trying to regain some of the confidence she lost whenever she was around anyone she felt intimidated by, "and I think it’s part of my duty to make sure everyone in this pack is healthy, now.”

It was nothing to do with duty - she was worried, and she didn’t have enough faith in her own skills to trust that she was right - but it gave her an excuse, and Jonas accepted it.

“I don’t even know if Francesca will let Karoline in here right now, Selene. You may not think you can offer any medical advice, but I think she needs someone to talk to.”

Selene’s eyes widened and she shook her head; the idea of talking to Francesca about anything made her feel nauseous.

“I don’t think that would end well. I’m not angry at her anymore, but we have nothing to say to each other.”

Jonas didn’t look away from Selene, and she squirmed uncomfortably in the seat opposite him, trying not to look at the baby because she thought he would be offended if she stared at the girl.

“Please, Selene. We don’t have anything ready, and neither of us knows what we’re doing. She didn’t say anything, but I think she was hoping to have a boy, and now…”

“...a boy?” Selene was surprised enough that she interrupted Jonas, and he nodded confirmation before she carried on. “Why would Francesca have wanted a boy? I would have thought that she of all people would want a girl.”

“Because she of all people is afraid that other people will decide this girl’s future for her. Francesca hasn't just had a daughter, she's had the most unimaginably incredible daughter... I know other people find it hard to see her the way I do, but she's a first time mother, and she's scared that she's going to do everything wrong. I think she's afraid you’re going to give this baby away to another pack as soon as she’s weaned, or that someone will try to take her if we aren’t willing to give her up.”

“We’re never going to use her as a bargaining chip, Jonas. It doesn’t matter what she looks like; frankly, I would have been more surprised if there wasn’t something remarkable about her. From the way Francesca was carrying, I thought you might have two on the way - that’s part of the reason I was so determined not to leave her on her own. I couldn’t believe it when I saw, and... she’s beautiful, by the way,” Selene drew back a little, stopping short of asking if she could see the baby, let alone asking to hold her. “Does she have a name yet?”

“Francesca has her heart set on Minerva; I prefer Athena. What do you think?”

Selene was surprised to be asked something so important, and she considered the question seriously for a moment as she looked down at the child.

“I don’t think I would argue with Francesca; they’re different names for the same deity, anyway. But if you are planning on staying here, Saga might be a better choice - I know that there are other Norse goddesses closer to Athena and Minerva, but I’m assuming it’s the wisdom aspect of the goddesses that appeals to you both more than the virginity part, and I think Saga is a pretty name.”

Jonas hadn't expected anything like that in Selene’s response; he didn’t think of her as being especially academic, but she had known enough about mythology to offer an alternative that was appropriate and genuinely worth considering rather than just making a comment about both names being nice.

“You’re right; it is a pretty name… I didn’t think of Francesca as being old-fashioned, but I think it’s important to her that the name is Greek or Roman; I’ll suggest it, though. I think it's a better name for her.”

“There’s something ancient about the way it sounds, and she looks ancient to me. Athena and Minerva are both nice names, though, and she’s going to cause a stir, whatever you call her.”

Jonas stared down at the baby, considering what Selene had just said.

She was right - the child looked like she was from a world that had not existed for thousands of years, and ancient was the best way to describe the feeling.

He had assumed that Francesca wanted to name her daughter after a goddess of wisdom because she saw intelligence as admirable, and she was proud of her own intellect; now he thought it might have been more to do with the fact the child looked like she was the guardian of long-forgotten knowledge.