Blue

Part#20

Declyn works quietly and I do not know when he finishes. I managed to catch a few

winks with the kids between feeds as they seem pacified to have me right on the floor with

them.

Six am, the sun is up and I’ve been listening to the birds for a good while already.

The two cherub faces are peaceful and I sneak out to try my hand at the meat-smoothie-milk

idea.

I pop my head into the nursery first and smile to myself. It looks less dusty, less grim

and a lot happier for the soft colour and change of curtains. The window is wide open and

everything is back in place where it belongs. One thing I did not ask for but is now present

in a corner, is a large rocking chair with plush lining and two baby blankets over each arm. I

like this, it is peaceful and clean. Mostly, it is somewhere the kids may one day think of as

home.

Creeping down the stairs I find the meat cuts Declyn prepared for the babes. He

insisted on doing it himself during the night, and rolled his eyes at me when I refused to let

him keep the innards of the animals. He grumbled about the best part of the meal going to

waste. I ignored it.

While pinching the slices between my fingers and dropping it into the blender, I

think how we are like two new parents arguing over small things. I am learning quickly

when to argue and when not to challenge him. He seems to get a kick out of winding me up

and making me angry at him. It is as if he does it on purpose and I fall for it every time. I

can’t be sure of this, but when he told me I’m trying to keep them like pets in a cage, I was

so angry at him I left the kitchen and took the kids back upstairs. Just as I reached the top

stairs, he yelled after me “Maybe we should donate them to a coven!”

I may have called him several bad names under my breath. Actually, I did and he

deserved it.

With a slice of toast rushing down my throat, I bounce up the stairs with the food,

climb over the pillow barrier to dig out it the children.

Where are the kids?!

The blankets and pillows are where I left them. But Eros and Venus are not. I don’t

want to shout in case I give them a fright, but …

“Eros! Venus!” I call anyway because why would my brain and mouth agree on

anything? Checking under the bed, my closets and the bathroom, I choke up. In a rush, I

check the stairs and though religion is not a big thing when you’re raised by vampires, I

pray to every single god and goddess I can remember, to help me find them!

The other doors on the floor are closed and the nursery is empty too. I know, I

checked every damn corner. And now Declyn’s words taunt me too, because it sounds like

I’m calling for puppies!

“Eros! Venus!” I call out louder and listen carefully. Another search through my

room – because what if they slipped back inside? Then my body grows cold as my eyes land

on the window. I know they can’t get out, but … What if that dingo-cayote-fox thing got up

here?

It steals babies! I read that somewhere and – and –

Fighting off hyperventilation, I rush downstairs, check all the cabinets, doors and

windows. Tears stream down my face and my heart aches with fear.

I’ve lost the children! What if they got out? Could they have gotten onto the windowsill?

They’re only … but they are vampire kids …

Clutching the baby food in my hands, I rush outside and run full speed around the

house to check under the windows.

“Blue?” Declyn’s voice reach me from somewhere by the porch.

“Declyn, I lost them! They were there and I went to get food and I took too long

because I was fighting with you in my head again, and,”

In a ramble, I take the corner and meet with a sopping wet Declyn and two butt

naked babies in his arms. He looks guilty as all sin and that is possibly because he holds the

evidence.

“Where were you!” I shout at him.

“I took them - ”

“You stole my babies, without asking me?”

“They’re my children Blue, I hardly stole them! They woke up and it is a gorgeous

day! So, we came to the river,” the spark in his eyes drive me insane with fury.

Venus and Eros niggle, flail their arms and lean over to me. Only now do I realise I

still have their meals in my hands. Declyn shakes them lightly but they want nothing to do

with him. They don’t want anything to do with me either, they want their food.

“You took,” I swallow down the escalation and continue in a hiss at Declyn and

reach for Eros, “Two babies, into the river? What in the world is wrong with you?!”

In my life, I have not experienced this kind of fear and now that it is over, I can safely

say I don’t want to have it again. My entire body tingles with needles and pins, my head

threatens to explode with anger and all the while, I want to cry because they’re safe and

sound.

“They liked it!” he defends and I close my eyes to stop myself from kicking him as he

snatches a bottle from my hand, laughs at me and pushes past.

Eros hits out to reach the bottle in my hand and with narrowed eyes I hold it for him

to suckle on. He keeps pushing the bottle out of his mouth and then he makes a sound. It is

a sound I know by now – a very unhappy baby sound.

Declyn turns to me, shakes the bottle he holds and scowls.

“What is in here, she doesn’t want it – “

Venus makes the unhappy sound and follows up with a piercing scream. She sets off

Eros and in the distance, birds take fright-flight joining their screams.

“I don’t know!” I yell and rush through the door, trying to pacify Eros while Declyn

holds Venus at arm’s length away from him.

“It is meat, and I checked, the soft rubber teats are open wide enough to let it out.

Maybe they are cold – Declyn! Don’t hold her like– Oh dear gods – Take her upstairs, I’ll

dress them first.”

With a moody grunt Declan blurs upstairs with Venus and I do my best to get up

with Eros. The kid fights me for the bottle but when I give it to him, he screams harder and

louder slapping at it. I rush but not fast enough for Declan who returns, picks me up baby

and all, and blitz me into the nursery.

Great. Just great. This is all his fault because he turned them into little murderers. If it doesn’t fight

back, then they won’t have it.