Julien Gregg's Twilight in Babylon: The Vampire Saga Chapter 11

 Chapter Eleven
Hybrids


Instead of answering Jacob’s request I showed EJ to all of the supernaturals who had come to be there for his birth. They were all happy to see that he was healthy and thriving. They left through the trees shortly after they’d seen him and been told that Laura’s body had been taken care of. Through it all Jacob sat in the living room with Gabriel and Elfric. He wasn’t going away and I had to think on this one. Did I want him to be a hybrid and be with us? Well the honest answer was yes I did but what about Edward. What did he want? I went to find him. He was sitting at the piano working on a melody for EJ.

“What’s up?” he asked as I sat down beside him.

“Jacob,” I said. “He wants me to change him into a hybrid so Sam can be alpha to the pack.”

“What are you going to do?” he asked.

“Well I’m doing this,” I said. “I’m talking to my husband and fellow hybrid about possibly adding another hybrid to the world.”

“I think you should do it,” he said, shocking me. “You love him, Beau.”

“Not as much as I love you,” I said automatically.

“You don’t have to convince me,” he said, smiling. “You’re my husband. I married you. I changed you. I’m yours and you’ll have me for eternity. Now go change Jacob.”

I kissed him and then got up and went to Jacob to tell him that I would change him. I wondered what kind of hybrid he would be. He wasn’t a witch so that part was out. He’d be a tribal wolf, vampire hybrid. I wondered what that would be like when it was done. I found him looking out the window in the back of the house. I told him I’d change him and then took him into my arms and sank my fangs into his neck. His blood had a taste that I couldn’t identify. It wasn’t disgusting like what I thought it would be. It wasn’t pleasant either. It just was. When his heartbeat changed I pulled back and bit my wrist. I put it to his mouth and he pulled. He did what he was supposed to do. Then I heard his heart take off and he fell to the floor.

I could sense that this was not like Edward. I lifted him and took him up to the unused bedroom. I put the plastic sheeting on the bed and then I stripped him and laid him on top of the sheeting. I went back downstairs and encountered Gabriel. He looked at me for a long moment before he said anything. Did he not approve of what I’d done? Did it matter to me? I was the original hybrid and it was up to me to make sure that my species thrived and continued. I’d done that with Jacob.

“You changed Jacob?” he asked.

“He’s in his death sleep,” I said.

“Edward didn’t go into a death sleep when you changed him,” Gabriel said.

“Edward was a vampire,” I said. “He’d already been through a death sleep. I think every human I turn will go through the death sleep.”

“Do you know what kind of hybrid he will be?” Gabriel asked.

“A Human, Shapeshifter, Vampire Hybrid,” I said. “This is what he wanted.”

“I’m not coming down on you for what you’ve done,” he said. “I’m simply asking questions. Does the pack know that their alpha is no longer part of the pack?”

“That’s his responsibility to tell them,” I said. “He did this partly so that Sam could be alpha. He told me that Same wanted to be alpha. The pack can only have one alpha.”

“What about hybrids?” he asked. “Are they going to have an alpha?”

“No, we’re not built that way,” I said. “Each of us is solitary. We don’t share thoughts when we’re morphed. We’re alone in our thoughts.”

“Well that’s something,” he said. “I’m sorry but I just don’t understand what it means to be a hybrid.”

“I’m learning,” I said. “For one thing we need human food and blood to survive. I haven’t gone to the bathroom since I woke up and I don’t have the urge to do so. I ate a large breakfast and drank juice. I should have to go to the bathroom to at least urinate by now, right?”

“I would think,” he said.

“Well I don’t have the urge,” I said. “I could try but I doubt that I’ll get far. I think, and this is just a thought but I think that we hybrids use every part of the food and liquid to sustain us. I don’t think there is any waste.”

“That could be,” he said. “I could run tests if you want.”

“Let’s hold off on that,” I said. “I’m not ready to be a test subject quite yet. Let me figure this out as I go for a while, please.”

“Absolutely,” he said. “Don’t worry on it. You figure it out and we’ll have another conversation when you’ve figured it out.”

“Why is Jacob Black lying on plastic sheeting in the back bedroom?” Emit asked as he came down the stairs.

“He’s in his death sleep,” I said. “I turned him a little while ago.”

“Do you think that’s wise?” Emit asked. “The pack could take exception to this and come for us.”

“I doubt that they will,” I said. “He was still Chief of the Tribe when he asked that I change him into a hybrid.”

“Is he not chief of the tribe anymore?” Gabriel asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “We’ll have to wait and see what he wants to do when he wakes up.”

“You don’t want to change the rest of us do you?” Emit asked.

“Are you fine being a vampire?” I asked.

“Of course I am,” he said.

“Then why would I want to change you into a hybrid?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I thought you’d just change us all but I don’t want that at all. I suspect the others will feel the same.”

“Well so far I’ve only changed those who asked me to,” I said. “I think that’s a good policy. I know eventually one of them is going to change a stranger but I can’t deal with that now. I’m going up to see what’s what with Jacob and then talk to Archie about something.”

“Go,” he said. “When do you plan to see Charlie and Kale?”

“I’ll go over there sooner or later to see them,” I said.

I went to check on Jacob and the smell met me half way to the bedroom he was sleeping in. I looked in on him but there was no change. Then I went to find Archie. He was outside sitting on the back deck. I sat down beside him and just waited. He was looking at the future for some reason. I suppose if I had his gift I would always be looking at the future to see what to do and what not to do. I couldn’t fault him for it. I had my own gifts of course. One of them was the shield thing. No one could read my mind, Jasper couldn’t manipulate my emotions, and I was safe from Caster in the council. The other was pyrokinesis. That was scared me. I hadn’t used it since I was changed but I was afraid to. I might get to liking it too much.

“Beau,” Archie said when he came back to the present and looked over at me.

“Archie,” I said, smiling. “I wanted to ask you if you can still see my future.”

“When you aren’t a wolf I can see your future,” he said. “When you change into a wolf you disappear from my vision.”

“Well at least we know that much,” I said.

“You changed Jacob Black into a hybrid,” he said. There was no inflection in his voice. It was a statement, not a question.

“I did,” I said.

“Good,” he said. “Look, I know that us leaving left you bereft and heartbroken. I also know that Jacob put you back together. You love him. It’s clear for anyone to see when you look at him.”

“But I love Edward more,” I said.

“Obviously, you married him,” he said. “I’m not coming down on you for loving both of them. I understand it. I can’t see Jacob’s future. I never could. I figured out that I can’t see his future because he is a being I’ve never experienced. When you aren’t in wolf form you’re a vampire which I am. I see humans pretty good because I used to be one. I see vampires best because I am one. I don’t see the others because I don’t know what it’s like to be one of them.”

“That makes sense actually,” I said. “I really just wanted to make sure that I hadn’t completely disappeared from your vision.”

“You haven’t,” he said. “I’ve been kicking this around in my head since you opened your eyes. When I saw you shimmer into a wolf and you left my vision was when I had the thought for the first time. I want you to change me.”

“Aren’t you afraid that you’ll lose the ability to see the future if I change you?” I asked.

“Not at all,” he said. “I could see the future as a human and it nearly drove me insane. Becoming a vampire made it manageable. Becoming a Hybrid may change it again but I don’t think I’ll lose it. You haven’t lost your shield. You probably haven't lost pyrokinesis either.”

I looked at the burn pit and imagined it burning. It ignited. It wasn’t like it had been when I was human. Then it would have smoked and then a single flame would have appeared before it was engulfed. Now it just ignited and took off. I looked at Archie and he smiled at me. I’d proven his point. I hadn’t lost anything. If anything I was stronger in the power than I had been as a human. Edward had said that becoming a vampire was like being initiated as a witch. Well I could see that now.

“That was different,” I said. “I like it but it was different.”

“I saw,” he said. “So will you? Change me?”

“What about Jasper?” I asked.

“Oh, he wants it, too,” he said. “He just won’t ask you because he thinks it’s rude to come to you and ask to be changed. He was made a vampire against his will. That gave him a warped sense about it.”

“Well let’s go talk to him,” I said. “Where is he anyway?”

“He’s in our room working on something but we can interrupt him,” he said, smiling.

We went into the house and up the stairs to Archie and Jasper’s room. He was working on a painting. I didn’t know he painted. He stopped and smiled at us as we came in. I told Archie that we’d need a few from the pen. He got on his phone and called downstairs. A few minutes later Larz came in with two young men that he had bound together with silver handcuffs. He hooked a chain to them and secured them to a hook in the wall. Then he left us.

“Why have you come?” Jasper asked.

“I’ve come to change you both,” I said. “Well actually, I’ll change Archie and he can change you. You’re his after all.”

“I like that,” he said. “Thank you.”

“Well let’s do this,” Archie said as he walked up to me.

I put my arms around him and sank my fangs into his throat. I was amazed at what I saw. I saw how he was made. The vampire that made him was killed by Victoria! This answered a lot of questions that he had. I even knew from the vision who the vampire was that sired him. His name was Horas, and he was sired by Blake Maxwell. When Archie’s heartbeat changed I pulled my fangs out of his neck, bit my wrist and let him pull the blood back. He drank for a while and then fell to the floor. He was up again and in Jasper’s arms as I took the first of the two young men. They were scared and there was nothing I could do about that. When he was ash at my feet the other looked terrified.

Archie took the second one and then looked at me. I told him what I’d seen in his blood. He was astounded by what I told him. He was happy to know who sired him and thrilled to know that he wasn’t abandoned. He was glad that I had killed Victoria because he would have wanted to had I not. Then before my eyes they both phased into wolves. I smiled at this as they phased back. They were naked when they phased back. I didn’t know what happened to our clothing when we phased but it disappeared each time. They got dressed and I left them.

I collected my husband and my son and got into the car. We drove into town and straight to Charlie’s. I was worried that he’d be at work but he was home. Kale’s Jeep was parked in front of the house. We got out and went inside. Charlie was happy to see me but he was stunned by EJ. I explained about Laura Moreau and what she’d done to me. I told him that she had died having EJ and I had burned her body. EJ was a Hybrid just like me. I told him about changing Edward and then about Jacob. He looked upset about Jacob for a moment. When I told him about Archie and Jasper it was the first time Edward had heard any of it.

“So I’m a grandfather?” Charlie asked.

“Would you like to hold him?” I asked. “He’s a bit bigger than he was before he went to sleep but that’s part of what he is.”

“Hi, EJ,” Charlie said as he took him from me. “I’m your grandpa.”

EJ put his hand to Charlie face and Charlie gasped. I didn’t know what he was showing him but Edward was smiling. Kale came downstairs as this was happening. He looked at EJ in Charlie’s arms with his hand on Charlie’s face and then looked at me. He had a questioning look on his face but I told him what he needed to know. He smiled at EJ then. Edward was giving me a look. It was probably because of Archie and Jasper but now was not the time to have that conversation.

“What did the Council say about EJ?” Charlie asked after EJ had shown him whatever he’d shown him.

“They don’t know about him yet,” I said. “I don’t think they should know about him.”

“How are you going to keep it from them?” he asked. “Isn’t Edward supposed to present you to the council? Caster will learn of him the moment he touches Edward’s hand.”

“That’s why I have to go alone,” I said. “It’s the only way to protect EJ from the council.”

“Beau I don’t want you to go alone,” Edward said.

“Edward it’s the only way,” I said. “If anyone else goes with me Caster will read them and discover EJ. We have to keep him from them until he gets a bit bigger.”

“When will that be?” Charlie asked. Kale now had EJ in his arms. He’d put his hand to his face to show him what he showed Charlie.

“He’s grown a lot since he was born,” I said. “He’s growing every day. It won’t be too much longer and he’ll be a child instead of a toddler. Then he’ll be a teenager and we can present him to the council.”

“That’s risky,” Edward said. “What’s stopping one of them from coming to see us and discovering him before we’re ready?”

“Edward I can’t think that way,” I said. “I have to go to San Juan and present myself. That’s all I know.”

“Okay,” he said with a sigh. “I just don’t like you going on your own.”

“But you see why it has to be this way?” I asked.

“I do,” he said with another sigh.

“So while he’s in San Juan why don’t you and EJ hang out with us?” Charlie said. “I’ve got some time to take off and I’d really like to get to know my grandson.”

“We can do that,” Edward said with a smile. Then he turned to me. “You changed Archie and Jasper?”

“They asked me to,” I said. “Emit made it known that he doesn’t want to be changed. I’m only changing those who ask me to so far. I’m sure that’ll change as time goes on but for right now that’s all I’m doing. And technically I changed Archie. He changed Jasper.”

“Changed them to what?” Charlie asked. “They’re already vampires.”

“I’m not just a vampire, Dad,” I said. “I’m a hybrid.”

“What does that mean?” he asked.

“For me it means I’m a witch, vampire, Forsaken hybrid,” I said. “For Jacob it means he’s a human, shape shifter, vampire hybrid. EJ is a witch, vampire, Forsaken hybrid just like me. So is Edward. Archie is too. But Jasper is a human, vampire, Forsaken hybrid. We can change into wolves, we eat human food but we also need blood, and we’re immortal.”

“Well what does it mean for the council?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m saying nothing about being a hybrid to them when I go to them. They will see me as a vampire. That’s all I need.”

“Okay,” he said. “I don’t like this lying but I see why it’s necessary.”

We stayed with Charlie for most of the day. We even had dinner with him. He was shocked to see Edward eat food but recovered quickly. Kale told me he missed me at the store. I told him that he didn’t want me working at the store now. He said he understood that. When we left Edward promised to bring EJ to Charlie the day I went to San Juan. That day turned out to be sooner than we thought. I got a present in the mail. It was diamond cufflinks. The card attached said, “To the new and improved Beau Maxwell from Brendan Maxwell. Welcome to immortality. I expect to see you soon.”

So I prepared for my trip. They all tried to talk me out of going alone and I gave them my reasoning and they understood. They didn’t like it but they understood. I hugged and kissed EJ and then Edward. Then I got into the shiny Lexus and headed for San Juan. The drive was long and boring. I saw the same sights I’d seen the last time I’d made this journey. I just wasn’t going as fast as we had gone that time. I arrived with the sunset. I drove straight to the palace. I was met by Royce, a Forsaken. He escorted me to the council room where they were all seated.

“Beau,” said Brendan with a smile. “Immortality suits you.”

“Thank you,” I said. “I’m here to present myself as the fledgling of Edward Maxwell.”

“And where is Edward?” he asked.

“He’s in Babylon,” I said. “I came alone.”

“Why?” he asked.

“You’ve already seen Edward as a vampire,” I said. “It’s me that you wanted to see as a vampire this time. Why bring others?”

“Ha!” he laughed. “I like you, Beau. You’re quick wit will take you far. Tell me would you like the join the council?”

“No,” I said. “I’m happy with my husband at the moment. I may change my mind later though.”

“There is time,” he said. “There is a place for Edward on the council as well. Archie as well.”

“Well as far as I know they’re all happy where they are,” I said. “But I will relay the message.”

“Very well,” he said. “You are a remarkable vampire.”

“I was born to be this,” I said, smiling and showing my fangs. Good thing they weren’t any different than his.

“Yes I think you were,” he said. “Stay a bit and get to know the members of the council.”

“I’d like that,” I said. I had expected it. That’s why I told Edward I would see him when I saw him.

“Though you do not know her my sources tell me that Laura Moreau is missing,” he said. “Has she come to her brother?”

“Yes,” I said, seeing no reason to lie about that. “Laura Moreau is dead.”

“She’s dead?” he asked. “How did this come about?”

“I burned her to ash,” I said.

“Astounding,” he said. “We had thought that no vampire could stand up to her.”

“She had a proposition for Edward,” I lied. “When he refused she tried to kill us. I burned her to stop her.”

“How dramatic,” he said. “Well that’s one less thing for us to worry about. Does Edward know who the new heir to the Legacy of the Moreau family will be?”

“No,” I said. “We’ve had nothing to do with Moreau family per your orders. We have no way of knowing the mechanics of that family’s politics.”

“Well said,” he replied. “I’m going to say that I want us to have nothing to do with the Moreau witches and I would very much like it if no more of you were turned.”

“I don’t plan to turn a Moreau Witch so I can safely say that I will follow both the command and your wishes,” I said.

“Very good,” he said. “I must dine. Are you hungry?”

“Not yet,” I said. “I’ll let someone know.”

“Very well,” he said. “I’ll leave you in Jessup’s care.”

The vampire Jessup was shorter than my own five feet eleven inches. He had long dark hair that was almost black. His green eyes were ringed with black and he looked ageless. That he had been younger than sixteen when he was turned was evident. He smiled at me, showing his fangs. Then we walked around the palace as he gave me the tour. The place was huge and we were at the tour for a long time. By the time we finished the tour I was shown to the room I would stay in and left to sleep.

It was an uneasy sleep. I was used to sleeping with Edward. Plus I was in the Palace of the Council Di Vampire. I would never be completely comfortable here. But then something called to me. I got out of bed and followed the calling. It took me to parts of the palace that I hadn’t seen before. I followed it down the corridor and down the stairs to the ground floor. Then I went through the kitchen to a door that led to the basement of the palace. Here were the cells. The man manning the cells didn’t see me. The calling took me around that room to another with double doors that seemed to be locked. As I stood there the lock disengaged and the doors opened wide. I stepped inside.

In the center of the room was a glass coffin. Inside was a vampire. I assumed that this was the King of the Immortals. Eric Maxwell. He looked a lot like me. That was what startled me. He had the same dark hair and he was pale like me. His facial features were very close to mine. His eyes opened and it was like looking at my own eyes. He sat up and extended his hand, palm up. “Drink,” he said. “Become stronger my hybrid son.”

How did he know? I assumed he probably knew everything about me. I approached him and took his offering, biting into his wrist and drinking. It was like liquid fire washed over my gullet and I saw so many things. I saw vampires rise and fall. I saw vampires die. I saw so many things before he took his arm away. “Tell no one about this,” he said. “If vampires learn that I awakened to give you my blood there will be trouble. Guard your son. My fledgling will think he is a super drone. I know that he is not. I see much while I sleep. I too converse with the Gods, Beau. You are beautiful to me because you are part of my human family. Get out of this place and don’t come back until your son is a teenager. His life and yours may very well depend on it. Leave in the morning.”

“I love you, Eric,” I said, though I didn’t know where the words came from.

“As I love you, Beau,” he said. “You are precious to me. Leave this place in the morning make your excuses but leave.”

I embraced him and he held me tight. Then I backtracked and made my way back to my bed. His blood was coursing through my veins, changing me slightly but not so much that I was all that different. I was even more immortal if that makes sense. How do I explain the feeling coursing through my body. It was a lot like the feeling a vampire gets after he’s fed, but there was more to it. There was a humming in my body that wasn’t there before. I felt more complete than I’d ever felt in my life. I was a whole hybrid now. I’d never felt whole as a human. Something had been missing from my makeup. Now, having drank the blood of the King of the Immortals I felt complete. I fell asleep with his name on my lips and visions of Edward in my head.

The next morning I was presented to the council again. Brendan was suddenly standing in front of me. He looked me up and down. “What’s changed about you, Beau?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I lied. “My hybrid nature changes me all of the time.”

“You’re a perfect example of the species,” he said. “The first living hybrid.”

“Not the first,” I said. “The second.”

“What do you mean?” he demanded.

“Eric was the first hybrid,” I said. “Human, vampire, Forsaken. He became the King of the Immortals.”

“Is this what you want?” he asked, looking angry. “To unseat the Council and take over?”

“Brendan, not at all,” I said, touching his hand. “I have no political aspirations. I want to live my life with my husband and family in Babylon. I’m sure we’ll have to leave there eventually but I have no idea where we will go but I assure you that I have no designs on any part of the much bigger picture.”

“I believe you,” he said, relaxing.

“Because of this I’d like to take my leave of you and return to Babylon,” I said. “I didn’t sleep well without my husband beside me. I’ve never been apart from him since I opened my vampire eyes.”

“Go then, but know that there is a place for you and others on this council should you change your mind,” he said.

“Thank you, Brendan,” I said. To the others I said, “It was very nice to spend time with some of you. I leave you now in peace.”

The drive back was uneventful and I made it back to Babylon unscathed. There was a threat looming over my head where EJ was concerned. I had to keep him safe until he was of age to be turned. Then I could present him as a fledgling. They didn’t need to know he was my son. Family for sure but not my son. I had no idea how I was going to pull that off. Hopefully I’d have a host of hybrids to help keep him safe. I didn’t know. I’d have to think on this one. As I pulled up to the house where my father lived I vowed that I’d die to protect my son.

“There he is,” Charlie said as I came in the door. “There’s your daddy.”

“Daddy,” EJ said, shocking me. Edward was beaming at me. Clearly this wasn’t the first time that EJ had spoken.

“Hi my little man,” I said, taking him from Charlie and spinning him around. He giggled. “I missed you so much.”

“Don't go again, Daddy,” he said.

“I won’t,” I said. “Not for a while.”

“Okay,” he said. “Can we go home now?”

“Yes we can,” I said as I got him ready to go. “We’ll be back soon.”

“Thank you for coming,” Charlie said with a smile. “He’s quite the child.”

“Isn’t he?” I asked, beaming.

We got loaded up headed back to the Maxwell House. They were waiting for us when we arrived. Shocking me was the fact that Jacob was awake and waiting for me. He was waiting to tell me that he had to go to the tribe and tell them what had happened to him. I told him to make sure he let them know that it was his choice. He smiled and told me he’d make that very clear. Then he stripped naked in front of everyone, put his clothes in a plastic bag, tied it around his neck and shimmered into a wolf. He ran off into the trees.

“That was practical,” Edward said. “It would save our clothes, too.”

“Come inside,” I said. “I have much to tell everyone.”

We went inside and sat around the table. EJ clung to me as I sat down. I held him on my lap and began to tell them what had happened. “First Brendan told me that there is a place for me, Edward, and Archie on the council should we wish to join. He doesn’t know about my hybrid nature but he told me that I make the perfect vampire. He insisted that I stay the night and get to know other members of the council. But that’s not all that happened. When I went to bed I felt like something was calling to me. I got out of bed and followed that calling. It led me through the palace to the basement and around the cells to a room. It was locked but the lock disengaged and the doors opened wide. Inside was Eric in his coffin. While I stood there the lid lifted and he sat up. He lifted his hand, palm up and told me to drink. He called me son and told me that I was precious to him and that he too converses with the Gods. I drank from Eric Maxwell and now I feel more complete than I’ve ever felt before.”

“You drank from the father of us all?” Elfric asked.

“Did he say much?” Gabriel asked.

“No,” I said. “He just told me that I was precious to him and that he too converses with the Gods. I drank from him and he went back to sleep. The coffin shut and I went back to bed.”

“Remarkable,” Gabriel said. “That my father in the blood would awaken for you means something special. I know that you changed Archie and Jasper and that Jacob has gone to tell the tribe what he decided. I do not wish to be changed. I’ve discussed it with Elfric and we’ve decided to remain ordinary vampires. Emit and Roman have made the same decision. Archie, you and Jasper and now part of something amazing. I didn’t begin to know what would happen now that there were hybrids among us but if Eric blessed you with his blood you’re far more powerful than any on the council.”

“Eric also told me to shield EJ until he is a teenager,” I said. “That’s what I had planned to do anyway, but it was nice to have my thoughts repeated to me by the King of the Immortals.”

“Outstanding,” said Gabriel with a smile. “So Eric will use his influence to shield him as well. That’s why he told you to shield him. Eric approves of him.”

“He said he was special,” I said. “He is that but he’s also my son. Of course I was going to shield him. But he grows quickly. It won’t be long and he’ll be a teenager and we won’t have to hide him so much.”

“So much is going on that it’s difficult to see,” Archie said. “I see a great gathering but I don’t know what it’s for and half of them are invisible to me. I see the vampires talking with these invisible people but I can’t make out what they’re saying. It’s most distressing.”

“We’ll be on the lookout for this gathering,” Gabriel said as Jacob walked through the door.

“How did it go?” I asked him.

“Sam was angry at first until I told him this was my choice,” he said. “Then I told him that he was now Alpha of the pack. That settled him down. My dad was angry with me but I don’t really care about that. I’m still chief of the tribe. They said that I would be the chief for a very long time unless I decide to join you. I don’t know what they’re talking about but seers in the tribe have seen something they won’t tell me about.”

“Archie had a vision of the vampires talking with people who are invisible to him,” I said. “He called it a great gathering.”

“Something is coming then,” Jacob said. “If it has to do with us, I mean the hybrids then the pack will join us.”

“I don’t know what is happening to cause this great gathering and you say the seers of the tribe won’t talk,” I said.

“That’s right,” he said. “At least they wouldn’t talk to me about it.”

So that was why I, Edward, Archie, Jasper, Jacob, and EJ stripped naked, put our clothes in plastic bags and tied them around our necks. We phased into wolves and took off after Jacob back to the reservation. Sam was stunned to see all of us phase back to human appearances before him. We all got dressed and then he took us to the seers. They were in a building at the back of the reservation. They watched us come through the doors and stiffened.

“We told you we would not discuss this with you until certain things come to pass,” said a white haired man. His hair was long and he had the face of the tribe. “Why have your all come.”

“Something is going to happen and I’m afraid is has to do with my son,” I said, putting my hands on EJ’s shoulders. “Can’t you tell me what that might be so that I can protect him?”

“The tribe will help you protect him when the time comes. We don’t see what will happen only that the tribe will come to your aid in this endeavor,” said the white haired man.

“I thank the tribe for any help they may give us,” I said. “I just wish we knew what was coming.”

“You will gather species that have nothing to do with your kind to aid you in this,” said the white haired man. “Species that shy away from creatures such as yourself.”

“I don’t know how to gather them,” I said. “I know who they are but they won’t come near one of us. How am I supposed to gather them?”

“A man is coming to you soon,” he said. “Through him you will contact the races and they will come when you call.”

“Thank you for telling me all of this,” I said. “I know that it is unusual to share any part of your visions with those who are not members of the tribe.”

“You are the hybrid,” he said. “Many things will happen now that you exist.”

“That scares me,” I said.

“Not all of the things that will happen are bad,” he said. “Some are great. A great species will come from this. Hybrids will never outnumber vampires but they will be easier to get along with than vampires. I look forward to those who come next.”

“As do I,” I said.

“Go then,” he said. “Watch and wait.”

We went back to the house the same way we’d arrived on the reservation. Jacob stayed to do his duty. The rest of us went to House Maxwell. We dressed and went inside. They were all waiting to see what we’d learned. I told them that they couldn’t see what the event was they only saw the tribe’s response to it. I told him that I was told that a man was coming and through him I would contact species that have nothing to do with our kind to come and help us in whatever is coming.

But nothing happened for a while. We went about life the same as we had been. EJ grew a lot. By the end of the week he was looked like a child of six. Two days later he looked like a child of ten. Then it slowed a bit. I was worried that he’d get stuck there but Gabriel told me he was still growing but at a much slower rate. That made me happy. Jacob was in and out of the house a lot. Sam came to talk to us about the event and promised that the pack would fight for us if we needed them. I thanked him.

We spent a few days at Charlie and Kale’s house. EJ continued to show Charlie things and twice he’d shown Kale who thought it was amazing that he could do that. I told them it was the witch in him that did that. They agreed. Charlie asked if I knew anything about what was coming. I told him exactly what the seers of the tribe had told me. He didn’t like it but there was nothing to be done about it. We started to gear up for Christmas. When we got back to the house that day it looked like a Christmas Village house. Archie had gone wild. There were three trees in the house. One was in the family room in front of the wall of windows. The second was on the second floor in front of the wall of windows and the third was on the third floor where Gabriel and Elfric’s room was located. It was also in front of the wall of windows.

We went Christmas shopping. I bought EJ a lot of things but no clothing. He was growing and he’d just grow out of it. Roman and Archie were trying to make a photo album and they kept buying clothes for him that fit each day and took more pictures. I thought it was pointless but I liked idea of a photo album of nothing but EJ. There was one gift that I would pass out at Christmas that I bought for each of the hybrids and I even had the mold for more of them. They were necklaces with little wolf charms in the center. I even had one for EJ though he’d require more links in the chain as he grew. I had those too. I also got him paints and an easel. He was drawing a lot which he got from me, or at least I thought he did. I wanted to see what he would do with paints.

The man that was foretold to come that could help me contact those species that wouldn’t have anything to do with our kind showed up just before Christmas. His name was Mark Hennings and he was a member of the Illuminati. The Illuminati was an secret society that we all thought we knew about. It turned out to be something completely different than we’d thought. It was a secret society that chronicled the supernatural in all forms. He said he was breaking protocol, talking directly to us. The members of the Illuminati had a mantra and that was “observe and report but do not contact or become”. Yes, he’d broken protocol. But I told him about the gathering that had been foretold by both Archie and the tribal seers. He listened intently and then told me that he would contact the Demigods, the Godlings, the Evo, the Fairies, the Elves, and the Immortalis to come when the time was right. He told us that he’d be watching our family for a while and reporting back to the motherhouse in Dallas.

We were hiding EJ, not from Mark but from the Council Di Vampire. But circumstances often transpire to blow up in my face. A vampire came to see us. He took one look at EJ and took off. I didn’t know the vampire. When I described him to Edward he said he didn’t know him either. EJ put his hand to Edward’s face and showed him the vampire. Edward said he looked familiar but he didn’t know who he was. Archie gasped and dropped the books in his hands. He turned to me and his eyes were wide.

“They’re coming for us,” he said. “The Council Di Vampire is coming for us. All of them are coming.”

“What are they coming for us for?” I asked.

“They think that EJ is a Superdrone,” he said. “Our visitor was from the Council.”