Nicole sighed as her eyes once again read the same sentence for the fifth time in a row. It was now four days before Halloween, and she was just over two weeks from her due date. Sora had been shooed away from her by Michaline, who was in the chair beside her with Trevor in her arms. Nicole's half-brother was asleep, now just about three months old, and absolutely adorable.
Still, with Nicole now so far along, she was getting restless, and so were the twins inside of her. They were squirming almost constantly, and she hadn't slept in about three days. It was beginning to wear her thin. At this point, she was ready to just have the girls and be done with it.
Michaline looked at her daughter with a knowing smile. "It gets better, dear. You won't even remember this when you're holding your little girls. Now, how about I make us some tea? Can you hold Trevor for a bit while I'm gone? He won't sleep unless he's held."
Nicole smiled, taking her little brother from her mother. "Thanks, Mother." Trevor squirmed slightly at the changing of hands, but the boy stayed asleep. Nicole sat back, closing her eyes. It was slightly awkward, holding a baby while pregnant with two more, but she'd done it quite a bit in the three months since he had been born. Nicole stood up, unable to sit still any longer. Sometimes moving around helped the twins to settle their antics.
Nicole had her back to the window, and never noticed his presence, not until he felt his hand on her throat. She stiffened at once, clutching at her brother. Her heartbeat sped up as he spoke in her ear. "You're going to come with me now, Nicole."
As soon as Michaline entered the room where she had left her son and daughter, the only thing that was heard was a loud crash as the teacups hit the floor. While normally the vampiress' face was one of calm kindness, a dark and murderous shadow crossed it as her fangs elongated with a sharp hiss. She looked at her daughter's familiar, who had gone with her, and told the cat to stay with Trevor, the baby still asleep.
Her husband's scent was all over the room, and it wasn't hard for her to track them down. Sebastian was carrying Nicole, who wasn't fighting him. But then, eight and half months pregnant, it would be insane to try and fight in her condition. Michaline did not have to wonder what Sebastian wanted with their daughter. Twins were considered a myth, and it was now clear that Nicole was having twins.
Two large vines came whipping out from the trees, encircling Sebastian's throat. The man's eyes widened with a look of shock as the vines tightened, and he stumbled. Nicole took the opportunity to scramble away from her father, the shock mirrored in her own eyes. What was her mother doing here?
Sebastian managed to rip the vines from his throat, turning to glare at the woman who was his wife and sister. He could not recall ever seeing her so...lively. He smirked slightly. This would be fun, indeed.
The battle was short, but incredibly intense. Brother and sister clashed in the air with fang, claw, blood and vine. Blood stained the very air itself; if the vampires on campus had not known of their location, they certainly would now. Nicole watched desperately as her parents fought, unable to do anything.
She wasnāt even able to move when Sebastian feigned a shot at Michaline but instead went for Nicole instead. She shut her eyes, reflexively coiling around her abdomen. But the attack never came. Nicole smelled blood. Michalineās blood. The girl opened her eyes, greeted by a horrific sight. Michaline stood over her, Sebastianās hand through her chest.
A drop of blood fell from his finger, landing between Nicoleās widening eyes. Michaline couched once, the vines around them withering and crumbling. āMotherā¦ā
Michaline smiled slightly, even as the telltale cracks began snaking across her being. āIām sorry, Nicole. Take care of Trevor for me, wonāt you?ā Tears fell from Nicoleās eyes as she watched her motherās body shatter into thousands of pieces glass. Sebastian slowly licked the blood from his fingers, staring down at his daughterās reaction.
Nicole could feel her heartbeat and breathing speed up. She could also feel something else, a sharp pain in her abdomen. But that was the last thing on her mind. All she could see, all she could hear, was her mother. Her eyes turned a deep shade of obsidian, and she screamed. She could feel something tearing through her chest, and it was breaking.
Shadows exploded around them, tendrils writhing and fastening themselves to Sebastian. It did little good, as suddenly she couldnāt move. Her eyes went wide as Sebastian held her still. He grinned at her as he knelt down, running a finger across her cheek. āYou see, my dear, I learned long agoā¦I can control you using your motherās blood. So long as you have the blood of the parent, the child is under your complete control. I will have my grandchildren. I have very high hopes for them, Nicole.ā His eyes gleamed ruby as her eyes widened even further, the whites of them turning red. She couldnāt breathe.