Sequel: The Blue Scales

The False Vampire

Epilogue

The small baby in my arms gurgled as I lightly rubbed his back to burp him. No matter how many times I did this, it was a painstaking process every time. Little Harry was more partial to tugging on my hair than he was anything else. My Mum sat across from me, reading the latest interior design magazines in our lounge. She had taken it upon herself to move me back into home after she found out about my pregnancy, as well as help me design Trinnean and Nadia’s apartment. Mum was in seventh heaven – absolutely in her element.

“Mum,” I half whispered as I stood to pace across the room. Sometimes, the action helped him to fall asleep. “When he falls asleep can you please put him in the crib?”

“He’s not mine. You’re the silly one for getting pregnant,” she said gently. I cringed. She thought the baby was Jae’s, and didn’t know the origin story of Harry. Silently, I hoped that she would never find out.

“I thought all grandmothers wanted to coddle babies,” I hissed gently. She laughed, causing Harry to giggle. After five minutes passed without success, I carried the tired little boy into my room. Pushed up against one side of the room was my new double bed, courtesy of those late night visits from Jae, and on the other side was a makeshift nursery. I placed Harry into his white crib, a hand-me-down from my parents and apparently a family heirloom.

It seemed that within moments he had fallen asleep. I stayed with him just a bit longer, staring down at my precious little boy. In his features I could see just a hint of his father. Ambrosio, I guessed, had Greek heritage, and those features had made it to Harry’s face. He had my colouring though. It wasn’t his fault. None of it was.

A shiver ran down my back, my metaphorical hackles rising as I felt a presence appear behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I could see Francesca and the Oracle, swathed in darkness.

“What are you doing here?”

“To wish you well with the baby, of course,” came the eerie voice of the Oracle.

“How does he fare?” Francesca seemed to have a split personality disorder. Every time I met her, she spoke just that slightest bit differently to the last time I saw her.

“He fares well,” sarcasm colours my voice, “he poops and cries like a normal baby, that is to say, all night long.”

The Oracle approached closer to Harry, a hood hiding its features. He reached out with a gloved hand and traced the air above Harry’s face, as though he was gently cradling his cheek.

“Do you have a name?” I asked the Oracle, the question eating me alive with curiosity.

“Yes,” he whispered. “But you are not to know it, for names hold power, and if I told you mine than you would have the ultimate ability over me.”

“Can’t you tell me a name then?”

“You may call me…” he took a moment to think, “Vidya.”

“Well, Vidya, can we relocate outside of the room where there is a sleeping baby?”

“He will not wake,” Vidya’s voice, that steady, unwavering tone now had just the slightest hint of affection. I studied him closely. He still had his arm outstretched, hovering over Harry’s face.

“I’ll take your word for it,” I shrug. There was no denying that Vidya was knowledgeable. I’d still wrangle him if he woke the baby, though.

“There is a story I wish to tell you,” Vidya proclaimed, and turned from Harry. He gestured towards the bed indicating that both Francesca and I sat. I was a little reluctant to sit next to the vampire, as bipolar as she seemed. We both nodded, waiting for him to begin his story.

“There was once twin brothers, birthed from two different fathers and yet, conceived at the same time. One a seer and the other a mortal. Their mother, Aella, carried the two for eight months before giving birth. One brother was much smaller than the other, and she feared that he would die. She gave up the one from the seer, for he did not look like her and was afraid the villagers would scorn her.

Instead, she raised the other, non magical in every way. On the night of their thirteenth birthday, the magical brother returned. His twin, the mortal, grew jealous for he did not possess any powers, and feared his mother would dote on him. They grew together, the mother loving them equally. On the eve of their 25th birthday, the one who possessed powers accepted his role, that of an oracle, and the brother flew into a jealous rage. His wife, Thera, tried to console him, but he fled into the night, abandoning her and their three children.

He was found two weeks later, raping young girls not much older than yourself in a distant land when the partner of one of these women killed him. And thus, he became the incubus that you have come to know as Ambrosio. My brother. For all those who are slayed whilst being unfaithful to their life partner rise again as incubi on the next new moon.”

Vidya finished his story, leaving me speechless. I didn’t know what to say, except now that he and myself were related, and Harry would have at least one living blood relation that I knew of.

“Why did you tell me this?” I stammered, still slightly disbelieving. The Oracle pulled back his hood, his features like his nose the same of that as his brothers His skin however, was several shades darker, and his eyes were a thin almond shape instead of the droopy eyes of his brother.

“Because I feel partly responsible for his action. If it were not for me, he would not have been here. As such, I’ve come to offer you three boons in exchange for one simple request,” he looked towards Harry, and then quickly back at me. “My nephew grows up knowing me as his uncle.”

Looking into his eyes, I can see he’s serious. “Okay.”

“Thank you, Audrey.” His head inclines slightly, in a formal nod of sorts. “And what would you ask of me?”

I thought for a few seconds before replying. I knew at least two questions that I wanted to know the answers to.

“You originally told me to remember the numbers one, three and eight. What did they signify? I still can’t figure it out.”

“At one month pregnant, you found out about Ambrosio, an incubus was the father of your child. At three, he was killed, and you could rest easy that night. During the eighth month, you gave birth to your son.”

“Right,” I answered. ‘I would’ve thought I could’ve figured that one out if I had thought hard enough. Perhaps it was my hormones? Let’s blame those.’ After that explanation, I felt that I had wasted an answer. However, the next one was something that I needed to know considering no one had been able to figure it out to this stage.

“What happened to Agatha? Where is she?” I almost begged Vidya the question. I had named Agatha one of the two godmothers of Harry, honoring our close but short friendship. The police had ruled that she had run away, despite the evidence that claimed otherwise.

“That is two questions, would you like me to answer them both or just one?”

Biting my lip in thought, I considered each question carefully before answering, “Where is she?”

“Agatha is on the Other side.”

“The other side? What do you…”

Before my question could be finished, my Mum appeared in the doorway.

“Who are you talking to Audrey?” she glanced around the room. I looked to where Francesca was sitting, seeing only the slightest indentation in the bedding. There was hardly any evidence that they had been here at all.

“No one, Mum, it’s fine,” I replied distractedly. Quietly, I pondered the answer about Agatha being on the other side. I could only hope that she was safe.

“Okay dear, I’ll just be downstairs preparing dinner. Is Jae coming over?”

“Yes, Mum.” I smiled at her as we walked down the stairs together, leaving Harry sleeping soundly.
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So that's officially the end of this story, guys! I'd love to hear your thoughts about it all.

Thank you for those who have been following throughout the entirety of the story, I know my updating is pretty dodgy at times. But that is life.

Anyways, if you have any questions I'm more than happy to answer them as long as they don't reveal what may happen in the potential sequels!

Bon voyage,

Ebony x