The Strix That Offered Protection

The Jigsaw Complete.

It's my turn to talk now, time for me to add to the memoirs. Time for me sit down for a moment to catch my breath, before baby brother makes his presence felt. I'm Carmella, the daughter of Graham and Hecate. Akashia and Fabia heard the news about my mothers baby, they were excited, I heard they were worried that their position will be threatened? The gods told them their thoughts and worries are unfounded.

They were worried about mums condition, but i put them at ease telling them that the baby will be born at twenty five weeks, which is just a few weeks away. The entire community is excited, the wolves even sent well wishes to mum, even though lore said she hated the wolves, but with lore, not many can tell fact from fiction.

Those that lived during those times knew the truth, many didn't because they never witnessed the life and times of those that mythological stories told of. Mum was starting to feel like herself again, she was up and about, her baby bump huge, i was checking the baby, to see if he's ready to make an appearance. I did a scan, the baby is breech, they are hoping he turns in time, he must've heard our mum and he turned himself into the right position for birth.

Mother feels he will be out at any moment and she was right, she went to the bathroom and her waters broke. The baby boy is was on his way, dad and i sorted her room for his birth, a small group of us  all gathered in anticipation. Mother told me and dad that she only wanted us there. Of course mother just wanted dad and I at that special moment. The rest that gathered had to wait outside our pool room.

Dad asked mother to get into the pool, they stayed near the shallow end, then suddenly the pain began. Mother was feeling the contractions coming strong and fast. I could see the pain in her face, as a witch, I took some of her pain away, it was probably the first time, I'd actually succeeded at using magick. The pool water turned a pinkish colour and in one huge push, he was out. Mother reached down between her legs and put my baby brother straight to the breast, she had noticed the pain, the same pain she had with me, her breasts were full of milk. I cut the cord and watched as my little brother suckled on our mother. I got mother a towel for her and the baby, dad and i brought them both to her bedroom where the bassinet was ready, mum put him down and showered, she also washed the baby, we dressed him and put a nappy on him and he fell fast asleep, it was like he had a direct connection to our mother, he knew she would be back.

The boy they named him Darryl, he looked like all three of us, i weighed him as soon as they got him out of the pool, he weighed a healthy seven pounds. I couldn't believe i was falling for the brother i never wanted, dad couldn't take his eyes off him, so once he is awake, he plans on having skin to skin contact with him. I had been busy in the weeks leading up to his birth, i singlehandedly painted the nursery, i washed all his clothes.

Father lightly cooked the placenta, that's a meal for himself and mother. The smell swarmed the home, mother woke up, she had a blood bag and she and dad ate Darryl's placenta, it was like eating magick they both said. The baby was tired, he slept the whole time, mum felt a tingle in her breasts, she sensed that her son was awake, or at least waking up. They brought him downstairs, they finished their meal and he did wake, mum placed him on her breast until he fed enough from her. Dad took off his shirt and the baby snuggled into him. I took loads of photographs.

The vampire's that knew about mother and the baby, dropped off gifts, leaving us all in peace. Akashia and Fabia were the only two they invited in, this is when Darryl began showing his powers, he began by urging soft toys near him, he removed his own blankets and replaced them. Akashia and Fabia could read his garbled thoughts, but he connected with the couple in an instant, it was an immediate bond.

Akashia asked if she could pick him up? Dad told her, "of course, he's your kin now too."

I rarely acknowledged Akashia i really have a dislike for her, she took Darryl and handed him to Fabia, she says, "say hello to your blood brother."

Akashia glared at me with such disdain, like she wanted to tear me limb from limb.

Then suddenly Akashia asked me, "Carmella, what is it you don't like about me? Let's have it out now?"

I scowled at her, "I've heard about your slutty behaviour through the years, you even look at my mum as though you want to bed her."

Akashia replies in a glib manner, "so what? I slept around. I've learned my lesson. Besides it's none of your business. Leave me alone."

I took Darryl from Fabia, i then bathed and changed him, then the couple make their excuses and leave. Fabia was gloating inside, finally she had someone onside for once, she hasn't had anyone stand up for her in over two thousand years.

Akashia looks at Fabia as she picked up on what she was thinking, she says, "thanks for being on Carmella's bitch attack on me."

Fabia ignored it as she didn't want a back and forth between them. The fact Akashia said it out loud was an attack on me. Fabia had taken lots of pictures of the baby, she uploaded them to the household computer, she can feel he won't stay a baby for long as the words he's now producing as a newborn, is words a four year old child would know.  The couple know they must be at this babies beck and call for eternity, he'll be on earth for as long as the elder gods allow.

It seems Akashia was still seething after her crossed words with me. So she called me and asks to have a sit down with her as she will be involved with my family until the end of time. Akashia told me that she will be among my family until the gods say it's not so, so they need to start getting on.

I was still not convinced that Akashia is the right person to help raise my brother, i said, "me, my mum and dad will do just fine on our own and as for Darryl, I'm ninety nine point percent sure he prefers Fabia anyway."

I hung up the phone and Akashia was seething, according to Fabia. The witches have news on mums womb, it's a normal womb, like a living being. It's hard to understand why, she's thousands of years old and a vampire. I decided to do my family tree, I knew most of mothers family, I just didn't know much about my grandmothers side to the family. I began asking mother questions about her mother and she shut me down. I asked her what was the problem?

Mum explained that she and her mother didn't get along, she abandoned her as a baby, but that wasn't the information I needed, I just wanted to know my grandmother's bloodline, mother told me she didn't know, but she wasn't from the island she was born on. Then I found something in mothers belongings, it showed what looked like a Strix motif.

I asked her about it and she said it was her mothers, so it seems that my mother might have been a blood relative of the Strix? I called Fabia to ask her if she could confirm this for me? Fabia told me would look into it as it would make more sense. Fabia called me back a few hours later and all was revealed, my grandmother was a Strix subordinate, but she rejected her bloodline in pursuit of one of the most powerful god like families on earth at the time. The jigsaw is now complete, it's now why my mother has been immortal and able to create life.