Evolution

3

Ch 3 Darkstone

The sun set hours ago. The sky shimmered with stars and to the north the green of the aurora. Trinity and Gabriel sat in their grandmother's garden playing with a fluffy kitten Epimetheus acquired from a local farm. They giggled as Gabe dangled a feather over it, while they waited for their parents, Lady Lily and Lord Constantine, and their grandparents, Alpha Lloyd, Lady Desidemona, and Lord Cain to finish greeting the guests. It was Gabriel's fourth birthday. The Darkstone Clan and Bloodstone Coven gathered together to celebrate another hybrid child who survived the Infant Plague while three pure blood children had been lost.

The whole garden glowed from the light of colorful paper lanterns. Everyone clapped when Gabe blew out his candles. Despite the dismayed gasped of the adults, Trinity laughed when he sneezed and headbutted his cake, covering his forehead and pale blond hair in frosting. He was such a weak and tiny babe that the adults all feared the plague would claim him, but Trinity was sure he would live and he had. While her mother and grandmother tried to get the bright blue frosting out of Gabriel's pale hair, Trinity giggled, burying her face in her grandfather Cain's sleeve. His rich blue eyes caught her icy blue ones and he smiled. Her father often said she was the only person in the whole world his father would smile for besides the queen.

"Are you enjoying the party, Grandfather?"

"I enjoy every moment with you, my angel."

The other cake was served to the guests and they ate but Trinity worried for her protector. "Grandfather, should I asked to save cake for Epimetheus?"

"No. He is taking a message to the Queens and will not be back for..."

Suddenly, she felt a cold breeze. The light flickered and Trinity looked past him at the lodge. The glow of lights from the lodge turned to fire, and the shadows in the grass turned to blood. Her eyes grew wide with fear, as her small hands clenched on his sleeve.

"What did you see, my angel?" her grandfather asked in a low, concerned tone. His granddaughter had his half-sister's gift of seeing things others could not.

She gazed back to him with large eyes. "The lights... They turned to fire and there was blood on the grass." She was quiet for a moment, then added, "Grandfather, my shadow says death is coming, and my wolf is anxious." A single tear ran down her pale cheek.

Lord Cain wipes it away gently, studying her face. "When, my angel?" he inquired calmly.

"Tonight. They hate us," she whispered. Her eyes begged him to believe her.

"I believe you." He knew there were many who wanted to destroy what Constantine and Lloyd were building here.

The Darkstone Clan was the first of its kind to be recognized by both the werewolf Council of Alphas and the vampire Council of Lords. A dozen other clans had applied for recognition in the last year. Clans of mixed matings bearing hybrid children which survived the Infant Plague and uniting the two species after two thousand years of separation. His inner shadow hissed in his soul and reached out seeking the threat, but he restrained it so not to terrify his beloved granddaughter.

"Listen carefully Trinity, stay close to your brother. If danger comes, take Gabriel and flee. Run toward the Darkwood and do not look back," he ordered her. "You saw and we are warned. Now try to smile, it is your brother's birthday. We don't want to worry everyone."

"I will obey, Grandfather," she promised, smiling wanly.

He kissed her on the forehead before rising and going to speak with her father and other grandfather. She turned in her chair and looked around the vineyard as musicians started playing. Her mother called her to the stage and Trinity went to sing.