Queen Thorn (complete)

Chapter 28

Abe and I decided to blindfold the feeders. Just so that they did not know who they were feeding. That way, even after they returned home, they could never reveal Roza's secret. After all, you couldn't tell what you didn't know and we didn't want this information to become public knowledge until we had no other choice. We could have always compelled the feeders, but we were going to try this first. If worse came to worse, then we would compel them.

As the days flew by Roza became accustomed to feeding from a live feeder. And so far her secret had not been exposed.

We had decided not to tell anyone else about our little miracle until Roza was three months pregnant. Of course, that didn't keep Adrian and Sonya Tanner from knowing, since they could see aura's. But they both swore to not say anything until we had made the formal announcement. They both said that they knew some things about the baby and asked if we wanted to know.

After making sure that the baby was healthy and happy. We decided together, to try and wait until the doctor told us what we were having. So, the two of them kept whatever it was that they knew between the two of them. Sometimes I would see them whispering between themselves while smiling and looking at my Roza and I.

When Roza was a month and a half pregnant. Babushka and Abe asked to have a private meeting with Roza and I, as well as Janine and the rest of my family. So, to keep from being over heard we convened in my family's guest house. (grandmother)

We had decided not to ask Sonja to be one of Roza's assistants because she had told us that she wanted to carry on the family dream of opening a family bakery.

But Karo and Vika both happily agreed to be two of Roza's assistants. By now, Sonja and mama's bakery was opened and doing very well. They had a great many more dhampir customers, than other bakeries around court simply because their serving sizes were much bigger than the other bakeries and their prices were lower. And dhampir, due to our high metabolism, always ate more than the moroi. My mother and sister were very proud of themselves and their hard work, just as the rest of us were proud of them.

Roza and I, as well as my family, Abe and Janine all sat around their living room. While the children had been put down for their naps. Of course, none of them would go down until their Auntie Roza and Uncle Dimka had agreed to tuck them in and read them a story.

Afterwards we were all sitting around the living room waiting for Abe and babushka to tell us why we were all gathered together here today. (grandmother)

Abe began. "Many years ago, I met a female dhampir, a guardian. Whom had, what most people think is a wonderful gift, the gift of sight. This guardian, as I am sure you have all figured out, was Yeva. We met because she was Tati's guardian for a while. Over the years, that we knew each other, we became very good friends. Several years after I met Yeva, she came to me, concerning a vision that she'd had. A vision concerning my only child, my daughter Rose. Which was odd to me because I hadn't even met Janine yet. I was just eleven years old after all. Yeva told me that I would met a Scottish female guardian with fiery red hair to match her legendary temper named Janine Hathaway. We would fall madly in love and have a daughter. This daughter, whom we would name Rosemarie..."

"Is this why you chased me so hard?" Janine interrupted Abe's story.

"That's part of it. But mostly I did it because you are without a doubt the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen. And I fell head over heels in love with you the first moment that I ever saw you."

I saw something then that I had never expected to see in my lifetime, my future mother in law blushed. Needless to say I was in shock, I couldn't believe it.

"Anyway, Yeva's prediction came true, when many years later I met Janine. And one day after Janine became pregnant I was in Baia, and happened to see Yeva again. By this time, she had of course long since retired to raise her family. When I walked up to her she told me that she had been waiting for me because that was the day that I was supposed to find her again."