The High Priestess - The Darkest Desires Series

EPILOGUE

"Oh, honey look, she's smiling."

"You think?" The dad asked leaning over his wife as they gazed down at their new bundle of joy.

"Of course, she's smiling. Look, I think she has your dimples." The wife beamed. She held the bundle in her arms like it was the most precious thing on this earth. To her, it probably was. "I can't believe she's not cried yet. Mary-Ann said Justin cried and cried and cried." The couple chuckled together.

"It's because she has your bravery and your can-do attitude." The father stroked his wife's hair. He looked so proud of her.

"It's time for the little one to go to the nursery." You say, taking the few extra steps you need to get to the edge of the bed. You hold out your arms to take the little one.

"Now? So soon?" The mother gasps. She tightens her hold on the precious bundle, but you can already see the need for sleep creeping into her eyes. She looks up at the husband suddenly nervous. "But we haven't named her. We can't not name her."

The husband looks down on his wife, caressing her lovingly down the side of her face, lulling her to relax. "It's fine sweetheart. We have some names picked out. You wanted a little more time, but someone wasn't having any of that." The father gave a soft smile at the little pink bundle. "We could choose now?"

You shuffle on your feet and resist wiping your palms on your scrubs. "You could think about it while she's in the nursery. Then when she comes back, you'll have one all picked out and ready." Your smile tightens. You take one more step closer.

The mother looks down again. She's exhausted and will sleep for a long time. The father will join while he can before they embark on this new journey they have been given. That was their plan, anyway. "That could work." The wife mumbles. Bending down, she rubbed her nose on her new born daughter's head and releases her grip ever-so-slightly. "You are loved. You are cherished. You are ours." She chants in a breath while her husband rubs soothing circles into her back.

You feel your heart beat rapidly in your chest as the soft, warm pink blanket is placed in your arms. You feel the new born squirm just for a moment before getting comfortable. She doesn't make a peep. "All right now," You smile, just as you have been doing all along. Just as you have practiced so many times before, ready for this moment. "Say, 'Bye, bye mummy. Bye, bye daddy.'" You slowly place the child in the plastic crib ready to be wheeled down to the nursery. You watch the faces of the two new, proud parents as you push the child out of the room. They look so relaxed, so happy. You pass the nurses' station with a 'hay' and a quick pit-stop, so all the nurses can coo over the bab

You mustn't rush. You mustn't make it obvious.

"Better get this one downstairs." You press and move off. The soft hiss of the crib's wheels is the only sound in the dark hospital hallways. It's the middle of the night. No one should be around. You reach the elevator and step inside. The cold metal walls feel like they are closing in on you, but you breath. Everything was fine. Everything is going to plan. You watch your reflection in the elevator mirror because you know in your gut you can't look down. You can't focus on what you're doing.

You reach the right floor and step off. It's quiet. Peaceful. It's empty of all staff because it's not the nursery. You're a floor below. Now is when you must perform, just in case. You look left, then right and 'oh', suddenly realize you're on the wrong floor. You turn to catch the elevator but, 'dang', you missed it. You've worked in this hospital all your life, so you know it's in's and out's. You know that it would be quicker to walk up a flight of stairs then wait for the elevator, so you turn and walk towards the stairwell. The old, cold stairwell that is hardly used and has no security cameras.

Picking the pink bundle up from the cradle, you look over her dark, pitch black hair that's already curling out of the crown on her head. She was sound asleep but as you shift her in your arms she stirs and looks up at you with the most beautiful bright green eyes. They are a tropical sea green with rings of ocean storm clouds around the edge. They steal your breath away and capture your heart.

You find yourself stalled at the top of the stairs. One flight up and you would be on the nursery floor. You would be among peers, families and friends. You could drop the bundle off with a smile and some laughter. Leave her with people who would love and look after her. She'd grow up to be a bratty toddler, too an anxious teen, before on wards to an adult, full of life and prosperity... She will find love and life wherever she goes. She might do something amazing that will change the world as we know it. She might just cruise through life; happy on the middle ground. She'll never miss her parents or miss a birthday or miss a homework assignment.

But as you look down the dark stairwell to the lower floors, your mind whispers dark, horrid things. Where she's going, she won't get a chance to miss those things anyway. So, you find yourself turning and begin your decent into the lowest levels of the hospital; the precious cargo sound asleep.

One step at a time, you whisper to yourself. One step at a time.

Keep an eye out for Echo and McQueen in THEIR next sinful adventure

THe Emperor

coming soon