Sebastian's Family (Book 2)

Act 36: Unexpected

Louisa walked into the kitchen after dinner had finished. She wrapped her arms around Sebastian as he stood at the sink rinsing dishes. Laying her head on his back, she tightened her hold on him.

"Are you ok, my love?" Sebastian asked, drying his hands, before grasping her arms and turning to face her. He lifted her chin so that her gaze met his. He looked into her eyes before his gaze took in the small smile that graced her face. In answer to his question, she put out her hand and pulled a black rose from the air. Sebastian's eyes widened, his hand automatically sliding down to her stomach.

"You are carrying another child!"

"Yes, my love, it would seem that we are to add to our numbers."

"How is this possible?"

Louisa raised an eyebrow, "you of all beings should know the answer to that."

Sebastian smirked, "the practicalities aside, my love, demon children are rare enough, but to carry a second spawn, and after twins."

"Very little has been usual about our lives, my darling, why should our ability to procreate be any different."

Sebastian pulled her in closer to him and kissed her gently. Breaking the kiss, he cupped her face in his hands, "with all that we now face, please do not ask me to place my master before you again. I could not watch you die a second time knowing it was my fault."

"No, my love, I require no such promise this time, although your binding to Lord Birch may leave you with little choice but to do otherwise."

A cough at the edge of the room broke the moment between them. They turned to see Lord Birch and Typhon at the kitchen door.

"Sebastian, I could not help but hear," said Lord Birch, "I will make this easier for both of you, it is one thing I can do after all I have put you both through."

"My Lord?"

"In the fight that is to come, and in anything that leads to it, you are to put Louisa's life and welfare above my own. You are to do this regardless of the cost to me. This is an order, do you understand."

Sebastian placed his hand over his heart and knelt before his master, "yes, my Lord, as you command."

Louisa looked at Lord Birch, confusion etched on her features. Lord Birch smiled, "my life has never mattered. I wanted to know who killed my family and why. Both those questions are all but answered. My other desire was for them to be punished. As my enemies are also yours, I know this will happen whether I am alive to see it or not. I will not add your death or that of your unborn child to my conscience."

Sebastian stood and wrapped his arm around Louisa, "thank you, my Lord." Louisa nodded and smiled before turning her attention to the other being that had silently entered the room. Undertaker walked forward and placed the object he carried on the kitchen worktop. He looked at each of the parties in the kitchen before grinning widely.

"I was almost sure, I had seen the possibility, but the past is gone and the future always uncertain."

Typhon shook his head, "what are you dribbling on about, Undertaker?"

Undertaker giggled and turned to Louisa and Sebastian, "you are once again carrying the demon's spawn, am I correct?"

Sebastian moved closer to Louisa, his arms crossing protectively around her stomach. Undertaker continued to laugh, causing all present to wonder whether he had finally lost his last shreds of sanity. As he calmed, he turned his attention back to Louisa and Sebastian.

"I mean the child or you both no harm, but this confirms what I have always thought. Only one family, one demon bloodline was able to, how shall I say, repopulate, each generation. You are a little early, but then your first was not exactly by the book."

Undertaker paused, watching each of the people in the room. When he was sure that he had the full attention he continued, "the reason why your house, and especially your bloodline is being targeted Typhon, is because you are the descendants of Lilith, the first demon. And this," he waved his hand over the object on the worktop, "is the sword of Lilith."

"That is not possible, Lilith disappeared millennia ago, and the sword is just a myth." Dismissed Typhon.

"Ah, yes, she disappeared, that is true. However, her last act was to place this in my safekeeping until one of her blood came across my path. She said I would know when the time was right for the sword to be returned."

"Then why wait until now, why did you not return it to the family when the Order first reared its ugly head?"

"I understand your pain and your hate at my waiting Typhon, but it would have done you no good. It can only be wielded by a female descendant, so despite my almost certainty that you were of Lilith's blood..."

"You needed to wait until Louisa was ready, and if not her, then our Lilith." Added Sebastian.

"Hehehe, yes, it was a lovely touch, naming your daughter without knowing who you were naming her for."

Undertaker unwrapped the sword, being careful not to touch the blade as the wrappings feel loose. He motioned for Louisa to pick up the blade. Louisa moved forward, running her hand across the hilt of the sword she could feel its power, she grasped it, lifting it from the worktop.

"The power in this, it is immense, the blade can cut through anything. It is beyond even the enchanted scythes of the reapers."

"Yes, dearie, there are only three in the world."

"You, as death, hold one of the others, where is the third?"

"That I do not know. But yes, mine is the second, it is one of the reasons that it has taken them so long to come after us, we inflicted much more damage than they expected. Whoever is using the reapers is unaware of my true nature, or at least was at the time."

"Then we finally have an advantage."

There was a nod of ascent among the assembled group. Louisa laid the sword back in its wrappings. She covered it before moving to Undertaker and embracing him. "Let us hope that this brings a new understanding between the realms, if we can all come together, then maybe there is hope for others."

Undertaker nodded, "I see her in you more and more as you grow. Lilith would be proud of the line that we began." With that, he left the kitchen, giggling to himself, leaving a silent gathering behind him.

The silence was broken by Lord Birch, "did he just say 'we'?"

"I believe he did," replied Typhon, "that was unexpected."

"So, the father of your bloodline is..."

"Death himself. We carry the blood of the first demon and death. I want to say that explains a lot, but I think it just poses more questions." Typhon roared with laughter."

Lord Birch watched the demon lord's reaction with some amusement before the immensity of everything he had learned that day hit him, and he was overwhelmed with tiredness. "I think I need to retire for the night, it has been a lot to take in today."

Sebastian moved forward to assist his master, "no, Sebastian, I will see to myself. I bid you all good night."

Lord Birch left, rubbing his temples as he went. Just when he thought he had a grasp on the lives of the demons and reapers that currently shared his home, something else cropped up that reminded him that he hadn't even scratched the surface of the realms beyond the world in which he lived.