Page 152 of Rose and Shadows
“Because this baby is Wraith-Necromancer, the first of its kind?” I asked.
“Yes and also no. It’s more than that. This baby is life created from death. The fact it was possible at all, Ambrose says points to the tether of the Soul Brandandthe Ancient blood running through your veins, Lazriel, being factors and… attuning the death energy from the Wraith and Necromantic aspects to something conducive to allowing conception.”
I started. “You’re saying this baby is actually… all four of us?”
“Yes,” Cassius said, lifting his lips. “Most certainly.”
Sylas smiled as well, then continued, “But I’m also saying that this baby being life created from death means he exists outside the balance.” His eyes lit up. “Meaning… he cannot be killed.”
“Our child is truly immortal,” Cassius breathed.
Velra choked and tightened her grip on me, which I reciprocated, even as I stared.
Just fucking stared.
This was… a fuck of a lot to digest.
The relief of it was something I couldn’t quite quantify or even figure out how to begin wrapping my head around.
I mean… with all we’d lost, all the pain, abandonment, the death, violence, the fear… now we’d created this? A baby… our child… a fitting extension of our family… that couldn’t ever be taken from us, that would always and forever remain?
It was unbelievable.
And it was choking me the fuck up.
I could hardly contain it.
Sylas even wasn’t. I saw his eyes shining with unshed tears of fucking joy—and that relief.
Cassius sidled closer to Velra, starting to stroke her hair as she tried to process it in her usual quiet way as she stared down at her belly.
And then her head suddenly shot up, jarring me and Cassius right against her, and making Sylas tense in surprise too.
“You said it again.”
“Said what?” he asked.
“He.When you were talking about our baby, yet again, you saidhe.”
He winced. “Fuck… it just… came out. Keeps coming out, apparently. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“To spoil it?” she cut in. “You mean, it’s not just a projection or something? You know it for a fact?”
Sylas frowned. “Of course not. Gender and me… you may have noticed it doesn’t really compute.” He sighed. “When I first read you and the baby when we found out you were pregnant, I felt its energy signature… something set at conception… and I inadvertently determined the gender.” He winced again, as myheart was pounding like crazy. “I’m so sorry I ruined the surprise of it.”
“Ruined?” Velra cried. “It’s the opposite! This makes it—”
“More real!” I exclaimed.
“Exactly,” she said, rubbing my arm excitedly. “Oh my God! This is…wow!”
Sylas full-on grinned. “I know.”
Cassius enveloped Velra and me in an unrestrained overjoyed bear hug.
That took the elation to a whole other level, and then Sylas was throwing himself into the fray, all of us hugging, kissing, just reveling in the joy.
And it felt fucking amazing.
