CHAPTER 2 Mother's Intuition

HEIDI POV (Ryan's Mom)

"You're going to get through this," Demetri promises, trailing his icy fingers down the side of my clammy face affectionately.

"What do you think it is?" I whisper while stroking my giant tummy, ignoring what he said. In all honesty, I'm not quite sure I am going to make it through. I've already had two broken ribs and one cracked, and the child seems to be running out of room. Any hour now I'll be a mother.. A dead mother.

"A boy, and he will grow up big and strong just like his dad." Dem grins, flexing his arms. In truth, Demetri doesn't have that much muscle. But he is still strong.. Strong enough to kill little ole human me while juggling a couple minivans.

"Really? I'm thinking a girl. And she will be beautiful." I sigh longingly, hoping I'll have the chance to meet her.

"Just like her mom." Demetri brushes my dark hair out of my face. I have the urge to roll my eyes. I'm anything but beautiful right now. Sweats and a tee, my skin sickly pale and sallow, my bones jutting out at odd angles, a layer of sweat blanketing my body though I feeling like I just took a dip in the Arctic ocean.

"Ryan." I smile down at my baby bump.

"That's what you want to name him? Sort of common.. What about if its a girl?"

"Same. Ryan is a cute girl name. My brother that died in a car crash was named Ryan." I am suddenly feeling all defensive as he gives me an odd look.

It feels like its been an eternity since I've seen Ryan, or my mother, or any of my human family back in America. When Demetri rolled in town with his charm and glamour, I bid farewell to society and came to Italy to start my new life as a creature of the night. Master Aro had other ideas though..

"Okay, fine. I get to pick the middle name though." He deliberates for a moment, until that familiar 'I've got it!' look lights up his face, "Stormy for a girl, and Julius for a boy." He always has liked the unusual names..

"Ryan Stormy Volturi... I love it."

"Or Ryan Julius Volturi!" He seems desperate to have a boy.

"Call it mother's intuition, Dem. I know we're having a girl." I place a frail hand gently on top of his.

"My father's intuition says its a boy." He grins that heart-melting grin. I sigh sadly, wondering how much longer I'll have the pleasure of looking at his unearthly beautiful face.

"Dem.. I know you want to believe it, but we have to stop playing pretend.. I'm not going to make it. Can we just enjoy our time together?" My voice is nothing more than a raspy whisper.

"I love you, Heidi. I'm not going to give up on you, ever." His voice is like silk, so soft and smooth. He leans down and places his cold lips against mine. My heartbeat rises, and that familiar fluttery warmth flits through my stomach. I suddenly release a loud cry of pain. Demetri pulls back.

"What? What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" He sounds frantic.

"Get Aro." I gasp. He knows exactly what those words mean. Before I even have time to register he has disappeared, he is back with Aro by his side.

"She wants out of me. Now!" The worst pain I have ever felt rockets through my limbs. It is like something is tearing through me. Trying to look past the tears of pain clouding my vision, I see Aro holding a syringe in one hand and another very sharp knife-like object in the other that I'm guessing he is going to cut through my flesh with.

Aro leans forward and injects the syringe in my upper arm. Almost instantly, everything goes black.

DEMETRI POV

Heidi's shrill cries for help resonate through the castle. I want to be there for her, holding her hand and telling her things will be okay. But I have to prioritize, and right now, my top priority is the tiny little baby wrapped in a pink blanket nestled in my arms. Ryan Stormy Volturi.

She is only a day old, yet she looks at least a month. A thick blanket of dark, soft hair covers her fragile little head, and her eyes are not the bluish-gray of most infants, but the soft green of her mother's with a tinge of blue that mine were as a human. Her skin is pale, no doubt, but not as pale as most vampires, and her cheeks are a rosy red.

Alec and Jane are huddled over me, trying to get a good look at her.

"She looks so breakable." Alec murmurs.

"In time, she'll become close to being almost as invincible as the rest of us." I tell him. Her skin is fiery hot, yet marble-hard. Someday only creatures such as werewolves, shape-shifters, and vampires will be able to hurt her. Of course, if any of them do, I'll be sure to break their neck.

"She's beautiful." Jane sighs enviously. Though she is aggressive and border-lining psychotic, Jane obviously longs for a child as much as most vampires do.

"You know, she is going to a need a big sister to look after her," I smile at Jane to sooth her jealousy. She beams at me. Jane has made a lot of enemies in her days, but surprisingly we have developed a tedious friendship over the past century I've been here. Mostly because I'd rather not writhe on the ground in pain everyday like Felix, Jane's worst enemy here.

"Can I hold her?" Alec asks. I hesitate. Alec is like a little brother to me, but this is my baby girl we're talking about. I can't let just anyone hold her. "I won't hurt her, I promise." He adds sincerely. After another pause, I reluctantly hand her over. He holds her as if she is made of glass and one wrong twitch of his fingers will cause her to shatter across the floor.

Jane peers over his shoulder, cooing and crooning at Ryan. Ryan lets out an unrecognizable sound that may be a laugh. Jane's eyes light up in excitement. Alec stares at Ryan as if she is the single most wonderful thing to have ever graced the planet with her existence.

Aro comes sweeping in then to take another look at the newest addition to his little collection.

"Oh, Demetri my son, she is just divine. So precious. I've never seen such radiant beauty." Aro gently slides Ryan from Alec's arms into his, and I catch the half-second-glare Alec tosses at him. A pang of jealousy and sadness flashes through Jane's eyes as she realizes she is being replaced as Aro's favorite.

"When will Eleazar Denali be here, Master?" I ask Aro. I am impatient to learn if my daughter has inherited my tracking abilities, or any cool power in general. Maybe Heidi will be granted with something awesome that she might have passed down to our daughter. But then again, Ryan might come up with something all her own. Who says it has to be genetic?

"Right now." A deep voice chuckles. I glance up to see Eleazar walking forward, his nice leather shoes clinking against the marble floor. "And my, don't you have quite the the unique little girl. What is her name again?" He asks kindly.

"Ryan Stormy Volturi." I inform him.

"Ah, Stormy. Quite fitting." He smiles. I listen intently and can hear claps of thunder and crackles of lightening outside.

"I picked it out." I smile smugly.

"Well, I suppose you are wondering about Ryan's talents. Indeed, she is very gifted. I'm not sure where she got her gift though.. She is an Illusionist." Eleazar takes a few steps forward.

"An illusionist?" Alec arches a brow.

"She can make you see things.. Like make you think spiders are crawling all over you, or something." He shrugs.

"Amazing." Aro breathes.

"Scary." I frown. I had hoped Ryan would have something a little sweeter, like water manipulation or something..

Sensing my disappointment, Eleazer hastily adds, "But then again she can make you think you're on a beach, or at a mall or something. She is the most potent I have ever sensed. Sounds, feelings. All included. It must be so realistic."

I smile down at little Ryan in my arms. My daughter is an Illusionist.