Te'ijal had never been inside the Underfall Cathedral, so she was just as surprised as anyone else. However, unlike the others, she found that it reminded her of home. It reminded her of the Cathedral in Ghed'ahre, especially back when there had been a demon residing in the catacombs underneath. Much like back then, she could sense the evil coming from the building. She could only assume that it was coming from the opened demon portal at the very end of the grand hall.
"Well, we made it," Edward stated, looking over his shoulder to make sure that no one was around to notice them.
"This place is creepy ..." Stella shivered.
Carefully the four of them crept up the staircase, but were forced to draw back as they saw the strange ghost like creatures guarding the portal. So far, the creatures hadn't noticed them, and that suited them just fine for the time being, seeing as they were not quite ready to let Galahad go. As much as they wanted to save Mel, they were starting to fully realize just how dangerous this mission was.
There was a chance, even if a small one, that both Galahad and Mel would be stuck in the Demon Realm forever. Te'ijal was mindful of that fact, and it terrified her, even though she refused to show it. A part of her wanted nothing more than to go in her husband's place, or at least go with him, but she knew that they were both impossible right now. She had no idea whether her turning back into a vampire would affect the baby forming inside her, and she knew she couldn't afford to take such risks.
So, she held her tongue and repeated the promise Galahad had made in her mind. She didn't trust nearly everyone, but she did trust her husband. He never broke his promises. He would find a way to return to her. She just hoped that it did not take too long. Heaven knows she was not a patient woman, especially not when her short human life was passing her by.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Galahad?" Stella asked hesitantly.
Galahad nodded his head in determination. "I am sure. However, I would appreciate a couple of moments alone with my wife before I go."
Edward and Stella nodded their heads and retreated into a corner, turning their backs in order to give Galahad and his wife as much privacy as they possibly could in that particular situation.
"Wife, I know that look in your eyes," Galahad said in a slightly hushed tone, turning to Te'ijal. "I've seen it many times over the years. I know that you want to go with me, but you can't."
Te'ijal sighed. "I know that, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."
He looked at her with a hint of regret in his dark blue eyes, and in a rare moment, he pulled her into him, wrapping his arms tightly around her and nuzzling his face into her short red hair. Up until that moment, he had always been confident about his decision to go after Mel, but now that he was in Underfall, feet away from the demon portal, he found himself tempted to stay. He didn't want to leave his wife and child in the care of someone else. He wanted to protect him themselves.
"I don't like the idea entirely myself, but I have to do it," he told her, pulling away from her.
In that moment of peace and quiet, he was able to hear not only one heartbeat coming from within her, but two. Although, the second was very small, and barely audible to even him, he could faintly hear it, and it made him smile. It had only been a week since they discovered that Te'ijal was pregnant, and despite not being able to sense it at first, he definitely was able to now.
Reaching down, he placed a hand on her still flat stomach, silently marveling at the tiny life that him and Te'ijal had created. "Be careful, my love, and try not to strangle anyone while I'm gone."
Te'ijal rolled her eyes. "You ask too much of me."
Galahad chuckled. He wasn't sure who to feel more sorry for; Te'ijal or Stella. You see, Stella had recently become particularly protective of Te'ijal, and it was getting on Te'ijal's nerves. Turns out she didn't like being fussed over. She claimed that she was capable of taking care of herself, and Galahad believed her. However, it did reassure him to know that Stella was taking excellent care of her.
"At least try," and with that, he gave her a quick but meaningful kiss on the lips, before turning back to face the other two. "I suppose it's time for me to go."
Edward and Stella turned back around. "Good luck, Galahad," Edward said. "I hope to see both you and Mel soon."
"I must urge you not to return with anything but Mel," Stella warned him. "I fear that everything in the demon realm is tainted."
Galahad nodded his head in understanding, then without further ado, he climbed the stairs, charging past the ghost creatures with vampiric speed. No sooner had he reached the portal, then he began to disappear.
Watching her husband vanish before her eyes, Te'ijal couldn't help but clutch at her chest, feeling as though someone had just staked her. However, she wasn't able to dwell on her pain for long as she heard a familiar voice echo throughout the cathedral. It was a voice that she knew all too well. It was Gyendal ...
"What's going on here?" he asked.
"A man dressed in armor rushed into the portal," came the reply.
"It must have been one of the girl's friends, which means that the rest of them are likely to be nearby!" Gyendal exclaimed. "Find them and bring them to me!"
Hearing that, the three remaining heroes hurried out of the Cathedral, running as fast as their legs could take. Stella gasped as she glanced back and saw that a group of Darklings were chasing after them, and were quickly catching up. Deep down they all knew that they were unlikely to escape them, but they still tried regardless, not knowing what Gyendal would do to them if they were caught.
