Chapter 11: The Earl's Children

As the days passed, more excitement began to brew between Sebastian, Vincent, and Rachel.

By the time Sebastian had entered the fourth month of his pregnancy, Rachel had also discovered that she was pregnant, and both Vincent and Sebastian were in a state of panic. Vincent thought at first that the child Sebastian was carrying could be concealed. He argued that Sebastian could pull of telling some story that the demon had found the infant abandoned on the streets somewhere, and he kindly took this child in. But Sebastian—although he had agreed it was a good plan—argued that the appearance of the child could stir suspicion. What if the child looked like Vincent? What if someone blamed the earl for abandoning the child? Or worse; what if someone found out the truth?

Rachel, as usual, was doing her best to calm both of them down. She tried to cheer them up, especially when it came to Sebastian, who was more stressed than what was deemed safe in a pregnancy. She would visit him two, sometimes three times per week; though she couldn't completely abandon Vincent or she would have been with him every day.

Months seemed to pass like days, and before long Sebastian was caught in public wearing a long black cloak to hide his growing abdomen. Vincent spotted him one day in the market purchasing food and he followed the demon back to his cottage.

"I thought demons didn't enjoy eating human food." He spoke up, "I thought you didn't need it."

Sebastian turned to him, "Normally, I wouldn't need it, but my child has other plans. It needs food to grow and the only thing my stomach is holding is human food."

Vincent nodded, "Does that mean you've tried eating souls?"

"Tried and failed, as a matter of fact. At this rate I'll catch the Thorns of Death and starve."

"I thought demons couldn't starve to death."

Sebastian looked about himself and pulled Vincent into the cottage. He slipped off his cloak and stripped himself of his shirts. The ivory skin below all that clothing hugged against nothing but solid bone aside from his how noticeable baby-bump. His arms, shoulders, ribs and spine looked like they belonged to a skeleton.

"This is why I need to eat." Sebastian said as horror crawled across Vincent's face, "The child is feeding off of me to survive."

"Could this be why you miscarried the last time?" Vincent asked.

Sebastian shrugged, "Possibly. The point is if I don't eat I could very much die, as well. I'm now seven months along and I'll need my strength when I deliver."

Vincent nodded, "Rachel is now six months along, according to Angelina. It'd be nice if our children could grow up together."

"Would it?"

"No one would have to know about what happened between you and me. The only people that know now are you, me, Rachel and Angelina, and none of them would tell a soul."

Sebastian thought about it for a moment as he nibbled away at a piece of bread.

"I suppose it would be nice." He finally agreed, "After all, I don't think I'll be able to keep my child locked in a box forever."