Worst Half

by Qveenn

Ruby Christina

The phone was on its third ring in the living room when Ruby finally lost her patience. 'I'm answering this bitches phone for her now, too?' Ruby thought before picking up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Ruby?" Leti asked.

Ruby paused for a second. They hadn't seen or spoken to each other since she had left the apartment with Christina.

"What do you want, Leti?"

"I need to see you. Please, Ruby. It's important!"

"Everything you have going on is always important to you," Ruby whispered in a harsh tone.

"Ruby, it's about the baby, please?" Leti pleaded over the other end.

Pinching her nose before sighing deeply, "I'll meet you at the park near the gardenia patch in an hour."

She hung up before Leti could say anything else.

Full of life. Bursting with energy. Flowing from table to table filled with ancient scripts. Scribbling notes on bits of paper here and there. Ruby watched her from the stairs. This Christina was different. It was getting closer to the Autumnal Equinox and Christina, normally reserved and restrained, was moving with more vivacity than she was ever used to from the blonde.

Even as engrossed in her pages as she was, she felt Ruby's eyes on her and turned around to face her. She kept silent as she watched Ruby descend the last few steps into the basement before walking towards her. She stopped short of touching distance. Of course, Christina closed a bit more distance between them. The woman seemed to ignore the rule of personal space.

They hadn't really spoken much since Ruby had unofficially moved back in after Christina reset Dee's curse. Not that there was really a chance. Christina had practically moved into the basement only leaving to eat, bath, and get a change of clothes. While Ruby had gotten her head around the fact that Christina wore William's skin, she still had some pent up anger toward her and felt some grieving loss for the man who she knew was too good to be true.

"You didn't come up for breakfast this morning," Ruby said, eyeing the papers littering the table unable to yet decipher these parts of the language of Adam.

"I'm close to finishing everything I need for when I go back to Ardham."

Ruby nodded and ignored the woman's unblinking stare as she unabashedly took Ruby in. It was the same look both versions of Christina shared. Those blue eyes giving that wanting look that, simultaneously, unnerved her and yet, made her feel so sacred. Not as sacred as her quest, though.

"Even the devil needs rest sometimes," Ruby muttered.

Christina smirked before licking her lips and responding, "I will have an eternity to rest if everything goes to plan. A bit of fatigue and hunger now is a very little sacrifice for an eternity of firsts."

Ruby looked at her then. Careful not to drown in that ocean blue. While Christina was bursting at almost reaching the unattainable, she could see a sense of sadness at what it was going to cost her. Her last living relative.

"But at a cost."

"I'm willing to pay it. I have to," Christina said.

They had this conversation before. Christina promised not to harm Leti but knowing she had practically given her blessing to kill her sister's boyfriend. Leaving their child without a parent was gnawing away at Ruby. Her stomach had been in knots since she had made the deal for Leti's safety. There had to be another way.

"Fine! But I'm not going to keep coming down here to remind you to do the basic human necessities to stay alive until then," Ruby spoke up.

"I never asked you to, but I do appreciate the concern," Christina said, softly. She looked Ruby up and down. Her eyes lingering briefly on her chest before noticing the rest of her outfit, "Are you going out?"

"I thought you said I could come and go as I please? Or was that just William's offer?"

Christina shook her head, "Of course not! Ruby, you are free to do however you please here."

"Good!"

She moved to turn around and go back up the stairs when a pale hand wrapped around her wrist. Almost as strong as William. Soft and warm as Christina. No, she couldn't go there. Not as Christina as herself. She pulled her hand out of her grasp. The pain of being rejected again briefly flashed across Christina's face before she could mask it.

"I was going to suggest you take one of the cars encase you were going to do some shopping," Christina said.

"And get pulled over by some cops thinking I stole it? No, thanks."

Ruby walked towards the end of the stairs when Christina spoke up, "Ruby?"

"Yes?"

She looked at her again for a moment before shaking her head slightly, "Enjoy your day."

She saw Leti sitting on the bench near the gardenia patch when she walked into the park. Her sister was nervously wiping her palms on her pants and looking around frantically before she watched as they settled on some kids playing near the swings off to the other side of the park. She saw the small sad smile on her sister's face as she took in the scene of a young girl being pushed on the swing by her dad. That gnawing pain was back again even worse than before. Swallowing it down, she walked the rest of the way to the bench.

"Leti," Ruby said.

Leti instantly stood up, forgetting that was not a great idea for a pregnant woman as Ruby grabbed her arms to steady her when she almost fell over.

"Sit down! Are you eating properly?" Ruby asked.

"Yes. It just doesn't stay down is the problem," Leti replied.

Ruby tsked before saying, "I don't think it's the food that's the problem but probably your cooking."

"Well, if you wanted to come over and cook for me, I wouldn't say no."

"Now, I know you didn't ask to meet me just to try and get me to cook for you. What do you want, Leti?" Ruby asked.

"Christina can't be trusted."

"I know."

"She's just using you. She's going to hurt you, Ruby. I-" Leti was cut off as Ruby interrupted.

"We've been over this already. If you're just going to repeat the same argument then I'm leaving," She watched as Leti swallowed down whatever retort she was going to say.

"She's going to kill Atticus."

"I know that too."

Leti reeled back as if she had been punched and looked at her sister with disgust, "And what? You're ok with it?"

Ruby shook her head, "No, but I made her promise that you wouldn't be harmed."

Throwing her hands up and scoffing, Leti responded, "So nothing to fear then. Not like she's going to kill the father of my child or anything. The Devil bitch made you a promise so obviously she's going to stick to it. What the hell is wrong with you Ruby? Did I not just say that you can't trust her?"

Not wanting to cause a scene in the park, Ruby had to bite back her own anger, "From where I'm standing it seems I can't trust anyone anymore."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Leti asked.

"Christina told me she went to you and Tic for the Book of Names. She said she could find another way. A way where Atticus wouldn't have to die but you both said no."

"You know we had to say no. If she couldn't find a way with that then she would come back and kill Tic anyway and we wouldn't be able to stop her. Not when she would have all that knowledge from the book." Leti replied.

Taking a deep breath and pursing her lips, Ruby asked, "I'm guessing since you called me here, it's about something that is going to protect the baby. What do you want this time?"

"I can't raise this baby alone. I don't want to be like Momma. I need Tic."

Getting frustrated, Ruby glared at her sister "I raised you the best I could. You know you wouldn't be alone, but what do you want Leti?"

"I need Christina's blood."

"What?"

"I need a vial of Christina's blood. We can use it against her and stop her during the Autumnal Equinox. You're close to her. She trusts you. You're the only one who can get it," Leti said.

"I should have known it would be something like this," Ruby said chucking at how ludicrous her sister was, "What happens to Christina if you were to get it?"

"I'm not sure. It's Tic's spell. He said it would protect us from her."

"Will it kill her?"

"I don't kn-"

"Don't lie to me, Leti! For once, just be honest with me!" Ruby shouted at her.

"It might," Leti replied.

Ruby stared ahead for a few moments. The silence set Leti on edge as she tried to grasp what her sister could be thinking. She didn't have to think too long before Ruby stood up and looked at her.

"I'll get you her blood."

"I knew I could count on yo-" She started but was cut off as Ruby held up a finger effectively silencing her.

"I want the Book of Names."

Leti stood up, slowly this time, and asked, "What?"

"You want to keep your family safe. I'll get a vial of her blood, and Tic can enchant it so she can't hurt him but I want the Book of Names in return."

"Ruby, do you have any idea what she could do with what's inside that book? Tic hasn't even figured out what half those spells do."

"I am. That's why I want the book."

"Why are you so invested in her getting this book?" Leti asked.

"Like you, we both have something we need to protect," Ruby said. She starred off into the distance for a second before shaking her head and looking at Leti again, "Next time we see each other, I'll have a vial and you better have the book."

Chapter 2

Maybe she should have taken one of the cars as Christina suggested. Walking back from the park took longer than expected. The sky was beginning to darken and a cold wind was blowing directly in front of her. Rounding the street near the mansion, she saw a group of women standing in the garden path of one of Christina's neighbors. She was used to them now. The gossip gals.

She heard them hush up quickly as she walked past but they instantly started talking about her when she was only a foot away. She caught bits of their conversation, 'They do like their help to look well.'

'Help? There's only one thing she's helping with if that man is paying her to dress up like that.'

' Maybe he's paying her to look after that weird sister of his. You know she was out playing with the kids in the street the other week?'

She heard another one add something and the others laugh but she was too far away to hear the comment and too used to things like that to care. The mansion came more into focus until she was standing outside the gates. She suppressed the shiver that always threatened to run down her spine whenever she took in the sight. It's tall white pillars holding up the overhead of the house and the white balconies on either side of the windows directly behind them. The house looked so light on the outside which was a complete opposite to the darkness within.

She fiddled with her keys before opening and shutting the gate and trudging up the path to the house. None of the cars were in the driveway and Christina's Chevy was still parked outside meaning she had not stirred outside of the house all day. Her assumptions were proved right when she opened the front door just in time to see Christina walking down the stairs. Her hair was still damp from her bath and her large black and flower stitched robe tied loosely over her thin frame. Ruby felt slightly annoyed as it was the robe she had started using since she moved in.

"Hello. How was your day out?" Christina asked as Ruby closed the front door.

Ignoring her question as she knew she wouldn't be able to disguise her anger about Leti, she replied with one of her own, "I see you've finally climbed out of the basement. I take it you've made progress?"

Christina nodded, "It is completed, yes. Well, from what I could do here. Now, it's simply waiting until the time comes."

Ruby looked at her as she spoke and noticed that bubbling energy the other woman had earlier had dissipated. Now, she seemed more like herself. Perhaps, it was the progress she had made with her spell, or perhaps it was the bath. Maybe she could do with one herself if only to calm her nerves while she tried to figure out her next move.

"Ok, then. I'm going to run a bath and then make some dinner."

"Would you like some company?" Christina asked. As Ruby raised her eyebrow, she smiled before quickly following up with, "For dinner?"

"This is your house, Christina, you can do whatever the hell you want," Ruby said. She moved to walk up the stairs and as she passed Christina, the woman turned to face her.

"This place has never been mine. It's simply a passing of keys from one generation to the next. I want you to feel comfortable and safe here so please, make this place your home."

Ruby looked away from that piercing gaze and started walking up the stairs.

She turned her head as she was walking up and threw out, "I'll be starting dinner in about an hour. I won't tell you to fuck off if I see you in the kitchen."

She stripped down as she got ready for the bath. As she did, she glanced at herself in the freestanding mirror in the bathroom. Growing up, she had hated her curves. Her slightly taller frame was sometimes enough to scare men not to come and talk to her but as she glanced at her chest, she was reminded of exactly the type of men who would still risk it just to see them bare. Her mother tried to teach her how to use her body to her advantage but Ruby always pushed back. Her mother, Eloise, was the hustler. Ruby was the scholar and Leti, Leti was the fuck up.

She had taken so many different classes all to try and get ahead and yet, she had barely managed to get a few feet away from the start line. All it took was a vial and white skin and suddenly, all those classes and endless nights studying had gotten her a manager position. Except, she didn't have the position. Hillary Davenport had it. She was the manager. Ruby was only the driver.

Testing the water with her fingertips, she added a bit more soap until the bubbles started to rise slightly more on the top of the water before getting in. She used the cloth to wash her body down before reclining back and relaxing into the warmth. She massaged her stomach in soft circles as the gnawing from earlier hadn't yet settled properly. When the water started to get slightly cooler, she got out and dried up. She almost reached for the robe she usually left hanging on the back of the door until she remembered Christina had stolen it earlier.

She entered her own bedroom. It was right next door to Christina's. They had shared that room back when she thought it was William falling asleep next to her. Waking up alone and going downstairs in the mornings to see a blonde woman instead of a blonde man drinking coffee in the kitchen should have been the first red flag. The second should have been the heavy black bags William was constantly throwing into the trunk of his car.

Once she was dressed. She headed back downstairs to find the devil, constantly occupying her thoughts, sitting at the kitchen table. She was reading through today's newspaper. Trying to catch up on the news she had missed out on being cooped up in her basement. She smiled as she saw Ruby approaching but did nothing else. She only glanced at Ruby a couple of times while the other woman cooked dinner until the smell finally coaxed her into forgetting about the paper.

As Ruby stirred the mix of vegetables, meat, and sauce in the pan, she felt a presence hovering slightly behind her. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"I know I told you earlier that I wouldn't tell you to fuck off but standing behind me like that while I'm trying to cook is making me second guess myself," Ruby warned.

Ignoring the threat, Christina tried peaking over her shoulder as she inhaled more of the aroma, "What are you cooking? It smells delectable."

Knowing the stubborn woman wouldn't budge. She sighed before turning around to face her with some food on the spoon she was using to stir the food with.

"Try this," she instructed. Bringing the spoon up to Christina's mouth.

She stopped short as the blonde gently grasped her wrist as she opened her mouth and gently blew on the spoon to cool it down. Christina's eyes stared into her own as she wrapped her lips around the tip of the spoon and swallowing back the sauce.

"What do you think?" Ruby asked, not moving from their current position.

"Delicious."

"Good. Now you know it's worth the wait," Ruby moved away from the other woman and washed the spoon under the tap before stirring the food again, "Set up the dinner plates. This is almost done."

They barely spoke over dinner. Christina seemed more interested in trying to figure out every ingredient and smiled every time she guessed correctly. Ruby couldn't help but smile at that infectious grin. Christina helped in clearing the plates back to the kitchen before returning with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Would you like a nightcap?" She asked, nodding her head in the direction of the living room.

Ruby nodded and followed her. She sat on the long loveseat. Christina taking a seat next to her. This time she gave Ruby a bit more space as she sat at the other end. She poured a generous amount into both glasses before handing one to Ruby.

"What happens when you become immortal?" Ruby asked, bluntly.

Swallowing down the red liquid. Christina paused as if mulling the question over, "I will experience everything I've ever wanted. I will see the day when women are finally as equal as men. When all humans are equal. I'll see medicine that can cure any illness. I'll see the discovery of ancient civilizations from before. I'll discover what is beyond this earth."

Ruby swallowed back the entire glass as she spoke before pouring herself another.

"Will you be experiencing it as William or Christina?" Ruby asked.

Mashing her lips together, Christina squinted at her, "I suppose William to start with until things progress."

"And what if they never do? What if we actually revert back? How long before you lose Christina inside William? Hell, how long can you even keep William going?"

"I-I," Christina shook her head, "They won't. They can't. I will scourer this earth if I have to, to find the magic necessary to stop that from happening."

"Happening to you, you mean. Magic can't solve everything, Christina," Ruby said. Her words slightly slurring as she finished off her second glass and started pouring her third.

"I will do things people couldn't even imagine. I just need to wait until that day comes until I can and if it doesn't, I will make it."

Ruby said nothing. She fingered the rim of the glass. When she looked up, Christina's eyes were still watching her movements.

"Do you still want me?"

That got her attention, as Christina's eyes snapped up to hers, "Yes," she said, without any hesitation.

"As you are or only as William?"

"However you would have me," Christina replied, softly.

Ruby nodded before drinking the rest of the wine in the glass and putting it back on the table. She stood up and looked at the still stunned woman sitting on the couch.

"I'm going to bed. Goodnight Christina," Ruby said.

"Goodnight Ruby," Christina replied, after a few moments.

A few days later, Ruby was leaving the hair salon when she spotted a familiar face. It was slinking down one of the side alleys next to the shop across the road.

She quickly looked for any oncoming traffic before practically running across the street to catch up with the figure. She looked down the alley and saw the figure pause and then turn left. She hesitated before following them. She turned left and spotted the figure a bit ahead of her. They took a right-hand turn this time. Ruby followed, this time more quickly, as she was starting to lose her patience.

She kept following until the alley opened up and she was standing in the back of an old factory. The windows were all smashed and vines were growing out of the walls. The figure stood still with their back to Ruby.

"You better tell me what the fuck you're still doing here. Right now!"

"You haven't done enough, Ruby. My visions remain the same," Ji-ah said. She turned around to Ruby looking at her almost pitifully. Ruby wanted to smack her.

"I'm doing the best I can," Ruby replied, "But I'm not going to rush anything and get myself hurt just to save your ex."

"Ruby," Ji-ah sighed, "You know this isn't about that. The baby's future depends on it."

Ruby huffed, looking anywhere but at the other woman. Ji-ah noticed.

"You haven't told her. Have you?"

"You told me not to," Ruby sneered back, "That's the reason you came to me in the first place because you knew she wouldn't listen to you and frankly I'm wondering why the hell I did either."

"I said she would be disbelieving of my motives. She listens to you. Please, you need to try harder," Ji-ah pleaded.

"And what if I can't stop it from happening?"

"Then you will lose Tic, Christina, and that baby will grow up to accomplish what she couldn't and it won't stop there."

Chapter 3

White skirt, white cardigan, and white pearls. It was one of the fanciest outfits Ruby owned. She had used Christina's money to buy it in one of the uptown boutiques. The woman serving her in the store looked like she was ready to call the police. The only thing that stopped her was a tall, blonde haired man entering the store and walking right up to her with that stupid grin on his face. After that, the woman couldn't do enough. That and William made a show of taking a bundle of cash out of his pocket and handing it to the sales clerk.

She always dressed up when she went to visit her mother's grave. She could practically hear her mother's disgruntled tone if she wore anything else than the best. Her hair was curled, nails painted, and lipstick the color of a ruby. Always dress the part. That was what her mother had told her growing up. The part now was almost indistinguishable. No longer was she a daughter, or a manager, and not having heard back from Leti, possibly not even a sister?

She stopped on her way to the graveyard to pick up some flowers before heading south. Her mother's funeral had almost financially crushed her. It had taken all the savings she had and yet, all she could afford was a small stone and a grave in a cemetery that hadn't been attended to in a long time. Weeds and broken stones littered the path into the grave. There were no hard paths to the graves. Everything was squashed together on a plot of land. She felt disrespectful as she had to walk across the graves of the other deceased buried there before getting to her mothers.

Shocked would be putting it mildly when she saw Leti kneeling at their mother's headstone. Schooling her features, she ignored her sister as she removed the old, dead flowers laying against the stone. Replacing them with the new flowers, she stood back, and the two sisters looked at each other.

Leti was the first to break the silence, "I'm sorry I wasn't there. For her funeral."

"You weren't there for any of it Leti. Not after she first got sick. Not when she couldn't feed or dress herself."

"I know, Ruby," Leti replied. Standing up to speak with her.

"God only knows what you were doing or where you went," Ruby said.

Leti sighed before eventually saying, "I was in prison," Noticing Ruby's slightly worried look she followed up with, "A protest gone bad."

"If you weren't, would you have come back?" Ruby asked, despite knowing the answer.

Leti couldn't say it. She shook her head instead, "I couldn't see her like that."

"But it was ok for me to?" Ruby asked, "I shouldn't be surprised. After all, you're used to me doing all of the hard work and doing nothing in return."

"Does that mean you're agreeing to help us?"

"I already told you I would get you the vial," Ruby said, as Leti released a sigh of relief, "But I meant what I said. I want the book in return."

"I spoke to Tic. He said no."

"And you're listening just like that?" Ruby asked. It wasn't that Ruby didn't like Tic, she grew up with the entire family, but she had seen her sister change too much around him and his violent father.

"Ruby, it's not like that. We both agreed that the risk would be too great if it were in her hands."

"Then I guess the deal is off," Ruby said. She turned and started to leave the graveyard.

She had only taken a few steps when Leti spoke again, "I'll get you the book."

Ruby nodded but didn't look back.

When she returned to the house later that evening, she noticed Christina's keys were on the stand next to the front door and the basement door was slightly ajar. She was torn between leaving through the front door or finishing what they started at the bar that night, and going down those steps.

'Sometimes we do things, not because we may not necessarily want to, but because others need us', Ruby remembered her grandmother, Ettie, had told her once, as she opened the door to the basement and started descending down the steps.

Christina was sitting at her desk looking at pages. She looked up when she heard Ruby entering the basement.

"You been down here all day?" Ruby asked. Her voice was soft as she spoke to Christina, not the hard tone she had deservedly been on the other end of since the reveal.

Christina nodded, "I've been going over the details of my spell. "

Ruby drew nearer until she was right next to her and then nodded at the pages, silently asking permission to view Christina's work. Christina stood up and waved her hands over the spell pages signalling to Ruby her acceptance in viewing them. She watched as Ruby's eyes flickered over the pages not really understanding the language so she explained.

Intention. Location. Incantation. A body.

Those were what were required for the spell. Those were the sacrifices for magic. She walked over to the other table which held her other magic books. The spells she had written with William and those she had created and conjured herself through trial and error. She began to give Ruby an impromptu magic lesson. Detailing how she had finished William 's metamorphosis spell when he was killed which then allowed her to begin using his appearance but she had to keep the real William in a comatose state to do it. Not dead but not alive either.

William, lying in the cot with his sunken cheeks and frail frame being pumped for every last bit his body could give. Would the real William have even looked her way? No. She knew he wouldn't. He would have gone for the blonde next to her and the woman next to her, she wanted Ruby. She asked Christina once if she loved him and she had answered yes but then said she wasn't in love with him. It was a love built on great admiration. A love for someone willing to believe in you and give you a chance at something everyone around you is denying you.

'Not even close to what I feel for you,' Christina had told her.

Lost in her thoughts, she was brought back as Christina asked her if something was wrong as she noticed the other woman had drifted while she was further explaining how to cast the metamorphosis.

"No, I just remembered the night you got all of that from me," Ruby sultry said.

She knew her words had an impact as Christina licked her lips and smirked. Both of them remembered that night. Tumbling through the front door, ripping at each other's clothes. Not even Ruby slicing her hand open on some broken glass had stopped them.

Christina cleared her throat before stepping closer to Ruby and reaching across her body to grab one of her books just out of reach. Her eyes flickered to Ruby's chest as she pushed her upper body forward so that Christina's arm grazed across her body as she did so. She opened the book in front of them and started to explain how exactly she would cast her spell. When her breath hitched as she spoke about the body needed. Tic's body. Ruby knew she was worried.

"You're worried your spell isn't going to work," Ruby said.

"If my spell doesn't work, then I've killed the last of my family for nothing," Christina replied. Ruby was moved at the emotion she saw swirling in Christina's eyes. The sadness and worry filled blues staring into her own. Trusting her with her fears.

"Your spell is going to work," Ruby promised, "And you have me now."

Neither of them blinked as Christina moved impossibly closer to her before stopping. It was Ruby's decision. She could reject Christina again.

Instead, she closed the last few inches between them and pressed her lips against Christina's. Unlike their other kisses, it was chaste. Christina pulled back first and searched her eyes before asking, "Have you ever?"

Tilting her head, she answered, "No. This is my first time."

Christina said nothing. Capturing Ruby's lips with her own. Her fuller lips sliding almost perfectly against Ruby's own. This wasn't like how they were before. In William's skin she was hungry and fast. Perhaps it was the rush before time ran out and it was shredded from her. Perhaps it was accepting Christina is her true form that allowed the gentle side of her to be released.

Ruby broke the kiss, "Not down here," she looked over at William. Christina followed her gaze before looking back at her and nodding.

Sliding her hand into Ruby's, she led the two of them up the stairs. She stopped at the top as if to close and lock the door to the basement. Ruby quickly tugged her closer and kissed her deeply. Licking along her closed lips until Christina realized what she was trying to do and opened her mouth giving her that first taste of what the woman tasted like in her own form. Christina, desperate to touch any part of her, tugged Ruby's jacket off and ran her hands up and down her smooth skin before grabbing hold of her hand again.

She tugged her along, between kisses, until they were slowly walking up the other stairs to the bedrooms. Christina didn't give her a chance to wonder which room as she opened the door to their room before gently pulling her inside. Her hands undid the belt of Ruby's skirt before settling on her waist as she kicked the door closed. One hand slid slowly down, toying with the zipper between her fingers. She looked at Ruby, who wordlessly covered Christina's hands with her own and pulled the zipper down. Christina then tugged it down until the garment fell at her feet.

Losing a bit too much control for her liking, Ruby reached around Christina's back and started pulling down the zipper on her own dress until it stopped at her lower back. She helped the blonde pull her arms out and then shimmy the dress off. Ruby didn't even get to look before her own top was being pushed up and over her head. Christina's mouth nuzzled into her neck before kissing her throat. She licked a line from the bottom of her throat to just behind her ear. It was a move she remembered from when she was in her other skin. It gave her the reaction she wanted as Ruby moaned before turning her head and capturing and nibbling at her bottom lip.

Christina, despite her smaller frame, kept pushing forward until the back of Ruby's knees were pressed against the round bed. Pale hands pushed on her shoulders until she laid back. She moved backwards until she could settle against the pillows. As she did, Christina crawled into the bed after her and slid up her body until she was completely blanketing her. Her hand cupped the back of Ruby's head while her thumb rubbed soothingly across her cheek.

"There is a vial in my drawer. If you prefer him," Christina said. Ruby could see her trying to disguise the disappointment on her face but knew it would severely rock the woman if she were to reject her now. Ruby found she also didn't want her to change. She wanted Christina and told her so.

"I want you."

Christina smiled before kissing down to her chest. She kissed the swell of her breasts that were spilling over the top of her bra. Her hands searched behind Ruby's back, messily rubbing until they managed to unhook the bra and pull it off. Ruby held her breath as Christina's eyes hungrily drank in the sight of her bare chest. She breathed slightly before those long fingers deeply massaged one of her breasts while a mouth wrapped around a nipple and teeth tugged harshly at her nipple.

She hissed in pain prompting Christina to look back up at her, "Are you ok?"

"Just a bit more gentle," Ruby instructed.

Christina nodded before kissing the abused chest in apology and resuming her activities more careful this time. She looked at Ruby more often to make sure nothing was unpleasant. She kissed down her stomach until she got to her panty covered center. Ruby pushed her bottom half up to help her slide it off. The garter belt and stockings quickly followed. Her eyes stayed on Ruby's as she hovered over her body and slid her hand between her thighs. Her fingers sliding through wetness before pulling back out. She made sure Ruby was watching carefully as she licked each finger clean and moaned at the taste of the woman she was denied for the past few weeks.

Unable to help herself, she slid down Ruby's body and buried her head between her thighs, holding them apart with her hands as her tongue desperately searched for more of that taste that was pure Ruby. Ruby covered a hand over her own mouth to try and muffle some of the moans and noises she was making. She gave up when Christina's lips wrapped around her clit and flicked her tongue with such vigorous intensity. Her hands tangled in long hair to hold her in place as she moaned out the woman's name.

'Tina... right there... Christina'

When her insides stopped clenching and her thighs stopped jerking, Christina showed mercy and moved back up to kiss Ruby. They kissed lazily until Ruby got her breath back and then flipped a stunned Christina onto her back.

"Have your fun?" Ruby asked, gazing down her body.

"It was worth the wait," Christina replied.

"Take this off," Ruby instructed, tugging at Christina's lace bra. She complied as quickly as she could and threw her bra off the bed to join the other fabrics.

Ruby slid her hands across her chest and down before stopping at the mark of Cain. Her fingers traced the slightly raised skin from the mark that was burned into her flesh. She leaned down and placed kisses along it drawing a soft sigh from the body beneath her.

As her mouth ghosted across the woman's abdomen, her hands started pulling down the matching lace panties until they managed to get them all the way off. Once those were gone, she moved her hand to copy Christina's earlier movements until a hand clasped in hers.

"Ruby, you don't have to," Christina whispered. Ruby knew the woman wouldn't be angry or upset if she stopped now but she didn't want to.

"I told you earlier that you have me now and that also means that I have you," Ruby replied. Christina smiled but still held onto Ruby's hand so she used her other to draw hard circles between her legs before her fingers slipped inside. She moved slowly at first, content on hearing the soft mewling sounds that slipped past Christina's lips. As she sped up, the sounds shifted and Ruby was surprised to hear such deep noises and breathy moans the woman made.

She didn't whisper her name when she came. She kept her lips mashed together. Afraid to leave them open encase something uninvited came out.

She reached for Ruby's face as she moved back up her body and whispered her name in between kisses, 'Ruby... Ruby...my Ruby…"

Christina was almost asleep as Ruby settled in behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. The exhaustion of the past few days finally catching up with her.

She was asleep only a few moments when the body behind her shifted and slowly disentangled from her own. Ruby carefully extracted herself from the bed, before slipping on a robe and leaving the room.

She dressed in her own room before sneaking down to the basement.

She knew the combination to the safe. She had seen Christina entering it days before on the reflection of the mirror she had strategically placed there. Her mother was a hustler and while Ruby wasn't one, she still picked up some tips.

The vials were hidden in a book near the back of the safe. It was easy to distinguish. The rest of the books and papers were all related to magic but this one was just a normal novel. 'The Fountainhead', almost the entire inside pages were carved out to hold the vials.

She pocketed one and quickly left the basement. She went to the living room, listening out for any noise or stirrings upstairs. When she heard none, she picked up the telephone and started dialing.

"Hello?"

"I have it. I'll be right over. Do you have the book?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, I have it. I'll be in the basement."

Ruby hung up and couldn't help but think, 'What was with these girls and their basements?'

Chapter 4

Driving through the city in a Bentley in the middle of the night was just asking for trouble. Walking in the city in the middle of the night, especially leaving the upper white neighborhood, well, she would better write her own missing persons poster. Years of living in the city put her at an advantage of knowing which streets the police patrols took. She knew which alleys not to drive past when she got closer to the Winthrop house encase she was pulled over. Having Christina bail her out, if she even made it to the police station, was something she couldn't allow to happen.

The woman would want to know why she was leaving in the middle of the night. There would be too much suspicion if she knew she was going back to her sister, especially so close to the Autumnal Equinox and Christina wasn't stupid. If Christina knew the reason for her late night drive, she was sure the car would turn itself around and drive back to the mansion. She hoped the woman was still sleeping in the bed where she left her.

The streets were practically empty, apart from a few stumbling through the streets trying to get home after the bar closed. She turned onto the next street and drove straight on to Leti's. Her sister's neighbors had calmed down since they saw that her sister was not going to stay locked in her house taking their abuse lying down. She was going to come out swinging. Sometimes literally with a bat. There were still instances here and there but nothing that magic couldn't protect them from. Another thing she had neglected to tell Ruby.

She parked in front of the house and patted her pocket. Double checking the vial was still there and not magically vanished back to the safe. She walked up the path, looking at the failing porch that looked like it could give way while she was walking under it. The pillars were barely holding the roof of it up and were cracked at the base. Couldn't Mr. Fix-It have added that to his list?

She rang the bell knowing one of Leti's tenants were still walking around and would leave her in. She didn't wait long before she heard the peephole on the inside of the door slide and could feel eyes on her before the door was unlocked and she was ushered inside.

"C'mon in. It's good to see you back, Ruby," Matthew smiled at her.

"Thank you, Matthew," Ruby said. She waved him goodnight before heading down towards the basement.

Leti's basement was quite different from Christina's. One difference was that there was another hidden room beneath the basement where one of the previous owners, Hiram Epstein, kept eight black men and women and subjected them to horrifying experiments. He dumped their bodies in the tunnels that ran directly below the house. After Leti banished Hiram's ghost and had given the others peace, she had started using the room to develop her photos.

When Ruby entered the hidden room. She immediately knew something was wrong. In the middle of the room , drawn into the floor with salt spread evenly through the lines, was one of the symbols she remembered seeing in one of Christina's spell books. It was the same symbol on the resurrection spell.

Leti was flipping through the pages of the Book of Names. She jumped slightly when Ruby spoke, "What the hell are you doing now, Leti? You and Tic trying to summon some demons or something?"

"Ruby! You scared me," Leti said, putting a hand to her chest.

Walking farther into the room and along the outside of the salt barrier, she replied, "You knew I was coming. Now, what's with this shit?"

"I didn't know what else to do," Leti shook her head before turning back to the book, "You weren't listening to me. Maybe you'll listen to them."

"Listen to who?" Ruby asked, looking completely dumbfounded at her sister, "What are you talking about?"

"Hanna sealed this book for a reason. This whole family needs to keep it protected."

She watched as her sister cradled the book in both hands before turning to face her and start chanting. She caught bits and pieces. She started to head towards the stairs but was blocked by an invisible barrier. Looking down, she saw the thin salt line she had missed when she stepped into the room.

"Stop this damn nonsense, Leti!" Ruby demanded.

Too lost in the spell and not listening to her sister, Leti continued. Her face contorted in sadness and tears gathered in her eyes as she desperately channeled intention through the spell.

Leti gasped for breath and dropped the book as a blinding white light engulfed the room. They both shielded their eyes with their hands until it cleared. When it did, they realized they weren't alone. Not only had Leti conjured Hanna, she also conjured their ancestors.

"Why did you summon them?" Ruby was the first to speak. Her question was directed at Leti but she looked at all the women standing in a semi-circle within the barrier.

"She was right. You weren't listening to her," Minnie said. Ruby recognized her instantly from old photographs. Her great-grandmother. She passed away long before Ruby was born.

"You may feel like you're doing the right thing but you can't give that woman the book. We sacrificed everything to seal it for a reason," Another spoke. She didn't recognize this woman. She must have been a relation on Tic's side.

"You don't understand," Ruby pleaded with them, "I am sacrificing by giving her the book."

"We know your inner struggle. We've been watching," Hanna stepped toward the edge of the barrier until she was standing directly in front of Ruby, "I risked my life and my child's escaping from Titus. I didn't do that so that someday the book would end back up in the hands of one of his descendants. Don't let that fight be for nothing."

"If you've been watching then you know. You know what's going to happen if I don't do this. Please, tell me if there's another way," Ruby begged. She could feel the sting of tears forming in her eyes.

Hanna looked at her sympathetically, "Our destiny isn't written in stone. It can always be changed."

"That's the best you got? I'm trying to stop the world being dragged to its fucking knees!" Ruby screamed back through tears.

"You'll find a way to stop it," Hanna replied.

"Yeah, I will," Ruby said. She wiped the tears away that had rolled down her cheeks, "But I'm using the book to do it!"

Hanna sighed deeply as the others shouted their objections at her.

"I can't stop you, Ruby," Hanna said. Her energy was starting to weaken, "If you are going to do this, please, protect yourself. I know you believe in your heart that what you are doing is right. There's a spell near the back of the book that will help you."

"I'll look at it," Ruby promised.

Hanna nodded before she, and the others, slowly started to disappear.

"Ruby?" Leti asked. She slowly started to approach her sister but stopped when Ruby held up her hand.

Taking a deep breath and trying to regain her composure, Ruby brushed past her sister and bent down to pick up the book. She shut it and held it in one hand as she reached into her pocket with the other and handed Leti the vial of Christina's blood.

"You can talk to me. What are you trying to stop? We can help you," Leti said.

"No, you can't," Ruby sighed. She looked at her sister. Always the fighter, "Do what you have to do with the vial. I'll make sure Christina doesn't bother you again."

"Ruby, No! Please, just talk to me," Leti pleaded. She grabbed hold of her sister's hand tightly.

Shaking her head, Ruby knew her sister would keep digging until she gave in, "Why don't you go and ask Tic's ex. She's the one who started all of this."

"Ji-ah? What does she have to do with this?"

"She came to me with her visions. If I don't do this, then Christina and Tic will both die the night of the Autumnal Equinox. If Christina dies, if she isn't the one in charge of the book, then the baby will grow up to commit horrors you couldn't even imagine," Ruby said.

"My baby?" Leti asked, looking sickened.

"No," Ruby replied as Leti looked at her in slight confusion before adding, "Mine."

Leti's jaw dropped open in shock and as she did so, she let go of Ruby's hand.

Ruby took that as her signal to leave. She grabbed Tic's army backpack that was thrown against the wall next to the stairs and shoved the book into it. She was able to step over the thin salt line, this time without any issue.

When she got back to the mansion, the sun was starting to rise. The red sky was slowly spreading across and casting away the night's darkness. She parked the car on the pavement. She was too tired to open the gates and park it in the driveway. Grabbing the backpack and securing the straps on the front, she left the car and locked the doors before heading through the gate and towards the front door.

The smell of coffee was the first thing that greeted her. Her mouth watered for a taste and her exhausted body craved the energy boost it would give. She headed towards the kitchen. Christina stood behind the kitchen island, her eyes flickered briefly to the bag in Ruby's hand but otherwise not straying from her brown eyes.

Her face didn't give away any emotion as she asked, "Where were you?"

"I went to Leti's."

Christina tilted her head, studying her, "Is there a reason you had to visit in the middle of the night?"

"Yes, actually," Ruby replied. She opened the bag and pulled out the book.

Christina knew what it was the moment she caught the first glimpse of it but needing to confirm, she asked, "Is that?"

"The Book of Names? Yes, it is."

She smiled brightly and reached for it from Ruby's hands. She frowned when Ruby moved it away from her and cradled it to her chest, "You don't want to do that."

"Oh? And why not?"

"It won't open for you, and if you try, it will hurt you."

Christina laughed. Trying to put Ruby at ease, she tried explaining, "I'm a descendant of Titus. It won't hurt me. "

"That may have been true, but the spell I put on it won't allow you to open it."

Looking from Ruby to the book, the feeling of betrayal started to settle in her stomach, "Why would you?"

"It's only temporary," Ruby explained.

"Temporary? Ruby, I need that book now. If it doesn't contain another way to immortality then I will miss the window at the Autumnal Equinox," Christina said, trying to reason with Ruby into giving her the book.

"You can go to Ardham but it will be a wasted journey as Tic won't be going," Seeing Christina's confused look, she continued, "I gave them a vial of your blood. I kept a bit back encase I needed some and I did, for the spell to keep you from opening the book. They've already cast a spell from this book to stop you from harming Tic and if you try or go after their baby, you know what a spell cast from blood will do."

"It will kill me."

Ruby nodded, "Your mark can only protect you from so much but not spells from this book."

Christina remained quiet for a moment. Ruby could see her trying to digest and understand the reasoning for Ruby's actions. Suddenly, she looked at her with such bitter anger and sadness.

"You betrayed me."

"No, I saved you."

"Saved me? You've taken away my chance at immortality and now you're keeping my only other opportunity to achieve it from me!" Christina yelled. Taken slightly back, Ruby had never heard her raise her voice. Especially like that. Not even when they fought after Christina took advantage and made deals when Dee was cursed.

Unperturbed by the woman's outburst, Ruby shouted back, "If you went ahead with what you were going to do at Ardham, Leti and the others would have killed you. Tic put a spell on himself to protect his blood and the incantation that followed would have stripped you of your magic. Tic would have died from the ritual and you would have died from the aftermath. It all would have been for nothing."

"You could have told me! How did you even learn of all this?" Christina asked.

Ruby shook her head, "You wouldn't have listened. Ji-ah came to me. She met Tic when he was stationed in South Korea with the army, she's some sort of demon in a woman's body. She did something to Tic. She was able to see his future, not just his life lived up until the moment they met."

"A Kumiho," Christina whispered to herself before she breathed deeply. She was desperately trying to contain the rage inside her, "You allowed yourself to be manipulated and played for a fool, Ruby. How could you have been anything but distrusting of her motives? You knew of her connection to Tic. This was all to protect him."

"I didn't believe her. Not at the beginning, but then she told me something. I couldn't believe it because there was no way this situation could get more fucked up but I was wrong," Ruby said. She pulled a chair from underneath the table and sat down. Exhaustion from the fight and all of her actions from last night catching up with her.

"What did she tell you?"

"I'm pregnant."

Christina laughed. Not just a scoff but a full cackle. When Ruby's expression didn't falter. She stopped and searched Ruby's eyes for any signs of dishonesty, "There's no way."

"I didn't want to believe it either, but I had it confirmed by a doctor a little while ago. The rabbit died," Looking at Christina, who was looking impossibly paler, was gripping the back of one of the chairs, "And before you start thinking about it, I practically moved in here after our first night. There's been no one else just you and Will-" she cleared her throat, "Your skin suit."

Ruby put her head in her hands and rubbed her tired face as she wracked her brain trying to figure out how to break the rest of the news. Christina already looked like she was having trouble processing everything but it was better to come clean with everything now than hold it inside.

"There's something else. Why I needed to make sure you survived."

"Good to know the thought of my certain demise was only overruled by you needing something from me," Christina replied, harshly.

"Damn it, Christina! It's not like that. If you had died, the baby was destined to gain immortality in your place. Unlike how you wanted to experience an eternity of firsts. I was told how, without your guidance, the magic would corrupt them. They would use everything within the Book of Names and other spells found throughout immortality and bend the world to their will." Ruby replied. She was hurt that Christina thought she wouldn't have cared or tried to stop her death if the baby didn't exist.

"If what you're saying is true, then why are you keeping the book from me? Surely, learning everything that is in there now would better equip me for the future?"

"Leti summoned some of our ancestors tonight. Including Hanna," she noticed Christina's glare but carried on regardless,"They told me not to give you the book. They didn't trust the hunger for power in you would allow you to use the book for anything but your own gain. Christina, this obsessive need to get ahead is something you need to change. Otherwise, it will be your downfall."

"As if you aren't after the exact same thing as me. We both just want to get ahead in a world that constantly reminds us why we never will. I don't think wanting to change that is anymore different than anyone else in our shoes. The only difference is, I have magic at my disposal to help. Magic which you were quite happy to use when it was benefiting you too," Christina replied.

"You're right! I had my hand in this too. How could I not when that door, that was closed for so long, was suddenly wide open? It's not a bad thing to want those things but how you go about getting what you want is," Ruby said. She placed the book on the table and stood up, "So I'm giving you a choice."

"What sort of choice?"

Stepping closer to the other woman, she replied, "I will remove the spell after the baby is born and give you the book but I want you to start questioning this pursuit for immortality. Are you willing to pay its cost? I saw the pain you had when you thought you were going to lose Tic. How will that pain compare to gazing at your own child and knowing you're going to outlive them. Immortality will mean nothing if you're living it eternally alone."

With that, Ruby left her and went up the stairs to sleep. Leaving Christina alone in the kitchen with her thoughts.

Chapter 5

Christina ignored her in the days that followed. The basement door constantly slamming in the early hours of the morning and then again late at night, marked the passing of the Autumnal Equinox. She knew the witch was probably trying to find a way around Ruby's spell that would allow her to open the book sooner. Deciding that a busy Christina was better than a scheming Christina, she left her alone. If she was being honest with herself, she would have recognized she was only using that as an excuse not to have to speak with the other woman either.

Of course the day she especially didn't want to talk, was the day Christina did.

She was getting dressed in her bedroom when she heard the basement door slamming shut. It immediately set Ruby on edge as she knew the woman hadn't been down there long. She was right when she heard footsteps walking up the stairs, down the hallway, and stopping outside her door.

There were two strong knocks before she heard that accented voice, "Ruby? Are you awake?"

She was tempted to not respond. Tempted to let the woman think she was still asleep but with the knocks and voice at the door, it was obvious even if she had been, the other woman was trying to wake her. She shouted back at the door, "Yes. I'm just getting dressed."

"I'll be in the living room. Join me when you're ready," Christina replied.

Ruby waited a moment until she heard footsteps going back down the stairs before she flung open the wardrobe. She lifted up the bed linens on the top shelf and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the book was still there. She fixed everything back in place before unlocking the bedroom door and going downstairs to see what Christina wanted.

The woman was sitting next to the chaise lounge mirroring their last fight in this room when she had begged Christina to feel something. To try and feel anything even sympathy. To try and understand the pain and suffering she went through daily which was amplified from Bobo's murder. An innocent child in a racist world.

"What do you want?" Ruby asked.

"How did you know how to cast the spell?" Christina asked. Her voice was kept monotone which Ruby knew meant she was had been thinking about this for a period of time, "It couldn't have been from Tic and Leti. They would have thought you were only doing it for my benefit and unless you were faking it, which is now the only thing I don't think you were faking that night in the basement, you couldn't really read magic all that well."

"That's it? That's what you want to know?" Ruby asked. Christina nodded sharply, "Tic had left some pages of notes in the book. A few vague translations. He must not have known Leti was going to give me the book, otherwise, I'm sure, he would have removed them. Hanna's spell had been modified. Must've been from them summoning and banishing Titus. I was able to read the new notes and try and translate the rest. Truthfully, I didn't even think it worked but seeing as how you couldn't even go near the book, you must have felt that energy keeping you from it."

"I'm not sure whether to be proud of accomplishing that on your own or even more angry at what you could have done if you were even slightly off," Christina replied as if bored. She took a few steps closer to Ruby, "I've been doing some research and I found a solution that can help with our other problem."

"What other problem?"

Christina briefly looked down before looking back into Ruby's eyes, "I can 'cleanse your body' if you want me to or I know of someone who can medically help if you'd prefer not to use magic."

Ruby felt like she had been slapped across the face. She was sure it hurt more than the one she landed on Christina's cheek. Apart from a slight turning of her head and red mark on her face, Christina hadn't even blinked.

"How dare you!" Ruby was completely furious, "Are you really that selfish that you would want to get rid of your own child just so that you can get your hands on the book sooner?"

"No! I just seem to be the only one thinking clearly," Christina replied. She tried to reach for Ruby's hand but the other woman pulled away, "You told me what this child is capable of doing without my guidance in magic but what if that isn't enough? You also seem to be neglecting the fact, not only will this child be mixed, but we're two women. It would be cruel to subject them to a life filled with secrets and pain."

Ruby blew out a harsh breath before responding, "I never asked for your help in raising this child, Christina. I told you because you needed to know and possibly prepare them if I couldn't stop them coming to you about magic in the future," She cursed herself as tears gathered in her eyes. She blamed it on hormones as she spoke again, "I used to feel safe in this house with you. Being with Williams and then getting to know Christina out of the suit allowed me to be vulnerable for once in my life, but knowing you don't want this baby, I don't feel safe here anymore. I don't trust being in this house with you. I don't trust that you won't try and hurt the baby or I to get the book."

"Are you leaving?" Christina asked, but she already knew the answer.

"I am," Ruby replied. She tilted her head up slightly, looking at the ceiling so the tears wouldn't roll down her face. She couldn't show weakness in front of the other woman. Not now. She continued, "I'll grab my things and go. Don't try to find me."

Christina looked at her with almost the same sadness she had when she was planning on killing Tic. She saw those emotions fight together in blue eyes before the woman's selfish ego won. "You are free to do as you please. There is money in the desk near the front door. I can wire more if you need it. You know where the keys are. Take whatever car you want."

Ruby stared at her in disgust. She started walking back towards the stairs when Christina called out to her again.

"What?"

"I don't, I-" Christina started to say but then looked at the floor and licked her lips when she spoke again, "Will you be taking the book with you?"

"I'll bring it back after the baby is born," Ruby spat back.

Practically running up the stairs, she slammed the bedroom door shut and leaned back against it. As she wrapped her arms around her stomach, she finally allowed the tears to fall.

One Month Later

Christina hadn't heard from Ruby since she left the mansion over a month ago. The first few days after she left, Christina carried on as normal. She dove into her books, desperately trying to find any material she could use to lift the spell on the book and grant her access but nothing worked. For the first time in her life, she didn't have a backup plan. Even with the mark of Cain, she was starting to feel vulnerable.

Keeping her mind off of Ruby and the baby was getting more and more difficult. Her mind kept drifting to where she was, what she was doing and who she was with. She had probably gone to Leti's. She couldn't think of anywhere else Ruby could have gone as she hadn't taken any money and all of the keys to the cars were accounted for. They were all probably scheming together now and there was nothing she could do since Ruby had given them her vial. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid to not see Ruby exploiting her weakness by promising her love.

She threw the spell book she was re-reading at the wall next to William's body and chewed on her lip, trying to think of anything she could do. Stress wouldn't be of any use and would lead to mistakes if she didn't have a clear head. She decided to have a drink to settle her nerves. She went back upstairs to the bar area. One glass led to another until there was only a quarter remaining within the wine bottle.

'May as well finish it off,' She thought and drank the rest from the bottle itself.

The wine hadn't worked. In fact, it made her more miserable. She felt more alone than she did her entire life. She should have been used to the feeling. Her father ignored her very existence, and the staff at the lodge were paid to do their jobs which meant blocking her out as they did so. The men of the lodge looked at her with either disgust or lust. Adam named. Eve fucked. She wasn't Eve, but they still tried which led to many broken bones and punches courtesy of William's form.

Ruby was different. While they rarely saw each other within the house, her presence was still amplified and it put Christina at ease. She had gotten used to being pulled from her studies by the woman's soulful singing voice. She would stop what she was doing and just listen. She missed the smell of her perfume drifting into the hallway near the bedroom or when she would fall asleep on the couch. She missed the taste of her food. She was seldom given a plate as Ruby told her, 'You may have put me in a maid's outfit before but I sure as shit ain't doing that here.'

She missed the smiles Ruby would give her when Christina did something that she deemed 'quirky.' She missed seeing the vulnerable moments of Ruby. When the woman would let her guard down and bare her soul, trusting Christina not to laugh or brush her off. She did the same in return and Ruby would listen without judgement. They couldn't be more opposites of each other, but they filled each other's needs and their wants in anyway they could. Now, it was all gone.

She was alone. Again.

She would see Ruby once more and then she would have the book and everything would be back on track. Ruby would have the baby, and she would have her spells. Ruby would be talked about and possibly shunned by her own community and Christina would be able to obtain immortality. Ruby would have sleepless nights, and Christina would learn how to part seas. Ruby would have the love of their child, and Christina would have pages.

Her ruminating stopped when she felt someone stepping over the magic barrier of the driveway. It wasn't Ruby. She went to the front door and opened it to see who to expect instead.

Leti. Holding a baseball bat.

Naturally, it had to be the one person she most certainly didn't want to see right now.

"Where the fuck is my sister?"

Christina scrunched her eyebrows in confusion,"I thought she was with you."

"Don't play that shit with me. I know you're keeping her in here," Leti yelled back. She looked over Christina's shoulder into the house. She hollered loudly, "Ruby! Ruby, you there?"

"I told you, she isn't here. She left a month ago," Christina said, slurring slightly as the wine was catching up with her, "I thought she went to yours."

"How do I know she's not in there? How do I know you're not after hurting my sister? Or her baby?" Leti asked.

"I would never hurt her," Christina said, ignoring the scoff it drew from Leti, "She took the Book of Names with her. Sealed it with magic, herself. She said she would come back with it once the baby is born."

"My sister doesn't know how to cast spells," Leti said, narrowing her eyes at the taller woman.

"Maybe not from scratch but the notes my dear cousin Atticus left in the book, and a little bit of assistance from dear old Hanna, were all the help she needed."

"Fuck!" Leti yelled, scratching at her head. She looked around the neighborhood as if she could somehow see a trail or evidence her sister had left, "Do you have any idea where she went?"

"Like I've said, I thought she went to you," Christina replied, starting to get more aggravated, "She told me not to contact her and I have respected her wishes."

"Respected her wishes? You left an unmarried pregnant black woman out onto the streets and didn't bother to check to see if she was safe or struggling?" Leti asked.

She had a point, but having that thrown in her face triggered Christina's own defense. Dodge and reflect, "You think you have no part in this? It took you long enough to come and see your sister. So much for family."

Leti gripped the bat tighter in her hand but a spasm in her stomach made her falter. She rubbed it slightly. Christina watched the movements wondering if Ruby was feeling the same. Sore and uncomfortable. If she were home, Christina would have potions she could use to help.

"Ok," Leti said, between breaths, "Ok. I can find her. I can try the locating spell. I just need something of hers."

"She lived with you. She must have left something back at your house you could use?" Christina asked.

"No, she cleared everything out when she came here," Leti said, running a hand through her hair.

Christina couldn't help but feel her heart squeeze at the thought of Ruby moving everything she had with her into the mansion. She must have thought she was going to be living here for good. She sighed before stepping back from the front door, "Stay here. I'll see if there's something I can find."

She slammed the door in Leti's face ignoring the profanities yelled through it. She headed up the stairs to Ruby's bedroom. She opened the door and paused as that scent hit her. The room was set up exactly as Christina had presented it to her the first day. She checked the drawers, wardrobe and nightstand, but everything had been cleared out. She took a seat at the nightstand and rubbed her flushed face. There had to have been something she left behind.

It hit her, and she quickly headed to her own bedroom. Hanging up on the hook behind her door was the robe Ruby would always curse her out for taking. She headed back down to give the clothing over to Leti.

Leti squared her shoulders and turned around when Christina opened the door but wasn't quick enough to catch the fabric.She pulled the robe off her face and sneered at Christina's smirking face.

"Good luck," Christina said.

She promptly shut the door in the woman's face.

Chapter 6

She regretted not having a plan in place when she decided to leave. Giving away her old apartment to move into Leti's was one of the biggest mistakes she had ever made. The other was leaving without one of the last vials of Dell, so she could clear her bank account. Leti was a no go. Her brother, Marvin, was too far and would only be annoyed to be troubled by his other sister, 'You're supposed to be the responsible one!' she could hear his lecture already in her head.

Sammy was the only one she could turn to. He let her sleep on her couch for a few nights but she couldn't stay there for good. He had one of his friends disguise themselves as Hillary Davenport to get her money. The disguise involved a bad wig and chicken cutlets. Everything went off without a hitch apart from the bank teller recommending that Ms. Davenport sip a hot drink as that sore throat was cracking her voice.

Sammy helped set her up with a place to stay. The apartment complex was on the outskirts of the city. It was being sublet by a black woman who asked no questions when Ruby handed her a large clip of money to cover her rent for over a year. Handing that amount of money over to a white landlord, unless they were shady, would've resulted in her face being pushed into the pavement before being questioned on who she had stolen it from.

The apartment contained the bare necessities. It had two small bedrooms, only one containing a bed, a living room and a small kitchen. She knew she was going to miss the large bathtub back in the mansion when she saw the small excuse of a tub in the bathroom. She would have to start looking for work soon. She had a little bit of money left over from Hillary's manager position to get her by for now, but that would soon run out. It would be a cold day in hell before she would ask Christina to wire her some. She made her peace that she was going to raise this child alone.

The third week, after she had left, she was strolling back to the apartment after getting some groceries when she saw a sign in a bookshop. It was advertising a job rebinding books. She dropped her food back at the apartment before returning to the store with a copy of her resume. When she entered, she noticed the place was practically empty except for one person browsing down an aisle. There was an old man sitting at a desk near the back that doubled as the checkout.

She approached him and cleared her throat to get his attention. When he didn't look up from the book in front of him, she said, "I'm here to apply for the position you're advertising in the window."

He grunted, but still didn't look up, "You got any work experience?"

She placed the resume on top of the pages he was currently reading. He looked up annoyed at her, "As a matter of fact, I do. I assisted, Mr. George Freeman, in the production of the 'Safe Negro Travel Guide'. I have completed many courses at the Frederick Douglas Center. One of them gave me experience in calligraphy, and I also completed a writing course that would be beneficial here."

He briefly looked at her resume before picking it up and flinging it back over the table at her, "That's nice and all but we don't hire your type here. It's too off-putting to the customers."

She looked around the store and noticed the one straggler from earlier had already left, "Doesn't seem to me like hiring a colored woman is your problem. The books are covered in dust. It's not like you've been getting a lot of business here."

"And if they see you working here, it will definitely defer them from coming in," He replied.

Untroubled by his rejection, she tried again, "It's repairing books. Unless you plan on sitting me at a table in front of the window to do it, how are they going to know what color hands are fixing them? And another thing, the sign in the window is starting to turn yellow. I'll bet, you've had it up for a while without any interest. Are you really in any position to be turning me away?"

He sat back in his chair, clasping his fingers together and staring into the distance. After a few moments, he sighed before speaking, "I'll give you the books and ingredients to take with you and you will fix them at home. You will bring them back here every week, and I will give you more to fix. If you are late or don't finish them on time, our negotiation is over."

She nodded in agreement, "Deal."

He stood up, muttering about her as he did so, and started throwing the books and material into a large duffel bag.

Trudging back to the apartment with the duffel bag was a lot harder than she thought it would be. She didn't know how she was going to do this every week when she hadn't even started fixing the books yet. She paused at the stairs leading up to her apartment to catch her breath. She had to grab the railing when everything started spinning. She sat down on the stairs and leaned her head on the railing for a moment to rest.

It didn't pay as well as the manager position of a department store but at least she didn't have to keep dipping into her savings. It also wasn't as easy as the schedule of working in a store. There was no starting work in the morning and then finishing in the evening. She worked late into the night to try and get every book finished. The fumes from the glue were also making her sick every day, but she couldn't really distinguish that from what was becoming her morning sickness.

She was dragging the bag up the stairs of the complex, filled to the brim with this week's work, when she heard feet running up the stairs behind her.

"Ruby!"

She turned around just in time to see Leti before she was being wrapped in her sister's arms. Leti's handbag smacking her on the back as she did so, "Leti? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. This is where you've been?" Leti asked, gesturing to the apartment, "What have you been doing?"

"I'm living my life," Ruby held her head high, "Away from those who have been using me and lying to me."

"Don't be like that, Ruby," Leti sighed, "How many times can I say I'm sorry?"

"Not enough, apparently," Ruby said. She bent down to pick up the duffle bag when a strong stomach cramp took her breath.

"Stop! Don't lift that!" Leti warned. She looked over Ruby's shoulder and shouted down over the railing, "Tic! Get the fuck up here and help lift this bag," she tried lifting the bag but managed to get it only a few centimeters off the floor, "You carrying rocks in here or something?"

"Books, actually. For my work," Ruby said. Tic ran up the stairs and greeted her, "You don't need to do this, Tic. I can do it. I just need to catch my breath."

He lifted it with a little bit of difficulty, grunting slightly, "It's no trouble. Where do you want them?"

"Bring them back down to the car. She's coming home with us," Leti directed.

Tic moved to start walking down the stairs when Ruby corrected her, "No, I'm not! These are going to my apartment. It's that door there, Tic."

Tic nodded and moved past Ruby with the bag, walking up the stairs but stopped when Leti shouted at him, "Don't listen to her. Put it in the car."

He was stopped from going back down when Ruby blocked him by moving her arm across his chest, not taking her eyes off of Leti, "For once, can you just listen to me? I'm not going back."

"What? You're going to live here?"

Slightly offended, Ruby asked, "And what is that supposed to mean? I don't remember you complaining when I let you stay with me in the boarding house and that was only one room."

"It's not exactly the safest of options," Leti said, looking around at the complex.

Just as Leti was speaking, an older man stepped out from the apartments under the stairs. The only article of clothing he was wearing was underpants, which happened to be full of holes. He must have caught their eyes on him over the railing as he shouted up, "What the fuck are you looking at?"

Leti stared at Ruby and waved her arms down at the man to emphasize her point. Ruby rolled her eyes and started walking up the last few stairs to her apartment, Leti following close behind. Tic stood still for a moment, confused as to what he was supposed to do with the bag before following the two women.

"You never told me how you found me," Ruby said, stepping through the door.

"I used a locating spell," Leti replied. Tic shut the door as he entered behind her, "It was difficult to do. You didn't exactly leave a lot behind I could use to track you with," she looked around the apartment as she spoke.

"I didn't leave anything. What did you use?" Ruby asked. She saw the guilty expression immediately on Leti's face.

"About that," Leti said, holding one finger up, "Now, don't get angry. I went to Christina's."

"You went to Christina's!" Ruby shouted.

"I was giving you some space, but when I hadn't heard from you, I thought she was after hurting you or worse," Leti said.

"Clearly, she didn't!"

"I didn't know that at the time, did I?" Leti asked. She opened her handbag and pulled out a black nightgown, "I'm guessing you want this back?"

Ruby grabbed it from her hands, "How did you get this?"

"Christina gave it to me."

"Christina doesn't just give things without something in return."

"That's what I told her," Tic added. He didn't back down, however, when Leti glared at him. They both knew he was right.

"Does she know where I am?" Ruby asked, moving to look out the windows.

"No. She said she was going to respect your wishes and not try and find you," Leti replied.

Tic was skimming some of the books Ruby had been fixing, when he added, "And if she does, we'll protect you."

"That's why you should come back with us. We can protect you in case she tries anything." Leti added.

"I can protect myself," Ruby snapped, looking at the two of them.

"Ok," Leti replied, holding her hands up, "You're pregnant, Ruby. I know how lonely it can feel even when you have someone," she looked at Tic and sent a small smile his way before adding, "Don't do this on your own. Let us help."

"And you think I need your help?"

"No, I don't. I know how capable you are," Leti sighed, "You've been there for me my entire life. Whenever and whatever I needed. Let me be there for you now."

Ruby kept silent for a moment, trying to gauge her sister's sincerity, before nodding. Leti was wrapped around her a moment later, "It's all just so fucked up, Leti. It wasn't supposed to happen like this," Ruby said, into her ear. Her voice cracking with emotion.

Leti shushed her, "I got you now."

It was late evening when Tic and Leti finally left the apartment. They agreed that Ruby would stay at the apartment. Well, Ruby said she would stay there and not wanting to cause another fight, they agreed. They also agreed that Tic would start collecting the books and drop them to Ruby and drop back the finished ones to the store. Leti promised to visit at least twice a week.

Ruby waved them off from the railing outside the apartment door as they got into the car. She waited until they rounded the corner and were no longer in view before going back into the apartment and locking the door.

Neither Tic nor Leti noticed the silver Bentley, in the alley, near the complex, as they drove past.

Chapter 7

3 weeks later

Not only had Leti kept her promise, she visited almost twice a day sometimes. Ruby questioned if her sister was timing her as she always seemed to arrive just as she finished cooking dinner. Leti's morning sickness had started to subside, and she was able to eat garlic again. Unfortunately, for Ruby, she inherited the same food aversion with her morning sickness as her sister.

They also found strong scents, such as perfume, triggered it. Leti had spritzed a small amount on before going to Ruby's. She had only stepped into the apartment when Ruby smelt the scent and bolted towards the bathroom. She spent the next ten minutes dry heaving into the toilet.

"So, what's the plan after you birth the devil's spawn?" Leti asked, as she wet a towel and wiped Ruby's face.

Ruby grabbed the towel from her, "There isn't one."

"You think about moving back closer to the city?" Leti asked. She followed up quickly when she noticed Ruby open her mouth, "I'm not saying move back in with me. I'm just saying it would be easier if you were living closer."

"Easier on you, you mean."

"Easier on all of us. Pregnancy is hard enough, I'm sure as hell finding that out the further along I get, but what happens when this kid is born? You think you can ask those neighbors of yours to watch it if you have to step out? I 'm pretty sure I saw one of them using a dead raccoon as a hat on my way up here," Leti couldn't understand how her sister could be so unyielding to her suggestions of moving closer.

"Leave it, Leti!" Ruby warned. She was getting tired of her sister's constant advice lately.

Clicking her tongue, Leti carried on, "You don't have to keep proving you're better than her."

"Better than who?" Ruby asked, leaning back against the wall until her nausea subsided.

"Mama."

"Didn't I just tell you to leave that shit?"

"No one doubts that you're going to do a great job raising this baby," Leti rubbed her hands across her own expanding stomach, "I wish I could say the same about myself."

"As long as you don't cut and run on this one," Ruby, replied sarcastically. Noticing Leti's torn up expression she carried on, "You're going to be fine, Leti."

"You have no idea how much the stuff she did still messes me up," Leti huffed slightly, "I'm just so worried that I'm going to turn out like she was."

"The fact that you're wondering if you'll do ok at all should prove that you don't have the same mindset as her. Mama wouldn't have questioned if she was doing a good job. Hell, she didn't care about us unless we could benefit her. We won't be that sort of mother to our children." Ruby replied.

She took a moment to think back to when they were kids. Her mother was an almost non-existent figure in their lives. They would maybe see her once a day. Sometimes it would be in the mornings, when Ruby would have to get them all ready for school. Eloise would go to bed after a night out or wouldn't even bother coming home; choosing instead to stay in the house of some man she went home with the previous night.

They had a string of 'uncles' coming and going out of their lives. Their mother would talk about weeding them out to try and find 'the one'. The person who would take them all on and give them the life they deserved. Ruby always focused on the romantic aspect of that saying. Wishing she would find 'the one' for herself someday. Leti could only focus on her mother's face as she would say it and as young as she was, she knew the unspoken words her mother wasn't saying. Eloise was searching for the life she thought that she deserved. Not caring if her kids were included in it.

One of Leti and Ruby's hobbies growing up was to sing along to the radio blasting from the apartment above theirs. They would try and make out the muffled words and when they couldn't, they would make up their own lyrics. When Eloise finally found out her girls could carry a tune, she didn't waste a moment in dragging them down to the corner parties at night and making them perform. Some of the neighbors would throw a few coins their way. Older men would make comments on how else they could make a few coins.

This led to Marvin being the first to take off. He would follow them down to the parties and watch from a distance to make sure his sisters were ok. One night, an older man tried grabbing hold of Leti. He didn't have her in his arms that long before Marvin's fist collided with his nose. Instead of checking on her daughter, Eloise apologized to the man and tried to get Marvin to do the same. Marvin refused, went home, packed a bag and left the same night.

After that, he barely checked back on his sisters as he tried to build a life for himself. As soon as Leti was old enough and had managed to save some money together, the first few times it was stolen by Eloise, she took off too. Ruby stayed behind. She put herself through more courses than anyone on their block. It helped in securing a few odd jobs here and there. She would try and save before Eloise's hand was out looking for money or Leti calling for a wire transfer.

"Ruby," Leti said, interrupting her reminiscing, "You know I am sorry for all of that. I should have given you some of the money, but I wanted to use it to try and build something first. I was always planning on bringing you on it. I just didn't want you getting upset because you thought she favored me."

Ruby listened and waited a moment before replying "Forget about it. There's nothing we can do about it now. Anyway, that money didn't even come from her."

Leti sighed and nodded, "Christina. If it isn't Mama coming between us, it's that white devil," she cocked her head when a thought occurred to her, "You ever, you know? When she wasn't masquerading around as that male servant?"

Ruby smirked as she asked, "Your nosy ass really can't stay out of anyone's business, can you?"

Leti made a disgusted face at her sister. A loud growling came from her stomach and stopped her from responding. Both eyes drifted down to the bump, "Speaking of little devils, I better get some food in this one."

Leti helped Ruby up off the floor and the two headed back to the kitchen to finish cooking the food Ruby had prepared earlier.

"Come on, Ruby! Wrap some leftovers up for me. Your cooking is the only thing that settles this child's craving," Leti pleaded.

They had finished their dinner and were cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen. Ruby was washing, and Leti was drying off the plates with a towel and putting them back in place.

"I need those for myself to eat tomorrow," Ruby laughed as her sister playfully rolled her eyes, "I already showed you how to cook. Why aren't you making your own meals?"

"The stove hates me, and mixing the right spices and the right amount with the correct dishes isn't exactly my area of expertise," Leti replied. She neglected to tell Ruby how she almost poisoned Atticus the first time she tried to cook them a large Sunday dinner.

They heard two car horn beeps outside which was the signal Tic was there to collect Leti, "You did tell him he can come up here, right? He hasn't stepped foot in here with you since the first day you two came by."

Leti nodded and started getting her things ready to leave, "I did! He thinks we need this time alone together. That, and don't tell him I told you, but I think two pregnant women together makes him nervous."

Ruby laughed and met her at the door, "The man has been to war and yet, he's scared of pregnant women? What's he going to do when these babies are born and start screaming?"

"God only knows. Goodnight, Ruby," Leti hugged her tight before opening the door.

Ruby waved her goodbye and shut the door. She rested on the couch for a few minutes when there was a knock at the door.

"You better not be back to ask for the leftovers again," Ruby said, laughing slightly as she walked towards the door.

She turned the doorknob to open it when the door was pushed back on top of her. It hit her in the face making her feel dizzy. She staggered back as two men in police uniforms walked in. She opened her mouth to speak when one of them advanced towards her and wrapped his hand around her throat.

"Where the fuck, are William and Christina?" He spat. Snarling into her face as he did so.

She grabbed at his hands around her neck as her breathing was restricted, "I don't know."

He shoved her back against the fridge and tightened his hold around her neck, "I'm not going to ask again, bitch. Where the fuck are they?"

"I-I don't know. I..l-left," Ruby managed to gasp out.

He let go of her throat but kept her pinned against the fridge. She turned her face slightly. Her eyes wandered to the other officer who was smirking at her before looking back at the man in front of her. They were almost the same height but it felt like he was towering over her.

"Since your little friends decided to kill Captain Lancaster, we've been left at a disadvantage and we can't have that. So, here's what's going to happen. You're going to go to either of them and you're going to get a book called The Book of Names. Then, you're going to bring it back to the new captain. Captain McCarthy. Remember it! " He said. His lips brushed against her cheek as he spoke.

"And if I don't?" Ruby asked, daringly tilting her head back and looking him in the eyes.

"Not only will I kill you, I'll make it as painful as possible," he pulled a knife from his pocket and ran it across her face. He lent back and ran it down her chest before stopping at her stomach, "Maybe I should leave you with a little taste so you know I'm not messing around."

She gulped, "I'm pregnant. Please, don't."

He kept the knife in place and smiled evilly at her, "Two for the price of one," he looked back at the other officer who laughed along, "You'll do what I say. Otherwise, I'll gut it out of you, understand?"

Ruby nodded.

He finally pulled the knife back and put it away in his pocket, "Just to make sure you don't try anything stupid, like run. Patrols will be parked across the road. They'll be there day and night watching your every move."

He stepped away, and the two of them walked out the door. Her hand rubbed at her throat trying to soothe the burning there. She never felt so helpless. All of this over a fucking book. Anger coursed through her veins. Not only had they come into her home, they had threatened her child.

Her eyes fell on the bat next to the sofa. Leti had given it to her the second time she had visited her. She didn't think twice as she picked it up and followed the men out the door. She went down the stairs of the apartment as quickly as she could. She spotted them getting nearer to their police car in the field across the road.

She strode across the road after them. The bat, held tight in her hand, was tapping against her shoulder with every move. She went for the man, who had just assaulted and threatened her, first.

"Hey!" Ruby shouted. His hand was paused on the door handle.

He turned around as she swung the bat smacking him across the cheek. His mouth sprayed blood as his head turned from the force. She didn't give him a chance to recover before she drove it into his stomach. As he knelt over from the impact, she brought it down on his back.

She should have kept her eyes on the other man. She saw him rounding the car out of the corner of her eye. She managed to hit him in the chest, but he caught the bat on the next swing and back-slapped her across the face. The blow sent her back, her head still being dizzy from the hit earlier and the uneven ground of the field, combined into making her lose balance and fall backwards. Her back hit the ground first, taking the breath from her lungs. She tried her best to stand up but the sound of a gun clocking made her stop.

She looked up and saw him pointing the gun at her face, "You stupid bitch! You should have just done as you were told."

Her heart stopped at the same time the ground started to shake around them. It wasn't an earthquake. She felt something moving along underneath the soil she was lying on. It moved past her and stopped behind the policeman. He turned around and looked at the ground when it erupted and a large monster, that looked like a white dog with thousands of eyes and teeth, jumped out. It didn't waste a second before ripping through the man. His blood covered Ruby as it tore and ate his limbs.

A ringing in her ears blocked out his screams. Her body started to feel weak, and she couldn't hold herself up any longer. She fell back against the ground. Her hand moved to her stomach. She muttered a few prayers as she got too weak to speak.

The monster turned around, after it was finished with him, and went for the other officer who was now dragging himself along the ground. The man screamed as it wrapped it's claws around his legs and pulled him back towards its mouth. She couldn't see what happened to him as there was a blur of blonde and then a body blocking her view. She could feel a hand on her face, cradling her cheek, and another covering her own on her stomach. The person was speaking, but the ringing in her ears made it difficult to understand what they were saying. She tried focusing her eyes as the body above her shifted and she could make out Christina's worried face.

"Ruby, are you hurt? Can you hear me?"

She smiled at her before her eyes started to lose focus again before eventually closing.

"Ruby?"

Chapter 8

Everything hurt. She hadn't even opened her eyes when the cramping pain in her back, stomach and head hit her. The warm compress, being gently dabbed across her face, helped a little. She quickly opened her eyes but shut them again when the shine, from the overhead lights, made her head worse. She tried again, slowly this time.

Her eyes connected with blues when the compress moved onto her cheek. Christina pulled it back and sat up slightly until she was almost at the end of the bed. Ruby looked around the room and was at ease when she took in the bedroom of the apartment. Christina hadn't taken her back to the mansion as she had worried for a moment.

"How are you feeling?" Christina asked, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"Like I was smacked around before I saw a man ripped apart in front of me," Ruby said, hoarsely. Her throat was sore and it was almost painful to speak.

Christina lifted the glass of water off the bedside table and handed it to her, "Drink this."

Ruby took it from her before sniffing it. She took a sip and when it tasted ok, she gulped down more. Christina didn't look offended as she watched Ruby intently.

"What was that thing?" Ruby asked.

"A shoggoth. I managed to bring a few here from Ardham. I've kept one in the field across the way in case you needed protecting," Christina replied.

"How did you know where I was?" Ruby questioned as she placed the empty glass back on the stand.

"I followed Leti after she came to the mansion looking for you," Christina replied.

"That was almost two months ago. What have you been doing? Stalking me?" Ruby asked. She was starting to get agitated and despite her sore limbs, she pulled herself upright on the bed. She placed the pillow behind her back as it was painful leaning back against the headboard.

"No," Christina said, shaking her head but seeing the look Ruby was giving her, she sighed, "I haven't been stalking you. I've just been keeping an eye on you in case anything happened like what transpired tonight."

"I told you I didn't want you near me," Ruby snapped.

"I kept my promise. I didn't find you. Leti did. I kept my distance maybe a bit too much. I'm sorry I wasn't there when they first got here," Christina replied. She stared into Ruby's eyes, trying to plead her sincerity.

Ruby saw her jaw clench as she looked the woman over. It was only then she noticed the woman was back in the black robe, "Why are you wearing that? How did you even get me back up here?"

Christina pulled a vial filled with blood from the pocket, "I had a little help. I didn't want to upset you when you woke up, so I shredded him and cleaned up. I'll take the mess with me when I leave," she nodded to the two rubbish bags near the door.

"So, you've been watching me to make sure your book was protected? You're not going to get it any sooner," Ruby warned. She carefully watched the woman for any signs of uneasiness.

"That wasn't my intention. Yes, I knew the book was with you, but would it be so strange to say it was comforting to also simply be near you," Christina sighed when Ruby looked at her with disbelief, "I'll admit, I was furious when I found out you betrayed me," she held her hand up so Ruby wouldn't interrupt her, "Let me finish. I know you don't see it that way, but that is what it felt like. After some of the anger subsided, I've come to the conclusion that your absence has been greatly felt in my life."

"You expect me to believe you stalked me for two months because you missed me?" Ruby asked, in a disbelieving tone.

'I miss you in my life. I miss your presence in the mansion. I miss seeing you in the mornings. I miss your thoughts, your words,' She couldn't voice those thoughts. Ruby wouldn't believe her, "Yes. I understand my actions may lead you to doubt my sincerity, but I hope you can remember back before the Autumnal Equinox. How easier things were between us."

"Things were never easy between us, Christina. You lied to me from the start and then took advantage of my family every chance you got," Ruby said. Christina hung her head slightly.

"I never lied to you, Ruby. Yes, I may have worn William's skin when we first met but I meant what I said when I told you those words were mine. I didn't go to the bar that night with the intention of sleeping with you but the longer we spoke, the more I was around you, I could feel that energy from you. It was the purest form of magic. I felt it every time we were together or if you had just vacated a room I stepped into. It's addicting," Christina replied. She chanced a look at Ruby before tilting her head up to meet her gaze fully again.

"I'm going to ask you something, and I want the truth," Ruby waited until Christina nodded before continuing, "When I took your blood from the safe, if you had caught me, would you have killed me?"

Christina wasn't expecting that. She took a moment to try and compose a sentence, but words failed, "I... Achieving immortality had been my quest for so long I-"

"Just answer the question, Christina," Ruby demanded, cutting her off.

Christina looked at her before slowly nodding, silently answering the question. Ruby swallowed back bile.

Fiddling with her hands for a moment, Christina spoke again, "You used me, Ruby. You made me feel so wanted. You promised I could finally find family within you. You fucked me, but I don't think you know that I was feeling all your words when you did. In your head, however, you only slept with me to cross off a step in your plan." She blinked slowly, "I thought you were opening up to loving me as Christina. So, yes, maybe, if I found out you did all of that just to betray me, and you wouldn't compromise on understanding why I needed to finish my quest for immortality, I may have harmed you in a moment of anger."

"I think that is the first time you have been truly honest with me. I don't know what you expect me to say, Christina? You just admitted that you would have killed me to reach your goals. You already suggested that I kill our child for the same reason. You may say you miss me but right now, I don't feel any safer with you than I did with those officers," Ruby replied.

Her words had an impact as Christina swallowed harshly over the lump in her throat, "When I suggested that in the beginning, I will admit a part of me was still thinking about the Equinox, but I was more worried about what comes after the pregnancy. I don't know how to raise a child let alone the challenges this one will face. If I were married and having a child with a man, I would still be just as lost and confused but our situation adds an even deeper complexity."

"I told you I didn't want your help."

"You did, but that doesn't change the fact that I played a role in this. I can't brush this off and allow you to carry this responsibility on your own. This child is a part of me, and I'm sorry for denying them for so long. I can't promise that I won't handle aspects of this badly, but if you give me a chance, I want to learn how and to avoid becoming a neglectful parent coming from the failings of my father's upbringing of me."

"I gave you an out," Ruby said.

"I no longer want it."

Ruby rubbed her face, "How can I trust you're not just scheming and planning something else?"

"I'll teach you magic. Properly, this time. How to cast spells and what ones counter each other out. If you truly believe I'm planning another curse, you will have a safety net on how to reverse it and stop me."

"I don't think it's enough, Christina."

"Allow me to give you the mark of Cain. It will protect you both so no harm can ever come to you. You've seen how it works when it was on Leti and seen me fly through a windshield and not end up with even a scratch. No one can hurt you or the baby while it is on you," Christina replied, earnestly.

Ruby thought about it for a minute before replying, "Ok."

"Are you sure?"

Ruby nodded, "Do it! Before I change my mind."

Christina closed her eyes, channeling intention and then started speaking softly in the language of Adam. She opened her eyes when Ruby hissed in pain. Ruby pulled her shirt up and they watched as the mark burned into her left side near her ribs. After the burning subsided, she noticed the rest of the pains in her body also eased. She was going to ask the woman how it worked, when she noticed her eyes were fixed firmly on the swell of her stomach. She cleared her throat loudly which did the trick as icy blue eyes were on her again.

"Why were those officers here?" Christina asked.

"They were looking for you or William. Their new captain wants the book too. Apparently, you killing Lancaster, another thing you neglected to tell me by the way, has weakened the police force. They're gunning for you, and they're planning on having me watched with patrols outside the apartment in case I try assisting either of you," Ruby replied.

"Did they say who the new captain was?"

"They didn't mention a first name, just Captain McCarthy."

Christina thought for a moment before she remembered, "He was a pledging member of the Ardham lodge. My father died before he was fully initiated in so he wasn't allowed to attend the ceremony. He's the only surviving soul from Ardham who would know about the existence of the book. I'll deal with him, don't worry!"

"Don't worry?" Ruby scoffed, "That man put a knife to my stomach and threatened to kill our baby and then they tried to shoot me and you're telling me not to worry?"

"Please, don't misconstrue my words. I will handle that sorry excuse of a man, but until I do, I would like you to come ho- , come back to the mansion with me," Christina replied. If Ruby noticed her slip, she didn't say anything.

"Leti already asked me to move back with her, and I turned her down. That and I paid a year's rent for this place, and I have a job to think of. I'm not allowing myself to go back to the mansion and be a kept woman," Ruby said.

Christina blinked at her, "This place is compromised, Ruby. It's no longer safe for either of you here. I'll handle getting your money back and assist you with your employment. My car is outside, I can load up your things and have you back at your room in the mansion tonight."

"I'm not going," Ruby replied.

Christina breathed deeply and rubbed her hands on her thighs, "The sooner you are back in the mansion, the sooner I can begin teaching you magic. You can avoid what happened tonight from ever happening to you again. They won't touch. Either of you."

Ruby hugged the duvet closer to her body. She knew Christina was right, but it felt like she was abandoning the growth she had been striving towards for the past two months just to end up back where she started. There were going to be major changes.

"Ok, I'll go to the mansion," Ruby said, she ignored the delight in Christina's eyes and wiped at her heavy eyes, "But, I'm too tired to move tonight. We'll go in the morning."

Christina nodded, "Good. I'll let you rest. I'll be on the couch keeping watch if you need me."

She stood up and started walking toward the bedroom door when something suddenly occurred to Ruby.

"Christina?"

The other woman turned back and looked at her as she asked, "Yes?"

"Please tell me that you cast a spell which can explain how I got cleaned up and dressed?"

Christina smirked before leaving the room and closing the bedroom door behind her.

"Christina!"

Chapter 9

Ruby awoke when the sun was starting to rise the next morning. Christina had neglected to close the curtains. The morning rays were beginning to shine on her face. She tried turning her head into the pillow to block it out, but she was wide awake now. Today would be the day she would be moving back to the mansion with Christina. Speaking of which, she slid out of the bed when she heard the apartment door closing and someone moving around in the living room.

She grabbed her robe and tied it around her before opening her bedroom door. Christina was putting her things into boxes. Her outfit had changed. No longer was she wearing Ruby's dressing gown. She was back in her beige pantsuit and black polo shirt. She tilted her head when she heard Ruby entering the room and turned around.

"How are you feeling?" Christina asked.

"Better," Ruby replied. She tried to see what Christina was packing when she noticed the brown moving boxes that Ruby hadn't previously had in the apartment, "Did you leave?"

"I needed to dispose of the skin before the sun came up. Shoggoths feed at night as light weakens them. I kept one on watch while I went home to change clothes," Ruby gave her a confused look, "I was only wearing my blue dress when I took the vial," Christina said while Ruby grasped the implication.

"Then you," Ruby pressed her lips together, unable to finish the sentence without laughing.

Christina huffed, "Transformed into William in the dress? Yes, I did," she heard Ruby snicker, "But after checking out your neighbors, I don't think a white man bursting out of a dress, and carrying you up the stairs is the strangest thing they've seen."

"What the hell is it with my neighbors that you and Leti have problems with?" Ruby didn't call Christina out as she rolled her eyes at the mention of her sister, "Maybe it's a good thing I'm leaving. I don't know how I'd show my face after that."

Ruby went into the kitchen and started to prepare breakfast as Christina filled another box. Normally, Christina would have paid someone to come and finish this for them, but she didn't trust anyone else to come into the apartment at the moment. Thankfully and quite sadly, Ruby didn't have that much to pack. Most of the furniture belonged to the previous owner and had come with the apartment.

She picked up a book from the finished pile of repaired books.

"I wondered what you were doing with all these books," Christina said, absentmindedly as she ran her fingers across the newly fixed spine.

"It's work," Ruby replied, her back to Christina. She grabbed the slices as the toaster popped and began buttering the toasted bread, "Can't really complain. Especially, when I don't have old money to live off of."

"I had offered you the money before you left, Ruby. Having to struggle like this, it could have been avoided," Christina finished the box which was the last of the things in the living room. Packing her clothes and a few things from the bedroom were the only things left. Ruby wasn't going to allow her in there again.

"Who are you to judge? I think you're forgetting all of your actions up to that point. No way was I touching that money," Ruby dropped the knife into the kitchen sink as she replied.

"I understand. I'm just reiterating my point that this could have been avoided if you had merely accepted my assistance," Ruby glared at her as Christina put her hands inside her pockets and met her look unwavering.

"I can look after myself. This may look like struggling to you, but this is real life, Christina. You keep thinking that money and magic are going to solve our problems. They may help, but I looked after myself before I had it and I made do. I didn't need your money and I certainly don't need some woman acting like she's Christ for me, to live my life," she spat back as the other woman cocked a raised eyebrow at her.

"You may not want my help, but you certainly looked happy enough to see me after that gun was pointed right between your eyes," Christina retorted.

"It was your fault I was in that situation in the first place," Ruby pointed her finger at the other woman, "They wouldn't have come for me if you hadn't started all of this shit with them. I warned you about this already. The way you go about things always leads to this fallout. You used me to get revenge against Lancaster so cleaning up the aftermath is the least you can do."

Christina remained silent. Knowing Ruby was correct, but the urge to defend herself was right on the tip of her tongue. She bit her cheek instead. They would keep digging at each other if she didn't accept responsibility for her actions in their current predicament. Two months of working on her own growth would go to waste if she didn't listen to what Ruby was asking of her.

"You're right," Christina began as she walked closer to Ruby, "I understand coming from me it sounds as though I were being conceited, but my intention wasn't to insult the life you've worked hard creating here," she stood just in front of her, filling Ruby's space with the scent of her perfume. She hated that it still smelt comforting to her, "You may think otherwise, but please, don't mistake my concern for wanting you to have a better life as anything other than my worriment of you," she was desperate to touch Ruby, but she knew the other woman wouldn't allow her, "I do care for you, Ruby."

She hated when Ruby's brown eyes looked at her as though she could never tell the truth. Those brown eyes that used to hold such warmth for her while she was in her other suit, now barely changed from a distrusting gaze. As if every word had an ulterior motive, she could no longer trust despite always being honest with her. Ruby had caught onto the fact that she lied through omission. This required several follow up questions to the one usually asked to her. She hadn't given the woman a reason to truly trust her but it still hurt in her heart that even when she was being honest with her truest feelings for her lover, those feelings would be doubted. Could she even call her that anymore?

Ruby turned back to the stove without responding and started brewing coffee. She poured it into two cups, and handed one to Christina, "I need to let Leti know that I'm going to be moving back in with you. She's going to freak out when I tell her what happened."

"I can leave while you speak with Leti. I have some business I need to attend to. I'll take the boxes with me. We won't have to make more trips that way," Christina replied, blowing on the coffee to cool it down as she sipped on it, "I already put a protection spell around the apartment. You'll be safe here."

Ruby nodded, feeling slightly better that there were protection measures in place, "Ok, I'll call her before you leave. I appreciate you casting it."

"Of course," Christina replied. She saw how Ruby held herself that morning and watched her eyes flicker to the front door several times since she had entered the kitchen. The assault from the previous night had shaken her, which she understood, but Ruby was never afraid to say what was on her mind. It must have hit her harder than Christina could comprehend. She knew she had to reassure her, "Ruby, it's ok. No one will harm you again. You have the mark on you, and this place is secured. Everything will be ok."

Ruby looked at her with a broken expression, "This is just the start of it, Christina. Even if we deal with this new captain, I'm still facing bringing a child into a world where the only person who wants its existence is me. People might not be able to physically harm them, but the words spoken to us, the exclusion, the looks, it all hurts just as much."

Christina put her cup down and stood beside Ruby. It was getting more and more difficult to try and not physically comfort her, "I can't promise that this child won't face those issues. There are things that you or I won't be able to shield them from, but I promise to try and make sure the love and support that they will be surrounded with, in our home, outweigh what they will face in the world. It may not be enough, but they will have family right there with them, sharing that experience and who want them just as much as you do, in this world. "

Ruby wiped at her eyes before Christina reached into her pocket and pulled out a red handkerchief and handed it to her, "Thanks."

"Are you going to be ok while I'm gone?" Christina asked. She didn't want to leave Ruby in the state she was currently in. She was appreciative to her for being honest about her feelings. It gave her hope that they were on the right track.

"Yeah, I'll probably hear the tire squeals from all the way across the city when I phone Leti," Ruby replied, jokingly. She dabbed at her eyes while Christina nodded after watching her for a moment.

While she didn't hear tire squeals from across the city, she did hear them as the car stopped outside the complex. For a pregnant woman, her sister could move fast. It seemed like only a few moments between hearing a car door slamming before feet were pounding up the stairs. She opened the door to a breathless Leti. Her hand raised to knock.

Christina had left a couple of minutes earlier. She had packed away the boxes in her car before walking back up to the apartment under the pretense of checking the security of the spell cast over it. She lingered at the doorway as she made her goodbyes. Ruby had already called Leti so she had to practically banish the woman down the apartment stairs before her sister arrived. She had enough drama from the previous night with monsters and Christina's pet; she wouldn't want to deal with hell on earth if the two women bumped into each other now.

Leti tackled her sister as hard as she could. She wrapped both her arms around the back of her neck before pulling back and checking her over for any injuries.

"Are you ok? What happened?" Leti asked, as she held Ruby still to assess her.

"I'm fine, but there's something I didn't tell you over the phone. I want you to hear me out first, ok?" she waited until Leti nodded before leading her to the couch and sitting her down.

Tic was listening to music on the radio in the car when he heard Leti's shouting. As the profanity got even louder, he rolled up the window and turned up the radio. He knew the difference between Leti's yelling of danger and Leti being pissed off. It was directed mainly at him as her pregnancy progressed.

Ruby listened and let her sister get it out of her system before explaining why she had to move back in with Christina. Leti had an answer for every one of Ruby's reasons.

"We can protect you better than that bitch can, Ruby!"

"How do you know you can trust going back? That devil could be there right now making an altar to sacrifice you both at!"

The one that hurt Ruby the most was Leti sadly pointing out, "If you go there, I won't be able to see you anymore. I thought we were finally healing, but we're going to end up more distant than ever."

"That isn't going to happen. It's only for a few months until this business with the new captain is dealt with. Once the baby is born, I'm out of there. I just need to learn how to use magic correctly first," Ruby replied, holding Leti's hand within her own.

"Tic and I can teach you," Leti said.

"You're both still learning as it is. I need someone who knows what they're doing," Ruby shook her head as she squeezed Leti's hand, "I do need you to do something else for me."

"What?"

Ruby stood up and went to the bedroom before returning with the book, "I need you to look after this until the baby is born."

Leti nodded and took the book from her hands. A selfish part of her thought about hiding it away from Ruby for good but it would destroy the relationship they were currently rebuilding on already fractured ground. She could understand Ruby's reasons for going back to Christina's. She held onto the hope her sister gave her that it was only a temporary situation.

"You're really not going to change your mind about this, are you?" Leti asked.

"No, I'm not," Ruby sighed. Leti could see how tired her sister was so dropped the second round of fighting she was heading towards.

"I'll start checking out places closer to me when you're ready to leave. Gotta check out those neighbors first next time," Leti joked, bumping her shoulder against Ruby's.

Ruby rolled her eyes as she pointed to the door, "Out!"

Leti laughed before wrapping her sister in a hug longer than they had ever shared. While they wouldn't say it, they both knew it would be a while before they would physically be with each other again. Leti finally let go after a few minutes and headed back down to the car. She kept the book close to her chest as she walked. She didn't feel the eyes watching her from afar.

She phoned Christina after Leti had left and the woman promised to be there soon. She finished putting her belongings in the bedroom into bags and putting a few books into boxes, as there was a knock at the door. She held her breath and her heart started to pound in her chest. Her mind raced as she thought more officers had come back for revenge.

"Ruby? It's me," Christina said, knocking at the door again.

She opened the door, refusing to meet the women's gaze, knowing she would be able to tell what she was feeling if she did. Christina stepped in, watching her closely and picked up the packed boxes next to the door. There were only two. Christina looked into the box containing the books.

"It's not in there if that's what you're looking for," Ruby said, as she caught her scrutinizing the box.

"I'll bring these down to the car. I'll be right back and we can leave," Christina replied. Ruby nodded. She closed the door after she had left. She moved to the window and looked out. Christina walked to the curb where the car was parked, but she kept looking back and up at the apartment. She put the boxes in the backseat and started striding back to the apartment.

Ruby grabbed the bag with her clothes in it and double checked the rooms to make sure she had everything, and nothing was left behind. Christina knocked at the door as Ruby took one last look around the place that had been home for the last few months. It would be a while before she had the independence of living in her own place again and even then she wouldn't be alone. She would have her baby with her.

"Ready?" Christina asked, when she opened the door.

She held her hand out to take the bag from Ruby. She handed it to her as she stepped out and locked the door. She put the keys under the doormat and stared at the door for a moment.

"Is there something wrong?" Christina asked, as Ruby hadn't moved yet.

"No, just thinking," Ruby replied, shaking her head, "I'm going to miss this place. I worked hard at Marshall Field's. This was one of the first major life decisions I put that much money toward."

Christina understood Ruby's current conflicting feelings of pride, for what she had accomplished and sadness, for what she was currently leaving behind after dedicating so many hours of work into. She gave Ruby the time she needed until the woman turned around and gave her a small smile as she began walking down the stairs.

They were walking across the lawn of the complex when they heard one of Ruby's neighbors drunkenly hitting on a light post he had mistaken for a thin woman, before serenading it with an out of tune song.

Christina smirked as she turned and asked her, "Still going to miss this place?"

Ruby shushed her as she held back her own laugh. Christina opened her door for her. She put the rest of Ruby's belongings in the back before gently closing Ruby's. She rounded the car, got in and started the engine. She drove them back to the mansion in silence. Ruby stared out the window the entire ride back. Christina pretended not to notice her wiping away tears.

Chapter 10

Since moving back in, things had changed in the mansion and between them, while other things had remained the same. Ruby's bedroom had remained untouched during the period she was gone. Christina had moved everything back in for her when she arrived. They had walked around on eggshells with each other the first couple of days. If one woman was in the kitchen or living room when the other walked in, they would turn around and leave as not to disturb or upset the other. 'They' usually meant Christina.

She could feel Christina hovering at times and knew the woman was trying to figure out what to say to her or how to broach certain subjects. The sound of her footsteps walking away every time was the signal of defeat to her own self-doubt. One evening after bathing she went to the living room to relax next to the fire and radio playing from there. When Christina saw her enter the room, she immediately excused herself. Fed up, Ruby called her out on her behavior. It led to another spat between the two, but it helped cut the tension and clear the air between them.

The day after, Christina knocked at her bedroom and asked her to join her in the basement. She started her first real lesson in magic. She tried to absorb as much information on the first day as she could, but a yawn and a glance at the clock, reading almost midnight , forced her to bed. Christina had also stopped locking the basement door, allowing Ruby to go down there as often as she pleased. Ruby was in the basement almost as much as Christina used to be, studying with the other woman.

Christina would still disappear at times, but was more forthcoming about her whereabouts and what she was up to. She was becoming fatigued trying to find Captain McCarthy. The man appeared to have disappeared after sending his officers to attack and intimidate Ruby. Christina would follow different car patrols at night but so far, they hadn't led her to him. She wore William as she stalked lone officers patrolling the Chicago streets and would pounce on them when they passed secluded areas. With their faces bashed to nothing, they all plead ignorantly to the man's whereabouts.

She was at her wits end. Ruby's accomplishments with magic were the only graces of her day. She wanted to tear her hair out with the frustration of the missing captain when Ruby would practice an incantation and glow as it would work.

"You're getting better," Christina commented, as she stood on the basement stairs and watched Ruby trying to get a locked padlock to open.

This particular incantation was beginning to become irksome. Ruby sighed, "No matter how I pronounce the words, I just can't seem to get it."

Christina headed towards the table and looked at the lock. She quoted the same words as Ruby and the padlock unlocked. She muttered a slightly different version and it locked again.

"You're not focusing on the correct intention. That is your problem," Christina said.

Ruby picked it up and copied Christina, but it didn't work. She dropped it back on the table, "What's there to focus on? It's a lock. I want to unlock it. It should be straightforward. "

"Nothing in magic is straightforward," Christina smirked, "You need to be focusing on why you want it to open. You need to question your own motivations. Anyone can stand in front of a lock and mutter a few words, but you need to keep in your head what you need the lock to do, why you need it to do it and the meaning of it. "

"I'm starting to see why you are the way you are," Ruby joked. Christina always took on a more serious educational tone when it came to explaining magic.

"Try again," Christina encouraged, nodding to the lock.

Ruby took a moment to gather her thoughts and put those questions to herself. She spoke the language of Adam and laughed as the padlock unlocked. She smiled wide at Christina who returned it with a tired smile of her own. Ruby observed the dark circles under Christina's eyes. She knew the woman was pushing herself to the brink with trying to find the captain and then spending hours teaching Ruby.

"Any leads on McCarthy?"

"No," Christina sighed , taking a seat on the stool next to the table, "None of my spells are working when I try to locate him. He's covered his tracks well. I'll head out again in a few minutes and see if I can squeeze anything out of the patrols on the south side. "

"You're exhausted, Christina. Go to bed," Ruby instructed, as Christina rubbed her eyes with her palms.

"I can't. I need to find where he's holed up and figure out what he's up to," Christina replied. She tried to stifle a yawn from coming out, but it didn't work.

"And what are you going to do if you find him in the state you're in? You'll be too tired to think clearly and make a mistake."

"I need to do this, Ruby. He has more knowledge on magic than I previously thought. Truthfully, I want to strike back before he tries anything again," Christina 's eyes lingered on Ruby, briefly glancing down to her stomach and back to her face, as she spoke.

"As soon as I become better at magic, I'm helping you," she shushed Christina as she tried to object, "I already told you I don't need a savior, Christina. He threatened my child. I'm not going to take that lying down."

Christina nodded slowly when she realized there wasn't anything she could say that would change Ruby's mind. She would need to start upping Ruby's lessons with more advanced material to prepare her.

"Ok. If I find anything, I'll tell you and we will pursue him together."

"Good. Now go to bed."

Leti phoned almost three times a day. She would start every call with a question only Ruby would know encase Christina was wearing her skin and answering the phone as her sister. Leti's words not hers. Ruby thought her eyes might have gotten stuck from how hard she was rolling them. She knew her sister was concerned for her safety, but the woman certainly had a knack for picking the worst times to interrupt.

They were in the living room. Christina wiping away blood from her fingers with a cloth. She had sliced the tops of her finger and traced a protection symbol into the wall. She was teaching Ruby how to remove her own protection spell over the mansion and try and reenact her own. Christina's blood acted as the extinguisher to the current protection spell. It was a spell Christina had first created when she started studying magic.

Ruby licked her lips and began speaking the language. The once foreign words were more familiar within her mouth. Her tongue sliding over each vowel and syllable with ease. She kept her intention at the forefront of her mind.

Where was the spell supposed to cover? Over the mansion.

What was she protecting? The people within it.

Who was she protecting? The baby, herself and... Christina.

Why was she protecting them? They were-

She got distracted as the phone rang on the table next to her. The energy from her magic quickly dropped and extinguished.

Christina sighed and answered the phone. She had spoken a quick, 'Hello?' and quickly pulled it back from her ear when the profanity came through the receiver.

"It's for you," Christina said, holding out the phone for Ruby to take.

"Hello?" Ruby huffed into the phone, "Now, how in the hell am I supposed to remember the exact date you kissed Tony?" she side-eyed Christina as she saw the smirk playing on her lips.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Christina wanted to celebrate Ruby's latest accomplishment and take her out. Ruby had brewed her first potion. It was for herself to drink. It helped elevate some of the back pain that accompanied the middle of the second trimester. Neither of them left the mansion much. Christina paid the grocery boy to deliver their food shopping weekly and hunted for McCarthy at night. Ruby practiced spell after spell and rested.

Ruby eventually agreed after the tenth time Christina asked. The woman had gotten her to agree in a moment of weakness when she was resting on the chaise lounge, at least, that's what Ruby had told herself. Christina had to school her features as a wide smile threatened to form when Ruby agreed. She told her to be dressed and would be back to collect her that night. She took off and stayed out for the rest of the day.

Ruby was waiting for her in the smaller living room. The clock stupidly telling her the woman was twenty minutes late. She was just about to go upstairs and run a bath when the front door opened.

"Ruby?" Christina's voice called from the hallway.

"In here."

Christina stepped into the door frame a moment later holding a large bouquet of flowers, "I apologize for my lateness. Something unexpected came up."

Ruby stood up and walked towards her, "I really should start adding half an hour to the times you say you're going to be here. Promising a woman a night out and then keeping her waiting, makes her feel inadequate."

Christina shook her head, "In my defense, the florist who sold these to me said that only a very lucky man should be buying flowers like these for a special woman. You could never be inadequate."

Ruby took the flowers and smelt the blooming lilies. She was careful not to touch it and have it stain her clothes, "It's a start."

Christina smiled and led them out the door. She kept the radio down low as she drove through the darkened streets. She spotted the restaurant that constantly advertised on the radio. She had mentioned it to Christina in passing that she would have liked to have tried their noodle casserole. The place was high-end and expensive. If her color didn't keep her out, her empty pockets would have.

Christina drove past it before driving down an alley next to it that opened into the loading area of the back of the restaurant. She stopped and turned off the engine.

"Wait here," Christina said. She left the car and knocked on the back door.

Ruby couldn't hear what they were saying, but she saw Christina take an envelope from her pant suit pocket and hand it over to the man. He nodded and walked away, leaving the door open. Christina walked back to the car and opened Ruby's door and helped her out. She gestured for Ruby to enter the back door of the large building. She entered and found herself in the hallway of the back.

The man who Christina had spoken with, looked her up and down before growling out, "Up this way."

He led them past the kitchen and up the backstairs to a room with a balcony that overlooked the tables and music playing from the band below. The room was lit with candles and a fully decorated round table, with two chairs, were in the middle. Christina waved him off and directed her attention to Ruby.

"Does this meet your expectations?" Christina asked.

"How did you organize this? Actually, how did you get them to agree to allowing me in here?" Ruby replied with her questions.

"Money is one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs, but I hope yours will be the food served here tonight."

She walked over to the table and pulled a chair out from under the table. She held it out for Ruby to sit down on. Ruby looked at the plate of appetizers placed on the table as she took a seat. Christina took a seat across from her and poured them glasses of water from the jug. They spoke amicably as the band, on the ground below, played soft jazz.

Christina, as guarded as she could be, answered Ruby's questions about her life when she was younger. Christina would counter with a few of her own and Ruby's interest in singing.

"Growing up with music was a saving grace. It's the one constant that was always there, even when people left or words failed. As long as I could stand on a stage and sing away my pain, I knew I would be ok," Ruby replied, honestly.

"Is a career in music an interest for you?" Christina asked.

"It would be a dream, but I worry it would become too technical and-" she tried to think of the right word, "Restrictive. I prefer to sing what I want to sing, what I'm feeling. Not what makes a record label rich."

Christina nodded her understanding. There had been a knock at the door before it opened and two waiters walked in carrying plates of food and desserts. They couldn't hide their surprise at seeing Ruby sitting at the table, but said nothing.

Ruby got her wish as the noodle casserole was placed in front of her. She dug in and moaned happily at the taste of the sauce covering the thick noodles. Christina poked her own food, taking nibbles but leaving the majority of the food untouched.

"There was a pattern on that plate before you started," Christina joked, as Ruby scraped the last of the food off the plain white plate.

She flipped Christina off and looked over at her untouched plate, "Not hungry?"

"I prefer your food, to be honest," Christina replied, taking a sip of water.

Ruby smiled at the unspoken compliment. She tried some of the desert and found it just as good.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get us a table down there and closer to the band," Christina said, softly. She looked as annoyed as she thought Ruby felt.

"I can still hear the band. I can enjoy myself up here not having to deal with people's comments or stares. This is much better than being down there," Ruby reassured her.

Christina didn't look convinced, but the look vanished as Ruby drew her into conversation about getting a record player for the mansion. Christina's father didn't allow her to listen to music growing up and Ruby wanted to teach her some songs and the dances she and Leti had learned to accompany them. She joked that Christina's current dance moves were probably her standing in place and clicking her fingers which got a chuckle from the woman.

They talked for over an hour, but a yawn from Ruby signaled that they should be getting back to the house. Christina had already covered their bill, but left a tip on the table for the waiters.

She drove them back in content silence. Ruby was beginning to fall asleep in the car and had to be woken up when Christina parked in the driveway. She groaned and tried to snuggle in closer to the interior of the car but Christina was a determined thorn in her side. She led Ruby through the front door, locking it behind them. Ruby was still bordering that place between awake and asleep. Christina didn't want to take the chance of allowing her to walk up the stairs on her own.

She walked Ruby to her bedroom door, stopping outside as not to go inside Ruby's room. It was the unspoken rule that she wasn't to go in there since Ruby returned.

"Thank you for accompanying me tonight. Goodnight, Ruby," Christina smiled, "I hope you enjoyed yourself."

"I did," she stepped closer into Christina's space, "Thank you for tonight and for keeping your promise with the magic lessons."

"You're going from strength to strength. It won't be long before you no longer need me," Christina replied.

"Goodnight, Christina," Ruby said, tiredly. She pressed a kiss to Christina's cheek before going into her bedroom and closing the door behind her, leaving Christina smiling in the hall.

Chapter 11

Everything went to shit after that night. There were no more dates, which Ruby kept telling herself wasn't a date in the first place. It couldn't be. She couldn't get attached again when she was still intent on leaving in a few months. Christina was living up to her end of the bargain for now, but Ruby knew when the baby was born and she got the book, they would take a backseat.She wasn't about to get her hopes up for change when she knew the choice the woman would make.

A couple of days after their night out, she had taken a stroll to the park. Trying to clear her head and take a break as she couldn't get one particular spell to work. Christina had promised to meet her there. She had whispered the promise to Ruby through a payphone. Ruby suspected the woman was probably in some delicate situation. She would have to ask her what she had been doing as soon as she got there.

She headed toward the gardenia patch when she strolled through the park. The flowers had started to wither and die as they got closer to winter. It matched the theme of the rest of the area. The trees had begun shedding their leaves, and the park was practically deserted apart from a few strollers detouring through. She took a seat on the bench as she waited for Christina.

She heard Christina's heels on the path before she saw her. The woman always dressed like she was plucked from a fashion catalogue and her strut was no different than that of a model.

She paused, and Ruby could see the internal debate the woman had of sitting on a cold bench. She eased herself down as if she was acclimatizing herself to the cold.

"Any particular reason you wanted to meet here?" Christina asked, after a moment of silence.

"I needed to get out. I'm about to go stir crazy only going from the bedroom to the basement every day and not being able to get the mental protection spell to work is frustrating me. I thought the fresh air might give me a new perspective on it."

Christina nodded and then said, "He's planning something bigger than I thought. One of the neighbors from Ardham managed to get me a message that a man, I now believe to be McCarthy, was seen digging around in the rubble of the lodge."

"Is there anything of use there that he could possibly use?" Ruby asked.

"Possibly. Then again possibly not, but I don't think he would have wasted a trip there just to walk away empty handed. If he did find something, he's going to need the Book of Names," Christina replied, staring unfocused into the distance as she tried to figure out the man's plan.

"What were you doing when you called? You sounded like you were hiding."

"I was," Ruby looked at her with confusion and with slight worry, "I've been working on a new spell. A magic detection receiver of sorts," she pulled out a small stone with a mark carved into it. It was similar to the one she had Ruby hide in Lancaster's office, "I planted some on the officers as they were going into the station. If they get near him, or start using magic, we'll know about it."

Ruby took it from her and ran her fingers along the mark, " Do you think it will work?"

Christina sighed, "It's all we have currently at our disposal. You can keep that one. I have another in the car for myself."

"How does it work?"

"They will detect anyone using magic around these and will make them glow. The good thing is, they don't have to be actively using it for them to work. Magic leaves a lingering trail on anyone who has used it and these can also detect that."

"More than half the police officers in the city use it. Shouldn't this thing be glowing nonstop?" Ruby asked. She checked the piece for any sort of light emitting from it, but there wasn't any.

"I've thought of that. I infused my blood with them, so they will only glow when they are near someone who channels the same or greater magic levels as me or are trying to use a spell against me," she should have informed Ruby of her plan especially when her blood was involved. The look Ruby was currently serving her was a reminder of that, "Unfortunately, glowing is all I can get these to do. I need to physically be in front of the person to neutralize them," Christina explained. Her tone revealed her annoyance at her lack of control over the situation.

"I thought you enchanted the same thing to kill Lancaster?"

A smile formed on her lips as she remembered the man's death, "Lancaster's body was destroyed from the attack outside Leti's house. He tried to heal himself with body parts he got from kidnapping black people. The spell I enchanted the charm with, made his body reject the transplants he tried to cure himself with. Unless the officers or McCarthy had the same thing happen, there's nothing I can put on it until I find out what I'm dealing with."

It had gotten a bit colder when Christina suggested they headed back to the house. Ruby agreed, heading out of the park together and getting into the car with Christina. Ruby still had to remind her to slow down at times as she drove through the streets at speed.

"Where is your charm?" Ruby asked.

"In the glove compartment," Christina replied, nodding her head in the direction of the compartment.

Ruby opened it and took it out. She put the two together to check the similarities between them. They were almost identical except for the shape of the jagged charm. Her eyes went wide and she almost dropped them when they started to glow dimly.

"Christina?" Ruby asked. The woman hummed and looked at her, "Are they supposed to glow that low?"

Christina looked over at the charms with a frown on her face, "No. It's supposed to be stronger than that."

They both watched as the light suddenly got stronger and heard the screech of tires turning a corner behind them. They both looked over their shoulders just in time to see an officer, leaning out of his car window, start shooting. The protection spell over the car calmed them. The bullets continuously missed their mark.

"What should we do?" Ruby asked, watching as they got closer.

Christina eyed them from the driver's mirror. She could feel that one of them was trying to break through the protection spell of the car. She spared a glance at Ruby before responding, "I've got a plan. Try not to worry. We have the marks on us, and the car is protected."

"Why? What are you planning?" Ruby asked. When the woman didn't respond and in fact sped up, she couldn't help but feel even more worried and slightly nauseous, "Christina?"

They were driving down a residential street with cars parked on either side. The police cars couldn't pass her or try and pass her to box her in, but she had to be ready to speed up as she neared the corner as the road opened up onto an open junction. She changed gears quickly, timed it correctly and then drove down the wrong lane. A car coming in the same direction up ahead. She turned the wheel just as they were about to hit and avoided it. The police car directly behind wasn't quick enough to move out and smashed into the other car.

One down one to go. The other car was now driving even more erratic than the first. The sirens never let up as they sped up after the two women. Christina took a back street and led the car down near an old loading bay. The area was full of rusted shipping containers. She drove through the narrow spaces between each container. She spotted an opportunity between some U-shaped containers.

She slowed down slightly, allowing them to get a bit closer before driving straight for the container blocking their path. Just as they were about to hit it, she pulled the brake and took a sharp turn and drove through the narrow opening space between the containers. When they had cleared it, she muttered under her breath and the large container moved forward. The police car didn't stand a chance and drove straight into it. She drove round the containers and drove back up behind the wrecked car.

"Stay here. I'll be back," Christina said. She exited the car, taking a moment to compose herself before striding towards the wreckage.

The passenger side had taken a large brunt of the impact. The metal completely squashed at the front but worse on that side. She suspected the driver had been using a weak protection spell. The officer in the passenger seat, what was left of him, was not moving. The driver's door opened and then fell away from the frame and the driver crawled out. He dragged himself across the ground until a heel pressed into his back.

She kicked him into the ribs and as he curled into a fetal position, she pressed her foot against his shoulder to push him onto his back.

"Where is he?" Christina asked.

When he didn't respond, she sighed before taking a handkerchief from her pocket, bending down and wiping the blood from one of the cuts on his face. She muttered a spell while holding the bloody fabric. A snapping sound filled the space before the man's screams as he grasped at one of his legs. The limb was in a very odd angle and the bone almost poked through the material of his pants.

"She's not going to ask again," a voice said behind her, as Ruby joined her, standing over the man, "Where the fuck is McCarthy?"

"Fuck you," He spat back, blood droplets coming from his mouth as he did so.

She held her hand out for the fabric and Christina handed it over. She spoke the same foreign words Christina had just did, ignoring the proud look from the woman, and watched as his other leg bent in the same odd angle.

"Fuck! He's back in Ardham."

"What is he doing there?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know," he held his hands up as Christina took the fabric back from Ruby, ready to inflict more damage, "It has something to do with the winter solstice coming up. That's all I know. I swear."

"Good enough," Christina replied. He looked slightly relieved and breathed more easily in response. She looked at Ruby who knew exactly what she was thinking, "However, you've not only annoyed me but Ruby here with that wild goose chase of yours through the city and I can't allow that to go without consequences."

"Please, Don't! I told you what you wante-" he stopped speaking as Christina muttered another spell. A cut opened across his neck effectively slitting his throat.

As he gurgled to death, Christina sighed and turned to Ruby, "I'm going to have to go back to Ardham and see what I can find out."

"I can go with you and help you cover more ground there," Ruby replied.

Christina shook her head, "No, I need you here. If he comes back to the city while I'm gone, your charm will glow and we can keep tabs on him. You need to up your studies more now. If he's starting these attacks again, we need to better prepare you."

Ruby was ready to protest but she knew the woman had a point. If he managed to sneak past them to Chicago, they wouldn't know. Someone had to be with the charm in Chicago, "When do you plan on leaving?"

"I'll pack a bag when I get home and set out tonight. The sooner I'm on the road, the sooner I get there and can start figuring out what he's going to do on the solstice and what exactly in Ardham he needs for it to work," Christina replied.

Ruby wasn't pleased with the plan, but reminded herself it was necessary and the sooner Christina got there and got the information they needed, they would be one step closer to finishing this.

"Let's get back and get you packed up then," Ruby replied, taking one look at the broken body by their feet before heading towards the car. Christina followed closely behind.

Chapter 12

To say she was frustrated would be an understatement. She wasn't able to leave the mansion in case any more officers tried anything. Christina had been held up in Ardham and had been gone for over a week. Ruby threw herself into her magic studies and tried to complete every bit of reading material Christina had left for her.

There was also the fact she was nearing the end of her fifth month of pregnancy and was, for the lack of a better word, horny. Her body was incredibly sensitive. Trying to sleep at night was a battle of trying to keep warm in the colder nights, and then having to throw the covers off as her skin was hyper-sensitive. She spent an entire day searching for a spell that would help when her own methods failed. Christina had phoned that evening to check in and see how her studies were going. She lied and told her she was going through the material as she couldn't exactly tell her the truth.

The woman was thousands of miles away, searching for clues to stop their enemy from attacking and trying to kill them. Ruby didn't think she would take it well if she dropped another issue on her. She didn't think Christina would respond well to, 'Your baby is messing up my hormones and all I want is someone inside of me.'

She briefly entertained the idea of going to Sammy's bar to find someone but the thought almost made her vomit. She had an itch she knew only one person could help her scratch. Apart from the distance issue, she wondered if Christina would even still want her in that way anymore. Would she be put off from the child inside her? Was there too much damage between them now for that physical aspect to happen?

Fed up, she gave up on her studies and phoned Leti. She had already briefed her sister on what happened and Christina's departure shortly after. Leti had wanted to come round, but was put on bed rest a few days before the chase after a scare with the baby. It had upset Ruby greatly to not be allowed to visit her sister. Leti was well into her seventh month of pregnancy, and she hoped they would have this business dealt with before the baby was born. Leti had told her sister that she wanted her there with her when the baby was born.

She rang the direct line to her sister's bedroom. It picked up after a few moments and a man's voice answered. Definitely not Tic's.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Who is this?" Ruby asked.

"That you, Ruby?" the man laughed.

Starting to get annoyed, she replied, "Yes, it is. Now, who is this?"

"Calm down, Rubes. It's just me, Matthew."

"Matthew? What the hell are you doing in my sister's bedroom?" she could hear commotion in the background and her sister's voice but couldn't make out she was saying.

"Hang on, Ruby. I'll put her on. You take care now," he said goodbye before there was a moment of silence.

Her sister's tired voice came through, "Ruby?"

"Hey, Leti. What's going on over there?"

Leti waved goodbye to Matthew as he left, carrying her empty plate away, "Matt's been helping me out with a few repairs here and bringing my food up to me."

"Where's Tic? He should be there doing that for you," Ruby replied, annoyed.

"When I told him about this new captain, he threw himself into his own investigation. He's worried he might try coming here and using us as some sort of leverage against Christina."

"I hope he didn't try using the book?" Ruby asked, slightly worried.

She could practically feel Leti's eye roll as she responded, "No. I tucked it away safe like you asked me to."

"Good," Ruby nodded even though Leti couldn't see, "How are you feeling?"

"Alright," she knew Ruby was cocking an eyebrow at her, "I'm exhausted. My back is killing me and my boobs, Ruby," she paused before whispering, "they're leaking."

Ruby was slightly disgusted but couldn't stop the chuckle that came out, "From what I've been reading, it's normal. Can't Tic massage your back or something?"

Leti huffed, as she replied, "He's tried but, I don't know, I can't stand being touched right now, y'know?"

"I'm having the complete opposite problem at the moment. All I want is to be touched, but I'm cooped up in this house."

"Yeah, it must be so hard being cooped up in a mansion with everything you could want at your disposal," Leti snapped back. She waited a moment before there was a heavy sigh, "I'm sorry, Ruby. I didn't mean that. I'm sick of being pregnant. I just want this baby out. Now."

"I get it. I'm dreading heading into the last trimester. Especially, if all of that and bitchiness is what I have to look forward to," Ruby joked.

"Any news from Christina?"

"Nothing yet. I thought she might be back by now, but every time she calls she adds another day to being away," Ruby replied, disheartened.

"Careful. It sounds more like you're missing that devil rather than upset that she hasn't found anything," Leti said before jokingly adding, "Then again, from what you're telling me, you might be missing her for an entirely different reason."

"I will slam this phone down so fast, Leticia!" Ruby warned.

"Calm down. I get what you're going through," Leti said, sympathetically, "I wore Tic out during my fifth month," she continued despite Ruby making fake vomiting sounds, "If you're that badly stuck, why don't you ask her to shove that man on or however the fuck she does it and help you out."

"Now, I know you didn't tell me to go and sleep with the woman you've been calling our enemy since you found out about us."

Leti sighed, "There's not much I can do about that now. You're already knocked up, back living with her, still alive and apparently, very horny, what could go wrong? You still have that protection mark she gave you on you?"

"I don't know, Leti, maybe the fact she has her own feelings and may not want me in that way anymore? I'm not putting myself out there only to be embarrassed when she turns me down because I'm too disgusting for her to touch," Ruby replied.

"Didn't she bring you out on a date a couple-" Leti was cut off.

"It wasn't a date," Ruby interrupted.

"Regardless, she's still showing interest in you. I went behind Tic's back with plenty of things and it didn't stop him from wanting me any less. Christina is an egomaniac with a special interest in what she believes is hers so if the woman carrying her baby asks her to help her out, I think she's going to take it."

"I'll think about it. I'll call you tomorrow, Leti," Ruby promised, wanting to end the discussion and call there.

"Bye, Ruby. Love you."

"Love you too," Ruby replied. They had gotten back into the habit of saying it to each other at the end of their conversations, since they could no longer see the other.

She was just about to hang up when Leti spoke again, "Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"If she doesn't want to help, Matthew still has an interest in you."

She hung up the phone.

Ruby was making a small dinner for herself that evening. She had given up on her studies for the day when she couldn't concentrate. Her talk with Leti had only done more harm than good. She was worse off now more than ever.

She sat at the table to eat once she was finished cooking. She couldn't help the feelings of loneliness that had settled in during the week. If she didn't have Leti to speak with every day, she would go crazy. She wondered if that was the same crazy that seemed to drive Christina. She had lived the woman's life for a week now. Living alone, no one to talk to, only magic studies to focus on. The enigma that was Christina was slowly starting to make sense to her.

She remembered Christina telling her that her father didn't even allow her a record player. He ignored her for most of her life. He wanted a son. Instead, he got Eve. Eve upset the harmony within the Garden of Eden. Eve had to be punished and subsequently, so did Adam.

She could never justify Christina's actions or agree with them. She couldn't even sympathize with them, but she did feel for the girl who was lost, forced into a vicious life, forced into adulthood because of her father's lack of humanity. She recognized that piece within herself and within her sister and mourned it to this day.

She was cleaning up the dishes when she heard the front door open and softly close. She wiped her hands on the cloth before going out to the hall and saw Christina standing there with that stupid smirk on her face. She wanted to kiss it. No, she wanted to smack it off. Damn hormones.

"Hello," Christina said, sultry. Did she?

Ruby rubbed her head to try and clear those thoughts before asking, "What are you doing here? Why didn't you say you were traveling back?"

"Every time I prepared to come back, something unexpected would pop up that required my attention. I didn't want to give you a day to expect my return in case I would have to cancel and disappoint you," Christina replied.

"Did you find anything?"

Christina sighed and dropped her shoulders, "Nothing of particular value to us, no. I suspect some of my father's ashes were taken and maybe some of the broken frames but if there was anything else missing amongst the rubble, I couldn't find it."

Ruby licked her lips and scoffed, "So, we're back to step one. What a waste of a trip."

"I know it's frustrating, but I brought back some things I pulled from the rubble that I thought we could analyze tomorrow and take it from there."

"Or it could be just another dead end," Ruby said. Her frustration with the situation started to boil over, "You kept me waiting for a week. Dangling a possible end in sight of this situation. A week locked in this house, by myself, and now you want to dangle another possible end to it only for us to hit a wall and go right back to where we started."

"I did my best, Ruby. You don't think that I feel just as frustrated as you? To have driven all that way for possibly nothing," Christina's own voice rising slightly.

"No, I know there is no way you've been feeling as frustrated as I am," Ruby replied, she didn't bother to elaborate when she saw the look of confusion on Christina's face, "I'm going to have a bath and go to bed."

Christina didn't reply. She walked past her and into the kitchen while Ruby went up the stairs.

The warm bath did very little in terms of helping to settle her nerves. She had anger added to her already wired body. She scrubbed down quickly before getting out and drying off. She wore only the black robe going to bed. Other clothing was too sensitive on her right now. She would wake up and take it all off in the middle of the night anyway.

She tried reading a book at first. When that didn't work, she opened the window to leave in some cool air but quickly shut it as the winter bite was a bit too cold. She tried to relieve some of the stress by herself again but gave up when it wasn't working. She twisted and turned for what felt like hours. She eventually gave up on the idea of sleep and decided to go downstairs.

It had become part of her routine this week to go to the living room and listen to some of the repeats on the radio and sip some hot tea. She forgot that the other occupant of the house was back now but was still shocked to see her sitting with her legs tucked under her on the chaise lounge. She had a blanket over her legs and had the heat from the fire next to her keeping her warm as she sipped from her glass. She looked how Ruby did when she did the same thing at night except Ruby didn't light a fire. Bending down was becoming more difficult lately, so she would turn on the side lights instead.

She looked up when she saw Ruby, "Trouble sleeping?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Ruby replied.

Christina took a sip from her glass, "I always find it difficult to sleep after traveling a long distance. I need to wind down first."

"This is you winding down?" Ruby asked, gesturing to the woman's current setup.

Christina untucked her legs and made room for Ruby to sit down, "Yes, well, trying to. It usually works, but for some reason, I can't shake this pent up energy," she stared into her glass as she took another sip, not seeing the lip bite Ruby was sending her.

"I know how you feel."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she thought deeply about keeping her mouth closed and leaving that statement hanging but she had to see if there was anything there between them, "This baby," she started, shaking her head slightly, "These hormones. I'm irritated, and I don't have an outlet for this particular frustration."

"What sort of frustration?" Christina asked. Her full attention on Ruby at the mention of the baby and her problems. She placed her glass on the table before turning on the chair to face her.

'Am I really about to do this?' Ruby thought, biting her lip.

"Ruby?" Christina tried again.

"I-I," she sighed and Christina leaned slightly forward as if to coax the words from her, "Fuck it!" she sighed, "I'm horny, Christina. My whole body feels like it's on fire and I can't sleep because of it."

Christina looked stunned at her words. Ruby could tell she wasn't expecting that. She cleared her throat and when she spoke, her voice had a noticeable husky tone, "I can try making a potion to alleviate some of those more severe symptoms."

"I've tried making that already, and it didn't work. I had to give up on my studies because I can't focus. I tried to alleviate it myself, but nothing works," she ran her fingers through her curls, missing Christina licking her lips at the mention of her unsuccessful methods.

"Is there someone you may know from your past? An ex maybe? Who would be willing to?" Christina couldn't even finish it. The thought of Ruby with anyone else made her sick, but Ruby was being honest with her and she would have to try. This wasn't the time for her own selfishness.

"No, I already thought about that," Christina clenched her fists, "I don't want things to be weirder than they are, but the only person I want touching me right now is you," Christina unclenched her fists.

She gazed at Ruby for a moment. The last time she gave into this, Ruby had left her and betrayed her. If she was being truthful with herself, she knew Ruby was plotting something that night, but the Ruby in front of her now was presenting herself with the utmost honesty. It had been what they were rebuilding together since Ruby moved back in.

"Are you sure?" Christina asked, suddenly wishing she came home earlier.

Ruby nodded and Christina finally seemed to notice the openness of her robe. The skin that was revealed gave enough evidence that she was completely nude underneath. She moved forward the same time as Christina, their lips catching at an awkward angle first before the kiss deepened. She tried pulling Christina closer by the waist at the same time the woman's hands were trying to untie the knot of the robe.

As soon as she had it untied, she pushed it to the side as her hands found their way to Ruby's larger chest. She moaned into the kiss, relishing in how much they had grown. She wasn't content with only her hands having access to one of her favorite areas of Ruby. She broke the kiss and dipped her head down, running her tongue flat across the stiff nipple drawing a groan from Ruby.

Ruby suddenly felt stupid for thinking that Christina would be repulsed by her body. There was no hesitancy in her touches or in how her hands and mouth worshiped her body.

They ended up on the floor in front of the fire after they fell off the chair during their last round. Ruby on her side, her back pressed against Christina's front as the woman's hand rubbed tight circles between her legs. Her other arm was underneath Ruby, holding tight to her chest. She hadn't strayed far from it all night.

Ruby was getting close. As she did, she turned her head to the side and Christina's lips were instantly back on hers.

"I hate you," Ruby whispered against her lips.

Christina smiled and kissed her deeply before placing kisses against her check and moving to catch her earlobe between her teeth. She let it go, and huskily whispered, "No, you don't. You hate that you can't trust me."

Ruby clutched at Christina's hand between her legs as she came. Making sure the woman behind her didn't stop. Christina slowed down as she was coming down, trying to draw out her climax as much as possible. She helped Ruby turn around to face her when she caught her breath.

She enjoyed the feeling of Ruby's bump nestling just under her own chest. She brushed away the few hairs that were stuck to Ruby's forehead. She turned away briefly to grab the blanket on the chair and threw it over Ruby. She accepted it without protest. The fire was starting to go out and with her needs sated, she could feel the cold bite of the night beginning to nip at her skin.

Christina would move them upstairs in a moment but was content to let them rest there for a second as she tried to memorize this undisturbed haven between them. Savoring Ruby's scent filling her nostrils and the soft way the woman looked at her. It had been so long since she looked at her that way. She grabbed Ruby's hand as it stroked her cheek, kissing her knuckles as Ruby smiled and brought it down to rest on the bump. Their eyes never strayed from each other.

Chapter 13

Christina was more than welcoming to Ruby's request to help her expel her frustrations. For the next two weeks, very little studying was completed. They would wake and get up from Christina's bed together and head to the basement. The studying sessions wouldn't last long as Christina would only have to graze past her or step closer into her space to set Ruby off again. It led to Christina persuading her to allow them to use the single bed they kept Dell in, provided she cleaned it up and put new sheets on it. The table was starting to hurt their backs.

That and the one time there was the incident when she had Ruby's thigh settled between her own legs. The woman's hands on her waist helped her to keep a rhythm. She threw her head back in pleasure as she ground down until a cramp seized in Ruby's thigh. She flexed her leg out straight in instinct and Christina lost her balance. She was thrown backwards off the table. Ruby had sat up on her elbows to look down and check on her when two hands smacked down on top of the table, followed seconds later by a blonde head popping up.

They were toeing a very dangerous line. This was only meant to be a handy assist until her hormones calmed down, but she found Christina slipping at times. Ruby would make breakfast in the morning when Christina would appear behind her. Placing her hands on Ruby's waist, she would lean in and kiss her cheek. Ruby knew they were getting too close. It was too intimate. She would freeze up, and Christina would sigh and apologize before stepping away before going about her business.

After that, she asked Christina to drink the vial sometimes. They both were aware it was to remind Christina that she was only helping Ruby out. She carried herself with a new tenderness in William's skin as she pushed in and out of Ruby. Ruby could see the woman in those blue eyes. Even in a different body, those eyes had a way of searching out her own soul and communicated to it while grunts and moans slipped past their lips.

Ruby tried to get into the illusion of William again, but every time, just as she would get close to doing so, the skin would start to rip. If it happened while they were in Christina's bed, she would grab the blonde's hand and pull them toward the bathroom. Christina was almost bitter about having to do so. If it happened in the basement, Ruby was more lenient and encouraged Christina to keep thrusting until the bloodied skin would slide off her.

Christina lay down in the single cot, gasping for breath as Ruby awkwardly tucked into her side. They would have gone another round but they were interrupted by the transformation undoing itself. Christina wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her closer to make sure she wouldn't fall off the bed. Ruby's hand picked at loose pieces of flesh on the woman's arm and flicked them away.

"Thank you," Ruby said, wiping away the blood on the woman's stomach. She had begun saying it shortly after they started this. It was another reminder to Christina that she has only assisting her.

Christina observed her cleaning movements. The feeling of Ruby's fingers gliding across her skin was enough to make her want to go another round, but instead she cleared her throat, "Of course. Anything to help."

Ruby smiled, but was aware of the woman's feelings in this situation. Christina wanted more even if she didn't voice it, "We really should clean up and try and get some research done today."

Christina nodded but when Ruby didn't move to get up, she was content to stay there a few more minutes.

"What are you thinking?" Christina asked, as Ruby's fingers stilled on her skin.

"It might be nothing, but I just remembered those officers that night were looking for you and William."

Christina hummed, "I suspect you weren't dealing with the smartest of the bunch there," she laughed as Ruby teasingly slapped her stomach.

"What I'm trying to say is," she glared up at Christina, "McCarthy sent them there on his orders. If they were looking for you and William, he doesn't know the truth. He thinks you're still separate people."

"You're right," it dawned on Christina, "We could use it to our advantage, but he hasn't surfaced yet."

The charms hadn't brightened since her return from Ardham.

"Yeah, he hasn't," Ruby sighed and lay her head back down on Christina's shoulder.

Christina sensed she was feeling dejected. She turned her head to face her and cupped Ruby's cheek, "It's a great idea. It had completely slipped my mind. It's that thinking that will allow us to beat this bastard."

Ruby smiled at her with that tender look and before Christina could stop herself, she pressed her lips against Ruby's. Ruby kissed her back until the voice in the back of her head gave a reminder of this being a bad idea. In her mind, they were supposed to fuck and then part ways not lay together afterwards cuddled into each other.

She pulled back and felt guilty as Christina, even with her eyes closed, looked happy as she chased for more of Ruby. She opened her eyes after a second and stared at her in understanding.

"Sorry," Christina said, looking away.

"We should go wash up," Ruby replied, disentangling herself from the woman and slipping out of the cot.

She could feel Christina's eyes on her as she walked across the basement, picking up her clothes as she went. She knew Christina was on the verge of saying something. In her hurry to get out of the basement, she neglected to put her clothes back on and strode up the stairs and through the house nude.

It was only seconds later she heard Christina's bare feet running up the stairs after her.

Leti was dozing off to sleep when there was a knock at her bedroom door. She reached behind and patted the other side of the bed to wake Tic to answer it but her hand only touched empty sheets. She sighed, realizing he was still out researching with Montrose.

"Who is it?" Leti shouted.

"Just me, Leti," Matthew replied back.

"What's going on, Matt?" Leti asked. There had better be a good reason for waking her in the middle of the night.

"Some men walked into the house. They didn't say anything just left with some book."

That was definitely a good reason.

She threw the covers off and slowly moved her legs to the edge of the bed. She used the bedside table to pull herself up. She opened the bedroom door to a worried looking Matthew.

"Why didn't you call me before now?" Leti asked.

"It just happened. I got up to get something from the kitchen and spotted them. Nobody else is awake so they're not visitors."

Leti's heart hammered in her chest. They couldn't have known she had the book. There was no way they could have entered with the protection over the house unless he had sent in regular officers. She waddled down the stairs as best as she could, Matthew following close behind her.

"Did they go into the basement?"

"I don't know I just saw them leave with a book."

She groaned in frustration as she couldn't move any faster. She had gotten to the first floor and stood outside the basement. The steps down here were a lot steeper. She reached back and grabbed hold of Matthew's hand, and he helped guide her down the stairs and then again when they reached the stairs to the cellar.

Nothing seemed out of place. She walked to the stone wall and pulled at a loose brick until it came away from the wall. She gasped in relief when the book was still there. She took it and placed it on the table to make sure it was untouched.

"I'm sorry, Leti" Matthew said, from behind. It was the sincere tone he used that confused her.

Not looking back as she checked over the book, she replied, "For what?"

All of a sudden, he was pressed against her back and holding a cloth against her mouth. She struggled and pulled at his hands, but he held on. After a few minutes, she started to become drowsy. Her muscles refused to cooperate within the fight. Her eyes fluttered closed as she lost consciousness. She could feel him lifting her into his arms and heard him muttering apologies, before everything went black.

She was awoken to tapping at the bottom of her foot. She groaned and tried to move away from the nuisance, but it persisted. She moved to swat it away when she felt heavy resistance, from her wrists, stopping her. Blinking awake, she immediately knew she was not in her bedroom. She was underground, if the structure overhead and the walls were any indication.

Her back was to the wall and her legs spread out on the ground in front of her. Her arms were by her side, but she noticed there were chains on her wrists. They connected to a bolt in the wall behind her. She could only move her arms a short length. The chains clinked together as she tried to free herself.

"Good to see you're finally awake," a man in front of her spoke. He was flanked by two officers. His hands clasped behind his back while he looked at her with annoyance.

"Who are you?" Leti spat back.

"Oh, yes. We haven't had the displeasure of meeting yet," he said. He put his hand out to shake hers and then laughed as she looked at him with murderous eyes, "I see you're a little tied up at the moment. I'll excuse your rude behavior just this once."

"Fuck you," Leti snapped back.

Ignoring her, he continued, "Russell McCarthy and you are that ever-troublesome bitch, Leticia Lewis. Most of my first days at the station were spent destroying all those complaints of yours. Really tired out my hands."

"What do you want with me?" Leti asked.

"We appear to have a problem on our hands, Ms. Lewis," he snapped his fingers, and one of the guards handed him over the book. Leti's heart dropped at the sight of it in his hands, "This isn't the Book of Names."

"What are you talking about? It's right there."

"It does look very convincing on the outside, doesn't it? Until you open it," he sneered at her and opened the first page and read, "'A housewife's guide: The A-Z of being the perfect woman for your husband.' You want to tell me where the real one is?," he ripped the outer layer of the book off and threw it at her.

"I don't know where it is and if I did, I sure as fuck wouldn't tell you."

"If you cooperate now, I might be more forgiving, unlike how I was to your friend here," he cocked his head and one of the officers stepped aside revealing the decapitated head and body of Matthew.

She bit her lip and refused to give him any sort of a reaction even as her insides twisted.

He sighed when he realized she wasn't going to speak, "Doesn't really matter if you talk or not. Your sister, Ruby, is it? I'll be seeing her soon enough. I can get it out of her and then you can watch as I skin her in front of you."

"You're not going to touch her," Leti said, her tone dangerous and low, "Big man like you having to keep a pregnant woman chained up. You afraid of me getting my hands on you?"

He laughed into her face, "There I was thinking I was being a gentleman by keeping you comfortable," the other officers laughed down at her, "This is for your benefit. You're going to get really uncomfortable very soon."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Leti asked, not liking the way his eyes kept drifting towards her stomach.

He pulled a vial from his pocket, bent down and shook it under her nose, "You've already met Samuel Braithwhite."

She eyed the vial. It was filled with a grey substance, and quickly realized he was referring to part of the man being in the glass vial.

She looked from it back to him, "What are you going to do with that?"

"It's not what I'm going to do with it. It's what you're going to do with it," as she opened her mouth to question him again, he popped the vial and poured the substance down her throat. He closed her mouth and pinched her nose, forcing her to swallow it back.

As soon as he let go and stood back, she opened her mouth and gasped. She tried to spit it out, but it was no use, "What is that going to do to me."

"Not all magical effects are bad, Ms. Lewis. During my studies, I came to the conclusion that the circle of life can be manipulated. Energy cannot be created or destroyed only converted. I used the ashes of Mr. Braithwhite's death as the energy to speed up the process of the birth of your child."

"What do you want with my baby?"

"You should feel very lucky. Your child is going to be a component in a spell of mine," he turned around and walked out of the rocky cell as Leti was still in shock.

The sound of the cell door locking brought her back to present time, and she repeatedly shouted after his retreating figure, "You're not touching my fucking baby. You won't get your hands on my child. You hear me?"

Chapter 14

"I'm not touching it!"

"You have to," came the exasperated sigh.

"I don't know if I can."

"This is what you've been building towards."

"Alright," snapped back, "I'll do it just- tell me if my hands are in the right position."

"Grab it and pull. There's not really a wrong way to do this," there is a brief moment of silence before, "Apparently there is," a heavy murmur and then, "No, don't tug it like that."

Ruby sighed and let go of the chicken's neck. She held onto it, and it clucked in her arms, "I don't see what this is going to teach me."

"Some spells require sacrifices. Most of the time, the blood of an animal will do, but for larger spells, like my spell for immortality, it requires a human sacrifice. If you can't kill a chicken, what are you going to do if you face McCarthy and his men," Christina replied, giving the chicken a hard look.

"When we face him," she stressed the words, "I won't falter," Ruby glared at her, "I would rather not kill an innocent animal just for the sake of practicing some spells though."

"Those spells are the very ones you need to be practicing on to use against them. I can go out and bring some humans back for you to practice on, if you would prefer?"

She knew Christina was goading her. She was also aware that she needed to learn these if they had any chance of beating McCarthy. The look Christina was giving her, told her she wasn't joking about getting people for her to practice on. Weighing the option of killing a possible innocent person over killing a chicken, she chose the chicken. It was also a lot less messy.

A quick pull and it fell limply in her arms. She tried to hold back the guilt that followed and said the incantation. She waited to see if it worked. It was supposed to enchant some water to turn into poisonous wine that would erode a body from the inside. The water remained clear and calmly still. Unlike her patience.

"Would it be insensitive of me to suggest we have chicken for dinner?" Christina voiced next to her. The woman was attempting to make a joke even if it was in poor taste. When Ruby only stared at the glass, Christina muttered an incantation under her breath and the chicken began moving again.

"How did you do that?" Ruby asked.

"It was my father's spell," she wrinkled her nose up in disgust at using his work, "The same one to bring Leti back to life after he shot her. You focused too much on the chicken rather than your intention last time. Try again."

Ruby kept her eyes on Christina this time as she pulled the head and spoke the words of Adam. Christina looked away first and smiled at her. Ruby looked at the glass and found it filled with red substance.

"I did that," Ruby whispered. She was slightly proud of herself, despite her previous actions to achieve it.

"Yes, you did," Christina beamed back at her. It warmed her heart when Ruby empowered herself like this.

"Can you bring it back to life again?"

"Unfortunately, once the spell has been cast successfully, the energy from the body has been used up and cannot be returned," Christina explained. She took the chicken from Ruby so as not to upset her further.

"What are you going to do with it?" Ruby asked, as Christina stood up and started walking up the stairs.

"I'm going to get rid of it," the reply was shouted down from the top of the steps.

Ruby remembered her earlier joke. She hoped it was a joke. She stood up and walked after her, "You better not be trying to cook that bird!"

Ruby was sitting in the living room after dinner. The only meat on their plates had been steak. Christina had brought the bird out the back to the garden and dropped it onto a mud patch near the corner. She waited a few seconds as a claw reached up and pulled it under. She went back inside and took a seat next to Ruby.

"You look worried?" Christina commented.

"I phoned Leti earlier but she didn't answer."

Christina shrugged, "She could be in the bath or dealing with one of those tenants of hers. She will probably call you back soon."

Ruby didn't look convinced, "I don't know. She hasn't called today and if I'm being honest, I've had this weird feeling over me all day long."

"I can help with that," Christina replied, a smirk on her lips.

"It's not that sort of feeling," Ruby chastised her, a smirk forming on her own lips as she replied, "If you do want to help, you can rub the aches out of my feet. They've swollen up in the last few days."

She thought Christina would look at her with annoyance or brush her off but was silently shocked as the only reaction she got was Christina patting her lap for Ruby to put her feet on. She kicked her heels off and lifted her stocking covered legs onto Christina's lap. The woman massaged her feet in hard circular motions. The relief brought a moan out of Ruby. The sound brought a laugh out of Christina.

"If I thought you would respond like this, I may have offered sooner," Ruby lazily swatted at her but missed, "Why didn't you tell me that you have been uncomfortable? I could have brought a more comfortable chair down to the basement while you're studying."

She didn't know whether to feel tense that Christina still expected her to study through her pain or at ease that the woman knew she would even if she hadn't told her of her discomfort.

"We have enough to worry about. My aching feet are the least of our worries," Ruby replied.

"I suppose in the grand scheme of things it is low on the list," she rubbed a particular sore spot drawing another groan from Ruby, "But it still matters. I want to know these things. Especially if they pertain to," she looked at her bump.

Ruby could see her moving her hand as if to touch it but stopped herself and resumed her massaging. It wasn't that Ruby stopped her from doing it. It was Christina's child too. She wasn't going to deny the woman the opportunity of the only available physical contact with their child. She hadn't really touched it since they resumed their own physical activities.

If Christina did touch it now, it was only fleeting. A detour on her way to nether regions.

"You can touch them if you want to," Christina 's hands stilled for a moment before resuming , "I won't judge you, Christina. It may sound silly, but I speak to them all the time. I'm not going to swat your hands away if that's what you're worried about."

"It's not," Christina looked at with such a disheartened look that baffled her, "I'm conflicted," she voiced after a beat.

"About the baby?" Ruby asked. Christina looked away, choosing not to elaborate leaving Ruby to think on it for a moment, "It's finally sinking in for you. You've been thinking about what I asked you, haven't you?"

"I have," Christina admitted. Even with all of the drama happening. Even while she was attending to business in Ardham. The question Ruby had put to her was constantly on her mind.

'What was the point of immortality if she was going to be living it eternally alone?'

"Has it made you reconsider?" Ruby tried not to sound too hopeful. She knew the woman's motivations more than anyone and the discipline she conditioned herself with to reach her goals.

"How honest do you want me to be?"

"Completely."

"I still want immortality," Christina responded, without any hesitancy, "But, I want it for you and the baby too. Think of what we could accomplish. An eternity of firsts. Not only for you and I, but for our baby too."

She kicked herself for the slight sliver of hope she previously felt, "You can't give us that."

"Yes, I can. Once I figure out how to gain it and successfully cast it, I will do the same for both of you," Christina gave her that look. It looked like she had finally found the last piece to her puzzle and could put it all together.

"No, I mean you can't even if you can accomplish it," she removed her feet from Christina's lap and sat up, "This child can't have immortality. No matter the source it comes from. Immortality. Living eternally. It will drive it to destruction that you won't be able to stop."

"I can try. I will guide them better than how I was," Christina said, with the conviction of a desperate person trying to convince themselves the benefits of doing something that was a bad idea.

"It won't work. I've already explained this to you," Ruby replied, her tone heartbroken as she desperately tried to break through to Christina, "And what about me?"

"I already told you I would give you immortality too," Christina said, with slight confusion.

"Did you even think that, that is something that I would even want? To watch my family age and die. To have to watch the same thing happen again and again. Knowing how unhappy it would make me, would you really want that for me?"

"I would never force anything on you that you didn't want," Christina replied, she held her hand out for Ruby's, clasping it gently between both of her own hands, "I want you for an eternity, Ruby. Isn't that enough?"

"You can have me," Ruby said, she knew the next bit would hurt the woman but she needed to continue, "But not with immortality. I want you in the here and now with our child or I don't want it at all."

Christina sat with her words. There were no choices that she would be making tonight.

Ruby stood up and Christina only looked up when she spoke again, "Immortality isn't going to fill the void within you, Christina. The void created from your father's neglect and your desire to surpass him, from William's murder, from everything you've faced from the men in that lodge, or from your mother's death. Accomplishing it may make you feel happy but that will eventually slip away and you will be back to living with that emptiness inside you. I want you to have a fulfilled life, Christina. It's up to you which choice gives you that."

She left the woman sitting on the chair and went to her own bedroom that night.

She was awoken early the next morning to banging at the front door. She pulled on her robe and met Christina in the hallway. She was also woken up from the noise and was tying her robe closed as she headed downstairs. Christina opened the door while Ruby stood slightly behind her.

Tic practically pushed the door open on top of her as he made his way inside, "He's got her. He's taken them."

Behind him, Ji-ah silently stepped into the house and closed the door behind her. Ruby was the last person to put the protection spell over the mansion. In her concentration, she must have neglected to include them within her intention of unwanted visitors.

"What are you talking about? Who has got who?" Ruby asked.

"McCarthy," Ruby felt her stomach drop, "He's taken Leti and the book."

"Do you know where he went?" Christina asked.

His anger was focused only on her as he towered over her, "This is all your fucking fault."

Ruby pushed him away and stood in front of Christina, "Calm down and tell us what happened."

"I came home this morning, and she was gone. I thought she might have done something," he pointed in Christina 's direction, "but then this officer knocked on the door, handed me this and told me to go there with the book" he showed the map to Ruby, who looked at it briefly before handing it to Christina.

"I don't understand. You said Leti and the book were taken. What other book is he looking for?" Christina asked, studying the map intently. It circled a place on the eastside of the city. The bastard had been in Chicago the whole time.

"She didn't have the book," Ruby said, her voice low and filled with guilt.

"Yes, she did. You gave it to her," Tic shouted back, rubbing his head in frustration.

"No, I didn't. I still have the book," Ruby sighed, as everyone looked at her in confusion, she further elaborated, "I took the cover off one of the books I was repairing and switched it with the one on the Book of Names."

"Where is it now?" Christina glared at her.

"Upstairs. On my bed."

She could hear Christina's breath hitch while Atticus clasped his hands, "Ok. This is good. There has to be something in there we can use."

"It can't be opened until Ruby gives birth," Christina replied. She kept her eyes trained on Ruby and lifted a brow as Ruby wouldn't meet her gaze, "What?"

"I didn't put an incantation on the book."

"Yes, you did. I felt it."

"Christina, you've been teaching me every day. You know the extent of my magic capabilities. The energy you were feeling near it was nothing more than basic magic properties. You would get the same feeling if you stood too close to a junction box. It was all I could translate from Hanna and Tic's notes. I would have had to die to properly seal it," Ruby finally admitted.

Tic didn't waste another moment after hearing it could be used and ran up the stairs. Leaving the women downstairs in awkward silence. Ruby felt the anger wafting off of Christina and tried to explain herself.

"Christina, I-"

"I don't want to hear more of your lies," Christina held her finger up, "You have been nothing but dishonest with me since this began."

"If you knew that book was here, you would have focused more on trying to figure out a way to open it until finding out the magical energy on it was not the same as a blood binding spell."

"So you thought it was better to lie to me? Has anything you said been truthful?" Christina asked, her voice cracking.

"I thought I could make you reconsider your quest for immortality by being around the baby and I. Uninterrupted by the book," Ruby tried pleading with her.

"I was a fool for considering wanting an eternity with you. I should have known you would betray me again," Christina snapped back instead.

Tic ran back down the stairs with the book in hand, "I'm going to get Leti. I'll read this on the way and come up with a plan."

"I'm coming with you," Christina voiced, "If anyone is killing this bastard, it's me."

Tic looked ready to protest but Ji-ah cleared her throat, getting his attention and shook her head.

"Alright, Fine! You can help get me in there but you're not getting hold of the book," Atticus stated and then looked at her robe, "You gonna get changed first?"

"I can get changed in the car. I've started keeping a spare set of clothes in there," she ignored Ruby's eyes on her, "We'll take my car. I doubt yours is protected or fast enough."

Tic nodded and walked out the door with the book. Ruby tried reaching out to Christina as she walked past her but she harshly pulled away from her touch and followed Tic. She stopped just as she reached the door frame and looked at Ji-ah.

"Make yourself useful and stay here with Ruby. I don't want her following after us, understand?" Christina said, then slammed the door behind her before Ruby could shout after her.

Ruby sat down on the stairs, feeling completely spent. Her head in her hands. She felt Ji-ah take a sit down next to her and rubbed her back.

"You did what you had to do, Ruby," Ji-ah tried sympathizing with her.

"I could have come up with a different way," Ruby replied.

"I don't think you could have. You had to save your child's future. Even if you had to use unfavorable measures to get there, it doesn't make you a bad person."

"She hates me, but she's still going to help save my sister. I could have gotten through to her. I was so close," Ruby wiped at her eyes as tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I don't think she does. She's angry and hurting and unfortunately, that can sometimes lead us to lashing out at those closest to us," Ji-ah said. Her tone giving Ruby a more optimistic view.

"You're right. Maybe I can try getting through to her again once they return," she felt Ji-ah's hand stiffen on her back and turned to face her, "What?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you," Ji-ah replied, looking down.

"Is it your vision again? The Equinox has passed. Tic and Christina are both alive."

Ji-ah nodded but still wouldn't look at her, "That vision has cleared, yes. Your child is safe from that future."

"But what?" Ruby voice roughly, getting frustrated.

Ji-ah fiddled with her fingers, "I was there when that officer knocked at the door with the map. Atticus asked me to use my powers on him, and I agreed. I saw some of his vision of what will happen there. I left him go and allowed him to return to McCarthy as not to upset the timeline."

"What did you see?" Ruby ground out between her teeth.

"Tic and Leti get out ok, but I'm sorry, Ruby. I saw Christina dying the same way she did in the first vision, bleeding and broken under collapsed rocks."

Chapter 15

They drove in complete silence. Atticus, reading the book, trying to come up with a plan. Christina, trying to calm her anger from finding out the truth. She took a corner particularly hard slamming Tic against the passenger door.

"Watch it!"

"Have you come up with a plan yet? Or do you plan on walking in there waving your gun around again?" Christina asked, annoyed.

He flicked through the pages, trying to find something that would assist them, "No, I plan on getting Leti and the baby out of there safely and then killing every last one of those fuckers."

"Oh? Is that what we're doing? And here I was thinking we would get Leti out and then sit down with them over tea," Christina replied, sarcastically.

"I don't hear you coming up with anything," Tic snapped back at her.

She tapped the steering wheel in thought before replying, "I have a plan, you're just not going to like it."

"Let's hear it."

"Open the glove compartment," Christina instructed.

Tic opened it, looked at her strangely and took out a filled vial, "What are you planning on doing with this?"

"That is going to transform me into William. McCarthy and his men still think we're two different people. This is the part you're not going to like," she briefly looked at him before looking back at the road, "I'll go in there with the book, free Leti and then use the spells within the book to kill McCarthy and collapse the place around his men."

"Not a fucking chance are you getting your hands on the book," Tic replied, slamming it closed.

"It's not like we have any better ideas," Christina pointed out, "I have better knowledge when it comes to magic. I can read the pages and cast the spells in it within the same amount of time it would take you to translate the first line of one."

"Not that I'm agreeing to this, but how can I trust that you won't screw us over and just walk away with the book?" Tic asked, watching her closely for any suspicious reaction.

"I made a promise to Ruby that I wouldn't allow Leti to get hurt," Christina replied.

"Yeah, and the way you two were going at each other's throats back there is sure putting me at ease."

"I know what you think of me. I know you hate me for everything I've done to your family , but it was never personal, Atticus," she sighed and slowed down as they neared the block before the location on the map, "I will have the book back eventually and reach immortality another way. For what it's worth, you're the last family I have. I never wanted you dead, and I certainly don't want anything to happen to your unborn child."

"You would still have sacrificed me. Hell, you'd probably still be trying if Ruby didn't give us your blood to protect us from you attempting it again," Atticus replied.

"You would be right. Unless you can find another cousin of ours to take your place," she joked but Tic's jaw clenching meant it didn't land correctly, "You're blaming yourself and you need to stop. I felt the same way when Ruby was attacked by those officers" she cocked her head "the first time that is. So, you do have someone who understands what you're going through right now. You can either trust that I will protect Leti as if she were Ruby in there with my baby or keep thinking that I'm going to run away with the book and turn my back on my child waiting for me at home."

"Doesn't sound like I have much of a choice," Tic grumbled, putting the book in between them and folding his arms.

"No, you don't," Christina agreed.

She pulled into a deserted alley once they were close to the location. She took the vial, opened the car door and got out. Going around to the back, she opened the trunk and pulled out some clothes. She looked around before taking off her robe, throwing it into the trunk and pulling on the men's clothes. They were practically falling off her thin frame.

She drank the vial and within seconds, the transformation started. Her limbs extended, facial structure changed and her hair shrank back. She checked herself out in the wing mirror, straightening out her clothes before getting back into the car.

Tic stared at her open-mouthed.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked, her voice now incredibly deeper.

He shook his head, "Nothing. Just drive on."

She could hear him muttering about Leti being right and something about freaky devil shit. She ignored it and drove to the field that was marked as the location in the mark. She parked within walking distance to where the opening was supposed to be. She spotted a black piece of metal in the ground. It looked like a long handle. She presumed that was the opening.

She grabbed the book and took hold of the door handle, but didn't move as Tic called her back.

"We should have an agreed time for you to be back. In the army, we breached the place after a certain amount of time of no communication. We need to think of a plan if you and Leti don't come back out," Atticus said. He kept one of his palms flat and slapped his other hand against it to stress his point.

"There could be tunnels down there that could take hours to navigate through," Christina thought for a moment then suddenly remembered. She reached over and opened the glove compartment and pulled out the charm, "This is infused with my blood. It will glow if someone starts to use magic against me. If it glows for a long period, then you know I'm in trouble, understand?"

Tic nodded, and then slightly worried, "If they incapacitate you, you have the book. I don't have anything I can use to go down there and defend you with."

Christina grumbled and then flicked through the pages. She landed on one that could be useful. She ripped the page out before she recalled Atticus having trouble translating spells, "You have a pen?"

He searched his pockets but there was nothing. He was suddenly confused when she glared at him and then pointedly looked at his ear. He reached up and pulled away a pencil he had tucked there while studying a few hours ago. He handed it over, and she scribbled out the instructions on how to cast it. She handed the page over to him.

"Keep that safe. I'll be back to collect it soon," Christina instructed as she shut the book again.

"What does it do?" Atticus asked.

Christina sighed as she explained, "It's similar to a protection spell. A magical bubble, you could say. No one can enter your space to harm you or cast spells against you," she got out of the car.

"You don't think that you might need this more than me?"

"I don't need it. I have my own protection and the book to help me out," she replied, cockily. She shut the door and started walking towards the middle of the field. She pulled the handle and it opened upwards. She took one last look back at Tic before descending down the steps.

She must have been walking for close to an hour. The path kept wrapping back and forth.Left and right but she could feel that she was still descending. Thankfully, lanterns lined the walls to light the way for her. Symbols were carved into the rocks, but she didn't stop to study them. She recognized half of them. Hell, she had cast the other half.

Eventually, the path kept straight and she could feel she was at the base level.She looked around for signs of anyone. It was completely silent.She knew it was a bad sign but carried on regardless.She was walking down one particular corridor when she heard a long groan.

Creeping around the corner, she saw a closed cell and a familiar body laying down withering in pain. She looked around for officers standing guard but when she saw none, she moved towards the cell. Leti was too far gone in her pain to notice her outside the cell or hear her speaking an incantation. She did notice when the cell door opened and a familiar face walked in.

"Oh, Fuck," Leti panted.

"I did have my suspicions of you checking out this form," Christina smirked, crouching down and placing the book next to her.

"Fuck off!"

"I would, but I promised Tic I would get you out of here first before I did so," she looked around to see what Leti was attached to and spoke the words to free her. When nothing happened, she tried again but had the same results. She lifted the chains to see if they were enchanted with some magic she wasn't feeling but they were ordinary chains.

"Christina?" Leti asked, noticing the trouble the blonde was having.

Christina tugged at the wall, trying to pull out the bolt when she was interrupted by the sound of the cell door closing. She turned around and there was McCarthy. She ran toward him but was thrown back by an invisible force. He picked up the book as she gathered herself up off the ground. She moved to go for him again when she was thrown back against the wall next to Leti.

Shackles suddenly wrapped around her wrists keeping her propped upright against the wall. She tried kicking her legs out but couldn't reach him. He walked in front of her and smiled.

"You really need to be more careful, Christina," she stopped struggling as she registered his words, "Changing in alley way like that," he tsked at her, "I'll admit you almost got me. You really should have changed at home."

"Why is my magic not working here?" Christina demanded to know.

He laughed and from his pocket, pulled out one of the charms she had planted on one of his officers, "Such smarts for a woman. Again, you almost got me with it but if you studied magic the way I was taught, you would have remembered the first rule. Don't bind anything with your blood unless you can protect it. I took your blood from this and traced it into the cell doors. It blocks you from using any magic in here."

Christina slammed her head back against the wall. Frustrated with her mistakes and being one-upped by this man again, "Get it over with then. Kill me."

"Why would I do that?" he asked, stroking his finger across William's prickly cheek, "I know you're protected by your mark and besides that, I want you to be there and watch while I accomplish what you could never."

"You don't need to keep her chained up. Let her go!" Christina yelled at him as Leti screeched in pain.

"I would but there's no point. I'll be back to collect the baby soon," he replied looking down at Leti.

"I already told you, you ain't getting my fucking baby!" Leti screamed up at him.

"What spell are you casting that would need her child?" Christina asked.

"A consuming spell, if you will. See, Titus made the mistake of trusting other members with this book," he tapped the cover in his hands, "We know how Horatio betrayed him. I don't intend to allow the same to happen to me. I'm going to absorb every spell of this book into my body and then destroy the book. Every spell will be at my fingertips. Can you imagine the power I will yield?"

Christina's face couldn't harden anymore than it currently was. She glared at him in a mixture of jealousy and pure hatred. He smirked back. She was going to kill him. She just needed to figure out how.

"I'll be back, ladies. Gossip away until then," he turned around and walked back out, closing the cell door behind him.

"Some fucking help you turned out to be," Leti panted, turning her head up to look at Christina.

Christina was going to respond with her own remark when she felt the transformation starting to wear off, "I apologize in advance for the mess."

Leti looked up at her strangely before she noticed the skin at William's face starting to tear open. She watched in fascination and horror as pieces of skin started to fall off and Christina's body twisted in pain. She was hit with another contraction at the same time Christina's bones started to shrink into place. They both screamed out at their own pain, looking at each other as they did so.

With her hands now more slender, Christina was able to slip them free from the chains. She started pulling off William's clothes to shed the rest of the skin. After she was fully transformed back into her own body, she put back on the t-shirt to cover her nude form.

"How the hell can Ruby see that and still want your ass," Leti moaned, the cramping getting increasingly worse.

Christina ignored the remark. She decided now would not be the best time to get into it, especially with Leti. She walked to the cell door, giving it a tug, but it wouldn't budge. She knelt down next to Leti and observed her.

"I think you're ready to push."

"What the fuck do you know? I'm not fucking pushing this thing out until I'm out of here."

"I don't think you have a choice in this, Leti. This baby is coming and it's coming now," Christina responded.

As if to prove her point, a powerful contraction hit Leti, forcing her to pull her legs to her chest. She stared at Christina as she panted hard. Her choice of help was now between a megalomaniac witch and sociopath police officer. Her choice was made for her as she cried through the next contraction and a hand slipped into hers.

"I can't move my arms that far down with the chains. I need to take off some clothing, or this baby is going to be born in my panties."

Christina nodded and slid her free hand underneath Leti's pajamas, the woman looked away as she did, and pulled down her underwear, "I wish you told me this earlier. I could have done it while I was still in William's skin. You might have gotten some enjoyment from it."

"Not now, Christina!" Leti growled.

Christina let go of her hand, moved down and knelt by her open legs, "You're almost close. I can see the top of the head."

"Do you have any experience with this?"

"It's not my first time," Christina replied. Leti stared at her until she elaborated, "I delivered a shoggoth, once."

"Those monsters that attacked us in your woods?" Leti asked. When Christina nodded, she tried moving away from her, "Nope. Nu-uh. You must be out of your mind if you think I am leaving you near me."

"What choice do you have? You can't even extend your arms down far enough to grab it when it comes out," Christina pointed out and then waited until Leti realized she would need Christina to assist her.

Leti bit her lip and whimpered as another contraction hit, "I was supposed to be at home. Ruby was supposed to be at my side. I don't even have Tic with me."

"You can't fall apart now. You already have all the strength you need to push this baby out of you, Leti," when Leti still didn't look convinced at allowing Christina to help her, she tried reassuring her, "I promised Ruby your safety. I'm not going to allow anything to happen to you or this baby until I get you back to Tic, ok?"

Leti still looked uncertain but nodded after a moment. Christina took a deep breath before pushing her pajamas further up her thighs to get a better look. The head was almost fully extended. She cradled it one hand as Leti pushed through contractions. She could feel the rest of the body slowly starting to slide against her arm.

"Fuck you and your fucking cousin. That bastard did this to me," Leti shouted and Christina ignored her. Focusing on the task currently at hand. That was literally on her hand.

"Stop pushing!" Christina shouted up to her. The baby was almost all the way out and was sliding out the last few centimeters.

She reached behind her with her free hand and grabbed William's coat. As he finally slipped free, she wrapped him in it and used the sleeves to wipe him down and clear his face of blood and mucus.

"Is he ok?" Leti asked. She hadn't heard anything, and he wasn't moving. She was worried that the vial McCarthy made her drink had harmed him.

Christina kept wiping until a high-pitched cry came from the bundle in her arms. She smiled at Leti before looking down at him. Cradled in her arms, she gazed at his features. Thick curls of hair were slightly flattened against his head. She caught a quick sight of teary golden brown eyes from beneath scrunching up eyelids. His skin was a darker shade to Leti's, but he had most of her features.

She counted all the fingers to make sure everything was accounted for when a tiny hand grabbed hold of her finger. She used her thumb to stroke his chubby cheek. Her thoughts drifted to her own baby. She wondered if things were too messed up with Ruby to be given this chance. To be there when her baby was born. To hold her child and gaze upon that face for the first time. She was hit with deliberating feeling of dread when she thought about it.

Leti shifted backwards, slowly getting her breath back. It drew Christina out of her thoughts. She shook away the confusing feeling. She moved closer to Leti and handed the baby over. Leti silently cried with tears of happiness as she looked down at his face for the first time. She looked at Christina and while she wouldn't say the appreciative words, the woman nodded her head in understanding.

"Did you have a name picked out?" Christina whispered.

"Yeah," Leti replied, cradling him close to her chest, "George. His name is George."

They sat almost shoulder to shoulder against the wall. Christina wondered if the charm even glowed for Atticus or was McCarthy one step ahead of her with that too. The only thing she could think of was that she needed to get out of the cell. Her magic was only blocked in that room but it would work outside of it.

She was pulled from her thoughts as footsteps got closer to the cell. She looked up to see an officer opening the door and stepping aside to allow McCarthy and three other officers to enter. One grabbed Christina, pulling her to her feet and dragging her backwards as another ripped the baby from Leti's arms.

"No, no please. Don't take him. Don't fucking touch him! Please," Leti pleaded. She reached forward desperately to have him placed back in her arms.

Christina stomped down on the foot of the officer holding her and then brought her elbow into his stomach and pushed him back to the ground. She tried to reach the door but McCarthy stood in front of it. The officer near her, punched her in the side of the face knocking her to the ground. McCarthy tsked at her before bending down and pulling a hunting knife out from under his pants near his ankle. He held his free hand out to the officer holding the baby who handed George over.

"Now, you're going to exit this cell with me like a good little girl and when you do, I want you to keep something in mind," he smirked and waved the knife over the baby, ignoring Leti 's cries as he did so, "I can hurt him faster than you can mutter a spell," he smiled as Christina was dragged to her feet, "Now then, shall we?"

The officers shoved her out the door first. McCarthy followed behind them, not sparing another glance at Leti.

"Christina! You promised to keep him safe!" Leti shouted after her.

Christina clenched her hands in frustration of her own helplessness as they kept pushing her forward, until the cell was no longer in sight and she could no longer hear Leti wail.

Chapter 16

The officers led her down another corridor. None of them spoke. The only sounds were George's gurgling and the guards keys clinking together hanging off their pants. They reached a closed large metal door. They stopped her before it and the two guards stepped in front of her. They each put a key in on either side and twisted the keys at the same time.

After they had heard the click of the door unlocking, the guards grabbed hold of the handle and heaved it open. The door scraped along the ground as they pulled it towards them. Once it was fully open, the cold air hit them like a wave. It was followed closely by the smell of death and dust. Christina squinted and tried to see into the room but it was pitch black.

One of the officers stepped into the room and spoke an incantation. As he did so, all of the lanterns within the room lit up. The officer pushed at her shoulder, signalling her to start walking into the room. Even with all of the lantern lit, it was still difficult to see the outskirts of the room. In the middle, on a raised platform, was a concrete altar with the different spell symbols carved into it. Behind the altar, were rocks, with wood stuck to them, piled on top of each other to create a door archway.

She recognized the pieces stuck onto the rocks. It was from the frame of the Ardham lodge. It contained the names of the founding members. Titus Braithwhite's name standing tall at the top. Horatio Winthrop's name was missing and in its place, Russell McCarthy.

The officers lit the floor standing candelabras near the altar. When he did, she could see the stains of dried blood on the table. The book was placed on a stand near the stone archway. Two of the officers stayed near the door and the other grabbed Christina by her arm and dragged her up the step to the altar. McCarthy followed behind her.

He placed the baby on the table. Christina watched his movements carefully.

"It's not the winter solstice yet. I don't see how you expect this spell to work without the power from it," Christina voiced, as he settled the baby in position so as to not roll off the table.

"I don't need it. I was content waiting but this determined unsuccessful sleuthing from you, Well, I decided to speed up the process," he cocked his head to the side, not turning around to look at her, "The energy from a pure of soul is all I need. You can't get anymore innocent than that of the soul of a newborn. This one also carries the blood of Titus Braithwhite. You and this one's father carry the same, but neither of you are exactly pure of heart."

"How did you learn how to do all of this? You were just an initiate."

After George was successfully placed to not move around, he turned around and walked towards the stand and flipped through the book. He looked up briefly, "An initiate with promise is still better than the female child of the leader of the Sons of Adam. Your father taught me everything I know. He confided in me things that helped shape my approach to magic. The sacrifices that come with it, but you already know that, don't you."

She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and anger. The anger of not being the son her father wanted and was instead, an inferior daughter. The anger of not being good enough and Samuel choosing this man to lay his knowledge onto while she had to seduce William for the same. She should be the one in McCarthy's place about to absorb the book.

George gurgled on the table and she looked over at him. If McCarthy had known about Ruby's pregnancy, it could have been her baby on the table about to be sacrificed. As it was, it was her distant cousin currently laying there. She could see those arms moving under the swaddle and knew he was reaching for his mother. She would get him back to her.

There was going to be an opening. She just needed to wait for it.

Leti was curled up within herself. Her crying had stopped, but she was still in unbearable pain. The thought of her child possibly about to be sacrificed was too much for her heart to take. She had tugged violently at the chains, but they didn't budge. Complete exhaustion had finally caught up with her.

She thought she heard someone yelling after her, but her tired mind had already hallucinated a baby crying in the room so she wasn't too trusting of it. There was banging at the cage door and someone rattling it but it still didn't shake her from her current state.

The door opened and then someone had an arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"Leti?"

Tic.

She lifted her head up. She could barely get through the words she spoke without cracking, "He's taken him. He's going to sacrifice George."

Tic looked stumped. Leti wasn't due yet. He looked at her slightly thinner frame and the blood dropped on the floor near her and knew something had happened to their child. He looked around for any sign of Christina when he noticed the bundle of bloody clothes she had been wearing and the pile of flesh near it. He almost missed Matthew's body within the gory mess.

Over an hour after Christina had descended down the steps, the charm had started to glow. Tic instantly cast the spell on the page and prayed that it worked before heading down.

He rubbed his lips together and tried to hold back the fury and grief his son's kidnapping brought, "Where are they?"

"Christina promised to save him."

"Leti? Where did he take George?"

She wasn't making sense. Atticus wasn't sure if it was exhaustion or blood loss that was affecting her, "She promised to absorb the energy."

Her eyes were starting to close and her head started to tilt back until it hit the wall behind her. Tic rubbed at her face to try and wake her up but it wasn't working, "Leti! Come on! Wake up! "

He grabbed the chains, planted his feet and pulled. He grunted through the pain in his arms and kept the pressure on them. The bolt came away from the wall. The lack of resistance throwing him backwards. He scrambled back towards Leti and tried to pull at the clasps around her wrists, but they wouldn't budge.

He was torn between getting Leti out safely and going after George. If they had managed to immobilize Christina, he would have his work cut out for him. Then again, if he left Leti in the state she was in, there was no guarantee she would be alive when he returned. If he returned. It would take a long time to get back to the surface and by then it could be too late for Leti.

He knew what Leti would want him to do. George's life came first now.

He grabbed her hand between his, leaned in and kissed her. Just as he was about to whisper a goodbye, footsteps sounded behind him. He turned around and saw Ruby and Ji-ah heading towards him. Ruby had taken in his expression and instantly put a hand to her mouth.

"Is she?" she couldn't say it. Not her little sister.

"No," Tic replied, "But I need to get her out of here or else she will be."

"I can try a healing spell," Ruby said, stepping into the cell. She ignored the mess around her and focused on her sister. She channeled healing intention and gazed at Leti as she spoke but she didn't wake up. The spell was being cast successfully, but she could feel Leti didn't need it, "She doesn't need a healing spell. She's been using magic, that's the problem. She's used up her energy to cast it."

"She's not going to die?" Tic asked. He wiped his eyes when Ruby shook her head.

"You still need to get her out of here. This place is going to be coming down soon."

He nodded, but then yelled, "George. He has George,"

"I'll get him. You focus on getting my sister out of here," Ruby directed.

He gathered Leti into his arms. Ji-ah moved the chains onto her body, so they wouldn't trip his feet. He quickly moved out of the cell, taking care to not bang her head and ran up the hallway that led to the surface.

"Ruby, there's no guarantee your interference will change the outcome," Ji-ah said, "You're putting your life and your child's at risk by being here. It's not too late to catch up with Tic. I will do my best to get George."

"After the shit you pulled, you're lucky I let you come with me at all," Ruby replied, her tone low and dangerous, "I'm getting my nephew and Christina. We wouldn't have been in this mess if you were just honest at the house."

"I've already upset the timeline from interfering the first time. I didn't want to tell you the second time as I thought that this was supposed to be Christina's fate. This is the second time I've seen her death in such a similar way. "

"Her fate isn't going to be death," Ruby brushed past her and started walking down the other corridor. Ji-ah following after her.

She had to keep him talking. The longer the better.

"Why not go back to Ardham to cast this? You brought most of the components needed back with you anyway."

He flipped through the book and hummed, as if contemplating answering her question, "That astral plane was more familiar to your father and the other members. I studied and practiced most of the spells in here. This place holds more energy because of that. I can tap into that familiar energy that lingers here to add to incantations of this nature that require more than what I can physically provide."

She nodded. He was smart.

"What will you do once you absorb the spells? With immortality and Titus's spells at your fingertips, you must have some plans."

"Your father had the brilliant idea of returning everything to its rightful place. I want the same thing, and I will make sure, through immortality, the balance of nature never slips again," He replied.

She nodded again. He was stupid.

"What about-" she started to ask but was cut off.

"I think that's enough questions. It's time to begin."

He stood in front of the stone arch and began speaking in Adam. The names started to glow gold. The room started to shake and loose pieces of soil and rock overhead started to fall down. Unperturbed, McCarthy continued until a portal opened in the middle of the arch.

He switched back to English as he stood before the arch, "I call upon you, my brothers, to assist me with my spell. Guide my hands and hear my words so that our spells can live within me for eternity. Our work will be immortalized through my blood, and I will rebuild our brotherhood once more. We will be the unstoppable peacekeepers. To honor my promise, I will sacrifice this child so that his soul will be given up for the eternal rest of yours. His energy will provide what is needed for my spell to eternally protect our work. Hear me now!"

He took out the same knife he had earlier and started walking towards the table. He stopped halfway as the ground shook violently. He planted his feet, grounding himself and continued forward. Christina tried to intercept him but was smacked on the back of the head by the officer next to her and dragged down to her knees. He fisted a hand in her hair to keep her in place to watch the sacrifice.

As he stood in front of the table, he raised the knife above his head, ready to strike. He took a deep breath and brought it down in one swift strike. He crumpled to his knees before it stabbed George. He tried holding onto the table but fell backwards until he was lying flat on his back. His muscles stopped working. He turned his head to look at Christina who began to laugh maniacally.

She quickly spoke an incantation and the officer, holding onto her by the hair, dropped dead next to her. She stood up and stalked towards the table. As the two guards by the door tried to run at her, she held her hand up, muttered another incantation and they were thrown against the walls. They hit them with a hard smack and fell to the ground, unmoving.

She picked up George, who had begun crying and stood over McCarthy.

"What's happening to me?" He gasped out.

"What's happening is your underestimation of me," she smiled down at him, "You may have enchanted the cell to make sure that I couldn't leave or use magic, but you forgot that Leti can also use magic. I had been creating my own spell. One, that could suck the energy from a living source and feed it into another. Thanks for the boost. It's just what I needed to finish this."

Flashback - earlier, in the cell

Christina was assisting Leti with the postpartum aftercare as best as she could. She had to make do with a sharp rock and the laces off William's shoes to cut the cord. She wiped her hands on the shirt to clean them off as she sat down next to Leti. George was nuzzled into her chest. As she gazed at him, she thought of her own child. She hoped they would be allowed to grow up together.

She wanted them to be better cousins then she and Tic were. She wanted them to look out for each other and protect each other. She wanted them to have the best parts of Ruby and Leti's relationship. She wondered if they would learn magic and if she would ever be trusted in being the one to guide them. She knew the baby in Leti's arms was going to grow up with magic crackling at his fingertips. Not only from his ancestral bloodline, but from his parents too.

It hit her suddenly.

"Did you try using magic in here?" Christina asked.

"No," Leti shook her head, "Everything happened so fast. I was knocked out and then he made me drink that vial and next thing I knew I was in labor and your head was between my legs."

Christina didn't want to get her hopes up, but she wished for a slip up from McCarthy, "If you're going to tell Ruby I assisted you, please rephrase how you say it. Wouldn't want her getting the wrong idea," she ignored the glare Leti leveled her with, "If you can use magic, we might still have a chance."

"How? You want me to open the door?"

Christina shook her head, "No, he's bound that with an incantation containing my blood. Only he can lift it."

"Ok? Well, what do you suggest?" Leti asked. She also didn't want to get her hopes up, but she was willing to try anything to save her son.

"I've been working on a spell of my own creation. It's similar to McCarthy's but rather than absorbing the book, it would absorb the energy from another living soul. It was to cut out the need for human sacrifice," Christina explained.

Leti looked at her with hesitancy, "What? You want me to cast it on you?"

Christina shook her head, "No. While I'm quite sure he will, I can't be certain that when he comes back for George, he will take me too. If he takes George and you have placed the spell on him, it will absorb McCarthy's energy the longer he's around him until he has been sucked dry. He won't be able to complete his spell without it."

"Absorbing that much energy, will it hurt him?" Leti asked, looking down at the bundle in her arms.

"It shouldn't. Not if it's only in his body for a short amount of time."

"What if we can't get to him in time?"

"I gave Tic a charm to alert him if I have been debilitated. He should know by now that we need some assistance and should be on his way down," Christina replied.

"There's a lot of shoulds and maybes to this plan of yours, Christina," Leti bared her teeth at her, "I'm not going to gamble my child's life on something that you think might work."

"Do you have any other choice?" Christina asked, trying to keep her tone free of the frustration she was feeling, "Do or don't, but he is coming back and is going to take George to use as a sacrifice. You would be giving him the best chance of survival."

"And if he takes you with him too?"

Christina licked her lips, "As soon as I know that George has absorbed all of his energy, I will remove it from him and absorb it within myself."

"Promise you will keep him safe," Leti demanded. She held him impossibly closer to her chest.

"I promise."

Leti took a deep breath and sighed heavily, "What do I need to do?"

Christina quickly hid her smile. She began explaining the words to say, how to pronounce them, how Leti's intention should be directed and how to convert the energy from her body to place the incantation over George. They had a better chance of success with George being her blood and the energy needed would be a lot less as he was so small. They were lucky, as Leti didn't have much energy left after childbirth.

She grabbed Christina's hand and held onto George with the other. Leti told herself it was just for some extra energy. She kept her eyes on George's face as she spoke the words as Christina directed. The energy it pulled from her body almost knocked her out. Christina squeezed her hand to keep her grounded. They both waited with bated breath when she spoke the last word.

They noticed a glittering film forming on his skin before disappearing inside of it. He didn't make a sound that anything had happened or that he felt anything.

"Is that it?" Leti asked.

"I think so," Christina replied. She couldn't believe it had worked. She had created her own spells before but not one that wielded this much power, "You got anything left in you to try another spell?"

Leti shook her head slowly. The action, itself, was almost too much, "I don't think I have anything else to give."

Christina sighed in disappointment. They would have to hope it worked as they didn't have anything else at their disposal. She sat back against the wall next to Leti. Leti focused her full attention on George. Trying to breath as much of him in as possible, as they would be back soon and he would be taken away. It wasn't long before they heard the footsteps walking towards the cell.

She closed her eyes as she cradled George and began speaking the incantation to absorb McCarthy's energy from his small frame. She breathed deep as the energy filled her body and settled in her bones. She opened her eyes and looked at McCarthy like a shark.

"What are you going to do?" He asked, gruffly.

"I'm going to let you watch while I accomplish what you could never," she sneered. Throwing his previous words back at him.

He gulped and watched her step forward towards the arch. She moved George to one arm and flipped the pages in the book in the other. She read over the written words quickly. She curled George closer to her body as more soil started to fall around them. The place appeared to be slowly collapsing. McCarthy looked up in horror.

"It shouldn't be falling apart like this," He shouted at her, as he looked around his crumbling base.

"George had begun sucking your energy the moment he was placed in your arms," Christina began explaining, "When you started that incantation of yours you didn't have the energy to back what it needed. You upset the balance of nature but tipped it unfavorably in your favor. Thus," she looked around as more rocks started to fall out of the walls and down onto the ground below.

She turned back to the book and then looked towards the still open portal. She opened her mouth to speak the first words of the spell when a familiar voice shouted from behind her.

"Christina!"

Chapter 17

"Christina!"

Her heart ached from hearing that voice. It was filled with such relief and realization for what Christina was about to do.

She didn't turn around to face her as she spoke, "Why are you here, Ruby?"

"I-" Ruby glanced at Ji-ah standing next to her. The woman held a hand over her eyes trying to shield herself from falling debris, "Ji-ah used an officer to see his vision. She saw you dying here."

"Well, as you can see, the officers are dead so that vision is no longer trustworthy," she sneered at the corpse of the officer near her, "I would say our connection now renders the same treatment."

"Everything I did, I did for you, Christina. It wasn't going to satisfy you and deep down, you know that," Ruby tried to move towards the platform but rocks continued to fall in front of her, " I was always going to give you the book. I just wanted you to see the life you could have before you got it. You saw it too, didn't you? It's what scared you last night. You realized that it's an empty pursuit that you could be happy without achieving."

McCarthy started to laugh from his place on the floor. He caught Christina's eyes as he taunted, "You allow those," he nodded his head in Ruby's direction but didn't look at her, "To speak to you like that? What the hell could they possibly know about magic? It's ours."

She needed to finish the spell before she could kill him. She could end his life with a simple incantation right now, his energy was depleted, but the vengeance part of her wanted him to watch her enact his spell.

"No, it's mine," Christina replied, staring him down. He broke the eye contact as a large boulder fell near his feet.

"Christina, please, you know this isn't what you want anymore. Think of what this is going to cost you. You think this is going to give you unmitigated freedom, but it's not. It's not even going to be your achievement. It's Titus's and your father's and your quest to prove to them that you can do this. You accomplish this and what? You're going to rub it in their faces? They're dead, Christina. You're alive and you can live your life according to how you want and I know you want a life with our baby," Ruby pleaded up to her. She thought she had almost gotten through when Christina finally turned around to face her. Ruby thought she could see something that resembled complete sanity in those eyes.

"Your baby?" McCarthy asked, looking back and forth between the women, "I chose the wrong sister. I should have kept going for that one."

Christina walked past him and stepped off the platform. She walked to Ruby, uncaring as everything fell around them. Ruby gave her a gentle look when she finally stood in front of her.

"Take George and get out of here," Christina directed. She handed him over to Ruby, who grabbed hold of him on instinct.

Christina turned around and stepped back onto the platform. Ruby shouted after her, "Christina! No! Don't do this!"

"I have to!" Christina shouted back, twirling back around to face her, "I have to make sure that the book never falls into the hands of someone like him again."

"We'll find another way to keep it from them. This place is coming down. You'll be killed in the time it takes to fully enact it," Ruby replied. She handed the baby over to Ji-ah, "Take him and get him out here," she pointed towards the door as Ji-ah began to protest, "Please, Ji-ah. Get him out safely."

Ji-ah gave her a small smile. The meaning behind it was clear. It was a goodbye. She believed Ruby was going to die down there with Christina and the captain.

Without fear, as rubble fell around her, Ruby walked to the platform and stepped onto it. She stood behind Christina as the woman muttered an incantation. Ruby remembered similar words spoken when Christina gave her the mark of Cain. The version she spoke now was different. Christina was removing her own mark to cast the incantation.

Finally noticing the presence behind her, she turned around and noticed the brief glimpse of Ji-ah as she disappeared down the corridor with George.

"Ruby, you need to get out of here. Your mark isn't enough to protect you from the blowout of energy after I cast this," Christina stepped towards her, both pleading and instructing her to run.

"I'm not leaving without you. I'm not allowing that vision to come true. I need you, Christina. I need you in our child's life. I need you to teach them magic. I need you to dance with me to the record player I'm going to buy you. I need you to be frustratingly honest with me and allow me to be that for you too. I need you to grow into old age with me surrounded by our family," she held out her hand, "I need you to come home with me."

Ruby could see her lifting her hand, but watched it drop back to her side as McCarthy shouted up at them, "That is why we never allowed cunts in. You would never be able to complete the sacrifices we have to make. Your father understood that when he killed your mother while perfecting his protection spell," Christina stepped towards him but he didn't falter, "There I was thinking you could surpass him, but it appears I was wrong. Not only are you weaker than him, but you're a fucking Eve. Causing nothing but destruction everywhere you go."

"Yet, you're laying there, and I'm here in your place. I'm more powerful than you, and my father could have ever hoped to be," Christina spat down to him.

"Prove it! Cast the incantation and sacrifice your own blood. Only then will you be absolute."

Christina looked to Ruby who silently pleaded with her to not listen to him. She grabbed her hand. Ruby gasped as she thought Christina was making her choice to come home. She was shocked as the woman stepped into her space and kissed her deeply before pulling back and sighing at her sadly.

"I'm sorry, Ruby."

She grabbed the book off the stand and began speaking Adam's words. McCarthy laughed but frowned in puzzlement as Christina wasn't speaking his incantation. His wondering of what spell she was casting only lasted a few moments as pain ripped throughout his body. Deep cuts appeared on his body and the skin began to peel back from the incisions. His bones started to break and pull away from the joints. As the cuts got deeper, his limbs started to severe away from his abdomen.

It wasn't long before his body eventually resembled the aftermath of the skin-shedding she had gone through earlier. Ruby looked from the mess to Christina, wondering about her previous actions and what she was going to do next.

"Christina?"

"I'm going to destroy the book."

"What?" Ruby asked. When had she decided on that? How had she decided on that?

"I'd rather you leave as this place is still going to fall apart soon, but this spell won't harm you if you wish to stay," Christina spoke with a neutral tone as not to give away any emotion.

"What's going to happen to you, after you destroy it?" She knew the answer. It took a life to seal the book. It was going to take the same to destroy it.

"Perhaps, Ji-ah wasn't wrong about one thing," Christina replied with a watery smile.

"Christina! Don't do this!" Ruby warned.

"I can't risk it ever falling into the hands of someone like him again. The other lodges know of its existence. I cannot allow a chance for them to get a hold of it. I need to protect my family," she glanced at the mess that was McCarthy as she looked back at Ruby, "He was correct about one thing. My father did kill my mother, but he did so as she took my place. He was going to use me to practice on. I'm sure he thought with me dead, he could try again for another child. Hoping for a son, I'm sure. My mother sacrificed her life for mine. How can I be a good parent if I'm not willing to do the same for my child?"

Ruby bit her lip. There had to be another way. She couldn't allow Christina to sacrifice herself like this. The portal was starting to become more unstable. It gave her an idea.

"Christina, that portal, what is on the other side?"

"Nothing," Christina said. She was uncertain of Ruby's intentions, "He didn't have enough energy to open it to his intended location. It's an empty void."

Ruby nodded and walked towards her. She grabbed the book before she could say anything and stood before the portal. Christina instantly joined her next to her side. She looked at her with heartache knowing Ruby's intention.

"We can't throw it in. The book is protected against entering such things after Horatio stole some of the pages," Christina explained with sadness.

"The book might be, but the words aren't," Ruby replied. Christina briefly pondered what she meant when the realization struck, "Just like lifting butterflies off a page, right?"

Christina held one end of the book and Ruby held onto the other as they began chanting. The words lifted from the pages and moved towards the portal as if being sucked into it. More and more letters floated through the air, all being destroyed in the vacuum of the portal. They gasped as they reached the end of the book. With the book emptied of its magical components, it was rendered useless. Ruby shut it closed and staring into Christina's eyes, she threw the book into the portal.

The ground beneath them began to crack and break apart. Ruby held her hand out to grab Christina, but the woman was thrown backwards as the platform splintered and pushed upwards. Ruby watched in horror as Christina fell into the pit it created. There were more deep cracking sounds heard overhead and when she looked up, she saw large boulders falling down to where Christina fell in. Christina hadn't put her mark back on, and the fall had made her disorientated as her head hit hard rock. She tried to speak, but she must have hit her head harder than she thought as it came out a garbled mess.

When put in a life or death situation, your life can flash before your eyes. For Christina, she saw her childhood in it's full neglect. She saw the happiness of casting her first spell successfully. She saw William's pride as he taught her everything he knew and then finding his body in the water. She saw herself in the mirror, standing in William's skin when she mastered his spell. She saw Ruby singing in all her glory.

She saw Ruby's face in the glow of the aftermath of their love. She saw George's face and closed her eyes imagining the face of what her own child would look like. She hoped Ruby would forgive her.

Ruby tried to recall what the words Christina had spoken when she gave the mark to her. It was similar to the version she spoke when removing it. She quickly translated the words within her head and filled in the gaps of the spell of what she thought it could be. She spoke it just before the boulders fell on top of Christina.

Soil and dirt gathered in the air like a cloud after the impact. She coughed and held her hand to her mouth and ran towards the hole. She gasped as she looked down to see two bright blue eyes gazing back up at her with the utmost pride. The rocks had split on either side of Christina. Keeping her body intact between them.

She pulled herself out and grabbed hold of Ruby's hand. They didn't waste time as they ran towards the exit.

A couple of months later

There was a knock at the front door. It was almost missed from the screaming coming from the upstairs bedroom. Leti opened the door to a man dressed in a suit. He carried a large leather medical bag in one hand and a piece of paper with the address to the house on the other.

"Christina Braithwhite?" He asked, looking Leti up and down.

She rolled her eyes at him and ushered him into the house, "She's upstairs and it's Ruby Baptiste you'll be providing your care to."

At the sound of another scream, Leti grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up the stairs towards the noise. He had assisted plenty of women giving birth so was used to the sight that usually greeted him. However, as Leti opened the bedroom door, he was surprised to see a woman in full labor laying in the middle of a circular bed with another woman pressing kisses to her cheek and forehead as she vocalized her encouragement. The woman was almost acting like a partner. Every woman he had cared for through labor, their husbands had sat outside in the waiting room while their wives gave birth alone.

"Doctor's here," Leti said, closing the door behind them.

Christina's eyes snapped up to his and she waved towards the bed and demanded, "Good. Roll up your sleeves and get to work. You are to give your utmost care."

He gulped and glanced from Leti to Ruby before looking back to Christina, "There's um- There's a colored friendly hospital on the south side if you- " he was cut off by Christina and swallowed in fear as Leti folded her arms and stepped closer to him.

"I transferred money to you last month to come here and deliver this baby when the time came. You are already late as it is. I do not care about what hospitals are in this city. You will do the job you are paid to do, and you will do so with the greatest of care, understand? Or not only will I take back the generous payment I sent you, I will make sure you will never practice in Chicago again," Christina leveled him with the most serious of looks and watched him cautiously approach the bed and open his bag.

Christina only looked away as Ruby groaned through another contraction. She ignored the harsh squeezing on her hand as Ruby pushed through the pain. Leti rounded the bed on her other side and grabbed hold of her other hand.

"Come on, Ruby," Leti encouraged.

"You're doing so good, Baby," Christina spoke into her ear.

"Will you both shut up!" Ruby yelled, grinding her teeth as she continued to push. The pain was becoming unbearable, and their voices were getting on her nerves.

The doctor worked away, trying to ignore the unusual set up between the women. Every time he looked up to see how they were interacting, he was met with harsh glares that made him put his head back down.

Christina wiped Ruby's forehead with a cool cloth to try and ease her discomfort. Leti tried to grab it out of her hand, "You're doing it wrong. You're supposed to dab it."

"I'm capable of applying a washcloth, Leti," Christina glared back.

"I've given birth. I know what I'm talking about. I would have wanted someone to dab a cloth not just wipe," Leti replied.

She held onto one side of the cloth, and Christina kept hold of the other. The tightness from which they were holding it, caused the water to wring out and dribble down onto Ruby's face. In frustration, she reached up and grabbed it from both of them and threw it down towards the bottom of the bed. The doctor was peeking up to watch them again when he was hit with the wet cloth. He pulled it off his face with annoyance and threw it beside him. He didn't look up again after that.

A short time later, and a particular painful contraction that almost crushed both the hands held within her own, the doctor spoke, "We have some movement. I can see the head."

Leti and Christina both seemed to have the same idea, as they leaned over and peeked down. Leti was the first to pull back in disgust, wondering why she had even looked in the first place. It had only been due to a little bit of curiosity on her part and now she was sure she was going to have nightmares for years to come.

Christina had to be practically pulled back by Ruby. She was more content in watching the miracle that was the birth of their child.

"Haven't you seen enough babies born? Keep it up, and I'm going to start thinking you like that shit," Leti asked, unable to hide the disgust at the thought Christina had seen her in a similar state.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to witness the birth of my child," Christina retorted. Unable to help herself and aching to get a dig back in at Leti, she smirked and added, "Although, I can say the resemblance is-," she stopped speaking as she was leveled with glares from both women. She closed her mouth and went back to supporting Ruby.

Ruby continued to groan with every contraction, as more and more of the baby was slowly being brought into the world. She gasped in relief when the doctor told her that she could finally stop pushing. They watched with bated breath as the rest of the baby slid free. The doctor caught it in the towel he had ready. He looked at it briefly before announcing, over the baby's cries,

"It's a girl."

Leti squealed in happiness while Christina gave Ruby a lingering kiss. As she pulled away, she whispered, "Our girl."

He cleaned it off and clamped the cord. He was getting ready to cut it when Christina spotted him and stopped him. She looked at Ruby, silently communicating her request and smiled when the woman nodded back her permission. Christina grabbed the scissors from his hands and cut between the clamps. She took the baby from his arms, before he was finished and gazed down in tears at the newborn's face as she handed their child over to an exhausted Ruby.

Leti and Christina sat slightly behind her as they all gazed down at the bundle. She had settled down and stopped crying after being placed in her mother's arms. Ruby kissed her head and breathed in that newborn scent Leti had been telling her about. She blinked her eyes open, trying to focus on the women watching over her. Leti and Ruby looked at each other as blue eyes stared up at them. Christina smile widened as she caught sight of the color.

After a few moments more basking in the glow of the newborn, the doctor had to finish cleaning Ruby up. As soon as he was finished, Leti disentangled herself from the group and practically dragged him down the stairs.

"What is she to that woman?" He asked, as they were almost at the front door. His curiosity once again got the better of him.

"Christina?" Leti asked. He nodded, and she thought about how to answer it before opening the door and smirking, "Her worse half. "

She pushed him out and shut the door in his face.

The moment he was outside, he suddenly felt very dizzy and ill. He looked around not recognizing where he was or what he was doing there.

Upstairs, Christina was cuddled into Ruby's side. Her fingers brushing against their daughter's hair. Ruby looked between the two of them with so much love. The feeling was mirrored within Christina's eyes as she gazed back at her.

"I'm so proud of you," Christian said. She removed her hand from the girl's head and stroked Ruby's cheek, "Thank you for giving me this."

Ruby stroked Christina's face before cupping her cheek and pulling her up for a sweet kiss. They were interrupted by the loud voice of her sister walking back in.

"Haven't you done enough of that already?" Leti shook her head in disgust. She had already gotten used to the fact that this attraction was real. Montrose coming out first had helped her digest it more easily. However, she didn't think she would ever accept her sister choosing the devil as a partner, "Aren't you worried about that doctor blabbing around town about you two?"

Christina smirked and shook her head, "He's not going to remember a thing," when Leti looked perplexed she elaborated, "The same memory loss spell that was put on you back on Ardham."

Leti rolled her eyes before saying, "I have to head home and collect George. I'm sure he would love to meet his new cousin. I'll be back soon."

Ruby waved her off while Christina watched her leave with a smile. Happy to finally be left alone with her family.

"How are you feeling?" Ruby asked.

Christina blinked. It had to be a trick. In reply, she asked, "I'm sorry, was I the one who just gave birth? How are you feeling?"

"Sore, but I just-" Ruby sighed at her, "With everything that's happened, Is this living up to expectation? Is it worth it?"

Christina didn't look away as she answered, "Yes. You both are."

Ruby nodded. She looked towards the wardrobe and back at Christina, who had her eyes on the baby, "There's a box on the bottom of my side of the wardrobe. Will you get it for me please?"

Christina gave her a strange look, but did as she requested. She found the box and sat it beside Ruby as she laid back down next to her. Ruby handed the baby over to her while she rummaged through the box.

She was too engrossed taking in all her daughter's features to notice what Ruby was pulling out. She only looked up when Ruby cleared her throat. She cocked her head when she saw what she was holding.

"What is that?" Christina asked, sitting up until her shoulder was touching Ruby's.

"It's a book," Ruby stated, bluntly. She elaborated as Christina stared at it blankly, "I've already put some in there, including the one you taught Leti, but it's up to you to fill the rest."

"I don't understand," Christina replied.

Ruby motioned for them to swap over and very gently, the baby was passed back over into her arms while Christina took the book, "While you may be Eve, Christina, remember not only did she fuck, but she also created," they both looked down at the bundle in her arms, "This is what you're going to use when you begin creating spells with our daughter."

"What about the Sons of Adam?" Christina asked, feeling worried.

"Their book is gone. This is going to be a book filled with our incantations. They won't be able to translate your words without you as a cypher," she sighed and looked at Christina, "I can't give you immortality but I can do my best to give you a taste of it. This book. Everything you create and put in here. This book and our baby. They are your immortality, Christina. They will be how you will exist eternally."

Christina flipped through the book and noticed only the first two pages were filled. The rest were blank. She was going to have her work cut out for her to fill it up, but she would have another partner to help her in years to come as their girl grew up.

Ruby watched her intently, trying to guess her reaction. Christina had perfected the art of the mask long ago, but had continuously shared her honest feelings with Ruby. However, she couldn't read her this time. Christina closed the book and fingered the inscription on the front. In proud gold lettering.

'The Daughters of Eve'

When she spoke, she tried to convey her words with the most genuine tone, "Thank you."

"Don't even think that you're going to be down in that basement all the time now," Ruby warned, with a hint of amusement. If Christina was left to her own devices, she would rarely see the light of day as she studied.

"I'll be here. With you," Christina promised.

Ruby placed the baby between them and settled back against the bed. She wanted to sleep for a little while. She took one last glance at the small body as her eyes closed in tiredness. Sleep, a welcoming friend. Blue eyes kept watch over both of them.

A short time later, Ruby was awoken to a ruckus downstairs. The day's events had finally caught up with Christina as she too was waking up after hearing the noise. They only had to lift their heads before they recognized Leti stomping up the stairs.

"Wait there! I'll check to make sure they're decent," Leti shouted, down the stairs as she neared the bedroom.

"Ruby just had a baby, Leti. There's bound to be some mess," Atticus yelled back up at her.

"I ain't talking about that mess, Tic. You should have seen them when Ruby was giving birth," Ruby rolled her eyes at her sister's crassness. She thought motherhood would mature her sister, but very little had changed.

The door opened and Leti peeked her head in the opening a moment later, "You guys awake?"

"We certainly are now," Christina sighed in reply. She made a mental note to exclude Leti from the protection spell over the house.

Leti stepped back out into the hall and hollered for Atticus to join her upstairs. She headed straight for the bed, when she stepped back in and gazed down at the sleeping bundle. A few seconds later, Atticus walked in holding a sleeping George in his arms. He stood near the door, not wanting to impose on the scene. As much as he wanted to check in on Ruby, there was still too much tension between himself and Christina. He held back as not to disturb the peaceful scene.

Leti moved away from the bed to take George from his arms.

Christina helped Ruby to sit up and place the baby back in her arms as Leti took a seat on the opposite side of the bed.

"Look, George. It's your cousin," Leti cooed to the sleeping baby, "You finally going to tell us that name?"

They had picked a name out weeks ago. Leti had begged her to tell her, but they wanted to keep it until the baby was born before sharing it. Ruby looked at Christina, the woman giving her a smile and a small nod. She gazed down at their daughter as she replied,

"Her name is Clarissa."