Nephilim Child continued
"Mam! Mam!"
Little feet scampered across the wooden back porch.
"Mammi!"
The sliding glass door slammed open and the excited wide eyed child came dashing in.
"What is it, Chickaree?" Her mother's warm voice asked.
The little girl jumped into her mother's arms to whisper in her ear. Although, it was loud enough for her father to hear her across the kitchen. Even with his hawk-like hearing.
"There's a wolf in our backyard." The little girl stated very seriously.
She was wearing her favorite white dress, with her long black hair reaching to the middle of her back. She was barefoot, again, the flower anklet Aunty Alice made for her last week still jangled with the small bells woven in with the stems.
"Really, was it the big bad wolf?" her mother asked, humor deep in her eyes.
The little girl gasped, "He's come to blow down our house!"
She squirmed her way out of her mother's arms and ran to close the door before the much larger figure appeared on the other side looking in. She giggled then, unable to pretend any longer as Seth stood outside, grinning down at the mischievous child before looking to Max and miming a phone to his ear.
Max walked over to let him in as little Seraphina squealed before running off to hide. She was a force of nature unto herself. Always laughing as she flitted from one place to the next. There really was nothing anyone could do but join in.
"Hello, Seth, what's brings you to our lovely home?" Max asked as she went back to helping Fang, who was now officially her husband thanks to Carlisle, finish dinner.
"Was out patrolling north when I caught something strange on the wind. Took the opportunity to stop by and see Sera while I used your phone to call it in to Sam."
"Sure, want to stay for dinner too?" Max knew he wouldn't have just stopped by to use the phone, although the excuse to see Sera was all too believable. Everyone loved her.
Seth laughed, knowing all to well that he wasn't any good at fooling these two. They knew anything the Pack thought strange would lead to double protection. "If you don't mind the extra mouth to feed," he said, still smiling.
"Not at all. We're making Sera's favorite, green bean casserole, yams, and chicken fingers," she said with a wry smile, the dish was a bit eclectic.
"Here's the phone, Seth." Fang chimed in, as he held the phone out after fishing it from the couch cushions where Sera had hidden it, yet again.
"Thanks." Seth dialed as he went in search of the little munchkin, keeping an eye out for an aerial attack. They had been playing games with each other since she could crawl and stealth was always a must if you wanted to play seriously.
"Sam? Hey, caught a strange scent about an hour north. It started to head this direction before veering east again. Yea, I'm at the Ride's now, I'll keep and eye on 'em. Later."
He hung up the phone and had barely set it down before a yell came from above him, "GERONIMO!"
Seth looked up just in time to see little Sera jump from the second floor landing.
"Oof! You little munchkin. Quit jumping from there onto my head. One of these days you're going to miss."
"I'm not worried. You'll catch me." She said, her wind chime voice so full of trust.
"Yes, I'll always catch you, little Chickaree. Now come on, your mom and dad have made you your favorite dinner I hear and I've been invited to eat it all," Seth ended in a haughty tone.
"Nuh uh. I get to eat too." Sera's face scrunched up into a pout and she folded her arms across her chest. The image of her looking so out of character as the carefree child set Seth into uproarious laughter.
Max and Fang grinned at the two as Seth sat Sera in her chair and took a seat beside her, still chuckling due to the new glare he was getting from the little nymph beside him.
"Sera don't glare at him. If you're going to do anything smack him upside the head." Max informed her.
Seth looked astonished at Max. "What kind of advice is that to give to a kid?"
"Good advice." Max said, smiling mischeviously.
Sera decided to giggle hysterically instead of smacking him.
"Mam says that we must stick up for ourselves and those we love no matter what," She informed Seth, "In this case, I love you, but I must stick up for myself and stop you from laughing at me."
She sounded so much older than her two years at that moment but it was to be expected. The daughter of two genetic superior beings was bound to learn faster than a normal child.
Seth looked down at her, "That's true, but violence doesn't always have to be the answer. I think in your mother's case it should be, but it doesn't have to be for you. You can choose to be whatever you want to be. Even if you choose to be bad or good, know that it was your choice and live with the consequences….or rewards."
Sera didn't know it then, but what Seth said to her that night would reverberate through her head for the next sixteen years of her life like a mantra. She always had a choice.
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It was two o'clock in the morning and the strange scent Seth had caught had gotten closer to the little piece of safety Max and Fang had ever known. The Pack and the Cullens were getting restless. None of them, not even Carlisle, knew what it was and Alice couldn't see anything coming when the wolves were involved in the outcome.
"If it's not a vampire or a wolf then what could it be?" Emmett asked, after the entire clan had decided to call a meeting.
"Max and Fang smell different from anything we've ever noticed before. Our best probability is another experiment." Esme commented quietly.
"It's been three weeks and the scent's still there," Seth announced, agitated that they were unable to find the source of the scent that had been plaguing them to the north.
"What do you suppose we do, Seth? Lift our hands to the sky and shout 'go away'?!" Paul was in one of his tempers tonight and Seth's agitation was making him jumpy, too.
"Enough, Paul, we don't need this tonight. Whatever it is, it won't be going away without a shove in the right direction. I say we lead teams through the forest from all sides and pin it between us," Sam proposed, finally throwing an idea into the mix of chatter among them.
"I agree," Emmett, of course, "let's corner it and then kill it!"
"It may be a creature of innocence, Emmett. Let's not throw any punches before we're sure," Carlisle chastised.
"Sam's right about the first part. The strategic opportunity is to our advantage," Jasper advised quietly. Alice held his hand looking frustrated with the lack of future outcomes she was not seeing.
"Can it be agreed among us that our best opportunity is to confront whatever may be out there before it confronts us?" Carlisle addressed to the entire group among the clearing.
No one stepped forward in disagreement or protest. After a moment, Fang stepped forward, "I'm coming with you. If it is an experiment, than I can deal with it without exposing either of your families. Max can keep Sera inside the house or take her into town until we return."
"Very well, we shall start now unless prior arrangements need to be made?" Carlisle once again addressed the group and again no one spoke against him.
Fang turned to Max and gave her a kiss while skimming his fingers down her cheek.
"Will you be alright with Sera alone for the day?" He asked softly, wondering if she was annoyed at him for speaking up and joining the search without asking her.
She just smiled warmly and replied slightly sarcastic, "I think I can handle our two year old daughter by myself. I'm just as wild as she is when it comes to having some fun."
Fang had to laugh at that. It was true, the first time they all played hide-and-go-seek with their daughter, Max had been giggling and crawling around as much as the little girl had. Both ending up covered in dirt and grass stains. The memory made him grin.
"I'll see you tonight then, love, try not to ruin all of your clothes." And he jogged off before Max could smack the back of his head as she so often did when he teased her.
"Be careful!" She called to his back. She had a sudden premonition that it would be the last time she would ever see him. It was absurd, though. He had a coven of vampires and a pack of werewolves with him. He would be fine.
Max Pov
"Mam, where's Papa?" my daughter, as young as she was, noticed so much. We had only been up for a couple of hours and was currently cleaning the living room of our board game. Which had somehow ended up all over the place.
"He's out with your aunts and uncles trying to keep all the bad men away from our house." I told her softly. I knew Fang thought I would have wanted to be the one on the forefront but ever since Sera was born I always wanted to be the one standing in front of her. Or beside her, if the occasion called for it.
We had all decided that the best defensive was to take the offensive stance. The Pack, the Cullens, and Fang we out combing the forest in teams pushing farther and farther away.
The Pack had confirmed that the strange scent didn't have time to work its way around us or toward the coast and they were hoping to catch whatever it was deep in the forest before it got too close.
"The bad men who chased you and Papa here?" Sera asked curiously. She was hoping to get a story out of me, I could tell.
"Maybe…I don't know. It could be something that has nothing to do with us." I said to her. Although the evident desperation must have been crystal clear even to her young ears.
"Not likely." A deep, rough, voice said from behind me.
I swiveled around, throwing Sera protectively behind me and came face to face with the one thing I had wished never to see again, much less so close to the precious child behind me.
He was massive, bulky, and muscular. I was used to the lanky Erasers from when I was younger. This guy made them look like pups.
I knew he had wolf DNA in him. His too wide smile with his pointed teeth and animalistic eyes told me what I feared. It took me a second to size him up and realize I wouldn't be able to take him while protecting my daughter at the same time.
"Who are you?" I asked him, venom dripping from my voice. He was in my house near my daughter. I was going to rip him to shreds!
"I'm the one who's going to take your daughter and leave you for dead. But you can call me Zachary, it's shorter," His voice was menacingly playful.
I kept my eyes on him while maintaining a fighting stance. How did he get past everyone?
"Sera, do you remember what I told you about the sun?" I asked smoothly as Zachary's eyes narrowed.
"Yes, Mam," her voice was small and scared. It made me angrier that the mere sight of this monster could make her so afraid. Then again, she had never had to face terror before.
"It's time for the sun to set, now." It was code. Run, hide, don't come out. We had taught her that much.
She took off running faster than I had ever seen her run before. Around the couch, out the door, and she was gone.
Zachary lunged at her the second she had moved but I launched myself, hitting him in the stomach just like any professional linebacker would and threw him back. I scrambled up fast, grabbing the fire poker and started using it like a rod to keep his claws and teeth away. For someone who was built like a tank he could maneuver well.
He had transformed enough to keep his legs human while his hands turned to claws and his face turned into a deadly muzzle. He growled and lunged again, ignoring the point that I stabbed through his arm while twisting down and under him, launching myself through the door and down the hall. I heard him slam into the wall behind me but kept myself from turning. I needed to get outside where I could fight and use my wings.
The back door was closed and for a split second I saw my reflection and that of the monster behind me lunging. I dropped the second before he reached me. Glass shattered and wood splintered as he crashed through the door and onto the deck.
I leapt up and out, going for the shed. I never liked using weapons but Fang had always kept a couple of guns and knives ever since we settled down. Just in case, he had said.
I never made it. Another Eraser landed in front of me, blocking my path to the shed. I did a quick roundhouse kick to his face without stopping and then proceeded to crush his windpipe while his head was back. The wolf crumpled to the ground on all fours and I used his back to launch myself over him.
So, Zachary wasn't alone, I thought. How many are waiting their turn to strike? And what about Sera?
I heard ragged breathing behind me and dove to the side before turning to face Zachary again. His face was shredded from the glass he ran face first into and blood dripped in thin rivers down his wolf-like face.
His eyes were black and wild. He was going to kill me. I knew that by the hungry and hatred filled gaze as he finished his transformation and stood crouched ready to lunge. I just had to make sure to take him with me. It was the least I could do for my daughter.
Seraphina's Pov
Mam, had told me to hide, so I went to the bestest hiding place in the world.
Papa made it for me. A tree had started to grow its branches right over our house and the leaves covered the roof right by the chimney. Papa made a little fort painted to look just like the house right under the branch. Nobody knew about it except for me and Papa and I could see the whole backyard from inside.
I always used it to spy on Seth when he came to watch me. He got close once, but I made sure to jump to the ground and make a run for it before he found my fort.
I crawled up into it from my room which was below this part of the roof where my secret door was and quietly locked it shut before peering through my window.
Mam was down there fighting one of the bad men. I had never seen her fight before or look so mean. She wasn't hurt yet, but there were too many and they were so big. The one in front was the same man from inside our home. He should probably have grabbed us before speaking if he actually wanted to win, but I figured the bad guys weren't that smart.
Two more bad men had come out of the woods behind Mam and were creeping up behind her. She didn't know they were there?! I closed my eyes and screamed in my head just like Papa had taught me. Mam didn't know I could do this but I could speak without talking. It was the only other secret I had besides my fort.
I screamed loud and far for Papa to come and help Mam. He was strong. He would save her.
Fang's Pov
Jasper and I were working our way through the western part of the forest closer to the coast. So far, he hadn't caught any scent and there was no sign of a trail. We had been searching for three hours.
I thought of Max and Sera back at the house and couldn't help the feeling that I needed to get back there. I shook it off. I hadn't been away from Max since Sera was born. We went everywhere together. There was no need not to. Besides we were like two halves that made a whole. I don't think I would be able to function without her, which was probably why I couldn't concentrate on finding anything that would lead us to the intruder.
Jasper looked at me with a small knowing smile. He knew how I felt and not just because he was an empath.
I suddenly grabbed my head as a splitting scream resonated inside, a moment before Sera's voice cried out, Papa!
I was on my knees when the scream left as abruptly as it came and I saw Jasper in the same position. She hadn't controlled who heard it and so everyone must have. It didn't matter. I took off into the air without waiting and sped home.
Three hours searching meant we were all at least ten miles out. I flapped my wings harder, begging my wings to carry me faster.
Max's Pov
Sera's scream had sounded in my head leaving me shocked, but I recovered quickly, seeing as how it had confused Zachery too. I made my move.
I flapped my wings hard bringing my feet level with his head and used the power of my launch to kick him as hard as I could. He jerked back, his feet coming out from under him and he landed with a thud.
The force of my kick twisted me around and I finally noticed the two behind me. I couldn't react before the closest knocked into me, bringing me to the ground and knocking the breath out of me.
I lay stunned for a moment before bringing my knees up and shoving him off, rolling to the side and getting back into a stance in which I could hit or dodge quickly. I kept my wings spread to help my balance and took in my new situation.
Zachery was currently out. One Eraser lay crouched to my left, the other to my right. Both started to circle in opposite directions so that I couldn't keep my eyes on them both. I quickly moved in on the one to my left and gave a calculated kick to his leg, blowing out his knee. He fell forward and I jumped over him putting him between me and the second Eraser.
I realized too late that I had my back to Zachery even if I had believed him to be unconscious. I felt the cold slice of his claws ripping along my back before twisting around stumbling backwards.
The gashes on my back stung and I could feel one of my wings and gotten sliced too. The pain on my back didn't last long before a new pain registered. Zachery had stood up, mostly human again, and had grabbed my throat with one of his hands.
His claws were just sharp enough to bury themselves in my throat and he used his grip to pick me off the ground. I couldn't get loose without tearing my throat out and he knew it.
He chuckled before calling in a loud voice, "Little bird, I've got your mother here. I'm sure she'd like to see you one last time."
I tried to talk but only a strangled sound made it through. No Sera, I thought desperately, don't come out.
But she had, I could see her small profile land on the ground by the broken back door. Her feet landing on glass but she didn't wince. I don't think she even knew.
"Let her go!" her voice broke and I realized she was sobbing. My heart tore at what she must be seeing. Her mother bleeding and hurt by the bad guys we had told her all about. And there was nothing she could do about it.
I fought harder against Zachery's hold. He just tightened his grip until I saw dots start to dance before my eyes. Sound too was starting to seem muffled. Like everything was underwater.
"Let her go let her go let her go let her go let her go, LET HER GO!" And then everything exploded.
Sera's Pov
I didn't mean to lose control. It just happened. The bad man was holding Mam and he wouldn't listen to me. She was hurt and he wasn't letting her go. He just had to let her go and she'd be okay. He smiled and that's when it happened.
The explosion in my head happened outside too. This time, when I screamed, something inside me broke and everything around me shattered. The bad men were blown back with Mam. Glass from the ground in front of me blew forward and I shielded my face from the wind I felt, hoping the glass didn't come with it.
And then it stopped and I saw spots. I fell over and lay on the ground for awhile before the spots went away and I could finally run to Mam. But she didn't move. So I waited for Papa. He would help her. He always made her feel better.
Fang's Pov
I knew I was too late. The world felt different. Or maybe I was different. I felt like I was going to wake up and find that I never had wings and it was all a lie. That Max and Sera were all a cruel dream concocted my some scientists in a lab.
I could see the top of our house and I pushed myself to fly faster. I came in from the front and landed in the yard where nothing looked out of the ordinary.
"Sera! Max!" I screamed, my voice sounding slightly hysterical. I was still hoping they were all right and I was just over reacting.
I crashed through the front door looking around wildly, only noticing the fire poker in the middle of the floor looking out of place. I screamed their names again while running towards the back. Nothing wrong in the kitchen.
Their not in the house or they would have said something by now.
I turned around to go out back and saw the glass door was shattered. My heart was thumping way too hard, "Sera?!"
I jumped through and took in what should have been the backyard. It looked like a bomb had gone off, without the burning cinders. I saw three bodies covered in fur lying lifeless and scattered across the dirt but I ignored them as soon as I saw Sera's little body sitting on the ground next to Max.
She turned to look at me and relief flooded through me at her expression. She looked so calm and innocent. But her words sent frozen shocks down my spine, "Mam isn't waking up."
I walked around her and saw for the first time what had happened to Max. She looked perfectly fine, like she had just lain down to look at the clouds. If it wasn't for the fact her throat was shredded and blood had seeped all over her and the ground.
And there was Sera, holding her hand like she would wake up any second, "Can you wake her up Papa?"
The horror of it sent me to my knees. Max, my Max, my beautiful and strong Max was dead. I vaguely noticed the strangled cry that came from me as I gripped her shoulders and pulled her to me.
"No no no no no"
No no no no no
"Max wake up, please wake up. You can't leave me, not like this. Never like this. I'm sorry, so so sorry. Wake up!" I cried over and over and over again. Like my words and pleas could heal her…make time stop…make this day never happen.
"BRING. HER. BACK. TO ME!" I roared at the sky. But nothing happened and she was still dead.
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Seth was the first to arrive, being the closest to the house than the others. He took one look at Max dead, Sera so close to her and picked her up, shoving her face into his shoulder.
He numbly heard her say that the other one had gotten away before deciding to get her to Emily's, fast. Fang looked broken and it looked like he wasn't going to be moving anytime soon. But if there was another one out there then Seth couldn't just leave him.
His problem was solved when Jasper appeared at the edge of the trees. He quickly doubled over at the devastation and grief coming from Fang and his face crumpled in pain.
"I can't…I'm sorry," he choked out, before taking off back through the woods.
Seth understood completely. It was literally heart breaking to watch. He took off after Jasper, giving Fang some space to grieve while staying close enough to hear if anyone else approached. He met Sam and Edward racing towards them.
"What was that? What happened?" Sam inquired. Edward didn't need a translation. He winced at the images Seth couldn't stop from playing in his mind.
"Max is dead," Edward whispered. It was all the explanation anyone needed for the broken sounds coming from the house.
"Sera said there's still another man out there. Keep an eye out. I'm going to get her to Emily's," Seth informed them, hollow and numb.
"I'll get the rest of the Pack to follow you and surround the house," Sam called to Seth's back.
"My family will stay with Fang. We'll take care of the bodies too," Edward said, looking like he hated his life at the moment. Sam didn't envy what Edward and the others were about to do.
They left Fang holding Max until they had taken care of the other bodies. Noting their scents first in order to track the other. When the time came for them to separate him from her, he wouldn't let go.
Jasper sent a heavy mix of fatigue towards him and they waited until he went limp. Edward and Carlisle pulled him away and carried him inside while Emmett picked up Max's lifeless body, as carefully as if she were sleeping, and followed the rest of the family in. He laid her on the kitchen table while Rosalie covered her with a white sheet.
They were all choking against invisible tears for they all had loved Max. She was like another sister and daughter to them. Her air of invincibility promising a lifetime of her smiling face.
"You should wake him back up but keep him calm. We need to figure out where to go from here," Carlisle said quietly.
Jasper nodded and went into the living room where they had put Fang on the couch. The rest of the family stayed in the kitchen unable to leave Max alone.
A moment later Fang, looking red eyed and hollow, came walking in, his lifeless eyes glued to the floor. It took him a moment before he could speak again and his voice was raw and haggard.
"I want to burn her…and the house," he whispered, "I don't want to leave anything for them to dig up and put back together."
He couldn't keep his voice from breaking at the end and Esme let out a horrified sob at the thought of it.
"We'll build you a new home for you," Emmett exclaimed.
"No, we won't be staying," Fang announced before walking back outside, leaving the Cullens shocked.
"He wouldn't really leave, would he?" Bella asked softly.
"If that's what he wants, then we won't stop him. We have to consider Fang is used to leaving places at a moments notice and I don't think he would want to stay here after what's happened," Carlisle explained.
They smelled gasoline and went outside to find Fang had already started to pour the liquid around the house and up the sides. He looked cold and dead as he did it. As if this hadn't been his home for the past two years where his family had finally been happy.
The Cullens left the task to him, watching from the forest as he went inside and doused the rooms. He didn't pause to look at the figure lying on the table but quickly grabbed the matches and went back outside.
He stopped then, holding the match in his hand ready to light it. Looking up, he stared at what had been the only happiest and safest place he had ever lived before. He thought of Max smiling as she first laid eyes on the white two story house. The look in her eyes when they had taught Sera to fly by jumping off the roof, Fang ready to catch her if she couldn't. Her laugh as she spun and danced in the rain after their wedding night when they were only nineteen years old.
A tear crept slowly down his face. The first tear he had ever shed in grief since escaping from the School with Max.
"Good-bye, my love. I'll see you in a little while." And then he struck the match watching the small flame dance for a moment before throwing it through the back door. The house went up in flames and Fang watched as his world burn to the ground.
This was the prequel. Shall I continue with Seraphina's Song?