Chapter 207 - Blessing
Elias stared up at the ceiling, with both of his children in his arms. They pressed their faces into his naked chest and he never knew Half-Bloods' skins were warm. Heat transferred from their tiny bodies, reminding him of Adeline. There it was again. That same lump in his throat and the moistening of his eyes.
Elias had never cried for something before. Even when he was a little boy, he didn't cry for his parents. Shedding a tear was not something he was capable of. But when he thought of Adeline never opening her eyes, something cold trickled from his eyes.
"Nngh…" One of the babies squirmed after feeling something wet touch their head.
Elias glanced down to see it was the one who had his bright red eyes, but now, the color dimmed to a dark burgundy. This child was definitely a vampire. But what of the other one, with Adeline's eyes? That one was nestled softly in the crook of his neck, unmoving, but he heard their soft breathing.
"You both smell like vampires," Elias murmured, tiredly closing his eyes. They were light. Incredibly light, despite sucking the blood and draining the life from Adeline.
"A boy and a girl, huh?" Elias coldly laughed, his chest rattling, instantly shaking them awake. It was what most parents wanted, a perfect combination of genders. A healthy pair of twins.
At what cost?
At the cost of Adeline? That lovely human wife of his. He painfully squeezed his eyes shut, a vein popping on his forehead. He tried to restrain his anger, he really did, but he felt a bloodlust rising. A bloodlust to kill his kin.
"W-wahh!" The green-eyed baby screamed, not enjoying the rough wake-up call after just waking up.
"Of course you'd be the crybaby," Elias dryly muttered, allowing the baby to hold onto him and cry until its lung could burst. But the sound of his voice seemed to calm them.
"And of course you'd be the girl," Elias scoffed. He had seen their genders when he carved the children out of Adeline.
"You'll resemble your mother and it'll haunt me for the rest of my life, won't it?" Elias cruelly said. He gritted his teeth, unable to find the will to open his eyes. He could envision her smile so perfectly in the darkness.
Elias pictured Adeline's soft, hesitant smile, and the way it rarely reached her eyes, but when it did, a meadow of flowers bloomed. There was so much light in her tiny, human heart. He remembered her soft touch and her timid gazes. He recalled her tender voice, affectionate and endearing. Above all, he remembered her tucked in his arms, the way his children were, and how complete he felt.
Elias's chest could not stop aching. She was gone, wasn't she? The light she offered him dimmed. The compassion she taught him was beginning to disappear. And the love he felt for the world was dying. He was slowly forgetting what it meant to love something or someone.
"I miss you, darling. Come back to me…" Elias tiredly said, as he slowly began to lose consciousness.
- - - - -
When there was a chilling silence in the hallways, the twins decided to visit the nursery again, just to make sure no one was dead inside.
"You do it," Easton said, not wanting to step foot in the room, in case they incurred the wrath of the King. He only lived for a few centuries and was too young to die tonight!
"Coward," Weston hissed, despite standing outside the room, unbudging.
Easton narrowed his eyes. "Is it cowardly to want to live?"
Good point. Weston felt like he should've told Lydia that when they had gone to the amusement park. Now, she'd tease him about the incident every chance she got. He knew she'd hold onto that fact for the rest of his life.
"You're too damn irritating," Weston said, shoving his brother away. He, too, was not in the mood to deal with the King's temper, but the lives of the infants depended on it.
Weston pushed the door open and poked his head inside. Seeing the empty cribs, he instantly walked into the room and noticed the couch. Sensing the silence, Easton followed after him.
"The King's fast asleep," Weston said, pointing to the silhouette on the couch. The newborns were snuggled against his chest, peacefully snoring away.
Easton let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, peace and quiet."
Weston slowly nodded. He went to the crib, grabbed the blankets, and draped it over the babies. Weston jumped as a hand snatched his wrist, and the King's eyes snapped open, on high alert.
"No one touches them," the King snapped.
Weston narrowed his eyes.
Elias dropped his hands and let out a small sigh. "It's just you."
Realizing the misunderstanding, Weston relaxed a bit. It was relieving to see the King this protective of the infants. He even smiled a little.
"They'll get cold," Weston said as the King snatched the blankets from his hand.
"Get out," Elias responded, lying the blankets onto them himself. They stirred on his chest, but still slept there.
The twins didn't need to be told twice. Weston and Easton immediately shut the lights off and left the room, closing the door behind them. They were grateful for the quiet night, but felt guilty for their previous mindset of the King. Neither of them said anything, though, and patiently waited for the morning to come.
- - - - -
It was the first time in three nights that Elias had fallen asleep. He had closed his eyes and opened it to realize he was standing under a brilliant sun, mountains in the distance, and roses at his feet. Elias was bewildered by his location, but realized it was a dream. A rose field could be seen for as far as he looked.
"Eli."
Elias spun around, recognizing that voice anywhere. Even the way she rolled her tongue was familiar. His heart raced at the sight of her, skipping like pebbles across lakes.
"Darling."
Elias staggered forward, unable to believe his eyes. His hands were shaking when he saw. She was sitting in the field of white roses, holding both children in her arms. She smiled blissfully at him, in the same manner, that he loved. There was so much warmth in her eyes. He struggled to return her smile, but the rug was yanked from underneath him.
Elias saw angel wings. They were pure, white, and fluttering behind her. A halo sat on top of her head. Then, the scenic view completely disappeared.
"Why did you kill me?" Adeline asked, her smile disappearing. Blood pooled from underneath her, starting from her stomach, flowing down to the field of roses, turning it from innocent white to ruby red.
Elias's eyes snapped open and he was staring up into the darkness. It was a nightmare. A terrifying one. Was she dead? Was that what the dream meant? His breathing was heavy as he glanced from left to right, deciding he should put the babies back into the crib, so that he could continue to watch over Adeline.
But when Elias tried to put one of them into the crib, it began to cry and scream, then the younger one followed. And soon enough, he was left with no choice but to hold them for a little bit longer.
"I shouldn't have said I wanted to implant the Crown Prince into her," Elias muttered under his breath, feeling as if he had jinxed himself that night. But he had been so eager to properly make her his.
"Why are you two so clingy?" Elias gritted his teeth, rocking them in his arms as he listlessly approached the bed. He couldn't even sleep because of the nightmare. All he wanted to do was keep his eyes open, or else he'd be reminded of that bloody scene.
"I wonder where you get this trait from." Elias laid back on the couch and they immediately squirmed to press their faces to his shoulder. He rolled his eyes, already tired of children.
"It must not come from me." Elias let out a tired sigh and stared up at the ceiling, wondering how long it'd take for them to grow up and not cling to him. He hoped it would be soon.
Elias paused and stared at them. One of them was peacefully asleep on his shoulder, and another was resting on his chest, fast asleep as well. He felt his heart strangely stir, an overwhelming emotion to protect them and clothe them. He wanted to give them the entire world, despite knowing them for just three days.
"It was a mistake to wish either of you were aborted," Elias whispered. He pressed a kiss to each of their tiny heads. "Even if the sight of you brings me pain."
Elias stroked their little bald head. He felt an ache in his chest, a knife digging into space where his heart should've been. "You are both a curse and a blessing. I just wished… you'd have only been a blessing."