enough to pierce someone’s eardrums has a chance to make itself known. “Are you hungry, little one? Let’s get you changed, then we’ll get your bottle prepared,” I say to her as I lay her down on the couch in Trigger’s office. She’s not soaking wet, but I wouldn’t want to lay in any layer of soiled diaper, so I choose to change her even though I’m sure I’ll be changing her again once the milk makes its way through her digestive system.
Once she’s nice and dry and I have the nipple of the bottle at her mouth, she begins to eat as if she’s been starved when she just ate a little less than two hours ago. Most babies go four hours between feedings, but supernaturals need and require more frequent feedings as we use a lot of energy to fuel our bodies.
Looking to my right, I notice Shyla taking a seat next to me as she too begins to feed her ward. “I never realized how busy this little one would keep me,” she informs me with a blinding smile.
“You hear how much work little ones are, but until you experience it for yourself, you don’t realize to what extent,” I offer, agreeing with her.
“What do you think is going to happen once the council arrives?” she asks me. I can hear the worry and concern displayed through the tone she uses.
“That’s the question of the hour, isn’t it? I’m not sure, but I hope they have some insights into Emmaline’s unusual powers.”
“And hopefully they can explain the weird bond and the way she talks to you telepathically,” Shyla adds.
“There is that,” I tell her, as I wholeheartedly agree. “It’s different, but I’m grateful for it. Seems like through her telepathic link, she’s able to share pertinent details.”
“That… that right there is what I’m talking about. It’s strange, Vaughn. It’s unnatural and frankly, it petrifies me. A baby of her young age shouldn’t possess as much control as she does.” I watch as a visible shiver encompasses her entire being.
“It’s gonna be okay, Shyla. Don’t ask me how I know that, I just do,” I inform her with as much honesty and conviction as I can express with my words alone. If I could mentally show her what all Emmaline has shared with me, I would. Emmaline is good but has a potential of going the other way if we’re not careful with the way we raise her. It’s the possibility of her ending up in the wrong hands and raised with hatred in her heart that frightens me. She could do so much good for the world if we do what we’re supposed to do, but she could also end the world as we know it if she switches and heads in the other direction. “All we can do now is wait and see what the verdict is after they have a chance to examine her and determine the best course of action for her raising.”
“And if they decide the best thing for her isn’t for her to be with you, then what?” Shyla hesitantly asks me through quivering lips.
“Let’s cross that bridge when we get there, huh?” I want to dismiss her worries, but to be honest, it’s a concern that’s been plaguing my mind since I got word from Trigger that they were heading this way.
Trigger
I leave the woods in a solemn mood. I couldn’t discern how to get through the portal, which leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I need to get to the other side so I can try and put two and two together. There’s a pull to that shimmering light that has a heavy weight on my soul. I’m not sure if I’m feeling this way because I’m fearful of what I’ll eventually discover, or if it’s a sign of something drastic coming our way. Will I be able to protect everyone from it? That’s the million-dollar question.
I’m only one man. There’s only so much I can do that’s within my power to do, but at the same time, I’m a protector and it’s my job to take the brunt of the burden. I’m supposed to stop the shitstorm before it has a chance to touch the others under me. Even my men that serve underneath me are under my protection. How can I save everyone from something coming our way that I don’t know or understand? I’m blind to what I’m fighting. I must find a way to get