Corresponding Marks

Thanks again to all who are kind enough to leave reviews! It truly means a lot to me that you are thoughtful enough to do so, and I’d like to repay you, if I can! So, Psych B. Mused, BonnyBlondeLass, Ero Sennin and The Book, I invite you to make any suggestions or requests that you’d like to see happen in this story! Obviously, I’ll be sticking with my original game plan, but if I can throw in a little scene or two that you’d like to see, I’d be glad too! Just let me know! Thanks again!--Grace; dragonhorse18h@yahoo.com

Chapter 7
Scrying


There was a girl, not too much older than Larena herself, dark brown hair parted down the middle and pulled back into the tight roll of a bun at the back of her head. She knelt over some type of water trough, the water black and roiling, reflecting the candles that flickered in the darkness surrounding her. The full sleeves of her polished cotton dress were as rolled up as she could get them, the corset beneath the narrow waistline of the garment forcing her body straight even as she leaned over the murky water, chanting again and again.

”Lord Satan, by my faith, grant me the power to envisage in my mind and to execute with my body that which I desire to attain by thy benefit. O Mighty Satan, who livest and reignest forever and ever, I entreat thee to inspire the Prince of Sheol to manifest, that he may give me true and faithful answer, and conceive in me a son who will be ever powerful, that I may fulfill my desire as adored vessel of obliteration and mistress of this world. This I respectfully and humbly ask of you Lord Satan, may you deem me worthy.”

There was an image appearing in the black water, the wind kicking up, blowing around the girl so fiercely it ripped her dark brown hair from the bun that contained it, the earth beginning to shift and the ground to crack, all the while there was a groan of something awakened and set to come forth…

“Mine!” the voice was a hoarse, domineering whisper, removed from the scene Larena was seeing, but its speaker was vaguely familiar to her. ”Mine! I won’t let you go!” She felt pressure on her forearm, two hands holding onto her, one of flesh and the other of…

“Red?” The images, the voice, both were suddenly gone. Larena opened her eyes, quickly closing them again when the bright lights of the lab pierced her vision with a severity she hadn’t expected.

“Lar!” He leaned over her excitedly, quickly looking over his broad shoulder for a moment. “Hey, she’s awake!”

She heard the frantic footsteps coming towards her, opening her eyes again to now see Red staring back at her where she lay in the hospital bed, Abe and Professor Bruttenholm quickly by her side.

“You really scared me, babe.” Red sighed, stroking her hair; the relief in his voice and on his face was somewhat startling. “Don’t ever do it again!” He added with a faint smile, moved forward to kiss her forehead but Abe’s hand suddenly separated them as he waved a vitals scanner above her.

“What happened?” Larena was almost afraid to ask. She felt like she’d just been waking from a fitful sleep, but she didn’t remember falling asleep. And Red, she knew worry on his face when she saw it, it was such a contrast to the foreboding, confident, smart-alec expression he usually wore; something had happened, something was wrong. The dream she’d been having had left her with some dark sense of premonition that she couldn’t place and couldn’t shake. Spirits sometimes did communicate with her in her dreams, what did this one mean? Who was that dark haired girl, and who was the Prince of Sheol? The most absurd thought suddenly consumed her, but she couldn’t name where it had come from as this new, unfounded horror drenched her. Something was being summoned; where were her children? Larena tried to scramble to her feet, barely managing to sit up instead. “The babies!”

“Please, don’t move about so soon,” Professor Bruttenholm said as Abe and Red both caught her shoulders and pushed her gently back against the bed. Panic was growing within her, but the calm, kind smile on the face of the professor made it a bit easier to relax. “The children are fine. It’s you, my dear, who wins our concern.”

Larena sighed; confirmation that her children were safe made it easier to ignore this premonition. She smiled a thank you at Red’s father, wishing she could say more and that things weren’t so odd and confusing. She hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to the man at all yet, knew him only through what Red had told her about him, but the professor’s warm smile cemented all the good things Red had said of him. And it further relaxed her to think that it had been the professor who first told her the children were safe; he was surely surprised by these turn of events, but he didn’t seem to begrudge them. Larena took another deep breath, settling down more and more, her children were safe, that’s all she’d needed to hear. But of course, how could they not be safe? Red was their father, and she knew he’d literally fight like hell to protect them, from anyone and anything. But what had happened? What had she done to alarm everyone so? “Me? But, I’m okay, aren’t I?”

“Is she?” Red asked eagerly, looking at Abe.

“She’s certainly improved,” Abe’s face was as expressionless as ever, but his voice rose cheerfully as he read the data put out by the scanner. “How do you feel, Larena?”

“Well,” she was sore all over, her muscles now reminding her just how taxed they’d been, and her hips spoke of nearly being dislocated. “Like I just had six children.” She was able to smile a bit, but was sorry to feel that the epidural was definitely wearing off.

The men in the room laughed a bit, Red’s left hand wrapping around hers as he leaned over and kissed her again. She leaned into him this time, snuggling into the wonderful warmth of hard muscle, letting his right hand slip behind her back and hug her to him, her body never too tender to bear his touch. Red pulled her closer still, tucking her head beneath his chin and closing his eyes as he spoke. “You were bleeding, talking to us one minute and—“

Larena groaned; she had a foggy memory of the room spinning and feeling a bit nauseated. “I passed out.”

“As near as I can tell it was the stress of a multiple birth,” Abe’s attention was now on the IV bag he’d hung. “Being born and giving birth are both forms of trauma, and you suffered a ruptured artery in the process. We’re very glad to have you back with us before we had to resort to invasive methods.”

“Invasive?” Why she hadn’t taken notice of it before Larena didn’t know, but it was suddenly so very obvious. Everyone, including Red, was dressed in greenish-blue gowns, gloves and caps, white masks tied around their necks and hanging over their chests like some of kind of square ascot. She was wearing a blue-green gown herself, with one of those silly shower cap type of things keeping all her hair enclosed. Had the bleeding truly been that bad?

It must have been the look of distress on her face that once again made Professor Bruttenholm step forward and give her that same warm smile. “Abraham is quite a capable surgeon when the situation calls for it. You were never in any serious danger, Miss…”

“It’s Larena, Pop.” Red said to his father, still holding her close.

“So you’ve said, my son.” Nodded the professor, “But a gentleman waits to learn how a lady wishes to be addressed.” At that the old man’s eyes drifted up at his son as if reminding him of what proper manners were.

Larena couldn’t help but giggle when she felt Red flinch under his father’s scrutiny. “Larena is perfectly fine,” she smiled at the professor then looked up at Red. “And you’d be very proud of him, Professor. He’s never left me feeling anything less than respected.”

“There, see?” Red half grunted to the professor. “I ain’t the social brute you think I am.”

“No,” sighed his father with half a smirk. “You most certainly ain’t.” Both Larena and Abe snickered, but just when Red began to bristle, Larena nuzzled her head against his neck, making him have to lean down and kiss her forehead. Bruttenholm smiled again, she was very good with his son. “We must chat sometime soon, Larena. I know you mean a great deal to my son, and you’ve provided me with six, healthy, strong grandsons, I look forward to getting to know you.”

Larena smiled eagerly. “I think I’m up for that!”

“No, you’re not.” Abe shook his head. “Forgive me, but I think it’s best if you concentrate on resting at the moment. I’m keeping you under observation here tonight, and if you’re vitals are better in the morning, we’ll discuss letting you out, so you may begin being a mother.”

“But,” Larena protested, her eyes straining to peer through the window into the next sick bay, that negative premonition haunting her again. “My children, I have to be with them.”

Professor Bruttenholm glanced at Abe, then stepped forward to take her hand and patted it lightly. “I’m certain Abraham can arrange that.”

“And you better find a bigger bed, Blue. Cuz I ain’t leavin’ her, either!” Red announced.

“Now there’s a shock!” Abe replied sarcastically. “I would never have expected such a thing after you demanded that we let you scrub in for the emergency surgery we were prepping to do.”

Larena’s eyes widened in surprise as she turned to Red; she’d never fathomed anyone would care so much about her. “You were going to assist in my surgery?”

“Well,” Red rolled his eyes slightly and cocked his head, the truth was he didn’t really want to watch anything like that happening to her, but the intensity of his feelings for her wouldn’t let him wait outside. “I was more going to, you know—“

“Kibitz!” Both the professor and Abe said together.

“Yeah,” Red sighed half ashamed and half proud. “I’m good at that.”

Larena laughed, lifting her chin and kissing Red’s cheek softly. The ordeal was terrible for him, she could tell; the fear and the worry and the simultaneous hope were still residual in his amber eyes. “Thank you.” She half whispered, drawing Abe’s and the professor’s attention when her finger wandered up Red’s jaw and lovingly traced the rounded base of one horn. Larena had noticed how Red used to pull away and try to hide his face if her hand came too near to recognizing the bony protrusions above his forehead, but he’d come to trust that Larena wasn’t repulsed by the horns, and he had faith that she accepted him for who he was, not what he was. To the astonishment of Abe and the professor, Red’s eyes closed, his head bent forward and he let her touch. Larena’s dream suddenly flashed in her mind, harsh and hateful emotions swarming all over the dark haired girl as she peered into the trough of black water, waiting for something to come that never should have been called upon. But it was all gone again as quickly as it had come, the warmth of Red’s skin beneath Larena’s fingertips enveloping her. “I never thought I’d find anyone like you,” Larena felt herself choking up, still so amazed that she could be loved as entirely as she was, and by someone like Red.

“Yeah,” answered Red, raising his head again and opening his eyes as her hand stroked the rest of the way down his face. “That makes two of us.”

They leaned towards one another at the same time, their lips touching softly and briefly, both remembering they were not, after all, alone, but wishing they were. Larena moved to pull away, it was just a simple kiss, or so she’d thought, until Red’s left hand cupped her cheek and pulled her into him more, his affection and his hunger known in the way the tip of his tongue pushed at the seam of her lips, until they parted, allowing him to have the taste of her he sought.

“I should take the moment to inform you,” Abe began, clearing his throat and trying not to look at them so obviously. “Larena needs at least six weeks to rest before…before…”

Red jerked away from the kiss with a grunt that made Larena have to suppress a giggle. “Yeah? So just going for it now, right in front of you two isn’t a good idea, huh?”

“Red,” Larena turned his face back to hers, her tone would have been scolding if she weren’t able to help her smile. “You know that’s not what he thought, settle down.” She reached up and pulled the greenish blue surgeon’s cap from his head and began to tug the gown itself down his arms. She was fine, no surgery needed, but she’d never forget that he was ready to be there for her, holding her hand…and kibitzing. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek quickly. “And, I’m sorry if I scared you.”

Red sighed, he had been scared, and he rarely ever was, and didn’t enjoy it. The moments of Larena laying there, pale and lifeless had been the worst of his life, had filled him with so much despair, and he’d wished he could somehow fight for her and kill whatever it was that dared to take her from him. However, he wouldn’t let Larena feel as though it had all been her fault, it wasn’t, she had no reason to apologize. “You weren’t going anywhere, Lar.” He smiled at her, taking her hand in his left and giving it an emphasizing shake. “Your mine, I’m not lettin’ you go.”

* * * * * *

Larena wasn’t sure what time it was, she only knew the recovery room that Abe had moved her, the babies and Red to was still peacefully dark. Red slept next to her in the cramped bed, taking up more than most of it, compensating by placing her across his broad bare chest and wrapping his strong arms around her, his powerful shoulder her pillow. She’d been more than comfortable like that against his red skin, safe, warm and loved, and had it not been for the thunder, she’d still be asleep. But how was she hearing thunder? They were several stories below ground. But she’d been certain she’d heard a sound like the sky was breaking open, echoing all around her. She listened intently, but there was no thunder, just the normal faint humming vibration of the ventilation system.

It must have been another dream, it had been such an extraordinary day and her mind wouldn’t rest despite how tired she was. Larena glanced over towards the six cribs between the hospital bed and the wall, all was silent within, her children sound asleep, all six of them. Six…all identical except for the features of their right hands; all were gloved in granite like their father, but some had four fingers, some six, and still another one seemed to have a permanently clenched red fist. But Larena hardly noticed the oddness of their right appendages, the same way she looked past Red’s. The way those little yellow eyes looked up at her when she held her children in her arms made her forget a lot of things. Six…what would they name them? And how would she do when faced with the demands of six infants, and Red? She was beginning to feel overwhelmed, but another glance at the cribs made her smile. She could only hold two of the babies at once, but Red with his strong arms could hold four of them. They’d do fine together, and Larena was eager to start life as a mother, the mother of Red’s children.

She smiled and looked down at Red. She realized of course how different he looked from everyone else, but all she saw was how beautiful he was. His body had always impressed her, the gloriousness of it and all the bulging muscles, made her realize more than anything that she’d never make it as a nun. But now there was so much more about him that she loved, and other ways that he was definitely unlike everyone else. She’d never guessed that her life would take this turn, and she struggled still to understand all of it, but at the same time, this was as perfect as perfect could get; healthy children, and an incredible man who loved her. She softly pressed a kiss to Red’s chin, her hand rubbing lightly over the beating of his heart as she nuzzled against his neck, feeling like she couldn’t get close enough to him.

“Hey,” he spoke suddenly, his eyes opening slowly. “Blue said we got six weeks…so don’t try anything.” He smirked down at her.

“Believe me,” she smiled, laying her head back down against his shoulder. “I’m not ready for that yet.”

“You okay?” Red stroked the back of her head lightly, wondering if he should be worried again.

“Yeah,” but she lifted her head again and looked over to the cradles. “I’m just going to go look in on them, I miss them.”

Red’s arm tightened around her. “Lar, you’re not supposed to be moving too much, let alone standing up and walking around.”

“It’s only about six feet,” she argued, staring over at the cribs with pouting features, but not attempting to stand, because she knew she didn’t have to.

Red sighed, letting go of her and gently sliding her off of him. “Okay, don’t move,” he told her as he stood up, then bent down and scooped her into his massive arms. “You wanna look in on them, I’ll take you over there.”

Larena smiled, draping her arm around his neck. “Thank you, Red.” She hoped he hadn’t noticed how she’d pressed him into service. “I’m lucky to have you.”

“Yeah, you have me, alright.” He sighed as he adjusted her in his arms and began to walk towards the cribs, and Larena laughed.

But within seconds no one was laughing. Red and Larena stood over the cribs, looking down at nothing. The babies, who had been asleep there moments before, were gone. All six of them.