L iam and Aiden were walking through the park on
the way to visit Shay. For a Vancouver winter
day, the weather was relatively mild and not raining.
"I think that's Vanessa and Shay." Liam pointed
toward the swing.
"It's not a bad day for swinging." Aiden
commented but began walking a bit faster. He enjoyed
playing in the park with his son. "Hey Vans." He
shouted to get her attention.
"Aiden, Liam, how nice to see you two." She
smiled as she shook her hair from her face. "Look
Shay, it's daddy."
"Daddy, Daddy," Shay shouted obediently,
waving his arms.
"He said Daddy not just Da." Liam grinned.
"How cool."
"That's my Boyo." Aiden beamed. "Little chilly
to be out here on the swings, isn't it Vans?" Aiden
asked.
416 Magical Moonlight
"We had to give Rosalie some peace. Your son
insists Rosalie is pregnant with a girl." She shook her
head. "You know how superstitious Rosalie is, we
haven't had a confirmation that she's even pregnant.
For the last few days, well ever since the night Liam
donated, Shay has been happy as a clam with the
upcoming birth of his sister." She rolled her eyes. "I
was sure we'd never discussed anything regarding
getting pregnant in front of him. I don't understand
how he found out we were trying."
"He's always been smarter than the average
bear." Aiden was smug.
"Liam, Mama has baby growing in her uterus."
Shay patted his belly indicating where.
"Uterus?" Aiden mouthed at Vanessa who
shrugged.
"He's been like this for the last few days. It's like
he's swallowed a dictionary." She laughed. "It's
actually a tad unnerving."
Shay held his hands up for Liam to lift him out of
the swing. "Up Li, up." He demanded.
Liam pulled him out of the swing and twirled him
around making the child laugh. He walked a few feet
away from Aiden and Vanessa so that he could talk to
him. "Shay, it's nice you're going to have a baby
sister." Liam began. "But your momma is human and
she won't know for sure for a few more days."
"Human?" Shay asked and then thought for a
moment. "Doug says dat too."
"You should listen to Dawg. That's why you have
a Wah cat, so that you have someone to talk to and
ER Bryant 417
guide you when your daddy or me aren't around. You
should do what the Wah cat says and not talk about
the baby just yet."
"But me like my baby." Shay's bottom lip
quivered. "Baby like me, baby talks to me." The last
was said in a whisper with Shay looking over his
shoulder at his mother. "Baby is growing and
growing. Baby looks funny, but will be pretty one
day."
"How do you know what the baby looks like?"
Liam asked, rather curious. He'd had no idea about
Molly when she'd been conceived.
"Books." Shay laughed. "Mamma's books on
table." He clapped his hands. "Big books, don't touch
Shay, books." He giggled. "Shay touch."
"Books are a good way to learn things. Liam
agreed. "I used to read my parent's books all the
time." Liam kissed the boy's forehead. "Just don't
believe everything you read. What you are reading are
the ideas of the author who wrote the book. It's up to
you to form your own ideas."
The child looked at Liam and then leaned forward
and kissed Liam's forehead. Liam smothered a grin.
"Okay Liam, Shay knows that." He snuggled into
Liam, tucking his head under Liam's chin. "Me
sleepy."
"Liam, let's walk Vanessa and Shay home."
Aiden suggested. "I want to see Rosalie."
"You do?" Liam asked, eyebrows rose. "Okay."
Aiden and Vanessa walked ahead of Liam and
Shay. Vanessa pushed the empty stroller and Liam
418 Magical Moonlight
carried the now sleeping boy. He was heavy but he
wasn't, in that special way someone you love becomes
weightless at times such as these. Of course having
Wahjee strength also helped.
The park was barely a block from their home so it
didn't take them long to arrive. Doug was waiting
patiently at the door for his boy to return,
merrorowing in her quiet indoor voice when she saw
her person was asleep. "I'll take him up to bed." Liam
whispered.
While Liam was putting Shay in his crib, Aiden
sat in an easy chair, stretching his long legs out in
front of him. "Hey Rosalie." He said when she
appeared in the kitchen doorway. "How are you
feeling?"
"Why do you ask?" she looked at him with
suspicion.
"It's conversation, small talk, the kind of thing
friends do." He explained with a shake of his head.
"That might work if we were friends, but we
aren't." she turned and headed back to the kitchen.
But Aiden knew, he could see the aura of Wahjee life
that surrounded the small woman. Liam and Shay
were both right, she was pregnant. Not that he'd
doubted them or his own inner feelings for that matter,
but it was nice to know for sure. He stood up,
following her into the kitchen. Placing his hand on her
belly he said. "Any sign of a baby Liam in there?"
Rosalie slapped his hand away, not sure if he'd
meant to give her a small shock or if it was an
accident. Either way, she didn't want Aiden Mac
ER Bryant 419
Ruaidhri's hands on her. Aiden turned away. It had
only been a second or two, but it was enough. He'd
branded the new life with his mark of protection, a
small star shape that would appear as a birthmark in
the same way Liam's mark had appeared on Shay.
Only this time, the baby would be under his protection
from here on in. He knew that he needed to offer this
safeguard now and not wait for the child to be born.
"Ready to go?" Aiden asked Liam when he
walked down the stairs.
"Go?" Liam looked confused. "Didn't we just get
here?"
"Yep. Now it's time to go. Shay is sleeping."
Aiden took Liam's hand and pulled him to the door.
"Later Vans, Rosie." He said, disappearing out the
door.
"What in hell was that all about?" Liam glared at
Aiden, barely able to keep up with his long strides.
"The kid, the baby, it's barely three days old,
barely more than a fingertip full of cells. But she's
strong, she's powerful. Liam, for fuck sake I think you
performed Zyndaix. You've made a pure Wahjee with
your sperm, there's nothing of Rosalie in that baby.
She's all yours, each and every cell. Fuck Liam,
there's going to be hell to pay when the High Council
finds out. She'll be put down like a fucking injured
dog. Why did you do it? You know it's forbidden; it's
like ten times forbidden. It's so forbidden no one even
knows anyone who'd ever done it or if it's just a
fucking legend." Aiden was terrified for Liam and his
daughter. And he was terrified for Shay for he realized
420 Magical Moonlight
something he'd been denying to himself since his son
was conceived. Shay was also Zyndaix. He'd done the
forbidden as well and had no one to blame but
himself.
"Are finished with your rant?" Liam's voice was
quiet.
"No." Aiden glared.
"Aiden, think about Shay, come on, really think
about him. He's Zyndaix too. I knew it, your mother
knows it. Why the fuck didn't you know it. I thought
you realized that's what we were doing. I mean, there
is no such thing as a half breed Wahjee." He took a
breath. "I don't suppose you ever gave it any thought
as to why Shay is a perfect miniature of you. Of why
there is nothing of his mother in him."
"He's a baby, how should I know what babies
look like." But the words sounded false in the air,
even to Aiden.
"You seem to have some idea about mine."
"That's different, you're different, I l.., I care for
you."
"You know for someone with strong Wahjee
control over the force of life, you're kind of stupid."
Liam shook his head.
"So all that talk about half Wahjee, half human
was what, talk?" Aiden walked backwards; the better
to see Liam's face.
"Aiden, I had to know. I had to know what you
knew. This stuff that's happening. The babies, it's all
been foretold. You know the legends as well as I do. I
had to really know what you were thinking. Our lives
ER Bryant 421
depend on it, the lives of our children, and our
children's children."
"I thought you knew me. I thought you said you
could read me."
"I do and I can, but not all at once Aiden, not all
at once." Liam looked miserable. "And we never
really talk. I mean we talk but not really. You know
what I mean."
"No Liam, no I don't know what you mean."
Aiden was pissed. He'd thought Liam loved him,
trusted him, knew him. He thought he'd finally found
a man who could see through his brash ways to what
he was inside.
Snow was beginning to fall; the night skies had
chased away the hazy winter daylight when the men
entered the deserted park.
"Aiden, stop." Liam called to Aiden's back.
Aiden heard him but didn't stop. He needed to
think, to reconsider his relationship with Liam.
"AIDEN, STOP." Liam called out and this time a
ring of small dancing flames sprung around the taller
man.
Aiden brushed them away, not caring if they
stung. Liam was powerful, but he was too. He
prepared to move when suddenly Liam stood in front
of him larger than life, his skin blazing with a glow so
warm, Aiden could feel the heat melt the snow that
had landed on his shoulders. "Aiden, I love you. I
would never do anything to jeopardize that love."
Liam put a hand out to touch Aiden's cheek, but
Aiden pulled away. "You are my heart, my breath, my
422 Magical Moonlight
life." He whispered. "I thought you knew Shay was
Zyndaix. I thought it was just something we wouldn't
talk about because it was dangerous. I didn't have any
idea you didn't know. I mean fuck, you made him. If
you think about it, you'll know I'm right, you'll know
you performed the ritual just like I did the other night.
You said nothing then. I thought you were part of it.
YOU FUCKING NEVER SAID YOU DIDN'T
KNOW." Liam cried out, tears washing over his face.
Aiden shut his eyes, he couldn't look at Liam
knowing the red head was in pain because of him. He
didn't know what to say or how to act. This was all
new to him. He needed to talk to his mother. Now that
was something he'd never thought he say or do. "I
need to talk to my mother." Aiden's voice was quiet.
"I know you do. I need to talk to mine too." Both
women were powerful in their own way. Both women
would protect their children and their grandchildren
with everything they had.
"Liam," Aiden said, this time looking deep into
Liam's eyes. He needed to see into the other man's
soul. "What have we done?"
"We've loved." Liam's voice was quiet. "Wasn't
that part of the Legends of Wah, that two powerful
Wahjee would come together in love. In a love so
powerful it would transcend time. Didn't you ever
wonder why the legends said they would make
Zyndaix children when it was forbidden? The legends
say that the Zyndaix children will mate and become
rulers of the planet and the planet will prosper in
peace and health for many generations. The black arts
ER Bryant 423
will perish and be forgotten and those practicing them
will be banished, stripped of their abilities."
"I didn't listen to that shit." Aiden admitted. "I
was too busy keeping away from my father's fists and
when I was older, too busy making money."
"Well, wake up Aiden. The legends have a basis
of truth. You and I are it. There's no such thing as
either you or I becoming pregnant, but we can make
Zyndaix and we have." He looked gloomy for a
moment. "I think maybe we should have actually
given it more thought."
"No fucking shit." Aiden slumped in his jacket,
looking vulnerable and almost scared. Something that
was foreign to his nature. Liam let himself drift into
the welcome embrace of the older man. "I guess we
need to talk more Witch Boy."
"I think that's going to be a reoccurring theme in
our lives." Liam smiled into Aiden's chest.
