Nicholas was still asleep when Harper woke up. She gently withdrew her hand from under him, careful not to wake him. She could only imagine how much rest he needed. She still felt so tired. The motel bed was stiff, and her body ached in ways she hadn't thought possible. Her lower back throbbed, a relentless pressure settled deep into her spine and her legs felt heavy, and sluggish, she felt her calf muscles, they were sore, as expected.
The baby, always active at the worst moments, shifted inside her, causing a sharp, discomfort in her abdomen. Her feet throbbed, swollen from all the walking and stress, and a lingering nausea curled in her stomach, though she wasn't sure if all that was from exhaustion or the sheer weight of everything that had just happened. Every inch of her body begged for more rest but she knew it wouldn't come. It was time to properly process everything that happened that day, time to take stock, to consider or reconsider their options.
She looked at Nicholas, her love. They were born only a few months apart, but he felt much older to her. The way he handled things and carried himself, with surefooted self-assuredness and confidence, traits which she was glad had rubbed off on her in the year she had known him. But what made it all the more remarkable was everything he had endured in his short lifetime.
Harpers gift meant that she was probably the only person in existence who could deeply and truly understand the depth of what it must have been like for him growing up. He has so much light, and this made him extraordinarily special, but also vulnerable without guidance, the kind of empathetic guidance and love she was lucky to have.
Her mind drifted back to the day she met him.
She was a Spotter, like her great-aunt before her. A rare gift, one that allowed her to sense and communicate with supernatural entities. Her great-aunt had once told her she was the most powerful Spotter she had ever seen. Harper never really thought much of that, until she met Nicholas.
Nicholas is a Demon Dreamer, which means he has the ability to summon demons at will and have them do his bidding, which can get tricky because a particularly powerful demon or group of demons could possess him if he used their abilities too much or just wasn't strong enough to dominate them once he summons them.
He also has the kind of light that makes him magnetic to other supernatural's. Most wanted to exploit him. Some wanted to extinguish his light altogether. It was through them that she noticed him that day at the Guggenheim Museum.
She had been admiring a painting when an overwhelming sense of emptiness struck her—a void so vast, so suffocating, that for a moment she could hardly breathe. It was like all the color had drained from the room.
Harper shudders as remembers the deep emptiness she felt in her chest.
She tracked the dark and depressing cloud to its source and there he was… Nicholas. A good looking and well dress young man who she rightly guessed was about her age.
Her first instinct was to assume he was responsible for the oppressive weight that filled the space. That he was the darkness. But as she stepped closer, something strange happened. Her power surged, amplifying itself in his presence.
And then she saw them. She could also discern their intentions, their fears and deepest desires and impulses, it was almost like mind-reading.
The demons. The banshees. A host of malevolent entities lurking in his shadow, feeding off his light like parasites. They had been clever—so clever. They took just enough to sustain themselves, never enough for him to notice. And they used his power to mask their presence so well that it made it seem like Nicholas was the source of the darkness, when in reality, they were draining him.
That day, Harper had made a choice.
She had used everything she had, pulling strength from the very force they were stealing from, and commanded them to leave him alone.
Then, she had walked up to him and struck up a conversation.
The rest was history.
Now, a year later, their love was about to bear its first fruit.
She thought about how she had always wondered how he hadn't gone completely insane while he was a young boy, in spite of the sheer number of malevolent forces constantly hovering around him. It was because of a scared and hopeful boys wish on a medallion. It was faith.
She sighed, resting a protective hand over her stomach. Now that they were cloaked, they could make it to Salem without incident. Her great-aunt would help them disappear—help all three of them leave the country. Away from the Glades. Away from all the family drama and the threats that hunted them. Somewhere they could raise their child in peace.
Just then, something shifted inside her. A sudden release of pressure spread through her abdomen, followed by a warm, unmistakable wetness spreading through her clothes.".
No.
Not now, this should be at least a month away. She thought. Panicking.
Deny it all she wanted, this was happening.
Harper reached for Nicholas, shaking him awake.
"Nic, wake up. Our baby's coming."