Birthrights (31 page)

"No! No hospitals, Inez. You must take my baby, raise
her as your own. I've got all the necessary papers with me in my
satchel. Its the only way.

"What do you mean the only way? The only way for
what?" Inez questioned as Joe came back into the room with a
steaming mug of tea.

"For my daughter to live," Meriwyn replied as a
contraction swept through her yet again.

Joe stood very still. "Is she going to have her baby
right here?" He asked in a small voice.

Holding her friend's hand, Inez looked up at her
husband "Yes, I do believe she is. Put the tea down, go get some
boiling water and all the towels you can find. Hurry, we don't have
much time." Joe almost tripped over himself as he rushed out of the
room. "This was really not what I had in mind tonight. I wanted to
make babies, not deliver them," Joe was saying as he left the room
to get the supplies his wife had just listed off.

The next several hours were filled with pain and joy
as Meriwyn's daughter arrived into the world. Inez held the little
girl in her arms. She had been cleaned up and wore a makeshift
cloth diaper. Joe had found a small blanket to wrap her in to keep
her warm. They took the newborn into the living room to give her to
Meriwyn, but she wasn't there. A file of papers lay on the coffee
table in front of the couch.

Joe and Inez were stunned into silence. They went to
the couch, and opened the file. It included adoption papers, that
only needed to be signed. A birth certificate. And a letter written
on old parchment paper in an odd colored ink. The couple looked at
each other and then read the letter.

My dearest friend Inez,

As soon as you let go of this letter, it will
dissolve. I've placed a charm upon it to protect us. So please,
read with care. This file contains everything you need. All the
papers for the adoption are here. Also, there is a birth
certificate, stating that she is human. As she grows older, you
will only need to show this certificate. It is charmed to ensure
that she is not tested. Make sure that they hold it in their hands,
or it will not work.

I can not say for certain if she will carry the witch
gene. But be aware that there is a possibility that she may develop
powers of her own. You will know by her birthmark. It is a telltale
sign of the witch lineage she belongs to. The darker it becomes the
more evolved she has grown. If it stays hidden or is very light,
then she is just a carrier.

You must never tell anyone about me or the events of
this night. Not even my daughter. I cast a protection spell to hide
my presence from those who see. This will ensure that no one knows
I was ever there. Only the three of us may be privy to this secret.
I must disappear from your thoughts and your lives. It is the only
way my daughter will survive. And it will keep you safe as
well.

Please forgive me. I know I have not told you
everything. But believe me when I say, this is the only way. She is
a special child and she would certainly die if she were in my
world. She must be raised in a warm, loving, accepting environment.
And the only person in this world that I know who is capable of
providing that is you.

You were there for me when we were so much younger.
You helped me embrace who I am and what I was to become. I need you
to do the very same for my daughter. She will be safe with you and
your husband. You love each other so very much and have wanted a
child for your own. Please take this gift I have offered to you.
She will be a blessing to your marriage and your love for one
another.

Blessed be,

Meriwyn

Inez put the letter on the table and watched it
dissolve. Joe put his arm around his wife as tears stung her eyes.
They both looked at the tiny baby girl in her arms. She was theirs
now.

****

Six years later...

"I understand your concern, Mrs. Washington, but we
both know she's not like that. She's a six year old little girl.
She would never cause harm to anyone. I have trouble understanding
why a person in your stature and with your experience would be
swayed by a group of parents that are basing their complaints upon
the color of someone's skin, especially that of a sweet little
girl," Inez Delaney pleaded into he phone. She had been on the
phone with school officials all day trying to make sense out of why
her daughter was being evicted from their school system.

"But Mrs. Washington, she has been tested. You've
seen the documents. Just because she's adopted doesn't mean..."
Inez hesitated as she listened, “But… I see… How many signatures?"
Again she hesitated as she took in exactly what Mrs. Washington had
been saying, “Oh. Well thank you, Mrs. Washington, for your time. I
was certainly hoping that you, who grew up in an era of
discrimination based on the color of skin, would have been more
compassionate to this situation. But I guess anyone can be
captivated by their fears of the unknown if they allow themselves
to be. Have a good day Mrs. Washington, and let your actions today
forever weigh on your conscious."

Inez Delaney hung up the phone and took a deep
breath. She had really counted on the chairperson of the School
Board to be more understanding. Since humans learned the existence
of werewolves, vampires and other supernatural species, people
reacted just as they always had when faced with something new. They
based their decisions on fear or the unknown rather than rationale.
It seemed this decision was no different.

There were no more schools to try in the area. They
had all refused to keep her daughter, based on the way she looked
and out of fear that Jaxon would "bite" the other children. To
think that a young girl was a vampire just because she had a
porcelain complexion and was more adept at certain things was just
ludicrous. She was going to have to home-school Jasmine and hope
that the world would see more clearly by the time she was old
enough for high school. She would talk to the Other Than Human
Society at the next meeting about what they should do to provide
more education to humans so they could understand there was nothing
to fear.

The OTHS was a group of humans and supernatural
species that was formed to bridge communications between the
cultures of each race. Its mission was to help create a world where
all species could live under laws that would not discriminate
against them and where there was no fear of being hunted by another
group. Inez and Joe had joined the group immediately upon the
adoption of their daughter. Not knowing what the future would hold
for her, they wanted to do their part in making her life's path
less complicated. For now, Inez was going to have to explain once
again to Jasmine why she wasn't going to go to school with the
other children in the neighborhood.

Inez stood at the doorway of her daughter's bedroom,
watching her play on her bed with her stuffed dragons. Jasmine was
a petite little girl with long dark brown hair streaked beautifully
with light auburn highlights. Her pale complexion was similar to a
porcelain doll's, pink cheeks and smooth as glass, which only made
her eyes stand out even more. Jasmine's eyes were like pools of
dark chocolate. When she looked at you, it was as if she saw so
much more than anyone else. But it was her laughter that was
contagious. She could light up the sky with her smile. 'Such a
happy sweet little girl' Inez thought, 'It's such a shame that
people were too scared of what they saw on the movies to move
beyond their own fears.'

"Hi mommy," Jasmine greeted without turning around.
She continued to play with her dragons and princess dolls. Jasmine
definitely had a wonderful imagination. The walls of her room were
covered in pictures of princesses and knights, dragons and wizards.
She was drawn to the mystical creatures and stories. Many times
Inez wondered if that was due to her heritage, but she wasn't about
to limit her daughter in any way. Jasmine was a special little girl
and deserved to grow up and find her place in the world, whatever
that may be.

"Hi sweetheart," Inez replied as she came into the
room and sat on the bed beside her daughter. "How did you know I
was there?"

"I heard you. Sometimes you make noise and don't even
know it." Jasmine explained.

"Oh, I will have to listen more closely I guess so I
don't disturb you."

Jasmine looked up to her mother with eyes that saw
much more than a six year old should. She took her hand and cupped
her mother's cheek. "Don't be sad Mommy. It will be okay.
Everything will be alright, you'll see." Inez's heart skipped a
beat before it melted at her daughter's desire to comfort her. 'How
could anyone think this loving sweet child could hurt anyone?' She
thought sadly.

"How would you like to stay at home with me from now
on? Instead of going to school, you could do your school work here,
and I'll be your teacher. What do you think Jas?"

Jasmine gave her mother a sly smile "Does that mean I
get more snacks and no nap time?"

Inez laughed at her daughter's antics. "Maybe, it
depends on how well you do your work and listen."

"Sure, Mommy." Jasmine shrugged, "Besides I didn't
really like that school. It was boring. I think I'll have more fun
here with you."

Inez leaned over and hugged her daughter. It amazed
her how perceptive Jasmine was and how quickly she could adapt to
situations. But it wasn't fair to her daughter that she had to
always be the one to adapt. Inez was even more determined to speak
to the OTHS about her concerns. Something must be done to quell the
fear of humans or every species would suffer the hysteria that she
anticipated on the horizon.

The sun was barely lighting the evening sky when Joe
walked in the house from work. "I'm home! Wow - something smells
really good!" he greeted as he walked in the kitchen to see his
wife and daughter cooking dinner.

Inez walked over and kissed him while Jasmine
informed him what they were making, "Its dinner Daddy! We made it
for you. And I made the salad all by myself. Well, Mom helped me a
little but I did most of it." Joe smiled at his daughter as he
leaned over her and planted a kiss on top of her head.

“Before you know it, you'll be a great chef cooking
dinner for us all the time!"

Jasmine's brow furrowed in thought "hmm," she
commented "I don't think so Daddy. I'm going to work in an art
place and own lots of pretty pictures. I'm going to sell them and
make lots of money."

Joe looked to Inez who shrugged her shoulders. Just
like all children, Jasmine dreamed of being different things when
she grew up, but this was the first they had heard her mention this
career path.

"Oh really?" Joe replied to his daughter, "And how do
you know you will make lots of money?"

"I dreamed it last night. I was selling pictures to
really rich people and I was making lots of money because they were
so rich." Jasmine said matter-of-factly as she carried her finished
salad to the dinner table. She turned and looked at her parents.
"Don't worry Daddy, I'll give you some money too. That way you
won't have to work so hard and be so tired when you get home at
night."

Joe looked at his wife with concern and then back to
his little girl. "I'd appreciate that Jasmine. I'm glad you always
want to help take care of us, but you're still pretty young, and
you have quite awhile before you need to decide what you want to do
when you grow up. Why don't you go wash your hands and get ready to
eat this great dinner you helped make?"

"Okay" Jasmine skipped out of the kitchen.

Joe looked at his wife. "She's growing up too fast.
Did you get a hold of the school board today?"

Inez nodded. "Yes, and they have a petition Joe. They
refused to take her back. I'm going to home school her until she's
ready for high school. By then, maybe the world will be more
understanding."

"I was afraid of this. I really think we should put
her in the OTHS private school, Inez. She'll be with others of her
kind there. And learn so much more than public schools could begin
to teach her.”

"What do you mean, 'others of her kind?' She's a
little girl Joe. That's it. She's just more mature than most her
age that's all." Inez defended.

"Inez," Joe said softly as he embraced his wife. He
pulled back and looked at her, knowing that his words would sting
but knowing that she would hear the truth in them. “Jasmine is more
than a little girl. We both know that. She's different - not
because she' more mature, but because she sees things in a way we
are unable to as humans. She can hear things no normal child can,
and she is far too perceptive. She just knows things. Inez, she's
growing in her powers. She needs to learn about them and how to
control them. She needs to know how to use them responsibly, and we
can't give her that, Inez."

"Stop," Inez said. "I know you are right Joe. But we
must act like she's normal. For her sake. We can't let whomever
Meriwyn was running from find her. If we put her out there, someone
will figure it out. Someone will see her mark and know. We have to
figure it out ourselves and help pave the way for her. She is
special Joe. I just want the best for her."

"As any good mother would," Joe said, as he hugged
his wife, "and we will figure it out. We can study the ways. We
don't have to send her to the OTHS school, maybe just talk to some
of th members. Maybe Mac and Vesta could help? They are witches and
I trust them. Vesta will be able to help give us the right tools we
need. And we don't have to explain anything to her. We will protect
our little girl, Inez. I promise."

***

Double Crossing Demon

"What do you mean you didn't get it?" The eyes that
were a moment ago a man's suddenly flashed a dangerous shade of
red. He did not get angry, as it was not in his nature to do so,
but he was pulling the emotions from others in the room. Whenever
emotions ran too high around him, he had a hard time suppressing
the demon inside.