Chapter 1019: The birth of a God (cont.)

Chapter 1019: The birth of a God (cont.)'How can I help?' Damon asked anxiously. He didn't like the idea of Talia being tested without him around.        

'Use your bond,' Astraea said to Damon. 'Send to your mate and your child confidence, support, love, and whatever else you want to give them. Open your mind and feel the world around you. Let your instincts guide you…'    

Astraea started chanting melodiously, and Talia thought how it resembled the song of the Wilkow sisters.    

'What is that?' Talia asked.    

'When we use our energy, we do it with a thought. Mindless energies need to be coaxed to cooperate if we don't want to risk them turning hostile,' Astraea responded. 'This song lures them in and allows us to channel it as our own.'    

'I heard something similar when five sisters boosted the energies to help us fight the Guardians,' Talia said.    

Astraea's features hardened. 'The Guardians? Those halflings dare to call themselves as such?'    

'Calm down, love,' Valerian said to Astraea. 'This is about Natalia and our grandchild. They can't harm anyone now.'    

Astraea raised her hands again and then paused. 'If they can't harm anyone, why do I feel them close?'    

Talia and Damon looked around, and Astraea pointed at Talia. 'There.'    

A purple wisp emerged from Talia's chest. A moment later, another wisp came out.    

Talia recognized them. 'Those are abilities of the Guardians we defeated.' She also had Sophia's, Isaac's, and Cassandra's abilities. It's not that Talia wanted to keep them, but she didn't know how to release them without returning them to their original owners.    

'You absorbed them?' Astraea was genuinely surprised.    

'Damon and I did,' Talia responded proudly.    

Astraea shook her head in disapproval, but she was smiling. 'Don't recklessly absorb someone else's energy. It can corrupt you and make you unstable.'    

Two more wisps came out of Talia's chest, and Talia felt lighter, like an obstruction was gone, and she could breathe with ease.    

Damon remembered something. 'There was an incident a while ago. I was losing myself in the darkness, and Talia rescued me. I have reasons to believe there are remnants of darkness in her. Can you remove those?'    

Astraea took a deep look at Talia, and after a long moment, she said. 'I won't remove it.'    

'Why?' Damon asked. Talia would do uncharacteristically bad things when negativity engulfed her.    

'It is dark, but it's not conflicting with her nature. Maybe because it's from you. Natalia is too pure. Leaving things as-is will give her some edge. I don't want her to end up like me. They betrayed me, threatened my child, my mate, and it wouldn't be like that if I kept my guard up. I didn't believe they would dare to break apart soulmates and kill one to get to the other. Killing our own is an unforgivable offense. If I were a skeptic or aware of how vile people can be, my child would grow up with parents, and my mate wouldn't end up in the dungeon. If I knew about Natalia's fate, I wouldn't allow Val to take her away. We would fight together.'    

Valerian wrapped his arms around her. 'It's not your fault, Tea. It was never your fault.'    

'And whose fault it was?'    

'We talked about this. It was mine.'    

'How can it be yours?'    

Talia looked at her parents, and her heart was full. They both carried the weight of blame for what happened, showing that they cared for each other and Talia. That was the family she always wanted.    

'It was the Guardians who destroyed our family,' Talia said. 'And Sophia and Isaac are at fault for my childhood. They are all punished and are suffering now. Instead of regret for things we can't change, how about we focus on this baby?'        

Astraea smiled at Talia. 'Let's welcome our grandchild. She is eager to meet us. The more energies accept her, the stronger her potential will be.'    

Astraea started chanting again, and this time, Valerian waved his arms also.    

Colorful energy wisps rose to dance around them.    

Talia didn't know what to expect, but then she felt warmth all over as two white wisps touched her belly and disappeared in there. And then three more came, one more, and a few others… yellow, red, white, blue, gray.    

The light from her belly increased and became blinding, and Talia would panic if not for Damon's soothing presence and Astraea's song, and she knew that her father was there also. It was like a dream. She was with her family.    

Talia had no idea how long it lasted, but she blinked to see that her belly had turned into a ball of light. It was white at the center, with numerous colorful strings twisting and twirling around it. It reminded her of the Sphere of Power the Guardians have.    

'Is that my child?' Talia asked.    

Astraea smiled so widely that her eyes formed crescents. 'This is more than I hoped she would get. She is powerful. I will need to bind her powers.'    

Talia was concerned. 'Bind her powers?'    

Yasmin had the ability-suppressing items for Edgar and Valeria. Talia wanted to ask Cornelia if there were more of those items for her child. Unlike members of the Midnight Guardians pack, Talia's and Yasmin's babies didn't need to grow up and find their mates in order to use their abilities. Having a baby that can teleport or start a fire could lead to a disaster.     

Talia was mentally prepared for the possibility of them suppressing the abilities of their child, but items could be used and removed at will, while binding sounded permanent.    

'I know what you are worried about.' Astraea's fingers twisted to form mysterious seals. 'The binds will start loosening up when her wolf awakens. At that time, you will need to guide her. Both of you,' she said to Talia and Damon. 'Even before that, tell her who she is and what to expect. Teach her well, so she doesn't take her powers for granted.'    

Talia didn't like these instructions. It sounded like a goodbye. 'Will we see each other again?'    

'We will be watching,' Astraea said, and Talia was unsure if that was a yes or a no.    

Valerian and Astraea will be watching, but it was a one-way connection, and Talia wanted to be the one who could reach out to her parents. Talia knew they were alive, full of knowledge and love, and she wanted them to be a family.    

Astraea reached to pat Talia's head. 'I am sorry that things turned out this way.'    

Talia told herself not to be selfish. 'Don't be. This is more than I thought would be possible.'    

'Val tells me that your mate treats you well,' Astraea said. 'His energy is of primal Chaos and destruction, but you balance each other, which is always a good thing. If your soulmate is pure, like you are, you would end up as prey to the bad side.'    

Talia felt warmth around her tightening, and she knew that was Damon. And there he was with, 'I will ensure Talia and our children are safe. I will give my life to protect them.'    

'You will do no such thing,' Talia scolded Damon. How can talk so easily about giving up his life?    

'Don't worry about us, mom,' Talia said to Astraea. 'We are powerful.'    

Astraea smiled sadly. 'I had a lot of time to think while watching Val in the dungeon and you growing up. Seeing my loved ones suffering made me realize that power doesn't matter if you are not using it. Listen to your mate, Natalia, and don't trust people easily. If people know who you are, they will be envious, covet your powers, and if they can't take them for themselves, they will try to eliminate you. You are a grown woman with a mate, but your child is innocent and will depend on you for safety. I blessed her for protection, but that's not foolproof, and it can save her life once.'    

Talia could feel the pull, and she knew that their time was running out. 'I wish you could come with us.'    

'Now that Val is here, maybe we can do something together to visit you when the boundaries between realms weaken.'    

Talia's face lit up with hope. 'I would love that.'        

'Don't resist, Natalia. Your father and I will take care of things in your realm. Focus on your family.'    

Talia didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay with her parents and with Damon. Even Sapa and Liseli enjoyed their time. Everything was better in that realm.    

But the light was fading, and so was her consciousness, like she was falling asleep against her will.    

"Aww…" Talia cried. The stabbing pain in her stomach was excruciating. The scent of blood filled her nostrils. Was she bleeding?    

Talia reached to her hold onto her flat belly. What the heck?    

Talia blinked to notice their surroundings. The scent, the familiarity… they were in the packhouse of the Dark Howlers pack. In their bedroom. On the bed.    

"Kitten?" Damon called, and he was staring at something next to Talia, equally surprised to see where they were.    

Next to the bed were their suitcases. Astraea and Valerian returned them home, together with their things.      

Talia turned to see a baby lying by her side. The baby was completely naked (definitely female) and sleeping.    

"Violet…" Talia called and propped herself on her elbows.     

Talia's stomach was aching, but it was flat. She could see that because she was wearing a bikini top and no bottom, and there was some blood under her.     

Did she give birth to her baby without realizing it? It looked like it.