A few days later, Aaron returned home to find Aislyn on her knees, retching into a bucket. Running to her, he dropped down next to her, pulling loose strands of her red hair back out of the way. “Are you all right?” he asked once she had finished and began to steady herself.
“I’m fine,” she assured him, managing a smile.
He rushed to bring her water and a towel to wipe her mouth. Once he helped her up and over to the bed, where she insisted on sitting instead of lying down, he took care of the bucket and ran back to her side. “Aislyn, do you have fever?” he asked, feeling her forehead. “When did you start feeling ill?”
“A few weeks ago,” she replied, but she was still smiling, and though he had no idea what there was to be happy about, he took a deep breath and let her continue. “Aaron, I’m not ill,” she assured him, placing her thin hand on his knee.
“What do you mean?” he asked. “You were vomiting.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve been vomiting for a few weeks, but then it’s usually in the morning. Sometimes, like today, it hits later. I’m fine.”
“Aislyn, if you’ve been throwing up for weeks, something is wrong. We need to get you to a physician.”
“I told you I’m not ill, Aaron. I’m certain of it. I went to town last week and spoke to my mother. I’m just fine.”
“What does your mother know of this type of illness?” he asked, brushing her hair back over her shoulder where it had attached to her clammy skin.
“Plenty. I’m not ill—I’m carrying a child,” she explained, her smile even wider now.
Aaron could hardly believe what he was hearing. “What’s that?” he asked. “A child?”
“Yes, our child,” she said. Taking his hand, she placed it on her abdomen. “I know you can’t feel anything yet, but soon enough you’ll see. I’ll have a nice bump right here, and wee little legs kicking, in a rush to get out into the world and meet the most wonderful da a babe could ever have.”
“You’re going to have a baby?” The information still hadn’t settled in. Aislyn had leaned her head back into his chest so that his arms were around her. He sat there holding her, contemplating her message, wondering how it was possible that he was going to be someone’s da.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” she asked, her voice sounding sleepy.
Despite the lack of food, the failing potatoes, the Vampires, the uncertainty of who he was and what he was destined to become, Aaron agreed that Aislyn’s news was wonderful indeed. “Yes,” he replied. “It’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life.” He leaned back on the bed, pulling her into his arms and held her, marveling about how fortunate he was. He was married to the most beautiful woman in the world, who was carrying his child. How could life be any better than this?
The next morning, Kian was out in the field waiting for him, a concerned look on his face. Aaron could not put away his smile, and he was sure he looked like a fool as he approached his friend. He didn’t care. He was going to be a father.
“Aaron, something’s wrong. I just know it,” Kian said, his voice hardly above a whisper, no regard whatsoever for the ridiculous smirk on his friend’s face.
“Good morning, Kian,” Aaron replied as if he hadn’t understood the statement. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not,” Kian assured him. “Aaron, something is wrong with Shannon. And I fear the worst.”
Disregarding Kian’s negativity, Aaron went about the first task he needed to complete that day. There was a rather large boulder in the middle of his field that he’d been working around. Today was the day this boulder would meet its demise.
“Aaron, she’s been completely non-responsive for three days. Then, this morning, she’s up out of bed, chipper as all get out, telling me how I’m a wonderful, loving husband, and making me fresh eggs.”
“That’s lovely,” Aaron replied, taking the hoe to the rock and striking it along the edge, intending to break it into smaller pieces. The rock broke into two halves, and he realized he could likely pick each of them up now and toss them out of his acreage.
“We don’t even have chickens,” Kian reminded him. “Where the hell did she get eggs?”
Picking up the first half, the larger of the two, Aaron lifted it up over his shoulder and swung it around, sending it sailing off into the woods on the edge of his rented property. It crashed into the top of a few of the larger pines, snapping them and tumbling out of sight. “Maybe she got some the last time she was in town.”
“That was months ago,” Kian argued.
The second half was even lighter and ended up clearing the tops of the trees, disappearing over the horizon. Aaron was proud of himself for finding a constructive way to use his newfound strength. “I don’t know, Kian. Maybe a visitor brought them to her while you were in the field.”
With that, Kian relaxed a little bit. Running his hand through his hair, he muttered, “Maybe. I don’t know. I just don’t feel she’s quite herself.”
“Keep an eye on her,” Aaron recommended, wondering what he might do with the rest of his morning now that the boulder was cleared, “and see how she acts. Kian, you always suspect the worst. It’s likely nothing.”
Though Kian’s expression didn’t show that he completely believed his friend, he nodded and went back to his own field to start his day. Meanwhile, having nothing else to do until later that afternoon, Aaron returned home eager to kiss his perfect wife and remind her of how much he loved her.
A few days later, Kian was back. This time, he swore he’d seen Shannon sneaking in late at night, though he wasn’t positive he wasn’t dreaming. Once again, Aaron calmed his fears and sent him home, hopeful that there truly was no need for alarm.
However, as the days passed, he began to realize something wasn’t quite right with Aislyn either. At first, he had thought it was just the pregnancy. She was becoming more and more lethargic. Her skin was even more pale than usual, and her eyes had dark rings beneath them. He insisted she spend her days in bed, even though she argued, saying she was fine and had much to do around the house. He won out, however, and she continued to rest. Even with more sleep, she didn’t improve, and when she broke into a fever, Aaron panicked. He checked her entire body for any signs of infection. She insisted she was fine—that she had not interacted with any of the Dark Ones. She would recover fully with more rest.
Aaron ran into town to find a midwife. By the time he returned, Aislyn was hardly even lucid. The woman checked her over and assured him that if she drank an herbal remedy, she would be fine in a day or two. She believed it was only the pregnancy wearing her down.
The next morning, he was greeted by her sparkling green eyes. The herbs seemed to have done the trick, but though she appeared to be on the mend, Aaron insisted she stay in bed. He had lost much time in the field and went out to see what he could get accomplished that morning, knowing he’d return to her side just as soon as possible.
Not five minutes after he began to work on the trench he was digging, Kian was at his side. “Aaron, I’ve been needing to talk to you,” he said, the concern in his voice causing it to shake. “It’s Shannon. It’s bad, Aaron.”
“I’m sorry, Kian,” Aaron replied, stopping his work to give his full attention to his friend. Kian had approached him, concerned about his wife, and Aaron had ignored him, so wound up in his own happiness he hadn’t bothered to take any interest at all in his friend’s situation. “How is she?”
“I wasn’t certain at first, Aaron, but now I am. She’s definitely turned.”
Aaron was shocked. He dropped the hoe. “What do you mean? How do you know?”
“Last night, I caught her creeping back in. She’s not herself. Not at all. She doesn’t eat. She looks—different. Her eyes are… gray. With black circles beneath them. Her skin is cold. I… I know it’s not my Shannon, Aaron. And I fear she must be going out at night to feed, that she’s killing other villagers.”
“My God,” Aaron mumbled, unable to think about how his friend must feel. “I’m so sorry, Kian.”
“That’s not all. Whenever I’m around her, I have this feeling in my stomach, like it’s full of butterflies. I think that’s my way of reacting to her… as a Hunter. It’s an internal warning of sorts, I think.”
Aaron nodded. He imagined there must be some sort of a reaction whenever the enemy was nearby. “What are you planning to do?” he asked.
Clearing his throat, Kian reached into the back of his trousers and produced a wooden stake, shaped like a cross, about two feet by one foot. The tip appeared to be cast in silver. “I believe I have no choice but to use this.”
“A wooden stake?” Aaron questioned. “Where did you get that?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ve heard it’s the most humane way to end them, that they hardly feel it. I believe it would be easiest if it were done while she is sleeping, before she wakes to feed.”
Nodding, Aaron said, “This cannot have been an easy decision for you, my friend.”
“No, it hasn’t been,” Kian agreed.
“You know I will support you however I can,” Aaron assured him.
“Good,” Kian replied. “Because I need you to do it for me.”
“Do it for you?” Aaron echoed. “What is that? You want me to drive a stake through your wife’s heart?”
“Yes,” Kian said. “There’s no way I can do it myself.”
“What makes you think I can?” Aaron asked. “I’ve known Shannon for years. What if you’re wrong?”
“I’m not wrong,” Kian replied. “You have to trust me. Please, Aaron. There’s no one else I trust to do this. You have to.”
“Listen, Kian, I haven’t told you this, but Aislyn is with child,” Aaron began, cautiously. “She hasn’t been feeling well lately. I’m not sure I’m up to this right now.”
“Aaron,” Kian said, placing his hand on Aaron’s shoulder, “if you were in my position, what would you do?”
Aaron refused to even consider the possibility of changing places with Kian. Discovering that Aislyn had been turned, contemplating destroying her? He could never…. He could never.
“Please? Come over tonight, around midnight. She should be sleeping by then, and she won’t be up and ready to feed for a few more hours. I need you to do this for me.”
Without another word, Aaron slowly nodded his head. The thought of driving a wooden stake through the heart of a woman he’d known longer than he could remember, especially when he had no firsthand knowledge that she was anything other than the Shannon he’d always known, was more than he cared to think about, and as Kian patted him on the shoulder and turned to go, he determined to concentrate on the field and put Shannon out of his mind.
“Oh, and Aaron?” Kian called as he crossed onto his land. “Congratulations. That’s wonderful news.”
Aaron called out his thanks, but he could tell by the tone of Kian’s voice his words were just an effort to be polite. How could he blame his friend for feeling anything but morose on such a day? Perhaps he would find love and joy again someday, though Aaron couldn’t imagine how that would be possible. If anything ever happened to Aislyn, he wouldn’t ever be able to go on. He’d already decided that when she was old and gray, and left this world for the next, he’d ask Kian to finish him as well. If Aislyn were not in this world, he would not want to be either.