"If evidence confirms, you are sure this is what you want to do?"

           "I owe it to her. This is my best shot at freeing myself from his possession. He's among the strongest demons around today. Direct descendant of the ancients. Trying to exorcise or traditional methods to free myself of him would kill me too. We still have the death aura, even now that Sera lives once more. I think it narrows down to several possibilities. One, Sera dies again. Two, our child dies. Axar seen me kill him in a premonition."

          "He?"

          "Yes. Do not tell Seraphine, I don't want to ruin her surprise. I warned Axar not to spill, but I know he will. Three, is that I die. I don't want any of those outcomes. I want to see my son grow. Today, I could hear his heart beat. It made me realize that if I stay near her, this way, that he could manipulate me to kill her or the child. Today was the best day of my life. I want more." I mean it. Incubi and succubi typically do not date. We despise commitment until we find our mates, if we are fortunate to have one. We like spice, variety, promiscuity. While I enjoy these things, I've never felt contentment like Seraphine brings. I've never held just to hold, kissed just to kiss. Laid in bed without, as Sera said, fornicating. I smirk. I knew from that first day when she beckoned me to lie with her, just lie while she slept, that she was something unusual. 

          "You'll need help. Would you like me to accompany you? I would still allow her family to stay here to protect her in my absence."

          "I will have to think on this. It makes me nervous for her without you here too. I've been trying to come up with a plan, and I've got a decent one starting."
 
         "Care to inform me?"

         "Delighted to. Yeomorah wants us to find Ezekiel and give him to him. Ezekiel wants to sacrifice Seraphine in order to extend his life. Sera may no longer be strong enough after splitting her powers between her and Barima. What if, hear me out, what if I strike a deal with Ezekiel to come with me? I could offer to help him defeat Yeomorah and use his essence to extend his livelihood.  Ezekiel is weakened, but he is still a nephilim royal. He will have people of his own to help, I'm betting. Also he would be extremely interested to hear that his granddaughter is carrying a child that is double royalty. Incubi and nephilim royalty." Grandfather grins devilishly.

           "Devious, just like me. I like that plan. Ezekiel is egotistical, he would gain more from using Yeomorah than Seraphine, especially now that Seraphine has an impressive heir. She would be too valuable to waste. Adding Yeomorah's demise to his resume would really earn him praise. I don't see any reason he should refuse, but..." He trails off. "To add more temptation, I say we offer him Samael's head on a platter too. If anybody wants to kill Samael more than us, it would be the man he fucked over before us."

          "Great thinking. Now, perhaps we should start picking names for our little lad. I've been thinking, Nomiason has an excellent ring to it." I scoff.

         "You'd sound like his father."

         "I wouldn't oppose the title, or the mother." He leans back smugly.

         "You should find your own." I tease.

         "Yes, yours is spectacular, but I'm afraid she's too much trouble for me. Too much baggage. You also know how I hate commitment. Now her mother on the other hand, her kids are grown and would be out of my hair..." I laugh.

         "I doubt Alexavier would stay out of your hair."

         "He might. He's much more fixated on you. Oh, and I am going to warn you, should you leave me behind, that I am going to teach your little Seraphine to use her abilities. I feel much safer for my great grandson to have a mother who is capable of protecting him. She's no slouch as she is, but let's take the blinders off her. Let her reach potential. I'm interested to see what she is capable of. She did survive the salt bath ritual he threw her into, lesser cambions would have perished. To up the ante, she managed to keep her child somehow through that. She's starting to change my mind on mutts."

         "I wouldn't consider her a mutt. Watch how much you teach her, I don't want to return and have her trying to kill me. She is exceptionally physically strong, though she doesn't know how to push it. She can heal herself and others now. I've taught her to purposely feed and hunt now. I prefer her not to read minds or learn to possess or manipulate."

        "I prefer her not either. Would make her harder for me to check in check in your absence, should you refuse my help."

        "I'd rather have you with me, believe me. It's rare that I'm nervous, but I am."

        "You could take your father. Or! Or you could take Alexavier. Your mother will no doubt be here constantly to help Ivara suffocate Seraphine. Alexavier knows where to find Ezekiel, plus they are family. He's more likely to oblige Alexavier than you. Your father and I will stay near Seraphine." This is certainly true, and I nod.

        "Just keep him at arm's length from her. Even with mother, his eyes wander too much." He laughs.

        "Will do. Now, are you ready to retrieve her?" I gulp.

         "Yes, but first I'd like an hour to talk with her. She's not to know what I'm doing, the less she knows the better. I do not want a bigger target on her. All she needs to know is that I will return. I'm kind of concerned that she would try to go too, and that Ezekiel might not take my offer and turn on her."

         "Go to her. Bring her to me when you are ready." I bow my head to him in thanks and thdn grab the bags of baby things.

          I rush to Seraphine's new room.
I listen quietly, but hear no noises from inside, so I open the door. She's sitting on the bed, claws extracted as she sits among a pile of photographs she'd taken today. She hurriedly tries to hide a necklace, but wasn't quick enough to escape my eye.

        "What are you doing, lover?" She flushes and fidgets.

        "You ruined your own surprise." She groans.

         "And what would that be? The necklace? What use would I have for a necklace?"

          "A locket. Here, I'll show you." I sit down behind her, with my legs on either side as she produces the locket and points to photographs. "Which do you like best? Chose and then we cut out faces to fit the locket. It holds two pictures."  I eye the photographs and then the camera. I take the photo where she's smiling, with my face against her hair and I grab the camera.

          "This one, but I don't want to destroy it. Allow me to take one for myself. Stand, and face me but stand back several feet." She gets up and does as I say. I pur at her. "Perfection." She smiles and her eyes twinkle with amusement. I snap quickly. The best one yet. "Now. Pull up your shirt and show me your stomach." She tilts her head. "Now, Seraphine." She growls and pulls her shirt up under her breasts. Soft swelled tummy barely noticable, but it's all I need as I snap. "Now I have one of mama and baby." She crawls back onto the bed, and I push her down playfully and rest my head on her. "Locket?"

       "Locket." She hands it to me and I pry the silver square open. It has intricate carvings, and a masculine feel. I've always preferred silver to gold. I enjoy understated pieces myself. Flamboyance has always been a trait of Narius, who prefers golds and large cut jewels. I place her smiling her on one side, and faint bump on the other, using a claw to delicately tuck them in place.

          "There's another thing too." She states as she pushes a bag to me. Inside is a burgundy sweater. Sophisticated and simple. I hold it up and she studies me. "You look good in jewel tones. It flatters your tanned skin." I slowly remove my shirt to model it, not missing how her eyes fall over my chest  and torso. I chuckle and pull her hands to place them on me. "I am yours, remember? Touch me anytime, and anywhere you'd like." She unexpectedly snuggles into me, and I just sit here with her in my lap, cradling her. I'm going to miss this when I'm gone. I have to do this though. I'm paranoid at any moment that Yeomorah could control my body again. I need to leave before he does. I want her to remember this version of me, not the man I was at first or the man I am under possession. I slide on the sweater and pick her up.

        "I love it. It's quite nice, only it smells like the store. You'll sleep in it tonight for me so it smells like you. Are you ready to see Nomias now?" She flinches a little.

        "You-you promise that my memories are safe? You won't harm my mind?" I sigh in guilt.

         "Cooperate, and no. Nomias will be there to be certain I do not." She agrees and I pack her to Nomias's room. He immediately has the door opened and ready for us.

          Once inside, I ease her onto his bed and we sit on either side of her. I can tell she's anxious as she stares ahead and chews her lip. I rub circles on her back to soothe her, and grandfather fluffs up pillows for her to lean against.

          "You know, I once said there would never be a half breed in my home or bed. Look at us now." He chuckles. "You're so tiny. Human size. I hope my great grandchild isn't so small." He grabs her throat to recline her head. "So tiny, but beautiful, and strong." He scrubs her head with his knuckles and she cracks a smile. "You know I have to pick on you if you stay here, besides I heard your mother's nickname for you. Itty. Itty Itara." She wrinkles her whole face and groans, trying to stifle a laugh.

        "Noooo!"

        "You are safe here, while we do this. Nox asked me to be present to be certain no harm comes to you. Also to look over and help decipher what is going on with him. I intend to look into him as well, but we will start with you." Sera draws in an anxious breath and tries to relax.

       "Please don't let him bother my mind." She pleads to grandfather, and I sigh in guilt.

        "He won't. I won't let him. Now, relax and let me see those gorgeous eyes. I hope the baby has those eyes." She looks into his face and I can sense her hesitation. It is my fault. That wasn't Yeomorah speaking when I threatened her mind, I simply thought that scaring her would be best to get her to comply. "Good job. I wouldn't disappoint you." Seraphine holds his eyes until her eyelids droop. He watches her with his black eyes a second longer before he lays here against the pillows. He brings his hand to her head, and I follow suit. Our hands overlap, but it causes no issue because we can work through eachother if need be.

         "We'll start at Yeomorah's." I nod at him in agreement. It takes a moment of wandering, pulling through fragments and scenes until I recognize myself in her eyes outside her cell. We had just entered. I hold my breath through Yeomorah's banter until I realize my fatal mistake. In my haste to try to peer past to Sera, I held his eyes too long unguarded. I watch my face morph through Sera's eyes and I feel her terror.

         "This is it. This is how it happened..." I whisper. How could I have been so ignorant?

          "You were distracted and emotional. Yeomorah planned this. Seraphine was being honest with us, she did see something."

         We go on to my insulting Sera and
denying the child and it is tough. It's tough to see the sociopath I am through Sera's eyes. To feel her hurt and shock, her fear. Grandfather gives me stern looks as he watches me nab her, and force her into the deal. Her thoughts shock us as she peers out the window crack at rain and fantasizes about jumping and running. We note each unusual change in speech, attitude and actions. Even noticing that once while Sera had accidentally dozed off how I had fed from and handled her body, all with lustful red eyes.

         "He's fed from her blood, in my body. That god damn scab. This...this is why she wouldn't sleep."

         "Yes, and your threat to destroy her free mind didn't help either."

         We get to the final incident, in which I had strangled her. I can hardly watch myself through her eyes as she looks up at me like I am a total stranger, a monster. Past that moment we catch up to the present. I savor each loving glance she soared me that day, and each thought of concern. I try to freeze the memory of her with the rose in my mind. Even after all I have done to her, she would make herself uncomfortable to comfort me. And in those recent memories, I feel her love. It never disappeared, it was only dormant. The slightest bit kindest brought it back. I hope she understands, and will wait for me. That this goes well.

          We discuss a little more, and I sit through his lecturing me on how he finally understands why I feared she'd try to kill me if she came into her full potential. He finally ceases and I lie down beside Seraphine, arm tucked over her as I allow grandfather into my mind. I fear his discoveries, and even though Sera is still out, I cling to her body as a child would it's security blanket. When I wake, I intend to to make the most of the last night we have together. I will hold her and tell her everything I can to get us right, then I will abandon her. For her own good until I have this solved. I pray to gods I once mocked that she'll wait for, and forgive me. It's for us, after all. For the family we now will have. I try to picture what our son could look like as I relinquish control of my mind.