A legacy. Legacy. I test the word silently on my tongue. Before, I had never given the slight care to what would happen to others should I die. If I couldn't live, then why would I care? Their fates didn't concern me then, but now I have a mate. A lover. And a son, an heir to whatever I leave behind including my reputation. I hope it doesn't cause him any troubles.

        Perhaps if anything it will aid him, I hope. Perhaps people will remember my cruelty and strength and be too skittish to tangle with such a being as my son will no doubt be. I smile as I grab the little book I had stashed in the baby's dresser. Still intoxicated from my feed, my mood is light enough that I feel like being impish. I smirk as I hold the book, I been waiting to deploy this particular book for a bit.

       The Tailypo. I remembered this book from Sera's memories, and her distinct fear of it as a child. I remove the snacks from the bed surrounding Seraphine and position myself so that I can try this reading thing. I feel as if I'm making a spectacle of myself, but if this brings joy and bonding then I have to try it. I also want to see her reaction to this particular book.

         "Are you ready?" I ask.

         "Yes." She giggles.

         "Close your eyes." She is quick to follow my orders. If only she always was. Then again, it is this spunk that also charms me. I lean down and gently rest my head on the swell of her belly.

         "There was an old man who lived alone in the middle of the forest. He must've been sixty years old, if he were a day, but nobody knew his name-"

         "Noooo!" She screeches and begins to cackle. Her whole tummy shakes with the effort, and so do her breasts. She hits me with the paperback after she catches me ogling.

         "Lay down. Quiet woman. Can you not see I am bonding with my boy?"

          "He's not even out, and already you are traumatizing him. I'll have to give birth in a shrink's office! He'll need therapy as soon as he crowns." She laughs.

          "Why would you give birth in a shrunken office?" She cackles harder. I wait, annoyed until she collects herself. I pinch a breast and she stops laughing at me. "Now. Why would you do that when you can birth here or at our home?"

           "I'll stab you! Stop! A shrink is a psychologist, a slang term. They help humans with mental health issues and behavior issues." I shrug and nod. I begin my story again, head back onto the warm tummy. I use my free hand to mockingly 'pin' Sera back as she feigns a struggle and holds her ears.

         "Tailypo, tailypo. Give me back my tailypo!" She groans.

         "It ate that old man! It killed that sad old man." I chuckle.

         "He shouldn't have ate it's tail."

         "He was starving! He didn't know what it was. He probably thought it was some deranged mongoose." We lose ourselves in the laughter. Her head is thrown back, arching from the pillows as she bellows. Her eyes crinkled and cheeks flushed. Waves of green hair splayed around her like seaweeds. She'd make a perfect mermaid, but it'd be a travesty to cover such legs with fins.

         "A mermaid?" She snorts. "Seaweeds?"

         "I'm trying to be romantic I suppose." She beams at me, and I stroke her belly. Perfection. Even pregnant. I nip at her cheek and pull her to stand with me. I could eat her alive. It pains me, but we've spent too much time alone. It isn't safe.

         I take her into my arms, bridal style, and ask her to reach for the camera. She pulls it to her chest and tucks her head into my chest as we exit.  We descend the stairs, earning a few surprised look from the remaining staff. I do not intend to ever let Sera know what father had actually done to the staff that had plotted to kill her and our child. They can't seem to comprehend my adoration of Seraphine, and a couple start to smile at us in disbelief. They likely thought me incapable.

         "Help!" Sera calls out as we pass Ivara. She reaches to her mother who giggles and snatches for her. She ruffles Sera's hair and pinches her cheek.

         "My baby." She exclaims as Sera sticks her tongue out feigning disgust. Ivara stays touchable long enough that she can lay her head onto Seraphine, who hugs her. I sit Seraphine down onto her feet and I push the two of them together, stelling behind. I lean down and maneuver the camera with my long arms until I have what I believe will be a good angle. A little photo emerges from the bottom. Ivara is unsurprisingly blurry.

         I pack Seraphine the rest the way down, dipping her and rocking her around. We take photos with our family, some serious and some comedic. Nomias sloppily kisses Sera's cheek in one, leaning her back like the scene of a cheesy black and white movie I had remembered posters of many years ago. Her eyes are round and confused, which only adds to the humor. Axar is bridal style in her arms in one. Ezekiel locks Alexavier into a headlock beside her in another. Sera makes us all pose together several times, and even pulls in the faithful staff in several of them. They seem humbled by the inclusion and they ask to be photographed with Sera too.

        I take several more, with Seraphine and the entire family and a housekeeper asks if she may take one of us all. I kiss Sera's temple and her cheeks flush, a little smirk crosses her features as she shly looks down. The camera flashes again and the keeper hands me several pictures. The later moment she had managed to catch up close, just us two. This is now my favorite, as it captures the most of her nature.

        It's getting late now, and as badly as I want to follow her to bed, I will stop myself. I have a legacy to secure tonight. I have things to get in order. Inside her room we take pictures together in the nursery. She makes me sit in the floor surrounded by all the items I had bought, Tailypo book in hand,, and she snaps a photo. We quickly pick up and I carry her to bed, tucking her in and arranging her pillows for comfort. I knead her feet with my hands from under the blanket and watch as her eyes grow heavy.

       "It's time for me to go lover. I will see you in the morning." I kiss her lips and her eyes flutters open. Little arms wrap around my neck and she holds onto me. It takes massive will power to resist. My pulse races and that familiar restless feeling creeps up my spine as she releases me.

       "I love you." I blink at her. The shock wanes and I capture her face in my hands.

       "I love you too, Sera." I reluctantly leave her room. As I close the door I see her watching me, eyes still foggy with weariness.

        I go to feed from the staff, starving and in need of strength. They none complain as Nomias watches me intently. I take little blood, mostly the energy from the wonderful day they've had. I thank them, knowing Sera would have thanked them too. I pull Nomias to the side and we enter into his study.

        "I need to talk to you about something. I've given it a lot if thought, and I don't believe I am going to survive this. I-I need to know that if I died my Seraphine and child will be cared for." He looks to me, disheartened.

        "You will survive this, Noxodius. But should something happen, she may remain here with my great grandson. I would never turn her away. She's weaseled her way into my heart."

       "Thank you. I do hope so. I can't bare to leave her behind, let alone to leave her without knowing she's taken care of. I have something else to ask you..."

       "Hmm?"

       "Seraphine is my mate. I am certain of this. I want her added to our family history as my mate, and mother of my child. I want her listed as my mate."

        "Are you certain? Once she has been added, I will not remove her and risk destroying the book."

         "I've never been so sure in my lifetime. If I die, I want my homes and everything to be in Seraphine's possession. She may stay here, but I still want her and my son to have everything. He might want a hone of his own when he is older. I need to talk to Ezekiel later as well. I need to ask him a favor, have you seen him?"

        "He has been roaming around, boasting and chasing female staff. Typical." He rolls his eyes. "Might I ask what you need?"

         "I wanted to tell him that should I become a problem, to eliminate me. I have not been well, even outside the possession. I do not understand what is happening, but should I be possessed during battle I fear I could hurt one of you or even my own mate and child. Should Ezekiel need extra strength in battle, I am willingly to let him sacrifice me to defeat Yeomorah. I should give him enough strength. He is our best bet, next to you. Yeomorah might even possess me to end myself before battle, I do not know. All I know, is that I have a feeling my time is coming to an end. I'm not ready to die yet, but should I perish I want to die something more than what I was."

        "I forbid it. Should you die, it will be only because it is unavoidable. The battle has not even begun, don't go into this as if you have already lost. If it has to end, I will keep your wishes in mind. But don't you think Seraphine would be lost without you? You are all she knows now. She confides in me, and is closer with me now, but I am not you. She has on many occasions defied me to try to pry into your business or learn more than we allowed. In those confiscated books, I found a some of our history books. Each male has taken time in our family to document a journal or booklet on each child for our ancestors should we die before we are able to add to the main book of course. The specific book she had was yours. It is you that she needs, that she is drawn too even if she doesn't understand why. Now, start focusing on how to stay alive."

         I leave the study and I set out to find Ezekiel. I can't explain the feeling I have, but I just need him to hear me out as well. I do not find him inside, so I ho outside and decide to stalk the perimeter of the house. I remembered watching he and Sera walking around the outside together, so it's plausible that he could be out here. It's also plausible that he might have left for a moment with a female. He and grandfather are notorious for that.

        I go through the little garden, looking at the greenery and now deceased flowers when an idea hits me. In my oldest house, the 'dust prison' or 'spider manor' as Sera has deemed it, I have an exquisite collection of old jewels, and jewelry. Rings. If I'm going to have Seraphine as my mate, and make it official in the books, I should give her something symbolic. Like the humans she grew up around do. I'll give her a ring that marks her as mine. She would like that. Do they pick it, or do I? I'm not certain how these things go, but as I debate it I teleport to my homes.

          Spider Manor, is first. The house remains undisturbed. Dim moonlight flows through windows, yet I do not need it to see. I gather all the trinkets and jewelry, placing them into a sheet that I neatly concoct into a little sack. I exit the bedroom where Sera and I had stayed as memories of our time there replay in my mind. Between the possession episodes, and my totalitarian behavior, I'm quite sure she will never remember this place how I do. That familiar ache in my chest begins again.

         Inside my recent home, I find everything disheveled. Something was in here. It's a quick assumption, but correct one as I make my rounds throughout. Everything was searched, but nothing stolen. Perhaos they were looking for someone, instead of something? It reeks of the pungent smell associated with demons, the scent of putrid death. I'm a betting man, I live free of responsibility and with reckless abandon, but even if I weren't I would bet my dollar that Yeomorah was behind this. No doubt Samael had hand in this too.

         As I make my return, I stay invisible. Other demons or incubi might see me, but to humans I would be undetectable. I do this as I stalk the perimeter of grandfather's home once again. As I near the side where Sera's window will be above me, I notice motion. I quickly contort myself against the corner where I can peer over unseen. That is when I spot Lucien in the brush. I phase through the wall of the house, coming out in a vacant downstairs room as I run up to find Seraphine.

         She senses me and raises up stsrtled, blinking away sleep. I toss the jewelry sack onto the bed and snatch her up with me. I run to Axar's room to rouse him and move him downstairs with me. I ignore Sera's questions as I usher them to the study with Nomias.

        "Where is Ezekiel?"

        "He returned a moment ago. Is there a problem?" He picks up my distress immediately.

        "Lucien is outside the house. I need these two safe. I believe it is a set up. We meet Yeomorah tomorrow night. Why send his son alone to spy tonight?"

        "Unless he is trying to lure us out? He is playing dirty. Breaking our comraderie by possessing you and having hand in Barima's death as well as Ivara's physical death. He has stalked, possessed and killed one of our allies. I was waiting till the last minute before deadline as a statement to him about his tactics. It seems he has other plans. Have Ezekiel help guard everyone inside." I open my mouth to speak, but he cuts me off.

        "I'm going to kill Lucien. He wants to toy with us, I will play the game. He can come to find his bastard son's head on a post."