Fallen Angels by Natalie Kiest Page A

and a light tan. These were neutral colors, and would satisfy a boy or girl, though I hoped for a girl. We also painted an elemental symbol on each wall. I spared no expense on my baby’s room. She would have the best, compliments of my rich demon friends.
    Abby was a huge help during my pregnancy, and to my surprise she was probably the most excited about the coming addition to the family. She had overcome a tremendous amount of abandonment in her life and I think that’s why Abby was so interested in taking care of her new sibling.
    It was tough connecting to Abby after Ravyn disappeared, and I honestly didn’t know if she would ever come back around to me. When the news of my pregnancy came out, she was instantly at my side and as overprotective as Ravyn used to be. We resumed her homeschooling and soon she was calling me mom.
    It was weird hearing Abby call me mom out of the blue, but it warmed my heart and quickly became as natural as if she were my biological daughter. She was a teenager and going out was her second priority. She had her good days and bad days, and I knew she missed Ravyn as much as I did. I can’t deny the fact that Abby had always been closer to Ravyn.
    Imagine how surprised I was when Abby brought home a man. Not a teenage boy, not a human boy, but a demon in his late twenties, and then she introduced him as her boyfriend. My pregnant self about died. I didn’t like it, but I went along with it because Abby was truly happy. Her boyfriend was very good to her, and for that I was thankful.
    I have to say that having Abby and her boyfriend, and Nebiros and Emma, hanging around the house was pretty awful. Here I was pregnant and alone, having to watch these two overly lovey couples parading their love around the house. It made me sick somedays. You better believe both couples received plenty of eye rolls from my bitter self.
    They didn’t take it personal, I think they understood how miserable I was. Can you believe my wonderful family even threw me a baby shower? The living room was full of wrapped gifts. The most extraordinary gifts! I couldn’t believe how much stuff you could buy for a baby. Bottles, diapers, clothing, and toys galore. I didn’t even know if my baby would need all of the normal things. Angie pointed out that it was better to have than not to have.
    When I was done opening the gifts in the living room, they led me up to the baby’s room. It was completely furnished. There was a stunning canopy crib with toys hanging above it, a toddler bed, a fluffy sitting chair, a swing, bouncer, walker, and an array of stuffed animals. I couldn’t muster a word; I just hugged everyone while trying to hold back more tears.
    Seeing the room this way sent a nervous chill down my spine. I would almost know what to expect when I went into labor if my child was a normal human. The rate of growth and the thirst for blood were all I needed to tell me this child was anything but normal. Trying to imagine what it would be like, my mind conjured up the birth scene from “Twilight,” and I abruptly burst into laughter.
    My family would never let me suffer like that. Nope, I was much healthier since my friends shared their powerful blood with me. There would be no biting and rampant panic when my baby was ready. I was fairly confident that everything would be just fine. I even caught Nebiros laughing at my ridiculous comparison while my Mom stared at him in curiosity. He quickly shared the vision of my thoughts with her. I was finally grateful that he could read my thoughts, and that he shared them with my Mother, it made life for me a lot easier. I smiled and joined the laughter while the rest of the family wondered what was so funny.
     
    Now at almost five months pregnant and looking more like eight, I no longer wanted Devlin in my bed. I don’t know if it was my hormones, his excessive cuddling or Ravyn screaming at me in the back of my mind, but I had come to my breaking point. 
    The night was