Chapter 1

Bloodline True

Life moves too quickly. One moment you’re swinging fists at fight club, brushing as many vazey broads as you could, and then the next, you find yourself married, with a baby on the way. Who would’ve thought 1896 would look like this? Standing outside in the clear night, Spalding reflected on his life. Fatherhood was near. The days of a bachelor’s freedom diminished. His wife lay in the bedroom, and he knew that tonight, he would hold his child for the first time. How had this happened . . . and so suddenly? There was no direct answer to the question. Spalding knew it. He was simply going through the cycle of life, the same as everyone else. He was only experiencing nostalgia for a few key aspects of his past, while the years in between blurred.

A family was a natural course for all good men. Spalding’s father had raised him to be who he was today: a man of honour and duty. Spalding lived by that. Sure, he missed the past. He held it dearly. But now he had the duty of fulfilling his new role in life. He would carry on the Savidge family name by being a father, possibly to a son. He could raise the boy just as his father had raised him: to be a strong and loving man.

Spalding tapped his pocket watch repeatedly, looking at the hands as the seconds ticked by, lost in thoughts of family and code. He eyed the etching on the inside lid, script stating “Gerold Savidge,” the name of his father. The watch grounded him in times when he was nervous. The cool winds of dusk did not bother him as he sat on the veranda. He was too fixated on his thoughts. Spalding wondered if he would make a good father. And would he continue to be a loving husband? There had been trials in the past. Women were tempting. His dear wife, Penny, didn’t quite understand the world he lived in. He couldn’t blame her. Spalding’s past was unfathomable to most.

Alastor , Spalding thought. It had been years since his former business partner passed away, yet that didn’t make it any easier. He felt alone, with no one to relate to. Life had never been the same; Alastor had died all too soon.

“Spalding?” came a soft voice.

Spalding looked over to the entrance of the manor. There stood a middle-aged woman in a long green dress and poncho. She stared at him with an expression of concern on her face, framed by tattered brown hair. Rowan. She had never cared much about grooming herself. None of the midwives did. Thankfully they treated Penny with the utmost respect. Still, Spalding couldn’t help but wonder why they didn’t clean up a little. Maybe they’d have a man in their lives.

“You’re still out here?” she said with a smile.

Spalding put his pocket watch away and stared beyond the veranda, watching the setting sun. “I know.”

“Don’t feel shame. The sisters agree that it is fair for you to join in the birthing process,” Rowan said while walking toward him.

“I know. It is just abnormal for a man to be present during birth. Rude, in fact,” Spalding said. Truthfully, social customs were only a part of the problem he had with being near his wife and the other women in the manor during the birth of his child. A part of him was scared. He didn’t want to admit it. He also knew that only one kind of father was frightened of their own unborn child: a coward.

Spalding continued to fiddle with the pocket watch that was in his coat, staring into the darkening scene. He didn’t look at Rowan as she placed her hand on the back of the chair that he sat on.

A father , he thought.

A groan came from inside the manor, emanating from upstairs. Even with the front door half-closed, Spalding knew that groan. That was Penny, using all her strength to bring their child into this world.

“As I have said, and Rachel, and Elise, we all think it would be best if you were to be around during the birthing. Yes, it’s abnormal, but what isn’t abnormal at Rutherford Manor?”

Spalding smirked. “Nothing. I’ve been around long enough to know that.”

“From my few visits here, I concur,” Rowan said while patting Spalding’s shoulder. “Watching your child’s birth is no different. It’s a good omen for you to be with us.”

“Yeah?” Spalding asked. “Your visions tell you that?” He was a practical man. Visions, vibrations, and energies didn’t mean much to him. Still, he respected those that invested in such beliefs; after all, Rutherford Manor was full of the unexplainable. Logic couldn’t dictate everything that happened in this world, and he was willing to accept that. He was also wise enough to keep away from it.

“You know Penny’s background, right?” Spalding asked.

Rowan nodded. “Yes. The sisters and I are very much aware of the fire.”

“It just seems strange. Then again, she is a Flesher.”

Rowan looked to the ground. It was obvious that she did not know what to say to Spalding. The offhanded comment about the Fleshers was something only he could understand. Alastor would have known his meaning, being a Flesher himself. But he wasn’t here, and he never would be. Unfortunately, Alastor’s son wasn’t as easy for Spalding to relate to as his father had been. They worked well together, but the personal touch was missing. That was another story, though.

Maybe I’m biting off more than I can chew, Spalding thought. He had worked with the Fleshers all his life, just like his own father had, and now Spalding had found himself married into their family.

“It is perfectly normal to feel nervous. A miracle is about to take place. You and Penny worked together to bring this child into this world. It is a blessing. One could say it’s even the power of the Divine.”

Spalding smirked. “The Divine, huh?” he asked. “I’m not sure about that. If such a thing were true, given my history, I’d be quite the holy man.”

Rowan sighed at the crude comment.

Spalding could tell his wit wasn’t going to get him anywhere with Rowan tonight. He straightened his posture. “It’s not so much the nervousness of being a father,” he clarified. I think.

“Yes. The fire. A fire can mean many things,” Rowan said. “For one, her home had burnt down, and if it hadn’t, she would’ve never been brought to you.”

“This is true,” Spalding said, folding his arms. Rowan was right. Penny’s uncle—Alastor’s son—would have never given Spalding the blessing to marry his niece. But since the fire had killed her parents, he had the opportunity to wed her. “Nox would have never found her wandering in the forest alone and brought her back to the manor to live with us.”

“Exactly,” Rowan said. “A good omen. Sometimes things must be left in ruin to allow new life to flourish.”

“You do know Penny’s father was Nox’s brother, right? The Fleshers seem to have perished one by one. They were no easy deaths, either. Each involved suffering and pain. It’s unsettling. It’s like there’s someone, or something, that doesn’t want them around.”

“The sisters and I have not felt such energies. You could always get an outside opinion from Lilith, perhaps.”

“That’s not outside. She’s a little biased, being Nox’s wife.”

“Now, you are just fishing for reasons not to go upstairs,” Rowan said pointedly.

Spalding pressed his lips together. Maybe Rowan was speaking the truth. Spalding was getting cold feet. Now that he had a wife, and soon, a child, he was longing for the days of being a bachelor on a quest to discover who he was. Now that he had found his place in life, the wonder of the world had dissolved. This was the new normal. The chase was better than the catch. Life had always been uneasy, and he was used to it. But this was different. Spalding wasn’t used to feeling fear within. He had to overcome his own trepidation. The days of being a young man were over. It was time for Spalding to take the same role as his father had taken before him, for his new family.

Footsteps came from the entrance of the manor, and another woman appeared. A blonde—Nox’s wife, Lilith.

“Rowan,” Lilith said. “We’d best need you now. Penny needs all the support she can get.” She didn’t blink.

Spalding got the hint. Yes, it was unconventional for him to be in during the birthing, but he had to be there. The fear was in his head. The social customs were, too. He would go into that room filled with women and be part of the birth of his child. There was a first for everything.

“Okay,” Spalding said, freeing his hands from his coat pockets.

“Good,” Rowan said with a warm smile.

The three entered the manor, with Lilith taking the lead. Spalding followed. The stairs creaked with each step they took as they reached the second floor. Penny’s groans could be heard more clearly. There was nothing easy about being in labour. Spalding knew enough women to grasp that they went through hell.

Lilith gently pushed open the door leading into the bedroom where a young redhead lay on the bed, legs apart, sweating and panting drastically. Beside her were the other two midwives, Rachel and Elise. Nox’s sister, Vivian, was on the other side of the bed. Candles were on each of the bedside dressers. The curtains were closed.

“You’re doing wonderful,” Rowan said while hurrying over to Penny’s bedside. She took her hand with the two other midwives, who had their eyes closed, whispering rambles that Spalding could not hear. Lilith went to the end of the bed frame and kneeled down, ready for the child.

Spalding stayed near Vivian and Lilith, stopping a few paces to the side, watching, and waiting for the child. He put his hands in his pockets again, feeling his palms moistening from anticipation. This was happening right in front of them. His wife was giving birth to their son, presumably. Not many men experienced these delicate moments. Spalding had never been one for the normal. This fit his character well.

Penny let out a yelp of pain and gripped Rowan’s hands tightly. Her arms shook as the other two midwives held onto her forearm and continued to ramble. Vivian held on to Penny’s opposite hand, stroking it gently as Penny squeezed with all her might.

“That’s it,” Lilith said while extending her hands. “The power is within you.”

An odd sound came from the window, like the beat of heavy wings as a sudden gust of wind blew through the room, causing the candles to flicker. The door slammed shut with a bang at the rapid change in pressure. An owl’s hoot pierced the silence. Spalding’s eyes locked on the window. He’d thought it was closed, and a glance confirmed it. The curtains moved only slightly. The sound stopped, but the candles flickered some more as the eerie breeze continued. The sudden draft caught Rowan’s attention. She stopped mumbling and looked over at Spalding, meeting his eyes for a moment with a slight frown, then returned to the chant with her sisters.

There’s always something , Spalding thought. Maybe the window was open just a crack. Or perhaps the draft came from downstairs. Perhaps it was something else entirely. Nothing shocked Spalding these days. He put the strange draft out of his mind. He only felt concern, uncertain if he could live up to his new responsibilities.

“You’re doing wonderful!” Lilith said.

Penny’s groan changed into a yell just as the squeaky cries of a baby joined in. Lilith moved forward while taking something in her hands. Spalding couldn’t see, but he knew it was the baby. That was his child.

“Vivian,” Lilith said.

“Right!” Vivian said, grabbing a steel knife from the dresser. Lilith raised the baby’s umbilical cord. The gentle cries grew louder as the baby became aware it was leaving the womb.

“We’re not done,” said Rachel as she brushed her own red hair aside, leaning forward and extending her hands toward Penny’s birth canal.

Elise joined her and inhaled sharply. “You’ve been blessed, Penny,” said Elise with a wide smile.

Spalding’s heart pounded in his rib cage. A second baby? Twins? He had been through many near-death experiences. Jolts of adrenaline pumped through his body. Spalding had felt fire ignite him. Yet, none of those memories matched what he was experiencing right now. This was amplified. One child was already in Lilith’s hands, and a second was on its way.

Penny groaned, shifting her arms and shoulders around as her face tensed up, turning bright red. She made another vigorous push, letting out a cry of pain. Vivian had removed the umbilical cord of the first child. Spalding had completely lost track of what was happening, staring in wonder at the whole scene. Lilith handed the wrapped-up child over to Vivian as she prepared for the arrival of the second baby. A tiny whine picked up as Lilith reached for the twin.

“Beautiful,” Rowan said with a smile.

Elise let go of Penny and hurried over to assist Lilith as she held the second child. Vivian cradled the first baby with both arms, staring at the tiny pink head covered in bodily fluids.

The Divine , Spalding thought. He wasn’t sure why he thought those words. But the concept of a holy process was not technically wrong. He and Penny had conceived life. The phrasing was just a little off-the-wall. The midwives liked to pepper their explanations with dazzling, fantastic depictions of mundane real-world scenarios. Whatever word one chose to use, it didn’t change the fact that Penny and Spalding were the parents of twin babies.

“Two beautiful little girls,” Rachel said, squeezing Penny’s hand tightly. “You are the strength to your children and family. You’ll make a wonderful mother.”

Penny’s eyes opened. She panted heavily before her eyes rolled back and closed again. Her head landed on the propped-up pillows as her fingers extended outwards and her legs descended. Rachel continued to hold her hand, gently stroking her hair with her fingers.

Spalding gripped his pocket watch with his sweaty hands as he put on a closed smile. His whole face should be covered in joy, he knew. It wasn’t. A part of him still wanted a son. Wishful thinking. Life had thrown him another surprise. Obscure was the normal he danced. He would raise the girls well, as his father had raised him.

“You’re a mother,” Rachel said with a smile.

Penny turned her head away from Rachel while trying to shift her body away from her. “Fire. . . . Pain. . . . Mun. . . ,” she mumbled.

“Rest, dear, you did wonderfully,” Rachel said.

Rowan walked up to Spalding, keeping her eyes on the other women as they cleaned up the two baby girls. She stopped as she reached him, whispering, “So, are you glad you were able to witness this?” she asked.

“Of course,” Spalding said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Neither have I,” Rowan said.

The wind, Spalding thought. “Is Penny fine?”

“She must be exhausted,” Rowan said. “What I meant was the signs.”

“Signs?” Spalding asked.

“The windows are closed. Wind can’t blow in here,” Rowan said.

Spalding stared at her hazelnut eyes. He wasn’t sure if she was loopy or using rational thought. He’d seen the wind himself, felt its cool breeze. He also knew the midwives, but not that well. If anything, this had been his most intimate interaction with them. He didn’t take anything at face value, even unexplainable wind.

“I’ll have to ponder the abnormality of your twin girls’ birth,” Rowan said.

“This has nothing to do with me being here, does it?” Spalding asked.

“I doubt it. Please, don’t let it get to your head. Embrace your wife and daughters.”

“Yes, of course.” Spalding snapped back to the moment—he had two beautiful little girls. He stepped closer to meet his daughters for the first time. He watched Penny, whose breathing and limbs relaxed. Her eyes remained closed. Spalding thought she’d want to see her girls right away, as he did. Then again, she had just given birth to two babies, something Spalding would never understand. Her distant demeanor and the wind were troubling; despite what Rowan said, he couldn’t keep his mind off it. Nothing was ever normal with the Fleshers.

He approached Lilith and Vivian, who held his little girls as Elise gently washed their skin. A full smile spread across his face. There was the joy. All sensation of cold feet dissipated. Those were his children. Sons or daughters, it did not matter. The two pink little beings that wiggled and cried were Savidge girls. He was a Savidge, a man of honour and duty. He would serve his family.