Jared sighed. “Merovingians. You’re a Merovingian, Nina. A very long time ago, your family ruled with divine power, under the belief that they are direct descendants of Jesus Christ.”
“Jesus didn’t have children,” I scoffed.
“They myth is that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married, and their children are the ancestors of the Merovingian blood line. It’s known in less human circles that the story was perpetuated to keep the Merovingians in power. There are people even today that believe it.”
“So you’re saying it’s not true? That's a relief. I'm at least somewhat less of a freak.”
Jared looked away, cautiously choosing his next words. “Have you heard of the Nephilim, Nina?”
I shook my head, dreading where his story would go.
“Okay,” he said, “Have you heard of the story of David and Goliath?”
“Yeah,” I sniffed, “The skinny kid that threw a rock at a giant’s head and killed him.”
“Goliath was not one of a kind. He had family, people…Antediluvian Giants. Some called them Anakim, other refer to them as Nephilim. They had many tribes, and their remains have been found, measuring anywhere from nine and a half feet to fourteen feet. Some have two full rows of teeth. They were different; not completely human. The Holy Bible acknowledges their origin in Genesis:
“Sons of God? Like the ones Cynthia was talking about?” I asked.
“Yes. Angels.”
“Do you know the whole Bible by heart?” I asked, attempting to detour the frightening thought swirling in my mind.
“Most of it,” he said, a corner of his mouth slightly turning up. It vanished as quickly as it appeared. “God wiped out the Nephilim with the great flood because their blood was contaminated. He needed a direct line from Adam to Abraham, because that is the blood line that was prophesied to bring the Messiah. Noah was his way to decontaminate the blood line, and assure the prophecy would come about.”
“My brain hurts,” I complained, rubbing my head.
Jared kissed my hair, wrapping his arms around me. “Do you understand what I’m telling you?” he whispered softly. “Jack didn’t want children because he knew he carried Nephilim blood, and the Merovingians are part of the prophecy in the Naissance de Demoniac. He knew when I fell in love with you, that you and I would meet all of the requirements.”
“What requirements?” My voice was muffled from pushing my face into his chest.
“A prophecy requires certain elements to come together in order to come to fruition, Nina. A descendant of the Nephilim procreating with a Hybrid…it’s the perfect storm. Remember when Eli told us that only seven other human/hybrid cases had happened since the dawn of time? How many of those humans do you think were Merovingian? Jack knew you were the woman in the book because he knew what he was…and what I was. Once he knew I was in love with you, he made the decision to steal Shax’s book to try to find a way to protect you.”
“From what?” I cringed. I kept asking questions I didn’t want the answers to.
He lifted my chin to face him. “That’s why we need the book. I need to find out what interest they might have in a child we might have. I don’t know if they want it to happen, or they will fight to prevent it. It depends on what that scenario means for Hell.”
“Wait…,” I said, my mind finally focusing enough to form coherent thoughts, “you said the Nephilim were wiped out in the big flood. So how can I be related to them?”
Jared raised his eyebrows once, sighing. “That was a tactic used to keep Jesus’ blood line pure. That doesn’t mean fallen angels taking human women didn’t happen after that.”
“Oh,” I said, deflated. “I’m five-feet-four, Jared. How is it even possible I could have even an ounce of giant blood in me?”
Jared chuckled. “You’re Irish, too. Makes me wonder how you’re Merovingian. They were leaders of the Franks…early German and French.”
“Well, now I know Jack was wrong. I couldn’t be French. The language is lost on me.”
Jared’s face turned grave. “We should take this seriously, Nina. We’re in the middle of a war. If I could leave you, that would be one thing, but I can’t.”
My mouth flew open. “Why would you even say that?”
“Because it's the right thing to do…disappear from your life to keep you safe. As long as we're together, you're in danger.”
“I won't let you,” I said, grabbing his shirt, The thought of being without him terrified me. “If I can't be with you, I don't care what happens to me.”
Jared grabbed my hands. “I know. That's why I won't leave you. And now that we know what you are, we need to find out who it’s a threat to. And as frightening as it is…threatening Hell is the better option.”
Chapter Eight
Valediction
An unexpected knock on the door revealed Bex standing on the landing, holding a half-eaten apple. A backpack hung from his shoulder, signaling that he would be staying the night.
“You called him, didn’t you?” I accused Jared, crossing my arms.
Jared slipped on his jacket, preparing to leave. “You’ve had a long forty-eight hours. You need sleep.” He hugged me then, squeezing a bit too tight.
Bex shifted his weight nervously, holding the door open with one hand, holding his apple with the other.
“C’mon, Nina. You’re going to give me a complex,” Bex said. “I brought doves to put in the oven.” A sweet, hopeful smile lit his face, and I relaxed.
“Okay,” I said with a half-grin.
Jared patted Bex's arm as he passed, but just as he stepped out onto the landing, I grabbed his jacket. “Wait. What if it’s different? What if he needs to tell me something?”
“Who?” Jared asked, his attention focused.
“Gabe. Or Jack. We’ve learned a lot today, maybe the dream will change.”
Jared and Bex traded glances, and then Jared sighed. “Tomorrow.”
“I didn’t think we have time to spare,” I countered.
“We don’t, but….”
“I’m right. You know I'm right. So stay,” I said, pulling him into the loft.
Jared pointed at his brother. “Don’t go anywhere.”
Bex shook his head, and then shut the door behind us. “No way…I wanna see this.”
“Great, now I’m a circus freak,” I said, making my way to the table. Jared pulled out my chair and I sat, taking his hand and kissing his palm in appreciation. We had spent the last two days together, yet I felt I hadn’t seen him at all.
Jared sat across from me with a smile. “You are far from a circus freak. You’re amazing. Big difference.”
“Watching me float and scream is not amazing,” I grumbled.
“You only floated once,” Bex pointed out, unwrapping the dove and seasoning it before shoving the baking dish into the oven.
We discussed the possibilities for over an hour: how I could do things in my sleep that I couldn't do in a conscious state.
“It doesn't matter how. What is important is why,” Jared said.
“It matters to me,” Bex said.
“You're going to overcook your birds,” Jared said, nodding to the oven.
Bex jumped up, tending to dinner. He placed our plates of tender, steaming dove and mixed vegetables in front of us, and then returned quickly with his own. “I’ve got to figure out how to do that. If she can do it, we have to be able to do it, right?” he said to Jared, shoveling meat into his mouth.
