Pigalle Palace by Niyah Moore

glow, my parents couldn’t take their eyes off Soleil.
    â€œShe’s pregnant ,” Mother said. “I see it.”
    â€œHow is that possible?” Father asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” I said. “But it’s true and it’s possible.”
    Soleil froze and didn’t utter a word.
    â€œImpossible.” Mother casually laughed it off as if she were in denial.
    â€œSoleil is my girlfriend and I want to protect her and the baby.”
    â€œAre you trying to tear what’s left of this family apart?” Mother asked with tears coming to her eyes.
    â€œNo. We’ve never seen a vampire pregnant. This has to mean something.”
    â€œNever mind the meaning. How did this happen? Did you cast a spell or something?”
    â€œWe don’t know any spells to cast, Mother. My siblings and I were born to a human. She was born to a human, too. Do you think that has something to do with it?”
    Mother threw her back toward us. It still bothered her that we weren’t her birth children. Whenever we spoke of our birth mother, she always got sensitive about it.
    I added, “The Divination spoke of a Daywalker… Maybe we were wrong about Rain. Maybe he isn’t the one. Maybe it will be my baby.”
    â€œHow dare you curse the Divination,” Father yelled. “You don’t know better than any of us.”
    â€œWhen have you seen Rain walk in the sun? When have you seen Rain fulfill or carry out anything that was said in the Divination? Soleil is pregnant with a child that has the same DNA as our family. The Divination must’ve been talking about this child.”
    â€œThis is outrageous,” Mother nearly screamed. “The Préfet will not understand how this happened. We’ve managed to break almost every rule of Pigalle Palace as of recently. We won’t have enough time to explain anything to them once they discover this. We can’t expose this. We will be killed.”
    â€œWhy should we hide?” I retorted. “Why would the Préfet be upset about something that they’ve been waiting for?”
    â€œGet me out of here before I snatch his head off his body,” Mother said.
    Father followed behind her without saying another word. With tears in my eyes, I watched the both of them until they vanished around the corner.
    â€œDo you think the Préfet will be upset? What do you think they’ll do to us?”
    Fear was in her eyes; I could see it.
    I reached for her hands. “I’ll protect you. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect the both of you.”
    â€œMaybe we should abort the baby.”
    â€œNo, I can feel that something very special is going to happen. So, calm down, baby,” I said, rubbing both of her arms.
    Soleil took a deep breath for a second before she asked, “I’m your girlfriend?”
    â€œAren’t you?”
    â€œWhen did I get that title?”
    â€œYou’re having my baby, aren’t you?”
    â€œJust because I’m having your baby doesn’t make me your girlfriend.”
    â€œYou know what your problem is, Soleil?”
    A wild fire was in her eyes. “What’s my problem?”
    â€œYou think too much. I want this baby and I want you. Know that. Believe that.”
    She rolled her eyes, but I saw a small smile ease at the corners of her mouth. She wanted me to confirm what she already knew. Soleil was officially my woman.

CHAPTER 17

RAIN
    â€œW hat is this ?” Essence asked, flipping out over her iPad while sitting at the kitchen table. “My professors have reported me as a missing person.”
    She nearly spilled over the vase full of flowers with her rage. Even though she swore she wasn’t concerned with anyone looking for her, she kept her nose in the news to see if she would turn up in it. Sometimes, she laughed at the news and sometimes, she cried. I didn’t know why she worked herself up over that crap.