Excerpt: Lest Darkness Prevail - Morcai Sees Light

This excerpt from Lest Darkness Prevail features a precocious 3-year-old named Morcai as he gives his godfather and other family members an unexpected surprise.

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“Shi’níyah, are you all right?” Warnach rose on his elbow and leaned over her shoulder.

Twisting onto her back, she expelled a frustrated breath. “I’m so tired of not being able to sleep. There’s just too much light in this room.”

“Sandra,” he said in a soothing voice, “there’s no way to make this room any darker. There are padded stops in front of the doors, and you covered the display on the clock. You even installed dark film over the windows. Outside, it’s too cloudy to see either moon. There’s no light in here!”

Pulling covers all the way over head, she groaned. “I still see light. Where the hell is it coming from?”

Gently, he pried the comforter loose from her hands and uncovered her face. “Shi’níyah, forgive me. Desperate measures are needed here.” Rising above her, he pinned her shoulders into the depth of the mattress and lowered his face to hers. For long moments, his cerea-nervos poured tranquilizing energy into her. Finally, sensing change, he shifted back onto his pillow. Relieved that she was finally asleep, he snuggled under the covers. Tomorrow, weekend notwithstanding, he would send her for an eye exam.

The following weekend, she looked up from the sofa where she sat reading to Morcai. Male voices were filled with laughter as Badrik, Rodan, and Warnach strode into the spacious family lounge.

Badrik quickly crossed the shadowy room and picked up his nephew. “Is your mamehr still keeping you in the dark?”

“Momma, not mamehr,” Morcai boldly corrected his uncle. “Not so dark either.”

Kissing Sandra’s cheek, Warnach closed one eye and stared at her. “How can you see to read with drapes drawn and no lights on?”

“There’s plenty of light. How did you do in pafla?”

Rodan laughingly shook his head. “Your ki’medsah trounced me and his brother.”

“Not surprising,” she grinned proudly. “Can I get you gentlemen some snacks or something to drink?”

Badrik knelt onto the floor, setting Morcai on his feet. Glancing upward, he nodded. “I would appreciate that very much. With Farisa and Michahn away visiting her maméi-mamehr, I feel lost. Food is the only thing that fills the loneliness.”

Morcai reached out and touched his uncle’s cerea-nervos. “You look sad. Your light not so shiny today.”

Halting her walk from the lounge, Sandra turned and fixed puzzled eyes on her young son. “Morcai, what did you just say?” she asked gently.

Morcai shrugged his shoulders. “His light not bright today. He sad because Michahn gone.”

Warnach exchanged a puzzled glance with Rodan and then looked at Sandra. “What is he talking about? This isn’t the first time he’s mentioned someone’s light. I find that especially odd considering your current fixation with darkness.”

Affectionately, Sandra scowled at her lifemate. Walking back and sitting on the sofa, she beckoned to Morcai. “Come, little one. Let’s talk. Tell me about this light.”

“Everybody has light. You don’t see it?”

Calmly, she shook her head. “I don’t think I see it the way you do, so you have to help me. Let’s start by telling me about Badrik’s light.”

“Oh,” Morcai answered before grinning at his uncle. “I like Derma’ad Badrik’s light. Bright and big all the time. Except today. His light not so big. Looks some sad.”

Sandra’s eyebrows rose. Patiently, she continued questioning the child. “What about Baadihm Rodan? Does he have light, too?”

Morcai’s reply wasn’t quite so patient. “Momma, I tell you already. Everybody has light.”

“I apologize. You’re right. Can you tell me how you see Baadihm’s light?”

Tentatively, Morcai walked over to Rodan, who knelt down. Small hands cupped his baadihm’s face. “Baadihm has pretty light. Happy light. I like it. Blue like sky and bright.”

Fascinated, Warnach dropped onto his knees at the end of the sofa. “Morcai, come to Badehr.”

Soulful brown eyes gazed into Warnach’s. “Badehr’s light soft when he holds Morcai. Feels good.”

Totally perplexed, Warnach smiled and hugged his son. “Maybe Badehr’s light feels good because he loves his Morcai.”

The child’s expression was almost too serious for a boy of three. “Badehr’s light real bright when he hugs Momma. Momma’s light real bright, too.”

Warnach chuckled as he quickly glanced at his lifemate. “Badehr loves Morcai’s Momma, too. Do you think that’s why her light gets bright?”

Thinking for a minute while the adults exchanged amazed looks, Morcai nodded. “I think so.”

Leaning far enough forward to kiss her son’s forehead, Sandra smiled encouragingly. “Morcai, I think we don’t see people’s lights the way you do. Can you tell me about Badehr’s light? Do you see what color it is?”

“Momma, I like talk about your lights.”

“My lights? Do people have more than one light?”

Quite earnestly, Morcai strode around the room. Curiously, he tilted his head from side to side as he studied first Badrik, then Rodan. Stopping in front of his badehr, he stared thoughtfully before looking back at Sandra. “Only one light.”

Climbing onto the sofa, he placed his palm against his mother’s cheek. “Except Momma. Momma’s light so pretty here. But here…” He moved his hand to her stomach. “New light very bright. Too white. Sometimes hurts Morcai’s eyes.”

Badrik and Rodan rose almost simultaneously. Both stared at Warnach, whose head jerked around. Facing Sandra, he gazed intently. “Do you know what he’s talking about now?”

A dumbfounded expression transformed her face as a smile played at the corner of her mouth. “It’s like he already knows. I…I’m pregnant again.”

“Pregnant?” Stunned, Warnach reached for her hands. “Are you sure?”

“Momma? Momma!” Morcai tugged insistently at his mother’s sleeve. “Pr…” Unable to pronounce the word, he started again. “What’s that? What it mean?”

“Come with me, little one,” Badrik said, lifting Morcai into his arms. “I think some of us need to go to the kitchen for a snack, and your badehr needs to talk with your momma.”