Page 108 of Sworn to Revenge
Hormones,Myko mutters dryly.
Alin grins. “First of all, why would I need a reason to call you?” she teases, and I chuckle. Fair point. “And second, Luca and I finally picked a name!” she squeals, and Cora and I lean in, sharing her excitement.
“Well...?” I urge, grinning.
“If it’s a girl, we’ll call her Kayla.”
“I love it!” Cora claps her hands, delighted.
“And if it’s a merling boy?” I ask, resting my hand on her glowing belly beside me.
“Malec,” she says softly. “Short for Maleciandro.” Her smile falters slightly, and I catch the hint of sadness in her eyes.
“It’s the name my father wanted for me if I’d been born a boy. He always said it was a name fit for a king.” She smiles, but there’s pain beneath it—the ache of knowing she can never go back home. And I know that’s partly on me.
“What’ll happen to the Mal-El lineage now that they don’t have me?” Her voice wavers as she glances between Cora and me, and I can feel the weight of her sorrow mirrored in our eyes.
“I wish I had an answer for that,” I say gently. “But for now, the Coral of Life is still strong, so we know they’re okay.” I try to ease her pain, but I’ve felt it too—that wound of knowing there’s no home to return to. It’s a scarthat never fully fades.
Then, out of nowhere, Alin’s scream slices through the quiet, her hands flying to her belly. “I think it’s coming!” she roars, her nails digging into my shoulder.
“Call Luca!” Cora shouts so loudly to the cook, Luca could probably hear her without the phone.
“What do you need?” Cora asks, but Alin’s eyes lock onto mine, desperation in her gaze.
“I’ve got this,” I reassure Cora. I’ve seen enough mermaids give birth to know what to do. It’s never a pleasant sight, but at least I can put that knowledge to use now.
“Warm—not wet—towels, and a few buckets of water,” I instruct Cora. “Alin will need to heal quickly afterward.” I help Alin lie down on the sofa, and together, we work through the waves of pain. Myko sends a warm, soothing current through her, surprising me with his ability to dull her pain. He never mentioned he could do that, but I don’t question it.
Luca bursts into the room with a snack—another craving Alin had demanded earlier. He’s been running back and forth, looking like a lost puppy desperate to help. Now seated beside her, he gently cradles her head in his lap, feeding her cherries one by one. But when another wave of pain hits, she grips his hand so tightly her nails dig into his skin, though he barely flinches.
“For God’s sake, why can’t we have a real doctor here?” he groans, only to be silenced as Alin and I shout in unison, “Shut up!”
“Okay, Alin, it’s time to start pushing,” I say, trying to keep my voicesteady and encouraging. Blood begins to bead on her lip where she’s been biting down, and Pedro rushes in with yet another bucket, just in case. We used the water with Myko’s soothing energy to ease each unbearable surge of pain. When combined, it keeps her tail from popping out.
“We weren’t prepared for it to be this soon…” Luca mutters, looking paler and more lost with each moment.
“SHUT UP!” Alin and I shout together again, the tension high as both of us fight to stay focused—it’s a first for us both.
As the baby’s head crowns, and his neck is now seen, I catch sight of something that makes me freeze.
Myko, what is that?
Alin, through labored breaths, catches my expression. “Bay, don’t give me that look…”
“It’s fine,” I lie quickly. “I’m just not used to seeing labor this close.” Myko’s tension is evident, pressing hard in my chest.Please, answer me,I urge him silently.
“One more push, Alin, you’re almost there!” I guide her, and she screams with everything she has left, delivering the baby with a final push. As the tiny merling slips into my hands, I’m struck speechless. I want to tell her it’s a boy, but I can’t even find my voice.
Then, as he starts to cry, I snap back to reality, realizing I’d been holding my breath. “It’s a boy!” I beam as wide a smile as I can manage, but Alin sees straight through my shock.
“Bay, what’s wrong?” She pushes herself up, her hands trembling as shetries to get a better look at her child. Her gasp is so sharp it catches in her throat, almost choking her. Pedro and Luca are silent, their faces frozen, the disbelief etched so deeply it looks as though they’ve been struck by something invisible.
The baby’s skin—oh gods, the baby’s skin is covered with symbols. Strange, ancient marks—patterns of all the pods—glowing softly like the sacred marks in Queen Lora’s chamber.
“Myko, what’s going on?” I demand aloud, and finally, his low growl echoes in my mind, the truth unfolding before me.
“The Coral of Life has chosen Malec’s body to be reborn into after the blow it suffered,” I repeat his words aloud in shock, and Alin’s horrified shout fills the room. “That is NOT going to happen!”
