Page 157 of A Blightress of Wrath
Ileft, drifting away in a summer breeze as her portal closed, and the world changed forever.
PartSix
Chapter73
Karus
Withthe sameswiftness she had come, she was gone.
TheBlightressleft in a cloud of black, andIfelt it.Deepinside my bones,Ifelt the shift, the world reimagined in a flicker of time.
“Karus,”Revcalled, asking to be let into my shield.
Idropped it and his arms were around me, his breath heavy, fear rippling through our bond.Hehad been so afraid.Ifelt it there between us.
ButIcould only stare over his shoulder at where she’d been.
Iignored the vice on my womb, the spread of tight spasms signalingSaelyn’sarrival would be this night.
Thefae began to fall back into the forest, leaving behind their celebration, butIcould only stare.
Clairanniacalled, “Weneed to get back to theFortress!”Shepulled onRev’sshoulder whileFiguerahcalled to the lumens in the growing darkness, her golden power of light trailing through the trees.
Revichspoke to both of them, butIcould only stare.
“Whathave you done?”Iasked, searching my mind for theBlightress.
Noanswer came.
Nocoy remark or threat of her power.
“Idon’t believe you.Tellme what this is,”Idemanded to the silent corner of my mind where she had always been.“Whycan’tIfeel you anymore?”
Iwas pulled away.
Thefae warrior,Nova, said something to me, butIcouldn’t comprehend it.
Icouldn’t hear,Icouldn’t think,Icouldn’t process that my body was giving way to our child,Icould only call over and over in my mind, afraid of what theBlightresshad planned.
Ihad no reason to trust her.
Ihad no reason to believe her words of peace.
Thenext wave of pain,Icould not ignore.
Clairanniawas there, whispering spells to relax my womb, helping subside the spasms slightly.
Revichwas speaking to me.
Heheld my face, his eyes a deep blue ringed with black.Hisshield around us was brilliant azure fire.Ilifted my hands to grasp his, andIsmiled in a laugh, blinking rapidly and coming back from the corner whereIhad just screamedVisalia’sname in an echo of silence.
“Staywith me,”Revordered. “Karus, look at me!Staywith me, my love.”
“She’sgone,”Istarted, laughing again, tears streaming down my face. “Ican’t feel her there.Rev,”—Igrabbed his shirt, shaking him—“she truly left.”
Helowered his forehead to mine, placing his hands on my belly. “Ibelieve you.Now,Karus,”—he lifted my face—“you need to bring our daughter into this world.She’snot waiting to get back to theFortress.Clairanniasays she’s coming now, and she needs you to focus.”
Inodded, the sounds and light around us coming back to me asIwas lowered to the forest floor.Figuerahsat behind me, propping me up,Clairanniaknelt at my legs, helping me through my breathing, telling me when to push.
