Page 96 of He Who Ignites The Flame
“They’re getting closer. Just try tae breathe through them,” Isla muttered, and Lucia did so, breathing deeply through her nose before letting all the air expel from her lungs through her mouth.
Isla looked at Zephyr. “Ah think it’s really happenin’ this time.”
Zephyr nodded before proceeding to discuss needs with the attendants. He slid past me, and I couldn’t seem to do more than stand frozen.
“Would ye like tae rest in bed until the midwives arrive? Or try to get on your feet?” Isla said as she approached, and her tone softened, turning into something warm and encouraging. “Gravity always helps the baby move along.”
Lucia nodded. “I think I might try standing.”
“I’ll retrieve the midwives. I can get them here faster,” Damien said, and Lucia nodded before he ducked into the shadows.
Zephyr rushed into the room again, arms full of linens, towels, and a basin. “Here are the things you requested.”
“Thank ye,” Isla said, taking them from him.
I stepped closer to Lucia, offering her a reassuring hand in Damien’s absence, and whispered, “You’ve got this.”
She lifted her eyes to me, slumping as she braced herself against the edge of their bed in the wake of another contraction. Sweat beaded along her brow in the summer heat, and I grabbed a damp washcloth from a nearby basin of water.
“You’re the strongest warrior I know,” I said, dabbing the rag against her forehead as she let out a sigh of relief. “You’re a goddess, a damned powerful one at that. You’ve faced more terrifying things than this.”
For a moment, her eyes seemed to waver as she absorbed my words, but then her lips curved into a weak smile, and she nodded.
“Lady Lucia,” a woman’s voice called from a shadow doorway as three females in gray robes entered the room before Damien. They carried a number of bags in their arms, likely loaded down with various tools and instruments they might need to help deliver the babe.
“Let’s get ye changed intae somethin’ more comfortable,” Isla said, approaching with a linen gown draped across her arms.
“I’ll be right outside,” I said, turning to Lucia once more. “You can do this.”
“I can do this,” Lucia echoed weakly, and I wasn’t sure if it was for her own reassurance or mine. I offered her a smile before reluctantly stepping back to allow Damien to return to her side.
The room erupted into chaos, midwives and attendants going in different directions as they prepped the bed, lit candles, and brought Lucia a gown to change into. It was all happening so fast—too fast.
I stepped out of the room, closing the door to allow them privacy. Zephyr had pulled up a couple of chairs and was sitting across the hall, his chin resting atop his interlaced fingers.
Our uneasy gazes met, and I knew by how his green eyes wavered, he was just as fearful as I was.
———————————
I wasn’t sure how long Zephyr and I paced the hall, unable to speak. How long would they be in there? How long would she suffer? The only sounds we had heard over the last few hours had been words of encouragement and moans of pain, some so intense that Zephyr and I had to resist the urge to open the door and make sure Lucia was all right.
Attendants stood outside the chambers, ready to enter if needed. They quietly whispered to each other, and I tried to avoid hearing them discuss the risks and complications Lucia faced.
Isla stepped out of the room, and Zephyr and I twisted around to face her. Her cheeks were flushed, sweat coating her skin, and she glanced at me before looking at Zephyr. “Can ye get me some fresh towels?” She then turned to me and held out an empty basin. “And could ye bring me some fresh water?”
“Is she all right?” Zephyr and I asked in unison.
She didn’t respond at first, glancing back at the door nervously. “She’s tired, but everything is going as hoped. It won’t be long now.”
A loud groan sounded from beyond the door, and Isla whipped around before glancing back at us. “Go, please,” she begged. “I need to return to them.”
We nodded and split off to do as she asked. I could faintly hear Zephyr muttering prayers under his breath as he hurried down the hall, begging The Fates to protect Lucia and the babe—to spare them the fate so many of our kind suffered in childbirth. When we returned to the door, Lucia cried out from the other side, and my heart twisted at the agony in her voice.
“You’re doing amazing,mea luna. Hang in there. You’re almost there,” Damien coached, and we stood there, useless. Utterly fucking useless.
How could we just stand here? How could we not be able to help her? I’d always been at her side, fighting every battle with her, but now... Now, I was stuck outside, unable to help her face this.
“I’ll take those,” one of the attendants said, taking the linens from Zephyr.
