Bastian noticed the faraway gaze in my eyes and said, “Matheson, you okay? You’re spacing out a little.”
“Just thinking,” I mumbled.
“Okay.” He nodded. “Well, you keep doing that. I’m gonna go get Noro. Maybe he can help us figure this out.”
It was stupid. It was crazy. But I wanted to try it. Ihadto try.
“Wait, Bastian,” I said, grabbing his arm before he could leave.
He looked back at me curiously. “What is it?”
As the crazy idea wormed itself deeper and deeper into my brain, I grew excited. I should’ve have, because it was fucking ridiculous, but I couldn’t stop myself. If I could help the Madame, what if I could help Bastian too?
The baby kicked again. I hadn’t noticed until now, but since this strange rush of growth, my magic felt more powerful. It thrummed closer to the surface of my skin, like the deep, rhythmic pounding of a loud bass guitar.
“Sorry in advance if this is weird, but can I… try something?” I asked hesitantly. “It involves me touching you.”
He blinked. “Sure?”
“Can you lift your shirt?”
He sat back and did so. My heart leapt as I approached him. The magic seemed to spark on my fingertips, too eager for use.
“Just sit tight,” I told him. “I’m going to use some magic on you.”
“Um. All right.”
My hands met Bastian’s skin. The pulsing energy flowed from within me and into him, but unlike any other time I’d used clear magic, the energy was sourced from a deeper well, like my capacity for using magic had somehow increased.
What the hell is going on? Why do I feel so much more powerful? Does it have something to do with my baby suddenly getting bigger?
I shoved those thoughts aside momentarily and focused on Bastian. He whimpered slightly as the magic flowed into him but didn’t tell me to stop. It streamed into the area below his chest. I almost wanted to laugh with joy. I could feel each ribbon of clear magic, strong and vigorous as it swirled around.
Is this really going to work?
Bastian gasped and fell back. That broke our connection and I stumbled away in a daze.
“What was that?” Bastian asked, wide-eyed and breathless. His hands flew to his stomach.
I found that I was a bit breathless too, but I didn’t know if it was from exertion or excitement. Probably the latter, seeing how strong I felt in the moment. I gauged my well of magic and realized it was still full. On top of that, I wasn’t tired at all.
“Don’t freak out when I tell you,” I warned him, “but I was trying to change your organs.”
He blinked. “Huh?”
“Er, to make you an omega?”
Bastian stared at me like I had two heads. “Huh?”
I sighed. “Do you feel any different?”
He frowned in concentration, running his hands over his belly. “Not really… I don’t know.”
“Oh,” I said, slightly disappointed. “Well, maybe I just need to try again.”
“Matheson,” he said quietly, staring at me in awe. “You’re not joking, are you? You’re serious?”
“One hundred percent. I’ve done something similar before, so I wasn’t sure if this would work, but it’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”
