“Mal. I’m not going to die, for fuck’s sake. You’re being completely useless right now.”
He ignored that last part. “You cannot possibly promise that.”
“I can. I didn’t survive assassination attempts and interdimensional travel and your cooking disasters just to die giving birth to your baby.”
“I love you. You’re doing great, you know that?”
“Yes.” I gritted through my teeth as a different sensation tore through my body… That’s when the first real contraction hit and our banter died immediately.
Pain exploded through my entire abdomen like someone had lit me on fire from the inside. It felt like my body was trying to tearitself apart. Every muscle clenched simultaneously. My breath caught in my throat. My vision went white at the edges.
“Wen!” Mal’s voice was pure panic. “What is wrong? What is happening? Should I stop walking?”
“Contraction,” I gasped out when I could breathe again. “Just a contraction. Don’t stop. Keep moving.”
“Maybe I should put you down. I should-”
“Don’t you dare put me down. We’re almost there. Just keep walking.”
“You are in pain. I can feel it through the bond.”
“Of course I’m in fucking pain!” I exploded, “I’m in labor. That’s kind of the whole thing.”
The contraction passed after what felt like an eternity but was probably only forty-five seconds. I sagged against Mal’s chest and tried to catch my breath. My heart was pounding. Sweat was already forming on my forehead.
“How long do these contractions typically last?” Aurion asked. He was keeping pace beside us but looked increasingly green.
“The whole labor? Hours usually,” Mal said. “Sometimes longer for first babies. Could be anywhere from six to twenty hours. At least that’s what I read in the manual.”
“Twenty hours?” Aurion looked like Mal’d just told him he was going to fight a dragon bare-handed. “Wen has to endure this level of pain for up to twenty hours?”
“Welcome to childbirth.” I growled, “It’s a magical, beautiful experience.”
“Hush. Come on, faster.” Sorcha interrupted, pointing at a door not far ahead.
We finally reached the infirmary and Sorcha pushed open the doors with both hands. The healers were already bustling around preparing. They’d set up a room with clean linens and what looked like medical supplies and various other things I definitely didn’t want to examine too closely.
“Put her on the bed,” one of the healers instructed. She was an older woman with steel-gray hair pulled back in a bun and kind eyes that crinkled at the corners. “Very gently now, Your Majesty.”
Mal set me down like I was made of the most fragile glass in existence. Then he immediately grabbed my hand and refused to let go. His grip was almost crushing.
The healers started their examination, asking rapid-fire questions.How far apart were the contractions? When exactly did my water break? Was I feeling pressure anywhere specific? How would I rate the pain?
“On a scale of one to ten, I’d say we’re currently hovering around a seven,” I said. “But I have a sneaking suspicion we’re going to hit about fifteen pretty soon.”
Another contraction hit barely two minutes after the first and proved me absolutely right. The pain was worse this time. Sharper. More focused and intense, like someone was taking aknife to my insides. I squeezed Mal’s hand hard enough that I heard his bones creak.
“Fuck,” I gasped when it passed. “That one was significantly worse.”
“You are doing wonderfully,” the healer said in that calm, measured tone that medical professionals seem to master. “Everything is progressing exactly as it should.”
“If this is normal progression, I have some serious complaints about the design.”
“Your body knows what to do. Just try to relax between contractions.”
“Relax. Right. While my body is tearing itself apart. Easy.”
Sorcha appeared beside the bed with cool cloths and started wiping my forehead gently. “You’re doing beautifully, dear. Just focus on your breathing.”
