“Thank you,” Kyla said demurely. “I thought I might be pregnant, but the child is too small for me to fully sense them with my essence. I was hoping it was true.” She pressed her palm to her abdomen, and even though she couldn’t feel anything there yet, she knew deep within her was a spark of life, a piece of herself and Garnel.
“We should bring you to Hyacinth. She’ll be able to tell if you are pregnant and can help strengthen you with whatever tinctures and herbs she’s got,” Avery said.
The walk down the mountain was steady, enjoyable even, as the women worked their way down the trail single file. Kylashared her concerns about Garnel, and how he was struggling with the loss of his bear self, and the weight of his actions.
Avery assured Kyla that Savine didn’t hold any ill will against Garnel, but Kyla already knew that. Savine had been visiting them both, checking in to see if Garnel was doing better. But he was always the same. Always lost to her.
Savine had set aside rooms for Hyacinth in the northern wing of the King's Residence. It was nearest to the forest, and included a door carved into an ancient cedar tree. Avery pressed on the bark, opening the passage and revealing the spiral staircase within the trunk. The three women took the steps quickly until they entered the warm and welcoming rooms of Hyacinth’s private clinic. The room smelled of herbs, stewing greens, and oils.
“Welcome dears! Avery, I wasn’t expecting you until this afternoon. Was there trouble with the girl in the city?” Hyacinth said, taking Avery’s hands in hers. Her dark hair was tangled with twigs and herbs, and her nutty skin showed the slightest signs of middle age.
“Actually, we want you to examine Kyla,” Avery said before Kyla could even get a word in to the older woman.
“Kyla?” Hyacinth asked and gave her an assessing gaze. “May I touch you?”
“Yes, please,” Kyla said.
“Oh! Yes! Very faint essence. Maybe no more than four or five weeks along. Oh, Kyla, dear! Come, come. Let’s have a look at you.”
Hyacinth immediately helped Kyla lean back on a comfortable bed. Kyla gave her permission to examine her as the other two women made themselves scarce in the adjoining room.
“How long, dear, have you been trying for a pregnancy? It’s not always easy to release your fertility.”
“Actually, we decided shortly after Savine took the crown. We have been waiting for an end to the civil war and didn’t want to hesitate. I wasn’t sure if I had released my fertility, but it must have worked.”
Hyacinth pressed her herb-stained hands against Kyla’s abdomen. “You must have used a large amount of your essence to induce fertility so quickly. That is not often capable for folk, but I dare say you wanted this. Often women hesitate and don’t use enough of their essence to become fertile, which is why they don’t become pregnant quickly.”
Kyla let out a small laugh. “I very much wanted a child.”
Hyacinth took Kyla’s hands in hers. “Your pregnancy is early, but there’s a strong essence already rooted in place. Perhaps this one will be a bit like you.”
“What can I do to take care of us now?” Kyla asked.
“It’s simple really. Rest when you are tired, eat when you are hungry. Men often turn into clucking mother hens over their mates, but I daresay Garnel has always been that way with you. The most important thing is to listen to your body. You’ll know what you can do, but I think you’ll find that you can continue most of your activities. Perhaps no battles, but I’ve prayed to Althea every night that the time of war is past. If you don’t mind, let’s bring in the other girls. I’ve got another matter to discuss with the three of you.”
“Of course,” Kyla replied.
Hyacinth called the other women in and began preparing tea for everyone. Once they were all comfortably assembled in the room, and tea was made, Hyacinth began speaking.
“I’ve been thinking, and I want to know how your search for the Divine Five is going.”
Avery shrugged. “We’ve found some information about Jasper possibly having access to a relic that sounds like one of the Divine Five. I’ve been wondering if he could have used it on theforest during the last battle. Savine said it seemed there was darker magic used on the trees.”
“Possibly, although it is challenging for fae to access deep magic. He would have had to part with a great amount of essence to do so. It would have cut into his lifespan, but if he were desperate enough, he could have decided to take those risks,” Hyacinth said. She took a sip of her tea, and Kyla wondered what she gave herself to drink. Everyone seemed to have a different blend of herbs and spices to meet their needs. Kyla could feel her tea restoring her strength and reducing the nausea in her.
“Avery said the relic could resemble a carved bone. Do you know any rumors of one?” Rue asked.
“The only Divine Five relic that I know with certainty is in Nephel. The Nepheli kings and queens have often worn it. It’s a necklace made of gold and citrine jewels.”
Avery’s eyes grew wide and Kyla could sense her anxiety rising. “I wore that! The night I was supposed to assassinate Jasper. Rylo said it would mask my goddess mark.”
Hyacinth pursed her lips. “Could you sense the deep magic within it?”
Avery shook her head. In all the chaos that followed, Kyla hadn’t noticed Avery’s necklace. It mattered little now. The necklace was out of their grasp.
“I didn’t notice anything unusual except for a heaviness,” Avery replied.
“You should write to Morgan and see if she can get her hands on it,” Rue said.
