“For babies born prematurely. I want to put the babies back in stasis and let them develop in this.”
The wonder and magic of it hits me right in the solar plexus. I come up beside Devlin, ignoring his body heat as it swims around me.
Well, try to ignore it. Mostly it’s impossible, but focusing on the magical womb helps curb the temptation to sink onto his arm and drink up his heat and scent.
“A magical womb,” I murmur. “For premature babies. Because you had a sister…”
“Who was born premature and didn’t make it,” he whispers.
The weight of his words falls on me like a tidal wave. My throat shrinks to the size of an English pea. Here I assumed Devlin was coming up with some invention for his own good. Well, not assumed, just figured, I guess.
But that’s not what he’s been working on at all. He’s working on something that will, like he said, change people’s lives. This willsavelives.
Tears prick my eyes. “This is so touching, Devlin,” I say hoarsely. “It’s beautiful, and amazing.”
“But it doesn’t work.” He knocks on the table. “Not yet, at least. Hands and I have been doing everything to make it soar, but we’re at a loss.”
To emphasize this, Hands jumps on a table and bows his fingers over in a nod. I bite down a giggle. Even though the set of hands was at first terrifying, his presence is slowly growing on me.
“This is what I need you for,” Devlin says quietly.
He turns and stares down at me. I step to the table and drink in the sight of this pink glowing womb, this thing that could helpkeep babies alive. “So you want to put them back into stasis, so that they can come to term fully and then be born.”
“Right.”
“And where are you going wrong?”
“You name it. There’s the umbilical cord issue, along with the placenta.”
“So, feeding the child.”
“Correct.” He rests his hips on the table, facing me. “I can’t figure that out, but I know there’s a way, and not knowing is exhausting me. The answer has got to be in the vision.”
I think about this for a moment. “And you’re going to put nutrients in the womb.”
He nods. “So that they can be absorbed by the growing child.”
“And the placenta?”
“I’m going to use the mother’s and still feed nutrients into it.”
“And the umbilical cord?”
“If it doesn’t get cut after birth we’re okay, but if it gets cut…”
“Then you need to make one,” I murmur, understanding. “And you’ve thought about a fake one?”
“I have, but I’m not sure how to make it.” He eyes me suspiciously. “Do you have an idea?”
“You could use a potion to create such a thing.”
He cocks a brow, interested. “Which one?”
“Maybe a transformation spell.”
“And use the original umbilical cord.”
“Right.”
