Page 198 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

“I’m guessing Red are doing particularly well this year?” he added.

Rain’s attention snapped away from admiring Elijah’s aesthetic.

He scanned the crowd; really scanned it and suddenly noticed what he’d missed earlier.

Red.

Red everywhere.

Red identifiers.

Red accents.

Red energy signatures.

He opened his shield, inhaling deeply as he let the collective energy wash over him. Hundreds of emotions flickered through him; excitement, tension, drunken bravado, irritation, curiosity. A few flashes of distaste aimed his way; typical for Red citizens who recognised him but nothing overtly hostile.

Still…

Something felt wrong.

A chill crept up his spine; subtle, insistent, impossible to ignore.

His instincts whispered that something was off.

Something beneath the surface.

Something he couldn’t yet see.

Despite the reliability of his power, despite the calm he sensed in the room, the unease lingered; a quiet warning threading through his veins.

Rain straightened slightly, his senses sharpening.

Whatever was coming…

He could feel it brewing.

And it wasn’t good.

Chapter 51

This chapter contains mentions of stillbirth, loss of a child and disturbing scenes involving stillbirth.

Excruciating sobs tore from Nora’s throat, raw and animalistic, the kind that scraped the soul on their way out.

“Where is he? Why was he blue? Shouldn’t he be crying?”

The words were barely legible through her devastated wailing. She already knew; in the deepest, most terrified part of herself, that she didn’t want the answers.

Selia squeezed her hand tightly, forcing her own expression into something steady, something calm, something that wouldn’t shatter Nora further. But her eyes betrayed her; wide, glistening, terrified.

“Nora, you can see your son soon,” Selia murmured, brushing trembling fingers across her sister’s tear-streaked cheek. “Let the midwife see to him. For now, you must find your calm.”

“Your daughter is waiting to be born, take long deep breaths for me Nor,” she demonstrated slow, deep breaths, guiding Nora through them as another contraction seized her body. Nora crushed Selia’s hand, a guttural scream ripping from her throat.

“Good, Nora. You’re doing beautifully. Slow, steady breaths. She’s coming.”

The midwife reappeared between Nora’s legs, her face composed but tight with urgency.