She blinked, her mind still foggy.
“Moros is dead,” Iris said slowly, snapping Evelina’s attention to her surroundings. She turned to the Aegis council head, the woman’s sharp cheekbones and piercing green eyes standing out in the dark forest. Dream orbs glowed around her, the twisted trees of Nox Grove curling over her.
She realized she wasn’t alone. Annora helped Evelina to her feet and the entire council stared down at the dark orb in Annora’s other hand.
“It’s over,” Seretha whispered.
The council watched Evelina closely. Evelina shook her head, trying to piece together what was happening.
“What are you all doing here?” Evelina breathed, putting a hand over her racing heart.
“Annora had a feeling you would be waking soon,” Iris answered. “We moved you to Nox Grove.”
Annora placed a hand over Evelina’s. “I was tending to the grove when your dream orb…changed. When I looked closer, I saw Moros.” She took a deep breath. “We were able to pinpoint where the dream was happening and sent reinforcements to where he was hiding.”
Evelina’s breath quickened. That was just a dream—a nightmare. “How are they there already?”
She hadjustawoken; they couldn’t be at the coast already.
“You’ve been asleep half the night,” Annora said softly. “They left hours ago.”
It wasn’t a dream. Everything she saw—Daimon, Moros, Senna… It was all real.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light. Then a loudcrackfollowed, sounding as if it had split the ground open. The ground beneath their feet shook. Evelina reached out for Annora, and they clung to each other until the shaking subsided.
“What was that?” Annora breathed.
The council looked between themselves, a moment of fear passing through the grove.
“The temple.” Seretha pointed to where the light came from. Evelina could see the tip of the temple poking through the trees.
They all rushed toward the temple, but Evelina froze after taking a few steps. She placed her hand on a tree to steady herself. She screamed as a tidal wave of pain tore through her. It felt as if her entire stomach was cramping, twisting tightly together and then releasing. Her hand flew to her stomach.
“You’re in labor.” Annora’s voice trembled. “The baby is coming.”
The pressure subsided and Evelina’s eyes widened. “ButSenna isn’t here. I can’t—” Another wave shot through her body, and this time, it almost brought her to her knees.
Maliena appeared at her side, lifting her. “Get Gloriana to meet us at the temple,” she said to Annora.
Evelina didn’t have time to celebrate the death of Moros or to investigate what had happened to the temple. Her baby wasn’t waiting any longer.
She cried out in pain.
A rush of liquid hit the ground at Evelina’s feet.
“The baby is coming,” Maliena said. “Now.”
It wasn’t until the next day that the baby arrived.
There were whispers of the child born the morning after the temple was struck. They’d arrived just after the flash of light and the quaking of the ground, finding new markings on the temple wall. Ellerry spent the entire night deciphering it, while the council waited at the palace. The temple priestesses all gathered, praying to Eurydice to bless the birth.
Senna made it back just before the baby came. Evelina reached for him, pulling his forehead against hers. He did as Gloriana instructed when the head began to crown. Evelina didn’t know if the pain would ever end. But when she was finally holding her little girl in her arms, the memory of the pain melted away. She cried and laughed, her body drained from her labor.
“Queen Evelina,” Gloriana said softly. “The council is arriving for the blessing.”
There was no resting, even after just giving birth. A child’s Essence would drift out of its body not long after it took its first breath. They would all rest later, but first, they had to bless the child’s magic.
Gloriana stood and walked to the gate of the temple to meet them.
