The Governor nodded silently, holding Emilie tighter.
“Governess, you need to stay with me. Once I turn your child, I will need you to help me push the baby out into the world. You will need to work through the pain, but afterwards, you will see your baby. I promise, you can do this. Do you understand what I’m saying?” the Midwife spoke gently but firmly to the Governess and waited for her to respond.
Emilie nodded her head with effort. The Midwife took a deep breath, and with one quick turning motion positioned the baby in the womb. Emilie suddenly reared up, her entire body screaming in pain, her anguish filling the room.
Nobody noticed as Anabel held tightly to Jakob’s hand, his eyes wide with fear at his mother’s cries.
“You’re going to have to push now Governess. The worst is over,” the Midwife said, her voice soothing but strong. “Push! Now!”
Emilie gritted her teeth and pushed with everything within her, streams of sweat pouring down her forehead from the effort. She looked at her father. Father, I have nothing left. I cannot do this any longer.
Her father was beginning to fade and she could hear his voice in her ears. You can do this my Little Warrior! The worst is now over and you are strong! You can do this, child!
“I need you to give me another strong push, Governess. You are almost there,” the Midwife commanded Emilie.
Emilie laughed weakly.
“Are you okay, Governess?” the Midwife said, concerned.
“Yes,” Emilie panted weakly, “It’s just that … nobody usually commands me in such a way as you do.”
The Midwife looked embarrassed for a moment. “I’m s-s-orry, Governess, but this is what I do. I birth babies, and yours hasn’t been cooperating. We need to get it out or neither of you will survive. This is what I do.”
Emilie smiled at her, grateful. Suddenly another intense wave of pain overcame her.
“I need you to push, NOW!” the Midwife ordered, all at once very serious.
A split second later, a weak, thin cry filled the room.
Emilie sobbed tears of relief and happiness as the Midwife placed the baby on Emilie’s chest. Emilie wrapped him up quickly in the blanket that Hadley handed her and wept openly.
“He’s beautiful, my son! My son!” she cried.
The Governor held them both close, pulling Jakob onto his lap. “Jakob, this is your brother. This is Kell.” Ava walked toward the bed, finally curious and peeked at the wrinkled little face of her new brother. Soon she was back to playing with her dolls.
Jakob looked at the tiny bundle, his big brown eyes full of curiosity. He leaned in until their faces were nearly touching and smiled. “Hi, Kell.”
The scene froze in her mind as the Warrior continued to watch, her stomach in knots. All at once she remembered what she had been unable to recall since the Darkness overcame them. She realized with wonder that she had put down her sword for love. She had chosen the devoted life of a Governess and mother. She looked on at the tiny faces of her children, her heart full of uncontrollable love and longing, intense and overwhelming, pulling at her in a way she had never known. She knew she must put down her Warrior sword, for the sake of her children. She could never risk dying and leaving them motherless.
“How could I have forgotten my beautiful children? How could I have forgotten being a mother?” the Warrior began to cry uncontrollably as she felt panic and rage rising in her chest. “How do I find them? How do I find Jakob, Ava, and Kell?”
She sank to her knees and screamed in pain as the memory in her mind refused to disappear, flooding her with an onslaught of moments with the boys that she hadn’t been prepared for. She gritted her teeth and held herself close as she desperately searched her mind for a way to get back to Tamaryn.
“I must find Will and my children!” the Warrior said, her gray eyes full of sheer determination. “I must return to them now.”
The Warrior suddenly visualized her children alone, in a place much like where she had been. She pictured them in her mind, all three of them hungry, running, finding other children that they didn’t recognize. She saw Ava tackle Jakob, and she watched as they tussled, Ava’s eyes wide in recognition. She saw them care for one another, and when the Terato came along, she cried in horror as she saw Kell flying through the air, and then Jakob falling endlessly over the edge of an abyss with nothing but darkness below him. She gasped as she suddenly felt herself falling, too, and as she saw his body smash helplessly to the ground, she felt hers do the same.
And then there was nothing but darkness.
44
UNWILLING
Seven months had passed since the Blood Moon.
Kyla smiled to herself as she walked through the dying fields with Will. She held Will’s hand tight as they examined with great disappointment the crops that failed to yield. Will had the same look on his face as he had on the day she fell in love with him, worried and anxious for his People, with tears in his eyes.
But Kyla could not be sad. She discreetly put her hand on her stomach and allowed her mind to wander to the child growing inside of her. The Blood Bond had given her the One Thing that the Ubilez required, and Kyla knew her child would soon come into the world.
She could feel it as it moved and grew inside of her every day and Kyla thrilled at the feel of it. The Yashwa didn’t give birth as the Humans did, and Kyla had not imagined that she would feel the way she did, but as the child grew bigger, her feelings toward it grew as well. She disguised her smile as she felt her stomach rumble and she imagined that it was swimming around happily inside of her.
She had taken great precaution to hide her pregnancy from Will and with her tiny frame her belly was easily hidden beneath the skirts of her long flowing dresses. She didn’t want to cause him to question why there were no other children in the Land, and she wouldn’t be able to explain it to him. She had decided to confide in Milo as she needed him to secure a Midwife for her when the time to give birth arrived, and something in his eyes told her that he wouldn’t tell anyone. He was obligated by his position to do anything she asked of him, and though she had not told him why she didn’t want Will to know, he was content with her not telling him.
Winter had left Tamaryn, but without rain or the light of the suns, the crops had become anemic, and Kyla knew that what little life they did have could only be attributed to the Yashwa. But the Yashwa’s power drew from the heart of the plants, and they couldn’t create life where there was none. Only a small amount of the crops survived and food remained scarce. Will had been forced to allow Milo to send the Guard into the Outerlands to collect food and supplies from the others that didn’t fall under his rule. None of the Governors in Tamaryn’s history had ever allowed pillaging in the Outerlands, but Will had no choice, even though he knew it would likely bring war. His People were starving, and Kyla and Milo convinced him that there was nothing else he could do.
“We are ready to defend ourselves if we have to,” Milo reassured him. “Our Guard is strong and many and we will fight for our Land.”
Will continued to check in on the People, as was his duty, but his visits became fewer and farther between as he relied more heavily on reports from Aldo. Kyla insisted that Will never venture too far away from her and he didn’t question her, the Blood Bond keeping them close.
Will’s bond to Kyla was impenetrable and he did whatever she required, which was useful to Milo. Milo and Kyla had come to an unspoken agreement that they would keep Will in the confines of the Governor’s House as much as possible. The less Will knew, the more power Milo had over him. Milo knew that Kyla remained oblivious to his dealings with the Ubilez, but he made sure their agenda remained the same.
As Kyla reached her seventh month of her pregnancy, she began to have nightmares and sleep eluded her. The walk in the fields both refreshed her and tired her at the same time.
“I believe I would like to lie down, Governor,” Kyla said leading Will toward the carriage.
“What
ever you’d like,” Will smiled down at her, his green eyes bright and full of love. Kyla looked different to him, but more beautiful by the day. He lived to please her, and she was a happy distraction from the plight of the Land.
When she got to the Governor’s chambers, she lay down on the soft pillows and immediately fell into a welcome sleep.
After a few moments she awoke, aware of someone in the room.
She sat up, terror gripping her, and stared into the darkness. She wished she hadn’t insisted that the heavy curtains be drawn as they kept even the tiniest sliver of light from entering the room.
“Who is there?” she cried out trying to sound strong, but faltering. The silence in the room was deafening, but she could feel a presence very close to her. “I said, who is there?”
“It is ‘we’, the Ubilez. We are here.” The voices were quiet, but eerie, and though she had heard them many time before, this time they were different.
“W-w-why? Why are you here?” Kyla felt fear in her heart, unlike anything she had ever felt before.
“We are here for the One Thing you promised to give us. We are here to collect it from you.”
Kyla huddled in her bed, her entire body shaking. They can’t now. I’m not ready. How can they be here now?
“We are here now because we are ready. We are ready, now.” The voices hissed at her, sounding angry as they spoke all at once.
Kyla thought quickly. How do I stall? I cannot give it to them now. I cannot!
“You cannot?” the room became very cold and Kyla began to quiver, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. The child inside of her began to twist and turn violently. The voices hissed, striking at her very core with a horror she had never felt before as though someone were reaching inside of her and squeezing with long icy fingers. “You have NO choice but to give it to us!”
The voices roared and swirled around her in a violent whirlwind, crying out in anguish and anger. Kyla closed her eyes tightly and held her ears in terror as she waited for the turning in her belly to stop. Kyla put her hands on her belly feeling a fierce protectiveness surging within her for the first time. I know I’m supposed to give it to the Ubilez, but it’s mine. Mine and Will’s and I cannot give it to them. I can give them anything but this. Anything but my child.
“If you do not give it willingly, we will take it from you.” The Ubilez screeched at her. “We will wait until it is born and we will come and take it. We gave you the Blood Bond and in turn, you promised us the One Thing that will help us to be reborn. We will not let you turn your back on your promise. You will give us the child. There is no other choice. The child is the One Thing we need and want, and it will be ours.”
All at once, the room was still and silent and Kyla realized she was alone. The Ubilez had left as suddenly as they came, and Kyla wept in relief.
I’m so sorry, my sweet child! Please forgive me. Kyla cried, her entire body shaken. As she tried to calm herself down, she felt a deep sharp pain grip her from inside her belly, coming in white-hot waves, sending her to the floor. It took her a moment before she realized what was happening. The child was coming.
The words of the Ubilez rang in her ear and she knew that she must hide her child from them at all costs. Sacrificing the child to them now was out of the question. I didn’t know that I would become so attached to it. I didn’t know that I would want it, or even love it so much. I just didn’t know.
Kyla held her breath, not wanting to believe that this was happening to her now. No! No! The child can’t come right now, it’s too soon! No!
Kyla struggled to get up and pulled the curtains back to allow the light into her chambers. She was stunned to see blood everywhere. It soaked her bed and her clothing, her hands stained with it. How long have I been bleeding? Did the Ubilez do this to me? Did they do this to my baby? She fought the urge to cry out as she looked around her chambers, panicking. “Milo.” She said aloud, her voice startling her. “I need to get Milo.”
She felt herself growing faint, a trail of blood following her with every step she took. As she fell to the floor, her vision began to fail and she knew she wouldn’t make it to the door. Kyla thought about calling out for Will, but she didn’t want him to see her like this. She knew she needed Milo to get the Midwife for her, but there was no one she could send to get him without arousing suspicion.
She tried to keep the panic from rising in her throat as the pain came, sharply overcoming her. She wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to remain awake, and for a brief moment she thought how this was all of her own doing. In her heart she knew that everything she had done; forsaking her destiny, betraying the Yashwa, and banishing Emilie and the children of Tamaryn, had all been done for love. For Will’s love, and Kyla found comfort in that. She lay face down on the floor, her body weak and her head dizzy. For the first time she tried to envision what the tiny life inside of her must look like.
And for the very first time she wondered if the child would be completely Human, or if it might be just a little like her.
45
THE WOMAN
The children awoke slowly, rubbing their eyes as they were out of sorts.
Ava found herself holding Serah tightly, while Anabel searched diligently for the rest of the children. When she had them all accounted for they surveyed their surroundings, and for the first time weren’t disappointed with what they saw.
“Where are we?” Saiya asked, rubbing her hazel eyes groggily. The awakening was always so confusing and it took a while to feel normal again. She heard the sound of running water and realized happily that they were close to a fresh stream of clear running water. She shouted with glee as she drank from it without waiting for the others to join her.
Kell looked around at the green, lush grass, and the trees covered with rich leaves. The sky was a bright, vivid, light blue, unlike anything he could remember seeing before. He could still see a large crescent moon lit up during the light of day with a large orange sun providing a comforting amber light and the appropriate amount of warmth. He was pleased to be away from the dead forest they had become accustomed to, though he was upset with being taken from Jakob’s gravesite.
“We should walk on and see where we are,” Ava said, weapon drawn in one hand and holding Serah’s hand with the other. “We should also try to find shelter since we don’t know where we are or how we got here, or how long we will be there.”
Kell looked around, realizing he was missing something very important. “Where are the Patronus’?”
“We are here,” Brooke’s velvety voice came from directly behind him. “We have been scouting and have found an abandoned village a few miles away. We should go there and settle in for a while.”
Anabel looked skeptical.
“It’ll be fine.” Ava said, looking her directly in the eyes. “It’s better than where we have been.”
Anabel nodded, still raw from losing Jakob. She knew he would want her to go with Ava as she followed obediently behind.
They arrived at the village and were delighted to see the cottages were still in good condition. Kell, Ava, and Anabel discussed living arrangements and responsibilities and all of the children were given their jobs to do.
Over the next few months they made the cottages livable, and they worked together to hunt and cook as well as store food for future months in case they needed it. Strangely, the weather didn’t turn, remaining warm and beautiful every day.
In Jakob’s absence, Ava and Anabel had reluctantly taken the lead, often disagreeing so violently that they refused to speak for days. Eventually, one of them would give in and over time they became as close as sisters, despite their many differences. Ava taught Anabel how to fight, and Anabel taught Ava how to cook and forage for food.
Nearly a year had gone by without a rumble from the ground or a flash of light from the sky, and the children finally began to feel as though they may be able to settle in. The children agreed that they would continue the search for
“Mama” and the world they came from, once they had settled in and were rested. But as the years went on and they grew older and bigger, they seemed to forget the search.
Kell had grown to a young man of fourteen; tall and lean, a mischievous handsomeness to him and a smile that was disarming. The same age as Philip, he taught his friend everything he knew about being a fighter and a hunter, which was more than he realized. Kell also taught the younger ones, Cal, Claire, and Saiya how to make their own weapons and to use them in the hunt. He was happy to see they were all eager learners, and while Saiya was the best with the bow and arrow, Philip had the best instincts and was nearly as fearless as Kell. Kell grew to love the other children and thought of them as family, but nothing could take away the deep emptiness he felt at the loss of Jakob.
Often wandering off alone, he thought of his brother every day, longing desperately to be able to see him again. There was nothing that could numb the pain in his heart, and Kell imagined that Jakob was somewhere in the world, not really gone, and he would get to run into him again.
The Patronus’ remained vigilantly by their side, Zoe and Zeeba often hunting with the other children, reveling in their role as protectors, but also enjoying the playfulness of the children. Brooke never forgave herself for losing Jakob. She wore the loss on her face, never the same without him as she diligently guarded over the village, night and day, with barely any rest.
One morning, while Kell was taking his usual early morning walk throughout the perimeter of the Land that they had claimed as their own, he spotted a lone figure walking toward him from off in the distance. In the years they had been in their little village, they had never seen another Human, though they had gone searching for others on hundreds of occasions only to return disappointed. They didn’t know what they were hoping for in their search, but every time they returned unsuccessful, they carried a sadness that none of them could explain.
The Forgotten (The Lost Children Series Book 1) Page 18