***
Seth found all kind of excuses to come over to Sashe’s. She didn’t mind one bit. The more time she spent with him, the more she liked him. She loved getting to know him. Like what he missed about Jolen. What he did or didn’t like about Shyra. His sense of humor, his passion about keeping her and their friends safe, his talents. What his dreams were. What he wanted for the future.
They didn’t kiss much in the first week because it was difficult to find time alone. She was okay with that, too. She didn’t want Evan and Dar walking in on them again. Or worse, Alastor or Natalia.
One day, though, the two of them ended up alone in the weapon room along after a lesson. She was putting away her dagger when she felt him come up behind her. He brushed hair from her neck and kissed the skin there softly. Goosebumps spread all across her flesh.
She turned and faced him. “I’m sure I don’t smell very good after that lesson.”
He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her. “You smell like that Belisha perfume you wear all the time.”
She smiled as she played with his collar. “It’s a perfume my mother used to wear.”
“Don’t tell me that,” he said quietly, leaning towards her. “Because whenever I smell it, I think about things your mother probably wouldn’t want to hear about.”
Her breath caught in her throat, and she didn’t even bother telling him she was talking about her real mother, not Natalia. She breathed in his scent: salt and cherries mixed with just a hint of sweat. His lips met with hers, and she melted into him. She looped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her closer so there was no space between them. Warmth spread through her from his touch, and she kissed him harder.
The door burst open, and Sashe and Seth sprung apart. Sashe smoothed down her dress, and Seth backed away as he cleared his throat.
Natalia paid no attention to their guilty looks. “Seth, I need you to go get Nia right away. Sashe, come with me.” She turned away, disappearing into the corridor.
Seth and Sashe exchanged worried glances, then Sashe dashed after her. Her stomach twisted. “What is it, Natalia? Is everything all right?”
“Adrian and his wife are here, and his wife is pregnant.” She swept down the steps.
Sashe swallowed. There had been no proof yet that the curse would hurt a child already growing inside a woman’s womb. They’d find out soon, though.
Seth pushed past them. “I’ll go get Nia.” He shot Sashe a look over his shoulder, his brow furrowed, before running to the front doors.
Natalia led Sashe to the room that was generally reserved for the children when they were sick, a sparsely furnished bedroom on the first floor. They walked into chaos. A woman lay on the bed, groaning and holding her womb. Her legs were spread apart, a blanket over them, but servants surrounded her. They carried away bloody rags, pushing past Sashe and Natalia.
Next to the woman stood Adrian, an Avialie from Belisha Sashe had met once or twice. He held his wife’s hand, and tears poured down his cheeks. Alastor stood on the other side of the bed, watching with a solemn look on his face. Around them, servants rushed around the room with water, rags, and potions.
Natalia spoke with a few servants as Sashe stood in the doorway, frozen. She grabbed Sashe’s arm and turned her to face her. “I need you to run to the kitchens and grab more rags. As many as you can carry.”
Sashe stared at the woman on the bed for a moment, her mouth going dry. Natalia shook Sashe by the arm. “Sashe!”
Sashe nodded and left. She passed Dar and Sierra on the way to the kitchens.
“What’s going on in there?” Dar asked.
“Adrian’s wife is pregnant.” She didn’t know what else to say, really. “Come with me.”
When they reached the kitchens, she shoved rags and fabrics into their arms, then took as many as she could carry. They rushed back to the bedroom, and servants started taking the rags from them without speaking.
“There’s so much blood,” Sashe’s maidservant Gina moaned.
The woman on the bed was much quieter than when Sashe had left. Sashe only caught glimpses of her face as people surrounded her, but her face was pale, sweaty, tired. Her arm was limp in Adrian’s grip.
Sashe stood with Dar and Sierra by the wall. She felt as if she should be doing something, but no one was paying attention to her.
Nia ran into the room, Seth on her heels. The servants parted for her wordlessly, and the Thieran crouched next to the woman where Alastor had been standing. Her back was to Sashe, but she could see her hands cover her womb. She mumbled under her breath. Her low voice was the only sound in the room besides Adrian’s sobs. Nia cringed and cried out. She swayed, and Natalia steadied her by the shoulder.
Nia reached for the woman again, and she worked silently. Sierra grabbed Sashe’s hand, and Sashe forced herself to take deep breaths. She wouldn’t cry.
Seth took her other hand, and she entwined her fingers through his. She almost glanced at him, but she had the feeling she’d start crying if she did. She stared at the scene in front of her. It made no sense, and yet Sashe knew exactly what was happening.
Nia sighed and pulled her hands away. “Adrian, the baby is gone.”
Adrian sobbed. “No!”
“Yes. I’m sorry, but I may be able to save your wife.” She sat on the bed next to the woman and put her hands on her face.
Sierra began whispering something, and Sashe squeezed her hand.
“No, no. . .” Nia moaned. “Please stay with me. . .”
Adrian shook his wife’s hand. “Sela, Sela. . .Sela, please. . .”
The woman was still. Nia slowly removed her hands from her face.
Tears stung Sashe’s eyes, and she tried to blink them back. They fell down her cheeks, and she took her hand from Sierra’s to wipe them away. Sierra let out a sob and ran from the room. Sashe took a step forward to follow her, but Natalia did.
Sashe caught Seth’s eyes on her, and she pulled him out into the corridor. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, and she sobbed into his chest. She squeezed her eyes shut, clinging to his tunic, breathing in his scent again.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”
As they stood there, she knew her tears had more to do with than just the dead woman in the room. Her future was changed forever, as had Seth’s. She felt as though he was trying to assure her about more than just this moment, more than just the two of them. She wasn’t sure where such hope came from, but she clung to it.
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