by T. S. Ryder
No. It couldn't be. Braden wouldn't do that. He couldn't do that. She had used a spell on the magic eight ball. He was so gentle with her. He couldn't have been using her. He just couldn't. Jessica swayed on the spot, feeling light-headed, as if she was about to collapse. Pearl hurried forward, embracing her as she led the young witch back to her bed.
"I want to see Stafford."
Pearl sighed. "I tried to get him to come to see you. He wouldn't. He said something about you breaking your promise."
Her promise not to pursue Braden? "Why would he think that was more important than this?"
"You have to know that he's in love with Braden."
Jessica flinched. No, he wasn't! If Stafford was in love with the dragon, he would have told her. They shared everything with each other. He'd never not told her about his crushes before. Why would it stop with Braden?
Unless it was because she was also in love with him. Would Stafford tell her if he was in love with the same man she was in love with? Their tastes were usually so different that they'd only experienced mild crushes on the same man in the past. But if Stafford felt as strongly as she did for Braden… would he be hurt enough to abandon her now?
Jessica hid her face and the tears that rolled down it from the other witch.
"It's okay," Pearl crooned, as she stroked Jessica's hair. "It's okay, you didn't know. I should have known that you were going to sneak out. You've always had a naive, romantic mind. It's my job to protect my girls. I've never had children of my own, you girls are all that I have. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I failed you."
Jessica melted into Pearl's arms, burying her face, trying not to think.
***
Braden never called.
By the end of the first week, none of Jessica's clothes fit her anymore. Pearl brought her new clothes, but they were always a few sizes too small. The young mother-to-be didn't want to leave her dorm room. She refused to even go to classes, instead preferring to thumb through her favorite romance novels. They had always been a safe haven for her, but now everything in them sounded like a lie.
Braden had left her. She refused to believe it for the first few days but, as nights passed hunched over the toilet bowl, the only person to sit with her was Pearl.
Even Stafford had abandoned her. He had basically raised her since they came to the coven, and just like that he was gone. He never returned her calls, never came to her. It broke her heart as much as Braden leaving.
No matter how much she tried to find an alternative explanation, horrible thoughts kept pouring into her mind. Maybe Stafford would leave the coven and go off in search of Braden, and they'd have a happily ever after without her.
Why would they want her with them?
During the second week, Jessica didn't have the energy to do anything but to lie in bed and try to nibble at a few crackers that Pearl gave her. Nothing settled in her stomach and she was constantly slipping in and out of dreams of Braden sneaking through the window, either to rescue her or eat her.
The third week was a little better. Jessica had to force herself not to think of Braden or Stafford, had to force herself not to call either of them anymore. But the worst of the sickness had passed, and she was able to start eating again. The world outside her bedroom still felt strange and dangerous, though, so she stayed inside, studying from her spell books and not even glancing at her romance novels. It was time to grow up.
The first day of the fourth week, Jessica was up and showered, her hair and teeth brushed, before Pearl brought her breakfast. The headmistress' brow arched when she saw Jessica dressed and set her breakfast, oatmeal, on the nightstand.
"You're feeling better, are you?"
Jessica tugged the uncomfortably tight band of her skirt, but nodded. "I realized that I need to be seeing an obstetrician or a midwife. I want to make sure my baby is healthy and that the pregnancy is normal for a dragon birth."
Pearl looked startled, but Jessica didn't spare the energy to figure out why. She felt better than she had during the first week, but she was still bone-dead tired, and even now all she really wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep.
"I can get a midwife to come here," Pearl said. "It’s better for you to stay inside for the duration of your pregnancy."
"I'd appreciate a midwife coming here," the young witch replied. "But can you arrange for it today? Braden may have abandoned me, but I'm not going to lose my baby."
Pearl stared at her for a long moment before she smiled and nodded. "Of course, Jessica. Remember, I'm here for you, no matter what."
"I know. Thank you."
Pearl smiled and nodded. "Eat your breakfast. I'll be back soon."
Chapter Five
"I feel like my skin is going to split open and the baby will just spill out," Jessica sighed, leaning against the bounteous pillows that surrounded her.
The midwife nodded. "Human bodies aren't designed to get so heavily pregnant so quickly. But they are designed to get pregnant, so don't you worry. You'll be just fine."
Nine weeks into the pregnancy, the midwife said it was time to have the first ultrasound. Jessica still hadn't left her room, although now it was more due to her increasing size than anything else. Her stomach was heavily distended, so much so that she had abandoned all attempts to dress and just wore a robe all day long. And it hurt. Her skin was expanding, but it felt like a rubber band about to snap, and no matter which way she laid when she went to sleep her spine always ached when she woke up.
Pearl was with her every time the midwife came, and she was here now, sitting at Jessica's side, holding her hand as though Jessica was a nervous wreck. But after everything that had happened, hearing nothing from Braden or Stafford for the past nine weeks, Jessica was grateful for the headmistress' presence, even if she was a little smothering at times.
"This is going to be a little cold," the midwife said, smearing a blue jelly onto Jessica's uncovered stomach.
Jessica shivered at the cold sensation, but the midwife didn't say anything more as she took the wand and pressing it into Jessica's stomach.
"I want to see," Jessica said, pushing herself onto her elbows.
Pearl put her hands on Jessica's shoulders, helping her up as the midwife turned the screen to face her. A vague, round shape appeared on it, but nothing was distinct enough for Jessica to tell what was what. She huffed, annoyed. "That just looks like a black jelly bean."
"That's your uterus," the midwife said. "And see that?"
She pointed to a small gray ball inside the jelly bean-shaped space.
"That's my baby?" Jessica focused on the little image. It was so tiny! "Is it supposed to be that small?"
"Yes, it's perfectly normal… hold on." The midwife frowned and moved the ultrasound wand across Jessica's belly.
Jessica's heart skipped a beat and she squeezed Pearl's hand. "What is it? What's wrong? Is my baby okay?"
"Your babies are fine." The midwife pointed. "Look. Two heads. You're having twins."
"Twins?" Jessica gasped.
She had been having a difficult enough time deciding how she was going to support one baby! And now she was going to have two? She’d always wanted twins, but this news left her numb. What was she going to do? Should she give them up for adoption? The babies she’d always wanted… Was it fair to them to keep them when she didn't know if she could give them a good life, a life they deserved? Tears welled in her eyes.
"Twin pregnancies carry a higher risk than a one-baby pregnancy, especially dragon twins," the midwife said, worry creasing her face. "Plus twins are usually born early. But we'll do our best to give these little ones the rest of their time to develop properly."
The midwife still looked troubled as she cleaned the jelly off Jessica's stomach. The young witch struggled not to cry.
She needed Stafford back. Her brother might be being a stubborn idiot, but once he knew the situation he'd come around. Even when they were kids, they were closer to each other than anybody els
e. When their ultra-religious parents disowned Stafford for coming out to them as gay, Jessica had disowned them right back, and never regretted her choice.
She hadn't had contact with her parents in years. Did she dare call them now? No. They’d never cared about her while she was trying to be their perfect angel, afraid her scatterings of magic meant she was devil-spawn. They wouldn't care about her now that she had gotten pregnant out of wedlock.
"This is exactly why dragon-human mating ought to be illegal." Pearl brought Jessica out of her swirling emotions. "It's dangerous for human mothers to carry dragon young. How many girls have to go through this before the coven recognizes the problem?"
Jessica was too heartsick to argue with her. She closed her eyes and tried to do some deep breathing to calm her racing heart. Pregnancy could be very hard on the cardiovascular system, and in her case there was an even higher risk. She had to keep herself in a calm state, both for herself and the babies.
"I'm going to give you the number of a dragon specialist. He's got over three hundred years of experience in the field. If anybody can help your babies pull through this, it's him."
Jessica opened her eyes and reached for the paper, but Pearl took it before she could. "I'll call him for you, honey."
The midwife smiled at Jessica. "Try not to worry too much. You'll just have to hope for the best and get lots of bed rest. Got it?"
Jessica nodded, not daring to speak. She just wanted to be alone right now so she could call Stafford. As Pearl showed the midwife out, a frown creased her brow. Call him? No. She wanted to see him, to demand to know what his problem was. She wasn't going to keep lying around. She was going to get right up in his face.
He couldn’t ignore her then.
***
In the end, the only thing that Jessica could find to wear to go and see her brother was a giant orange Mumu. It was a hideous thing that made her look like a pumpkin, but that didn't matter so much when she slipped out of the dorms for the first time in nine weeks. She cradled her distended belly with her arms, feeling even more off balance than usual. She made sure to take every step carefully to avoid falling flat on her face.
Stafford lived on the university grounds, near the greenhouses where potion ingredients were grown. It was a one-bedroom cottage with its own kitchen and laundry. The school facilities, like the cafeteria, were only for students. Pearl gave him a good salary for everything he did around the school, though, and he never complained about having to eat his meals in relative isolation.
As she got closer to the cottage, Jessica's heart started going double time. What if he laughed in her face and told her that she had got what she deserved?
No. Stafford would never be that cruel. Inhaling a deep breath, Jessica walked right in, not bothering to knock.
Stafford was at his table with a mug of coffee. He leaped to his feet when he saw her, eyes widening. "Jess—"
"You had no right!" Everything she had planned on saying, every calm and rational discussion she had practiced, disappeared the moment she opened her mouth. "I know I promised not to flirt with Braden, but what happened did happen and it's not fair of you to just abandon me when I needed you!"
A muscle in Stafford's jaw twitched, but he remained silent, letting Jessica continue her tirade.
"I'm sorry if you were in love with Braden too, but the fact is we slept together and I'm pregnant, and I need you with me. I don't know what I'm going to do and now I'm going to have twins and they might die!"
Stafford strode forward, wrapping his arms around her as she broke into tears. Jessica collapsed against him, too grateful that he was actually comforting her to pull away like she thought she ought to. She should be demanding answers. Instead, she bawled like a baby–she hadn't cried since Braden left her, and it felt so good to be a total mess.
Her brother led her to the couch, sat her down, and looked her in the eye. "I've been calling you every day. I keep going to voicemail."
Jessica's eyes widened. "What? No, I haven't gotten any calls."
"I have tried to see you, too. I've gone to the dorms several times, but Pearl told me that you wanted nothing to do with me and that you were distraught over… Braden."
What was he saying? Jessica stared at her brother. Pearl had told him… why would she lie? What did Pearl have to gain by isolating her from her brother? And her phone… had Pearl used a spell on it to stop her from being able to contact her brother? And Braden? Anger began to well in her. How dare she?
"And I don't love Braden. I never have." Stafford squeezed her hands. "He's not my type. I didn't want you flirting with him because I didn't want you hurt. I didn't realize he felt the same way."
"I want to talk to him. If I haven't been getting your calls, maybe I haven’t been getting his. Did he even leave or was that another of Pearl's lies?" Jessica clenched her fists, trembling with anger. What was wrong with that witch? But whatever she was going to do to Pearl over this would wait. First, she needed to see Braden and hear from his own lips how he felt.
Stafford, however, winced. "He's not here. There's a warrant out for his arrest."
Jessica's stomach plummeted.
"A witch attacked a member of his flock, and he defended him. But there were no witnesses other than the witch's friends, and they're claiming it was an unprovoked attack. He had to run."
"So… I really am alone?" Fresh tears spilled over her cheeks.
Stafford shook his head vehemently. "You're not alone. You’ve got me, and I've got Braden's number. I also know where he is. He wanted me to keep him updated on how you were. If you want to see him—"
"I do." Her heart pounded but, for the first time in a long time, Jessica felt full of energy and eager to get moving. "I need to see him."
Chapter Six
Riding on Stafford's motorcycle was uncomfortable in the best of circumstances. Now, with her skin stretched so tight that she felt like she could burst at any second, it was absolutely miserable. Every time they swerved around a pothole or went over a bump, Jessica thought she was going to vomit or pee herself. By the time they stopped her hips, pelvis and knees ached so badly that she had to lean on Stafford to walk.
"This is where he went?"
"He fights here every other night. Has to pay the bills somehow."
Jessica eyed the dirty building that had a banner boasting the dragon fights that were on that night. It looked like an old warehouse that had been transformed into a fight club. She wrapped her arms protectively around her belly.
"It's firmly within dragon territory. Even if the coven found him here, they'd have a lot of red tape to cut through to get him back. I know it's not a great place." Stafford grimaced. "Come on. I still haven't been able to get ahold of him to tell him we're coming."
Jessica let her brother lead her towards the building, wincing as she walked. Her shoes were too small. Did women swell up this much in normal pregnancies? Or was it just because she was carrying dragon twins?
The air inside the building was hot and meaty. People were crammed in so tightly that Jessica was instantly assaulted by the scent of perfume, cologne, sweat and so many other things, and vomit rose in her throat. She gagged it back, determined to see this through. The lights were off except for a series of spotlights pointed into the center of the building. Two men were in a ring, shirtless, not wearing any protective equipment, beating the crap out of each other.
Jessica's heart leaped to her throat when she realized Braden was one of the fighters. Bruises distorted his tattoos and blood trickled down his shoulder blades. Sharp teeth filled his mouth; he lunged and bit at his opponent like a vampire. The man he was fighting stumbled, falling to his knees. The crowd screamed, pressing inwards.
An alarm blared, perhaps signaling the end of the round. Jessica pushed through the crowd, quickly losing sight of Stafford as he fought his way in deeper.
Bodies crushed in on her, elbows jolting her stomach, but she ignored the looks they gave her, her breath lock
ed in her chest. The crowd shifted and seethed, blocking her view of Braden. When the curtain of bodies parted, he had his opponent by the neck and was repeatedly smashing his fist into the man's face.
Black wings sprouted from his back, beating the air, and smoke curled out of his nostrils. Jessica could hear Stafford somewhere shouting Braden's name, but she couldn't make her own voice work. She felt like she was in a nightmare, slowly drowning in the crush of bodies, somehow moving further away from Braden the harder she struggled to get to him.
There was a flash of light, and a magic shield struck Braden. He was lifted twenty feet into the air, thrown into the crowd. Several witches in stripped black and white referee shirts stepped in, blocking Braden from his opponent. The crowd screamed again, some with encouragements, others with insults, as the dragon got to his feet, shook his head and charged the referees. The witches circled their hands in the air and stomped their feet, sending a shockwave at Braden; it slammed him against the far wall and he fell.
Jessica nearly screamed then, but couldn't draw air into her lungs. Her mouth dropped open but all that came out was a weak wheezing.
Braden picked himself up again, his skin darkening as scales sprouted all over his body. He charged again, flames flickering in his mouth as a roar echoed throughout the large building.
The witches blasted him back again. Again, he picked himself up and went at them. The crowd was in a frenzy now, half of them shouting his name, half of them shouting for the referees to kill him. Jessica threw her own hands out, sending bolts of magic into her path. People yelped and jumped aside, but there was nowhere to go, and so her speed did not much improve.
Blood was trickling from Braden's ears now, from his mouth and nose. The witches kept blasting him backward and he kept attacking them. What was he doing? Was he trying to get himself killed? Jessica felt a firm tug in her abdomen, and suddenly she could breathe. She could fill her lungs with air and she could scream.