by Amy Sumida
“Hygieia and her sisters, I presume?” I waved a hand to the statue/columns.
“That's right,” a woman stood on the steps just beyond the statues, in the open doorway of the temple. “Please, come in, Godhunter. I am Hygieia.”
Hygieia was pretty, but not as striking as most goddesses I'd met. She had long, nut-brown hair with a reddish tint to it. Those tresses were pulled back into a tight braid, and a gold circlet was placed over the top. Her slim body was wrapped in a white toga, but it was knee-length, making it seem more like a modern dress to me. Gold straps wound around Hygieia's waist, and across her chest, holding the toga on securely, but also functioning as a support for several gold tools. Hygieia was solid looking, with a no-nonsense face. Her best feature was her eyes, which were a startling, Aegean blue, and which seemed to shimmer. They softened on me as she waved us forward.
“Thank you,” I nodded to her, and passed into the building.
All semblance to a Greek temple vanished as soon as we crossed the doorstep. Inside, the clinic was closer to a luxury spa than a medical facility. There were lush, potted plants placed artfully around padded benches, filtered light streaming in from a glass ceiling, and gray marble floors spotted with shallow pools of clear water. Multicolored fish darted under water plants within the pools, giving bright flashes of color to the environment.
Hygieia led us past the waiting room, and down a hallway, her leather sandals making no sound at all. There were several doors to either side of the hall, all shut. The murmur of feminine voices seeped out to us, as well as the occasional male mutter, but no one emerged. It all felt very peaceful. I suppose the scent of sweet chamomile, which permeated the place, helped with that. Hygieia led us to the only open door in the corridor.
“Oh,” Hygieia blinked in surprise when she turned and found that all of my men had followed us. “Um, only the father please.”
“We're all the father,” Trevor said in a tone which brooked no argument.
“Oh,” Hygieia nodded rapidly, “yes, just so. But I mean the biological father. The last time you were here, you told me that it was Kirill,” she nodded to Kirill.
“I don't mind them all being in the room,” I said when Odin, Trevor, and Azrael glowered collectively at Hygieia.
“I mind,” she said in a tone even more firm than Trevor's.
“Just wait outside,” I sighed, and waved the other men away. “You were the ones who wanted me to come, now the least you can do is abide by the rules.”
They grimaced, but went, muttering to each other like petulant children. I confess that it kind of made me chuckle. They'd done this deviously, and now they were getting a little payback.
Kirill and I followed the doctor into the exam room. It was just as luxurious as the waiting room, and nearly the same size. The table was the only exception to the opulent ambiance. It seemed like any other exam table, though the base was polished wood. Around that obvious bit of medical furniture, the cream colored walls made a neutral background for priceless paintings in gilded frames. It made me wish that Hygieia had allowed Azrael in, he would have appreciated the artwork.
Hygieia waved me to the exam table, and I hopped up on it, using a little stool placed on the floor. There were other medical paraphernalia in the room, they just weren't as evident as the exam table. Upon a second look, I noted the row of strange machinery arranged with precision on a narrow side table. There was also a collection of supplies and devices set on shelves behind the glass doors of an antique cabinet.
I nervously eyed the medical implements.
“So the reason I wanted only the father here with us,” Hygieia nodded to Kirill, “was that I need to ask questions of the two of you, some of which may be awkward to answer in front of your other husbands.”
“Okay, what do you want to know?” I asked her.
“First off, is this African magic?” she waved her hand towards Kirill. “You are the Goddess of the Intare, correct?”
“Yes,” I frowned, wondering what that had to do with anything. “I believe Nyavirezi was from Rwanda, to be exact. That's where several of my oldest lions are from. Though, oddly enough, her first lion, Kirill,” I paused to give him a smile, “was from Russia.”
“How interesting,” she picked up a clipboard, pulled a pen from the top of it, and started writing. “And have there been previous births involving the Intare magic?”
“One,” I nodded. “I was in possession of Demeter's magic at the time, and I used it to change a Froekn woman's eggs into Intare, so she could conceive a purely Intare child with her husband, Fallon. Fallon is actually one of those lions from Rwanda.”
Hygieia looked up, utterly fascinated. “And the baby was born without complications?”
“Sure, Zariel is a lovely little girl,” I shrugged.
“Good, good,” she smiled brightly. “The magic has been tested then.”
“Tested?” Kirill asked.
“It's been proven to be strong enough to withstand childbirth,” Hygieia nodded.
“As opposed to others which aren't strong enough?” I was shocked.
“Oh yes,” she slid a rolling stool forward, then took a seat. “Most god children are born without a specific magic,” she reminded me. “Their parents either find worshipers for them, at which point they receive their prime magic from the humans, or they just make do with the inherent magic which all gods are born with. Shapeshifter tribes however, are different. In order to pass down the magic, to replicate it within your child, the magic must be strong enough to spread into others, as well as hearty enough to endure the thinning at the traumatic event of a birth.”
“The thinning?” I scowled at her. It was like she was speaking a foreign language.
“You know your own magic, I'm sure,” Hygieia shrugged. “You can feel that it is siphoned off by your lions, and only a thin line of it connects them to you, the origin of their power.”
“Yes, I understand that,” I glanced at Kirill.
The day after we conceived our baby, I had used that line to bring him back from death. Kirill gave me a gentle smile, and took my hand supportively. He was exceptionally good at discerning my thoughts.
“Well, this Intare magic wasn't created to be a birth magic, as with the Froekn,” Hygieia went on. “New lions aren't born, they're created from adult males.”
“Yes,” I verified.
“So the thinning is done during creation,” she waved a hand to my belly. “Here you are incubating the magic, for lack of a better term. Your baby is a part of you, swimming in the origin of her power. But birth will send her shooting out from this magical sanctuary, and an abrupt thinning will occur, demanding that she suddenly become an island of her own power, loosely tethered to her mother. It can be jarring, and not all magic can survive it.”
“Oh,” I whispered, going suddenly weak with panic.
“But not to worry,” Hygieia said brightly. “You've told me you've already had a successful birth within the Pride. You'll be fine, I'm sure. Though there may be some issues stemming from Kirill's birthplace.”
“His race could complicate the birth?” I lifted my brows.
“It's possible,” Hygieia shrugged. “The fact that the only child born was conceived with altered eggs, and a father racially connected to the magic's human origins, may have factored into the success.”
“I vas first Intare male,” Kirill growled.
“I know, I know,” Hygieia held up a hand. “But you were born in Russia, your human DNA is linked to the people of that land. Fallon was born in Rwanda. The humans of his land helped to create the Intare magic. This makes him more closely tied to the energy, on a cellular level. Do you understand?”
“Da,” Kirill understood, but he wasn't happy about it.
“I don't foresee this as being a big problem,” Hygieia reassured us. “I just want you to be aware of all the issues.”
“Oh, okay,” I turned wide eyes to Kirill.
“Now, was t
he baby conceived during any special event?” Hygieia went on professionally.
“Special event?” I felt like I just kept throwing her questions back at her. “You mean like a holiday?”
“No, like a ceremony,” she smiled softly. “Was there magic involved in the conception itself? Was there sex magic used, for example? Lust magic? Were you shifted into lions at the time?Anything of that nature?”
“Oh,” I blinked, and looked to Kirill. “I know we weren't in lion form, but other than that, I don't remember. Did I...?”
“You marked me,” Kirill smiled, “but no magic, except vhat we made together.”
“Oh, how sweet,” Hygieia grinned. “Got yourself a romantic there.”
“Yes, I'm very lucky,” I kissed Kirill's cheek.
“Is there any magic in this marking he mentioned?” Hygieia asked me.
“No, it's just a scent thing,” I felt my face heat. “A lion thing.”
“This is why I wanted to have only Kirill with us. Some women get embarrassed,” she gave my knee a pat. “It's good that there was no other magic involved. It can sometimes interfere as well.”
“Damn,” I shared a surprised look with Kirill. “I had no idea that procreating with gods could be so complicated.”
“Didn't you?” Hygieia lifted a brow. “I've heard about your twins. Wasn't that a complicated birth?”
“There were a lot of other factors involving my twins,” I frowned, thinking of how I'd had to choose a soul for them. “I was attacked while pregnant with a single child. Rian had two souls; a faerie essence and a god soul. I have three souls; faerie, god, and human. The god weapon used against me tried to separate my souls. It would have killed me. Rian pulled the magic into himself, allowing his souls to be split.”
“And he was split too,” Hygieia whispered with awe. “Sweet, sacred snakes, your son became twins to save you both.”
“Yes, exactly,” I should have known she would have grasped it quickly.
“I would dearly love to examine them sometime,” she said. “Nothing experimental, just a physical to see how they've come through such an ordeal.”
“They're fine,” I assured her, liking her even more for being concerned about my children. “They ended up being born with dual souls anyway. They both took from my human side.”
“To fill the vacuum,” Hygieia smacked her clipboard in revelation. “Astounding! How miraculous, that you came through such trauma stronger. Though I'm horrified that anyone would attack a pregnant woman.”
“He is nasty man,” Kirill agreed. “I vish I could kill him.”
“Kirill,” I shook my head at him. Hygieia didn't need to know all our dirty laundry.
“A completely understandable feeling,” Hygieia nodded approvingly. “Baby killers are the worst sort of monster.”
“Anyway,” I got us back on track. “Lesya won't have those same issues.”
“Who's Lesya?” Hygieia blinked, probably lost in the tangents.
“Oh, we've already named her,” I gave my belly a rub.
“How do you know it's a her?” Hygieia narrowed her eyes.
“Time travel,” I said simply. “I've already met our daughter.”
“Wow,” Hygieia leaned back. “This just keeps getting more interesting. I think you've actually managed to surprise me. And that doesn't happen often. Are you sure this is that particular child?”
“Pretty sure,” I chewed at my lip.
“Well, we will do an ultrasound, and verify the sex.”
“Already?” I gaped at her. “I'm only a little over a month along.”
“That is not a month old belly,” she pointed to my stomach. “And from what I know of lions, you should be well past the first trimester of your pregnancy. How long did your friend Samantha's gestation last?”
“Damn, I don't remember,” I sighed. “I do know it was significantly shorter than a human's. I guess I'm seriously unprepared for this pop quiz.”
“It's okay,” she waved it off. “I'll be able to take some educated guesses once I have a look. Do you know the approximate date of conception?”
“I know the exact date,” I grinned, happy to have one piece of information for her. I told her the date.
“Do you not have sex very often?” Hygieia looked at Kirill, obviously wondering if he was wasted on me.
“No, that's not it,” I laughed. “I removed my birth control spell, then we had sex, and then I felt Lesya inside me. I found out about her the same day I conceived.”
“How wonderful,” she breathed. “So you can communicate with the baby?”
“More like, have a sense of her,” I tried to explain. “I can feel her emotions, but Kirill had an experience with her.”
Hygieia looked to Kirill expectantly.
“I vas dying,” Kirill explained in his simple way. “My soul vanted to leave. Lesya helped to change my mind.”
“Miraculous,” Hygieia smiled with another awed expression. “A fetus communicating with its parents. That's a rare occurrence with the mother, but with the father? Unheard of.”
“Da, our baby is special,” Kirill agreed.
“Well, let's take a look at things then, and make sure she has the smoothest birth possible,” Hygieia stood, and pulled out the stirrups at the end of the exam table. “I'm going to need you to change into this gown,” she pulled a folded robe out of the bottom drawer of the desk, and handed it to me. “Then climb up on the table, slide yourself down to the edge, and assume the position.”
I gave her a grimace, and she chuckled.
“Sorry, just a little physician humor,” Hygieia was still laughing as she left.
Chapter Five
After the embarrassingly invasive part of the exam, which I was kind of glad the rest of the men weren't there for, Hygieia pulled off her gloves, smacked them into a designer trash can, and nodded.
“Just as I thought,” she declared, “you're progressing as a lioness.”
“Say what?” I blinked at her.
“I've seen this before in other shifters,” she explained. “The animal will become dominant during gestation. You're probably feeling more connected to her now, am I right?”
I thought about it, and realized that it was a lot easier to bring my lioness forth, as opposed to my other animals. During my dragon-sidhe pregnancy, my dragon often emerged, so I suppose it wasn't surprising to find my lioness more available to me during this one.
“Yes, I think you're right,” I agreed.
I was still laid back on the exam table, but my feet were out of the stirrups, thank all that was holy. Kirill was at my side, holding my hand, as he had been the entire time. As if the whole experience was traumatic, and he wanted to give his support. Cute, actually. Though having that golden, spreader thing put in me was rather traumatic.
“Yes, it happens with all shifters,” Hygieia seemed to consider it. “Did you go into estrus previous to the conception?”
“Look, Doc, you're gonna have to give it to me in layman's terms,” I shook my head at her. “This whole visit is making me feel like an idiot.”
Hygieia burst into laughter, then clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise.
“She does zhat to everyone,” Kirill consoled her.
“Well, laughter is the best medicine,” Hygieia looked at me with a softer expression. “Okay, Vervain, what I meant was; did you go into heat?”
“Yep, that's layman's terms alright,” I chuckled. “Uh, no. Though it might be hard for me to tell. I'm married to five amazingly hot men, in case you didn't notice,” I sent a smile up at Kirill, and his chest puffed out a little more.
“Oh, I noticed,” she smiled brighter. “But you would definitely be able to tell a difference should you go into heat. You would feel a strong need to have sex with any man in the vicinity, and they would be affected as well.”
“Sounds like what happens if I don't give the Intare magic enough men,” I grimaced.
“What's that now?”
Hygieia cocked her head at me.
“Oh, you thought I just chose this lifestyle?” I smirked. “Not that it isn't a good choice mind you, but no, I was forced to take multiple lovers by the Intare magic. Otherwise it sends me into this mindless state of sexual...”
“Heat,” Hygieia nodded. “Which is also called estrus. How fascinating. So this Intare magic has twisted the natural lion instincts and interactions. You have a backwards pride going on.”
“Yes, exactly,” I agreed. “When I took over from Nyavirezi, there was a very awkward moment when all of my lions tried to... you know.”
“They all tried to mate with you,” she stated with lifted brows. “How many were there?”
“Oh, about eighty,” I gave her a look, and her eyes widened.
“That could have killed you,” she said seriously.
“Yes, I know,” I nodded. “I actually kind of wanted it, but then my human brain kicked in and came to the same conclusion you just did. Plus, I was dating Trevor at the time, only Trevor, and the thought of being untrue to him, made me pretty upset. I started crying and they stopped. Their first instinct is to protect me.”
“Wow,” she shook her head. “So you have experienced estrus before.”
“I suppose,” I frowned and tried to remember it.
It was a long time ago and things had gotten hazy. That day was adrenaline filled and so heavy with magic, I could barely keep it all straight in my memories. I'd killed Nyavirezi, shifted into a lioness, come back to myself (a feat which was evidently impressive without training), and then nearly been jumped by all my lions. Oh, then I met Kirill. I looked up to him, and saw that he was remembering too. But his memory of those events would be far different from mine.