by Jaymin Eve
Could this spell hurt our kids? Was this forced and violent labor going to crush them before they even arrived? Surely if he needed them alive for the start of his ritual, he would make sure nothing hurt them until then.
Jessa was at my side and I could see that she was struggling as much as me. I reached across and grasped her hand. We clung together through the next wave of contractions, before our bodies slumped forward. I sensed the oily presence closing in.
A stack of towels was thrown at our feet.
“I despise the disgusting reproductive and birth model of supernaturals. I’m going to prepare the spell, you two will birth the sacrifices. Everyone does their jobs, then you’ll die without torture … as a thank you.”
What a polite little cockswabbler he was.
He strode away then, crossing to the fireplace in the center of the room. He started throwing things at it and muttering words. My focus on him disappeared as another contraction started. They were close together now, like thirty seconds apart, and I could feel my body starting to change, expanding and contracting with a speed that felt far too fast.
Jessa and I both pushed ourselves back to rest against cushions from the couch which were scattered across the floor. She handed me a couple of towels and I used them to pad the space under my butt and legs. We had to make sure our babies were delivered safely, and pray that we could stop the demon from touching them.
“I still can’t reach Braxton,” Jessa said, her face ashen, sweat beading across her forehead. “But they have to know something is up. They’ll be here soon.”
I let out a strangled scream as another contraction started, the worst one so far.
There was a strong heaviness down low now, and I fought the urge to push. It wasn’t time, she couldn’t come into the world yet. This crazy sorcerer would steal her, would hurt her. I could never let that happen.
With our hands locked, my sister and I started to breathe through the pain. I was learning to accept it more, and my body stopped fighting the strange sensations. We were settling into the natural rhythms of childbirth. As I’d told Maximus earlier, this was something women had been doing for thousands of years.
“I love you, Mischa!” Jessa said as her head fell back. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”
Her voice sounded weak; she looked wrecked already. Her babies weren’t as far along as mine, and she had two, which meant this was far worse for her. I’d been close to labor, so the spell didn’t have to push much. Jessa had been a long way from it.
“I got you, Jess,” I said, gripping her hand tighter. She was half passed out, which I didn’t like. Knowing I needed to aid her, I managed to place one of the towels across her lap and helped her wriggle free from her pants and underwear, before placing another clean towel beneath her.
“Okay, I’m totally not a doctor,” I said. “But, girl, you most definitely have a baby coming.”
I tried to joke to halt my worry. Jessa was bleeding quite heavily and I wasn’t sure if that was normal or not.
She at least managed to flip me off before another contraction smashed into her and she let out a yelp. I couldn’t do much more to help her because I was currently in the same position. This time I couldn’t stop my body from pushing down with the next contraction.
My entire lower half was on fire. It felt as if I was being split in two, my bones moving and shifting to accommodate the child trying to exit my womb. I managed to kick off my pants and lay them across me. There weren’t enough towels for my modesty. I needed the one I had beneath me so that my daughter would land somewhere softer than the floor.
Crazy demon dude was still busy tending his hell fire. At least that meant he wasn’t standing right over us preparing to snatch my child the moment she entered the world. Which was strangely reassuring. I felt I could deal with anything as long as he didn’t touch her.
A lot of wetness was coating my legs now and I was praying it wasn’t blood. Because it felt as if I’d dumped half my fluids out. The contractions weren’t really stopping now; my daughter was coming for real.
“I wish Max was here,” I choked out.
Jessa nodded, coughing a few times as she tried to breathe through her pain. A wind blew up then, inside of the house, whipping around and whistling through the hallway. I thought it was the portal, but then Kristoff-demon whipped around and fell into a defensive pose.
Blackness descended as I screamed again and the need to push came over me.
Waves of power swept in with those winds, and a rush of relief hit me. I recognized that power.
“Mischa!” Maximus’ roar was the best thing I’d ever heard in my life, but I also feared for him. This demon would let no one stand in his way, and I wasn’t sure the boys could fight him. He was a king of their kind. Extremely strong.
I wanted to call out a warning to them, but every ounce of my energy was occupied with having a baby.
The boys filed into the room, and with a blast of energy Kristoff shot some sort of spell at them while at the same time trying to lunge for me and Jessa. Thank the gods that stupid ass hadn’t wanted to see the mess of childbirth. That gave the boys enough time to reach us before he did.
Louis moved to the center and shot some return bolts of energy, deflecting Davind’s spell. Even in my half-conscious state I noticed how drawn and worn out the powerful sorcerer looked, nothing like his usual unruffled state.
He was our best bet for this demon, but it looked as if another spell would do him in. With Tyson by his side, the pair managed to keep Davind from crossing the room to us, trapping him behind a barrier. It was at this point Braxton, Maximus, and Jacob raced to us.
The vampire skidded down beside me and tried to gather me closer. I screamed and pushed him away, the pains in my stomach intense. The movement sent it roiling, and I had to turn my head so I could vomit everywhere.
“What did he do?” Maximus’ black eyes cut into me and there was true fear there. His hands were gentle on me, but he didn’t try to shift me again.
I wiped at my mouth and cried softly, managing to string a ragged sentence together: “He wants the babies – sent out a spell to send us into labor. The demon has completely taken over Kristoff. He said the power of our young was enough to open a portal from his realm to this one. He’s going to kill them.”
My body locked down again; the pain was ripping me in two. My eyes met Maximus’. “It’s time. She’s coming.”
He leaned down and kissed my cheek. As he pulled back I saw his fear strongly for a second, before he masked it behind a wall of calm. “Okay, baby, you can do this. You’ve done amazing so far.” He cupped his hands for a moment and Jacob filled it with fresh water. Some of it trickled into my parched mouth before I had to get back to pushing.
“How’s … Jess?” I huffed out.
Maximus turned his head for a second. “She’s doing okay. Braxton’s with her and their little girl is almost born.”
Shit. This was so bad. They needed medical help. We needed a hospital. Jessa and I had talked about supes having babies before, and she said generally they were birthed in your own home with the help of a healer. But I wasn’t sure what happened with premature little ones.
“You need to push for me, Misch. I can see her head. Just a couple of big pushes.”
I sucked in deeper, drawing on a strength I didn’t even know I had. Gritting my teeth and bearing down as hard as I could, I felt the movement of my daughter through the canal, and I continued pushing right up until there was a final burning pain and then the pressure disappeared.
Blackness descended across my vision for a moment and I realized I hadn’t breathed for a long time. As I sucked in deeply I heard a beautiful sound, the twin cries of babies being brought into the world. Seemed as if Jessa and I had birthed our girls at the exact same time, and they both sounded strong and healthy.
With that thought, fear ripped through me so strong it almost crushed my chest. My daughter was here. She was crying, a
nd alive, and perfect. We couldn’t let the demon near her.
Maximus’ face appeared above mine wearing an expression I’d never seen before, complete and total awe.
“Misch, you did so well, sweetheart.” He started kissing me and running a hand over my face. A wrapped bundle was placed into my arms, and then with one last kiss on my lips he pulled away. “I need to help Braxton. Jessa is struggling with her second little one. He’s breech and we have to try and turn him. The healer is on the way. Hopefully they’ll make it in time.”
Fear for my sister and her son was strong. I waved him off, my other hand clutching my daughter closer. I took a moment to stare at the amazing miracle in my arms. I examined her beautiful face, perfect olive skin, her mess of black hair, her curls, and her huge blue eyes blinking at me as she tried to take in the new world around her. She was so perfect. The most perfect thing I could ever have imagined. At that moment I knew a love like no other, a love that could never be replicated. The love of a mother and her child was the first completely unselfish emotion I’d ever had. A love so strong and pure it was almost crushing in its intensity.
I reached across and gripped my sister’s shoulder, giving her my strength, whatever I could spare. I sent it through our bond.
“You got this, Jess.”
Jacob was sitting close by, a small bundle cradled in his arms. He was holding her daughter. He started to sing the low haunting melody he always sang to Jessa. It was their song, and it was a birth song for the fey. He was helping her welcome the little boy into the world. Braxton was crouched down in front of her, his hands trying to ease the baby around. Footsteps sounded and a male magic user dashed into the room.
“Out of the way!” He was abrupt, and despite being quite diminutive for a supe, didn’t seem to fear Braxton at all as he pushed him to the side.
The dragon growled but didn’t retaliate. The healer began to mutter something, Jacob’s song still ringing out. Relief crossed Jessa’s face then and I figured he’d helped with her pain. “I’m going to turn him now,” he said. “Your children were not quite ready to be born. We must hurry, he’s distressed.”
Jessa started outright sobbing, her face crumpling. Braxton had his arms wrapped around her, and I thought a tear or two might have been sprinkling his dark blue eyes. I could tell he felt helpless, and that was not something the dragon handled very well. He wanted to fix this, but there was no easy fix.
A shout sounded from across the room. Kristoff had advanced and was in some sort of magical showdown with Louis. The two of them exchanged fiery spells while Tyson hurriedly mixed something into a few glass jars.
Maximus was close to me again, one hand tangled in my hair, the other resting on our daughter, who had fallen asleep on my chest. “I need to help him, he’s losing.” Maximus said, his voice low.
“Yes, do whatever you can. We can’t let the demon near our girl.”
Maximus kissed me fiercely, his expression both soft and scary as hell. Then he was gone across the room to take on the demon. I tried to lift myself up a little; some of the numb pain in my lower half had eased and I was starting to get feeling back in my body, but it was still hard to maneuver with the bundle on my chest. She had her mouth open now, pretty little rosebud lips moving as she suckled for milk.
My eyes switched between her and Maximus in a constant rotation. He was helping Tyson, the two of them standing close together, each holding a jar.
“Throw it now,” Louis shouted. “He’s breaking free. The demon’s too strong.”
Tyson and Maximus both threw in unison, and the three of them started chanting, odd words I’d never heard before but which rang with power.
Cresta demonica turnitalia reform.
A huge fire blew up then. It was odd, definitely magical in nature. It surrounded the demon-touched sorcerer and he took an involuntary step back.
“Not strong enough,” Kristoff scoffed. “You needed at least three more spells.”
The boys ignored him, chanting louder, magical weight behind each word. The fire started really blowing up, but it didn’t seem to get any closer to the sorcerer. He laughed, stepping into the flames.
“Which one of you wants to die first? Your souls will bring forth a huge army, and then with the children’s souls, I’ll permanently open the doorway.”
Maximus’ entire face locked down into predator mode. His vampire was in control, but before he could react, Louis stopped him with a hand on his chest. He threw it off, but paused long enough to hear the next words.
“I don’t have the magical power left,” Louis said. “There’s only one other chance to end this. It’s not an option I wanted to take. It’s far too dangerous, but I’ll not let him touch the young, I promise you.”
Maximus was silent and still, before finally nodding. Braxton shifted then. He hadn’t moved from Jessa’s side at all, but the boys must have called for him. Jacob crossed to me and placed Jessa’s daughter down in my free arm. She looked a lot like my little one, only her hair was a shock of very white blond.
“Louis needs our energy, we’ll be right back,” Jacob whispered to me and Jessa. My twin was all ashen features and ragged breathing. Sweat beaded across her face, and her knuckles were white where she was gripping the pillow beside her.
“Help them,” she murmured. “Don’t worry about us, we’re okay.”
The healer was still performing magic over her. So we weren’t alone, and it would be far worse if Kristoff got free. Jacob and Braxton joined their brothers and energy filled the room as their quad bond kicked in. I was distracted for a moment as the babies on my chest starting to fuss. They wiggled and cried, then two tiny hands found each other, reaching out and linking together. The sight had tears pouring silently down my cheeks, and I tilted my head to the side and met my twin’s gaze. “They already know each other,” I said, my voice breaking.
She nodded. “Yes, and their brother, the protector, is on his way.”
Louis gave a shout, and my eyes opened wide trying to understand what he was doing. He was dashing across the room to directly engage the sorcerer. What? … we weren’t supposed to touch him. And Louis was so powerful that if his soul ended up demon touched, we were all screwed.
Maximus Compass
I never knew a heart could be so full, and clench so tightly at the same time. When Mischa pushed one last time and my daughter slid into my hands, everything in my world changed. Everything. My daughter was this tiny little supe, and she was the most important thing in this life. Her and her beautiful, strong mother.
Now it was time to make sure they both remained safe. Tyson had explained through our bond that the only chance we had now was to shoot Louis with as much of our energy as we could, then he would take the demon into his soul and expel it back to the underworld. It was a very risky maneuver, which is why he’d never considered it as an option before, but it was the only chance we had. We just had to hope he was strong enough to do it, especially with his energy so drained. If the demon was stronger, we’d all be dead.
When I’d pulled free the blade, the one gifted to me in China, Louis had pretty much snatched it from me, saying it was the perfect channel for his power. I didn’t question him. I would give anything to keep my pack safe.
The sorcerer took off then. Tyson and I continued to shoot our energy into him. Braxton was right on Louis’ heels; his role was important too. Kristoff crouched down, preparing himself for a fight. The pair of them clashed, sparks flew around the room, and energy ricocheted outwards.
Louis slammed a hand down on Kristoff’s chest and shouted. “Now, Braxton!”
The shifter turned his hand into a dragon claw, and with ease struck out and severed Kristoff’s head. The dark spirit of the demon gushed from the severed neck, but before it could dissipate out into the world, Louis lifted my blade and thrust it into the dead sorcerer’s chest. He then closed his eyes and called for the demon-kin, taking control of the specter.
Louis was
the strongest of sorcerers; this had to work. Braxton backed himself across the room toward us, and then as a group we surrounded the twins, who were still laid out on the ground. Jessa was about to birth her second child, and Mischa had the two little girls on her chest.
All of us kept our guard up, eyes locked on the mage. The battle he was fighting was internal, and there was no doubt it was a tough one. He shifted around to face us and the purple of his eyes was streaked with black.
“He’s so strong,” he muttered, sinking to his knees. “This is going to hurt.”
Dropping my blade, his hands landed on the floor. He remained on all fours for a long time, then the darkness started seeping out of his mouth. Flames burst to life beneath him and slowly the darkness faded, agonizingly slow, taking forever before finally Louis collapsed.
His body went still, no movement at all. “No!” Jessa screamed. “Louis!”
Tyson was up and across the room in a second. He reached out and felt the sorcerer’s neck. We all waited breathlessly.
“The demon’s gone and Louis is still alive,” he finally called out. “His energy has been severely drained though. He needs to be placed into a healing sleep.”
The medical mage lifted his head from Jessa. “I’ll be done in moments, then I can help.”
He wasn’t kidding either. With one last guttural cry, Jessa pushed her son out into the world, and Braxton was right there to cradle the little one. The medic cut the cord and wrapped him up.
Before he could leave, I pointed him toward Mischa so he could do the same for her. I’d left the cord intact, not wanting to hurt her or our daughter.
I watched closely, but the male healer did not waste any time. He was quick and professional, checking all three children before dashing across the room, his hands already held out toward the sorcerer still unconscious on the floor.
I gently lifted the little white-haired girl off Mischa and handed her across to Jessa, who had both arms out. She wanted her babies. Braxton crowded closer to his mate and children, surrounding them with a ferocity to be expected from a dragon.