by A C Wilds
“I’m fine. You don’t need to worry. Let’s just get this meeting over with so we can spend time with Izzy and the guys before we go home.”
He guides me down the stairs into the main hallway. It’s quiet down here, not a sound can be heard. It puts my guard up and I look to Gunn for confirmation that it’s not just me.
He places his finger over his lips and makes the shh noise. He gives me a smile and a mischievous look. Something is going on. He leads me past the operations room and down the hall to the outside garden. Still no sound. If he wasn’t with me I’d be going into fight mode with my fire.
“Gunn,” I whisper yell. He shakes his head no and continues to lead me toward the back of the manor.
Stepping out the door the night air grazes my skin with its cool touch. The moon is full in the sky and the only thing I can hear are the sounds of the night.
He leads me into the small clearing off to the side of the main garden and what I see puts a shock on my face. Everyone is standing around two pillars made of white limestone. There are engravings that I cannot see from here, but from what I can see it’s breathtaking.
An eruption of cheer rings about the garden and everyone claps. Some say my name and others wipe tears from their eyes. I don’t understand what’s happening. Glancing at Gunner I can only see the Fae who is so proud of his mate.
“Arzael, the Changer, we invited you here to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the Great Battle. You stand before the monument that was resurrected for the fallen. It was constructed from the stones found in the Skycap Mountains. Each name of the Fae that sacrificed their lives for us has been etched in the stone,” a woman says, coming over and offering her hand. She’s tall with auburn hair. Her aura is thick with life and her power radiates fire. Her skin is a creamy white, but her eyes pulse with violet magic. She smiles wide and I accept her hand.
“Please call me Azra,” I say.
“I am Celeste, council member for the Autumn Court. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“You as well. But I don’t understand. What is this all about?” I ask, looking out into the crowd to find the rest of my guys and Izzy. They come forward then and Izzy escorts me closer to the stones.
“We wanted to show you that we’ve never forgotten. We will always remember what you did for us even long after we are all gone. These pillars represent the good you did, not the violence we had to face.” Izzy explains. People part from us as we get closer to the stones. There is something in the middle that is blocked by the rest of the Fae there, but when they move, I see it then. The Changer Sword.
It’s embedded into a granite boulder. The Death Stone is still intact and it pulses with power when I approach. Calling out to me, it asks to be held. I let go of Izzy and reach for it. The hilt of the sword molds to my skin with a coolness that only medal has. Pulling the sword free from the stone, a surge of power releases and pushing back into me. I feel it again. The powers that I had years ago. My pool fills up and cries out to be released. I do the only thing that won’t hurt anyone, I grow new plant life around the stones. Beautiful fruit trees and flowers that glow in the moonlight. Some I’ve seen but others look new to me. The ground shakes and people gasp in fear, but I can feel Faerie giving her gift.
A large oak emerges from the ground and grows to an impossible height. Leaves of the truest green form and the trunk grows as large as a small car. It looks like a sentient guard that will watch over the souls of the fallen.
I walk over to the tree and place my hand and my head against it. The power of Faerie rolls over me, caressing my body and welcoming me home. I have brought balance to these lands. It’s thanking me with this gift. A crack sounds in the silence and I raise my head to watch the tree form a crevasse. It’s about the size of the sword and I realized now what I am to do.
Placing the sword inside the tree, I nestle it in between the wood. As soon as I let go the tree regrows itself and forms over the sword. It has been swallowed by a giant oak.
“Didn’t see that one coming,” Grey says, breaking the silence. I turn to him and hold my hand out. He comes to meet me and places his hand on the tree. His eyes go wide as he feels what I feel. There is so much energy swirling around in there. I wonder what will happen to this tree over time.
“Azra, are you alright?” Shax queries, moving over to us.
“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just emotional to be back here and to feel my sword again. To know that was the tool that killed Lucifer and Michael.”
We walk back to the stones, and I really examine them for the first time. The names engraved on the stones are all done with such beautiful craftsmanship. The lettering and detail is astounding. As my eyes roam all the way up I see it then. The dedication to Noli.
My heart tears open and I fall forward on the dirt. Shax and Grey get down with me, and hold me while I cry. I’ve been holding this in for ten years. I’ve never truly grieved my only friend. She was there for me through everything. Working at Manny’s late at night, tarot readings in our kitchen, our love of makeup. Those stupid heels with the cherries on them. I miss her so much my chest feels like it caved in.
I start to wheeze a bit, and Gunn rushes over to us. He comes to sit in front of me and I gaze into his eyes. He’s worried, but he sees this for what it is, my sorrow and grief rushing up to consume me. It’s still fresh for me. Still raw for the Fae who decided she’d rather run from it than face it.
The guys form a circle around me, and hold me till I still. Standing up, I use the support of my mates. Before I can turn around to face the crowd, a trickle of water runs down my leg and pools beside my feet.
“Umm guys,” I say. The pool at my feet is getting larger. My water broke. “I’m going to have the baby now.”
As soon as we enter our rooms, Gunn starts yelling at various people on what to bring in and what to get. They lie in the bed, and start to take my clothes off. Izzy comes in and gives me a dressing gown and a few extra pillows.
Fae come in and out in droves, carrying all the supplies that Gunn requested. It’s all very high energy and nervousness. I need everyone out.
“Gunn,” I say, gritting through another contraction. “Get these fucking people out of here.”
He looks at Grey, and then my winged champion starts screaming in his best stadium voice, “Okay, everyone needs to get the fuck out of here. This isn’t the zoo. We aren’t watching animals here.”
I laugh, because no one knows what he’s talking about. They’re confused and stunned, unsure what to do. He pops out his wings, and everyone makes for the door. That got their attention.
“I’m going to check and see if everything is good with the baby,” Gunn says, moving down between my legs. He pops his head up and gives me a smile. I wish that smile was for something else happening between my legs. I swear, after this pregnancy, I’m done. I don’t care if I have to drink that disgusting tonic he mixes for the townspeople every day.
The pain and pressure start to increase and my body prepares to push out the baby. I can feel the ebb and flow of the contractions squeezing my muscles involuntarily and through instinct.
“You’re ready, sweetheart. On the next one push,” Gunn says. Shax is next to him with a blanket in his hands ready to receive the baby after she’s born. Grey is next to me holding my hand and trying not to look. He tends to be a bit squeamish at the births. Cass is on the other side and is blowing cool air over me to counteract my rising body temperature. Having a baby with the fire element inside of you makes for some hot times.
“Here it comes,” I announce, waiting for that exact moment to bear down. The contraction reaches its crescendo and I push with all I’ve got. I can feel her traveling down the birth canal. After three children, you become a pro at what is going on with your body.
“That was amazing. You’re so awesome,” Grey says, kissing my forehead.
Another contraction comes over me and I push at the exact moment I’m suppose to. A release comes over my b
ody, and I know she’s here. Gunn is quickly moving between my legs and I can’t see what he’s doing. My heart jumps and I feel like I made time stand still, and then I hear it. The loud cry of my daughter. Her sound is strong and true. She’s going to be a fighter.
Shax wraps her up in the blanket, while Gunn attends to me. He whispers sweet words in her ear and she calms down a bit. He walks her over to me, and lays her at my breast. She’s perfect with black hair like mine, and pale pink skin. Her legs are long and her feet have all their toes. I kiss the top of her head and feel the warmth of her skin on mine. She travels to the breast right away and soon the sounds of a sleeping baby fills the air.
“She’s perfect,” I say, looking at each of them. Her body starts to really heat up and it glows with baby flames. It’s just like me and Shax when we mix together, a beautiful purple color.
“I guess we know who her bio Dad is,” Grey says, smacking Shax on the back. He grins wide and kneels down near us.
“I was wondering when it would be my turn. Not that the other children aren’t my life, but it’s going to be nice to teach her about fire,” he says, kissing her toes that are sticking out of the blanket.
“What’s her name, Az?” Grey says, coming around and sitting on the opposite side so he can kiss her tiny head. She shifts a bit in my arms, but then falls back asleep easily.
“Noli, her name is Noli,” I say, my voice cracking a bit. I’ve wanted to name one of my children after her since I was first pregnant with Laia, but it didn’t feel right with her. I needed the closure that was here. I needed to experience this first.
“Our family is complete,” Gunn says, while placing a new sheet and blanket around me. I’m so grateful for his skills as a healer.
“I never imagined in all my years of living that I’d be this happy,” Cass says, tears in his own eyes. Gunn gives him a hug and they comfort each other. My heart swells with a love so great that it feels like it might burst.
“Me either, but I’m so very grateful that it did.”
The End.
Author’s Note
Readers, I appreciate you taking the time to read my baby. It means the world to me that you choose these books out of all the wonderful RH novels there are out there.
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