Summoner 18, p.22
Summoner 18, page 22
“They went to take a quick walk around campus,” I explained. “I’m not entirely sure where they’re at right now.”
“Shit,” Cyra cursed. “Okay, well, we need to track them down, too. Nia was specifically asking for Arwyn. Freya, Erin, and Layla are with her now, and they have things under control, but they could really use Arwyn’s help and medical expertise until I can get Meridan to the house.”
“Should we split up?” I wondered as Cyra turned to exit the room. “I can go find Ashla and Arwyn and get them back to the mansion while you grab Meridan, that way the girls won’t be alone for too long without a healer.”
“That’s probably a better use of our time,” the chocolate-eyed mage agreed, and then she peered down the hallway. “Alright, I’ll head to the medical ward, you grab the others. Hopefully, Meridan isn’t preoccupied.”
“Even if she is, this is an emergency,” I pointed out.
“True.” Cyra nodded.
“We’ll hold down the fort in the meantime,” I said, and I ran a hand through my hair. “Arwyn will know just what to do. She’s the best person to have in a crisis.”
“Definitely,” the dark-skinned summoner agreed. “She handled mine and Freya’s deliveries without even breaking a sweat.”
Another wave of fear rushed through me at the word “delivery,” but I shoved it down as deep as I could.
Nia was about to bring my baby into the world.
“I’ll head outside,” I declared in a slightly shaky voice. “Get to Meridan as fast as you can.”
“Gryff, I need you to keep breathing,” Cyra instructed me in a firm voice. “I know this is all stressful, but you need to stay calm. We’ll get her through this, I promise.”
“I know,” I replied. “I’m just nervous.”
“And that’s a totally understandable reaction,” the summoner said. “But try to remain as calm as you can. Round up the others and get over there. I’ll see you soon.”
“Thanks, Cyra.” I smiled at her. “Good luck.”
Then, without another word, we split up. Cyra raced down the hallway with impressive speed, and I turned on my heels and ran in the opposite direction. I quickly made it out onto the grounds, and I peered around the empty green lawn and searched for my lovers. The Academy’s campus was sizable, so locating them quickly was going to be a bit of a challenge. I needed to get around the grounds as fast as possible, so I reached deep into my consciousness and summoned Sera.
“I need your snapdarner,” I commanded. “It’s an emergency.”
After a moment, I sensed Sera stir.
Of course, she purred, and after a familiar tingle ripped through my back, the dark-winged Archon appeared before me in a hiss of dark smoke. Sera stretched out her lithe body as she manifested, and with a lazy snap of her fingers, her snapdarner appeared before us. The angelic goddess’ summons resembled a large dragonfly, and while it wasn’t the fastest monster around, there was enough room on its back for me, my lovers, and of course, the Archon.
“So, where are we going, master?” Sera asked, and her unnervingly bright yellow eyes were heavy-lidded with lust. “It’s been a moment since we’ve taken a ride together. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“First, we need to find Arwyn and Ashla, and then we need to get back to the mansion,” I stated firmly. “Nia’s in labor.”
“She is?” Sera asked, and the Archon’s playful smirk faded. “Goodness, that’s quite an event--”
“Sera, we gotta go,” I interrupted. “We have to find the others right away.”
“Alright, master, I understand.” Sera nodded, and then the Archon climbed onto her beast and extended a hand to me.
I accepted it and mounted the insectoid creature. Once I was settled behind Sera, the monster beat its iridescent wings, and we took off into the air.
As we soared around the campus, I kept my eyes peeled, but there was no one to be seen. My mind raced as a million thoughts flooded in, and I forced myself to breathe just as Cyra had instructed. My wife was depending on me, and I needed to remain as level-headed as possible for her sake. Luckily, Sera remained uncharacteristically silent, so I was able to avoid innuendo or reproduction-related pursuits from the monster goddess.
Finally, I spied a pair of figures below, so I commanded the snapdarner to fly lower. The dragonfly monster obliged, and as it descended, Ashla and Arwyn came into focus, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Land here,” I commanded the snapdarner, and the summons gracefully landed on the ground beside the pair of mages.
“Gryff?” Ashla frowned, and the ice mage knitted her dark eyebrows together in confusion. “What are you doing out here? And why is Sera--”
“We have a situation,” I explained to my lovers. “Nia’s in labor. We have to get to the mansion straight away.”
“Oh, fuck!” Ashla blurted out in alarm.
“There’s no time to lose,” Arwyn declared, and her amber eyes were sharp and focused as she spoke. “How fast can this creature fly?”
“Fast,” Sera replied to the professor, and then she patted the snapdarner’s body gently. “So everyone climb on.”
Ashla mounted the dragonfly monster first, and once the ice mage was properly situated, she reached a hand out to Arwyn and helped the professor up onto the beast.
Once my women were seated on the monster, I turned back to face them.
“Hold on tight,” I instructed, and then I faced forward and commanded the snapdarner to take us home. The afternoon air whipped at our faces as the beast propelled us across the campus, and I felt Ashla’s arms tighten around my waist.
My mind wandered as we flew down the hill, and as we neared the mansion, I gripped the snapdarner with white knuckles. I’d never had the pleasure of witnessing childbirth before, and a lump formed in my throat as I tried to imagine how the process would play out. I prayed I would have the strength to be a great husband to my wife, and that our child would come into the world with no issues. I reminded myself that while this was my first time witnessing a birth, my women had been through it twice already, and Arwyn and Meridan would do everything in their power to guide Nia through.
Finally, we arrived at our home, and I commanded the snapdarner to land at the edge of the lawn. Once we were on the ground, I dismounted the dragonfly summons and then helped my lovers ease themselves down. When we were all on the ground, Sera dismissed the insectoid creature with a graceful wave of her hand.
“Anything else I can assist you with, master?” the goddess inquired in a hopeful voice, and the earnest quality of it took me by surprise. “I can be of use if you require another set of hands.”
“We have it handled from here,” I answered slowly. While I appreciated the Archon’s offer, the last thing Nia needed was an unannounced visit from the dark-winged goddess on top of the stress of imminent childbirth.
“Suit yourself.” Sera shrugged, and then the Archon disappeared in a cloud of mist.
Once her tattoos settled back onto my skin, Arwyn, Ashla, and I all sprinted across the lawn and up the drive.
“Strange of her to offer help,” Arwyn remarked as we ran. “Doesn’t she typically loathe your human partners?”
“She’s trying to be nicer,” I replied.
“I don’t trust her.” Ashla shook her head.
We reached the porch, and I hopped up and held the front door open for my lovers. Then the three of us scrambled inside, and I listened for any activity, but the house was surprisingly silent.
“Nia?” I called out from the foyer, and as I waited to hear my wife respond, a pained shout rang out.
“Gryff, is that you?” I heard Layla yell. “We’re in Nia’s room!”
Arwyn, Ashla, and I exchanged nervous glances, and together, we raced up the spiral staircase until we reached the third floor. We took a left down the hall until we reached Nia’s door, which was thankfully wide open, and when we entered the room, we were greeted by a frenzied sight.
Freya rushed about, and her wavy dirty blonde hair stuck out in every direction as she paced. Nia was in bed, and her nightgown-clad upper body was propped up by a mountain of overstuffed pillows. The elementalist’s face was contorted in agony, and a slick sheen of sweat covered her pallid skin. While my wife was beautiful no matter the circumstances, it hurt my heart to see her curled up and feeble-looking.
Layla and Erin sat on either side of the mage, and the orange-haired mimic held a wet cloth to Nia’s forehead while the petite summoner stroked her silvery hair.
“Gryff,” Nia managed in between troubled breaths as she noticed us. “Oh, thank the Maker you’re here.”
“Of course, I am,” I said, and I rushed over to my ashen-haired wife and took her hand in mine. “I’m so sorry I was late.”
“You weren’t,” Nia replied with a strained smile. “It was kind of an unexpected event. Meridan warned me the baby was coming any day now, I just wasn’t prepared for that day to be today.”
“Neither were we,” Layla quipped, and the petite summoner moved aside so I could get closer to my wife. “One second we were sitting around eating lunch, and the next, Nia’s water broke all over the kitchen floor.”
“It was quite the shock,” Erin laughed, and despite the stress of the situation, the mimic’s amber eyes were bright. “But nothing ever goes according to plan around here, does it?”
“It definitely doesn’t,” I chuckled, and I shared a small smile with Nia.
Suddenly, the elementalist drew inwards and let out a groan of pain.
“Breathe, my love,” I soothed her, and my heart raced as Nia squeezed my hand with excessive force. “Cyra’s on her way back with Meridan as we speak.”
“I don’t know if we have that long.” Freya shook her head from across the bedroom, and her gold-flecked brown eyes were weary as she studied Nia. “The baby comes soon.”
“How soon?” I asked.
“Nia, may I take a look--” Arwyn began as she gestured at Nia’s exposed lower half.
“Of course,” Nia laughed. “As the healer of our group, I give you my permission to do whatever is necessary.”
“I figured I would ask anyways.” Arwyn smiled at the elementalist politely, and then she moved to the foot of Nia’s king-sized bed.
I gave my wife her privacy as the professor inspected between her legs, and instead of watching, I lightly massaged the back of her neck. The motion seemed to help Nia relax, and soon the ashen-haired mage closed her eyes.
Unfortunately, the peaceful air didn’t last long.
“Based on how far dilated you are, I’d say it won’t be much longer,” Arwyn warned us as Nia let out a sharp exhale. “We’ll need to time your contractions to be certain, but I’d say you’re nearly ready.”
“Shitttt,” Nia squeaked, and her entire body suddenly tensed up and drew into itself.
My eyes darted to Arwyn in alarm, but the professor offered me a soothing expression that silently encouraged me to take a deep breath. Then she turned to my wife and gave her the same look.
“Don’t worry, we’ve got this entirely under control,” Arwyn assured her in a calm voice. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Nia, I swear.”
“I know,” Nia said, and she managed a thin-lipped smile. “I’m just extremely nervous. Thank you, Arwyn.”
“I’m right here, too,” I murmured softly. “And I’ll be right beside you the entire time. I know I’m no Meridan, but you won’t be alone.”
Nia squeezed my hand tighter. “Thank you, Gryff. I’m glad you’re here with me.”
“There’s no place I’d rather be.” I smiled at my wife. “I love you, Nia.”
“I love you, too,” she replied.
“Okay, we’re going to need some supplies.” Arwyn declared with a firm nod, and I watched the crimson-haired healer slip right into professor mode as she addressed the room. “Freya, could you fetch us some towels? And Ashla, could you round up some spare blankets?”
“On it,” Ashla replied, and then she hurried out of the room, with Freya not far behind.
“And me?” I asked the professor hurriedly. “What can I do to help?”
“You’re fine just where you are,” Arwyn assured me, and the adept healer glanced out into the hallway. “I’m going to run to my room and gather a few things. I’ll return in just a moment.”
Nia nodded weakly, and the crimson-haired professor gave her a calming smile before she deftly left the room. Once we were alone, Nia eyed me fearfully, and I reached out and began to stroke her silvery hair.
“It’s all going to be okay,” I promised. “Like Arwyn said, she’s going to do everything she can to deliver this baby safely.”
“Can you distract me somehow?” Nia asked me as her body tensed up in pain again. “I’d really like something to take my mind off things.”
“Hmm…” I trailed off as I searched my mind for something to say, and I broke out into a smile as a memory came to me. “Remember my first night at school? You were sitting alone in the dining hall, and I came and sat down beside you. I was certain you were two seconds away from slitting my throat with your butter knife.”
Nia’s cheeks flushed red. “I wouldn’t have beheaded you. I considered a light maiming, of course, but nothing beyond that.”
“You were so agitated with me.” I grinned. “But I just couldn’t leave you alone.”
“Oh, I remember,” the mult-elementalist giggled, and a sincere smile graced her full lips. “I couldn’t leave you alone, either, you country bumpkin. It’s so strange to think about that now. It feels like it happened an entire lifetime ago.”
“It certainly does, doesn’t it?” I agreed. “We’ve been through so much together.”
“And here we are, yokel.” Nia smirked. “Married and about to deliver our first child. Life has an interesting way of working out, but maybe our hearts knew this was meant to be, and that’s why we couldn’t stay away from each other.”
“I haven’t been called a yokel in quite some time.” I grinned. “Here I thought you’d gone soft on me, Lady Kenefick.”
“Never,” Nia laughed, and her nose scrunched up delicately. “If you think for one second I’d ever pass up an opportunity to tease you about your feral upbringing, you’re sorely mistaken.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I chuckled, and I tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and then cupped the mage’s cheek. “But here’s the bit of this you’ve clearly forgotten… you’re about to have my child. They’re going to inherit half of these feral genes, so you’re welcome.”
“Oh, Maker, I hope not.” Nia grimaced. “We don’t need any more hellions around here.”
“You’ll be lucky if they’re not,” I snorted. “I’m hoping for a rambunctious miniature me.”
Nia made a face, and the elementalist was about to retort when suddenly Arwyn returned with a large black leather satchel in tow.
“Sorry for the delay,” the crimson-haired healer apologized as she strode in, and the professor was slightly out-of-breath. “I misplaced my supplies, but they’ve been located.”
Before she placed the bag on the dresser, she retrieved a small glass vial of periwinkle blue liquid. Then the redheaded professor approached us and held the vial out to my silver-haired wife.
“Take this,” she instructed. “It won’t taste the greatest, but it’ll help ease the pain. And it’s fast-acting, so you should feel the results almost immediately.”
Without further question, Nia took the vial from Arwyn, uncapped it, and then downed the potion with lightning speed. She shuddered as she swallowed the contents, but a second later, her features softened considerably.
“That is fast-acting,” the elementalist said in a surprised tone, and she relaxed her grip around my hand.
“That should help relax your muscles a bit.” Arwyn smiled at her. “It won’t relieve all of the pain, but it should at least bring it down a level or two.”
Nia sank back into the pillows, and her expression was drastically different than it had been moments ago. I wasn’t sure what exactly Arwyn had given her, but the potion seemed to be doing its job.
Ashla and Freya returned with stacks of blankets and towels, and after the professor accepted Freya’s towels, she went back to her bag and retrieved a pair of gloves.
Suddenly, Nia’s calm demeanor shattered, and she let out a soft whine of pain. The pressure returned to her grip, and even though my blood flow was interrupted, I encouraged her to squeeze my hand as hard as she needed.
“You won’t hurt me,” I swore to her, and then I turned to Arwyn. “What’s going on?”
Arwyn knelt down, and the professor’s amber eyes were sharp and focused as she inspected Nia.
“It’s time,” the professor declared. “This baby is coming much faster than I anticipated.”
“Fuckkkk!” Nia cried out as she tensed up. “They’re definitely coming.”
“Okay, Freya, Ashla, stand beside me,” Arwyn instructed my lovers with a firm tone. “I’ve got this under control, but in case I need it, more hands would be useful.
“Of course.” Freya nodded, and she obediently moved to the healer’s side.
“What do you want us to do?” Erin near-shouted over the sound of Nia’s cries.
“Stay off to the side for now,” Arwyn directed her. “I’ll let you know if I need anything.”
Everyone got into position, and I took the deepest breath I could manage.
This was really happening. I was about to be the father of three children.
“I am so proud of you, my sister-wife,” Freya encouraged Nia, and the hawk princess’ eyes glimmered with pride. “You are so strong, and so beautiful, and you are going to be an amazing mother. Your baby is lucky to have such a powerful family.”
“You’ve got this Nia,” Ashla agreed, and the ice mage gave Nia a grin. “You’re a total badass.”
Nia gave them a thin-lipped smile, but then she seized up. The sight of my wife in such pain threatened to overwhelm my mind, but I remembered Cyra’s instructions and took a long deep breath.
“Breathe, Nia,” I encouraged my wife. “It’s going to be--”
“Fuck!” the ashen-haired mage shouted again, and her normally piercing blue eyes contained fire as she cried out.
“Shit,” Cyra cursed. “Okay, well, we need to track them down, too. Nia was specifically asking for Arwyn. Freya, Erin, and Layla are with her now, and they have things under control, but they could really use Arwyn’s help and medical expertise until I can get Meridan to the house.”
“Should we split up?” I wondered as Cyra turned to exit the room. “I can go find Ashla and Arwyn and get them back to the mansion while you grab Meridan, that way the girls won’t be alone for too long without a healer.”
“That’s probably a better use of our time,” the chocolate-eyed mage agreed, and then she peered down the hallway. “Alright, I’ll head to the medical ward, you grab the others. Hopefully, Meridan isn’t preoccupied.”
“Even if she is, this is an emergency,” I pointed out.
“True.” Cyra nodded.
“We’ll hold down the fort in the meantime,” I said, and I ran a hand through my hair. “Arwyn will know just what to do. She’s the best person to have in a crisis.”
“Definitely,” the dark-skinned summoner agreed. “She handled mine and Freya’s deliveries without even breaking a sweat.”
Another wave of fear rushed through me at the word “delivery,” but I shoved it down as deep as I could.
Nia was about to bring my baby into the world.
“I’ll head outside,” I declared in a slightly shaky voice. “Get to Meridan as fast as you can.”
“Gryff, I need you to keep breathing,” Cyra instructed me in a firm voice. “I know this is all stressful, but you need to stay calm. We’ll get her through this, I promise.”
“I know,” I replied. “I’m just nervous.”
“And that’s a totally understandable reaction,” the summoner said. “But try to remain as calm as you can. Round up the others and get over there. I’ll see you soon.”
“Thanks, Cyra.” I smiled at her. “Good luck.”
Then, without another word, we split up. Cyra raced down the hallway with impressive speed, and I turned on my heels and ran in the opposite direction. I quickly made it out onto the grounds, and I peered around the empty green lawn and searched for my lovers. The Academy’s campus was sizable, so locating them quickly was going to be a bit of a challenge. I needed to get around the grounds as fast as possible, so I reached deep into my consciousness and summoned Sera.
“I need your snapdarner,” I commanded. “It’s an emergency.”
After a moment, I sensed Sera stir.
Of course, she purred, and after a familiar tingle ripped through my back, the dark-winged Archon appeared before me in a hiss of dark smoke. Sera stretched out her lithe body as she manifested, and with a lazy snap of her fingers, her snapdarner appeared before us. The angelic goddess’ summons resembled a large dragonfly, and while it wasn’t the fastest monster around, there was enough room on its back for me, my lovers, and of course, the Archon.
“So, where are we going, master?” Sera asked, and her unnervingly bright yellow eyes were heavy-lidded with lust. “It’s been a moment since we’ve taken a ride together. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“First, we need to find Arwyn and Ashla, and then we need to get back to the mansion,” I stated firmly. “Nia’s in labor.”
“She is?” Sera asked, and the Archon’s playful smirk faded. “Goodness, that’s quite an event--”
“Sera, we gotta go,” I interrupted. “We have to find the others right away.”
“Alright, master, I understand.” Sera nodded, and then the Archon climbed onto her beast and extended a hand to me.
I accepted it and mounted the insectoid creature. Once I was settled behind Sera, the monster beat its iridescent wings, and we took off into the air.
As we soared around the campus, I kept my eyes peeled, but there was no one to be seen. My mind raced as a million thoughts flooded in, and I forced myself to breathe just as Cyra had instructed. My wife was depending on me, and I needed to remain as level-headed as possible for her sake. Luckily, Sera remained uncharacteristically silent, so I was able to avoid innuendo or reproduction-related pursuits from the monster goddess.
Finally, I spied a pair of figures below, so I commanded the snapdarner to fly lower. The dragonfly monster obliged, and as it descended, Ashla and Arwyn came into focus, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Land here,” I commanded the snapdarner, and the summons gracefully landed on the ground beside the pair of mages.
“Gryff?” Ashla frowned, and the ice mage knitted her dark eyebrows together in confusion. “What are you doing out here? And why is Sera--”
“We have a situation,” I explained to my lovers. “Nia’s in labor. We have to get to the mansion straight away.”
“Oh, fuck!” Ashla blurted out in alarm.
“There’s no time to lose,” Arwyn declared, and her amber eyes were sharp and focused as she spoke. “How fast can this creature fly?”
“Fast,” Sera replied to the professor, and then she patted the snapdarner’s body gently. “So everyone climb on.”
Ashla mounted the dragonfly monster first, and once the ice mage was properly situated, she reached a hand out to Arwyn and helped the professor up onto the beast.
Once my women were seated on the monster, I turned back to face them.
“Hold on tight,” I instructed, and then I faced forward and commanded the snapdarner to take us home. The afternoon air whipped at our faces as the beast propelled us across the campus, and I felt Ashla’s arms tighten around my waist.
My mind wandered as we flew down the hill, and as we neared the mansion, I gripped the snapdarner with white knuckles. I’d never had the pleasure of witnessing childbirth before, and a lump formed in my throat as I tried to imagine how the process would play out. I prayed I would have the strength to be a great husband to my wife, and that our child would come into the world with no issues. I reminded myself that while this was my first time witnessing a birth, my women had been through it twice already, and Arwyn and Meridan would do everything in their power to guide Nia through.
Finally, we arrived at our home, and I commanded the snapdarner to land at the edge of the lawn. Once we were on the ground, I dismounted the dragonfly summons and then helped my lovers ease themselves down. When we were all on the ground, Sera dismissed the insectoid creature with a graceful wave of her hand.
“Anything else I can assist you with, master?” the goddess inquired in a hopeful voice, and the earnest quality of it took me by surprise. “I can be of use if you require another set of hands.”
“We have it handled from here,” I answered slowly. While I appreciated the Archon’s offer, the last thing Nia needed was an unannounced visit from the dark-winged goddess on top of the stress of imminent childbirth.
“Suit yourself.” Sera shrugged, and then the Archon disappeared in a cloud of mist.
Once her tattoos settled back onto my skin, Arwyn, Ashla, and I all sprinted across the lawn and up the drive.
“Strange of her to offer help,” Arwyn remarked as we ran. “Doesn’t she typically loathe your human partners?”
“She’s trying to be nicer,” I replied.
“I don’t trust her.” Ashla shook her head.
We reached the porch, and I hopped up and held the front door open for my lovers. Then the three of us scrambled inside, and I listened for any activity, but the house was surprisingly silent.
“Nia?” I called out from the foyer, and as I waited to hear my wife respond, a pained shout rang out.
“Gryff, is that you?” I heard Layla yell. “We’re in Nia’s room!”
Arwyn, Ashla, and I exchanged nervous glances, and together, we raced up the spiral staircase until we reached the third floor. We took a left down the hall until we reached Nia’s door, which was thankfully wide open, and when we entered the room, we were greeted by a frenzied sight.
Freya rushed about, and her wavy dirty blonde hair stuck out in every direction as she paced. Nia was in bed, and her nightgown-clad upper body was propped up by a mountain of overstuffed pillows. The elementalist’s face was contorted in agony, and a slick sheen of sweat covered her pallid skin. While my wife was beautiful no matter the circumstances, it hurt my heart to see her curled up and feeble-looking.
Layla and Erin sat on either side of the mage, and the orange-haired mimic held a wet cloth to Nia’s forehead while the petite summoner stroked her silvery hair.
“Gryff,” Nia managed in between troubled breaths as she noticed us. “Oh, thank the Maker you’re here.”
“Of course, I am,” I said, and I rushed over to my ashen-haired wife and took her hand in mine. “I’m so sorry I was late.”
“You weren’t,” Nia replied with a strained smile. “It was kind of an unexpected event. Meridan warned me the baby was coming any day now, I just wasn’t prepared for that day to be today.”
“Neither were we,” Layla quipped, and the petite summoner moved aside so I could get closer to my wife. “One second we were sitting around eating lunch, and the next, Nia’s water broke all over the kitchen floor.”
“It was quite the shock,” Erin laughed, and despite the stress of the situation, the mimic’s amber eyes were bright. “But nothing ever goes according to plan around here, does it?”
“It definitely doesn’t,” I chuckled, and I shared a small smile with Nia.
Suddenly, the elementalist drew inwards and let out a groan of pain.
“Breathe, my love,” I soothed her, and my heart raced as Nia squeezed my hand with excessive force. “Cyra’s on her way back with Meridan as we speak.”
“I don’t know if we have that long.” Freya shook her head from across the bedroom, and her gold-flecked brown eyes were weary as she studied Nia. “The baby comes soon.”
“How soon?” I asked.
“Nia, may I take a look--” Arwyn began as she gestured at Nia’s exposed lower half.
“Of course,” Nia laughed. “As the healer of our group, I give you my permission to do whatever is necessary.”
“I figured I would ask anyways.” Arwyn smiled at the elementalist politely, and then she moved to the foot of Nia’s king-sized bed.
I gave my wife her privacy as the professor inspected between her legs, and instead of watching, I lightly massaged the back of her neck. The motion seemed to help Nia relax, and soon the ashen-haired mage closed her eyes.
Unfortunately, the peaceful air didn’t last long.
“Based on how far dilated you are, I’d say it won’t be much longer,” Arwyn warned us as Nia let out a sharp exhale. “We’ll need to time your contractions to be certain, but I’d say you’re nearly ready.”
“Shitttt,” Nia squeaked, and her entire body suddenly tensed up and drew into itself.
My eyes darted to Arwyn in alarm, but the professor offered me a soothing expression that silently encouraged me to take a deep breath. Then she turned to my wife and gave her the same look.
“Don’t worry, we’ve got this entirely under control,” Arwyn assured her in a calm voice. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Nia, I swear.”
“I know,” Nia said, and she managed a thin-lipped smile. “I’m just extremely nervous. Thank you, Arwyn.”
“I’m right here, too,” I murmured softly. “And I’ll be right beside you the entire time. I know I’m no Meridan, but you won’t be alone.”
Nia squeezed my hand tighter. “Thank you, Gryff. I’m glad you’re here with me.”
“There’s no place I’d rather be.” I smiled at my wife. “I love you, Nia.”
“I love you, too,” she replied.
“Okay, we’re going to need some supplies.” Arwyn declared with a firm nod, and I watched the crimson-haired healer slip right into professor mode as she addressed the room. “Freya, could you fetch us some towels? And Ashla, could you round up some spare blankets?”
“On it,” Ashla replied, and then she hurried out of the room, with Freya not far behind.
“And me?” I asked the professor hurriedly. “What can I do to help?”
“You’re fine just where you are,” Arwyn assured me, and the adept healer glanced out into the hallway. “I’m going to run to my room and gather a few things. I’ll return in just a moment.”
Nia nodded weakly, and the crimson-haired professor gave her a calming smile before she deftly left the room. Once we were alone, Nia eyed me fearfully, and I reached out and began to stroke her silvery hair.
“It’s all going to be okay,” I promised. “Like Arwyn said, she’s going to do everything she can to deliver this baby safely.”
“Can you distract me somehow?” Nia asked me as her body tensed up in pain again. “I’d really like something to take my mind off things.”
“Hmm…” I trailed off as I searched my mind for something to say, and I broke out into a smile as a memory came to me. “Remember my first night at school? You were sitting alone in the dining hall, and I came and sat down beside you. I was certain you were two seconds away from slitting my throat with your butter knife.”
Nia’s cheeks flushed red. “I wouldn’t have beheaded you. I considered a light maiming, of course, but nothing beyond that.”
“You were so agitated with me.” I grinned. “But I just couldn’t leave you alone.”
“Oh, I remember,” the mult-elementalist giggled, and a sincere smile graced her full lips. “I couldn’t leave you alone, either, you country bumpkin. It’s so strange to think about that now. It feels like it happened an entire lifetime ago.”
“It certainly does, doesn’t it?” I agreed. “We’ve been through so much together.”
“And here we are, yokel.” Nia smirked. “Married and about to deliver our first child. Life has an interesting way of working out, but maybe our hearts knew this was meant to be, and that’s why we couldn’t stay away from each other.”
“I haven’t been called a yokel in quite some time.” I grinned. “Here I thought you’d gone soft on me, Lady Kenefick.”
“Never,” Nia laughed, and her nose scrunched up delicately. “If you think for one second I’d ever pass up an opportunity to tease you about your feral upbringing, you’re sorely mistaken.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I chuckled, and I tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and then cupped the mage’s cheek. “But here’s the bit of this you’ve clearly forgotten… you’re about to have my child. They’re going to inherit half of these feral genes, so you’re welcome.”
“Oh, Maker, I hope not.” Nia grimaced. “We don’t need any more hellions around here.”
“You’ll be lucky if they’re not,” I snorted. “I’m hoping for a rambunctious miniature me.”
Nia made a face, and the elementalist was about to retort when suddenly Arwyn returned with a large black leather satchel in tow.
“Sorry for the delay,” the crimson-haired healer apologized as she strode in, and the professor was slightly out-of-breath. “I misplaced my supplies, but they’ve been located.”
Before she placed the bag on the dresser, she retrieved a small glass vial of periwinkle blue liquid. Then the redheaded professor approached us and held the vial out to my silver-haired wife.
“Take this,” she instructed. “It won’t taste the greatest, but it’ll help ease the pain. And it’s fast-acting, so you should feel the results almost immediately.”
Without further question, Nia took the vial from Arwyn, uncapped it, and then downed the potion with lightning speed. She shuddered as she swallowed the contents, but a second later, her features softened considerably.
“That is fast-acting,” the elementalist said in a surprised tone, and she relaxed her grip around my hand.
“That should help relax your muscles a bit.” Arwyn smiled at her. “It won’t relieve all of the pain, but it should at least bring it down a level or two.”
Nia sank back into the pillows, and her expression was drastically different than it had been moments ago. I wasn’t sure what exactly Arwyn had given her, but the potion seemed to be doing its job.
Ashla and Freya returned with stacks of blankets and towels, and after the professor accepted Freya’s towels, she went back to her bag and retrieved a pair of gloves.
Suddenly, Nia’s calm demeanor shattered, and she let out a soft whine of pain. The pressure returned to her grip, and even though my blood flow was interrupted, I encouraged her to squeeze my hand as hard as she needed.
“You won’t hurt me,” I swore to her, and then I turned to Arwyn. “What’s going on?”
Arwyn knelt down, and the professor’s amber eyes were sharp and focused as she inspected Nia.
“It’s time,” the professor declared. “This baby is coming much faster than I anticipated.”
“Fuckkkk!” Nia cried out as she tensed up. “They’re definitely coming.”
“Okay, Freya, Ashla, stand beside me,” Arwyn instructed my lovers with a firm tone. “I’ve got this under control, but in case I need it, more hands would be useful.
“Of course.” Freya nodded, and she obediently moved to the healer’s side.
“What do you want us to do?” Erin near-shouted over the sound of Nia’s cries.
“Stay off to the side for now,” Arwyn directed her. “I’ll let you know if I need anything.”
Everyone got into position, and I took the deepest breath I could manage.
This was really happening. I was about to be the father of three children.
“I am so proud of you, my sister-wife,” Freya encouraged Nia, and the hawk princess’ eyes glimmered with pride. “You are so strong, and so beautiful, and you are going to be an amazing mother. Your baby is lucky to have such a powerful family.”
“You’ve got this Nia,” Ashla agreed, and the ice mage gave Nia a grin. “You’re a total badass.”
Nia gave them a thin-lipped smile, but then she seized up. The sight of my wife in such pain threatened to overwhelm my mind, but I remembered Cyra’s instructions and took a long deep breath.
“Breathe, Nia,” I encouraged my wife. “It’s going to be--”
“Fuck!” the ashen-haired mage shouted again, and her normally piercing blue eyes contained fire as she cried out.
