Chapter 58 #2
“What?” he asked, throwing his hands up. “I’m just asking.”
“It is a very mortal question.” Naia laughed softly.
“But I will indulge your curious mind. Souls predate time itself, although some are connected in one way or another. They are not made by the joining of a father and a mother, but the vessel is. And so, that is what would have been conceived that night. Once the body is strong enough to house the soul, the soul will go to it, and two will become one. Does that make sense?”
“It does.” Kaleb nodded, his eyebrows raised in fascination.
All this talk of souls and vessels and conception had my thoughts wandering down a dark, lonely path. My thumb lifted to my stomach, brushing over it in one, small movement, so small, no one would notice.
Ask her , Von spoke inside my mind, proving me wrong—he had noticed.
Of course he had .
My gaze shifted up to Von’s.
It is one of the reasons we are here, to find out what happened to our child, he said.
What if it’s an answer I do not like? I replied.
Then I will tear the truth apart and craft a new one to your liking, he vowed to me. His large, tattooed hand slid over mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
I inhaled a deep breath, taking my time to let it out, before I looked to Naia and asked, “What happens to an unborn immortal child if the mother dies?”
Naia set her glass down on the table. She looked at Von, then back at me, studying us both. Her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, her voice soft, gentle, as she said, “I have seen that look many times before.” A small pause. “How far along were you?”
“Not very far.” I cleared my throat, my vocal cords strung tight. “Maybe five weeks.”
“I am so sorry,” she said, and by the solemn look in her eyes, I believed she was. She took another breath, then started slowly, “There is no easy way to say this, but five weeks is too young for a soul to enter a vessel, immortal or not, so upon your death, the child would have ceased to exist.”
I knew what I was being told wasn’t true, because I had felt our child’s power, seen it with my own eyes; however, hearing that still took me back. It made the words I wanted to say dissolve on my tongue, stifling my voice as if something had taken up residence in my throat, blocking it off .
So, my mate spoke for me, his body solid against mine. “No, their soul was there. Sage had planned to keep her pregnancy a secret from me, and our babe helped her.”
Naia’s eyebrows lifted at that. “If that is true, then yes, the soul would have been there. The vessel must have been exceptionally strong . . . although considering you two are the parents, I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
” She thought things over then her eyes flicked to mine. “Tell me more about your death.”
I nodded stiffly. “It was an immortal one, but I did not return to this realm. I reincarnated in the one we were living in instead.”
“That complicates things greatly,” Naia spoke on a heavy exhale.
“How so?” I asked, eager to hear more.
“When immortal souls are retrieved from the Miyakai River, all that information is logged by the Ashamori. If you could gain access to their system, you might be able to track down what became of your child. However, because you can reincarnate, your child could possess the ability as well. Which means they could have reincarnated anywhere, with any family—which, as you know, there is no log for.” She stopped for a moment, considering something.
“There is a third possibility as well—your child might have chosen to reincarnate within you, and they are waiting for a new vessel to be formed. In some cases, if the vessel is split in the early stages, it will result in twins.”
Silence lingered as I reflected on what I had been told. Essentially, if our child was alive, they could be anywhere, including within me. I suppose that gave me a place to start, which was better than nothing. “If their soul has decided to reincarnate within me, how would I know?”
Naia’s face grew weary. “There are two ways. The first is far from foolproof, and the second, although it will give you a definitive answer, is something I do not recommend.”
“What are they?” I asked, moving forward in my seat.
“Well, the first would be to become pregnant again. After the baby is born, you could take them to a soul worker and see if the child’s soul is the same as before, although, I will warn you to be careful, as there are a lot of fake soul workers out there, looking to capitalize on the desperate.”
“That would take months, and if it isn’t our first child or the soul worker is wrong, it would mean they could still be somewhere out there,” I said, shaking my head. No, that wouldn’t do. “What is the second option?”
She hesitated for a moment, then answered, “A visual inspection of the womb.”
Von bristled beside me.
“That doesn’t sound pleasant,” Kaleb stated, reminding me that he was still here. That they all were. I had been so fixated on what Naia had been telling me, I had tunnel vision and forgot about everyone else.
“It’s not,” Naia warned, the caution in her voice still present.
“As Sage is an immortal, she would have to take an elixir to prevent her immortality from healing her. A chirurgeon healer would then cut into her abdomen, into the womb, and visually inspect it through a special glass that allows one to see souls, no matter how minuscule. ”
“I don’t have the ability to heal so that wouldn’t be an issue,” I said. “Where can I find a chirurgeon healer?”
“There is one who resides within the palace,” she answered.
My heart leapt in my chest. “That’s great. When can they—”
“Sage,” Von cut me off, voice razor-sharp. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Of course,” I answered, turning to him. A sharp, spicy taste emerged on my tongue, like I’d taken a bite out of a pepper. I eyed him. What was that? Anger? Passion? Why did they taste similar?
He looked at Naia. “Is there somewhere we could speak in private?”
“Of course. It’s getting late anyway. Perhaps we should pause this conversation until tomorrow morning?” Naia asked.
“That would be good,” Von replied with a single nod, his eyes shifting to mine.
“Wonderful,” she stated, shooting a glance over to one of the servants. “Please show them to their rooms.”
The servant dipped her head and then gestured to the doorway leading back inside. “Please, if you would all follow me.”