Chapter 21 #2
“Hey,” Kaid said, picking up on it immediately, “what’s going on?!” he asked, concerned as all the males except Remi rushed out.
Remi looked at his phone, which had begun vibrating in his back pocket. “Tempest is in labor,” he said.
“Where’d everybody go?” Vince asked, walking out of the kitchen to find only Remi standing at the bar.
“Tempest is in labor,” Remi said.
“Wrap it up, Lion! We have to get there right away,” Delilah exclaimed delightedly.
“Yes, ma’am, your highness,” Vince quipped.
Remi started counting the cash he’d pulled out of his pocket, unsure if he had enough to cover all the food his clan mates had ordered and rushed off from without paying.
“No, Remi. I got that! Vince, put everything on my tab,” Kaid yelled.
“The boys, too?” Vince yelled back.
“Yep!” Kaid answered.
“No, I can get mine,” Remi insisted, still feeling too guilty to accept anything, even a lunch from anyone in their clan.
“No. I got it. And go on, get gone, they’re having a baby. Why are you still here?”
“I’m not sure I should be there,” Remi admitted.
Kaid walked right up to him. “Boy, you need to forgive yourself. You fucked up. You recognize it, move on and don’t do it again. End of.”
Remi nodded. “I'm trying.”
“Good. Did Brandt not message you directly?”
“He did.”
“And what did it say?”
Remi lifted his phone to read from the screen. “Baby’s on the way, get here quick!”
“Then get there quick, he wants you there. I’m gonna let everybody else know, and we’ll see you there. We’ll be right behind you,” Kaid said.
“Yes, sir,” Remi said.
Remi got in his car and realized he didn’t know where exactly they were going. He’d kind of been out of the loop. He sent a quick text to Brandt. “Which hospital?”
“No hospital. Home! Hurry the hell up!”
“On my way,” Remi answered.
His face was a mask of worry as he drove to Brandt’s house for the second time that day. “No hospital?” he murmured to himself.
~~~
Tempest lay on her bed, panting, gripping the corners of the pillow her head lay upon.
“Baby, are you sure we shouldn’t be in a hospital?” Brandt asked.
“Can’t. What if it’s a boy and it has horns? What if it’s gray, or blue like my grandfather?” she bit out from between clenched teeth.
“Alright. But, midwife or something at least,” Brandt half-yelled.
“Called my mother. She’ll be here,” Tempest snarled when another contraction hit.
Brandt heard the front door open and heard footsteps running toward them.
Daisy rushed into the room, falling to her knees beside Tempest. “I’m here! How can I help?!”
“Thank fuck!” Brandt said, glad to not have to deliver his child alone.
“Tell me what to do,” Daisy said.
“Hurts,” Tempest whimpered.
“Give me your hands,” Daisy ordered.
Tempest reached for her and Daisy clasped Tempest’s hands in both of her own. “Let me in, Tempest. I can’t ease your pain if you don’t let me in.”
“Let her in, baby,” Brandt begged.
“Go. Away,” Tempest said, looking directly at Brandt.
“Baby!” Brandt exclaimed.
“Brandt, there’s a reason women have done this only with other women since the beginning of time,” Daisy said.
“Hey! We here!” Havoc yelled as a multitude of footsteps could be heard entering the house.
“Go take care of everybody else,” Daisy said, flashing a forced smile at Brandt.
“Okay. Okay, got it,” he said, rushing out of the bedroom. “I love you, Tempest! Call me if you need me!” he called after himself.
Daisy turned back to Tempest. “Let me in. I’ll take part of the pain.”
“I can’t,” Tempest said. “We’d lose you.”
“What? I’m not going anywhere,” Daisy said.
Tempest shook her head. “Can’t let you see,” Tempest said, then started panting again, tears streaming from beneath her closed eye lids despite her trying to hold them back, with a growing moan building in volume.
When the contraction passed and Tempest was breathing a little easier, Daisy tried again. “Tempest, I can ease the pain.”
“She can’t, dear,” an unfamiliar voice said from right behind her.
Daisy spun to a defensive position, facing the woman suddenly standing behind her.
Daisy placed herself between the woman and Tempest who was in no condition to protect herself while at the same time she heard a commotion from Brandt’s living room.
Shouting, the sound of scattering feet, the demand from several males for someone to identify themselves.
That alone unnerved her, but to be facing a woman who’d just appeared out of nowhere, had already pretty much set her on high alert.
“It’s okay, Daisy. I’m Lily, Tempest’s mother, and the sounds you hear from the living room are because I dropped Tempest’s father, and grandparents, and her uncle there as I appeared in this room. Everyone is a little surprised, I’m sure.”
“Hey! Hey!!” Daisy heard Brandt yell. “This is Tempest’s grandparents and her dad! Calm the hell down!”
“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. I only met you the one time, and I’m a little stressed here,” Daisy said.
Lily smiled at Daisy. “It’s fine. I understand. When I was last here, it was a quick visit.”
“Mama,” Tempest whimpered, and started crying. “It hurts so bad. Make it stop, Mama. Please make it stop.”
“Let me feel what’s wrong, Tempest. I’ll fix it,” Lily promised, as Daisy moved out of the way so Lily could sit beside her daughter.
Tempest reached for her mother, and Lily leaned toward her, holding her as her long silver hair fell like a curtain around them.
Immediately purple and silver mists began seeping from Lily’s body, and slowly enveloped the both of them.
Within seconds Tempest stopped panting and the labored breathing stopped.
She was surprisingly relaxed and appeared to be resting.
“Is she okay?” Daisy finally whispered.
“She will be. The baby is turned. That’s why she’s in so much pain.”
“I tried to help relieve some of it, but she wouldn’t let me,” Daisy said.
“It’s not safe for you to have access to her mind that way,” Lily said.
She glanced up at Daisy and could see that Daisy didn’t understand.
Lily smiled at her. She really liked this girl.
She was kind, and gentle, and loyal. Not to mention, she was a natural healer.
“If you were to see the things that Tempest can see, you’d be deeply disturbed.
Things from the spirit world, things that move just out of sight and reach of the mortal world.
You may lose all sense of sanity, and certainly any sense of safety.
It was for your own sense of well-being that she refused. ”
“I’d have taken the chance. It was killing me seeing her suffer so badly.”
Lily smiled. “Me, too. And don’t worry, she’s not hurting right now. Everything will be fine. Perhaps you could go into the living room and soothe those who are still a little unsettled,” Lily suggested.
Daisy heard the front door open and close again and more and more familiar voices, some of them exclaiming, ‘Holy shit’.
“I think they’ve met Tempest’s grandfather, or father, depending on how he’s reacting. Both can be a little unnerving. Can you see to it for me while I tend to Tempest?”
“Yes, of course. Anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, Daisy,” Lily said.
Daisy watched as Lily took Tempest’s hands in hers, and began to meditate, her mists began to swirl and completely enveloped both Tempest and Lily more heavily than before.
Though she wanted to stay and watch, she knew she’d told Lily that she’d keep things calm in the living room, so, off she went, closing the door quietly behind herself so as not to disturb them as she left.
“How is she?” Brandt demanded the moment Daisy walked into the living room.
“Much better. Her mother is with her and she’s actually getting a little rest,” Daisy said.
“All will be well, then,” Delilah said.
“It’s amazing,” Daisy said wide-eyed as Delilah nodded at her.
“To be that powerful!” Daisy said.
“It’s a great responsibility,” Delilah said.
Finally, Daisy took the time to look around the living room. Her entire clan was there, with the exception of Daniel. Her eyes widened when she noticed a few other people she wasn't familiar with. “Hello. Welcome. I’m Daisy, I’m Brandt’s sister and Tempest’s sister-in-law.”
A very large, blueish-gray skinned male with elaborate horns growing out of his head and large wings folded close against his back, grinned suddenly and looked at the woman standing next to him. “Like frower!” he said.
“Exactly,” the woman said, smiling at him.
“This is my sister, Daisy,” Brandt said, so out of his head with worry that he was introducing her despite the fact that she’d just done so. “She’s a healer and was trying to help Tempest with the pain.”
“Oh, no, honey. That’s not a good idea. Her mother is here now, she’ll handle it,” a tall, muscular, very, very beautiful male said. He had golden brown hair and swirling green and gold eyes. His words held just a hint of an accent giving him a regal edge, but the accent wasn’t quite identifiable.
“I was willing to try anyway. I hated seeing Tempest hurt that way,” Daisy said.
“I’m sure Lily will make sure she feels no more pain. I’m Carrik, by the way, Tempest’s father.”
“Oh! It’s so nice to meet you,” Daisy said.
“Likewise,” Carrik said.
“Have you met everyone?” Daisy asked.
“We have not,” Carrik said, “but thank you for asking.”
“’Arnge!” the big, blueish-gray male said, slapping himself on the chest.