Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
N ovi's body trembled with the force of another contraction, a guttural moan escaping her lips as she clung to Callie's hand like a lifeline. Sweat poured down her flushed face as strands of blonde hair stuck to her damp skin. Her eyes squeezed shut against the searing pain radiating through her core.
"You're doing great," Callie whispered, though her own voice wavered slightly. “Just breathe like they told you.”
In the background, the midwives kept busy as they moved around the room, their hushed voices a dim backdrop to the onslaught of worries that roared in Novi’s ears.
What was I thinking when I agreed to have a baby? I’m not ready to be a mother! I’ve been at this for hours—all night, and now all day. Does that mean something’s wrong? That has to be it. Something’s wrong, and they’re not telling me. Nobody tells me anything around here, besides the maids and the footmen. The midwives are just waiting until Fallon gets back.
Panting hard, Novi turned to stare at the doors, willing him to return.
Where in seven hells is he? Maybe he’s still angry about our argument. What if I bleed to death and he’s not here? What if our last conversation was an argument? At least I’ll be dead. But what if I turn into a ghost? What if I’m doomed to haunt this room for eternity? Fuck! This hurts so much!
As hard as she tried to regulate her breathing, Novi couldn’t stop it from coming in sharp, uneven gasps. Each contraction felt like a beast clawing its way out of her. The room seemed to grow smaller with every wave of pain. The only thing that anchored her to this world was Callie’s presence, and the view out the window as the sun set, then rose, then sank down towards the horizon again..
She hadn’t seen Fallon since this time yesterday. Where was he? He said he’d return, but there was no sign of him. Where had he spent the small hours of the night when he should’ve been sleeping next to her? Probably in nonstop meetings.
Surely by now he’d had time to speak with every soldier and volunteer, every mage, and every official who needed his help. Now it was Novi’s turn. She needed him here…needed his steadying presence, his reassuring touch.
Suddenly a chill swept through the room as the heavy doors creaked open.
“Fallon? Is that you?”
Too tired to sit up, Novi’s heart fluttered with anticipation to greet him. It crumpled into a tight ball of nauseous dread as she watched Queen Laena step into the apartment. Her black silk gown skimmed the floor like the caress of a cold, dead hand. Her sharp, cold gaze zeroed in on Novi’s trembling, vulnerable form.
"Let's see how our little miracle is progressing, shall we?" Laena's smile was a predator's grin as she approached the bed.
Novi’s heart hammered against her ribcage. She looked to Callie, then the lead midwife, desperate for help.
“Your Majesty, I don't think now is the best time to?—”
"Nonsense. I’ve birthed three children of my own. I know how this goes.” Laena practically shoved the midwife aside as she stepped between Novi’s bent knees. Her hands were already lifting the sheets. Novi wanted to scream, to push the intrusive hands away, but another contraction seized her, stealing her breath.
“Seems you're quite close. Good,” murmured Laena. Her voice dripped with condescension. "It’s about time we got a return on our investment.”
Novi recoiled at the invasion of privacy as tears of humiliation stung the corners of her eyes. "Where’s Fallon?" she asked again. Along with the pain, desperation now colored her words. "He should be here!"
“This is the very last place he should be. My son has far more important duties than—" Laena said with a scowl, but her words were cut short by a sudden, anguished cry from the bed.
“Shut the fuck up, you cow!” Novi ’s voice was raw with pain and fear…but now it was colored by anger. The room spun, narrowing to the steadfast touch of Callie's hand and Laena’s suffocating presence. “I was blessed by Daiyana and you still think I’m not good enough for Fallon? Get out of here, you horrible bitch!”
Callie's grip tightened on Novi's hand as she cautiously addressed the queen. “I’m certain she didn’t mean that, Your Majesty.”
Unfazed by the insult, Laena merely chuckled. “Do you take me for a fool, girl? That’s the first honest thing this lowborn wench has ever said in her life.”
Another contraction seized Novi, and she buried her face into her pillow to muffle her cries. Where was Fallon? She couldn't do this without him. She definitely couldn’t handle being antagonized by his mother while her insides were being pulled apart. Tears ran down her cheeks and soaked into her already damp pillow.
She felt so vulnerable, so exposed. If only Fallon were here to shield her...
As if summoned by her desperate thoughts, the doors flew open. Fallon rushed in, his eyes wide with concern as they fixed on her sweat-drenched body.
"Novi!"
“Is it really you?” she whispered, drinking in the sight of him as he stepped to the bedside opposite Callie. She reached for him with a shaky hand, desperate to feel his touch. "I thought you might’ve changed your mind."
Fallon’s black eyes were wild with concern, yet his presence commanded the space. His strong hand grasped hers and he bent to press a tender kiss to her sweat-dampened brow, calming her immediately.
“Never. Nothing could keep me from you. Not today. I got here as son as I could.”
He turned his attention to Queen Laena, who was still standing at the foot of the bed between Novi’s feet. She seemed repulsed by their tender exchange. He immediately eyed her with suspicion.
"What in the seven hells do you think you’re doing?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous as he took off his cloak and tossed it on the floor.
A sickly sweet smile was now plastered on Laena’s face. "Darling, I was merely checking on Novi's progress. No need to make a fuss."
Fallon growled, barely contained rage simmering in his blood. The queen had never shown concern for Novi. How dare she stand by her now, when she was at her most vulnerable?
“The midwives seem to have everything under control. Is there anything out of the ordinary that I should be aware of?” He cast the two women a sideways glance, and they obediently shook their heads.
“No, Your Highness. Everything is progressing as it should be,” answered the older midwife.
The younger one nodded eagerly in agreement. “It’s almost time for Novi to begin pushing. We’re nearly there, sire.”
Fallon stared at Laena with an expectant look. “Well? If everything’s going as it should, why are you here?”
Laena's fake smile widened, sinister and mocking.
“I’m simply ensuring that you’re able to produce a living heir. Someone must think of the kingdom's future, not to mention the legacy of the Blackwood name. The moment that bastard slithers out and draws its first breath, I'll take my leave and announce the date of your wedding to Lady Jennae.” Her cruel gaze settled on Novi. “A proper wife for a Sacred Son of Sinaryos."
Novi flinched at the callousness of Laena's words. It was one thing to insult her by saying that she wasn’t a proper wife for her son, but Laena didn’t even have the decency to call her daughter ‘her’ like a person. She’d used ‘it,’ like the innocent baby girl held the same level of value as a piece of furniture.
Feeling the same way, Fallon's hand tightened on hers.
“I will send word to you when there is news to share,” he told Laena. All the while, his eyes never left Novi’s. “Now leave us, Mother. Your presence is neither required…nor wanted."
Laena's lips curled into a mocking smile, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "Oh, but my dear son, how could I possibly miss the arrival of my first grandchild? Even if it is a bastard born of a lowly human, this is a defining moment of your legacy.”
Her gaze flicked to the woman laboring on the damp sheets, her contempt plain as day in the subtle wrinkle of her nose.
Slowly, Fallon turned away from Novi and faced his mother. His eyes narrowed in warning and his jaw clenched, a muscle ticking beneath his skin.
“Take your leave… now .”
Laena crossed her arms, the gesture casual but defiant. “I am Queen Laena Blackwood, and I have every right to be present in the sacred space of a birthing chamber. You have none.”
“These are my private chambers!”
Laena's eyebrows arched. "This is my castle. I have every right to be present. I am your Queen! You will do as you're told, or I'll ensure your lowborn concubine never sees her child again!”
Fallon's voice dropped to a deep, menacing growl. The heat of his anger had fully awakened and began crackling beneath his skin. The midwives both backed away from him as his poise began to unravel.
"You dare threaten my family?" he ground out through clenched teeth.
Before Laena could react, Fallon pushed off the bed, stopping mere inches from her face. He towered over her with barely restrained fury.
“If you don’t leave on your own accord…I will make you leave upon my own.”
Laena's smile widened and twisted—a serpent's grin in the face of danger. Her eyes flicked to Novi, who was writhing in agony, then back to Fallon. She tilted her head, feigning innocence.
"Such hostility," she said, shaking her head in disapproval. “This is no way to treat your mother. Remember, son, you are not king yet. Until you are, you play by my rules."
The air around Fallon began to shimmer with heat as his newfound powers rose to the surface, begging for release. His hands clenched into fists, his nails digging crescent moons into his palms.
“This is no game,” he snarled, inching closer. “This is survival.”
Anger unfurled around him like a firestorm, hot and relentless. The prince inched forward until his clothes brushed against hers. When Laena refused to retreat, Fallon’s black demonborn eyes began to glow bright yellow.
“For the last time—GET OUT!”
Laena's eyes widened in shock and her smirk vanished as flames erupted from his hands, licking up his arms and engulfing his body in a restrained inferno. The smoldering heat distorted the air around her Sacred Son of Sinaryos, creating an oppressive barrier between them.
“Fallon! Control yourself!" she demanded as his demon fire forced her to retreat. His demonic gaze burned so bright that it was almost blinding her.
Fallon shook his head and continued to advance. Every step he took left charred footprints on the rug. "I am in control, Mother. More than you've ever been!”
He outstretched his arms, creating a shield of flame between her and the other women in the room. He wanted nothing more than to unleash his rage, to burn it all down and make Laena suffer for her lifetime of cruelty…for the trauma she’d inflicted on her children…on her staff…and all of those murdered humans from the lower sectors.
But he couldn’t.
Not with Novi in such a vulnerable state. He had to be strong for her, for their daughter.
Raising her hands to shield her face from the heat, Laena stumbled backwards until she felt the hard press of the doors against her spine.
“Stop this at once!” she ordered with a shaking voice. “As your queen, I command it!”
Baring his teeth, Fallon merely shook his head and continued advancing on her. The flames licked higher up her skirts, forcing her to beat her fist against the door to be let out.
"You will never threaten my family again," he warned as his eyes blazed with unholy light. “Never again.”
Another cry of pain tore from Novi's throat as the next contraction hit, causing her body to lift off the bed. Fallon turned to see her writhing on the sweat-soaked sheets, her face contorted in agony. Laena seized the opportunity to rush out of the room, slamming the doors as she left.
Fallon went to join Novi’s side, but was blocked by the younger midwife.
"No, Your Highness," she warned, her voice tight with both fear and determination. “Stay right there. We need to calm you down first.”
“You want me to be calm ?” Fallon blinked as the midwife's words penetrated the haze of his fury. Novi was wailing in pain, Laena had just threatened his family, and this young woman he’d never met was telling him to be calm?
She returned to him with a pail of water and brandishing a sopping wet towel.
“I’m sorry, sire, but I can’t let you near Novi until we deal with this first.”
Before he could question her, she slapped the heavy wet towel across his back, frantically trying to extinguish the flames that clung to him. Water splashed down his neck and steam hissed in his ears. He looked down at his hands, horror dawning as he realized the extent of his power. They were still covered in smoldering flames.
With quick reflexes, the young woman walked around him, methodically dunking the towel in the pail and smothering the flames with a series of sizzles. Fallon didn’t flinch.
His focus remained entirely on Novi.
The older midwife was back at her rightful place at the foot of the bed between Novi’s legs as she guided her into a different position.
“We’re almost there! You're doing great!" Callie urged at her side. Her grip on Novi's hand was unyielding despite the pressure. Novi's cries grew louder.
More raw.
More primal.
It wouldn’t be long now.
“Alright, sire,” huffed the woman tending to his fiery outburst. “That’s the last of it. Your eyes aren’t glowing anymore, and I don’t see any burns on your skin, so you can join her now if you like.”
Fallon didn’t waste another second peeling off his wet jacket and clawing his way back to sit beside Novi, across from Callie.
Her breath caught as his warm hand cupped her cheek. Seeing him on the edge of losing control was simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating. She winced as she rode out the last of the contraction, then let out a deep shudder of relief before giving him a weak smile.
“Thanks for getting rid of your mom. And thanks for not setting the room on fire.”
“Yes, it’s much appreciated, Your Highness,” said the older midwife. “I’ve delivered babies in just about every scenario one could think of, but in the midst of a fire was not among them.”
Fallon nodded, watching the women work around him.
“What can I do to help?”
“You can hold her hand while I fetch her some water,” Callie suggested. Novi's fingers released from her friend’s and intertwined with Fallon's, clasping him with inhuman force. The sensation caught him off guard but he remained steadfast, marveling at the sheer power coursing through her body.
He watched as Callie offered her a sip of cool water, then dabbed at her forehead with a damp cloth, murmuring soothing words of encouragement. It had clearly been the right call to have the human handmaid stay with Novi during the most vulnerable moments of her life.
“Baby’s head is coming,” the midwife announced. “I need you to push as hard as you can with the next contraction.”
Fallon leaned down and pressed his forehead to Novi’s, his voice a fierce whisper.
“Did you hear that, Novi? You’re nearly there.”
Too exhausted to speak, she could only give him a faint smile in return. She sagged against the pillows, utterly spent.
Suddenly her grip on Fallon's hand tightened to an almost painful intensity as the next contraction ripped through her. Her eyes squeezed shut as she bore down, her body quaking from the force of it.
“Keep pushing, Novi!” the midwife instructed from the foot of the bed. “Push as hard as you can!”
Fallon's heart clenched at the raw agony in her voice as Novi let out a deep, guttural groan. It was a sound unlike any he’d ever heard her make. He would’ve given anything to take her pain upon himself, to spare her this torment. He watched as the midwife repositioned her hands against Novi’s body.
“Baby’s head is nearly delivered,” she said in a calm, soothing voice. “The next contraction should have her out.”
Novi's vision blurred, her strength all but gone. Her body trembled, muscles screaming in protest against the relentless pain.
“Fallon...I can't keep doing this…it hurts so much..."
“It’s almost over. I know you can do this…you’re already doing it," he said, brushing his lips against her knuckles. “You are so strong, Novi. You are the strongest woman I know."
Novi managed a weak nod, drawing strength from his unwavering faith in her. She focused on his voice, his touch, anchoring herself to him as wave after wave of searing pain crashed over her.
“A gentle push, now. Steady, but not too hard,” the midwife instructed. “Let your body do the work.”
Taking a deep breath, Novi closed her eyes and went deep into her mind, deep into the core of her very existence. Muscles flexed and stretched, burning and twisting her insides. She bore down with everything she had left, her primal scream silenced by her unparalleled focus and concentration.
"That's it, Novi. You can do this.”
Beyond the shell of her physical body, Fallon’s steady voice grounded her amidst the chaos.
With a primal groan that seemed to shake the very foundations of Blackwood Castle, Novi bore down and brought their daughter into the world. The tiny, squirming body landed, slick and glistening, into the lead midwife's experienced hands.
The unrelenting grip of pressure and pain let go of her, and she collapsed back against the pillows. The room fell silent for a heartbeat…then another one…then another, as the midwives tended to the new arrival under the burning candlelight.
Her chest heaving from exertion, Novi fought to catch her breath. She glanced at Fallon, whose gaze was transfixed on the two midwives working quickly and diligently at the foot of the bed. Dread passed like a shadow through her mind as she tried to decipher his expression. He was either wonderstruck…or filled with horror.
Her grip tightened on his hand. When his eyes met hers, they were shimmering with unshed tears.
"She's here," he whispered in a voice choked with emotion.
“Why isn’t she crying?” Novi asked, fearing the worst. “Is she alive?”
A tear fell as he nodded, but she still couldn’t believe him.
Just then, a piercing cry filled the room—a cry that wasn’t her own. Her ears filled with the thin, fragile, yet indignant wail of a newborn. Then the younger midwife placed the squirming, red-faced bundle on Novi's chest.
"Your daughter, my lady."
Novi stared in surprise at the tiny being, vaguely aware of the midwife covering them both with a small, soft flannel blanket. Callie gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze as she slipped away from her friend’s side and offered her help to the midwives.
“You did it,” Fallon said, leaning closer. He reached out a cautious fingertip to stroke the downy softness of his daughter's head, marveling at the delicate perfection of her features. Tiny black eyes blinked back at him as she voiced her opinions about the ordeal she’d just gone through. Her cries were the most beautiful music to his ears.
He couldn’t stop smiling.
“She's beautiful, just like her mother."
The baby's skin was warm against her chest. A small yet powerful heartbeat thrummed against her own as the newborn’s cries were soothed into curious silence. Novi stared in disbelief at the tiny head, cradling the creature that that rested safely in her arms.
Then she looked up at Fallon in wonder.
“Are you sure she’s real?”
“Very real,” he confirmed, still grinning ear to ear. His voice was soft…reverent. “She’s perfect. And she’s all ours.”
Novi glanced out the window, noticing that the stars seemed to be shining brighter than usual in the night sky. She wiped away the last remnants of sweat on her forehead, then smiled in delight as her daughter’s eyes met her own
“Hello, Lucia," she murmured while tracing a finger along the baby’s delicate cheek. “Do you know that your name means ‘light?’ You’re our little light in the dark."