Accidental Surrogate

Cora

I’m a little out of breath when I finally catch up with Roger and Rafe, having had to work hard to keep up with his long wolf stride.

“Rude,” I say when I finally come to a stop next to them. “You couldn’t have waited for me?”

“I’m being rude?” Roger says, raising his eyebrows at me in disbelief. “Cora, you’ve been nothing but unpleasant since the moment we stepped into the forest –”

–

I open my mouth with a little squeak of protest but Roger just rolls his eyes and ignores me, going on anyway. “This is supposed to be a sacred experience for Rafe and for us and you’ve done nothing but moan and complain. So yeah, forgive me if I wanted to get away for a moment and concentrate on the magic of this place

“Oh whatever,” I mumble, reaching out my arms so that he can hand me the baby.

“No

from you

way,” Roger retorts, holding the baby closer to his chest and turning a little away from me. “You don’t get to hold the baby now that we’re at the pool

“Yes I do!” I cry, “the priestess gave him to me!”

“I’m his godparent just as much as you are

—

“(

falling open. I don’t know how

Honestly, it never occurred to me that my

anew at being…well, a little freaked out, suddenly. We’re both very aware that there’s magic in the world, but sometimes when you’re confronted with it so

and start to say that words that the priestess taught us as part of

surface of the silver pool. “We bring to you, tonight, this child, so that he may

doing so, let you see him and bring him into the spirit of your grace,” Roger continues, his own resonant voice sending shivers down my spine. The light coming off the pool brightens – slower this time, though, as if she’s

am treated by the sight of the full moon itself, beaming brilliantly down on us from above. Hey, mom, I say quietly in my

Because she is here, now,

that he can’t really see anything – his vision hasn’t developed well enough yet – but he’s certainly curious. I put my hands out for him and this time Roger does hand him to me, letting me take the baby and unwrap his

sky, to see the light surrounding him as it falls from the moon above

us to bring him here to dedicate him to you. We do so in their

the world and to all the magic within it. I open my mouth to say something, to tell Roger

suddenly afraid, but Roger brings a quick hand to my

the baby back,” he says, peering into the white light of the moon, likewise trying to make it out.

out, my arms trembling a little, and watch

in the air. Instead, it’s…felt as much as it is seen, communicated to our hearts and minds as

ground, helping her up and brushing the tears from her face. Then, I see him again – older, but still young.- running across a battlefield, fear on his face but courage in every line of his limbs as he pushes himself to do what is right. We’re passed that quite quickly, though, and I see him again with that girl – though she’s older now too – laughing. And though I know there’s no reason for me

–

a crown on his head, and another in his hands, which he slowly lifts to place on the girl’s head as well. She smiles up at him with

–

and a light–haired boy I don’t know, just about Rafe’s age- and more

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