Accidental Surrogate

Accidental Surrogate Chapter 371-Unleashing the Flame

Ella

I fall into a little daze as I watch Hank work, as I hold my sleeping baby in my arms. It’s not that I’m not paying attention –

it’s just that…I don’t really understand what they’re doing or saying, so to me it’s all just quiet repetitive work.

I do pay attention, of course, when Hank deems Cora patched up enough to roll her over onto her side so that they can

perform an ultrasound. Cora gives a low moan when the nurses move her, a sound which at once pains me and gives me

a little thrill of hope. Because as much as I hate to hear my sister in pain –

Damn it, at least it means she’s alive. I watch carefully as the nurses hold her still, as Hank expertly spreads some clear

jelly on her stomach and then begins to search for a heartbeat. Then I bury my head in my hand a few moments later

when he finds it – a fast, faint fluttering of noise. My little niece or nephew, still fighting for life.

I drag my hand away from my face a moment later to see Hank nodding to his nurses and Cora lowered back on her belly.

Then, Hank turns to me, pulling off his gloves as he crosses the room and falls into a crouch so that we can be almost

face-to-face while I stay seated.

“You saw?” he asks, looking up at me a little from his lowered place on the floor. “Yes,” I reply, nodding sharply. “The baby

is alive, but – ”

“Right,” he says, glancing back towards Cora. “It’s – it’s not preferable, obviously, for a mother to be so gravely wounded

so early in a pregnancy. Frequently the body will decide…” he sighs and shakes his head, trying to come up with the right

words. He looks up at me as he finishes his thought, “the body will sometimes decide, Ella, to prioritize the mother.”

“So miscarriage…” I say, looking over at my sister.

“There’s a higher risk of it right now, yes. Ella,” he says again, his voice curious now, drawing my eyes back to him. “Did

Cora ever mention to you the possibility…”

“I can do it, Hank but, the people who hurt us in the woods –

he’s not going to understand what I’m talking about if I start babbling on

and the God of Darkness. “As we were getting away they they bound my gift

“T tried to heal her in the

can – you can

wounds like that -”

disturbed by his curiosity about the gift when we should be concentrating

my sister. What, really, is he

says, putting his hands up in a little plea for forgiveness. “I’m I’m

The idea of being able to wield medicine like that – it’s a dream. But please forgive my

and nod, my eyes moving back to Cora, wanting

says, standing up to his feet and looking at Cora himself. “It would help Cora, and the baby,

I know a lot about wolf

around this? Perhaps one of the priestesses of the Goddess, your mother? Could they

touch with her? Ask for her aid

him suddenly as I realize that – that Hank may have stumbled on

say, getting quickly to my feet and looking around the room.

please?”

phone in the corner of the room. “Of course, Ella,”

back towards Cora now. “I’m going to run some tests,” he murmurs, taking a deep

Let’s update each other, if we

the little computer in the corner, where I

temple in the center of our city,

something to help.

Sinclair

him, his teeth bared in determination as he sends a

yelping and turning away as the fire burns him,

but burning out before it gets deep enough to actually hurt his

attack turning into one of pain as I turn my back

my neck – a deep and searing touch that’s gone after an instant as the

the sound of my men behind me likewise taking the brunt of the flame, I turn back to the

coming back

again,” the priest says, his teeth gritted as he glares at us. “I will

are left -”

won’t,” I snap, taking another step towards him. “Or else you’d have done it by

the Priest’s eye – frustration, I think, in

and begins to