Ella
I go rigid at the idea of this dark god giving my daughter anything.
“No,” I gasp, attempting to push myself away from him – but I struggle to move
“Fear not, moon daughter,” he says, the corner of his lip tilting up. “I do not give curses to those who are my chosen ones – only gifts.”
And with that shadows begin to swirl in his hand. My eyes go wide as they build and build into an orb of smoke and shade.
“No!” I protest again, my voice a little breathless this time.
“Careful, girl,” he growls, taking a step closer, bending over me now. “If you anger me, I will not be so eager to bestow my gift. You would not to incur my ire for your life, instead of a blessing for hers, would you?”
I cringe away from him, not knowing what to do – not knowing which will be worse-
The God of Darkness stretches out his hand over me and the shadows begin to spill down from his fingers, surrounding me.
“A blessing,” he murmurs, “for the first granddaughter of the moon from her benefactor. Long may she live, dwelling in darkness as well as light.”
The shadows, when they touch me, are soft – gentler than I imagined they’d be, like velvet or mist. When I breathe, they flow into me through my nose and my mouth. I gasp, worried – but the smoke, it tastes faintly of…of mint, and cool mornings, and it soothes my aching throat…
I look up at the God in wonder, tilting my head at him.
“See?” he says softly. “Not all that dwells in darkness is wicked.”
And then he smiles at me – a wayward, vicious thing – and gives another short bow before
Before he disappears.
blink, and the world – my room –
says, abruptly in front of me
blink rapidly, trying to clear my thoughts. “Are you – “he spins his head to Cora, “is
I’m fine,”
in her hands, studying me with horror
my mouth. As I exhale I run my hands over my
She’s just as strong – just as uncomfortable, ready
and the feeling of the next contraction coming steadily on. “It was
nodding. “All right, Ella,” she says, pulling me a little lower so that I’m flatter on my back now. “When
face to him and press my eyes shut, passing all of my emotions down our bond – my fear, and my shock, but alongside it my conviction that…that I’m okay, right now, and so is the baby but we’ve got to concentrate
says, his voice low as he sits up and puts his hands
sister ready to welcome my little girl, I push with all my
our little baby girl
her teeny tiny fingers, her perfect little nose. She shouts her unhappiness and
tucked close behind me, peering at
between gasping breaths. “Oh god, she’s so
coming to sit next to me and stroke a hand over her little head. We’re quiet for
almost reverent. “And I love her, and I’m going to
Sinclair murmurs, his voice a
the baby’s little belly with a single finger, “I’d be the best.” She leans forward, kissing me on the cheek. “I’ll give you two a couple of minute, all right?
kiss my sister as well as she scrunches her nose at me and turns to the door, taking the team of nurses
much as I want to shout my thanks out after them,
against Sinclair as I study her face
just like you, Ella,” he breathes,
I protest, honestly a little shocked. “Dominic, she’s
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!