He looks at me guiltily. “I didn’t want to worry you, my beloved. It doesn’t happen often. Only very strong lamassus can shift before birth.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “My vagina is crying right now, Okot. It’s never gonna be the same after that. Never. All those times I warned you about my narrow channel, well, now you’ve really done it. You’ve ruined it for good.”
Evert takes our daughter from Okot’s arms so that the midwife can hand the squirmy winged bull to him instead. The little bull sniffs Okot’s fingers and nuzzles against his chest. It’s little tail wags.
“I will gift you a token to show my love and appreciation for the sacrifice you have made to your vagina,” Okot tells me seriously.
“Okay. But I want a really, really good token. Like, the best freaking token ever. Better yet, I want two.”
“It will be done, my beloved.”
I nod tersely. “Good.”
“I cannot believe you summoned me to see that,” the demon whines, and I look over at him where he’s slumped against the wall, sporting a black eye.
“It was an accident,” I say.
“I never want to see that again.”
I scowl. “I’ll have you know, that my vagina usually looks super appealing. You caught it at a bad time.”
“It was like seeing a fleshy watermelon squeezing out of a fleshy oyster,” he says with a shudder.
I glare at him. “Get out.”
He nods. “Yes, ma’am.”
With the snap of his fingers, he disappears in a puff of smoke. Sylred immediately opens the windows so the babies don’t breathe any of it in.
My attention goes back to my lamassu mate, and our son who suddenly shifts from a bull to a baby boy. Okot wraps him in a blanket.
“Can I see them?” I ask.
“Of course you can,” Ronak says, kissing me on the top of the head. “You did it, little demon.”
I sigh in relief as Okot and Evert bring both babies up to me so I can see them. I start crying all over again as soon as my eyes land on their perfect little faces. “They’re so tiny and beautiful,” I say, placing a kiss on each of their cheeks. They’ve already fallen asleep, snuggled into their blankets.
“Twins,” I say with wonder. “No wonder I was so big.” I look at Okot. “I knew it was your fault.”
Okot smiles shyly. I can tell he’s proud, but he doesn’t want to gloat since, you know, he’s the reason I just had to push a bull out of my coochie.
“Umm, Emelle?” the midwife says.
My head swings over to face her.
And then another painful contraction hits.
She winces at my expression. “There’s another baby.”
Chapter 22
“No!” I cry-scream. “No. I did two! I’m tapping out,” I say, and I start tapping my hand against Ronak’s face. “Tap! Tap me out! Someone tap me the fuck out! My turn is over!”
“You have to,” the midwife says. “I already see the head.”
“You made me give birth to a freaking litter!” I wail at Okot accusingly as a huge contraction takes over me.
I start sobbing uncontrollably, while Ronak and Sylred try to hold up my legs for me since I don’t have the strength.