Heir of Night (The Thorne Hill)

“This isn’t fun anymore,” I say, sitting back for a minute to give my thighs a break from squatting.

“Birth is a miracle,” Maryellen says, checking Juliet’s heartbeat again. “It’s nothing less than that, but it’s by no means fun.”

“Making the baby was fun,” Lucas quips, turning the hot water off and picking up the bowl to pour water on my back again with his free hand. I still have a death grip on the other.

“I feel like I should’t agree,” I groan, fighting exhaustion and wanting to take a five-minute break. “You were curse—ahhhh.” Pitching forward, my body is telling me to sit up again because this is it. The pain intensifies tenfold, and I can feel her moving down. “Holy fuck,” I pant and then whimper in pain. My eyes widen, and I look down. “I think she’s coming.”

“She is,” Maryellen says after a quick check. “Get ready to push.”

Lucas gets to his knees right in front of me, and we hold onto each other. I suck in air, getting ready for the next contraction. I yell from the pain and push with everything I have, but it’s not enough.

“What if I can’t do this?” I blurt, getting choked up.

“You can,” Lucas tells me calmly. “You are the strongest person I know, Callie. You can do this.” He lifts my chin and kisses me. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Preparing for another contraction, I reach inside, drawing on my powers. Magic sparks above me when the next contraction comes on. Tabatha and Maryellen encourage me to push, and I scream as pain rips through me.

But then it’s over, and Maryellen is telling me to grab my baby.

My baby.

Everything is surreal in that moment. My body still hurts, but the pain doesn’t register. I bring Juliet up out of the water and put her to my chest. My eyes fill with tears, and I look at Lucas. His eyes are full of tears too. A second passes, and then Juliet cries.

“Get a towel,” Maryellen tells Tabatha, who hands her one. She puts it on Juliet, rubbing her and getting her to cry again. “Good baby,” she tells her. “Clear those lungs.” Juliet lets out another loud cry, and Maryellen steps back, letting Lucas move in closer.

“It’s our baby,” I say, voice all squeaky, and blink the tears out of my eyes. Lucas rests his hand on Juliet’s tiny head and kisses me. “She’s here.”

“She is,” Lucas whispers, bringing his head down to his daughter. “And she’s perfect.”

Chapter 46

“Can you believe we made this?” I whisper to Lucas, looking at the baby in my arms. Juliet is sleeping against my breast. We’re sitting in bed together, alone in our bedroom. Lucas cut the cord and got to hold Juliet while Maryellen took care of me. Once Juliet was gently toweled off, Lucas put on her first diaper, and she looks so small against him. Maryellen is going to come in and check on us again shortly but stepped out to let us have this time together as a family.

“She’s perfect,” Lucas repeats. “Like her mother.” One of his arms is around my shoulders and the other is gently stroking Juliet’s wispy brown hair. She has dark blue eyes like her father, and I have a feeling they’re going to stay that way and won’t lighten up as she ages. She was born weighing seven pounds and one ounce and is nineteen inches long, putting her right at an average size and weight as a full-term baby, even though she was born weeks early.

“It’s crazy the universe trusts us with her, isn’t it?” I let my head fall against Lucas’s shoulder.

“No one will love her more than we do.”

We cuddle together, staring at our baby for a while longer. Maryellen knocks at the door, coming in to check on me. Lucas takes Juliet, and she startles from the shock of his cool skin against her after coming away from my warmth. We already discussed this, knowing it was going to be an issue. Babies like the warmth of skin-to-skin contact. Lucas is always cold. Warming himself with the heated blanket works for me, but it’s not something we can easily do just anywhere with a baby.

“Do you want anything for the pain?” Maryellen asks me.

“Um, sure,” I say, knowing the second I try to move I’ll regret not taking anything. Lying here unmoving isn’t so bad. She takes a small potion vial from her bag and gives me another bottle of electrolyte water. I down the potion and drink half the water. I’m so freaking thirsty. Lucas walks around the room, gently swinging Juliet in his arms. Her eyes are closed and she’s starting to fuss, turning her head in against Lucas with her tiny mouth open.

“She’s hungry,” Maryellen tells us, and Lucas comes back to the bed. I sit up, wincing as I move, and adjust the pillow under my arm. Unhooking a strap to my nightgown, I carefully take our baby from Lucas and bring her to me, thankful for Maryellen’s help to get her positioned to nurse. It takes a few tries, but she gets it. It’s another emotional moment for Lucas and me, and it hits us both at the same time how incredible this is.