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Another contraction slammed into me, rocking me against Jesse, and a gush of wet warmth ran down my legs.

“She’s already crowning.” The urgency in Michio’s voice sent chills down my spine. “I…I could pick her up and speed there, but I’m afraid the velocity—”

“Fuck no!” I screamed.

I would not give birth while being carried through a tunnel at a hundred miles per hour.

“Put her on the ground,” Michio said, his eyes stony and focused.

“Ronnie!” Roark shouted for the gardener, his hands digging into my arm as he crouched with Jesse and eased me onto my back.

The moment the cold concrete touched my spine, I started pushing. I couldn’t help it. The increasing pressure in my back, the unbearable pain in my abdomen, the suddenness of the contractions, it was all too much. Too much fear, too much confusion, too much pain. And not enough time. I was already at the bottom of the cliff. There was nowhere left to fall. No escape. This was happening. I grasped Roark’s arm. Oh God, I wasn’t ready.

I would never be ready.

But I had no choice. My body was already contracting and pressing, driving her out.

Roark’s head swung around and jerked to a stop. “Ronnie, get the doctors. Go!” Then he roared, “Run like your arse is on fire!”

Ronnie’s speeding footsteps echoed through the garden and faded into the dam. A second later, Darwin approached in a flurry of clicking toenails, his wet nose sliding across my neck and his tongue lapping at my face.

Jesse guided him back and grabbed my fingers. “We’re right here, darlin’. Squeeze my hand as hard as you need to.”

I tried not to hold the tension in my face as I bore down and focused on pushing where it mattered. I screamed and grunted, clutching Jesse’s hand and scraping my nails across Roark’s leg. Shit, it hurt like a motherfucker. My shrieking protests were delirious, and every frenzied thump of my heart flooded me with adrenaline and uncertainty.

Michio knelt between my legs, yanked off his shirt, and wiped what must’ve been the top of her head. Without removing his eyes from my spread legs, he thrust an impatient hand toward Jesse and Roark. “Your shirts.”

He tossed the one in his hand, the fabric soaked in blood, as he grabbed the others from Jesse and Roark.

Panic rose, shaking my limbs. “Why am I bleeding?”

Was the baby’s life in danger? Was she stuck in the birth canal? What if she died with me? I tried to claw my way out of my mounting fears, but the tension in my guardians postures escalated my blood pressure and sealed up my throat.

“What’s wrong?” Jesse leaned toward Michio, his eyes wild with terror as he stared between my legs. “Oh God. Jesus, fuck.” His voice rasped with horror. “Why is there so much blood?”

Michio lowered his face between my legs, his fingers moving around the baby’s head inside me. “Sudden and rapid contractions, vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, all indicators of placental abruption.” Panic clipped the edge of his rushed voice. “Keep pushing, Evie. We need her out.”

I crunched my body and pushed with all my might, howling and shaking, stopping only when I needed to breathe through the unbearable pain.

Roark raised my hand to his mouth, his lips moving silently against my fingers as he prayed.

Another surge of contractions powered through me, ripping a scream from my throat. My muscles locked up, and frantic desperation thundered against my ribs. As my fingers spasmed in the strong hands that held me, I sought their eyes, needing their strength. But I only saw more pain, their expressions contorted in a heartbreaking visage of anguish.

My chest tightened, aching to take away their torment. “I’m fine. It’s just labor pains.” I huffed between pushes. “Almost over.”

Jesse brought his face to mine, squeezing my hand to his chest and smoothing down my hair with his other. “I love you.” His voice cracked. “God, I love you so much. You’ll get through this.”

Roark glanced over his shoulder, his hand falling to my face, his thumb stroking my jaw. “Where the feck are they?” He turned back to me, agony rutting deep grooves around his eyes. “You’re brilliant, love. Strong and beautiful. I’m so fecking proud of ye.”

I gave him a grateful smile and looked at Michio. “Is she…” A wave of dizziness and chills shuddered through me, weakening my body. “Is she going to be okay?”

Michio kept his attention on his hands, his arms flexing between my legs. “I need her out now! You’re losing too much blood.” His tone sharpened, spiked with imperative. “Push, Evie. Push!”

The unmistakable stench of dread sweltered the air. Jesse’s grip on my hand clenched harder. Michio’s expression grew tighter. And Roark’s chest heaved as he caressed my face.

With each push, I felt my blood, my energy, and my life flowing from my body. She was taking it with her, leaving a burst of yellow and orange across my vision. The sky overhead glowed with the arrival of dawn, swirling around us and chasing away the chill. I was floating, up, up, up into the sky, carried on the translucent rays of light. Every sunrise was different, but this one was far brighter, stronger, and more luminous than all its predecessors.