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Kyrie shakes her head helplessly. “Maya says she feels the need to push; she has been doing so for a while now, but…nothing’s happening. Something might be wrong. She’s starting to panic. Thesha is keeping her calm, but it… We need help. We don’t have enough experience.”

My heart sinks. I step forward. “Please, let me do it. I have healing magic; I might be able to—”

“I’m sorry, McColl. Thesha won’t hear of it,” Kyrie says apologetically. “I’m so sorry.” She widens her eyes. “I tried to convince her, but she’s adamant. I’m sure I’m just panicking for nothing.”

“I’d better let Orion know,” Kian says, looking somber.

“I’d better get back in there.” Kyrie points a thumb behind her. She gives me an apologetic look and goes back inside.

No sooner does Kian enter the cabin than Orion bursts out. He rushes past me into the barn. Damon and Kian follow behind. Moments later, we can hear Orion’s voice mixed with Maya’s cries and Thesha’s sharp instructions.

I wring my hands together while Damon and Kian pace.

A little while later, Orion emerges; his skin is ashen.

“Maya is struggling.” His eyes are glinting with unshed tears.

His face is a mask of concern. “There might be something wrong.” His voice is choked.

“My powers were made for working with animals. I’m no good.

I can’t help her. It doesn’t look like the healer is going to get here in time.

” He looks stricken as he searches the valley for an approaching cart.

“Even Thesha is afraid. I can see it. I’ve never seen her afraid of anything. Not ever.”

I step forward. “I can help, Orion.”

Orion looks at me for a tense few seconds. Then he shakes his head. “Thesha won’t let you anywhere near Maya, and I have to say, I’m concerned, too. Have you birthed a child before?”

I shake my head.

“Do you have experience healing others? Healing humans?”

I shake my head again. My heart sinks. “I’m sure I can do it. I’ve studied healing extensively. Let me try…please.”

As if on cue, there is a heartrending scream from inside the barn. We all look that way.

“This would require a deft hand at magic,” Damon says. “Magic, even with good intentions, can still cause harm.”

“Exactly.” Orion starts to pace. “I don’t know what to do. I just don’t know.”

“Don’t dismiss McColl just because she’s a witch. You could convince Thesha. It is your and Maya’s decision to make,” Kian says.

“Please, Orion. My magic comes and goes, but I have control. I’ve studied healing and childbirth.”

“You’ve studied but don’t have first-hand experience. I think you mean well, but I don’t know if I can risk my wife…my child. I will talk with Maya.” Orion disappears back inside the barn.

A shadow passes overhead, and we all look up to see two dragons circling above us. It’s Delphine and another dragon I don’t recognize. They land just beyond the barn with earth-shaking thuds.

Orion appears in the doorway, his face strained. His hands shake visibly. His eyes are red-rimmed. The sight of this strong man so broken makes my throat tight.

“The dragons are here,” he says, his voice hoarse. “This is not a good sign,” he mutters to himself. “Not a good sign at all.” He shakes his head, barely keeping his emotions in check.

I recognize Delphine, who is black with flecks of gold at her points. The other dragon is slightly bigger and looks to be made from pure gold with flecks of black at her points. She is the complete opposite of Delphine, and yet similar.

They are quite beautiful.

“It’s Delphine and her daughter Raila,” Damon says, sounding tense. “Raila is tethered to Maya. She wouldn’t be here if there weren’t a problem. This is bad.”

Orion soon reaches them. He goes to Delphine.

His dragon crouches down so that they are almost at eye level.

Orion touches a hand to his dragon’s forehead.

It is clear that they are communicating but without the need for words.

Orion nods, putting his forehead to Delphine’s head for a few moments.

Then he touches a hand to Raila, who looks agitated.

Her great tail flicks from side to side, and big curls of smoke puff from her huge nostrils.

“Maya’s dragon is beside herself,” he says as he takes long strides back toward us. “She says…” He chokes on the words, tears running down his cheeks. “The baby is going to die. My son is dying. If we don’t get him out now, we’ll more than likely lose them both.”

Raila throws up her great head and screeches.

A tear tracks down my cheek, but I wipe it away. I need to be strong.

Thesha comes out of the barn; her skin is pale. “What is going on?” she asks. “Why are they here?” She looks over at the dragons, who are pacing. Raila claws the earth, screeching again.

Damon fills her in. Orion paces; it’s clear that he’s thinking about the next steps to take.

“I could take Delphine to intercept Xander and the healer,” Orion says, desperation etched into every word. “But I don’t know if the old woman would agree to ride a dragon, and Maya needs me here. I can’t leave her, but…” He looks over at me, his eyes pleading.

I step forward. “There isn’t time. You know it…

they know it.” I point at the dragons. The moment has come to stop asking permission.

“I need to help. I have magic, and I can do this. There is no other option at this point. Maya and the baby are running out of time. You heard Raila. It’s me or death at this point. I know which I would pick.”

Thesha immediately shakes her head. “Absolutely not. Can you say with certainty that you can help? That you won’t make it worse?”

Something inside me snaps. I’ve been patient, understanding, accepting of their suspicion, but Maya is dying, and I’m the only one here who might be able to save her.

“Make what worse? There is nothing to make worse at this point. They are dying.”

“You could finish them quicker.”

“Or I could save them. I will save them.” I step closer to Thesha, my voice rising.

“I promise to do everything in my power to help them. My magic can be unpredictable, but only in that I can’t always bring my power to the fore.

I studied healing magic my entire life. I may not be the most powerful witch ever born, but I know more about healing than anyone else here.

Maya and that baby boy are running out of time.

” I turn to Orion. “You’re out of options.

I am your wife’s best bet for making it.

Your son, too,” I tell Orion, feeling the pressure mount.

“Let her help,” Kian pleads. “You will have magic, McColl,” he tells me. “Trust in yourself. Trust me. It’ll work,” he tells Orion.

Tears blur my vision, but I blink them back fiercely. “Thank you for believing in me.”

He gives a sharp nod.

I look each of them in the eye. “I can’t force you to trust me. But I can ask you to take a leap of faith.”

“Yes,” Orion chokes out. “Help them.” He glances at Thesha. “We don’t have another choice at this point.” He looks at me intently. “You haven’t given me any reason to doubt you. I trust you to save them, McColl. Please help them, I beg you…please.”

Maya’s agonized cry pierces the air as I rush inside.

I can only pray that my power will not fail me now that I need it most.

“Wait, witch!” I feel the point of a sword dig into my back. A drop or two of blood trickles down.

I stop, pulling in a breath.