Page 31 of Black Hearted (Cursed Fae #4)

Dawn

“It hurtssss,” I hissed as Eowyn placed a cool rag against my forehead.

“It’s supposed to,” she said matter-of-factly. “You’re birthing a child.”

My entire lower midsection felt like it was being crushed as each contraction rocked my body.

“Can you help with the pain?” Zander asked, his voice tight as he stared at me, looking like he was in as much agony as I was.

“I can,” Eowyn replied, “but it won’t do her any favors. She won’t be able to push properly.”

I grunted as another wave of pain tore through me. The contractions were five minutes apart now, and I’d been laboring for over ten hours. Giving birth was taking much longer than I’d anticipated.

A knock at the door interrupted the brief reprieve I felt between contractions. Zander opened the door, and Isolde rushed in, her hair windswept and her traveling cloak still on.

“Dawn!” She ran to my side, her face full of concern. Seeing one of my dearest friends was a relief. Adrien lingered by the door, speaking to Zander in hushed tones.

Isolde kneeled beside me, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tightly. “You’re in labor? But it’s too soon,” she said, her eyes brimming with worry.

I nodded and gestured toward Eowyn with my free hand. “We expected this might happen and have a plan.”

“Oh, Dawn. Does it hurt?” she asked softly.

I let out a humorless laugh. “Like a horse sitting on my stomach while someone squeezes my insides like a lemon.”

Isolde winced. “Can’t they give you a pain tincture?”

“No,” Eowyn snapped as she crossed the room to prepare the four little bassinets. “It will cloud her mind and her ability to push.”

The bassinets were simple wicker constructions with soft cotton blankets.

Eowyn had one of Zander’s housemaids attach them to a wheeled table so I could move them with me wherever I went, even to the bathroom.

I could take one or two short breaks from the babies each day, but no longer than half an hour.

Otherwise, they had to stay within ten feet of me for three months.

It was a small price to pay for their survival.

“Why are there four bassinets?” Isolde asked, her tone tinged with horror. She knew I was having multiples but hadn’t known how many.

I laughed—a real one this time—but stopped immediately, because it hurt my stomach. I was so sore from pushing for the past several hours.

“Because I’m having four babies,” I said, smiling despite myself.

Isolde’s breath caught, and she squeezed my hand even tighter. “You poor thing.”

Her reaction made me smile wider. Before meeting Zander, the thought of having four children might have horrified me, but now I couldn’t wait.

Zander was going to be an amazing father, and I was determined to be a warm, nurturing mother—everything mine wasn’t.

Zander had softened me, and I wanted my children to have a childhood filled with love and affection.

Yes, I’d raise them to be warriors, but they’d be warriors who knew they were loved.

“It’s going to be fun,” I said with a grin.

She shook her head, eyes wide. “Dawn. Four,” she whispered, as if saying it louder would make it worse.

“Tell me news of the road. How was the travel?” I asked, trying to distract myself from the pain.

She nodded quickly. “Travel was … fine. Seraphina came with us. Thank you for inviting her as well. The trains are full of refugees. The curse has started to grow stronger in the Southern Kingdom. I don’t know how much longer we could have lasted there.

We’re all just hoping that Lorelei and Zane can stop this. And soon.”

Her tone betrayed her. She was hiding something. I knew her too well.

“Okay, and what aren’t you telling me?” I pressed.

“What? Nothing,” she replied far too quickly.

“Isolde, I’m in labor with four children. You don’t want to piss me off.”

She sighed. “It’s nothing, honestly. I’ve been stressed since I got word about you going into labor early. I haven’t slept. The curse—it’s all made my mind jumbled.”

My brows furrowed. “Jumbled how? What are you saying?”

She hesitated, glancing toward the door as if hoping someone would come to her rescue.

“Isolde,” I scolded, my voice sharp.

Finally, she swallowed hard and said, “I … thought I saw your mother when the train was pulling into the station. But when I ran outside to check, she was gone. Now I’m sure it was just a stressed-out delusion.”

My mother. Here?

Another contraction tore through me, and a wail escaped my throat as I gripped Isolde’s hands. I tried to push the thought of what she’d just said out of my mind, but it had latched on and stuck.

My mother couldn’t be here. Right? The mirror portal in the Spring Court wouldn’t open for a couple more months. And even then, only Spring royalty could pass through.

No, it couldn’t have been my mother. That would be impossible.

But if it was her, she wouldn’t be here to meet her grandchildren. My mind whispered the truth I didn’t want to hear: she’d be here to kill my husband.

Zander rushed to my side as Isolde pried her hands free, shaking them out as she stepped back.

I stared into Zander’s eyes, and I knew Adrien had told him what Isolde thought she’d seen. Fear spiked through me. If anyone could bend the impossible to her will, it was my mother.

“Lock down the castle,” I commanded through gritted teeth, my voice strained between contractions. “Only essential staff and family.”

“Darling, I’m sure it’s fine—”

“Zander, you don’t know what my mother is capable of. Lock. It. Down,” I roared as another spike of pain ripped through me.

He nodded and left to carry out my orders.

I loved my mother, but if she tried to harm my husband or babies, I wouldn’t hesitate. I would remove her head without a second thought.