Page 292 of Phoenix's Fire

No. That didn't make any sense. Labor? Like… the baby? I was too tired to think straight, but she'd been fine when we'd brought Kanik in!

"What?" I looked at Rymar, hoping he'd explain.

But it was Kanik who answered. "Ayla, take care of her," he said. "The same way you took care of me. I'm fine."

"I got Kanik," Rymar promised as Zasen scooped Meri into his arms, unconcerned about her mess.

"I need the Griffin!" he bellowed, carrying her towards the hallway. "Someone get me a room. We're having a baby!"

And that was what made everything finally slam into place. Meri was inlabor!Her baby was coming. Now. It was coming now, and I didn't know how to help her - but I would try. I had to.

"No!" Meri wailed, even as she clung to Zasen's neck for support. "I don't want it! I don't."

"In here, Wyvern," a nurse said, waving Zasen to a room.

I chased after them, and the moment Zasen put Meri on the bed, I moved to her side, taking her hand. "Meri?"

"I'm not ready," she told me. "Ayla, I don't want Gideon's child!"

"Okay," I said, "but it has to come out."

And she stilled. "Okay?"

"I don't know what we'll do," I told her, "but I'll do something. You're my friend, and I take care of those."

"I don't want to be taken care of!" she screamed before grabbing her belly and curling in pain. "It hurts!"

"You're okay," I said. "Lean back, Meri. It's going to be okay."

"I need the Griffin!" Zasen yelled from the doorway. "Someone find Naomi, because this woman is going to have a baby!"

"A nurse is on the way," someone out there assured him.

"See?" I asked Meri. "We're all taking care of you. There's nothing wrong with that, because once this child is out of you, then you can take care of me back."

"Yeah?" Meri asked.

I nodded. "Just like you took care of Kanik, Meri. We don't have to be weak anymore. We also don't have to do it alone. I got you. I will not leave you."

But she laughed. "I don't want the baby. I don't want it! I'm going to find me, and you don't hate me for it?"

"Never," I swore.

She just nodded. "But I'm scared."

"It's okay," I promised, smoothing her hair back with one hand while my other clutched her palm as hard as I could. "Change is scary, but you will always have me. Always. And Callah too. We don't need anyone else, Meri. We're up here, and maybe we aren't growing plants, but we're doing something so much better."

"Yeah?" she asked, gripping my hand desperately.

"We're taking back our lives," I told her. "We're doing it our way,together,and I will never hate you for that. I'm proud of you, Merienne."

"Yeah," she panted. "And I'm going to be a Dragon. Not one like you, but still a Dragon, because I can do that here."

Epilogue

Callah

The hunters had returned, and while there were more wounded, there were also more of them alive. I'd scanned the infirmary, looking for Tobias, but he hadn't been there. That had filled me with dread, but after hours of doing what I could to sew the hunters back together, the sweetest sight had been waiting for me in the hall.