Page 301 of May: Bloom & Bane

Still... it isn’t enough.

“That one was so much better,” Eden breathes.

Hours blur together. We stop measuring time in minutes. We measure in contractions. In shared breaths. In whispered encouragement. In every ounce of pain the bonds allow us to steal.

“My leg’s asleep,” Eden murmurs.

“Mine too,” Sage admits.

“... I’m not even sure I have a leg anymore.”

Eden giggles. “That was so much funnier than it should have been.”

“Lumi and Andrik are here,” Therael calls up from the stairs.

Damon snickers. “Your brother is very concerned with the amount of moaning.”

“She’s in labor.”

“Right,” Damon says, entirely unrepentant.

Lumi chuckles. “That is not what I sounded like when I was in labor.”

“You bit me,” Andrik rasps. “... Twice.”

Damon hums. “Ashán and her have that in common.”

“I liked you better when I didn’t know you,” I groan.

Sage snorts. “Look who’s grumpy now.”

“She really did bite me,” Andrik insists.

“Ah—” Eden moans, throwing her head back. “Pressure. Different pressure.” She grimaces. “Get out, both of you!”

“Right. Right!” Sage murmurs.

We pull back with agonizing care, every inch accompanied by another strained breath from Eden. A rush of hot fluid spills from her.

“She’s coming,” Eden groans.

Panic seizes us. “What do you need us to do?”

Eden laughs through another contraction. “I have absolutely no idea.”

“THERAEL!” Sage roars. “GET IN HERE NOW!”

He opens the door immediately. “Yes?”

“That was fast—” Her sentence cuts off as the next contraction moves through her.

Damon peeks around the frame. “He was waiting outside like a plump child waiting for cake.”

Therael sighs. “I was ensuring your privacy.”

“With your ear against the door.”

“... That is an exaggeration.”