Page 84 of The Arcane God

Ena felt Ty’s hands on the back of her head and under her legs as he scooched her forward and helped her lie down on the furs. She felt Kaya gently part her legs, looking between them to check for the baby.

“Do you see anything?” Ty asked.

“I do, I see the baby,” Kaya said, but her voice seemed concerned.

“Isn’t that good then?”

“Yes, it’s good, but I’m worried why it hasn’t come all the way out yet, if she’s been pushing this long like you said.”

“What could be wrong?”

“It could be stuck, caught by its shoulder on her pelvic bone,” Kaya said. “I’ve seen it happen before, back when I used to attend births as part of my Coven duties.”

“What can you do?” Ty asked, his voice distraught and terrified. “Will they be okay?”

Ena had never heard his voice sound so helpless before, and it chilled her to the bone to hear it.

“I hope to Gaia it hasn’t been stuck too long, but there’s no way to know. We just need to get her into a different position,” Kaya said, her voice calm but insistent. “Help me push her legs back, like this.”

Ena felt Kaya push her legs back into her chest, bending them at the knees. “Help her hold them that way,” she told Ty. Then she felt Ty take over, grasping her legs and holding them firmly in the position Kaya had demonstrated. “Good.”

Another contraction came and went. She could feel the baby coming out now as pain burst through her, but still, it didn’t emerge all the way.

“I’m going to have to reach in and pull the baby’s arm out,” Kaya said. “Ena, I’m so sorry, this is going to hurt.”

With the next contraction, Ena felt Kaya shove her hand inside and grab the baby, pulling as her body pushed. Ena vaguely wondered how there was even room for that, and why she could barely even feel it, when all at once, she felt something rip. Then, finally, as if a dam were breaking, she felt the baby slide out, followed by a gush of liquid and blood.

“Fucking Iblis,” Ty said, his voice cracked and choked with emotion.

“Grab me those clean cloths I brought,” Kaya said.

Ena could barely lift her head up to see the baby, but her body flooded with relief. She’d done it. The baby was out. Was it…?

“It’s a boy, Ena,” Ty said, his voice wavering. “It’s a baby boy.”

“He’s not breathing yet,” Turner said, sounding concerned and close by.

“I just need to suction him, and he should…”

All of a sudden, a wailing filled the cave—a cry. It was loud and strong—overwhelming in its intensity.

Ena felt a smile drift across her face, but she could barely open her eyes. He was here. He was crying. He must be okay.

“She’s bleeding a lot,” Kaya said. “Ena? Can you hear me?”

Ena could hear her, but she sounded far away. She couldn’t quite focus on what anyone was saying.

“I’m going to use my Gift on her,” Kaya said. “It should buy us some time.”

“What’s your Gift?” Ty asked.

“Sanguim,” Kaya answered. “I can manipulate blood in the body. Amplify it, restrict its flow—any number of things, really.”

“That’s handy,” Turner said.

Ena felt Kaya’s hands move over her abdomen, massaging, and all at once, the warm, wet liquid she’d felt gushing out of her lessened its flow. Then she was beset by another contraction, and she grunted in pain.

“Why is she still contracting?” Ty asked.