Page 53 of Black Hearted
Zane stepped closer, lowering his voice. “What is the vial of liquid for?”
I cleared my throat, searching for an answer he would accept. “It boosts my power.”
“And what am I needed for?” he asked. “Did the letter mention me?”
It did. It said he was my mate—a mate I would never have a long, happy life with. And I knew it anyway, I had felt a connection between us and I wanted to say it, but I didn’t.
“I think you’re meant to protect me as I travel to the tree,” I replied instead. “It said the curse will … try to deter us.Come for the curse and the curse will come for you.”
His brows furrowed, and his gaze bore into mine, making my stomach do flip-flops. “I can do that. I will protect you.” There wasn’t a hint of fear or hesitation in his voice.
Why did life have to be so cruel? As I stared at him, I had a sudden urge to run my fingers through his brown hair, to feel its texture, to press my lips to his and discover if they were as soft as they looked.
But I forced myself to look away. What was the point?
I cleared my throat, and Zane shook himself, as if coming out of a trance. “I’m tired. I think I’ll go see if that tent is ready yet.”
“Right. I’ll be here in the morning,” he said, pointing to a spot in front of the tent’s entrance.
That night, when I fell asleep, all of the doors appeared before me—Father’s, Mother’s, my sisters’, and Zane’s.
I walked over to Zane’s door and laid a hand against it, tempted to spend more time with him. But I decided to stay in the darkness, alone. There was no point in deepening our relationship. It would only hurt more when he lost me.
Chapter Sixteen
Dawn
Zander hovered over me, one hand resting gently on my swollen belly and the other stroking my cheek. His eyes were full of concern as the healer, Eowyn, waved her arms over my midsection.
I’d been woken by cramping pains late last night. There was no blood, but the cramps were coming every hour, radiating painfully to my back. It was far too early to give birth, and I couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Eowyn, a woman in her sixties with silver hair and long, pointed ears, had a motherly kindness about her, though she was quiet. Zander had been searching for her ever since I told him I was pregnant. He’d sent messengers throughout the kingdom to track her down. It took months, but she was finally located last week on a refugee train coming up from the Southern Kingdom.
It was rumored that she was the most talented healer in all of Ethereum, but after losing a patient, she had become a recluse.When Zander finally found her, he’d had to all but beg her to come and attend to me.
“You’re in early labor,” Eowyn said, her voice heavy with sadness.
My stomach dropped. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head.
She pressed her lips together in a stern line, her brows furrowed deeply. “There are too many babies in there to stay put much longer.”
I looked up at Zander, who stood rigid like a stone statue next to me, his face void of emotion. He seemed to be in shock.
“How many? Can you tell?”
Eowyn nodded. “I sense four heartbeats.”
Four.
My eyes widened. I had known there was more than one— maybe even three—but four?
“Like my mother,” Zander breathed, his voice barely audible. He rested his forehead lightly on my stomach, his expression torn between awe and fear.
I turned to Eowyn, seeking her honesty. “You can heal them if they come too early, right? Help them grow until they can survive on their own?”
From what I’d heard, she was skilled at managing complicated births and could even create a bubble of healing energy around premature babies, feeding them strength until they were big enough to survive on their own.
Shadows crossed her face, and she turned away, giving me her back. “I used to be able to.”
