Page 214 of War Queen
“She did,” Naavi said. “But there was still life inside.” The woman gestured to her stomach, smiling at Norah. “We used it to keep you.”
Life inside. Norah looked at her stomach and then to Mikael, then back to Naavi. “What?” She didn’t dare to hope their meaning.
“You carry a life inside you,” Naavi said. “A child.”
“A child?” Norah breathed, tears springing from her eyes. “I’m with child?” A sob rose in her throat. After all this time, after all the wanting and the disappointment and the heartache. Finally.A child.
Naavi nodded.
Norah let out a laugh through her sob. Mikael pulled her to him and shook as he buried his face in the fold of her neck. All she could do was hold on to him.A child. Mikael was all right, they were together, and they were going to have a child. Her heart was so happy it hurt.
Suddenly, Mikael pulled back and looked at the Wild women. “You used the child to save her?”
Naavi nodded again. “Yes.”
His brow creased in worry. “Is he all right?”
“She.” Naavi’s smile widened. “She’s perfectly fine.”
Soren sat in wet clothes. He didn’t care, but he still grumbled about it. It was the only thing that kept him from losing himself to the emotion he struggled so hard to keep down. He wished he had his wrap to hide his face, to hide the emotion brimming. He’d lost it somewhere on the ride to the Wild.
Salara had done it—she’d changed fate. Mikael was safe, and for that Soren wanted to cling on to her, hold her, hug her.
Then she’d almost died and, in doing so, had ripped his heart from his chest. This wretched woman, the thought had destroyed him. And now… she and Mikael had what they’d wanted for so long—a child. His heart swelled to near bursting.
A movement to his right caught his eye, and he turned to see the two Wild women approaching. Finally, something to be annoyed about to distract his mind from feelings.
“Destroyer,” Sana said as they neared. They really liked calling him that, but he didn’t mind too much. It reminded him of Salara’s grandmother—feisty wench. Death didn’t deserve her.
His attention shifted back to the women, and he stood. “Come to take my memories?” he said with an edge of challenge. Not that he could stop them, but he’d still give them the nine hells if they tried. They hadn’t taken them the last time he was here with Salara—they had a lot to catch up for.
The Wild women stopped in front of him and stared at him for a moment.
He stood and shifted uncomfortably.
“We saw you in the water.”
How observant.“Yes, I was in the water.” Maybe he shouldn’t have jumped in the pool—the magical pool—but he hadn’t even cared. Salara was all he could think about.
“No, wesawyou,” Naavi said. “We saw who you are.”
He raised a brow. “I’ve been here three times, and you’re just now seeing?”
Sana rolled her eyes. “We didn’t care before. And to be very clear, we don’t care now. But the pool showed us regardless.” She reached out and gripped his shoulder.
He stiffened, and a groan escaped him as pain shot through him. It almost brought him to his knees. When she pulled back her hand, he gaped down at his shoulder. The sword wound was stitched with an earthy binding. She’d healed him. He drew his fingers over it as he stared back at them in surprise.
“And we have something else we want to give you,” Naavi said. “A gift.”
Soren didn’t like gifts. They were generally in poor taste and expected to be reciprocated. But he stilled as he saw two wolves step out from between the trees—large wolves, the largest he’d ever seen. Both wore coats of black, and their eyes burned a deep gold.
Naavi’s eyes changed from green to bright gold, and she stepped in front him. Her hands reached up and cupped his cheeks, and she pulled his face down to hers. Ever so softly, she pushed herself up on her toes and planted a kiss on his forehead.
He gasped as visions rippled through him, and he realized—he was looking through the eyes of the wolves. His eyes flew open, and he stumbled backward, almost falling, but he managed to catch himself.
“You’ve made me a seer?”
Sana looked at Naavi. “He really is an idiot sometimes.”
