The Archmage Unbound (63 page)

Now that my normal eyes could see it was plain what
was there. A stone pedestal rose up and held a wooden cradle. The entirety of
it was wrapped within a powerful stasis field enchantment. The runes were
inscribed carefully around the entire pedestal, sealing the cradle and its
occupant within a pocket of frozen time.

I stared at Penny in wonder, awe, and with a
considerable amount of trepidation. “Is that what I think it is?”

Penny’s eyes were brimming with tears, “No Mordecai,
not ‘it’,
she.
This is Moira’s daughter.”

To say I was shocked was an understatement.
Flabbergasted might have been a better term, if I had been capable of speech.
“How…?”

“She held off facing Balinthor until she delivered
her child. That is why she didn’t help Gareth fight him previously… she was
pregnant. She built this place to protect her child and waited… until she
could place her child safely here… before she attempted to defeat the dark
god,” she elaborated.

A number of things began to fall into place within
my mind. Moira’s secret purpose, her occasional willful initiative, and now
that I thought about it… even her very existence. “She created a copy of
herself, not to protect her knowledge, but to protect her baby,” I said aloud.
“But she’s hidden it for so long… why tell us now, and why did she tell you
first?” As I spoke my mind raced ahead while my eyes slid downward from
Penelope’s sad eyes to her heavy belly.

“Her daughter is a newborn, Mort. She needs a
mother… and a father. You already bear the same name her father had.” Penny
rested a hand atop her bulging abdomen. “We can raise them as twins, brother
and sister.”

I looked down on the small infant, partly shrouded
by the glow of the enchantment. My vision was blurry though I wasn’t entirely
sure why. Reaching up I found that my cheeks were wet. “Let me remove this
enchantment,” I said suddenly.

“No Mort!” Penny said grabbing my arm. “You silly
goose, you have to wait till I give birth!”

I was fairly disoriented. “Why?” I asked without
thinking.

Penny placed my hand on her chest. “So I can feed
her… babies get hungry.”

I left my hand there. It was a good place and I was
in need of comfort. I couldn’t help but find some irony in her reply however.
I had spent half my life thinking of bosoms, and yet the first time they were
the answer to a question I failed to consider them.

Penny pulled my hand away at last, “You’ll have to
behave yourself more once the children get older.”

Children,
I
thought, and the room swayed around me.

***

Edward died later that week. The story that was
told was that he died quietly in his sleep. I had planned to wait a few more
months… but I had a feeling I would have my hands full soon. One child was
scary enough, but two… twins, that would be a monumental task. I wasn’t quite
sure I would be up to it, and only time would tell what sort of children
Matthew and Moira would be.

Coming Soon:

Mageborn: The
God-Stone War