The Breeding Lands (An Epic Erotic Fantasy Novel) (21 page)

“Violet?” Juliet asked, her voice terrified.

“Get. Lotus.” Violet choked, before falling to the ground. Torn between staying with her friend and finding Lotus, Juliet wavered. “Now!”

Juliet darted off, crying out for Lotus. Violet pushed herself up, feeling horrifying numbness and excruciating pain at the same time. She grabbed the doorframe for support, and that was when she saw Rayfe struggling along the wooden bridge. Faolan was limp in his arms, his face ashen, a small trickle of dried blood caked down his chin. There was a deep wound in his neck, and his shirt was soaked with blood.

“No!” she screamed, trying to run to him.

“Get him out of here!” Lotus yelled, bursting through the door and slamming it shut so Violet could no longer see.

“No! Faolan, Faolan,” she sobbed, crying out from another crippling contraction.

“There’s nothing we can do for him now. We have to get this baby out,” Lotus said, her voice soothing yet firm.

“I want to see him! I want to see him!” Violet screamed, her eyes mad with grief.

Lotus grabbed her and held her face, looking into her eyes. “You will. But first, we have to have this baby boy. Can you do that for me? Can you do that for Faolan?”

Violet tried to follow Lotus’ words. She wanted to correct Lotus, to tell her it was a girl, but she couldn’t find her voice. Faolan. Faolan was dead. And if Violet wasn’t careful, her baby would be dead, too. She nodded. She could have this baby.

“Good,” Lotus said, clearly relieved. “Let’s try to get you upstairs.”

“What can I do?” Juliet asked quietly. Violet hadn’t noticed her in the doorway.

“Help me,” Lotus said, and together they managed to get Violet up the narrow, wooden staircase.

Juliet grabbed the birthing sheet and threw it over the bed. She looked green, and Violet wondered if it was from seeing Faolan’s body or the fact that Violet was about to give birth. Violet climbed onto the bed, and Lotus quickly moved between her legs to check the baby. Violet screamed again, the pain ripping through her.

“He’s crowning!” Lotus cried in surprise. “How long have you been in pain?” she asked Violet, her tone accusatory.

“All day,” Violet moaned.

“Damn it!” Lotus cursed, and she began barking orders at Juliet who scurried around the room, grabbing items.

“Alright, Violet, we need to do this
now.
This baby is coming and we need to get him out!”

Violet nodded, unable to speak, as tears of pain and grief coursed down her cheeks. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Faolan should have been there. She shouldn’t be alone.
Alone
. Violet was completely alone now.

“Listen carefully,” Lotus said, bringing Violet back to the present. The pains were almost constant now and she bit her fist to keep from screaming again.

“You need to start pushing. I’m going to count to three. Then I want you to push as hard as you can.” Violet nodded. “One, two, three.”

“Arghhhh!” Violet screamed, pushing as hard as she could.

“Good, good,” Lotus murmured, “I can see his head. You don’t need to scream though, save your energy.”

“Faolan,” Violet whimpered, “Faolan.”

“I’m here, Vi,” Juliet whispered grabbing her hand. Violet looked over at Juliet, her best friend, the closest thing she now had to family. Violet waited for Lotus’ counting and then pushed again.

“Almost, almost,” Lotus chanted, “I have one of the shoulders, let’s do it again.” Violet pushed again, screaming and squeezing Juliet’s hand with all her strength. She could feel the foreign pressure resting between her legs. “One more push should do it.”

One more. Violet could do this. She waited for the contraction to come, and then she pushed, as hard as she could, unable to stop the scream that escaped her.

“I have him!” Lotus cried out, and Violet’s head dropped back on the pillow with exhaust and relief. Then comprehension hit her.

“Him?” she asked groggily. Juliet was smiling and Violet looked down at the small baby in Lotus’ hand. The baby was covered with blood and fluid but it was the most amazing thing Violet had ever seen. Lotus smiled at Violet as she cleaned the baby’s airway. “Him?” Violet repeated, louder this time. Maybe she had imagined the Peace Keeper after all.

“He’s perfect,” Juliet murmured, her eyes glued to the baby.

Lotus was smiling up at Violet, but then she looked down at the baby, and her face went white. “What did you say, Violet?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“Is it a boy?”

Lotus couldn’t speak, her eyes wide with fright, she looked at Violet as if she had never seen her before. “It’s a girl.”

The words hung in the air. No one reacted. Violet closed her eyes with relief.

“A girl?” Juliet’s words cut through the air, disbelieving.

“How did you know?” Lotus demanded, her voice hard and unfriendly.

“I didn’t,” Violet lied, suddenly frightened. She had never thought far enough ahead to truly consider the repercussions of actually having a girl.

“It’s an abomination,” Lotus hissed.

“No!” Violet cried, suddenly desperate to have her daughter in the safety of her own arms. “Give me my daughter,” she insisted, her voice strong.

“Violet,” Juliet whispered, backing away.

“My daughter!” Violet screamed, ready to rip her daughter from Lotus’ arms.

Lotus held her daughter away from Violet, her eyes a mixture of fear and revulsion. “We must kill it!” Lotus whispered, her voice shaking.

“No!” Violet screamed, and she lunged across the bed to tear her daughter from the midwife’s hands.

# # #

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About the Author

Eva Fellheart is an avid reader of fantasy and paranormal romance. She enjoys sharing her creativity and passion through writing. Eva lives in Philadelphia with her finance and their puppy Joel.