Prologue
PROLOGUE
She panted hard, sweat beading her forehead, exhaustion riddling her cries; she felt as if she could not go on, “Artemis,” She breathed, “I……. I cannot do this, please; I am so tired.”Her voice was soft but weak. Her long raven hair was soaked in sweat and clinging to her face. Artemis gently tied her hair up to help relieve the heat coursing through her. Her midwife told her daughter to get some cold rags to help with the fever. Her almond-shaped hazel eyes were heavy-lidded from exhaustion.
“I know, my love, you are exhausted, but you can do this. Just one more push, my love, just one more.”Artemis Stonecrest sat behind his wife, whispering tender, encouraging words and doing his best to help her through the labor.
Sareyah Stonecrest had been in labor for nearly thirty-six hours now with her second child. The exhaustion was slowly taking hold of her, and she was becoming too tired. Her worst contraction yet struck, and with every ounce of energy she could muster. Grabbed the back of her thighs, pulled herself up, Artemis supporting her weight from behind, and pushed with everything she had left. Crying in pain, her voice echoing down the halls, “That is it, keep pushing milady………. here comes the head!” The midwife exclaimed excitedly, encouraging her to conserve her strength. “You’ve done it, milady; the head is out. Please don’t push on the next contraction so we can clean out the baby’s mouth and nose.”Elzabeth, the palace midwife, cleaned the baby’s mouth and nose. The next contraction hit, and Sareyah had to fight the urge to push, having difficulty controlling her body. Her next and hopefully the last contraction hit., “All right, milady, one last push.”With Artemis supporting her, rubbing her back, and holding her hand. Sareyah grasps the backs of her thighs and pushes with everything she has; her reward is her newborn child’s cries. “It’s a boy, milady, a beautiful baby boy. You did amazing, milady!” Elzabeth let the cord get the remaining blood to the baby, then cut the umbilical cord. She stood to hand the boy to his father, and Elizabeth’s daughter gasped.
“Mother, there is a second child! I can see the top of another head!”Elzabeth handed the boy to his father, quickly returning to her place at Sareyah’s feet. Elzabeth could feel Sareyah’s heart slowing and her breaths growing shallow. Sareyah’s eyes fluttered, and above her, she saw the door to the void opening, calling her spirit to enter. Everything was a dim purple haze, and she felt cold, alone, and afraid. Then she heard it, a voice calling to her. Calling out, telling her there was a second child, an unfamiliar voice in her mind told her, “You must hold on. This child must be brought into the world, and she must survive.
I am with you, and I will help you through this.” Then, like that, the door closed, the void dispersed, and the room, along with the cries of her newborn son, came back into focus. She found herself back in the room with her husband.
“I know you are tired, milady, but you have another baby, so you must push,” Elzabeth said as another contraction hit, and Sareyah screamed as she pushed. She felt a sudden burst of energy as a warm silver light washed over her entire body, engulfing her with a warm sensation that gave her power and strength. The light momentarily left Elzabeth at a loss for words, but then she remembered the task. “That is, milady! Push, the baby is crowning, just a bit longer, there we go, that is it. Now rest; the baby’s head is out.”Sareyah fell back against Artemis and fought the urge to push through the next contraction. On the next contraction, she went with everything she had, the new burst of energy coursing through her. The maids swarmed as she closed her eyes, finally getting to rest. Her whole body shook with the cold that suddenly washed over her. She was so tired, but she could sense everyone around her... “A girl, milady! You have a girl! and she’s……….” Elzabeth’s voice trailed off, and Artemis heard her whisper to her daughter, “May the gods bless us, Saladin; get the king immediately.”
“What, Elzabeth? What is it? What is wrong with our daughter? Why are you summoning my father?”Artemis, startled at the sudden events, bellowed at the woman. “Dammit, woman, what is it? Speak now!”
Sareyah’s voice was weak, laced with panic, “Artemis, what is it? What is wrong? Are our babies okay?” Sareyah began to shiver from the cold that was setting into her body, then fell unconscious, and the silver light was gone.
Artemis gently laid his wife’s head on the pillow and walked around to where Elzabeth held the baby wrapped in a soft blanket. “Give her to me, Elzabeth.” He handed the boy to a nearby maid, took the girl from her, and opened the blanket; his breath caught in his throat as he saw what was on his daughter’s hip. He looked at his unconscious wife. “By the light, that’s what that silver light was.” This was not what he wanted for his family. But this is the course their lives have taken, and now, he must act for the sake of his family and children.
King Jorge and his brother Gaelin came into the room. “It is true, son? What Saladin told us, is it true?” He put his finger to his lips to tell the men to be quiet since they were still in the room with his now sleeping wife.
Artemis looked at his father and nodded grimly, “Yes, the girl.”He turned to his father, and as he opened the blanket again to show him, Drogoth, the palace mage, entered the room.
“The scale has joined Janthair in the heavens, Your Majesty. Is this the child that was born as the power faded?”Drogoth took the baby from her father, opened the blanket, and examined her. He whispered a chant of concealment just before the mark began to glow. “We must act quickly.” He handed her back to her father and turned to the king. “She must be hidden until it is time.”
The king nodded, then turned to Gaelin. “They must leave tonight, get everything ready before the sun rises. I want Stovacore and his family to accompany them, as well as Shylah and Elizabeth, who can help care for the newborns until Sareyah is able. I can think of no one more suited than Stovacore to protect my granddaughter.” He turned to his son, “Be at ease, son; she will be safe and protected. Drogoth will shield her the best he can from our enemies. Let your woman rest while we prepare for your journey.”The king turned to Elzabeth. “Have the wet nurses feed the babies while you gather what you need.”
Artemis walked to his wife’s side, kissed her gently on her forehead, and whispered to her. “I swear on my life, my love… they both will be safe.”He returned the baby girl to Elzabeth and joined his father, uncle, and Drogoth as they left the room.
Sareyah awoke several hours later to find herself in the back of a wagon, racing along the road to the mountains; her mother-in-law, Varrissa, and her husband sat beside her, cradling their newborn babies in their arms. “Artemis? Where are we? Where are we going? What’s going on?” The panic and anxiety were evident in her voice.
“Shhh, be still, my love, rest now. I will explain everything later,” Artemis said tenderly as he gently brushed the hair from her forehead. She felt safe and oddly at peace with her husband’s words and drifted off again.
