Preface
Ember closed her eyes as she continued to push. As much as she wanted to scream, no noise came out of her mouth.
“You’re almost there dear, just keep pushing.” Ember’s midwife offered her a comforting smile. The midwife had been through this twice herself and had delivered many others. Her gentle eyes were blue with a green circles around her pupils, they seem to glow with warmth. She was a tall thin woman, with long lean muscles. Her hair was thick and dark with sporadic highlights throughout its curls, which were sprawled a crossed her face with sweat. There were laugh lines around her lips and eyes, but they only seemed to enhance her beauty.
“Candice, I’m so tired.” Ember’s body slumped to the bed from exhaustion.
“I know dear, but you’re almost there. She’s almost here. Give me one more good push.” The midwife, Candice, met Ember’s eyes with a warm smile. “She has your hair.”
Another woman sat next to Ember squeezing her hand for support; just like Ember had done for her two years before. The woman stroked Ember’s red hair, and kissed her forehead. “One more push, sister. You’re doing great.”
Ember gave a weak smile; sweat was spilling off her face. She gave one last push and let out another inaudible scream.
And then she heard her. Ember heard her daughter’s voice for the first time. The baby screamed, and she knew it meant her daughter was alive. Ember would do everything in her power to make sure her little girl would always stay that way. She had never imagine she’d be able to carry this child, let alone give birth to her alive. It was an enormous relief to be able to hear her cries.
Candice cut the umbilical cord, wiped off the baby’s face with a warm rag, and wrapped her in a blanket. “Here’s your daughter.”
Ember took the infant in her arms. Tears of joy ran down her face as she kissed her forehead. As happy as the moment was, this child would have a difficult life, she knew her daughter would always be in danger.
“I’ll go get Julian.” Ember’s sister she stroked the baby’s face as she stood.
“No, Eve, wait. I want to talk to you and Candice alone, please. For just a moment.” She had a pleading tone to her voice.
“What is it, Ember?” Eve asked.
Candice looked at her from where she sat cleaning the area.
“Have they picked a guardian yet?” Ember asked.
“The Queen has narrowed the candidates to three people, but I do not know which,” Candice answered Ember in a steady voice.
“Is your daughter one of them?” Eve asked this time.
Candice couldn’t meet her gaze. “I would assume she is, yes.”
“But you do not know?” Eve questioned, “Why would the Queen not tell you?”
“I know it would be a great honor to have my daughter picked to be your child’s guardian. I also know if she is chosen, her life will be in constant danger as well.” Candice’s eyes filled with tears. “I know it may seem selfish of me, but I don’t want to lose her.”
Ember understood the pain Candice was feeling. She knew the risks the chosen guardian was going to have. Most of Guardians do not have to put their lives on the line for their jobs; however, Ember’s daughter was not normal, in either the human or the animal world.
“I completely understand, and I will never hold those feelings against you,” Ember said to Candice. “How is Juniper doing in the guardian program?”
“As I’m sure you know, she’s excelling at it. But exceeding in the program isn’t always a good thing. Oh, and she’s decided she’s no longer going by Juniper.”
“Is she going back to Juni then?” Ember asked, looking away from her baby towards Candice.
“No, she wants to go by her middle name, Faux.” Candice rolled her eyes. “We’ll see how long the name sticks.
“Have you thought of a name, for your daughter yet?” Eve asked.
Ember smiled at her daughter, who had stop crying and shut her eyes. “Angela May Silverwood.”
Eve laughed. “You know May’s not till next month.”
It was 6:37 pm on April 7th. Ember smiled at her new born daughter. “Julian likes the name May, and I thought it went well with Angela.” Already Ember could tell her daughter’s hair was even wavier then her own. She hadn’t thought she was capable of loving anything as much as she loved the baby in her arms.
Eve smiled at her sister and used her finger to trace the outside edge of her niece’s face, who was too deep in her slumber to notice. “How long are you planning on staying at the palace?” Eve asked.
“Till I no longer believe it’s safe.” Ember knew how much this place meant to their kind, but she also knew protecting her child came before anything else. Even though the majority of their kind believed the palace to be the safest place for the child, Ember did not fully trust the Queen or everyone under her authority.
“If that’s what you think is best.” Eve smiled, though the thought of her twin sister leaving again hurt more than she ever wanted to admit. She had the utmost confidence in the Queen and would never understand Ember’s need to retreat.
“How long before you leave?” Candice asked.
“We aren’t sure, but we’ll be back. This is still our home.” Ember smiled at the two women, and lovingly stroked her daughter’s face.
