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  “She’s strong,” Sophia interrupted, not looking away from Ariana. “And she’s more courageous than she knows.” A tear slid down Ariana’s cheek. “But what I know most about Ariana is that she cares about others. It’s why she became a Lekwuesti when she assumed her Estilorian form upon transitioning to this plane. It’s why she’ll do this…because she won’t want what happened to her to happen to anyone else.”

  “There must be another way.”

  “No, Tiege,” Ariana said. She finally looked away from the fire and turned to catch Tiege’s worried gaze. “I don’t think there is. I understand why you’re resistant to my doing this, and I thank you for it. Every part of me wants to resist it, too. But Sophia’s right.”

  Quincy’s eyebrows rose as he realized what she was saying. He felt the surge of hope and excitement that circled through the group.

  She was willing to go and get the scroll piece.

  Then she turned back to Sophia. “You say that I’m courageous, but I’m not. I’m terrified and selfish enough that I want to spend the rest of my existence here. I’ll admit that the only reason I’m considering doing this at all is because I fear falling short of your opinion of me. I treasure the friendship you’ve shared with me, Sophia.”

  “I understand. I feel the same,” Sophia said.

  Quincy heard the emotion in her voice and ached to reach out and place a comforting hand on her shoulder. Then his heart dropped into his stomach.

  “Will you come with me?” Ariana asked.

  “Of course,” Sophia replied without a moment’s hesitation.

  A rush of conversation struck up then, but Quincy barely heard it. He watched Ariana reach out to hug Sophia and knew—because he knew Sophia—that there would be no swaying her from this course. Fear raced through him as he watched her stand and turn in her parents’ direction.

  Olivia and James both rose as they objected to Sophia’s agreement to leave the homeland, but they stopped talking when she faced them.

  “Mom and Dad,” she said in a calm tone as she stepped closer to them, “I need you to let me do this. I want to do it for Ariana and for the lives it will save.” She turned and waved toward Tate. “Tate will have to go to dissolve the illusion around the library once Ariana leads us there. Tiege isn’t going to let Ariana and Tate go without him, even if he has to use another illusion to sneak away like he did last time.”

  Quincy watched Caleb and Skye exchange looks with each other and their children as they all considered this. The gravity of the situation was hugely apparent.

  “Zachariah will go wherever Tate does,” Sophia continued, “and archigos Uriel already promised to send us with a host of Waresti. I won’t be alone.”

  She stopped right in front of her parents, who both reached out to touch her shoulders. Quincy saw the conflict on their faces, yet knew they weren’t going to deny her. The outcome they all sought—stopping Eirik from reassembling the scroll—was too important. Any risk Sophia and the others took by traveling with heavy protection to the library was far outweighed by the need to guarantee the safety of all Estilorians.

  “You’re right, honey,” James said, pulling Sophia into a hug. “But I’m not happy about it.”

  “I know, Dad,” she said.

  Her gaze slid to Quincy’s when she pulled back from the hug. He opened his mouth to speak. There was no way she was doing this without him. He would ask commander Raphael to come down to watch over Amber, Olivia and Skye while he traveled with the others, just as he had done before. Yes, that would—

  “Uh oh,” Olivia said.

  Everyone turned to look at her. Quincy surged to his feet. He knew that he wouldn’t be going with Sophia, after all.

  “What is it?” Jabari asked, also getting to his feet.

  “My water just broke,” Olivia replied.

  Part II:

  DISTURB

  Disturb [dih-sturb]: To interrupt the quiet, rest, peace or order of; to interfere with or hinder.

  Chapter 15

  Snow swirled through the biting air as Metis made her way to Eirik and Deimos. She hated traveling in such inhospitable weather, but she knew that Eirik wouldn’t tolerate another day without news from her, and it wasn’t as though he could just walk into where she currently lived without getting captured or killed.

  She had given serious thought to severing their agreement. He was so arrogant that he would fall easily if she decided to end his life. He didn’t trust her, but he would never suspect her true capabilities.

  The fact was, however, that she had very little practical knowledge about the Estilorian plane. Although she had been taught about the world outside of the cavern where she was raised, she now knew that the reality was far more overwhelming than mere stories. She didn’t yet understand the differences between the classes and how they all interconnected, since the only being she had ever known before Deimos entered her life was her creator. Hearing about a Lekwuesti’s ability to conjure clothing or already-prepared food was one thing. Experiencing it was quite another.

  No, if she wanted to use the Elder Scroll and assume a position of esteem and importance on this plane, she needed to know more about it first. Eirik had already taught her much, as had those beings currently residing with her. Given just a bit more time, she knew she would no longer have any need for Eirik at all.

  He suddenly stepped out from behind a tree, making her start and clutch her cloak more closely to her neck.

  “I see you have been waiting for me,” she said, her voice sounding both loud and dampened in the snowy wilderness.

  “For far too long,” he said.

  Despite the temperature, he still wore nothing more on his upper body than a furred vest. This was paired with his usual black leather pants and knee-high heavy boots. His long blond and red-striped hair was in its usual spiked half-ponytail, but the snow was beginning to make it appear wet and limp. A snowflake landed on his long eyelashes. The white fluff didn’t soften the look in his eyes in the slightest.

  “I have achieved success with my plan,” she said.

  Now, his face showed interest. “You have the two females?”

  “No,” she said, shifting her weight as her feet grew numb. “I have secured the leverage we need to bring them here.”

  “This is taking too long, damn it,” Eirik snapped, his frown fierce.

  “I know that you are impatient, but the scroll is not going anywhere.”

  “How do you know that? For all we know, the elders have collected any remaining pieces of the scroll while you keep me here following your lead like a sheep.”

  If only he knew.

  “I am certain that the elders have not retrieved the other scroll pieces,” she said. “My recent efforts have given me extensive insight into their plans and actions.”

  “Is that so?”

  Not liking his narrowed eyes, she added, “You know very well who my company is these days. They talk, I listen.”

  He stared at her in silence.

  “Where is Deimos?” she asked, not allowing herself to grow intimidated.

  “I have decided that you will not see him again until you present me with the females.”

  Outrage rushed through her. “What?”

  “Two can play at this game, Metis,” he said. “If you will not keep me apprised of your plans, I will withhold the only thing of any importance to you. Until those females have been delivered to me, Deimos is mine.”

  Sophia was allowed to attend her sibling’s birth. Although she’d been asking to witness one for years, she hadn’t ever been granted permission. It was an intense experience, her parents had explained, that required the utmost concentration of both parents and the being delivering the baby. Having a young, excitable child with a million questions in the room could lead to someone becoming distracted and, thus, disastrous results.

  This time, she had finally been deemed mature enough to watch. Although her mind raced with questions, she held her tongue.
Like her relatives, she sat and watched the proceedings in silence.

  Well, not utter silence. Sebastian had conjured soft music. It served as a calming factor, she supposed.

  The delivery room was located on the second floor of Quincy’s clinic. Sophia hadn’t ever been up here before. He kept the room sterile and ready for use, especially so close to delivery. There were three beds that rose or lowered as needed. Although it had yet to happen, there was always the chance that all three sisters could deliver at the same time. For this reason, Quincy had ordered three birthing stations when the clinic was built.

  An assortment of medical implements lined the counter near the bed where her mother now rested. Having conversed with Quincy at length about this process, she knew that he faced unique challenges on this plane regarding monitoring the baby. On the human plane, he had explained, they had something called electricity. The electricity allowed for the operation of what humans called machines, and these machines were used to monitor the mother’s heart rate as well as the baby’s. They could even tell when a contraction was coming.

  Such was not the case here. Quincy spent a lot of time monitoring a device that he had created to measure the birthing mother’s blood pressure, as well as a stethoscope to listen to her heartbeat. He frequently held both of his hands on her mother’s belly, though what he gauged there she had no idea. She only knew that she had never seen him so focused.

  Her dad stood beside her mother’s bed, holding her hand and talking to her. Although Sophia and her relatives could all hear through the barrier of lavender light that Sebastian generated to keep any germs from spreading to the birthing area, none of them spoke to keep from being distracting. Sophia knew her aunts and uncles could all communicate with their thoughts, so they didn’t really need to speak anyway. For the first time, she wished she had that kind of connection with them.

  “Here comes another one,” her mother said, adjusting herself on the bed to try and make herself more comfortable for the next contraction.

  Just like the others had, this contraction caused her mother to issue low moans as she breathed her way through it. Quincy held his hands on her belly as her father rubbed her lower back. Sophia hated to see her mother in such pain. She seemed to grow paler with each passing minute. Based on what she’d learned, Sophia knew her mother would be pushing her body beyond limits considered normal for a human birthing. This experience would all but bring her to death’s door.

  “That was definitely more intense,” Quincy said when the contraction passed. “We’re getting closer. Time to check the baby’s progress.”

  Her mother nodded wearily as her father wiped her brow. She settled back on the bed as Quincy positioned her legs and lifted the sheet covering the lower half of her body so that he could conduct his examination. Sophia realized that he treated her mother with something akin to reverence. Everything was done with care and consideration for the birthing mother.

  “You’re about seven centimeters,” he reported as he again lowered her mother’s legs. “You’re doing great, Olivia. You’ll be able to start pushing soon.”

  His accent wasn’t as noticeable when he was so controlled, she realized, watching him walk over to a sink to wash his hands. That was kind of a shame, she couldn’t help but think. She had always loved the lyrical quality of it.

  Her mind went back to their kiss. She hadn’t ever expected to feel that way. She couldn’t believe the range of feeling that another being’s touch could evoke. Okay, Quincy’s touch. She could at least be honest enough with herself to acknowledge that she wouldn’t have felt quite the same exhilaration and passion with just anyone.

  But there was so much more involved here. He had kept some truly major things from her. After speaking with her parents earlier, she knew that they had asked everyone not to tell her about the fact that she had been affected by a cursed Mercesti weapon. They hadn’t wanted her treated any differently because, they said, she wasn’t different in any way that mattered. They had worried that she would feel alienated or set apart, which she admittedly did.

  So maybe she could give Quincy some grace about that one. He was merely honoring her parents’ wishes, and she knew that her parents had done what they thought was best. It had hurt to learn the truth, of course, but her mother’s tears and fierce hug when she returned home told her that they would have spared her that feeling if they could do it all over again.

  But the other huge, gargantuan omission by Quincy, well…that was all on him.

  How could he have kept his attraction to her a secret all this time? He had caused her immeasurable hurt and confusion over the past five years. The close friendship they’d nurtured before she turned thirteen had been changed forever by his treatment of her thereafter. When she thought of the many times he made excuses to avoid being alone with her and how awkward and ashamed that made her feel, she wanted to march into the delivery room and give him a piece of her mind.

  As though he sensed her thoughts, he glanced over and caught her gaze. He started to smile, but whatever he saw on her face had the expression faltering. Instead, he turned back to his tools, picking up the stethoscope.

  Sophia felt another gaze on her. When she glanced sideways, she realized her Aunt Skye was watching her. Her aunt’s light blue eyes moved thoughtfully from Sophia to Quincy, and Sophia’s face suffused with heat. Her aunt was remarkably intuitive.

  Rather than risk giving anything away, Sophia looked back at her parents.

  Time passed quickly. Her mother’s contractions grew closer together. Her moans got louder, bordering on cries of agony. Sophia knew her father absorbed what he could through their connection to try and alleviate some of her pain. They were both flushed and sweating despite the cool temperature in the room.

  Then Quincy did another exam and nodded. “It’s time.”

  Sophia realized her aunts and uncles sat a little straighter. Not knowing why, she did the same, leaning toward the lavender barrier to watch the proceedings more closely.

  Quincy once again lifted her mother’s legs, bending them at the knee and instructing her to move closer to the end of the bed. She did so with her father’s assistance, remaining in a sitting position. Quincy raised a couple of wooden handles on either side of the bed that Sophia hadn’t noticed before. She wondered about their purpose until her mother reached out and grasped one on either side.

  “Okay, Olivia,” Quincy said, sitting on a stool at the foot of the bed, positioning himself between her legs so that he could assist with the baby’s delivery. “You need to push with the next contraction. Focus on me.”

  Where his tone had been soothing and encouraging before, it was deadly serious now. Sophia watched with awe as his eyes began to glow with silver light.

  The baby’s Estilorian energy wasn’t fully joined with its part-human form inside the womb. Similar to the way a human soul transitioned into an Estilorian form as it was Embraced and brought to the Estilorian plane by a Corgloresti, the unborn baby required a concentrated amount of faith by both of its parents and the Corgloresti delivering it in order for the birth to succeed.

  In light of this uncertain element to the process, Sophia well understood why her mother and aunts all wanted Quincy’s help. Outside of his medical knowledge, his unsurpassed faith was invaluable.

  “Here it comes,” her mother said with a deep breath.

  Sophia gripped the arms of her chair as she watched her mother catch and hold Quincy’s gaze when the contraction hit her. Her father rubbed her back and issued words of encouragement as her mother grimaced and pushed.

  Quincy’s eyes glowed like stars. Pure silver light radiated from beneath the sheet covering her mother’s lower body. The intensity on Quincy’s handsome face had tears pricking Sophia’s eyes.

  He was performing a miracle.

  Several heart-stopping moments later, a soft cry erupted. Tears trailed down Sophia’s cheeks as Quincy grinned and held up a towel-wrapped newborn to her exhausted par
ents.

  “Congratulations,” he said. “It’s a boy.”

  Chapter 16

  Olivia and James named their new son Devon.

  Quincy took care of cleaning the mess that inevitably resulted from birth as the couple bonded with their newborn. The initial moments immediately following the birth were precious and essential. After the baby was named, both parents whispered words that fully bonded them as a family, not unlike a pairing vow. To seal the vow, they kissed the baby at the same time.

  The flash of deep blue-green light that resulted caused the Kynzesti marking on the back of the baby’s neck. Loud bawling ensued, which Olivia promptly subdued with shushing and cooing noises. The offering of her breast for the baby’s first meal also helped.

  Only after Quincy made sure the area was sterilized and Olivia and James were ready did he give Gabriel the nod to send a thought to Sebastian so that the barrier could be removed. The moment it faded, everyone hurried forward.

  “Congratulations, Dad,” Gabriel said with a grin, clapping James on the back. Then he leaned down to kiss Olivia’s cheek. “You did great, Liv.”

  Amber moved forward to use her healing energy on Olivia. Although the power required for the birth drained the mother of her abilities for weeks afterward, Amber and Gabriel could provide some amount of physical healing to expedite Quincy’s efforts.

  Words of congratulations and support were exchanged among the family members as Quincy gathered his implements and a bag of soiled linens to bring to Sebastian for sterilization and cleaning. He was surprised when he sensed someone standing by his elbow. He was even more surprised when he realized it was Sophia.

  He wanted to greet her, but her deep blue-green gaze was focused on him and his tongue just lodged to the roof of his mouth.

  Fortunately, she spoke first. “Thank you, Quincy. I had no idea how powerful this entire experience would be. What you can do…well, it’s amazing.”