Savior | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 65

No one seemed to be able to hear her.

Dahlia had dragged her into the adjacent building, leaving her to lay on a blanket on the floor. Maddy felt her uterus contracting over and over again. She was howling in pain, trying her hardest to keep the baby from exiting in any way. Her legs were pressed together, her hands draped tight over her stomach.

Time was moving slowly. And at the same time, everything was happening so fast. She didn't know how long it had been. All she knew was that the pain was getting worse and worse, and no one was coming to save her.

"PLEASE STOP!" she was crying out, her throat hoarse. "PLEASE!"

The witch wasn't listening to her. She sat across the room, coiling her fingers over and over again. She seemed to understand that she couldn't just slice her open and pull the baby out magically, because that might just cause both of them to bleed out. Instead, she kept forcing Maddy's body into thinking it needed to be in labor. It would do the work for her, naturally, and Dahlia would simply have to focus her magic on ensuring the child survived the early birth.

Maddy felt her consciousness starting to slip away. And she found solace in memories.

"Mama, you're okay," she whispered to Lily when she'd been giving birth to Stefan. The midwife was already teaching a four-year-old Maddy how to aid another woman in giving birth. The little girl kept peering up at her mother, smiling and trying to calm her as she listened to her whimpering in pain.

"Thank you, Madeleine," Lily gasped, her face beaded in sweat. "Soon... you're going to have... another brother— AHH!"

"One more big push," the midwife instructed. "Madeleine, put your hands here so I can show you—"

Maddy obeyed, and next thing she knew, she was helping the midwife clean the baby. Maddy had been the first to hold Stefan, before handing him to her mother and climbing onto the bed to wipe her forehead down and give her some water.

"He's so tiny," she said, poking Stefan's cheek lightly.

"He is," whispered Lily, drawing a deep breath. "Go fetch your father and Damon."

"Yes, Mama." She climbed off of the bed, exiting the room to find where Giuseppe and Damon were, in the parlor. Just seeing her, they knew the child had been born. Maddy grabbed Damon's hand, practically yanking him back upstairs.

"He looks weird," whispered Maddy to Damon once Giuseppe was examining his son. "He's all peeled. Why is he peeled?"

Damon snorted lightly. "Because he was in there for too long. That is what happens when babies don't leave on time. Father told me."

"Why did he tell you?"

"Because you were born peeled. And ugly."

Maddy glared at him. "You were ugly!"

"You weren't even born, you don't know what I looked like."

"STOP!"

Through her blurred vision she saw a figure moving toward her.

"My sister's lover," said Dahlia, acknowledging Ansel as he came in with his sword. "Do you intend to kill me with that puny weapon?"

Ansel knew he didn't stand a chance against a witch. "Stop this madness," he said coldly.

"Leave," sneered Dahlia, "or I will snap that fragile neck of yours."

Ansel set his sword down slowly. "Do not make her go through it alone." He moved toward Maddy, helping her lay in a more comfortable position.