𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤

seventy-nine

𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐆𝐎

Her body burned, sweat trickled down her skin and soaked her nightdress. She panted and groaned, hands balling into fists at her sides. "No...I..."

"You must," the midwife insisted.

"No..." she cried out in pain. It was unbearable. She could hardly keep her eyes open. She was not sure how long she has been in the birthing bed but the sun had disappeared outside and darkness reigned over the land now.

Esther floated in and out of consciousness, whispers reaching her ears from time to time, as the midwife and another woman tended to her. It was Finn's desperate cries that had her fighting the darkness and opening her eyes once more.

"Don't die mama," his little fingers gripped her cold and sweaty hand painfully. He was really scared and couldn't stop crying.

Esther's eyes blinked open, a low whimpered of pain escaping her.

"Mama please..." Finn's face was red and his bottom lip trembled. "Don't leave me mama...please..." he begged.

Esther wanted to reassure her son that she would be fine. She wanted to offer him words of comfort but she was so weak, she couldn't utter a single word; all she could do was moan in pain.

"I have to cut you open," the midwife said in a calm voice.

"No..." Esther protested weakly.

"The babe is not in the right position, if I don't get him out you both will die."

No! I can't die, she thought fearfully. Esther pushed herself up and managed enough strength to grip the old woman's arm. "Woman..." she managed to say. "Magic...woman..."

"The witch?" The midwife frowned.

"Bring her..." Esther cried out as another wave of pain rolled over her body. She wouldn't be able to hold for much longer, she knew. She had to push the baby out or she would die and so would he. I won't lose another child, she promised herself. "...Ayana..." she hissed and looked into the midwife's face "Bring her to me..."

"That retched woman is dangerous," the midwife said angrily. "She talks to the animals, she poisoned her master, she'll sacrifice this child to her demon lover..."

"Bring her to me!" Esther screamed.

"Your husband won't like it."

"Bring her to me!" Esther repeated more forcibly.

The curtains flew open all of the sudden and the candles close to the bed flickered on and off as the magic she possessed stirred.

The midwife gasped and back away a couple of steps, frightened by the strange power floating inside the hut. The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood up and she felt a cold sensation slithering down her back.

"I need her..." Esther pleaded. "Bring her...please..."

"As you wish," the midwife finally conceded.

She commanded the other woman helping her to hurry out of the hut and search for the strange woman that lived outside the village. The slave that had killed her master and had made her home in the woods where she was said to worship a demon.

Hours later...when the sun rose across a cloudless and beautiful blue sky, her newborn son came into the world roaring.

A warrior, Mikael would have exclaimed if he had bothered to be present. Her husband was nowhere to be found, he had been gone for hours. Mikael had changed since Freya.