“I’m fine,” she answered, waving me off. “Just in a rush to get the portal here. You have to come back to Mount Rainier.”
“Is Danni ... is it happening?” I began, waiting for her to finish the sentence.
She smiled, nodding quickly. “Her labor came on fast, and it’s progressing even faster. It’s almost time.”
* * *
We rushed down the hallway, coming to a stop amongst a crowd that had formed outside Danni and Elias’s bedroom. The king’s second, Ysabeau, dipped her chin in greeting, her dark sunglasses blocking out any readable expression.
Caius placed his splayed palm at the small of my back, gently rubbing in a soothing motion. I clasped my hands, twirling my thumbs. “Any news?”
My Tía Abbey rushed forward, throwing her arms around me. “Elias, Adora, and her mom are in there with her. She’s almost there. She’s pushing.”
Strangled moans filtered from the room, followed by the sounds of heavy exhalations as Danni took deep breaths and prepared to push with the next contraction.
“You’re going to be a grandma,” I said to her, barely containing my excitement.
Babies in my family were frequent, but we celebrated the event like it was a rarity. Life was precious. Tonight there would be parties all over Blood and Beryl, naturally. A new heir would be born. But that joy extended to The Crossroads—not only for our newly formed alliance with the House and Tartarus—but because Danni was one of ours. We were family.
“I’m going to be a Gigi,” she said proudly. “That’s the name I’m going with. Unless the baby gives me another name. They could call me Grumpy, and I would still be happy. Sarah is going to me Mimi.”
I chuckled. “Well, Tío Amos wanted to be called Pappy. But when his oldest had her first, and Miguel learned to speak, he called him Happy. It stuck.” It was certainly not the word I would use to describe him, but even he found it funny.
Clara nudged me with her shoulder, jutting her chin toward the closed door. “Do you think this was what Broca meant when she said there was a baby in your future?”
“Good gods, it has to be. I take my tonic like clockwork. I’m just not ready to be a mom yet. I need to take care of myself and deal with my trauma before I add a little one into my life.” I’d spoken so quickly; I didn’t consider how I’d worded it. Turning to Caius, I winced, and whispered, “That was an abrupt answer. Does it bother you that we’re here to celebrate Danni’s baby, and I’m not even willing to consider it right now?”
He put his arm around me, pulling me closer and kissing the top of my head. “Of course not, my love.”
A sudden cry broke out. Little lungs filling with air, and releasing tiny, rapid wails was music to our ears.
My heart jumped and I felt like crying. Clara squealed, clenching her fists and shaking them in the air with a big, toothy smile on her face.
“He’s here!” Elias burst out the door, barely recognizable. His usual stoic features were replaced with the beaming pride of a new dad.
“Is she okay? How’s the baby?” Tía Abbey blurted, throwing her arms around Elias in a hug.
“They’re great, everyone is great. They’re ready for you to come in.” He stepped out of the way so we could pass.
Caius walked up to Elias and shook his hand clapping him on the shoulder with his other. “Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
Sometimes I couldn’t believe the turn my life had taken. Danni had been an outcast; a shifter that couldn’t shift. Now she was a hybrid vampire. I had been a guardian; forced to guard the soul of a dethroned primordial. A dark unicorn; unable to shift. Somehow, two quirky girls from one extended family ended up queens. I smiled, winking at my mate before entering Danni’s room.
As soon as we crossed the threshold, my tías ran to each other and embraced in a flurry of tears and happiness. Nova laid near Danni’s feet, her head down as she watched them. My cousin Adora sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard as she stroked Danni’s silvery waves. Her ombre blue hair framed her face beautifully while she looked down on her nephew with admiration. A little bundle pressed to Danni’s chest, gently suckling, his teeny fingers flexing.
Danni met my gaze, and we shared a quiet exchange.
“Do you want to hold him?” she asked.
“Oh my god, yes,” I said, making sure to keep my voice low so I wouldn’t startle my newest cousin. Danni held him out to me swaddled in a beautiful burgundy blanket. I scooped him up, holding him to me as I gently rocked. “He’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“Everyone says babies are beautiful, even when they look like potatoes,” Adora began, and Danni gave her sister a side glance. “But in this case, he’s my nephew so he’s the most beautiful baby ever.”
“Damn straight,” Clara said, nodding once as she peered over my shoulder, watching the newest member of our family sleep.
I looked at Dannika, and it was true what they said. She was glowing. The perspiration from labor left its mark on her wet hairline, and her eyes were filled with exhaustion that would surely be there for months to come, but a genuine happiness lined her features, and I couldn’t help but think that everything was just as it should be. I smiled, content, and looked down at the baby swaddled in my arms.
Softly I sang the only lullaby I knew. The baby stirred, letting out a little coo as his little eyelids fluttered open.
Clara gasped, grabbing my upper arm and squeezing tight in disbelief. “Reagan, look,” she hissed in a barely audible voice.
My lips parted; my jaw slack.
A lump formed in my throat.
Warm brown eyes stared back at me. Sweet, kind eyes I never thought I’d see again. I would know them anywhere. My heart filled with joy and ached all at once. A single tear escaped, leaving a trail down my cheek.
“Hey, mijo,” I whispered through a watery smile.
The End.
