Meryn rubbed her swollen belly. "Maybe after some Magic Pudding."
"I will get some immediately," Sebastian said and disappeared from the room.
Ellie stood and helped Rheia up. "We're heading to the hospital. Knowing Vivi, she will take the injectors straight up there." Grant and Micah stepped next to the women. Micah looked back at Meryn. "If this works, I will owe you more than you know."
Meryn held up two fingers. "Two words. Meat. Kebobs."
"Absolutely," he said. "Anyone else coming?"
Kendrick and Anne stepped next to them. Kendrick met his eyes. "Us for sure. Anne can help with the children and I'll do everything I can to free Serenity of the spell."
Feeling impatient Micah turned toward the door. "Let's go."
*****
It felt like centuries as they waited for Vivi to arrive with the different injectors, in all actuality, it was less than ten minutes. Micah stood next to his mate who was frozen in place in the center of the room, faintly glowing silver. Laelia and Radclyffe were on either side of the room helping the children. When they saw them enter, their hands dropped, and they rushed over to him.
"How can we get Serenity back?" Laelia asked.
"Meryn and the ladies think they have a workable cure. They'll be up here soon and the second the children are cured we'll be able to pull Serenity from the spell." He swallowed hard looking at his mate. Her skin had no color and a bright white streak of hair had appeared at her right temple. He reached out and touched it gently.
Fear gripped him as he turned to Kendrick. "She's out of time. There's hardly any magic left."
"Marjoram!" Vivi yelled, running into the hospital.
"We're here!" Marjoram met her in the middle of the room and divided up the injectors between herself, Rheia, Ellie and Anne. They ran to the little beds and started treating the children.
They had made it halfway down the row, when the first set of children began to have a reaction. Violent convulsions lifted their bodies off the bed and ripped them from their parents' hands as they tried to hold them down.
Suddenly the faint glow around Serenity disappeared and she fell forward into his arms. He knew before he lowered his head to her chest that her heart had stopped. "She's not breathing!"
Behind them the children continued to thrash, but his focus was on his mate. He would not allow her to go into the unknown alone. Heedless of the duties he was leaving behind he thrust his magic into her body, so he could follow her, where ever she was going.
"Micah! Pull your magic back! She'll take you with her," Kendrick yelled.
Micah tightened his arms around his mate and sighed happily. He could smell the sweetness of her skin, familiar and tantalizing. He threw open every channel of magic he had and was mildly surprised when earth magic responded. He had long ago given up on the ability. Without coaxing the green tendrils sunk deep into the floor. Through his magic he could feel it branching out, tiny roots fanning out over miles. Feeling sufficiently anchored he threw caution to the wind and rested his cheek against hers. Gods willing he'd see her again soon.
*****
At first there was darkness, but in the distance, he could see a tiny figure. As he got closer he could see the outline of his mate.
"Serenity!" he called.
She turned looking confused. "Oh no! You head back this instant."
"No."
"No? What do you mean no? You have things to do Micah. You made a promise to Kendrick, you have to help our people."
"They'll be fine without me."
Tears appeared in her eyes. "Please my love. You'll forget about me soon enough. We only had a few days together. You have your kittens, and delicate flowers and dew drops to ease your pain. Please," she pleaded. "Go back."
He shook his head. "It is true, I have called hundreds of women kitten. Hundreds of dew drops and goddesses and delicate flowers. But I have only called one woman, my one and only, and that is you. An endearment that encompassed every hope, dream and desire I had for my mate. There is no me, without you. So, either we both go back, or we continue on to see what lies ahead."
"You stubborn goofball!" she whispered harshly.
"Your call, my one and only. Where do we go?"