“Beth...”
“I’ll be okay in a minute. Just... it happens sometimes. It’s normal.”
“No, Beth...”
And that was when she felt it. She’d been distracted by the pain, but her legs and her skirt were wet. She looked at her feet and she saw that the ground was wet.
“Oh, no... No, no, no... It’s too early. Way too early.”
Kinna rushed to her and grabbed her other arm.
“Help me, Abby. We must take her to Sonya’s place.”
“What? Why?” Beth asked. “The infirmary is right here.”
“The... what?”
“Infirmary.”
“I don’t know what that is,” Kinna said. “Sonya’s house is isolated. It’s the best place for you to give birth.”
“I don’t understand,” Beth whined. Another contraction, and she clenched her teeth to not scream.
“Females cannot give birth where the horde eats and sleeps.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.” She started pulling at her and forcing her to walk. “Come on. The sooner we get there, the better.”
“Oh, God. This can’t be happening.”
“I’m here,” the mage said in a kinder tone. “Don’t worry, okay? I will take care of you and the baby.”
“But it’s too soon!”
“Humans are different. The baby is big. He’s ready, so you must be ready, too. You can’t hold him in your tiny body if he wants out.”
“He, he, he... We don’t know if it’s a he!”
“We’ll find out soon enough. Now, come on, Beth. You need to walk. Can you walk?”
“Yes. Just... be patient.”
She hobbled between the two women, holding on to them for dear life. Every time a contraction came, she had to stop, and they had to hold her tight.
It was too early. And Beth had a bad feeling about it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Having a mage by her side should’ve made things easier. Kinna tried to ease her pain by giving her various potions to drink, and by manipulating energies and chanting softly. It worked to some degree, but when Beth had to push, she had no strength, and the pain was back with a vengeance.
“Why is it so bad? I don’t understand,” she cried in frustration.
Her cheeks were soaked with tears, and Abby patted her face with a dry cloth. She was drenched in cold sweat, her hair was damp and stuck to her head, and nothing helped. Sonya was on the other side of the bed, holding her hand.
“Give me something stronger,” she begged Kinna.
“I can’t. What I already gave you should’ve worked. Try to focus, okay? Look at me.” The mage was kneeling between her legs. “Look at me and do as I say.”