19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Cyrus

A fter saying prayers with the horde, I take to the air. The High Temple and hatching grounds are three hours away as the dragon flies. But I push hard and make it in two and a half.

Swooping down through the cleft in the mountain that leads to the sacred grounds, I narrow my wings and let myself fall fast. The wind whips my face, both punishing and refreshing. The volcanic rock cuts down to a platform where two priests guard massive doors engraved with an image of the first dragon.

I land gracefully in front of them.

"Who is it you seek?" They speak in unison.

Shifting back to my human form, I answer, "Midas Ra and Jeslyn Ra'a. Where are they? "

"In the hot springs." The guards share a look, and step to the sides, opening the doors.

I'm familiar with the layout of the High Temple from the yearly gatherings hosted here in celebration of the Goddess. But I've never had reason to go to the hatching grounds or the hot springs where women are taken just before delivery.

There are many legends about the pools. The priests say that they were made from the goddess's tears and have healing properties. I hope so. For Jeslyn's sake, I hope the pools are fucking magic.

I jog through the corridors, down the steps, deeper and deeper into the mountain. Hot air is the first thing that greets me when I reach the hatching grounds. The next is the sound of a feminine yell. It sounds so similar to Finley's scream earlier, but this one is full of pain rather than frustration. I run full speed down another twisting stair to the hot springs.

Jeslyn is in the closest pool with Midas on the outside, kneeling. Three priests line the outer edges of the pool, chanting rhythmically in the language of the goddess.

"Shift, Ra'a," Midas commands, the desperation nearly unbearable. "Shift, damn it!"

"Midas." She reaches up to touch his face, tears shining in her fiery eyes. "I want to obey, Ra. You know I want to. But this—" Her voice cracks. Her face contorts in pain and another scream rips out of her.

Yeva spots me first and comes over, dipping her head. "The baby is clawing her from the inside. If she doesn't shift soon, or the baby doesn't shift back to human form…" She shakes her head.

I cross the room to my brother and touch his shoulder. He slaps my hand away, not lifting his eyes from his mate. His face is scrunched in an expression of pain as acute as Jeslyn's. I've never seen him so completely undone.

The contraction eases and Jeslyn quiets, eyes closing in exhaustion, swaying to the sound of the priests chanting.

"Please, my gold, my treasure," Midas begs. "Please, shift. I can't... please." A sob silently shakes through him. My massive, larger-than-life brother, completely broken for his mate. A mountain bowed low.

"Get in the pool, Midas." I'm not sure what urges me to speak, or why I tell him to do it, but all I can think of is how miserable I would feel if Finley was in the pool and I couldn't hold her, how much worse it would be than the torture I've experienced over the past week. To see her in pain like that and be separated from her? That would be worse than death.

Midas shakes his head, while Yeva scolds me for the suggestion. "You know the pools are for birthing mothers. "

"Is it against the law?" I look at the priests, not Yeva.

One of them shakes his head, but they don't stop their chanting.

Midas is in the pool in a flash of movement, holding his mate close. She groans, but there's less pain in the sound. He's slightly calmer now, whispering words in her ear too soft for the rest of us to hear, rather than barking commands like I heard a minute ago.

"I can't," Jeslyn gasps, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry. I can't."

She's not talking to me, but I squat at the edge of the pool and respond. "You can, Jeslyn. You know how I know?"

She shakes her head. Her face is lined in pain and her lip bleeds from where she's bitten it.

"Because you've been doing hard things your whole life. You gave up everything to raise your sister, and she's the most incredible woman I've ever met. Passionate and loyal. Talented. Fiery as hell."

Her eyes meet mine and there's a question buried under the pain, but now isn't the time to tell her about my mate.

"This baby is already proving to be a challenge. But I know you're up to it. Shit, you even snapped me into shape when I almost killed this guy." I motion toward my brother with a half chuckle.

Another contraction strangles Jeslyn's laugh. Tears stream down her cheeks, but she doesn't scream this time. She buckles into Midas.

When the pain eases, I continue. "I won't pretend to understand how much it hurts, but I know you can do this. If anyone can do it, it's you."

"He's right, Ra'a, my diamond, my incredible gem," Midas whispers. "You can do this."

"If she doesn't shift soon…" Yeva shakes her head.

Both Midas and I glare at her.

"Just relax, Jeslyn." I flick some water at her face, trying to be playful. "Stop trying so hard, and just be the queen you are."

"I can't," she grits out the words, stiff as a dragon's scale.

"I know how to get you to relax." Midas moves in front of her, and before she can protest, he's kissing her. She moans, melts, and almost immediately scales shimmer over her skin. Not a full shift, but a start.

The priest's chant falters, all of us amazed by what we're seeing. All but me. I knew she could do it .

"That's it, my ruby. So fierce." Midas kisses a line down her neck. "You're my queen, my Ra'a, the Ra'a of the Court of Gold. The mother to my child. My beautiful mate." He bites her neck. "Mine!"

In a flash of color and magic, water splashes up around us as Jeslyn goes full dragon, roars fire at the cavern walls, and births her daughter.