Chapter 49

Grief. Bone chilling, stomach turning, blood curdling grief. That’s all Seraphina could feel. She collapsed and let out a wail that sounded demonic. Wait… Seraphina had been here before. She recognised this dream, this vision.

Her consciousness fought to the surface as she tried to pull through the haze of sleep.

Excruciating pain coursed through her body as she abruptly awoke. It took all of her strength to not pass out again.

The stench of blood mixed with something else burned her nostrils.

Seraphina opened her mouth to scream but, no sound came out. She out stretched her hand in the bed to feel for Achilles, her panic only rose further when she found the bed empty.

Fighting to push the searing pain to the back of her mind, she summoned all of her strength to take in a deep breath.

“ACHILLES!...AURELIA!... ISOBELLA!” Her voice finally having returned to her, she let out an animalistic screech.

Both the bedroom door and the door to the nursery flew open simultaneously, Achilles stood worried in the doorway with a sleeping Leonardo in his arms. Aurelia was at Seraphina’s side faster than she could blink.

“She’s bleeding! Wait is this blood, ISOBELLA!” Aurelia called out just as Isobella appeared in the doorway.

She came to a halt as a terrified look came across her face, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, further footsteps sounded in the hallway.

Helga was the first to appear next to Isobella’s side, she took in the scene around her tears brimmed in her eyes, she shook her head as she tried to compose herself. She moved towards Achilles and held her arms out to take Leonardo, “Go to her.”

Achilles nodded and rushed to help Aurelia move Seraphina, who had curled into a foetal position, on to her back.

His nose wrinkled as the smell of the blood wafted up to him, it was blood, Seraphina’s blood but, it was laced with something else, something dark.

Suddenly, the previously empty room was packed tightly with 20 mages surrounding the bed. A cold white light glowing from within the circle they had formed.

“What’s happening….?” Seraphina’s words dragged out as she tried to speak through the pain.

No one answered her questioned. The mages remained silent, holding hands as they stared down at the scene. Only Isobella and Oisin were perched on the bed at Seraphina’s feet.

Isobella dipped her fingers into the blood that had pooled onto the bed, she rubbed it in between her fingers as she brought her hand up to her nose to sniff it. A grave looked settled on her face as she sent a silent nod to Oisin.

Seraphina thrashed against the bed as her body was wracked with indescribable pain.

Surely she must be dying, nothing but the beckon of death could cause this much pain?

“Seraphina,” Oisin’s velvety voice somehow cut through her cries. “Seraphina, we can’t sense the babies, we’re going to have to open you up, we need to get them out now.”

Mustering up what strength she could, she drew in a sharp breath.

“Just do it…Do it now!”

Eloise produced a leather pouch and unravelled it to reveal a series of what looked like medical instruments. She held it out for Isobella, her eyes flicked over them before selecting a long, thin blade.

“Wait, can’t you sedate her first?” Achilles jumped up in panic.

“Achilles! There’s no time, help me hold her down.”

Registering the tears streaming down Aurelia’s face and her position over Seraphina, he mirrored her, sitting back down and pinning Seraphina’s other shoulder against the bed.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Was he going to lose Seraphina? Or the twins. He couldn’t decide which was worse.

Oisin quickly tore Seraphina’s dress open and placed his hands on her ankles, holding them in place.

Isobella prodded Seraphina’s stomach, finding the right spot before bringing her blade down and executing a long cut across her lower abdomen.

The windows in the room cracked as Seraphina’s blood curdling scream resonated through the room. Isobella brought her blade down again cutting through the layers of tissue and muscle.

Seraphina’s cries of pain did not relent, as the edges of her vision darkened, she fought with every fibre in her to remain conscious.

A cold wind whipped through the room now that the windows had been completely blown out.

None of the people present even seemed to notice though, all eyes were on the bed as Isobella skilfully administered cut after cut on Seraphina.

After what felt like an eternity, Isobella placed her blade down and pushed her hands into Seraphina’s open stomach before retreating holding a tiny, still baby in her hands. She passed the silent infant to Eloise’s waiting arms and turned her attention back to Seraphina.

Tears fell from the eyes of everyone present as Isobella pulled the second baby out, the room was silent as Seraphina had been claimed by unconsciousness. Not a murmur came from either of the newborns.

The mages split off into groups as some dispersed to revive the still infants whilst the other were trying to simultaneously syphon the dark magic from Seraphina as well as heal her fatal wounds.

Seraphina’s head pounded as her eyes fluttered open. Squinting at the light, she rolled over onto her side and froze as her arm fell across her now flat stomach.

A slow smile spread across her face, the babies, she must have given birth.

Her head snapped around in search of someone, anyone. Aurelia’s hunched figure sat in the corner of the room.

“Aurelia, where are they, where are the twins, I need to see them!” Seraphina sprung out of bed, ignoring the sharp pain in her stomach as she shook with excitement.

Aurelia’s head rose slowly to look at Seraphina through red, swollen eyes. Seraphina’s stomach twisted at the sight.

“Sera-“ Aurelia’s hoarse voice choked as the words tried to leave her mouth. A fresh stream of tears ran down her face as she violently shook her head from side to side. She mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ before curling back up into her ball.

Seraphina turned in the direction of the nursery, tripping of her own feet. She scrambled back up and threw herself into the adjoining room.

Achilles stood over the cribs, Leonardo’s faint gurgling could be heard.

He had definitely heard her entrance though, he didn’t raise his head.

Seraphina’s silent footsteps dragged along the floor, numbness spread across her body as she reached the first crib.

A hollow pit formed in her stomach as she gripped the side of the crib and willed herself to look down.

Her legs felt weak as she peered into the crib. A gasp caught in her throat as she gazed at the 2 impossibly perfect little angels lay there, almost embracing each other.

Despite this being her first time seeing them, she immediately knew who was who. Her sweet baby girl had a thick mass of dark brown curls, her full lips pouting and thick eyelashes swept across her rounded cheeks. She moved her eyes over to her beautiful baby boy, his features were almost identical though, he had a mass of fiery copper hair and a little dimple in his chin.

They were perfect, too perfect. It was like she was looking at a painting. Still. There were no movements, no sleepy murmurs, no hush of gentle breathing.

Seraphina reached her hands down to stroke their sweet faces. They were impossibly cold to touch.

Despite all the signs being there, Seraphina didn’t seem to register that there was no life in her babies.

She smiled softly as tears trailed down her cheeks.

Achilles had raised his head to study her movements, he had expected her to be beside herself, screaming, crying, a heartbroken mess…But…No.

She was smiling, caressing them, looking at them through eyes that were imagining their future, what kind of people they would grow to be.

Achilles moved forward on shaky legs; he wrapped an unsure arm around Seraphina’s waist.

“They’re amazing, truly amazing… Achilles, how did we make something so perfect?” She smiled up at him through teary eyes.

Achilles choked on the lump that had formed in his throat.

“Seraphina…They’re… Seraphina, they didn’t make it.”

Her eyebrows furrowed at his ridiculous comment, of course they did. Why would she be alive if they hadn’t? Isobella had promised her, if it came to it, they would save the babies. If she was alive, they had to be?

She shook her head at him. “Achilles, why would you say that?” Her face flushed red with anger.

Achilles felt his heart breaking all over again.

“Seraphina, look at them. Look, they aren’t moving, they aren’t breathing... Seraphina, I’m so sorry.”

“No…no..no no no no no.” She shook her head viciously as reality dawned on her.

Achilles tried to embrace her but, she fought against him, her legs begging to give out from underneath her.

Sobs wracked her chest as her heart shattered inside. Her mouth opened to scream but, no sound passed her lips.

Pounding her fists against his chest, she silently begged him to let go of her, to let her grief consume her.

Drawing in a jagged breath, she threw her head back as she collapsed onto the floor.

“WHY?.....”