Chapter 67 SACRIFICE
CHAPTER 67 - SACRIFICE
TRIGGER WARNING If you have ever lost a baby, you might want to skip this chapter.
SIANNA'S POV
When my eyes opened, I was in a void with only water and the blue and white sky surrounding me. My feet were covered in the endless lake up to my ankle. The atmosphere was serene with the circulation of good spiritual energy.
Before me were a hundred mirrors hanging in the air, showcasing people interacting around each other and just being themselves. When I gazed at one, in particular, an elderly cream-skinned woman with silver hair smiled back at me. Almost as though she could see me standing there.
"Follow me," she said.
I looked behind me to see if anyone else was there, and then back at her. Still, she beckoned me to come inside the mirror. I raised my right hand and with my index finger pointed to my chest. Me? She nodded. Holy crap! She could actually see me.
Curiosity got the better of me so I moved toward the mirror. A sequence of little waves appeared on the surface of the mirror when I touched it. I placed my hand against it and it opened, allowing me to enter her world.
Walking in her footprints, her voice reverberated as she told me a story. "The most unique species in existence is the healer. It is awful that we have to pick and select whose lives to preserve because we cannot save everyone."
Feeling like I was walking on air, we went through different eras of healers and their accomplishments. Wars played out before my eyes, and I observed how they used their healing skills to help many but at a cost.
"Healing too much can deplete one's life and energy source, so we keep hidden because many would use our gift for selfish and despicable ambitions." She stood in front of me, examining my face. "Our job is never done because people are sick and dying every day. If you had to choose between your mate and your child, who would you choose?"
I inquired of the stranger, "Are you the moon goddess? Why would I need to choose? Why are you talking in riddles?"
She sighed and sat down on a grey boulder as the pillow of clouds whirled around us. "I manifest in different forms." Her fingers played in the water. "You are special, Sianna, and so is your child. But evil walks the earth and will never cease. Their job is always to find the good and eradicate it."
"Why is the bond broken between me and Vance?" I had to know two major things from her.
With a finger to her cheek, her gaze pierced into my soul, "The bond will be restored once the destruction magic is eradicated. Spell leaves invisible residues. Healers are whitelighters that can remove the bad and reinstate the good. Therefore healers can repel dark energy. Look....."
My eyes followed her fingers to a large white cloud that was to the left. It flickered with brief lightning streaks until images appeared. It was of my ancestor, named Delia. She was channeling her esse to heal eone. It was like being taken on a journey into her mind to understand how to heal someone. It revealed to me that later healers imitated her methods and successfully treated many people, thereafter. This was a crash training session and I comprehend that I needed to save my child.
Later it displayed Delia and an evil witch fighting. I saw how the healer converted air into light energy that she used to dispel the witch's dark matter and triumphed in the conflict. One by one, the screen alters and I see Delia in her glory with various battles that she encountered.
Next, the cloud darkened and a different scene appeared. It was of a woodland, looking down on the tree tops until the view carried me to the ground. The pictures zoomed in and the scenery is familiar but I did not recognize it as yet. Two people were there, a male and a female.
I saw her history with Vance, my heart dropped to my stomach. I hated watching them. A little anger rustled that I kept finding out about his past women one by one. Back to the screen, it switched to Vance, naked, and with a woman in our forest. Oh, it was Chloe, why was it her again? How close had they been? Don't tell me that Vance lied to me.
"Is this happening now?" I asked feeling betrayed.
"Yes, but do not be in a haste to jump to the conclusion." Her warning was mild. "Fight for him just as he is fighting for you."
"What did she do?" I'm flipping because I had to be taken on a spiritual walk to literally get the revelations that I have been seeking from everyone.
"That is not relevant. The important question is what must you do in your predicament?" I wished that she would talk to me straight. I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere with her. "Use your light to counter the evil for on your journey, you might need to fight more battles."
There goes the dream of my peaceful and quiet picket fence life. I inhaled deeply. "How do I save both Vance and our son?"
"You cannot save both," The sadness in her voice caused me to tremble in anxiety and fear. "You can only save one and the other will have to fight to save himself."
"I'm sorry, but that doesn't fix anything," I told her with a runnel of warm tears. I swallow and bit my lip. "I can't lose either of them."
"You must go now." She walked up to me and placed her right hand over my eyes so that darkness found me once again.
The pain came in unbearable waves, my lips were curled back into a muffled scream as I clung to Miriam's fragile hands and my eyes jerked open.
"What's happening?" I shrieked with my eyes passing from Miriam to my Mom.
"You are going into labor." Mom stated.
"I have at least two weeks left. Isn't it too early?" I surveyed the room to realize that I was very much in the master bedroom of my home. I thought they'd take me to the hospital. My concern grows.
"Sweetie, we are doing everything that we can." Miriam wiped my forehead with a cold towel that she had prepared.
Then, I recalled what my wolf had told me regarding the thread around my child's neck. "Mom, there's a cord around my baby's neck. Can you save him?"
The plastic smile she gave built on my worries, along with the silence.
"Mom," She knows better than to fake it with me, and I can't stop the tears.
"Sianna," I turned to look at Miriam, "It's a magical cord. Someone is trying to sacrifice your child."
"Who?" A pain perforates in my ribs and I screamed. "Ugh!"
Too hurt to even attempt to comprehend what is going on, nothing makes sense and why is Vance with that filthy bitch? "Is Chloe the one that was trying to hurt me?" I forced my voice to be heard through the agony.
"Yes," Miriam confirms knowing hiding things from me was bound to rile me up, "But don't worry about her?"
My wolf is raging in anger. She is clawing her paws in my head. My canines are extending and my nails convert to claws. She wants out to go to Vance to kill that bitch, and with my weakened state, I'm having difficulties holding her in.
"Miriam, can you suppress her wolf." Worry coats my Mom's voice, "I think that she's trying to get to Vance."
"I'm doing just that, my dear," The old woman put her index and middle finger from both hands at my temple and muttered her charming conjurations.
I tell my wolf to quit it for the sake of our baby but she won't listen to me. Eventually, as I lie immobile due to Miriam's actions, she goes to the wardrobe, takes one of Vance's shirts, and lets me sniff it. The unexpected result was that my wolf settled down. I told her that Vance would want us to center on keeping our baby safe. Now I feel a gush of fluid coming out of me.
"Sianna," Mom's stern voice beckoned my focus. "You are feeling contractions. You know about premature labor and it's okay to give birth two weeks before or after."
I nodded.
As we waited and the minutes passed. The pain intensifies and gets closer. I breathe through the contractions as another one passes.
"Sweetie, you will have to start pushing with each contraction. You have fully dilated," Mom instructs me. She removes my underwear, bends my legs knee-high, and closes the room door. Miriam still holds my hand. She's so comforting and I'm so grateful for her being here.
"Please save my baby, Miriam," I pleaded as I wait on the next contraction. I tried to focus on what it might feel like to hold my son in my arms, or my daughter if it's a girl.
"It hurts, Mom. Ugh! I need painkillers. I'm not having any more kids!" I seriously meant that. As a matter of fact, I would dare Vance to ever talk about having another child. Let's see who carries that one and goes through the labor pain. I scoffed at my own thoughts.
Here it comes, the next contraction. I am breathing heavily in preparation.
"Push!" Mom ordered and I push with all my might screaming as I exert the effort. "Okay, that was good. Relax now."
Despite feeling miserable because I know what's at stake, I relaxed. Miriam whispered encouraging words to me. I'm hoping we can get through this ordeal. I am picturing Vance happily coming home to our baby and he hugs us. We were smiling and being merry with our completed family.
"Push," being very reactive, I heed the directive and push down.
"Ahhhhh!" I'm crying now, feeling weary and drained. Come home, Vance. I wished for him to hear me. I'm dripping in sweat as Miriam wipes them. My strength was diminishing and my clothes felt saturated.
"Good job, honey." Mom does her examinations, "The baby is crowning, so give me a huge push on the next one. Let's get our baby into the world."
Easier said than done. The next contraction hits and I screamed louder, mustering all my force. "Ahhhhhhhh!" and I continue for the next five minutes.
Mom resorts to using forceps carefully positioned around the baby's head and joined together at the handles. My body gave a short quiver as the coldness of the metal touched my skin and went inside.
As soon as the contraction welts me I push again with determination. "AHHH!" I feel the baby slip out as Mom gently pulls him towards her, wrapping him up.
However, this was the part where I was anticipating hearing him sob. "Why isn't he crying?" Where were the congratulations when it was either a boy or a girl?
Miriam approaches Mom, who remains silent. My legs are still up, so I can't see them very well. "Mom, is it a girl?" I ask as I start to cry once more, fearing the worst.
"It's a boy," she said weakly.
My head flopped over from extreme exhaustion. "Is he....... is he........?" I wanted to ask but I can't bring myself to find out that he didn't make it. My tears expressed my loss. I couldn't save him.
My son is taken by Miriam, who is chanting to him while cradling him. Around his neck, a black cord illuminates in a blinking
pattern.
"That is the magical cord, right?" The pitch in my voice fluctuates as I am now hoarse.
I've sunken into the tragic fact that my son was gone. I sobbed while covering my face with both palms.
Mom comes over to me and hugs me, her eyes also watery. She kisses my forehead. "You did your best, sweetie." I rolled over into her bosom with the nonstop waterworks. "Let me clean you up and then I'll stay with you until Vance comes home." What kind of a healer am I when I can't even heal my child?
Miriam gives my son to me and I don't see the cord on his neck anymore. "I did all that I could," She explains with regret. I took him into my arms with care, as though he was alive and fragile. “Hold him for a while. It's almost time."
I nod to her, and she pats my head.
He's so pale and cute. He has his daddy's nose and my lips. His eyes remained tightly shut so I can't see their color, and there was no heartbeat. He's truly gone and I didn't get to feed him, or put on his first clothes, and tell him that I'm his mommy. I held his icy fingers and kiss him to say goodbye. Resting my forehead on his, I sang to him and held him like that.
Vance, our son has left us.