Page 56 of The Dragon Queen

Iglanceatmymates,buttheynod,motioningmeforward.Idon'tlikebeingevenafewstepsawayfromthemrightnow,butIdon'twanttooverwhelmMariutza.Apparently,theyagree,becausetheystayinthehallwayoutside.

"Don'tgetup,"IbegMariutza.

Delaynie'sonherfeet,too,heryarnandneedlescastaside. "Grandma--"

"It'sfine,"Mariutzapromises,asifshehasn'tbeenallbutbedriddenforthepastcoupleofweeks.

Thedoctorfrowns,butdoesn'tstopher. "Carefulnottooverdoit--it'lltakesometimetoregainyourstrength.Butatthispoint,Idon'tseeanyreasonyoushouldn'tbeupandabout."

"See?"Mariutzarollshereyesasifeveryone'sbeingsilly,treatingherlikeglass.Shetotterstowardmeandtakesmyhands. "Besides.Ican'thelpyoutakeonErembourandthatnastylittlewitchofhisfrommybed,nowcanI?"

"Grandma,"Delaynieadmonishes,moreharshlythistime.Sheshootsapanickedglanceinmydirection,likeshe'sexpectingmetotalksomesenseintotheoldwoman.

"Don'tyouworryaboutKingErembourortheSorceress."IgiveMariutza'sbonyfingersagentlesqueeze.

Shecackles. "Iwillstopworryingaboutthemwhenthey'resixfeetunder--andeventhen.I'llkickthedirteverydaytomakesuretheystaydown."

Ismiledespitemyself.Itseemsabsurdthatshe'dsquareoffagainsttheShadowKingagainafterthetollthelastbattletookonherhealth,butI'dbeafooltocountherout.

Asifshecanreadmymind,shefixesmewithagazethat'sasclear-eyedasI'veeverseenit. "Thisismyfightasmuchasitisyours."

"Iknow,but--"

She'snothearinganyprotests. "Youhaveyourdestiny,"shesaysenigmatically. "AndIhavemine."

Thensheblinks.Sheshiftshergazelower,confusedforamomentbeforehervisionsharpensagain.

Smiling,shereleasesmyhandstopressherpalmtomybelly,andIsuckinaroughbreath.

"Andsodoyou,"Mariutzasaystomymidsection. "Don'tyou,Princess?"

Fromthedoor,there'sastranglednoise,andthenacrash.IjerkmygazetothesidetofindAmystandingthere,atrayandanoverturnedbowllyingatherfeet,thecarpetstainingwithwhatlookslikeitwaschickennoodlesoup.

StaringatMariutza'shandonmyflatbelly,shecovershermouthwithherhandsbeforewhispering, "OhmyfuckingGods."

Chapter

Seventeen

EMBER

ThemomentIstepoutofthedoctor'smakeshiftoffice,allfourofmymates,AmyandRhiannonallrisetotheirfeetasone.Iputahandonmystomachinafutileattempttoquietthebutterfliesflutteringaroundinthere.

"Well,it'sofficial."

"You'reknockedup,"Amyfinishes.

Inod,myvoicewobblywithnervesandexcitement. "Wellandtruly."

It'stooearlyforaconventionalmedicaltest,butmagichasitsuses,andextremelyearlyresultpregnancytestsareapparentlyoneofthem.

Really,though,wasthereanyquestion?Mymatesscentedthechangeinme;Mariutzafeltitwithjustalook.Allofthiswasaformality.

Thatdoesn'tmakeitanylessmomentous,ofcourse.Amysqueals,butthere'snocompetingwithmymatesforfirsttoembraceme.

Storm'sclosest,andhepullsmeintohisarms,kissingmewetandwarm,anddrawingbacktogazeatmewithglassyeyes.Jianyuisnext,andthenMalik,andthenRafeisthere.Hiskissislesswarmandmorehot,andmyinsidesmelt.Itdoesn'tmatterthatwemadeloveoverandoverandoverallmorning--itdoesn'tmatterthattheirbabyisgrowinginsideofme.Istillcan'tgetcloseenough,myinnerdragon'shungerforthesemenaforceofnatureallitsown.

OnlyafterRafereleasesmedoesRhiannonclearherthroat. "Congratulations."

---