Page 2 of When Storms Ruin

The midwives remained on the outskirts of the room, letting the Stormshade witch take over. Only magic could save this child now.

Annelise gave the last of her strength, of her energy,and pushed and pushed and pushed. With a cry, the newborn entered the world, and the relief in the room was palpable. Annelise had lost a lot of blood, and her vision began to blur from the poisonous mixture she had taken. Birthing spells were dangerous, indeed.

“Take the child!” The Stormshade healer’s voice lashed out, a harsh command as one of the midwives scurried forwards to wrap the child in a muslin cloth in her arms. She rocked the baby back and forth, cooing to it softly to soothe its cries.

The Stormshade witch hovered over Annelise as her eyes rolled back into her head, nearing unconsciousness. The healer clasped the Bloodstone in her palm and reached intoher cloak to take out a small dagger. She cut her palm, the blood pouring forth to cover the Bloodstone greedily. The witch moved the Bloodstone to her other fist, where she clasped it tightly. Her bloody hand moved to smear bright red across Annelise’s forehead.

“This is blood magic!” One of the midwives cried out, clutching her chest with a shaking hand.

“This is forbidden!” Another of the maids called out, backing towards the door.

The Stormshade healer turned towards them, her eyes endless black pits, swirling with bright red blood.

“Hushhhh,” she hissed, her eyes falling on each of them before turning back towards Annelise.

Her spell had turned darker now, more sinister. The energy in the room had plummeted, all the magic focused within the spell the Stormshade witch spoke. A few of the candles lining the windowsill snuffed out, and a chill crept into the air. She spoke the same words, over and over, and after a few moments, Annelise’s eyes popped back open.

She took a deep breath, choking on the residual poison that coated her tongue.

“You will be fine now,” the Stormshade witch assured her.

Her eyes had transformed back to their plain, unremarkable hazel. The blood spell was complete. The healer grabbed a cloth and wiped the blood from Annelise’s forehead, the only evidence that remained of the dark magic.

She had saved the queen with blood magic…but at what cost?

The witch turned to the child, still in the maid’s arms. She pressed her thumb to the child’s forehead, a shocked gasp escaping her lips as her eyes turned milky white. Annelise had feared the worst, and the expression on the witch before her only confirmed those suspicions.

“A Stormshade,” she hissed, “a girl.”

She hadseen.The witch before her was far more powerful than she had initially thought. She turned towards Annelise, her white hair falling over her shoulder, worry in her eyes. “Keep hersafe. No matter the cost.She will be the key. Without her, there will never be an end to the strife that plagues this realm.”

Annelise had already suspected. Alastir had all but seen it, but the healer’s confirmation of the child’s destiny made her chest tighten painfully. How would she keep a Stormshade child safe from the king himself? Even if she was his only child?

“The king has arrived!” A voice called from the hallway.

Annelise could hear the floorboards creaking, the servants rushing about.

“You must go,now,” one of the midwives spoke as she led the Stormshade witch to a hidden passageway. She pulled a tapestry in the queen’s bedroom to the side, revealing a small stone door.

“Thank you,” Annelise called out, her voice strangled.

The Stormshade healer turned once, glancing from Annelise to the child, then disappeared through the stone door and down the corridor beyond without a word.

“Give her to me,” Annelise commanded, her arms outstretched.

The midwife hurriedly brought the child forth, placing the babe in her waiting arms.

“What will you name her, your majesty?” The midwife asked, using a wet towel to clean Annelise off and make her presentable for their king.

Annelise’s lips curled into a soft smile.

“Diana,” she answered, her eyes never leaving the face of the child held firmly within her embrace.

The child struggled and cried out, but she was with her mother, and she was safe. For now.

Heavy footsteps sounded down the corridor, and Annelise dreaded what she knew would come next. There was no way for her to hide the child’s true nature from Osiris, she only prayed that he would forgive her. That he wouldn’t hurt them. There had been no time to find a cloaking spell to mask the child’s magic as she had done to herself, and they were out of time. She only had a few fleeting moments alone with her child before the king burst into the room, his Nightshade guards flanking him on either side.

“Annelise?” The unspoken question held so much tenderness in it as the king met her eyes and spoke.

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