Page 291 of May: Bloom & Bane

—SAGE & ASHÁN

Four days later⁠—

I have spent three lifetimes learning the shape of desire. Or at least I thought I had.

I thought I’d felt desire in every form it came in. And then Eden got round with our daughter, and I realized I’d known nothing.

She’s curled into the heart of the nest right now. For the past month, Ashán and I have worn every piece of clothing before giving it to her, making sure the den smells of nothing but us.

It is entirely neeth. She is entirely neeth.

My vines creep up through the bedding while Ashán’s cool shadows gather beneath them, forming a living cradle that gently lifts the weight of her belly, taking the pressure off her aching hips.

She’s so beautiful it almost hurts to look at her, Ashán murmurs.

She is, I agree. She has been restless all day, readjusting the nest for what has to be the hundredth time.

“Saevúra.” I slide closer, my hand settling on the small of her back. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She breathes out slowly. “It’s… nothing. Just twingy. I’ve had little cramps all afternoon. They come and go—” She winces, and her whole body curls inward. “Okay. That one was a little more than twingy.”

Ashán’s shadows flare, spiking with alarm before he forces them smooth again.

Sage! he shouts. The baby! It’s happening. My daughter is coming.

Our daughter, I correct. Calm down before she feels all your… feelings.

“Eden,” I murmur, resting my hand over her belly. “Sweetheart. I think she’s coming.”

The flash of fear that crosses her face undoes me completely.

“It’s okay,” I whisper, pressing my mouth to her temple. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. We’ve got you. You’re not doing a single second of this alone.”

She nods against my chest, her breathing still uneven as she clings to me. Another cramp rolls through her. This time she doesn’t try to hide it.

… I could take her mind off it, he offers.

Ash. Seriously. Right now?

What? She’s anxious and tense. That’s bad for her and the baby. Everyone knows you want a laboring woman relaxed. He’s already prowling up against the inside of our skin. And I happen to be very, very good at relaxing her.

“What’s he saying?” She mumbles against my chest.

“He has… a suggestion.”

“What kind of suggestion?”

Tell her, Ashán purrs. Dragons do this all the time. Or so I’ve heard. It helps with dilation and pain.

You have never had an issue telling her whatever it is you’ve wanted to say before, so why don’t you tell her yourself?

He’s goading me.

“Ashán thinks,” I whisper against the shell of her ear, “that the best thing we could do to ease your pain is to put our mouth between your legs and keep it there until you come so hard your whole body loosens, and the tension drains right out of you.”

Eden’s breath catches. Her fingers tighten around my forearm.

“Sage, I’m in l-labor,” she stutters.