When hearts meet

Chapter 15 ~ Give me what I want

Manon's golden eyes flicked from Elide's baby belly to Lorcan, who had an arm draped over the little lady's shoulders.

Slowly she stalked forward, and Lorcan's dark eyes scanned her up and down.
She stopped inches away from the couple.

It felt like everyone held their breaths, everyone anticipated what the witch queen was gonna do, but no one had expected this.

Because Manon sank to her knees and placed her hands softly on Elide's belly.
And let her tears fall.

                              ~

She didn't care that everyone was watching, that her tears streamed down her cheeks.
Because this was sacred.
This baby would be sacred, just like Elide was a sacred friend to her.

"Little witchling," she whispered ever so softly, as her hands felt warm on Elide's belly. "Little witchling," she murmured again.

Manon didn't know how to feel. If to be over the moon of excitement, or be consumed my grieve and sorrow. "Manon?!" Elide's gentle voice said softly, almost tentative.

Manon lifted her golden gaze towards her friend and stood up.
She lifted her chin, not wiping the still streaming tears away. No, these tears were valid.

Elide's dark eyes were lined with silver, as the lady said: "I know. I get it."

Manon gave her and Lorcan a crooked smile. "Asterin would've been over the moon to hear this news. And so am I. This little girl shall be a part of my witch family, from now, until the darkness claims us. Just like her mother will always be."

Elide cried full out now, Manon sniffing the hormones that swirled through Elide's body. The witch did something she didn't do often, and pressed her friend into a warm hug.

A tight, full on 'I love you' hug.

"Congratulations," she whispered, before she pulled away and clapped Lorcan on the shoulder, letting her hand rest, digging her iron nails in, just a bit.

"I never really liked you, and now I have to. Because you're the father of my niece. So....congratulations, you bastard."

Lorcan snorted, and the rest that was standing in the living room still, emotional and happy, laughed.

"I don't want to ruin the fun," Azriel said as he winnowed back in. "But we have a very angry silhouette chained up in the Court of Nightmares."

Back to reality it was....

                              ~

"We still need to decide who's gonna interrogate that thing." Brion said as he paced back and forth in the living room.

He was restless. He needed to do something, eliminate this threat and keep his family, his friends...her, safe. His father placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and made him stop pacing.

"You should decide Rhys," Aelin said. "It's your court, your rules." Rhys nodded. "You all have experience as well, I'd love to hear your intel."

That's what Brion admired about his father. He was humble, calculating and wise. Always thought of the greater good, not of his own imagine.