Land of Light and Shadows

Chapter 47

She quickly shook her head...then cursed herself for doing so. Every little movement was making it worse.

They were joined by two others not a second later.

"What's going on?" Allel demanded in a whisper, followed by Kalla who was sharing her and Mik's room.

Why, oh why, did they have to hear her?

Cool air. That's what she needed.

Stomach still twisting, Lyv quickly rushed from their tent.

Of course, Thia, Allel, and Kalla followed.

The night's chill didn't stop her from heaving once more, though the contents of her stomach were little to none. Thia still helped hold her hair back as Allel rubbed circles along her back. Kalla had run back inside and appeared a moment later with a skin of water, which Lyv grabbed immediately.

"What's going on?" Thia asked as Lyv rinsed her mouth and spat out the water before drinking more.

Wiping the back of her hand against her chin, she managed a wavering smiled. "I'm fine. Just...shouldn't have move that quickly."

Allel reached up and put a hand to Lyv's forehead. "You don't have a fever or anything. How long has this been going on? You seemed fine earlier..."

"I am. Promise."

Even Kalla was alarmed. "I haven't seen someone that green since Corliss found out she was..." Her mouth shut with an audible snap. "Oh, shit."

This time, Lyv didn't give an answer or explanation. Kalla was the first to realize what was going on.

Followed by Allel, who took just a few seconds to realize what Kalla was thinking back on.

And lastly, Thia...who just stared at her, eyes dropping to Lyv's hand as soon as she pressed it once more to her stomach.

Thia covered her hand with her own, eyes wide and filling with tears. "Lyv, you're..."

Kalla beat her to it. "She's pregnant."

She said it too loud, though everyone was still asleep and the guardsmen on patrol weren't anywhere nearby. Still, Lyv looked around in a panic, pulling the three them back inside and into the kitchen space. Just as she did with Elys, she put up another ward of silence around them.

Turning to face them, she found all three staring.

"I'm begging you," she breathed, voice cracking. "I'm begging you to not say anything, especially not to Jai or my parents. Please. You know what they'll do if they found out. I can't leave, though. I'm needed here and I'm...I'm all right. Just a little nauseous, but fine. And I can hide it pretty well. Jai...well, he didn't notice the little mental ward I put up between us, because I can't tell him. He can't know. Not even Gideon, because he's just as overprotective of me as Jai is. And I..."

"Lyv, you're rambling," Thia told her, brushing her fingers across her cheeks as she tried to wipe away her tears.

"I'm rambling," she continued, "because I can't help it. My mind is going all over the place because I...I'm pregnant."

It was the first time she said the words aloud.

And they hit a different way than they had in her head.

Which, of course, made her start crying all over again.

Thia was the first to rush for her, gathering her up in a fierce hug. Allel and Kalla quickly joined, the three of them holding Lyv tight as her fears of what was to come overpowered her happiness and excitement. And it wasn't just of the war they were in, but rather Dessa's future with the dark magic that would run in her veins along with her light. What would it do to her? Lyv knew how it manifested in Cleo and even in Adeena, but she didn't know anything about Dessa. The only thing she knew about her magic was her ability to create portals, but nothing past that.