The Haunted Memories (Forgotten Series, #4)

Chapter 14

There was so much blood. How could she survive the loss of that much blood? My heart pounded in my ears and throat as I quickly pulled her shirt up. I didn't want her to lose anymore, I didn't want to cause her anymore pain but I promised I would save her baby. I wiped my face, holding back tears. This was my fault. It was all my fault. Mal-

I choked on his name and tried to push everything away as I carefully cut through one of the gashes in her belly. She told me to save the baby, to take care of it. I reached into the hot cavity of her belly, holding back the sobs as my hands shook. It felt wrong, like when I first met her, picking bone shards out of her chest. I felt the baby's head against my palm through the wall of her womb and I slowly opened the cut wider. I didn't want to cut her open more. I didn't want to hurt her more.

She was so small, so fragile and now Malak had broken her. He just wouldn't stop. He just kept hitting her, even when her legs had given out, even when her back was mutilated to the point where her bones were showing, even when the pool of blood around her grew to the point where it was running in trails across the ground towards him. He just wouldn't stop. I had tried. I tried to save her but they held me down, forcing me to watch.

My vision blurred and I tried to blink it away as I used a claw to carefully cut through her womb and I reached into the opening, cradling the baby's tiny head in my hand as I carefully slid the child out of it, shifting its shoulders so it would come out easier.

There was too much blood. It wasn't really coming out anymore, a slow trickle that showed just how bad off she was. Her heart was beating so slow. I slowly pulled the baby out of her body as carefully as I could.

Nexus told me to let them both die. That it would be better if they both died but I couldn't do that to Maggie. She asked me to save the baby, begged me to save her child. I couldn't tell her no.

The baby didn't respond to the colder air of the infirmary as I slipped it out of her mother's body completely, holding her tiny form in my hands. She was so little. I blinked at the limp little form I held in my hands.

She was so small.

I jostled her as I tried to clear her face, using the corner of my shirt to clean it, swiping my finger in her mouth. She was still. So so still. I flipped her over on my arm and patted her back, trying to clear her lungs. A tiny, reedy cry came from her after a few moment as her arms and legs finally started moving. I gave a small cry of relief as I grabbed a towel from the bedside table and wrapped her up, rubbing her to frustrate her. Her hair was a shock of black next to her pale skin and I gave a small watery chuckle as she made a face at me as her eyes opened.

"Look at her, Maggie. She's beautiful." I glanced towards the cot and my smile disappeared as a rock settled into my stomach. Maggie's chest was still and there was no life to her body, she was gone. I blinked at the tears that entered my eyes. The little, hastily wrapped life in my arms gave another thin and weak cry that had me patting her, holding her close. Maggie was gone. Gone to a place where she would never come back from.

"Give her here." The smell of herbs tickled my nose and I held the little girl protectively to my chest as I sought out the healer. She held a linen blanket over her arms as she gestured at the bundle. "Come. Give her over." I tilted my body away, my wolf baring his teeth at her, the baby was our responsibility. We had to take care of her, for Maggie. My heart twisted and tore at itself at the thought of her. She was gone. Just... gone.

"Maggie told me to take care of her." I wiped my cheek on my shoulder sniffling, trying to fight back the tears. They were a weakness. I wasn't supposed to show them to anyone. It was how I was raised, how all warriors were raised.