A Feysand Fanfic

Chapter 2

I awoke to Cassian snoring lightly in my ear, and sunlight streaming in through the windows. I reached over and slapped him.

"Uuuuhhh," he moaned, rolling over. "Owww."

"Poor little Illyrian baby," I taunted, sitting up.

Coming to, he grumbled, "What'd you have to do that for?" into the pillow.

"You're talking into a pillow, Cassian, I can't understand you."

He lifted his head just enough to say without pillow interference, "What'd you have to do that for, bitch?" He dropped his head back into the pillow again.

"I think you may have taken some extra liberties, Cassian." I responded. "You added a word. When someone asks you to repeat something, what you're supposed to do is repeat exactly what you said."

He gave me one of his typical vulgar gestures in response.

"Asshole." I said to him. "And now, Cassian correct me if I'm wrong, but you said you would get me a healer this morning. So we can figure out if I'm pregnant or not. So I believe you have to get your lazy ass out of my room."

"I know, I know," he said, sitting up and putting his head in his hands. "You know, there is now a small part of me that wishes that you aren't actually pregnant, so then I won't feel obligated to do stuff for you."

"Get out." I growled at him.

"I'm going, I'm going," he grumbled, smirking and dragging himself out of bed. He exaggeratingly stomped across the room with excessive loudness, and let himself out, slamming the door behind him. I swore, and I swear I heard his laugh come from further down the hall as he walked out.

While Cassian was gone, I took a hot bath for about an hour, spending most of it just staring at my belly. But when Cassian finally arrived, I was dressed in a long, silky turquoise gown perched on the edge of my bed, apprehensive.

A knock sounded at my door, and my stomach turned over. But when it opened, only Cassian's familiar head of dark hair appeared. "How's it going, mama bear?" he said. "Are you feeling less bitchy now?" But when he saw the look on my face, he transformed. In the span of a second, snarky Cassian turned into caring, compassionate Cassian. He crossed the room in two strides, and he sat down on the bed next to me and started rubbing my back.

"Aww, you'll be fine." he assured me. "There's nothing to be worried about. Zahlaya's super nice, you'll love her. And don't worry about either answer you receive today. We'll figure it out either way."

"Thanks Cass," I said. "What did you tell the others?"

"Oh, they don't suspect anything. I just told them you're a little tired this morning, and that you want some peace and quiet at the townhouse this morning before Rhys comes home."

I snorted. "Hard to get any of that with you around." He playfully slapped my arm, but he knew that was my way of letting him know that I was okay.

"Zahlaya, come on in," he called. "I need some help with this grouch in here." I glared at him, but I spared him when a woman who I assumed must be Zahlaya appeared in the doorway.

She was a solid woman with dark, chocolate colored skin, and curly hair that stuck up in all different directions, forming a halo of hair around her head. She wore traditional Night Court clothing, and bands of gold hung along her arms, and one golden band around her forehead glowed like the sun. As soon as she stepped into the room, I felt warmer, safer, lighter. Like I was on a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining just for me. Her laugh tinkled around the room, and when she spoke, he accented voice lilted like a flower.

"You must be Feyre, and I am Zahlaya." She crossed the room, and I stood up as she came over. She immediately embraced me. I decided I liked her.

"As Cassian told you, there is nothing too worry about. I will do a check up on you, and then if it turns out that you are bearing a child, then I will start you on herbs, and exercises, and a daily routine."

"How-" I began, but Cassian seemed to already know what I was wondering.

"Zahlaya is a special Healer," Cassian explained "one that has a special sort of magic and focus on midwifery, correct?" Cassian looked to Zahlaya.

"Yes," Zahlaya answered. "We are born with a certain... intuition. And powers. We are drawn to mothers and children, and we have a certain sense for pregnancies, children, and health." She paused. A look of slight confusion must have been on my face, because she said, "You will see, young one," and patted my knee.

Zahlaya had me lie down on the bed, remove my gown, and lie in my undergarments beneath a blanket that covered most of my body. We kicked Cassian outside of the room, and Zahlaya explained that she focuses better without males anyways. "Now," she explained, "I am going to begin. Don't be put off by me while I am examining you," she said, "for it is a sort of meditation. So I will have to have my eyes closed, and I may have to place my hands on your belly underneath the blanket to sense the baby. The most important thing for you to do is to relax, and breathe," she told me, and then she began.

The whole ordeal took the greater part of an hour. She closed her eyes, as she had said, and started by chanting and gesturing over me. Then she put her hands on my belly, occasionally singing, and this was the part at which she started to glow. It was a radiant, buttery golden glow that emanated from her hands and her head itself. My eyes started to feel heavy in the heat, and despite my attempts to keep them open, I think they must have slid shut at some point, for I awoke to cool fingers touching my brow. I looked up to find Zahlaya bending over me with her eyes open, and her golden glow reduced.

"Wha-" I began, groggily sitting up. Somehow, I had ended up back in my turquoise gown.

"Shhh," Zahlaya said. "I am finished. Would you like to hear the news first without Cassian?"

"Yes, please." I said, returning the knowing smile she gave me. My heart began to pound, and my mouth dried up.

"Well," she said with a smile, "you are pregnant!" I gasped aloud, a sharp intake of sudden breath. "But," she said, "there is more that I have to tell you." Her face became serious, grave, even, and my heart skipped a beat.

"What?" I asked immediately. "Is he okay? Is he healthy?"

"Yes, yes, you are healthy, all is well." She assured me, patting my knee. "Why do you assume you are having a boy?"

My heartbeat settling back to a slightly more normal rhythm, I pondered how to explain the Bone Carver to Zahlaya.

"A being," I started, "that knows all, appeared to me as my first born. And he was a baby boy."

"Yes, yes, I can see that." Zahlaya responded. "You speak of the Bone Carver?" I nodded, too curious about my child to ask how she knew him. "Well, he didn't show you the whole truth," she said with a smile, "For you are carrying a baby boy. But you are also carrying his twin sister." I sat there, a feeling so powerful flooding through me that I couldn't move, speak, or do anything as she continued. "I can sense them both very strongly. Much stronger than usual, at such an early stage. You carry two very powerful twins within you, for both have the power to rattle the stars."  

That was a long one! Please consider giving this a vote or a comment; it means a lot to me as a writer so I know if you liked it!! I'll try to update as soon as I can.