City of Time

La Façon Dont Les Étoiles Brillent

1989

Stephen slipped out of bed quietly. He didn't want to wake his wife. While she wasn't the type of person to tell, he couldn't risk it. She was too naive, and he feared that it wouldn't take much to get her to say something.

"Stephen," his wife whispered softly.

He turned to look at her. He should have known that she would wake up.

"You're going out?" she murmured.

"Yes," he told her," Valentine called a meeting."

"Oh, should I get dressed?'

"No," he breathed," He wants to see me alone."

"Is everything is fine?"

"Yes," he lied.

"Stephen, promise me that you'll come home," she begged.

Stephen could feel the aching in his heart. It wasn't that he didn't love her, he did. But it wasn't the same. He would never love anyone as much as he loved his first wife.

"I promise," he said, as he bent down to kiss her forehead.

He then turned and left. He wanted to get to his destination as quickly as possible.

He rode as swiftly. The cottage was miles away in Brocelind Forest. By the time he made it his heart was racing.

When he finally arrived it he knocked on the door loudly. He wanted to make sure that he was heard.

Brother Zachariah answered the door.

"Where is she?" Stephen demanded.

She is upstairs, Brother Zachariah told him.

As if on queue he heard a scream. Stephen pushed past Brother Zachariah, and ran up the stairs. He didn't bother knocking on the bedroom door before entering.

Amatis and Stephen locked eyes, before she let out another scream. Stephen rushed to her side.

"She's very close," said a voice.

Stephen looked up to see Annamarie Highsmith standing in the doorway with an armful of linens.

"What are you doing here?"

"She asked me to come," answered Annamarie.

Amatis told him that she had already found someone to help with the delivery, but the possibility that it would be Annamarie Highsmith hadn't even crossed his mind. In his opinion she was too close to Robert Lightwood, who was a high up member of The Circle. In fact he would have much rather had the warlock woman he had been told of than Annamarie. At least he and the warlock woman shared blood.

"You'll tell Valentine," growled Stephen, as he took Amatis' hand.

"I've been sworn to secrecy."

"How do I know that you're telling the truth?"

"You don't," she shrugged," You're going to have to trust me. It's too late for you to change that."

Amatis curled forward, and let out another scream. Annamarie ran forward, throwing the linens on the foot of the bed as she went.

"She's much closer than I thought," Annamarie told Stephen," She's already begun to push on her own."

Annamarie went to the corner of the room to retrieve thread, and scissors. She then walked back to the bed.

"I need you to take her hand," she instructed.