A Reckless Witch

CHAPTER 23



Sophie grinned at Moira. “I wondered how long she was going to wait to tell him she was in labor.”

“She did well for a first-timer. Those warm-up contractions have been coming for quite a while now. She’s done well to give everyone this much of a chance to regroup.” Moira studied Nat’s face. “But this babe is coming fast now. You’d best be getting your things ready. I’ll go chat with Devin and Lauren and get them moving.”

Sophie stood up and walked over toward Nat. Moira was never wrong about these things. She tried to gauge how much the excitement in the room needed to tamp down for Nat’s comfort. Some laboring mamas needed absolute quiet. Others welcomed a circus in the early stages. Currently, the room leaned more toward the latter.

“She’s okay for now,” Lauren said quietly, touching Sophie’s shoulder. “Jamie’s about to hyperventilate, though.”

Sophie laughed. Generally a midwife’s first assignment was the father-to-be. “Do me a favor—find the calm minds and start gently clearing the room. No rush just yet.”

Lauren eyed her. “You’re expecting one though, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.” If you had a handy mind witch, you might as well put her to work. “How’s the baby’s mental state?”

“Intent.” Lauren closed her eyes for a moment. Her breath caught. “She has a lot in common with several witches facing down a tsunami this morning.” Her eyes popped back open. “She’s scared, Soph. And ready to charge a mountain headfirst.”

Sophie tried not to giggle. When you were talking about babies birthing, headfirst was a good thing. She met Lauren’s worried gaze. “She’s about to be born. That’s a force of nature bearing some resemblance to a forty-foot wave.”

Lauren paled. “Is Nat ready for that?”

“Not yet.” It would come. It always did. “But she will be. And your job is to believe it, even when she doesn’t.” Because that, too, would likely come. Birthing mamas had discovered “hitting the wall” long before marathon runners. She heard another contraction arriving for Nat and glanced at her watch. Three minutes. Damn. Moira was right. This one was going to move fast.

She looked at Lauren. “Never mind. Go get Devin.”

Judging from the speed Devin flew out of the crowd, Lauren had paged him with some impressive volume. “What? What’s wrong?”

Sophie tried to project a sense of calm. Insanity would come soon enough, and ideally not from the birthing team. “Get your circle ready.”

His eyes bugged. “Now?”

“Now.”

Shifting into high gear, Sophie parted the crowd, catching Retha’s eye. It was time to clear the room. And then they all stopped dead as Aervyn’s mental voice boomed. Everybody outta here. Nat’s gotta have a baby, and we’re too dis-trac-ting. We can all wait in the back yard and stuff.

Caro patted his head. “First babies take a long time, wonderboy. Maybe we should go wait at my house.”

“Nope.” Aervyn grinned. “She wants to share my birthday, so she’s coming really soon.” He patted Nat’s belly, then hopped off the arm of her chair. “We’ll go make a circle now, and I’ll save her some cake.”

The room cleared out just in time for Nat’s next contraction. Sophie knelt down by her patient, scanning quickly. Good oxygen, strong heartbeat, and a body readying for the opening necessary to birth a baby. Excellent. She looked up at Nat, reassurance in her eyes. “She’s doing beautifully in there. How are you?”

Nat blew out air. “A little scared. I didn’t expect the early contractions to be quite this wild.”

Sophie’s scan had shown what Moira already knew. “These aren’t the early ones, love. You’ve jumped straight into the thick of things.” Time for a little truth-telling. “It’s looking like this little girl’s coming fast and fierce. We just need to stay with her. It’ll be pretty intense, but I don’t think it’s going to take very long.”

Nat nodded, still breathing. “Stay in the moment.”

“Exactly.” Sophie nodded at Jamie. “Let’s get her into the birthing room after this next contraction, into the water tub.” They had a huge and lovely pool for Nat to labor and birth in, if she wished. Most mamas wished—the water was blissful.

Jamie looked panicked. “We didn’t put the water in or heat it up yet.”

Sophie tried not to laugh. “You have a house full of witches, Jamie.”

“Oh. Right.” He looked around. “Mom? Can you get the tub ready?”

Retha’s eyes crinkled from the doorway. “Matt’s got it covered. Get your swim trunks on. We’re ready whenever you are.”

Jamie crouched down in front of his wife. “How do you want to get there, sweetheart? Walking, or I can carry you, or we can port.”

Nat tried to smile, even as the next contraction ramped up. She grabbed his shoulders and moaned as her belly shuddered. “I’ll walk. I think.”

Sophie scanned again as they walked down the hall. Nat was clearing tension from the contractions as well as anyone she’d ever attended. Good. They weren’t all that far from transition.

Otherwise known as the moment when all hell breaks loose.

~ ~ ~

Lauren looked at Devin as they followed Nat down the hall, glad she was a mind witch. Otherwise she might have believed he was as calm as his exterior suggested. “Now what?”

“We let Nat and Jamie get in the pool.” He squeezed her hand. “Relax. You need to go link with Nat next, and you want to send her some of that serenity she drinks like water.”

She frowned, trying to figure out the logistics. “How do we link up with the rest of the circle?” And then felt Caro and Retha’s inbound mindlinks. “Never mind.”

Devin grinned. “They’re always on point for the birthing circles. They’ll feed to us, and we’ll feed to Nat and Jamie.”

Lauren barely heard him. The rising tide in her head was one of the most amazing things she’d ever felt. She paused, soaking in the vibrations. “How many people are out there?”

“Everybody.” His simple answer rocked her. “The ones with magic send power. They all send love.”

Lauren breathed, flooded by the magic—and added every ounce of love for her best friend and the man Nat had chosen. Then she took Devin’s hand and prepared to be a conduit for the immense welcome waiting to greet one small girl.

Sophie and Ginia looked up as they knelt by the pool. Nat was deep in another contraction, Jamie spooned behind her in the birthing pool. Panic was gone. Now there was just focus.

Lauren watched—awed, but not at all surprised, by her friend’s courage.

“Not long now,” said Sophie, whisper quiet.

Nat’s eyes opened as the contraction eased off, and she gulped from the water Ginia held out. Jamie murmured wordless gratitude and pride.

Devin took Lauren’s hand again. It was time to link. She could already feel his connection with Jamie, the rock solid bond of brotherhood.

Lauren reached out, extending a gentle link to her best friend. Feel this, Nat. Feel how much they love you. She let the flood in her mind flow out and around Nat and the girl in her belly.

And reveled in the joy of sharing magic with her best friend for the first time. Nat’s eyes shone with stunned awe, and Jamie’s eyes glistened as he wrapped careful arms around his wife.

Soaked in magic, Nat rode the next contraction, body straining, and heart clear. Sophie touched Lauren’s arm. “Loop in the baby. It’s time.”

Steeped in communal joy, Lauren reached the gentlest of connections toward the baby—and stopped breathing as a questing mindlink reached for hers. We love you, sweet girl.

Love surged through the birthing circle, the fourteen strong in the inner circle, and dozens more surrounding them. Time stood still as hearts called to the witching community’s newest member.

For a moment, she only listened, cradled in endless love.

And then power flared, surging for freedom. The baby’s mind held only one focus. She was coming. Now.

Nat sprang halfway out of the birthing pool, primal roar sounding as the desperate need to push! slammed into her body.

Lauren yanked down enough barriers to resist the screaming need to join Nat on hands and knees. Barely. Holy hell. Wasn’t there supposed to be some kind of warning before this part?

Dazed and gasping for air, she watched as Nat’s body finally relaxed—and then immediately surged again. Jamie held on, anguish all over his face, as the intensity overwhelmed his wife. Her voice was tortured. “I… can’t. I can’t.” Focus shattered, her mind and body ran, looking for a place to hide.

And got hit by the third contraction in a row. God. Lauren had never felt so totally helpless.

Sophie grabbed her hand. “Pipe me in. Into Nat’s head. Now.”

Lauren piped, throat closed in fear.

Still connected, she felt the weight of Sophie’s absolute trust and love land in the middle of chaos. You can do this, Natalia Sullivan. It’s time to push, sweetheart. Your girl’s on her way, and she needs your help.

The world stopped for a moment—and then Nat drank in the hope Sophie offered. From some impossible well deep inside, she pulled out more strength. And this time, when the contraction hit, every cell in her body bore down.

And to Lauren’s utter shock, Nat’s fear vanished, replaced by utter commitment.

Sophie smiled in deep approval. “Good.” She looked over at Lauren, command in her eyes. “She’s going to get her part done. You get ready for our baby girl’s magic.”

Lauren clutched Devin’s hand. She’d heard the stories. Until this moment, she hadn’t really believed them.

She believed now.

Leaving Nat in Sophie’s abundantly capable hands, Lauren focused on her connection with Devin. They felt the steady support of the circle, waiting and ready.

She held her breath as Nat quieted for a moment.

And then hung on for dear life as the dynamite lit.

~ ~ ~

Sierra was the first to feel the enormous storm blasting out of the room where Nat gave birth, every channel inside her tuned to the massive energies. She held tight to Mia on one side, Aervyn on the other. Birthday-boy’s eyes were big as plates. “It’s just like me. Just like when I was born.”

The nine witches of the inner circle, led by Caro and Retha, turned as one, facing the torrent of power streaming out of the bedroom.

Sierra watched in awe as witch after witch behind them stood up. Dozens of them, inside the house and out, all doing the same thing. Taking whatever power they could handle and grounding it. Safety for the baby witchling.

One small boy with purple hair quietly scooped and grounded, never touching more power than she might use to light a candle. His steady effort of love nearly brought her to her knees.

Standing up, she joined in. Scoop and ground. Keep the baby safe.

Nell looked up as thunder crashed overhead and wind screamed around the house. “Damn. I guess she’s an air witch too.”

“No.” Sierra gulped and tried to read the lines as power beat against all of them. “She’s doing all this with fire. I think.”

Aervyn nodded, eyes even bigger. “She’s really scared, Mama.”

Nell held his hand more tightly. “We need to hold on for her. Hold her and take all this power of hers and put it somewhere safe.”

Sierra kept collecting and grounding, speechless that one small baby could handle this much power.

And then she felt the lightning bolt coming.

Magic from the circle instantly rose up to meet it. A shield. Soft. Absorb the lightning.

NO! Sierra jumped forward. Too late. She yanked for power as lightning hit the shield and sprayed off in a hundred directions, witches scrambling to clean it up.

Sierra shook her head at the mess as the energies coming from the birthing room eased off momentarily. Dammit, had none of them ever caught lightning before?

No. Devin’s voice held a trace of humor. And I think there’s more coming. You’re in charge of lightning patrol. Take Aervyn.

She grabbed wonderboy’s hand. “Time to go be superheroes. Can you get us up on the roof? With the brooms?”

Aervyn looked scorched by joy.

“Hang on.” Nell grabbed his other hand just as they ported.

Sierra swung around, agitated. They had to hurry. “I can keep him safe!”

“Of course you can.” Nell added fireglobes back to their brooms. “Now you’ll be able to see him. Go!”

A quick landing on the roof ridge, energies sizzling all around them, and then they were on their broomsticks, capes flying. Sierra had a hard, dish-shaped shield up just as the next lightning bolt crackled. She shot left, clinging to the broom with her knees, and snagged it with the very edge of the shield. Victory. Barely.

Hard and fast now, lightning flung itself down from the sky, streaks of searing fire slicing the black of the darkest night. Wind buffeted their brooms, tossing them around as they flew the shield, storm-riders bouncing lightning back up into the sky.

Sierra ducked under a streak of fire just as it branched—and heard Aervyn laughing like a maniac, even as he blazed power. No birthday present on earth was ever going to beat this.

Except possibly a new cousin.

~ ~ ~

Devin could feel Lauren trying to soothe the baby. It was kind of like trying to pet a tiger. A really mad, scared one.

At least the house hadn’t gone up in flames yet, thanks to a seriously busy magic bucket brigade.

He saw Sophie, head down beside Nat’s, encouraging her through yet another round of pushing, Jamie glued to her back. Maybe someday the terror would fade, and he’d only remember the fierce beauty of it.

Right now, he was too busy trying to manage all the totally reckless magic his niece-to-be was throwing at the world on her way into it. They had a broomstick lightning patrol, every water witch in the place putting out fires, and he was pretty sure this half of Berkeley mistakenly thought it was morning, courtesy of the fire globe as big as a small planet that currently hung over the house.

Quite the way to light up the darkest night of the year.

With what little energy he could spare, Devin reached out for his mother’s mind. Everyone holding on out there?

Of course. Her calm unfrayed some of his nerves. What else would we be doing?

I can’t believe you did this three times.

Her laughter bubbled. You can thank me later.

He reached for yet another blazing power stream. Little punk was trying to heat up the water in the birthing pool. That’ll boil both you and your mama, silly girl.

Lauren slid back into contact, her mind lurching. Toughest damn negotiation of my life.

She throw you out again?

Yeah.

His niece needed some work on her manners. He grinned. She was such a Sullivan.

He scanned, watching for her next trick—and then in a whoosh, the storm of power vanished.

His eyes snapped open.

And saw Lauren’s, gooey with joy, peering over his shoulder into the birthing pool.

Slowly, he turned around—and saw the latest baby Sullivan floating in the water, absolutely calm, big brown eyes looking up at her parents.

He was almost prepared for the wallop of love that hit his heart—Aervyn’s birth hadn’t been that long ago.

He was totally unprepared for the hammer stroke of longing. He looked at the gorgeous naked baby curled up in her parents’ arms. And wanted. Yearned. Then he looked over at Lauren—and knew who he wanted it with.

He cursed. Mightily. He pleaded with whoever might be listening.

Then he gave up and let the third tidal wave of the day knock over his heart.

Reaching out, he wrapped an arm around Lauren’s shoulders, pulling her into his chest. Taking one last moment, he breathed in the still-salty smell of her hair. And dove in. “Marry me.”

Her eyes, snapping up to his, looked exactly the way they had before the fifteen-foot wall of water had engulfed them earlier in the day. “What?”

He’d spent a lifetime with mind witches. He said nothing. Just opened.

He watched the waves crashing in her eyes. Disbelief. Desire. Fear. Love. And then, finally, the one he really needed to see. Lauren found her inner sense of adventure.

He spun her around, grinning, as she crushed her lips to his. She might want to take swimming lessons.