The pain was immediate and overwhelming. Like being torn apart from the inside, every nerve screaming, every cell burning with magical fire. I heard someone screaming and dimly realized it was me, but I couldn't stop. Couldn't control anything except the desperate need to protect the life growing inside me.
Through the agony, I felt Kael's hand in mine. Felt him anchoring me, keeping me from losing myself completely to the pain. Heard him whispering words I couldn't quite make out but that sounded like prayers or promises or both.
And then, suddenly, it stopped. The pain vanished, leaving only exhaustion and the echo of what I'd just endured.
"The binding is reinforced," the healer said, sounding tired. "Mother and baby are stable. The hemorrhaging has stopped. But Princess, you need complete bed rest for at least three days. Any stress, any exertion, and the binding could fail again. Next time, I might not be able to save you both."
