Labor started two weeks early.
I woke in the middle of the night with sharp pain radiating through my belly. Different from the practice contractions I'd been having for weeks. More intense, more purposeful.
"Kael," I gasped, shaking him awake. "The baby's coming."
He was alert immediately, years of crisis response kicking in. "Are you sure? The healers said you had at least two more weeks."
"The baby apparently disagrees. Get Elena and the midwives. Now."
The next hours were a blur of pain and effort. Labor with Arianna had been difficult but relatively quick. This one was longer, more exhausting, complicated by my body still recovering from the first pregnancy.
Elena stayed by my side throughout, using her magic to monitor both me and the baby. "He's strong. Heart rate is good. Just taking his time."
"Can you speed this up?" I gasped between contractions. "Because I'd really like to be done now."
