Poetry in Potion, page 17
part #5 of Spellbound Ever After Series
I was barely conscious by the time we arrived at the healer’s clinic. By some miracle, our daughter was born twenty minutes later. Her piercing cry was one of the most incredible moments of my life.
“Seven pounds and three ounces,” Grover announced. “Congratulations.” He passed the infant to Daniel, who hugged the baby to his broad chest. I was overcome with emotion.
Leave it to you to wring drama out of something women have been doing for centuries without incident, Sedgwick said.
You got a message to Astrid?
I might have made a mess in her office, but I managed.
Now that the adrenaline rush was over, my body weakened and my mind grew cloudy. The poison was winding its way through my system.
“Emma?” Grover leaned over me. “I don’t like the way you look.”
“You really need to work on your bedside manner, Wells,” Daniel said.
“No, I mean it. She almost looks blistered from the inside out.”
“Is that normal for someone giving birth?” Daniel asked.
“That’s not normal for anyone,” Grover said.
Their conversation sounded like static to me. I held out my arms. “I’d just like to hold her one last time,” I choked out.
Daniel shot me a quizzical look. He seemed to really see me for the first time since he arrived in the cave. “You’re right. Something’s definitely wrong with her.”
I’ve been saying that since the day we met, but no one can hear me, Sedgwick said.
“Poison potion,” I said. “Inferno. I…wanted to make sure the baby was safe.”
“Inferno,” Grover repeated. “Why didn’t you say so? Sweet, merciful Epona. That’s not good.”
“I didn’t know,” Daniel said. “Emma, why didn’t you say something?”
I ignored him and wriggled my fingers. Daniel placed the baby on my chest. I hugged her close and inhaled her scent, trying to commit her to memory. Her tufts of hair were dark like mine. Like Wonder Woman.
“Name her Diana,” I said weakly. “Promise me.”
“I won’t promise anything because you’re not going anywhere,” he said with such ferocity that I swore the room shook.
I snuggled the baby and my heartbeat slowed. “She’s the most gorgeous creature I could ever imagine.” Her rosebud lips moved as though she were trying to speak. I lowered my head as far as I could and kissed the top of her head.
“She’s…She’s glowing,” Daniel said.
She was—our baby’s skin was emanating a faint red light.
“Why is she red?” Daniel asked. “Does this mean she’s an evil baby? Is that what’s happening to Emma?”
Grover appeared stumped. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a red baby before, but you said she’s a hybrid…”
“Red doesn’t…have to mean evil,” I said. After all, the amaranth was red and that symbolized…
The amaranth.
“She’s not evil,” I choked out. I stroked Diana’s delicate head. My body began to feel lighter and I wondered whether this was the end.
“Emma, your skin,” Daniel said, wide-eyed. “It’s starting to look like your normal color.”
I glanced at my bare arms and saw my normal skin tone with its smattering of freckles.
“I feel better, too,” I said. Exhausted, but better. It had to be connected to the flower. I’d rubbed the petals on my stomach right before I gave birth. Was it possible that the baby absorbed the healing powers of the flower?
“Your baby isn’t glowing anymore, or red.” Grover seemed like he needed a stiff drink.
Is this the part where Daniel holds her up like that baby lion in the movie Gareth watched fifty times? Sedgwick asked.
I laughed weakly. “Gareth will be so mad that he missed this. He’ll never forgive me for nearly dying either.”
“Why don’t I get this baby cleaned up for you now that she’s not glowing?” Grover said, and reached for Diana. “She’s still covered in goo.”
“Goo?” Daniel queried. “Is that a medical term?”
“Bring her right back, please,” I called.
Daniel stroked my hair. “Why don’t you try to sleep now? You’ve been through quite an ordeal.”
My eyelids fluttered closed. “Because I don’t want to miss a single second of her life.”
Daniel leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. “We’ll both be here when you wake up. I promise.”
Chapter Nineteen
“You knew the baby would be a girl, didn’t you?” Daniel said. He stood beside the nursery crib and gazed at our daughter with such loving intensity that I thought my heart would burst.
I allowed myself a small smile. “I don’t know when exactly. At some point, I just knew.”
“Thanks for not spoiling the surprise,” he said.
“Is she still asleep?” I asked. I had been ordered to stay off my feet and was trying to stick to the rules, so I sat in the gliding chair with my feet on the ottoman. They were still swollen, but not as badly as before.
“So far, so good,” Daniel said. “This has been the most amazing experience of my very long life. Can we have another one?”
“You should wait at least a few months before making a suggestion like that,” I said. “Let’s see how good we are parenting this one before we decide we’re crazy enough to do it again.”
“A sensible plan as always,” Daniel said.
Incoming, Sedgwick yelled. Sheriff Astrid is on the front porch.
“Gareth, would you mind letting Astrid in?” I called. The vampire ghost had been trying to give us family time by staying downstairs when Daniel and I were both in the nursery.
Astrid appeared in the doorway of the nursery a moment later, looking hesitant. “Is it safe to come in?”
“No one’s flinging poop around, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Daniel said.
“Our daughter is not a monkey, Daniel.”
“Come in and have a look,” Daniel urged. “She’s asleep now. Perfectly harmless.”
Astrid slid closer to the crib and peered over the side. “That’s a lot of wrinkled skin, like an old lady got squished into a tiny ball.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her when she wakes up,” I said.
“Thanks for the help with Bryan Cronk. Thought you’d want to know that Louisa is now a free woman.”
My heart fluttered. “Oh, I’m so relieved.”
“He’s been arrested for the murder of his wife, as well as the attempted murder of you and the baby.” She looked at me. “Louisa asked me to say thanks. She really appreciates what you did for her. She said she’s starting over, just like she promised.”
“Good for her,” I said. “I hope it all works out.”
Astrid contemplated the sleeping baby. “I guess I won’t be able to hold her right now.”
“Not a good idea,” I said.
“That’s cool,” Astrid said. “I’m not sure how I feel about holding a baby anyway. I need to get used to the idea.”
“So do I,” Daniel replied.
“I can’t imagine how I lived so long without holding her,” I said. “I’m getting itchy sitting here without her.”
“I’ll be ready to babysit in another year or so,” Astrid said. “Or maybe when she’s closer to double digits.”
“No pressure,” I said. “We have plenty of volunteers.”
“I’ll leave you in peace now,” Astrid said. “Just thought you’d want the update.”
“Absolutely,” I said. “I love good news.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Daniel offered.
I closed my eyes for a quiet moment.
“She’s much better than a poem,” Gareth said, appearing beside the crib.
“You’re not quite over that, are you?”
“I am. I promise.” He gazed at Diana. “Nothing else matters now, does it?”
“Really? So if I decided to wear my blue trousers with that orange top that reminds you of a popsicle, you’d be okay with that?”
“Orange and blue?” he queried. “Together?”
“Nothing else matters, right?”
“Let’s not take it too far,” he warned. “Diana won’t learn color coordination if her mother dresses like a clown on a weekend bender in Vegas.”
Daniel knocked on the door jamb. “The witches are downstairs. They want to know if it’s okay to come up.”
“More visitors?” Gareth wailed. “This house is turning into a train station.”
I smiled. “They’ve already seen her.”
“I know, but Laurel is leaving on vacation and she seems to be under the misguided belief that the baby will be driving by the time she comes back.”
I pulled myself to my feet and walked over to glance at the gurgling baby. “She’s waking up now, so I guess one more quick visit won’t hurt.”
Gareth folded his arms. “Have they all been appropriately vaccinated?”
I sighed in exasperation. “You’ve already asked about them. They’re fine.”
“They get five minutes,” Gareth said. “Then the baby needs to feed.”
“I don’t think it’s up to you,” I said.
Gareth’s brow lifted. “Am I the manny or not?”
“Tell them five minutes,” I said to Daniel. It wasn’t worth the argument.
“And I’m counting,” Gareth added.
Less than a minute later, the witches swarmed the crib, watching the baby intently.
“No wings yet, huh?” Laurel asked. She sounded mildly disappointed.
“Are you here to visit or watch for abnormalities?” I asked.
“Have you checked for fangs?” Sophie asked.
“She doesn’t have teeth yet, let alone fangs,” I replied.
“Then there’s still hope, Laurel,” Sophie said cheerfully.
Laurel blew out a breath. “I expected something different. She looks so…normal.”
I gave Diana’s hand a gentle squeeze. “You make that sound like a negative thing.”
“She has Daniel’s nose,” Sophie said.
“And his eyes,” Begonia added. “They’re the brightest turquoise I’ve ever seen.”
“She has my birthmark,” I said. She had a matching blue star on the nape of her tiny, wrinkled neck.
“She’s not going to stay this way forever,” Laurel said, more to herself. “She can still get interesting.”
“Are you sure?” Millie asked. “We’re still waiting for you.”
Laurel elbowed her in the stomach.
“No fighting in front of Diana,” I said. “We want to keep the environment calm.” I started to yawn. “I’m sorry. I’m still wiped out.”
“Why don’t we let them have some quiet time?” Begonia said. “Let’s go practice spells in the secret lair.”
“Emma, why don’t you go to bed?” Daniel suggested, once the witches had gone.
“I’m just going to rest my eyes in here.” I resumed my position on the glider.
“You don’t have to stay within arm’s reach at all times,” he said.
I clasped my hands on my stomach and closed my eyes. “You’re not the boss of me.” I drifted off and dreamed of double-headed eagles and dancing Love-Lies-Bleeding plants straight out of a warped version of Fantasia.
The baby’s shrill voice cut through the silence of the night and I jolted awake. I opened my eyes to see Gareth beside the crib. The vampire ghost looked surprisingly bleary-eyed for the dead undead.
He cast a glance over his shoulder. “Your turn.”
I started to get up, but Daniel appeared in the doorway, his hair unkempt and his wings ruffled. “That’s okay, Emma. Go back to sleep. I’ll take her.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”
“Of course. I thought I might try to sing to her. See if she responds to my voice.”
“We’re trying to get her to stop crying, not cry harder,” Gareth said.
I glared at him. “Let’s let Daniel soothe his daughter however he deems fit.”
Daniel’s velvety voice began to sing. “Ring around the rosie, a pocket full of posies. Ashes, ashes. We all fall down.”
I balked. “Crap on a cracker. Are you trying to frighten her into silence? Because that’s not a good strategy.”
Daniel swiveled to look at me. “What’s wrong with that? I read it in one of the children’s books somebody gave us.”
“That little ditty is about the Black Death. It’s talking about how children would get a red rash from the disease and keep posies in their pockets because they thought it would prevent them from getting sick.”
Daniel’s expression grew horrified. “We all fall down? Does that mean what I think it means?”
He turned back to the baby. “I am so sorry, sweetheart. Daddy didn’t mean to scare you with songs about the Black Death.” He rubbed her tummy. “How about this one instead? A penny for a spool of thread, a penny for a needle. That’s the way the money goes. Pop! Goes the weasel.”
I closed my eyes and prayed for patience. “Daniel, darling. I love you.”
He faced me. “What now?”
Beside me, Gareth chuckled. “I don’t suppose he realizes that one is about living in poverty.”
Daniel scratched his head, appearing thoughtful. “What about Baa, Baa, Black Sheep?”
I shook my head.
“Row, Row, Row Your Boat?” He raised his brow hopefully.
“You should hear some of the vampire nursery rhymes,” Gareth said. “These are a walk in the park.”
“I just want our daughter to be filled with light and love,” I said.
“She’ll have plenty of that with that box you bought her from the market,” Daniel said. He motioned to the dresser where the Beacon rested.
“I can’t wait to show it to her,” I said.
Without warning, the house began to shake and the baby shrieked in response. Magpie shot into the room, hissing violently.
“Did one of you tweak the protective ward on the property?” I asked.
“Not me,” Daniel said.
Gareth flew to the window. “I will reap bloody vengeance on whatever is causing this commotion!” He peered into the darkness. “Emma, I think someone’s outside. I see a silhouette.”
“Daniel…”
“Already on it.” The angel crossed the room and opened the window.
“Tell them to read the sign I hung on the porch,” Gareth said. “If he isn’t a friend, doesn’t have a bottle of wine, or doesn’t have a letter to Hogwarts, he simply isn’t welcome.”
I bit back a smile. “At least we’ve made our position clear.”
“The baby is closed for business,” Daniel called. “Would you mind coming back tomorrow when we’ve all had a good night’s sleep?”
“That’s optimistic,” Gareth mumbled.
I joined Daniel at the window. A strange man stood in the front garden, looking up at us. It was too dark to see him properly.
“Good evening,” he said. “Sorry to disturb you at such a late hour, but I only just arrived in town. My name is Calix—that’s spelled with a C, not a K. Anyway, I’m hoping you can tell me which one of you pretty people is my daughter.”
Don’t miss Cloaks and Daggers, book 6 in the Spellbound Ever After series.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Poetry in Potion! If you enjoyed it, please consider signing up for my new releases via e-mail here http://eepurl.com/ctYNzf and receive a free copy of the Starry Hollow Witches short story One Witch’s Trash Panda Is Another Witch’s Treasure.
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While you’re waiting for the next book in the Spellbound Ever After series, you can check out my other series:
Federal Bureau of Magic cozy mystery:
Great Balls of Fury, Book 1
Fury Godmother, Book 2
No Guts, No Fury, Book 3
Grace Under Fury, Book 4
Bedtime Fury, Book 5
Starry Hollow Witches:
Magic & Murder, Book 1
Magic & Mystery, Book 2
Magic & Mischief, Book 3
Magic & Mayhem, Book 4
Magic & Mercy, Book 5
Magic & Madness, Book 6
Magic & Malice, Book 7
Magic & Mythos, Book 8
Magic & Mishaps, Book 9
Magic & Maladies, Book 10
Spellslingers Academy of Magic
Outcast, Warden of the West, Book 1
Outclassed, Warden of the West, Book 2
Outlast, Warden of the West, Book 3
Annabel Chase, Poetry in Potion
