aren't making any sense."
"I'm beginning to pick up on that." Arwan turned back, his face sad. "I just hate that this is happening to someone under my keep."
"Why does Morrigan need this baby?" Angela came around the counter and stood supportively behind Jacqueline. "Just spit it out."
"Morrigan is very beautiful. Do you know how she keeps her immortality?" Arwan frowned at Jacqueline's negative head shake. "She performs a ritual every so often where she sacrifices a powerful magical being and then bathes in its blood. The younger the sacrifice, the more potent it is for Morrigan."
"She wants to murder my child." Disbelief, shock--both emotions could be heard in Jacqueline's words. "She wants to murder an innocent creature."
"Murder is too polite a word for what she wants, my dear. Morrigan wants to use every piece of that baby to insure her immortality." Arwan paused, letting his words sink in. "But you must not care. I mean, you're wearing her charm--a charm that deliberately dampens your powers. She's made it easy to take the baby from you if you offer any resistance."
Death could feel Jacqueline start to tremble, and she trembled right along with her. The difference though was that the banshee trembled with anger while Death shivered in delicious glee. She could taste the indecision mixing with distrust and anger as it flowed through her human host.
What a delight!
Jacqueline's hand went up to her neck, inches away from pulling the charm free, but she paused at Angela's next words.
"Why should she believe you?" Angela demanded. "Why would you be telling her the truth?"
"I have only her best interest at heart," the god said and then looked at Jacqueline. "I just want you back to work and functioning again. But I know you have no reason to trust me. What about the baby's father though? What did he tell you about the deal he made with Morrigan? "
Servitude, Death thought. He told her lies about serving Morrigan.
"Let me guess," Arwan said, before Jacqueline could speak. "He probably said he agreed to help Morrigan here on Earth, act in servitude."
"Yes," Jacqueline said, bowing her head.
"Lies. But you know that, don't you, Jacqueline? I can see the doubts on your face."
"Be quiet," Angela snapped." Jacqueline, he's trying to confuse you. Toby would never do anything to hurt you."
"I want only to help, too," Arwan protested. "But someone should prepare you for the sight of your child being sliced apart for a goddess to feast on."
"Stop it!" Jacqueline shouted the words. "Just stop!"
Death felt the old anger bubble up in Jacqueline's soul and surge forward. To her delight, at the same moment, she felt the first strong kicks of the baby.
Jacqueline's labor was about to begin.
*****
Jacqueline could feel the rage simmer within her.
Toby had betrayed her.
She had sensed he concealed the truth of his deal with Morrigan to her, but she hadn't expected this.
No. It couldn't be true.
Angela was right. He loved her. She'd seen it in his eyes.
"Get out," she said to Arwan, her voice shaking. "Just go. You're lying."
"I wish I were," he said, softly. "Despite the charm, I can feel your pain. That's the one thing that damn charm can't smother--the ache of a mother, the ache of one who has been betrayed by a loved one before."
"Toby has never betrayed Jacqueline," Angela protested. "I'm going to call him now. This is getting out of hand."
"Wait," Jacqueline held up a hand to stop her friend, trying to breathe through the sudden stabbing pains in her abdomen. "Let me think, Angela."
"Oh c'mon, Jackie. This is Toby we're talking about. You aren't going to let some god with an overdeveloped libido do a number on your head, are you?" Angela pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I'm calling him."
"I said wait!" Jacqueline glared at Angela and yanked the phone away. "You don't know everything, Angela. Toby has betrayed me before."
It was true. Toby had betrayed her to Death. Though he'd told her that Death had actually tricked her, she couldn't stop the nagging doubts that pricked at her mind now. Arwan took a step towards her, but she lashed out at him with her power, focusing on pushing a wall of energy towards the god.
He only smiled at her attempt.
"I’m a god, Jacqueline. That won't work on me." He shook his head. "And your powers are much too muted by that charm to be effective. You'd need to take it off to even have a shot of getting rid of me."
Angered, she ripped