it aside. That thing was going to give him nightmares, he thought. But what was sure to make up for it, was the now quiet baby in her mother’s arms. After cleaning up Max as best he could, he took her at her word when she said she was feeling as best as could be expected and her bleeding was normal. Then he sat down beside Max and stared at his daughter.
“Here she is, daddy. Your little Sunshine,” Max whispered, handing him the baby.
Ryker completely melted when the baby opened her eyes and looked at him. Her eyelids were still swollen, so it was kind of like looking through slits, but it was enough for Ryker to see the colour. “Turquoise,” he said, grinning at Max. “She has your eyes.”
“And your hair,” Max said, stroking the black strands. The baby scrunched up her face before crying once again, causing Max to laugh. “As well as your temperament.”
Ryker kissed the baby on her forehead, followed by her cheeks. “Don’t listen to mummy, precious. Daddy likes to be heard too.” He then passed the babe back to Max and they both held their breath as she rooted around for a few minutes before finally latching on to a nipple and beginning to suck.
“So,” Ryker said softly, loathe to interrupt the priceless moment. “About her name …”
Chapter Ten
The following day dawned bright and clear. Looking out the window, Max could see the early morning sky was free from clouds and was a lovely mix of pink and blue. It was going to be a beautiful day. But that was to be expected, considering her husband was currently sitting on the lounge completely transfixed with their newborn daughter. Max shook her head, moving gingerly across the room. She was sore as hell, as well as feeling all loose and wobbly in the stomach area. It was gross. Which was why she had spent a solid fifteen minutes under the warm spray of the shower, leaving her baby in the capable arms of her daddy. Ryker was in the exact same position she had left him in – staring at and stroking a sleeping baby.
“She’s so beautiful,” Ryker whispered, patting Max on the leg when she lowered herself down next to him.
“I have to agree with you.” Max reached out to touch the soft, warm cheek. “Holy crap, Ryker. We have a baby. You delivered our baby,” she suddenly said, the past twelve hours rushing back to her.
Ryker looked up and snorted, shaking his head. “I know. Hella fucking crazy.” His eyes widened and he quickly looked at the sleeping baby. “Shit, sorry. I know I can’t say words like that anymore.”
Max laughed softly before leaning in and kissing Ryker with all the love and pride she felt for him in that moment. He had been a true rock for her during the labour and delivery. It may have been super quick, but it had hurt like hell, and she had been very scared. She knew Ryker had been just as scared. And he was probably never going to look at her vagina in the same way ever again. But, she supposed, some things were worth the sacrifice. Their daughter chose that moment to mewl like a little kitten before nuzzling at Ryker’s chest. They both smiled, kissing her tiny fingers and perfect hands as Ryker transferred her with great care into Max’s arms. Max opened her robe and fiddled around for a few minutes until her daughter finally achieved a decent latch. Max tried not to cringe, but it wasn’t easy. She’d had the baby on her breast pretty much every hour for twenty minutes at a time since she was born, trying to get her milk to come in as quickly as possible. She wasn’t sure how long they were going to be trapped inside and she didn’t want her daughter to get dehydrated. But the baby seemed to be getting what she needed if Ryker’s wet nappy-shirts were any indication. Max’s nipples, however, felt like one big bruise. Breast feeding was hard. She hoped they would be able to leave soon …
Max whipped her head up, only just realising that the lovely sunrise she had just observed had not been through a pearly, translucent veil. She whacked Ryker on the shoulder, and his head shot up from where he had been drifting off. He had gotten no sleep the night before. Max herself had managed three fifteen-minute catnaps. “Ryker! The veil is gone.”
Ryker jumped up and went to the front door. He turned the knob and the door opened instantly. “Looks like Little Miss did what she needed to do. I’ll call the others.”
“Wait,” Max spoke quickly, halting Ryker before he could use his phone or tap into the Order link. “Will you wait five more minutes? I just want a little bit more time with just us.”
Ryker’s eyes softened and he walked back over to the lounge. Bending down he kissed Max’s forehead. “Of course. How do you think they’re going to react?”
“Are you kidding?” Max rolled her eyes. “They are going to go absolutely crazy.”
“We missed a scheduled check-in,” Ryker pointed out. “They’re probably already going crazy.”
Max bit her lip, suddenly feeling guilty for wanting more time alone with just the three of them. “Maybe we should –”
“Nope,” Ryker cut her off, slinging his arm across her shoulders and hugging her close. “They’ll be fine. Five minutes with just us sounds perfect to me.”
Max sighed, gazing in wonder at her black-headed daughter as she sucked voraciously. “This really is a beautiful spot. We should come back again, don’t you think?” Max asked Ryker, looking around the converted barn with affection. It would forever hold a special place in her heart.
Ryker made a grunt of agreement. Then he snickered. “You realise we just had our daughter in a barn, don’t you?”
Max frowned at him, “What’s got you so amused? I do know, I was there when it happened.”
Ryker laughed, looking more at peace than Max had ever seen him. “She’s a deity, right? A goddess?”
“Yeeesss,” Max drew the word out, unsure what Ryker was getting at.
“I’m just saying; a barn, an unexpected birth of a god’s – or in this case – a goddess’s child?”
Max finally clued into what Ryker was suggesting and she was so startled that she jumped, before bursting into laughter. Thankfully, the baby was too busy to notice and kept right on feeding. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
Ryker held up his hands in surrender, “Hey, don’t blame me. I was simply pointing out the parallels.”
“Hmm,” Max allowed, saying no more on the subject.
Ten minutes later, Max was holding a now sleeping baby when she felt the Order link light up like a Christmas tree. Ryker snapped to attention and held up his arm. His coat of arms was writhing and his symbol for life was shining brightly. They both shared a wince when six voices began echoing in their heads at the same time. Before either of them could respond, Max felt a rush of power close by that could only be her mother. Several other familiar life forces were with her, and Max knew her mother must have poofed her entire Order there, as well as her father if Max wasn’t mistaken. It sounded like a stampede outside their door, and Max rocked the baby, telling Ryker to hurry.
Ryker yanked the door open, scowling at the army on the doorstep. “Will you keep it down? You’ll wake the baby.”
Max couldn’t see any faces, but the sheer silence was telling.
“Baby? What baby?” The question came from Darius.
Ryker sighed and stepped back from the door. He gestured them all inside, saying harshly, “I mean it. Be quiet. And calm.”
Max stayed where she was, watching in amusement as the small living area became overrun with paladins, a warden, and a goddess. Her mother was there along with Mordecai, plus her entire Order, as she had known. All the partners were missing, as was Maxwell, but that was okay with Max for now. In fact, it was kind of perfect.
“Hi, guys. Meet Souline.”
What’s Next In The Paladin World?
Coming up in The Elemental Collective: Volume Two – three more novellas featuring, Nikolai (plus one), Kai (plus one), and Caspian (plus Leo)