The Lasaran (Aldebarian Alliance #1) - Dianne Duvall Page 0,90
greater regenerative capabilities of Lasarans and had barely survived giving birth. Lisa didn’t have that. She was an Earthling. And Earthlings were far more fragile. Wounds that a Lasaran would shrug off were often fatal for Earthlings.
“Oh!” Ami blurted. Her green eyes widened as she straightened and looked at them both. “No. Don’t worry. It won’t be like that for you, Lisa.”
Marcus nodded. “It really won’t. Ami had trouble because of the damage caused by the Gathendiens’ virus. Seth said Lisa’s pregnancy is fine. She’s healthy. The baby is healthy. He said everything is normal save the slightly swifter gestation rate of the babe.”
Taelon was shaking his head long before Marcus finished. “She’s been having pains. She said that’s not normal in Earthling pregnancies.”
“It isn’t,” Marcus admitted. “But it also isn’t a concern…” He dragged a hand through his hair and swore. “Ami didn’t want to tell you this but—”
“Marcus,” Ami interrupted.
He shook his head. “If it were me, sweetling, I would want to know, especially since he now looks as if he’s terrified Lisa won’t survive childbirth.” He met Taelon’s gaze, the amber glow in his brown eyes receding. “The pains Lisa was experiencing weren’t because she’s having a difficult pregnancy. She isn’t. The pains resulted from the connection you and your child share.”
Taelon frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Lisa touched the arm he’d wrapped around Adira. “The baby felt your pain when the butchers were torturing you. And she inadvertently transferred some of it to me.”
Horror suffused him. “I caused our baby pain? I caused you pain?”
“No!” she said hastily. “No. You didn’t. The butchers did. They were the ones who—” She broke off suddenly, an odd expression crossing her face. Glancing down, she lifted the hem of her tunic.
Taelon stared down at her lap as a wet stain spread on her pants down to her knees.
She met his gaze, swallowed hard, then looked at the others. “Okay. If that’s pee, I’m going to be totally humiliated.”
Ami leapt to her feet. “That’s not pee. Your water just broke.”
Lisa’s eyes flew wide. “What? I’m going into labor?”
“Yes.”
Marcus jumped up and dashed to the door so quickly he blurred. Flinging the door open, he disappeared down the hallway.
Taelon stared at Lisa, his heart pounding in his chest like a Lasaran tandor drum.
“I’m in labor,” she said in a breathy whisper. Her face paled as her eyes filled with fear.
“It’s okay,” Ami said with a smile. “You’re going to be okay, Lisa. You’ve got this. And I’ll help you. We all will. Taelon, you can put Adira down now. It’s all right.”
Taelon carefully lifted the toddler off his lap. As soon as Adira was standing steadily, he took Lisa in his arms and hugged her close. Panic stole every thought he tried to latch onto. He looked at his sister. “What do we do?”
He heard a door open down the hallway.
“Lisa’s in labor!” Marcus blurted.
“All right,” Seth said, his deep voice calm. “Don’t panic. Everything will be fine. Just help her to the infirmary while Leah and I dress.”
A blur swept into the room, then Marcus stood before them.
Taelon and Lisa both jumped at his sudden reappearance. How did he do that? How did he move so quickly the eye could barely register it?
“Seth said to get her to the infirmary,” he announced urgently.
Ami rose and took her husband’s arm. “Okay. Sweetie, you need to calm down.” She said it both gently and firmly, then frowned. “You’re shaking!”
“I can’t help it. My one and only experience with labor scared the shit out of me.”
“But it isn’t going to be like that for Lisa. You just told them that yourself.” She lowered her voice to a near-whisper. “And you’re freaking them out.”
He was. Marcus had apparently watched Amiriska give birth. Taelon didn’t know what the man had seen and experienced, but the fear and dread on his face now just multiplied his own.
Marcus issued a jerky nod. “You’re right.” He drew in a deep breath, let it out, drew in another breath, let it out. His shoulders loosened, then he nodded. “You’re right.” He forced a smile that didn’t meet his eyes as he turned back to Taelon and Lisa. “Apologies. I don’t know why I did that. Everything is going to be fine. Why don’t we move along to the infirmary?”
Amiriska nodded. “Everything will be okay. Really. Seth will make sure of it.”
But Taelon didn’t know Seth, so as he rose, he sent a mental summons to the head of his royal guard.