Chapter Text
Epilogue — 8 months later
Mor’s screams pierce the air as she practically crushes my hand in her grasp. Her breathing ragged and close to hyperventilating as she squeezes her eyes shut and grunts with pain.
“Come on Mor! Just a little more! A few more pushes!” Nesta screams as she peers in between my Third in Command’s legs.
Mor only responds with another scream as her muscles flex once again, her thighs and arms shaking with the exertion. Meanwhile Elain is trying to cool her off with a wet rag, her gentle hands calm despite being in the midst of a storm.
“Shh Mor. Just a little more and you’ll have your baby in your arms.” My sister soothes as she passes the wet rag over Mor’s burning forehead.
“I…CANT…” Mor screams as she tries to breathe despite the constant pain. “Feyre…” She breathes as she turns those chocolate orbs towards me. “If I don’t…make it…please…help Azriel—“ Her plea is interrupted by another scream as Nesta encourages her to continue pushing.
“I won’t promise that.” I say and Mor tightens her hold on my hand.
“You must!” She nearly growls but it dies off with another grunt.
“I won’t because you’re going to an excellent mother and you’ll live to see your grandchildren turn five hundred.” I chastise as I help her sit up more to make the pushing easier. “Now I need you to focus! I want you to push so hard that you’re baby will have no choice but to come to Auntie Nesta.” I challenge.
Mor screams once more before her body gives out and she falls back, panting as she tries to stay conscious, her legs are are a quaking mess and Nesta is trying frantically to soak up all the blood.
“Do you see anything?” I ask and Nesta’s face is pale.
“No.”
Standing in the foyer of Azriel and Mor’s townhouse, I can safely assume that, should I be in Azriel’s place, the floor would have worn underneath my worried steps.
My spymaster is currently in the process of just that. His hands clasping and unclasping behind his back as he paces anxiously before the classic furniture. His forehead lined with worry as he tries to reach Mor through the bond but apparently she took some classes with Feyre and has effectively shut him out.
Cassian on the other hand, is leaning comfortably on the couch, one ankle crossed over his knee as he cradles his firstborn son in his arms.
“Relax Az, it’s not so bad. After Keane was born, Nesta tried to physically attack me after she claimed that it was all my fault that she had to push an actual baby out of her. So trust me when I say that all will be fine.” Cassian tries to soothe Azriel but I think he only makes it worse.
“But you’ve always known Nesta was strong. But Mor…” Azriel’s voice trails off as another one of Mor’s screams escape the sound block Feyre had set around the room. “Did Nesta scream as much as Mor?” He asks as he runs a hand through his disheveled hair. “I didn’t want her to go through this! I just—“
“Azriel!” I interject as I approach his distressed form. “You need to calm down brother. We’re not little boys…we’re men…and we’ve always known this was a painful process, granted we never assumed we would have to live through it, but here we are. Your mate is giving birth in there. You child is being born. This is not a time to be scared. This is the time to be strong and be the male that your mate needs to get her through this. My cousin is as strong as she is hardheaded and she will survive this brother. Now I just need you to go in there and be the support she needs.”
“Rhysand is right. I was just as worried as you are now and it didn’t help Nesta or the baby.” He murmurs as he gazes down at his infant son. His auburn locks just like his father and his clear blue eyes fierce like his mother. “Sometimes you have to forget about what you feel and be what your woman needs you to be. So go in there and get ready to be a father.”
“Nesta…” I breathe as I stare at my sister’s pallid features. Her eyes so full of sorrow.
“It’s been three hours, we should be seeing a head by now.” She nearly whispers as Mor struggles to escape the delirium threatening to take her under.
I swallow the bitter tears and grip Mor’s head as she continues to fight between her subconscious and reality.
“Azriel…I need Azriel…” She mumbles to herself and I bite down on my lower lip to keep from crying.
“He’s not here Mor. He’s outside with the boys. He’s waiting for you…and the baby.” I try to comfort as Mor thrashes in my arms, her breathing still ragged.
“I need Azriel! I need my mate!” She yells as she tries to pull her wrists from out my arms. “I want my mate!” She screams and the door to the bedroom swings open as Azriel strides in, shadows circling him as he tries to cage in his emotions.
“Azriel…” I try to warn as he comes closer. “Azriel wait.” And he pauses before reaching Mor’s bedside, his eyes wide with dread. “Azriel she’s not doing well…and the baby…”
“What about my child?” He breathes, his eyes so scared that for a moment I wished that I could be any where but here.
“She’s been pushing and nothing is happening…there might not be a baby…”
“What do mean?” He chokes, his hands fisting at his sides. “But she was pregnant…her belly…” He trails off as he remembers his mate’s swollen belly.
“Sometimes the body will show all the signs of a pregnancy…and there is none.” I say and I wipe the tears from my eyes as my friend’s face falls. “I’m so sorry.” I breathe and Azriel staggers back, his eyes in denial as he stares at his exhausted wife.
“Azriel.” She whispers, her voice hoarse from screaming. “Azriel…” She continues to call in her delirium and I notice Azriel’s face harden.
“No. I refuse to believe that the child my mate and I were so proud to have does not exist…and I damnwell won’t allow my wife to wake up and not know why there isn’t a child in her arms.” He growls and comes to his mate’s side, a gentle hand running down her forehead.
“Azriel…” She breathes and for once she receives an answer.
“I’m here my love…I’m here.”
“Azriel.” She whisper as she nuzzles her head into his hands.
“My love I need you to do something for me.” When he doesn’t receive an answer he lowers his head to breathe into her ear. “Mor I know you’re in there and I need you to wake up…I need you to give birth to our child…so I need you to push.” He murmurs, as he cools her forehead with Elain’s wet cloth. Nesta remains by the bedpost, her eyes watching Azriel as he tries to wake his wife. “Please Mor…I need you to do this for me.”
“Azriel.” She breathes and her eyes flutter open. “You’re here.” She whispers and he grips her hands in his own. “I need you to sit up sweetheart, I need you to sit up and push.”
“I can’t…I’m so tired.” She whines and her eyes seem to roll back into her head but Azriel squeezes her hands.
“No Mor! You can’t go to sleep! Not now when we’re about to have our baby! Not now when everything is so close! I need you to wake up!” He encourages and Mor peeks through heavy lids and with a grating groan she manages to sit up with Azriel’s help but she quickly releases a scream as her contractions continue.
“Azriel!” She moans as she clutches the bed sheets, the pain too much.
“Come on Mor! I know you have it in you! I need you to push!” Her mate yells as he squeezes her hands and Mor screams again as she pushes with all her might.
Nesta has resumed her spot in between Mor’s legs and glances up to tell me that she doesn’t see anything yet.
“Harder Mor! I need you to push!”
Another gut wrenching scream and Mor slumps back against the headboard, her panting audible and sweat is dripping down her forehead. But this time another scream joins her.
“I see a head! I see a head! Mor keep pushing!” Nesta screams as she grips Mor’s legs, urging her open them wider.
“You heard that Mor?” Azriel’s voice just a breath. “Our baby! Our baby is right there!”
Mor lets out a cry as she sobs, her body shaking with the pain and the joy as she takes a deep breath before screaming once more and pushing with all her waning strength.
“Harder!” Nesta screams.
“Push harder!”
“A little more!”
“One more!”
“Just one more push!”
That’s when we hear the baby’s cry and we all slump onto the nearest surface. Mor falls back onto her headboard, her breathing finally slowing to a heavy rhythm as she tries to conserve strength. Azriel finally leaves his mate’s arms to come around Nesta and peer at the child in her hands. I can’t see from behind Mor’s legs but Azriel takes a sharp intake of breath as he lifts his child in the air and whispers.
“It’s a girl.”
“It’s a girl.” He breathes as he takes his child from Nesta’s bloody hands and wraps her in the softest fleece. His eyes shining with tears as he cradles his daughter in his arms.
“Let me see.” Mor croaks, her hair plastered to her forehead, her body limp with exhaustion but she still extends her shaking arms and accepts her child from Azriel’s arms. She lets out a sob at the sight of her child and I’m crying as well. Tears of joy for the family just brought into the world.
“My baby.” Mor breathes, her finger tracing the tiny face with Azriel’s dark hair. “She’s so beautiful.” She sobs as the baby continues to cry, her face contorted in fury at having been roughly woken up. “Shh my love.” She whispers as she tucks her baby to her breast and watches as she takes hold. The baby’s cries die out as she feeds, her tiny hand wrapping into a fist.
“What will you call her.” I whisper, frightened to destroy the beautiful moment between mother and child. Mor looks up at me and then her husband.
“Xenia…I want to call her Xenia…Because she is a welcome joy.” She murmurs as she continues to gaze in awe at her child.
Nesta returns to the room to peel away the bloody sheets before allowing Cassian and Rhysand to enter. After such a terrifying ordeal, Nesta practically snatches Keane from Cassian’s arms and she softly bounces him in her arms as she leans over to look at Xenia.
“She’s beautiful Mor.” She praises as Azriel gazes proudly down at his wife and child.
“She will be well loved by all of us.” Elain adds and I know she just saw a vision. Her eyes glazed as she looks down at the baby.
By now Xenia has finished feeding and her tiny mouth silently opens up to an adorable O as she yawns and falls asleep in her mother’s arms, her father watching from behind, tears streaming down his face.
I motion to Rhys and signal for us to leave. After an exhausting night, I want the couple to have a few hours to rest and enjoy their baby.
“Congratulations brother. I know you will make a wonderful father.” Rhysand offers as he grabs my arm and winnows us home.
I start to undress to take a shower before my mate encircles a huge arm around my waist.
“I’m happy for Mor and Azriel.” He whispers as he holds my back to his chest.
“So am I.” I agree as I allow him to hold me. Content to spend forever this way.
“But tonight…”
“Yes.” I whisper, aware that my mate is trying to confide in me.
“Tonight made me realize how much I want to start a family of my own.” He breathes and I twist in his arms to read his face. Those violet eyes open and sincere. “I want you to be the mother of my children Feyre.”
I breath deeply and kiss him tenderly, his warm lips so familiar and perfect. “I would be honored.” I whisper against his lips as he envelopes my lips in his own.
“As am I.” He responds as we lose ourselves to the passions of the night and the hope for tomorrow. For the spark of light still glowing inside me and begging for a future. A future of endless nights full of love and tenderness, of majestic stars that light up the skies. For a future with endless possibilities that all begin with tomorrow.