Excerpt: Elemental Tears

Book 8

I stared at the doctor, taking in her more than happy expression. And the longer I stared, the faster that smile faded. “Miss Holliard…you don’t look too happy about this news.”

I looked at my hands, then down at belly. My slightly protruding belly.

Crwys and I had been married for six months. It was the end of July, coming into the hottest, yuckiest weather in New Orleans (though some would debate August was the yuckiest). I’d slowly—very slowly—acclimated to not being a Witch. But saying that was like saying I was getting used to being without all five senses. I really hadn’t known how much I’d depended on my abilities to live day to day. I couldn’t sense danger; I couldn’t sense enemies. I couldn’t even sense Ivan or Kyle any longer.

I missed my Elementals. Their laughter. Just…their very presence had always been reassuring to me. They’d been with me since, well, as long as I could remember. Cowen children had their imaginary friends, and me—I’d always had my Sylph, Salamander, Undine, and Gnome. There was a huge hole there now. It was like growing up and learning Santa didn’t really exist. Or the Easter Bunny. There was nothing magical in the world anymore.

BOR-ING.

I could pick Crwys out in the city. But that was because we’d bonded. And at first, he was a constant presence with me. Kinda like having a huge, fire-breathing guardian angel watching over me. But in the past month or so, he’d become busy with work. More murders to solve, more magical things to whisper with Kyle and Ivan about. And me…

Well…

I still ran Bell, Book and Candle most of the time. Kyle and Ivan handled the more specialized customers, and I just…again, well…

I stocked the shelves. I ordered materials. And lunch.

Lots of Chinese.

Because lately I was famished all the damn time! At first, I thought it was depression, ‘cause, you know…not a Witch. But when I started fainting when I stood up, I knew something was wrong. And the headaches…NOTHING was stopping the headaches. Tiny gnomes with platinum jackhammers tirelessly punching holes into my brain.

So, I made the usual ten o’clock in the morning doctor’s appointment, though the only doctor I’d ever used was a OB/GYN, and that was just to get birth control. As a Witch, I could heal. Kyle could heal and we’d always done routine checks on each other. No need for a regular general practitioner.

But lately Kyle and Ivan were busy a lot more. Kyle was still studying Southern Conjure and helping Crwys and Tas locate Solomon Dumaine. Dude went crazy when he saw the Dragon’s Eye…something he should have never seen. He stopped being Kyle’s teacher and set out to get back into the Eye. And damn near succeeded…if I understood Tas and Crwys’s cryptic conversations. They really didn’t talk about it with me anymore.

No longer being a Witch cut me out of the club. So you see why I thought…depression.

As for Ivan…he was online a lot lately. Something Dharma had mentioned a few times. Like, really online. Completely submerged into Cyberspace. Tinkering with his limits, per Dharma. She was the only one who still talked to me about things that were happening in the Witching world, so to speak. She worked at the shop with me, but I think she did it to be close to Ivan or to keep me company. Jack and Kyle had finally bought Ina’s old place and were living in happy bliss…I guess.

I’d been pretty much left alone. Even by Arden Vervain.

Until this morning when I’d received a text on my phone that my presence was requested in Parliament. That’s the Witch’s Parliament. The request had been made by Cosgrove, the High Witch personage. Muckity Muck. Hadn’t heard from him since the wedding. They wanted me there at eleven-thirty…an hour and a half after my doc appointment.

Well…pffft. They could wait. I needed to check out my health.

I just…I really wasn’t prepared for the news.

“Miss Holliard?”

I looked at her and I was trying really, really hard not to cry. But even that was difficult. “I…we were so careful.”

“And you never forgot to take a pill?”  

“No. Not once.”

“Let me see.” She sat back down at the computer desk in the examining room and tapped a few keys. “Huh…your hormone levels are all as they should be for someone taking the pill regularly.” She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked as perplexed as I felt. “There is a percentage of effectiveness attached to taking birth control. I think a ninety-five or so percentage. Maybe you’re in that five percent for whom it doesn’t work.” 

“Great. Just…great.” 

She lowered her arms and sat forward. “Pregnancy can be a blessing, or a burden. Only you can make the decision which.”

“Yeah…” Crwys and I had discussed this. He adamantly didn’t want children. He knew Lethe had had children, and those kids had been born little more than zombie-like monsters, killer little dragons. Knowing that sort of muffled my maternal instincts. But…realizing I had a life inside of me…changed everything.

“I can’t make these decisions for you, Miss Holliard. But what I can do is go over what I’m seeing as possible problems.”

“Problems?” I looked up at her real fast and protectively put my hand over my belly. “With the baby?”

“No, with you. Baby seems fine at two months—”

TWO MONTHS?! “That’s not possible. I just had my period last month!”

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