The next day…
After breakfast, Talia wanted to seek Cassandra in order to see ancient relics, but Yasmin blocked her path.
"I spoke with Axel. He agrees."
Yasmin gave Talia a knowing look, and Talia understood this was about Talia channeling energies to Yasmin.
Talia craned her neck to see Axel. "Are you sure?"
He was not really excited about it, but he nodded. "If that's what Yasmin wants, we should do it. But start slowly and if anything seems amiss…"
"I will stop," Talia ended instead of him.
"What's this about?" Damon asked.
Cornelia and Amelia also perked up their ears, eager to hear Talia's response.
Talia felt guilty for not telling Damon right away, but she didn't think that Axel will agree to this stunt. Besides, they spent most of the evening talking about the safest approaches to bring members of the Midnight Guardians into the human realm, and then they made love, and Talia fell asleep.
"While you tell him the details, I will inform healers to get ready," Axel said, and his eyes lost focus as he issued orders. He didn't want to take any risks.
Talia told Damon what Yasmin wanted, and ended with a question, "What do you think?"
Damon shrugged. He didn't have an opinion about it. "As long as it's not a strain on your body and they agree, I guess it's fine." Damon turned to Axel. "Why didn't you take Yasmin to the human city? They can do measurements and ultrasound and… stuff. Even my pack doctor can do a better job than your healers."
Damon was not an expert in obstetrics, but he knew that human medicine was more precise than chants, potions, and hopes that the Moon Goddess will take care of everything. Travis studied with humans and did his internship there, so he would know a thing or two about what's going on inside a woman's belly when there is a baby inside.
Normally, werewolves wouldn't go to a doctor for pregnancy. The pack doctor would confirm it, and that was it. With their fast healing, she-wolves would let the nature take its course, but Yasmin was not a she-wolf, and she needed frequent checkups.
At Damon's complaint about how they didn't take Yasmin to a modern doctor, Axel lowered his head in embarrassment. It's not that Axel didn't think about it, but… "Healers said there was no reason to worry. One day passed after another, and here we are." And he was so busy with everything. Now he regretted not making time for Yasmin and their unborn babies. What kind of a mate and a father was he? Horrible.
They all moved to one large room where healers were ready with incense that was already lit up. Cassandra was there as well.
It was a circular room without a roof, allowing daylight to illuminate it. There were incense burners along the walls, one big altar, and four smaller ones to form a circle, leaving the middle of the room empty. Talia could imagine that healers would do ceremonies here under the moonlight.
Cassandra was at one of the smaller altars, carefully arranging colorful crystals in a pattern only she understood.
All eyes were on Talia and Yasmin who stood in the middle of the room, facing each other.
Yasmin asked everyone to give them space, she didn't want anyone to disturb this procedure accidentally.
Yasmin was thinking about this for ages, and she barely managed to convince Axel to give it a shot. She threatened him that she would go back to the Coven because the atmosphere in the Midnight Guardians pack was not suitable for babies. Axel panicked and said that he will do anything, and Yasmin asked that he lets her do what she feels it's right. He agreed.
Axel was confident Yasmin would do something drastic and leave him. He had a duty to stay in the Midnight Guardians pack and take care of it, people depended on him, but Yasmin was a different story. She was not attached to the pack, as she still didn't form the pack link. In addition to that, Yasmin still spoke about the Silver Flame Coven as her home. Yasmin was a witch, and the soulmate bond affected her differently. If she left, Axel would be torn between following her and abandoning his people. It would be tough, and no matter what he chose, he would be on the losing end.
When they spoke on the previous night, it sounded like Yasmin was giving him a choice, but Axel knew that was not the case. Yasmin was never so determined, and he was never so nervous.
Axel prayed silently that Talia knew what she was doing. He didn't want anything bad to happen to his babies, and he definitely didn't want a scratch on Yasmin's body. He didn't dare voice his concerns, out of fear that he will fall apart and ruin this, and then Yasmin would leave.
Amelia and Cornelia were standing closest to Yasmin, ready to chant protective spells if needed.
Talia looked around. "Considering all security measures, maybe we shouldn't do this."
Yasmin smirked at Talia. Did Talia think of wiggling out of it? "Considering all security measures, we should definitely do this. Come on. I'm ready."
Yasmin waved at the healers who added more herbs into incense burners, and then they started chanting.
Talia looked down to see a diagram appearing below their feet.
"This helps gather energies," Yasmin explained. "It's not harmful. Healers do this daily to focus and sense the connection with nature."
Talia had to acknowledge the freshness that surrounded her like someone infused more oxygen into the air.
'Lis?' Talia called.
'Calm your mind and think happy thoughts,' the ancient spirit instructed. 'This is not an attack nor defense. Follow your instincts. You want to grow the most delicate plant in the world. Slowly. Carefully. Gently.'
Somehow… Talia knew what to do.
"Give me your hands," Talia said to Yasmin.
Yasmin extended her hands and Talia held them.
"I will send you my energy. It will be up to you to channel it where needed," Talia said.
Yasmin nodded enthusiastically and she stared at Talia as Talia's eyes started flickering in silvery light.
Faint pulses of silvery light traveled across Talia's arms to meet Yasmin's hands where they disappeared.
Yasmin gasped when she felt the energies that warmed her hands with a dose of chill. It was a strange sensation, yet familiar.
Yasmin guided Talia's energy up her arms, and then into the rest of her body. Her lips lifted into a smile when her stomach absorbed that energy hungrily.
Yasmin felt that her babies were happy as if they were being fed after a long period of starvation.
"More…" Yasmin said in a whisper. "Give me more, Lia."
Damon, Axel, Cassandra, and a number of healers watched the spectacle in front of them without breathing.
Talia was enshrouded in silvery light that spilled on Yasmin. They looked like two ethereal creatures that held hands while smiling at each other. It was magical.
The winds were picking up to rotate around Talia and Yasmin, and Damon frowned as this reminded him of the spectacle those two females caused when they were in the realm of witches, searching for clues about Yasmin's father. Were they about to summon another tornado?
