Ingrid arches her back and screams. She screams until her ribcage rattles against her lungs and her throat feels raw – skinned. The sand bites at her skin, while the water recedes back to its natural place. Her vision goes blurry with the pain radiating up her vertebra, and she can barely make out the three faces leaning over her. She feels someone trying and failing to pick her up, and then six hands lifting her out of the sand. It sounds like her mother who whispers an incantation, and then the world lurches in every direction before they land back in the Beauchamp house.
"Wendy," Joanna commands, "get her upstairs and in bed. Freya get me some hot water and blankets." Her requests sound so normal that Ingrid manages a few calmer breaths before the next pain – that's because no one saw the job Joanna gave herself.
When her mother finally joins them upstairs she is carrying a book on top of something heavy – a box? Wishing she could clear her eyes Ingrid blinks as rapidly as she can until Freya turns to look at her and turns to the older women in horror - "Mom, Wendy – Ingrid's bleeding."
"Well of course she's bleeding she's having a – oh my god! Ingrid!" Wendy turns around and pulls at Joanna until she does the same. For an awful second they all just stand there with fear painted on their pale faces.
"What?" Ingrid gasps, "What's wrong?" She looks frantically from face to face waiting for someone to tell her the obviously terrifying truth.
Finally, Joanna dips a towel in some warm water and comes to sit beside her on the bed. Dabbing something sticky off her cheeks she answers as calmly as she can, "Ingrid everything is fine, sweetheart. You've got a bit of blood in your eyes that's all – we expected this."
Searching her too calm face Ingrid reaches a hand up to her cheek – it comes away soaked with blood. "A bit? Mom? Am I – Am I going to die?" Joanna starts to answer, but another scream from Ingrid drowns her out. She had read a lot about childbirth, but no "What to Expect" book could explain the feeling off nails being hammered into her spine. Nor could it explain the tearing sensation inside her too-big belly. The contractions are worse than they should be – and everyone knows it.
When she lapses into silence again Joanna continues with her answer unfazed, "No." She answers determinedly, "you are going to be just fine, sweetheart. I promise. Now tell me what you're feeling – don't you dare leave anything out." Her mother smiles and strokes Ingrid's hair, while the red-head catches her breath enough to answer.
"It feels like I am being torn from the inside out. There are nails in my spine. The contractions feel so cold they burn. And I can't see straight. How am I doing so far?"
Flickers of doubt play in her mother's eyes for a second, but then Joanna is back in control. "Ingrid – do you trust me?"
"With my life," she nods.
Looking resolute she takes Ingrid's hand and turns to Wendy. "Get me the knife – it's under the false bottom of my dresser... and then you and Freya should leave and wait downstairs." She whispers something else that Ingrid can't hear – probably a warning. Wendy hesitates, but another scream wrenches its way up her nieces throbbing throat and she runs to do as she's been asked. Ingrid holds Freya close when she comes in for a hug, and then they both put on brave smiles as she walks away.
"I love you Ingrid, babe – you've got this," Freya says from the doorway and then she's gone.
"Here," Wendy tosses the knife at Joanna who catches it too casually – she's done this before. They both have, Ingrid thinks foggily to herself. Wendy leaves after a tight hug and a hand through red, sweat-soaked hair.
"It's just you and me, Ingrid. We are going to do this together, O.K?" Joanna asks soothingly.
Ingrid can only nod as she grinds her teeth through another contraction. Her mother mutters something and her belly goes wonderfully numb and tingly. Joanna's hand shakes, and she has to pause and force it to be still before making the first cut. Ingrid feels a pulling near the bottom of her torso, but that's all – magic beats epidurals every time. Ten minutes pass before a wailing fills the room, and Joanna waves her fingers to close the incision before standing up with Ingrid's baby in her arms. The baby is wailing so loudly the entire neighborhood can hear the desperate, heart-wrenching sound, and thunder and lightning shatter the night sky into bright shards. Refusing to meet Ingrid's eyes Joanna murmurs and rocks back and forth with the child in her arms until the wailing finally stops.
"Mom? Mom look at me! Is the baby O.K?"
Joanna looks up tearfully, "For now – Ingrid you have a baby girl, and she is Dash's baby."
Ingrid smiles, but Joanna isn't done. Handing her the baby girl she goes on, "she is also the mandragora's baby." Ingrid's face drops. "Mandragora venom got into her blood stream when he fed off of you – your daughter is a daemon, Ingrid. She will be more powerful then any of us, but we will take care of her and when the time comes hopefully she will protect not harm us."
Ingrid looks up at her mother and then down at the small, fiery haired child. "Thank you, mom. I will keep her safe."
Raven stands outside the Beauchamp house with her hair flapping in the sudden storm. Slipping her hand into her jacket pocket she rings a small metal bell and it sends the church bells tolling. The daemon is here and her orders from Asgard are clear – hunt the witches down and bring them the girl.
Hope you enjoyed something a little longer! I was planning on breaking this into two parts, but then it all just came together. Thank you for reading my darling witches, and I promise the next chapter will be soon!
~LovingAuntWendytheCat💜