NOELLE’S POV,
Faith and I left just a few days ago from Liberum. I haven’t had a decent sleep for days and some good food would be welcome too. Luckily Faith said we will be able to rest at a nearby village soon. I really need the rest because it feels like I am getting sick or something. I feel dizzy and nauseous, so I hope it isn’t from any of the wild mushrooms we ate. Food poisoning is not high on my bucket list at the moment. We keep walking and I just start to feel worse and worse. Just when we get sight of the village, I puke all my guts out. Faith holds my hair and looks at me worried, “Are you okay?”
I feel unable to answer and just shake my head. Every time I want to speak another wave of nausea falls over me. “Come on let’s get you inside somewhere,” Faith says warmly.
She guides me into the village, but I can’t process the surroundings I just have to focus on walking. After what feels like forever we arrive at an Inn. Faith talks to the owner who looks at me suspiciously because I am leaning against the door breathing heavily. He grunts, “Take the room furthest to the left and make sure she doesn’t puke anywhere along the way.”
Faith takes me to the room and lays me down on the bed. She gets me a wet towel for my head and a bucket. I just feel awful and the throwing up doesn’t seem to stop. Faith strokes my hair and mumbles, “Can’t be food poisoning because we ate the same things.”
She sits on the bed next to me and takes a few glow worms out of her bag. “I am going to do a little examination through your body okay, Noelle?”
Honestly, I don’t give a shit what she does I just want these miserable feelings to stop. I just let out weak cries of misery which must sound like a yes to Faith. She whispers, “Lumina Vitam.”
The light of the glow worms absorbs into her hands, and she softly lets her hands go over my body. She starts at my head and slowly goes lower. When she is at my stomach she stops and makes a frowning face. “What is it?” I ask worriedly. Multiple doom scenarios immediately go through my mind. Faith puts her hands on my stomach and the light disappears inside. She looks at me with big eyes and says, “You are pregnant Noelle.”
I feel shocked and say, “What?”
Faith smiles at me, “You and Gabriel are going to be parents. It is very unusual to be pregnant so quickly, but it must be because of the mate bond.”
Tears of joy well up in my eyes but then I think about everything that is going on in the world right now. What if I can’t protect this tiny little human in my belly? Faith notices my expression go from happy to worry. She squeezes my hand, “Hey, try not to worry. We will make sure he or she will come into a world better than the one we came into. Besides that, I know for sure that you and Gabriel will be amazing parents.”
I give her a thankful smile and she gets up and walks to the door. “I am going to get some herbs to settle your nausea. I can give you a daily tea that will make the worst of it pass.”
I lay back down and try not to throw up constantly. It is easier now because I am distracted by thinking about this little wonder that is growing inside of me. I just wish Gabriel was here so I could tell him. I miss him so much it physically hurts. I wonder what he is doing now and or he is thinking about me. I stroke my stomach and smile thinking I will never be alone again though. At least not for the coming months.
Faith comes back and boils me a tea of the herbs she collected. I try to take some small sips and immediately I feel like my stomach is calming down. As soon as I become more relaxed, I also become very tired. Before I know it, my eyes have fallen shut and I drift away.
Hours later I wake up again, but I am all alone in the room. I do feel much more energized, and my stomach seems okay. I get up and decide to go look for Faith in the village. I walk around for a bit looking in the windows of different shops. I find Faith coming out of a book shop. I wave to her and just want to walk towards her when I hear a sound.
“Noelle? Noelle! Here to the left,” the voice comes from a dark alley. I take a step away and in the meantime, Faith has walked to me. We both look at the alley when a woman emerges from the shadow. Her face is familiar, but I can’t place where I have seen her before.
She says, “It is Donna. You helped me during the audience in the Sea Realm. I was punished for healing my husband who turned into a dark human. You gave me the chance to say goodbye.”
My mind immediately goes back to that day and how unfair and awful Roan’s judgment was. “I remember. I am sorry I couldn’t do more for you and your husband.”
Faith looks at Donna intrigued, “You healed a dark human?”
Donna nods, “It is possible with some cases. However, in vain for my husband.”
She waves us over, “My house is at the end of the alley. Please come have a cup of tea. I can tell you more about healing if you are interested.”
Faith and I nod to each other and walk after her but as soon as Donna walks back into the shadows her shape seems to change. She becomes bigger and darkness seems to radiate from her. I quickly take Faith her hand when Donna turns around and looks at us with big red eyes. Faith whispers, “Run Noelle, maybe you knew her once as a human. But that is a dark human. No doubt about it.”