Sparking

Sparking

By TurquoiseEmber

Prologue
Another guttural scream, followed by yet another rush of blood from the poor young woman.

“Ma’am, you are doing perfectly well. I can see the head. Just one more push, now.”

The doctor’s voice, calm and steady, reassured the mother-to-be. But Willa couldn’t help, even in her haze of exhaustion, doubting it. The doctor probably says this to everyone. Her thoughts were washed away by another strike of pure, raw pain from her lower body. She was beyond tired at this point. She just wanted to see her child, the one that had been with her for the past nine months. To hold them in her unwavering arms and tell them how precious she was. To have the past fourteen hours that Willa had spent in labor to mean something, the amazing journey of bringing one little but valued life to the world. So she inhaled sharply and focused everything on one, final, earth-shattering push. No more pain was pressing down her stomach, no more warm blood rushing. But no earsplitting cry, either, harkening the arrival of the child. Where was it? No. The world tumbled in a cruel haze of violet and black spots, the pressure downing on her. Had she lost her child? But one thing brought her back in that same moment. The doctor’s voice, sure as ever, congratulating her.

“It’s a girl.” He enveloped her into a towel, wiping Willa’s blood from her small body.

He nodded to Willa. “I’ll take a few samples to the lab to test, make sure your baby is healthy.”

She sighed with unmeasurable relief, arms quivering as the bundle was handed to her. In that second, it was just her and her daughter. A picture of perfection as the baby didn’t cry, but instead smiled up at her. Why isn’t she crying? She couldn’t bring herself to think that there was something wrong with her, because she was utterly flawless. Her small, shell-pink lips enclosed in a delicate figure, the corners turning up into a grin. Her little chiseled nose, a fine point at the end. A faint blush on her cheeks like the first rosy fingers of dawn, creeping up over the creamy peach horizon that was her skin. A few tufts of coppery locks of hair, curling slightly at the ends. But most surprising of all, Willa noticed, were her brilliant blue-green eyes, a perfect marriage of shades of green and blue, spilling onto one another and creating quite a shade Willa had never seen, but it was her favorite color of all. It reminded her of the turquoise lake that Willa had swam in as a child, but her daughter’s eyes were much more vibrant and hopeful, ten times as beautiful.

“Aquanetta,” she breathed, declaring her name. The lake was christened aqua in the old language, and her Willa’s mother’s name was Anetta. This child, Willa knew, was special, as she cuddled Aquanetta closer to her chest, warming her to her heart. But Willa’s newfound joy of motherhood didn’t last for long as the doctor came. “Ma’am--” he started, but Willa stopped him.

“Is she alright?” Hearing this, the doctor winced slightly.

“She’s alright, I suppose. More than alright. Ma’am, t-the Fireborn has requested her.”

Willa’s heart dropped, cascading into an abyss of protection and extreme attachment to her child.

“But Aquanetta--she--she’s mine..” She repeated the word over and over again. “Mine..” Trying to reassure herself that this was all a nightmare and she’d wake up with Aquanetta in her arms again.

The doctor sighed. “Ma’am. I don’t like this any more than you do, but we must do it now before she becomes too attached..” His voice, straight and calm before, took on a dangerous edge. Willa’s arms became a little tighter around the baby, forcing the doctor to pry Aquanetta out. Willa’s hands turned cold, no longer warmed by the touch of Aquanetta.

“No...no..” She said hopelessly as the doctor, clutching Aquanetta, who was now crying, smiled with satisfaction.

“There we are. I assure you, ma’am, you have done a great service to your world. She will be perfect. She will be raised the right way, with lots of love and care. And when she’s seventeen..she’ll fight with the sacred fire instilled in her by the Fireborn.” He paused. “Of course, if she survives until then.”