On a Clear Winter Night: An Irin Chronicles Short Story Read Online Free Page B

Ava.”
    Something about the vision set her at ease. Nothing about it spoke of danger. Vasu wasn’t a restful presence, but she’d never felt in danger around him. Well, at least not danger from him. Vasu putting her in danger out of curiosity or boredom was another question.
    “ Why are you here , Vasu?”
    “Azril sent me.”
    Ava sat bolt up and put a hand over her belly, ignoring the tearing pain in her back. “ No .”
    Vasu looked disappointed. “Really, Ava? You should know the angel of death doesn’t always portend the physical. Azril lives in the space between. Transition. He intends no harm to you or your children. He has been watching you. You know he still keeps watch over your grandmother.”
    “Then why did he send you?”
    Vasu cocked his head, as if listening to someone in another room.
    “ Agatavyah boh .”
    “What?”
    He frowned, as if still listening to someone. “Or… ayatah agatavyah if they are being stubborn.”
    “Vasu, what does that even mean?”
    “Ask Azril. If you call him, he’ll come. He just didn’t want to show up and frighten you.”
    “So he sent you?”
    “Yes.”
    Ava felt herself falling back into sleep, even though she wanted to keep badgering Vasu. “I think… needs to rethink his messengers…”
    “‘Please come’ and ‘Come quickly,’” Vasu said, his voice fading away. “He said you would know when to use them.”
    “Use what?”
    She felt a shadowed hand press against her belly. It was warm. He smelled of the earth and green things. Of spices and rain.
    “Sleep, daughter of Jaron. Their time draws close.”

    When she opened her eyes, Malachi was quietly opening the door to their library bedroom.
    “Ah, sorry,” he whispered. “I was just checking on you. I didn’t want to wake you up.”
    “No, come here.” She patted the side of the bed.
    “Bad dreams?”
    To tell or not to tell about Vasu’s visit? She had to think about it some more. She didn’t want to think about Vasu right now.
    “Do you know the spells to write for the babies?” she asked, still half asleep.
    Malachi stretched out on the bed beside her. “I do. I have studied them from books we had in the Istanbul scribe house. I wish…”
    “You could talk to your father?”
    “Yes. In times like this, I miss my father more than I can say.”
    “I understand.”  
    Malachi helped rearrange the pillows under her belly, then laid his arm across her middle and rubbed large circles over her abdomen. Ava leaned back into his chest and felt him kiss the curve of her neck.
    “I don’t know why you’re worried. You’re going to be a wonderful father.”
    His hand paused. “I hope so.”
    “Tell me about your father.”
    The circles started again, Malachi sliding his hand under her shirt so his skin was next to hers.
    “He was a very strong man but very funny. Everyone loved his sense of humor. Bruno reminds me of him a little bit.”
    Ava smiled. “Really?”
    “Yes. But he was not as loud.”
    “I don’t think anyone is as loud as Bruno.”
    Malachi’s chest shook quietly. “My father was very caring. Very affectionate. Completely besotted with my mother. I would have been spoiled horribly as a child, but he put a stop to it. There was only one other child in our village, you see. And she was five years older. So it would have been easy for me to be indulged. But he was a very disciplined man and insisted that I must be, too. I think that’s one of the reasons we moved to Turkey.”
    “So you weren’t spoiled?”
    “Yes. We moved to a village with more children. My mother missed her home, but it was a wise decision.”
    She drew a deep breath. “That’ll be a challenge with our children. Everyone will want to make them happy.”
    “Leo will be the pushover.”
    “I don’t know. Damien might be the stealth softie.”
    “Yes, you may be right.”  
    Her whole stomach tightened with a strong contraction. She’d been getting them for days. Astrid said they could