Panic! The noise in the halls drowned the whispers of the outside winds. Kavriel's tie had long since been discarded. The anxiety that had burned his chest for months had poured over like an overflowing river after rain. His eyes glowed a deep golden, his fluttered movement raising up chilly winds in the mansion.
Damian followed after carefully putting his mess back together. His disheveled look from before a speck in the passage of time and space. Even Ale had thrown his casual smile out the windows.
Raven stood with Athinna at the door of the delivery room, a panic like never before settling in her heart.
'Pitter patter' The skies too cried out with the shifting energies in the house. A scream tore through the darkening sky, thunder rumbled resonating with the pain of the woman lying on the bed. Her wet hair stuck to her overly pale face. The woman was surrounded by a dozen doctors; their backs soaked in cold sweat.
Hours had passed since Dareevah had gone into labor. The baby had since shown no signs of curiosity for the outside world. Kavriel was but a mere distance away but this group of midwives had already seen their pitiful lives flash before their eyes. A midwife suddenly bent over, her knees hitting the wooden floor. Tears fell down her wide eyes. Her wails made the others crease their brown, their eyes growing redder with the passing of time.
Raven clenched her hand into fists, her eyes reddening around the corners. Athinna held her hands, an assurance.
Kavriel was slowly going crazy, his eyes a deeper shade of gold. Damian wasn't calm either but his red eyes only grew colder.
******
"Darel, you can't possibly block it all out" Kane sat beside his friend, the bottles around him making the others grimace. "Soon enough, it would be forced. It's best you take a pick while you still can." Kane couldn't count the number of times he had said these exact same words, but it just seemed to never reach the young master of the blood wing clan. Darel kept his mouth shut, a little pouty. He took a swig of the bottle in his hand, his eyes looking dazed. 'Did he even know who was talking at the moment' Kane face palmed. This man had always been stubborn.
"She hasn't come yet" Darel said, a slur in his words. His voice was deep from the alcohol. Kane had heard words like 'I'm not interested or I don't mind being alone' but had never heard this one. His eyes narrowed as he assessed his friend. He could do nothing else. Maybe he could introduce someone during their next drinking session.
Darel sat in a daze, the bottle in his hands suddenly looking plain. He stood up and walked to the door of the private room. With every step his eyes grew sharper, his drunkenness all but a dream.
"I'll be heading back" He waved his pale hand at his friend, Kane grunted in reply.
The wind at the parking lot was clawing at his face. A small sigh escaped his parted lips. He twirled the key in his hands, his pale face lifted up to the sky, the dark clouds drifted about like ghosts.
Another sigh and a beep, the car was opened. Home had always been the best.
********
Kavriel finally calmed enough to hold his wife's hands. Damian waited outside with Raven and Athinna, a sigh escaping his pale lips. Dareevah's screams had reduced to throaty growls and soft moans.
Ale stood beside Athinna, his gaze fleeting past Damian's pale face. Another sigh.
The large double doors down stairs opened, the chilly winds from outside finding their ways through. Darel walked in, his coat drenched in rain water. The expression on his face was dark. His eyes narrowed. The dark clouds had seemed attracted to the house as they gathered above the mansion releasing their tears.
The house was a mix of tranquility and chaos. 'Where is everyone else?' His eyes narrowed as he heard the thuds and voices from upstairs, then a low growl echoed in his ears. His eyes contracted into slits, their color reddening.
He didn't bother with walking; a light wind pushed against the walls of the living room as his body flew up the stairs leaving afterimages in its wake.
"She's having the baby....and no one thought to call me?" Darel said, his voice sharp with annoyance." I did" Raven said, a sharp glint in her eyes. Darel was calmed by the faint aura surrounding his niece. His head grew clearer with the sound of rain clattering on the rooftop. Athinna looked over at the arrival, her brow rising in curiosity. "That's my uncle, Darel Willows" Raven lightly introduced, her voice soft.
Darel looked at the woman standing beside Raven with wavy green hair, his eyes narrowing. "Ale's Daughter" Raven said, this time her voice a little sharper. Darel lowered his eyes. "Sorry, I yelled…. Just a little jumpy" Raven hummed coldly in reply. She was just as agitated. Maybe the howling winds outside the walls made her a little uneasy, but her heart couldn't stop palpitating.
The swaying of tree branches and the howling of humid winds filled the interior, Dareevah had gone quiet. Only the vitality swirling within the room and the soft breaths, a proof of their existence. Raven held her breath waiting…waiting for a little cry, maybe the baby had been born. The baby was okay. This was their hope.
The winds howled and shadows danced, no one had moved. There was no cry. The silence tightened its grip over their hearts. Their hands clenched tight by their sides. Raven's fist was placed in her mouth, her fangs cutting through her skin. 'Is everything okay', she thought silently.
'Aaargh' a scream suddenly tore through the night, the clouds parting with it. An aura blazing with the scent of green wood and blood filled the air, spreading for miles outside the looming castles gates. The moon shone a pale blue through the windows. The cry they had silently prayed for, the cry they had yearned for did not come.
The silence had returned.