she told me as she took a seat in the plush chair opposite mine, cradling her babe in her arms. “It’s been so long since we saw each other.”
My teasing eyes studied the wide-eyed babe. “A lifetime, by the look of Jacob.”
Stephanie leaned back, her shining eyes admiring the happy boy. “He is growing fast, isn’t he? I can hardly believe he’s five months old now.”
“And I can hardly believe this is my first visit since he was born,” I commented as I clucked my tongue. “I’ve missed out on all those five months.”
“Only four,” she countered as she moved over to me, her focus still completely fixed on the babe. “You were here for a month after I gave birth, remember?”
I threw back my head and laughed. “Do I ever! Somebody had to keep Cayden from smothering you beneath his attention and all the blankets he insisted on piling on top of you two.”
She lifted her shining eyes to me, made ever the brighter by her endearing motherhood. “Would you like to hold him?”
I stretched out my arms as a grin stretched across my face. “With more joy than you can imagine.”
Stephanie set the babe in my arms, his warmth a soft comfort to me as I cradled him against my chest. His bright eyes blinked up at me, the small child’s mouth slightly agape as he studied my unfamiliar face.
I grasped one of his tiny hands, marveling at the feel of his chubby skin against mine. “You have your mother’s beautiful eyes, little one.”
The babe gurgled and squealed, his tiny body squirming in my arms. I laughed and rubbed my face in his belly. He kicked and laughed, a toothless grin stretching across his tiny face.
Stephanie took a seat beside me, her gaze softening as she studied my expression. “You would make a very good mother, Miriam. Have you and Cassian had any luck?”
My heart sank, and I held the babe closer to me. “No. It’s just…it’s just not working. We’ve tried everything we could think of, and a few things we probably shouldn’t have.”
My friend blinked at me. “Things you shouldn’t have tried?”
A bit of a humorous twinkle returned to my eyes as I feigned a stoic face. “Well, there was that very nasty-tasting root, and the hot bag full of lamb feces.”
Stephanie’s jaw hit the floor, her face a picture of horror. “You tried all that?”
I shrank beneath her shock, a sheepish smile on my lips. “Well, maybe not the root…”
“But why the feces?”
“Well, an old man told me in the market that lambs were sure to bring good luck to mothers, and their poop exuded that magic, so, well…”
“You tried it?”
I hung my head. “I tried it.”
Stephanie sighed, her pity-filled eyes flickering over me. “I’m sorry your, um, bag didn’t work.”
I snorted, turning my attention back to the babe. “So am I. It would be nice to give little Jacob a playmate.”
The door to the room flew open, and Mrs. Pachis scurried into the chamber, her arms filled with sweet-smelling blankets. “Here are the fresh linens for today, Miss Stephanie.”
Stephanie smiled at the plump woman, adjusting the weight of her equally chubby babe. “What would I do without you, Mrs. Pachis?”
Mrs. Pachis set the linen on the diaper table before she turned to us, her hands on her hips. “Pshah. You don’t have anything to thank me for. The work here is easier than when I was babysitting Tillit.” The older woman paused, her expression falling into sadness. She sniffled and drew out a handkerchief, dabbing the bottoms of her eyes. “I wonder how that fool is doing…”
My old twinkle returned in full as I cradled the babe against me. “I’m sure he’s doing quite well, but I’m not so sure about the Mallus Library.”
Mrs. Pachis shut her eyes, a shudder running through her. “Varuna preserve that poor place…”
“Hey! That’s not a very nice thing to say!”
All our heads shot up, our gazes flickering about the room searching for a source. My mouth dropped open as a bright blue portal appeared at the open balcony door. The familiar figure of my dear sus friend, Tillus himself, strode out, his face twisted into a scolding frown.
“I am not so clumsy that I-ah!”
His foot had tripped on the bottom border of the swirling portal, causing him to stumble out and fall flat on his face. Stephanie and I jumped to our feet to assist him, but Mrs. Pachis beat us by a country mile.
She scooped up the dazed sus in her arms and hugged him close to her ample bosom. “My dearest Tillit! My dear, dear little Tillit!”
“Hmphphpm,” came the reply from her captive.
She blinked, drawing them apart. “Pardon?”
Tillit sucked in vital air. “I said I can’t breathe in those things!”
Mrs. Pachis wrinkled her nose, opening her arms. Tillit dropped like a rock onto the floor. “You haven’t changed a bit. Haven’t you learned anything of manners from that library of yours?”
He sat up, rubbing his snout with one hand. It was then that I noticed he held a wrinkled old book in the other. “Who has time for manners when I’ve been reading all these books trying to figure out a way to help Miriam and Cassian?”
My ears perked up, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. “Help me with what?”
He nodded at the child in my arms. “Help you get one of those. I’ve been watching you guys through some mirror glasses I found in a side room.” He paused, wrinkling his nose. “Did you really have to try the sheep’s poop?”
“Never mind that!” Stephanie piped up, her hands clasped in front of her. “Did you find anything to help them?”
“And what took you this long to do it?” Mrs. Pachis added.
Tillit half-turned to his mode of transportation and stabbed a finger at the swirling mass of color. “It only took me this long because I had to find a portal spell first. Well, one I could pull off without all the magic blowing back on me.”
Stephanie slipped over to me, dipping her arms beneath her babe. Her shining eyes met mine, both of our gazes filled with hope as she whispered a few words to me. “I think this needs your full attention.”
“I hope so,” I whispered in return before I slipped over to Tillit. “What did you find?”
Tillit puffed out his chest and held the tome aloft. “I discovered that your troubles go back far longer than when you didn’t know Cassian. There was a great war between the fae and the dragons, and a terrible curse was set upon both species.” He paused and rubbed his chin in his hand, a contemplative expression on his face as he studied the tome. “At least, that’s what I got from reading this thing. Some pages are missing, so I don’t quite know all the details about what happened, but I do know a terrible curse was wrought on both sides, one that’s keeping you two from having your child.”
I straightened, my jaw set with determination. “If that’s true, then there’s one person I need to go talk to.”
Stephanie cocked her head, her eyes blinking at me. “Who is that?”
“My mother.”