"The child... save our child..."
Isilra's vision was blurry, but she recognized the face above her. She clawed weakly at Orion's arm, her voice a desperate rasp.
"Hush," Orion whispered, his voice an anchor in the storm. "It's over. It was just the bloodline evolving. I've stabilized the resonance."
He smoothed the damp hair from her forehead. "Rest now. Reach out with your senses. You'll feel him. He is safe."
Isilra hesitated, then closed her eyes, turning her focus inward. A moment later, the tension left her body. Her breathing slowed, and she slipped back into a deep, restorative sleep.
Orion stayed until her rhythm was steady, then gently waded out of the Moonwell.
Gima, the Demigod of the Moonwell, watched him with a grave expression. "That child carries the direct bloodline of a Demigod. Even for an elemental life form like Isilra, the cost is too high. She will burn herself out before he is born. Unless..."
