Celestial's Prayer

A Dying Star

Maddy shook her head from the memory and walked back to the room where they were staying. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. The talk with her sister had been Thursday and she had run all night to get to Kay's early Friday morning, and then ran again all day to get back to the Clan by Friday afternoon, hoping to please her sister with her early arrival. But when she got back it was chaos.

She had entered the Clan's territory from the furthest point away from the Scouts and went through her window. She had managed to shower and change, hiding Kay's ring on a bracelet hidden on a chain around her ankle underneath a long flowing green dress. But as she was about to leave her quarters, there was a harsh knock on her door. It was the hard-faced Sardenel, the man her father wanted to pair her with. "Madeline, your father orders you to come to the family's quarters at once. I am to escort you there immediately."

She shuddered from the memory of the ensuing fight with her father. Just as she was about to leave the room, she had run into her sister and Kari, Maddy's second in command when it came to monitoring her sister's health. Kari had looked worried and was carrying one of her sister's cloaks. "Enough of this father, she's done nothing wrong. She and I had spoken last night and she has promised me that she will stay home for now to help me with my growth and progress. I will ask you- no- beg you-" Mina dropped to her knees in front of their father, sending Maddy deep into action by her side.

"Mina, please-" she began.

"No! I've had enough of this!" Mina declared harshly, her breath becoming ragged. "Father, I beg you, please stop this ridiculous notion of pairing Maddy, her soul is simply not of that type. Please allow her to be my permanent midwife and caretaker of my children. SHe is strong in the medical field and child-bearing-"

"Rediculous!" Their father exclaimed in the Alpha tone. "I will hear no more of you defending your sister! Get up NOW! From now on, Madeline will no longer be of your service. You have been too lenient with her. As have I! Madeline and Sardenel shall be paired tomorrow afternoon and we will rejoice in this happiest of times!" Their father had taken on the commanding tone of the Alpha and it was hard not to follow his orders.

Everyone bowed to his command, but as Mina did this there was a horrible c***k that came from her body. Crumpling onto the floor, Mina cried out in pain as blood began pooling underneath her. Maddy fell to her sister's side, fear enveloping her entire mind. "NO!" Mina cried out, "not again!" Before she knew it, Maddy was giving orders, Mina was in Sadenel's arms and they were rushing towards the birthing pools. If they could get Mina into the pool's healing water, then they could possibly save the child and Mina as well.

Throwing open the doors to the main pool, Maddy threw off her top dress and entered the pool as Sardenel gently lowered Mina in. Mina had gone pale and her breathing was labored. The pool immediately turned dark red as the blood from Mina's dress began to bleed into it. Maddy remembered thinking that the pool had been too dark and that Mina had lost too much blood. Another violent movement rushed through Mina's body as a blood-curdling scream enveloped the entire medical wing.

As the echos of the scream faded away Maddy had coaxed a small body out of her sister. She lifted the infant out of the water. It was a boy, caught in mid transformation with elongated teeth and sharpened claws but otherwise human. She handed him to Kari, who had replaced her sister's cloak with a warmed blanket, and turned back to her sister. Mina had gone limp and even paler than the moon. "MINA! BREATH! WAKE UP!" She had been lightly tapping her sister's face and shaking her shoulders, trying to get a stir out of her.

Maddy felt for Mina's pulse but could not find it. She was just about to go into hysterics when Samuel rushed into the room and kelt next to Mina, placing his hand on her shoulder. At his touch Mina opened her eyes, but she did not focus on anything. "Dux, sir." It was Kari, her hands were now at her sides, the child nowhere to be seen. It had been obvious to Maddy the child had not made it when she had pulled it out of Mina because she could not feel the heart beat in it. Samuel shook his head, clearly not wanting anyone to speak. He entered the water and gently lifted Mina out of the water. Maddy stood in the pool, left alone in shock and racked with guilt. She was the last person to leave the birthing room, humbly putting her green dress back on, not caring about how wet the rest of her was.

Sardenel was in the corridors outside the Medical Wing waiting for her. "If you had just stayed put none of this would have happened. And once I find out who this human boyfriend of yours is, I'll personally hunt him down and make sure he regrets ever messing with my princess and our Clan." He said condescendingly. It was at this moment that Maddy had decided to just abandon her Clan altogether and pray that she could make it on her own.