Blackfeather Woods [m]ama's gonna make all of your nightmares come true

They all left, eventually. Even Mou. Soon, she was alone, staring at the fecal matter that remained. So not all, then. Her children had stayed.

"Those aren't your babies, miss. You weren't pregnant."

She's wrong, Peryite had intoned, right on the heels of Lilah's diagnosis. Those are your sons, princes of pestilence. She cannot see them for what they truly are—but we can, my dear. We can.

Lilah said she would make it better, but Lilah couldn't make it better. No one could. Only Maegi would know the truth, only Maegi would—could—carry this burden. And she felt a sudden surge of joy as she realized the blessing that had been bestowed upon her by Peryite. A twisted blessing. . .but a blessing, nonetheless.

She fell prostrate, laughing quietly with relief, the stomach pains still there, but abating. The labor was ending. A new chapter had begun.

Peryite, ñuha āeksio, ñuha Jaes, she whispered into the dirt, her body trembling all over. Kirimvose syt se irudy emā maghatan nyke. Kirimvose syt ñuha trēsi. Kesan manaeragon zirȳ naejot dohaeragon ao hae nyke dohaeragon ao. Kesan manaeragon zirȳ naejot jorrāelagon ao hae Avy jorrāelan.

Maegi lay on her side, the ruined cheek facing upward, the fiery eye scorching the tops of the trees.

Kirimvose, she breathed, and then fell silent for a very long time.