The Fourteenth Key (The Chronicles of Terah Book 3)

by Mackenzie Morgan

  That’s when Sister Agnes dropped the bomb. Theresa had left first thing that morning for Rainbow Valley and wouldn’t be back until after the New Year. Hayley was not only going to be the sister in charge for the next week, she’d be the only sister in the area.

  Hayley’s stomach flipped and her knees went weak. Blood drained out of her face and rushed back with a flush. “I can’t do that,” Hayley stammered as she jumped up. “I’m not ready! What if something happens? What if there’s an emergency? What if I don’t know what to do? Or can’t do it?” Hayley started wringing her hands and pacing. “What if someone gets sick or injured? They could die waiting for you to get back. What if someone goes into labor? I don’t know anything about delivering a baby!” She spun around, and stared wide-eyed at Sister Agnes. “You can’t go! Not if Theresa’s gone, too!”

  Sister Agnes stood up and handed Hayley the log book of patients. “No one in Milhaven is anywhere near ready to deliver. And if someone should go into labor, Leira will be here. She’s seen it all. Just do what she says and you’ll be fine.” Sister Agnes walked around her desk to the door. “Now, I’ve got to go pack and get on my way.” She held the door open for Hayley to leave. Once they were both in the hall, Sister Agnes pulled her office door to, said, “Have a nice week,” and walked off towards her room.

  Hayley stood there with her mouth hanging open a good three minutes before she could force her feet to move. She was on her own. For a whole week. Heaven help them all.

  By the next Friday morning, Hayley was beginning to enjoy being in charge. There hadn’t been any serious injuries or critical illnesses, the patient wards were empty and clean, the storeroom was well-stocked, and her paperwork was caught up. And best of all, Sister Agnes would be back the next day. Hayley was in the mood to celebrate, so she sent Marcus a note asking him to join her for lunch.

  While they were eating, Marcus said, “Myron’s going to get Allisandra after lunch. She wants to spend the weekend at the castle.”

  “Why?”

  “She wants to spend some time with Laryn before the baby’s born. Once she delivers, she probably won’t be doing much visiting for a while. Traveling with an infant’s a real hassle. My sister didn’t want to go anywhere when hers were that young. Too much stuff has to travel with you.”

  Hayley nodded. “When’s she due?”

  “From what Myron said, any time now.”

  Hayley’s stomach flipped and her appetite fled. She swallowed hard and forced herself to relax. Sister Agnes would be back in less than twenty-four hours. Everything would be fine.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  After Kevin finished lunch, he went to pick up Allisandra. Craven decided to stay home since he had a backlog of work and he wanted to get as much of it taken care of as he could before the baby came.

  When Allisandra got to the castle, she stowed the few things she’d brought with her in the guest room Cryslyn had prepared for her and went to Laryn’s house to spend the afternoon with her sister. She hadn’t been there quite an hour when her water broke. Within minutes, Kevin had Allisandra settled in her room at the castle and Steve was on his way into town to get Hayley.

  As soon as Cryslyn came into the room to keep Allisandra company, Kevin went downstairs, found Chris, and handed him the key to Terah. “Go to Rainbow Valley and get Theresa. I’m going to go get Craven.”

  Hayley answered the door when Steve got to the chapel. As soon as he explained what was going on, she started backing away, shaking her head. “Tell Myron to take her back home. I’m sure there’s a sister there who knows what to do.”

  Steve shook his head. “Too late for that, Hayley. Sorry, but you’re it.”

  “No, I’m not. Tell him to go get Theresa. She can do it. Or better yet, tell Allisandra to wait a bit. Sister Agnes will be back tomorrow morning. She’s done this hundreds of times. She can do it then.”

  “I really don’t think the baby’s going to be willing to wait that long.”

  Leira walked up in time to hear Steve’s comment. “What’s happened?”

  Steve started to explain, but he couldn’t get a complete sentence out without Hayley interrupting him, saying he needed to find someone who knew what they were doing, that she couldn’t do it.

  Finally Leira had heard enough. She called out to Duri, the other chapel aide, and told her to get the delivery bag and their cloaks. She put her hand on Hayley’s arm and said, “You can do this. There’s nothing to it. I’ve helped Sister Agnes deliver half the people in this town. It’s not a big deal. Babies pretty much deliver themselves.”

  “You’ve done this before?” Relief was written all over Hayley’s face.

  Leira nodded. “Hundreds of times.” She let go of Hayley to take the cloaks from Duri.

  “Good.” Hayley started backing up again, away from the door. “You go deliver the baby and I’ll stay here in case there’s an emergency.”

  Leira put her hand around Hayley’s arm and pulled her back towards the door. “No you don’t. You’re going with me. Don’t worry. I’ll talk you through it.”

  Hayley shook her head. “They need someone else, someone who’s had experience with this. I can’t do it.”

  “Yes, you can.” Leira draped the cloak around Hayley’s shoulders and tied it under her chin. “I’ve had enough experience for both of us. We’ll be fine.”

  “Then you don’t need me, and accidents happen all the time. You know Duri’s not ready to handle the chapel on her own. One of us has to stay here, and since you know what you’re doing with the delivery, I’ll stay here. That way you’ll know where to find me if you need me.”

  “I’m sure I will. You’ll be right beside me.” Leira took the bag Duri was holding for her, took Hayley by the hand, and headed out the front door.

  Two minutes later, they were on their way to the castle.

  Meanwhile Chris found Theresa with Taelor and Sari in the preparation room. When he explained the situation, Theresa laughed. “Hayley’s probably having a fit right now. She can do it, but until she actually does it, she won’t believe it, so I’m not going in unless I absolutely have to. Understood?” Chris agreed, and by the time Hayley arrived, Theresa was stashed in Chris’s bedroom.

  Miranda was in the kitchen when Laryn came in to let her know Allisandra was in labor and the rest of the family would be coming soon. While Laryn and Steve set up a waiting area near the back of the dining room, Miranda and her staff put trays of refreshments together. Cryslyn and Serra made a list of everything the baby would need and sent their staff out to gather and organize the supplies. Kevin and Chris divided up the relatives and left to pick up the rest of the family.

  During the long hours of labor, Leira coached both Hayley and Allisandra, Theresa napped in Chris’s room, and Craven paced up and down the hall outside his wife’s room.

  As the afternoon turned to evening, the vigil continued. News spread, and soon townspeople as well as staff members gathered at the castle, waiting for the newest addition to the House of Nordin to make an entrance. Finally, around 1:00 in the morning of December 28, indignant howls blared from the room upstairs, announcing the arrival of Allisandra’s baby girl, Lysette.

  It was anyone’s guess as to who was more exhausted, the new mother or the new sister. When it was over and the child was safely in her mother’s arms, Hayley slipped out the door, found an empty guest room, and collapsed on the bed.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  After breakfast the next morning, Shadron found Kevin in his office and said he was ready to go back home, but Kayla wanted to stay another day to help Allisandra.

  After Kevin returned from taking Shadron home, Kyle walked in. “If you’ve got a minute, I’d like to head back.”

  Kevin nodded and took out his key. As Kyle put his hand on Kevin’s arm, he said, “Allisandra couldn’t have timed this better. Having Marshall up there made it a lot easier for me to be here when her baby was born. And by the way, Marshall’s going to work out fine.”
>
  Kevin raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure?”

  Kyle nodded. “I can’t be certain, but I think there’s an elf somewhere in his family history. He’s too good with animals for there not to be. Glendymere could tell. Duane could, too. You might want to get them to check him out.”

  Kevin hesitated. “Maybe we better keep that to ourselves.”

  “Why?”

  “Karl bought him in Glenarbour. He was a slave.”

  “Oh,” Kyle said. “Guess it’s a good thing I haven’t mentioned it to him.”

  Kevin nodded. “I have no idea who owned him before. He may have just been captured, but if his parents are slaves somewhere, we could have a real problem on our hands if the elves found out.”

  Kyle shook his head. “Well, he’s not a slave now. But if his parents are, we need to do something about it.”

  “And by ‘we’, you mean me, right?”

  “Guess so, but if you need any help, you know where to come. Now, let’s get back to my house.”

  When they arrived in Kyle’s front yard, he asked, “Are you going to take Nikki with you today?”

  Kevin thought about it for a minute. “No, today’s going to be too hectic. Can I pick her up tomorrow and keep her until Monday morning instead?”

  Kyle nodded. “What about Marshall?”

  “Unless he’s got something he needs to do back at the castle, I can pick him up tomorrow, too.”

  Nikki charged out of the house followed by Marshall and the rest of the dogs. While Kevin ruffled Nikki’s fur and made a big fuss over her, Kyle asked Marshall what he wanted to do.

  “If I’m not needed at the castle, I’d like to stay here,” Marshall answered.

  Kyle nodded and looked at Kevin. “I’m going to change clothes. Are you coming in before you head back?”

  “No, I’ve got to get back,” Kevin said, petting Nikki. He looked at Marshall. He didn’t blame him for staying. If anything, he was jealous. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning to pick Nikki up. You’ll be ready to go then?”

  Marshall nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  Kevin rubbed Nikki’s ears one more time. “Got to head back, girl. See you in the morning.”

  Dayed and Dara were waiting in his office with Chris when Kevin returned. A moment later, Danyelle walked in.

  “You ready to head home, too?” Kevin asked her.

  When Danyelle nodded, Kevin took off his key to Terah and handed it to Chris. “You take Danyelle. I’ll get Dayed and Dara.”

  A few minutes later they were both back in the office. “I guess that’s it for a while,” Kevin said as he sat down in his chair. “The only ones left are Allisandra, Craven, and Kayla.”

  “Kayla told me to tell you she’s staying until Allisandra goes home,” Chris said.

  Kevin frowned. “Shadron said she was staying until tomorrow morning.”

  “Guess that’s when Allisandra’s going home, but at any rate, we’re done for now.”

  Just as Chris said that, Craven walked in. “Good news. Sisters Agnes and Hayley have examined both my girls and said they’ll be ready to travel by tomorrow.”

  Kevin smiled. “I’m glad they’re both in good shape.”

  Craven nodded. “So, if you’ve got a moment, would you mind taking me home?”

  “Be glad to.” Kevin stood up. “Need to pick up something?”

  Craven shook his head. “No, I need to get a few things set up. We weren’t expecting her until next week, so we aren’t quite ready. And I need to do a little work in the shop, things that can’t be put off. I’d rather do it now, while they’re here, so I can stay with them for a few days once they’re home.”

  Kevin nodded. “Do you want to come back this evening?”

  “I don’t think so. Alli needs to sleep, and so does Lysette. I can wait until tomorrow morning to see them. Just don’t let Alli hang around too long,” Craven said as he put his hand on Kevin’s arm.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Before breakfast Sunday morning, Kevin made a quick trip to Willow Canyon to tell Glendymere he wouldn’t be able to meet him in the canyon lands. After breakfast he settled down in his office to wait for Allisandra to send word she was ready to go back home. He did some paperwork, he reread Chris’s notes from the last few council meetings, wrote some messages, and then he paced.

  Finally, at 12:00, he headed upstairs to the guest rooms to see if Allisandra had any idea when she’d be ready. The door was open, so he didn’t knock or announce himself. He just stood in the doorway and looked around.

  Allisandra was perched up in bed surrounded by pillows with her baby in her arms. She cooed to Lysette and fussed with the baby’s little dress while one of the household staff picked up empty mugs and Allisandra’s breakfast tray and took them away. A few minutes later, Carrie brought a lunch tray upstairs. She nodded to Kevin as she carried it inside and set it on the dresser. Then she stepped over to the bed and held out her hands for Lysette. “We’ll give her a bath and change her while you eat your lunch, ma’am.”

  Allisandra handed the baby over to Carrie. “That will be fine. Thank you.”

  As Carrie left the room, Allisandra noticed Kevin standing in the doorway. “Good morning. If you came to see your cousin, I’m afraid you’ll have to come back later. She’s off to get her bath right now.”

  Kevin walked into the room. “That’s all right. I came to see if you’re ready to go. Craven was expecting you to be home by lunchtime today.”

  Allisandra shook her head. “I have no idea where he got that idea. Everyone knows a new mother has to take it easy for a while. I don’t think it would be safe for either me or Lysette to travel through the energy field right now. We need some time to recover before we try that.”

  Kevin nodded. She had a point. Traveling through the field was rough the first few times you did it, and as he’d never taken a baby through before, he had no idea how his little cousin might react. “That’s fine. Would you like for me to let him know you won’t be coming home today?”

  “If you would.” Allisandra breathed out a deep sigh. “And now, if you don’t mind, I need to eat a bite and get some rest before Lysette’s ready for her next meal. Would you mind shutting the door as you leave?”

  Kevin left, pulling the door to behind him. He took out his key and went to Ardmore. When he got there, Craven was pacing back and forth in the living room.

  “Myron,” Craven said with relief. “It’s about time.” He glanced around. “Where is she? Did you bring her bag first? Where is it?”

  “Allisandra said she’s not ready to travel through the energy field yet, and she’s not sure it’s a good idea to take Lysette through until she’s a little stronger. I came to see if you wanted to go back to the castle.”

  Craven frowned. “Is Alli all right?”

  Kevin nodded. “She’s fine. Sister Agnes saw her again this morning and said everything was fine with both of them. Allisandra just doesn’t feel up to the trip yet.”

  “All right,” Craven said, clearly disappointed. “Guess I can give her a little time if she needs it.”

  “So, do you want to go back with me?”

  Craven shook his head. “If she’s that weak, she needs to rest. I’ll get some more work done in the shop.” He frowned again. “Any idea when she might be ready to come home?”

  Kevin shook his head. “She didn’t say.”

  “All right. If she’s coming home tomorrow, that’s fine, but if she decides to stay any longer, I’m going back with you.”

  Kevin nodded. “Anything else?”

  “No, I don’t guess so. Sorry about the wasted trip.”

  “It’s not wasted. I’m just making a stop here on my way somewhere else. No problem at all.”

  When Kevin left Ardmore, he went straight to Kyle’s. He had plans for the afternoon, and those plans involved Nikki.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Monday morning Kevin didn’t wait until lunchtime to find out what Allisandra’s plans were.
He went to see her right after breakfast. Once again she put him off about going home. He was beginning to think she was enjoying the service, someone to bring her meals, to bathe and change her baby, to clean her room, and so on. But who was he to say anything? He got that kind of service every day. If she wanted to let herself be pampered for a while, it was fine with him.

  After he took Nikki back to Kyle’s, Kevin made a quick trip to Ardmore. He’d dreaded telling Craven his wife and child still weren’t coming home, but this time Craven grinned when Kevin broke the news. Kevin frowned. “I don’t understand. You were upset when she didn’t come home yesterday. Today it doesn’t seem to bother you.”

  “Yesterday I was afraid something was wrong and she wasn’t telling me. But I got a note from Laryn last night and one from Kayla this morning saying she’s fine and so is the baby. Laryn didn’t come right out and say it, but she let me know Allisandra’s just being Allisandra. She’s loving the attention. As long as they’re all right, I don’t mind.”

  “I’m glad to hear you say that. I was afraid you’d blame me for not making her come home.”

  “Like you could make that woman do something she didn’t want to. No, but it does bother me that your staff’s having to wait on her hand and foot. It’s not fair to them. She’s not an invalid.”

  Kevin shook his head. “Things are slow right now, and from what I’ve seen, they’re begging to be assigned to that floor. They love taking care of your daughter, and since most of them have known Allisandra for years, they don’t mind doing for her either.”

  “Well, let me know if she wears out her welcome,” Craven said. “I’ll come up there and pester her until she comes home.” He turned towards a small table and picked up a stack of envelopes. “Here, take these back with you. They’re from her friends here. I’m sure they’re all full of offers to bring her food, help out with the baby, the housework, and so on. Let her read these. They may help her decide it’s time to come home. Then your home can get back to normal, and so can mine.”

  Kevin grinned as he took the notes. “I’ll see she gets them right away.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~