Chapter 94

'SSIIAANNNN?'

'Coming!' Sian answered automatically and sat up in bed, blinking.

Oh shoot! I've overslept again.

Throwing some clothes on, she hurried to Citaan and Gredel's bedroom. When she entered the room, Sian found her blue-haired friend struggling to get slippers on.

'Don't! Let me,' Sian said, while fumbling for the slippers.

Once they were on, she stood and offered both hands to Citaan, carefully easing the woman up from the bed, helping her to the bathroom.

You wouldn't believe Citaan is seven months pregnant, Sian thought. Not that the end is far away, but she looks huge, though if you consider Gredel's height and build, as well as Citaan's siblings and father, it isn't surprising that the baby is big.

Sian met the whole family the previous month at a ceremony for the unborn child. Every culture has its own traditions and for those of water-sprite heritage, like Citaan, a blessing ritual for the mother-to-be at six months along, was required. Meeting all of Citaan's f