The witch screamed again, her dark hair clinging to face. She was sticky with sweat and blood. I wondered how long she’d been laboring. I wished I could hold her hand, wipe her face, or do anything that I had done for the women at the breeding manor. My chains clanked together as I twitched, but Thad wasn’t paying attention to me. His face was turned towards the witch on the table. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“The child is turned. It won’t come the proper way,” Severn remarked casually.

A demon imp slithered before Severn, and grabbed a long, jagged knife from his waist. My eyes bulged in shock. Surely, they weren’t so barbaric, were they?

Severn sighed heavily. “A shame. She was one of our best breeders.” He made a waving motion with his hand, and the demon stepped forward, a smirk on his face as he brandished the knife.

I couldn’t stand by and let this happen. I pulled against my chains, jerking my weight forward as I dragged Thad with me before he tugged me back. I didn’t dare speak, but I waved frantically at Severn, shaking my head and pointing at the knife. Severn’s eyes narrowed, but he shook his head at the demon with the knife. The demon scowled, lowering it.

“Thad, give her permission to speak.”

I swallowed my fury and waited until Thad nodded deliberately at me.

“You don’t need to do that; to cut it out. There are ways to birth naturally even if the child is turned the wrong way. I grew up in a breeding manor. Let me help and she won’t have to die.”

As I said it, I wondered if it was crueler to help, to let her live to keep breeding and breeding until her body gave out. What if she preferred to die? I could have pulled my hair out in frustration, but they were all staring at me now, expecting me to do something. I just wanted to help. No one tried to stop me until I nearly dragged her off the table, leaving her in a hunched position on the edge.

I pointed at the demon imp. “Hold her in this position. It will help the baby descend.”

The small demon looked to Severn for direction, but he waved a hand impatiently at them to get on with it. The witch cringed at his touch, but it couldn’t be helped.

My eyes found two other demons standing guard. “You. Hold the legs, but gently.”

They scowled but obeyed, and I got down on my knees, immediately recognizing the breech position. The child’s dark-skinned buttocks were presenting first, and the witch seemed stalled in her efforts to get the baby out.

I cupped the small body with my hands, mindful of my chains and vaguely wondering if they’d cut them to make my task easier. One glance at the demon’s ugly face above me zapped any hope for that.

I breathed evenly as my mind went back to the breeding manor. I had watched Clarice do this so many times I could probably draw a diagram. With my thumb and index finger, I gently coaxed one leg out, rotating the small body carefully to ensure I didn’t injure the child. I tilted and twisted carefully to get the second leg out and then took a moment to steady myself. That was the easy part. Now I had to get the shoulders.