Chapter 27 · The Crown Takes the Child

They came at dawn.

I woke up to the sound of the door unlocking. Not Dorian. Not even Coll this time. Two women in gray robes, surgical masks already on. Behind them, a man wheeling in a metal cart stacked with monitors, IV poles, and a glass incubator that looked like a tiny transparent coffin.

"Mrs. Thorne." The older woman didn't wait for me to sit up. She crossed to the bed and pulled back the blanket. "We're here to begin prenatal stabilization protocol. Please remain calm."

I yanked the blanket back. "Get out."

She didn't blink. "Magistrate Coll informed you last night. Medical supervision begins today. If you resist, we are authorized to sedate."

The man was already plugging in machines. I heard the hum of something powering up. My hands went to my belly. The baby kicked, hard, like he knew.

"Don't touch me." My voice came out steadier than I felt. "I'll scream."

"This wing is soundproofed." The younger woman stepped forward with a blood pressure cuff. "Please extend your arm."

I looked at the incubator. The glass panels were etched with runes I recognized now. Binding circles.