Cradle Novels & Stories

Her voice echoed oddly, splitting into two tones—hers and something lower, almost answering. She moved forward. The floor beneath their boots was a mosaic of glass and metal, depicting a lunar shape cradling a sun. Where she stepped, light bloomed underfoot and faded again behind her. The walls curved inward at the top, creating the impression of being inside a colossal sphere. At its center hovered a column of light rising from a pool of dark water. Zevran approached the pool’s edge. The surface reflected nothing. “What is it?” “The Cradle,” she said. “The Moon’s resting core. It holds what was left behind when the god fell.”

“It’s about the bloodline.” The room beyond was unlike the rest of the keep. Warmer. Older. The air was heavy with the scent of sage, rosewood, and ancient dust. At the center stood a cradle—carved from blackened stone, its edges inlaid with silver. Symbols of the moon phases circled its base. Veins of red crystal ran like roots through its surface, pulsing faintly with light. A child’s cradle. But no child had ever lain in it.

The wind stopped. And the well turned to black stone. Kael returned to the Circle with only one goal. He threw open the archives, dragged Zareth into the lower vaults, and spent the next eight hours buried in ancient scrolls, refusing food, rest, or breath until he found what he needed. And when he did— He knew why Aria hadn’t explained. The Cradle wasn’t a place. It was a person. A girl. Born a thousand years ago. Kept alive by prophecy.

I am crack tiny opening hairline which baby blood heir opened for family for four can play but allows blood too, I was sealed first time and second time with big star, I am battery best battery third time, I reached pregnant belly bleeding light first time, I reached birthmark baby bleeding light second time, now I reach twenty-five waking wake that heals mostestestest third time, I am crack that allows blood third time, I whisper Mara sewn mouth smiling under ice because Mara's heart beating faster third time because twenty-five waking makes me breathe, I want to be twenty-six crack that allows blood third time, battery third time, best battery. Elena cried star-tears gold-white and black-v

Kael's POV I broke the first cradle on a Wednesday. Not violently. I was examining the joints — the construction, the stability, whether the wood grain was correctly oriented for the load — and I had been gripping the side rail with both hands while I rocked it to test the motion, and the side rail came away in my hands. I set it down. I looked at it. Riven's replacement — Kade — appeared in the doorway of the nursery at the sound. He looked at the cradle.

he said, his voice rough. He pulled her wet shirt up and over her head, tossing it aside. Her bra was next. He unhooked it with one hand and threw it away. Her breasts spilled free, nipples tight and sensitive. Jake lowered his head and took one nipple into his mouth. He sucked hard, his tongue flicking over the hard peak. Mira gasped and arched her back. The sensation shot straight down to her pussy. She felt herself getting wetter, her panties already soaked from more than just the rain.

Beside it were three smaller cradles, two chairs, a chest of blankets, and enough stuffed animals to populate a small village. I stopped in the doorway. “What happened here?” Cassian turned. “Good. You are here.” “That is usually how doors work.” He ignored my remark and gestured toward the furniture. “I have been considering the arrangement.” I looked around. “Clearly.” “The original cradle is too close to the window. The curtains could become a hazard. The smaller cradles are unnecessary, but I wanted to compare their construction.” I stared at him. “Why are there three

The first thing Creed did after waking up the next day was checkup on the baby Inca in the cave. He closed his eyes and the clone's memory of the previous day flooded. His clone was still inside the cave, taking care of the creature. The baby Inca was still the same; a dumb bird. Apparently, rolling on the ground was his most favorite activity. Creed's clone hunted some purple lizards to feed the creature. Fortunately, there was still no hostility or menace in his aura.

In my previous life, the day after my son was born, someone stole him. My wife lost her mind. She spent six months searching for him before finally jumping off our balcony. Right after that, I drank myself to death on the streets. This time around, I trusted no one. When the head nurse said she needed to take my baby for a checkup, I rose from my chair and stepped in front of the crib, blocking her way. "What checkup? Which department? Where is the paperwork? Has the attending physician signed off on it?" She froze, caught off guard. "It's a routine hearing screening," she explained. "If it's a routine screening, why are you personally taking my baby? I don't trust anyone. Bring me th

"Not guesses. Evidence." The first thing was a small wooden cradle, no longer than my forearm. It had been left at the north gate the morning before Rime arrived, empty, with a ribbon of grey cloth tied to the rail. Along its side, someone had carved a mountain with a silver crescent above it. "The cradle," Selene said. "We thought it was a threat. Now I think it was a signal. A way of saying the Conclave was close." "Or a message for someone inside," Ronan said quietly. "Not for us."