"No, they cannot see us," Neeki said as I stared at him in surprise. "And we would attempt to heal you, but that would be obvious. We shielded the baby, however. He still lives inside your womb. We are grateful the Mighty One arrived to stop the rape."
"Baby?" I whispered. The shaking became worse.
"Yes. Pregnant, by the one you call, oh, Teeg. Yes. His son," Neeki declared.
"No. Please, no," I buried my head in my hands. It must have happened the night Teeg came to my tiny house on Kifirin. "Please, don't make the night any more traumatic than it already is," I moaned.
"We were sent to help. We cannot interfere," Teeki spoke for the first time.
I blinked at him in shock. He couldn't interfere, but someone else had. He'd called her the Mighty One. I had no idea what that meant, and I wasn't sure how grateful I was to her—she hadn't prevented the bite. I turned to Teeki while smoke curled from my nostrils. "Then get out. You're not helping now."
"We're keeping fng frledyou from screaming," Neeki stated. "The pain below would be quite bad, otherwise. A bite from one of these affects both areas in a few women."
"What?"
"We're removing most of the pain below. You would be screaming if we did not."
"Is it going to come back?"
"Some. When you can bear it. A fever will come, too. It happens sometimes."
"How good are these physicians?" Now I was terrified, in pain, shivering and worried for a baby I hadn't known existed.
"They are good enough."
"I can't believe they're working here."
"Some will do almost anything."
I knew that. Jes had done it. He'd been dropped off on Evensun for his crimes. I had no idea whether he was still alive or not. "We're keeping the baby shielded. He must not be harmed."
"Sure. Take care of Teeg's baby, why don't you," I muttered sarcastically.
"We will. If you do not suffer some, the others will get suspicious."
"Great. Why don't you go help some of those other poor girls?"
"They are luckier than most who go through this. You are here with them."
"Like that's such a wonderful thing and all." I couldn't help it, tears were falling, now. Reaction was setting in. If I lived long enough, Zendeval Rjjn might get the worst of all possible deaths at my hands.
"What do we have here?" A physician knelt before me and unbuttoned my top, revealing the bite and bruises. "I'll have to do a pelvic, too, so why don't you lean on me on the way to the exam room?"
Jerking my elbow out of his hands, I stumbled along beside him as he pointed out a tiny cubicle down a dimly lit hall. My clothing was removed and the physician cursed in a language I didn't understand when he did the pelvic exam. He then administered a mistjection against my inner thigh and set about cleaning the bite.
"You may run a fever over the next few days," the physician said as I gathered my clothing in shaking fingers and dressed myself. "If they allow you to speak, tell them to ask for Geldis," he said and sent me out the door. Perdil was waiting. I shouldn't have been surprised.
"This way," he said. I followed Perdil, thinking that my Thifilatha could burn him to cinders in two blinks. "What did the physician say?" Perdil asked as he closed the cage door behind me. "You have permission to speak this time only."
"He said I was likely to run a fever, and to ask for him if there was any trouble. His name is Geldis."
Perdil cursed. "A fever is uncommon, but it happens at times. Lie down, I'll see about getting a mat for your cage floor."
Zendeval Rjjn stalked through the tunnels beneath the surface of Stellar Winds' moon, growling and snapping at any others he encountered. Inside him, somewhere, a small voice kept repeating protect, protect, protect, but he ignored it. On a full moon, he usually selected one of the paid prostitutes on Stellar Winds; one of those who preferred extremely rough sex.
His father always said kr atit that Zen's mother died in a Reaving. He'd never talked about her much; it upset him, somehow. Zen's father also said that females of their kind were to be protected above all costs, but Zen's mother had died anyway, and only the males had survived. Now, less than a hundred males lived, and they'd come to this. Zendeval kicked at the wall, sending brick flying.
"She's feverish," Geldis the physician glanced up at Zendeval Rjjn as he examined Reah inside her cage the following afternoon. She was shivering on the small mat, her body in a fetal position. Zendeval was back to himself and dressed impeccably in a dark suit. Perdil stood nearby, watching Zen and the physician.
"How feverish?" Zen crossed arms over his chest.
"Very. We shouldn't let her temperature climb any higher."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Medication, sedation and cool baths to bring the fever down," Geldis said. "And keep her warm in between. We have one other suffering just the same. We've already treated her, at Nedrizif's request."
"Then do everything you can for this one," Zen sighed. "And keep me advised."
"They don't get ill often," Perdil pointed out as he and Zen walked away.
"I don't know what to do. How much ice cream do we have in the freezer?"
"Only enough for two more days. I was hoping to have her back in the kitchen between now and the sale in two weeks."
"How long does it usually take to get them back on their feet if they become ill?" Zen wanted to kick something.
"At times, they are still weak and sick when we put them up for bid." The sales were always held two eight-days after moonrush. Girls were picked up sometimes months after potential bidders expressed interest, and the bidders were notified when the cargo was safely on Stellar Winds.
"Then I suggest you figure out how to make those desserts or take it off the menu," Zen growled. "And Nedrizif will not be pleased."
"Then we'll take the desserts off the menu now and hold all the ice cream back for him," Perdil suggested.
"Do it. And make sure Reah is cared for. Once she belongs to us, then she'll be back in the kitchen and spending her nights with me."
"It's a fair bargain. I get days, you get the nights," Perdil snickered.
"One of our better investments," Zen agreed.
"Absolutely."
Jerves knew. He knew everything. He picked at an eyebrow nervously as he spoke with a cook's assistant. Reah had been taken and subjected to who knew what. Jerves had a controller, too, only Zendeval allowed him free rein over most things. Completely controlled meant you couldn't think or make any reasonable decisions. The one controlling you made those. Jerves had to have some measure of autonomy. That meant he could feel anger. He felt it now. White-hot anger.