"We worry about two fields," Farzi informed me as we selected fruits and vegetables to buy for the plantation.
"Why?" I turned to him while sniffing a melon. I could always tell the ripe ones if I did that.
"They dry out—plants look brown though we water often," he said.
"You don't know why it's happening?" I placed the melon in a basket Nenzi held out.
"We have not the explanation." Farzi was eyeing the potatoes. I gathered several large ones and added those to the basket.
"I'll bake these for you," I promised, getting a smile from Farzi. We picked up butter and plenty of sour cream, all the vegetables and fruit we needed, plus several kinds of meats. The only thing truly missing here was good, fresh fish. Frozen could be had readily, but what they passed off as fresh fish wasn't. I bought some frozen shrimp, though. It was probably a good idea to keep Arvil as happy as we could and the soup he liked might be a good start.
"Can I come to the fields with you tomorrow?" I asked Farzi. He seemed to be Arvil's expert on growing crops.
"Of course," Farzi seemed pleased that I'd asked. I wanted to see these plants for myself. Perhaps there was some sort of blight, insect or animal that was responsible. If nature could give a helping hand in taking out the drakus seed crop, all the better.
"Farzi, what do you know about what we're growing?" The time had come to find out.
"Powerful drug. Should not be used," Farzi muttered. "Arvil wants, so we do. He give me home on Urdolus after first successful crop. I hope then he leave us there to live. Not to be," Farzi sighed. "Now, all gone."
"I'm sorry you lost your home, Farzi," I hugged him. We'd lost more than that. Xiri had died there, as had Arvil's remaining family.
We were unloading our purchases into the kitchen later when I learned that Arvil had been folded to Campiaa to take care of business. Astralan, who'd moved Arvil, Ry and Tory to Campiaa, had brought Teeg back with him as Arvil's replacement.
You didn't even give me a warning? I sent mindspeech to Tory. I could feel his mental shrug.
No time, it just happened, Tory replied. Teeg stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a huge grin on his face as I cut off the mindspeech with Tory. Honestly, multiple mates definitely had its downside.
Farzi, Nenzi and my other reptanoid bodyguards stood aside as Teeg swept me up in his arms and kissed me breathless. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my head against his shoulder. Farzi and Nenzi would have to sleep in the rooms with their brothers while Teeg was there.
Chapter 13
"This steak sauce is exceptional." Stellan was fond of steak, it appeared. I'd found some thick cuts at the market that looked fresh and tender, so we were serving those with a sauce and Farzi's baked potatoes, plus a green vegetable and a nice dessert.
"I'm glad you like it," I said, cutting into my steak. I'd cooked a smaller portion for myself. Teeg was busy eating—I think his mind was on what he intended to do as soon as he could get me away from the table.
"Planning to get me drunk?" I asked. Teeg held a bottle of wine and two glasses in his hands when he slipped into my bedroom later. I think the kitchen had been cleaned in record time. I'd showered and dressed in my nicest lingerie while I waited for Teeg to have a brief meeting with the Hardlows and their warlocks.
"Absolutely," Teeg gave me a heart-stopping grin. "This is nice," he trailed a finger along the black lace covering my br**sts.
"You picked it out."
"I have exceptional taste." We didn't even open the wine; it wasn't needed. Teeg's hands are strong and firm and he takes his time at first until he makes me crazy. After a certain point, I want him so badly that he could do anything he wanted with me and it would be all right, including nipping my inner thighs. That gave me a climax, all by itself.
"I know what my Reah wants," Teeg whispered against my mouth as his body slid over mine. He did. As much or more than Aurelius or Tory.
Teeg had to worry with Wilffox, Wilffin and the warlocks while Farzi, Nenzi and the others took me to the drakus seed fields the following morning. "See?" Farzi lifted a branch of one of the drakus plants. The leaves were dry and brittle, as if they hadn't been watered. Except they had. In fact, the ground was still damp from the watering earlier.
"None of the other fields are like this?" I peered into the distance—it would take half a click just to walk to the opposite end of this field.
"One more on other side," Farzi pointed in front of us. I started walking through the field with Nenzi, Farzi and six other reptanoids following me. It wasn't particularly hot this early in the morning, but the farther I walked along, the hotter I felt until I thought my insides would melt. What did this mean? I stopped still and looked at Farzi. "Farzi, do you feel hot right now?" I asked, my voice sounding breathless.
"No, our Reah. Are you not well?" Farzi came and put a hand to my forehead. "Your forehead does not feel like fever."
"I don't feel like a fever either—not there, anyway," I said. "I feel it, here." I pointed to my chest. "There's no pain," I was holding Farzi off; I think he was about to fling me inside Nenzi's hovercar and rush me back to the plantation. "It just feels really warm." More than anything, I wanted to contact Gavril and ask him what he thought. Bouncing ideas around with him often led to better conclusions. He never looked at me as if I were crazy when I said something, and this was definitely sounding crazy.
"I want to walk a little farther," I said. Farzi didn't want me to; I could see that right away. He didn't argue with me, moving along beside me silently as I strode farther and farther into a field of drakus seed that stretched as far as the eye could see. I knew immediately when I reached the warmest spot in the field. The plants were almost completely brown around me, but even without that visual confirmation, I would have known. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the heat itself.
"Our Reah, are you well?" Farzi eventually reached me from where I'd gone.
"Farzi," I smiled at him, curling my hand around his neck and drawing him close.
"Reah, I say again, are you well?"
"Yes, Farzi, I am well," I assured him. "Now, you said before that you knew I was different when you met me."
"Yes. We not know how, but we know." Nenzi had come up beside me to give me a hug.
"Then I ask you not to be frightened when I show you what I am. I promise that I also recognize my friends and enemies when I turn."