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nod, gathered Nolly into his arms, and walked out with her.
"Isranon, I think you need a night's sleep before we go any further into a
conversation like this," Nevin said. "Come on, you can sleep with Olin and I."
Isranon's eyes filled with tears of gratitude and regret. He got to his feet
and accepted Nevin's outstretched hand. "Thank you, my brother."
* * * *
Nans had been too busy to take much notice when Nevin and Olin moved to
separate quarters and Anksha moved in with Isranon. There were simply too many
matters demanding her attention. However, that morning, the male trio were
having an early breakfast in the parlor of Isranon's suite, while waiting for
Amiri and Nans to come and examine Anksha. Isranon had more color in his face
than Nans had seen in weeks and far sooner than the captain had expected to
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see it, yet his pensive expression concerned her. Nevin looked contemplative
as he raised his head to regard her. Nans settled into a chair next to Isranon
and, taking his wrist, quickly Read him. The mon was tired, but the last
vestiges of the damage had vanished. Only the embedded spells remained. She
had never seen him recover so swiftly or so completely before. Nans shifted
her perceptions to his mage centers and found a crimson banding that she had
never seen before. It smelled like passion of some kind, and animalistic. It
both intrigued and disturbed her. She had no idea how to interpret it.
"Where's Anksha?" Nans asked.
Amiri stood with Nans, watching them with an uninterpretable look on her
face.
"Isranon's bed. Sleeping." Nevin's thoughtful look deepened into what
appeared to be suspiciously like worry. "I doubt she'll get up."
Amiri winked at Nevin. "I agree with you."
Nevin scowled at her.
Nans glanced from Nevin to Amiri, wondering what was really going on here.
They went into the bedroom and found Anksha lying nude, curled up with a
fistful of sheet. A trail of bite marks ran from her neck down one arm and
another to her breast.
Nans stared.Had Isranon done this?The captain touched her and called her
name. Anksha grumbled, slapping at Nans.
"Anksha?" Nans was surprised at the reaction. The little she-creature
usually woke quickly.
"Don't feel good," Anksha grumbled. "Tummy. I'm sore."
She took Anksha's wrist and Read her. The result was startling, but then
nothing connected with Isranon and his magic should surprise her. First she
saw that Anksha's fiery rage of magic had finally settled back to normal
levels. Malei'leonys was herself again. The physical had changed drastically
and Nans wondered how Anksha would handle it. If Isranon was responsible for
it, she wondered howhewould handle the news.
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"Is this what you wanted me to confirm, Amiri?" Nans asked.
"Yes. I thought you would see as deeply as I did."
Nans sighed. "Anksha," she said gently. "Anksha, wake up."
Anksha stirred further, rubbing the back of her hand across her face. "I
hurt," she moaned. "Tummy is all funny."
Nans sighed more deeply. "That's normal, Anksha. You're pregnant."
Amiri smirked.
Anksha pulled the sheet up again. "I know. Amiri told me." She smiled
suddenly, her hand rubbing her stomach. "I'm going to have a baby. Just like
Nainee's."
"Well, not like Nainee's," Amiri said. "Yours will be a demon-eater, like
you."
"What did you sleep with?" Nans asked. The Beast had been coupling with
humans and others for centuries and produced nothing. What had changed?
"Isranon." Anksha looked suddenly pleased, smug as a cat in the cream,
forming a cradle with her arms. "I'm not one of a kind anymore. There's going
to be two of me. And woe betide the world. I gotta tell Isranon. He's going to
be a papa."
Nans caught Anksha as she started to slide out of bed. "Anksha, let me tell
him."My sa'necari life-mage has sired a demon-eater. What next? What in the
name of Creation have the Nine given me?
"Thank you, Nans. I had wanted additional confirmation on this," Amiri said.
"I'll take it from here, see that she gets enough to eat and the right
things."
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"Don't want to eat," Anksha moaned. "Upset tummy."
"You must," Nans said. "You're eating for two."
"I'll send Randilyn with some blood-slaves and breakfast for Anksha," Amiri
said, and gestured for Nans to follow her out. "Let's discuss this further
when we're alone."
Nans frowned and ran her fingers through her cinnamon hair. "We'll do it in
my command room."
* * * *
Isranon saw Nans and Amiri emerge from his bedroom, which he had given up to
Anksha. He caught Nans' hand as she started to pass him. "Is Anksha going to
be all right?"
"Yes," Nans replied. "We'll talk later."
Then they walked on, leaving Isranon staring after them.
"She didn't say much," Nevin said. "Now are you going to explain about what
happened last night?"
Shame flushed Isranon's face. "I injured her... I think I... I think I
nearly..." he struggled for the word, wavering between using a euphemism and
the proper word for it. "I nearly ginicomtwigged her to death."
Olin blinked and looked away, struggling to repress a snicker at the rare
euphemism and then failing entirely.
Nevin lips curled into a snarl, made uglier by his scarred lip. "You mean [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]