Page 27 of The Goddesses' Gifts

The scouts came in; new ones went out. I took a brief report from them and in prearranged code, they informed me that Lhoris and Lobikno had been spotted. They would be here at dawn. It was safe to assume that they’d want rest before calling Dulanzo out. I had a little time left to check on Ozanna.

I met Bhekna in the corridor of the prison wing. “How is she?”

Bhekna shook his head and shrugged. “Bruised mostly. A little swelling. Nothing to worry about from the attack. Though the little ones need more feeding. She doesn’t have enough power for one let alone two.”

I didn’t bother concealing my surprise. “Two, you say? Are you certain?”

“I’m afraid so,” he nodded. “I didn’t say anything to the girl though.” He glanced over his shoulder towards her door. “She seems a bit … fragile at the moment.”

“Hardly unusual considering,” I snorted. “I’ll attend the pregnancy before I leave.”

“Good,” he said. “I had little enough to offer the parasites after healing their mother. Have more of your blood kin come down and help with the burden.”

“Thank you, Bhekna,” I nodded.

His eyes went wide, and he gaped at me for a moment. Then he blinked and scrunched up his face, as if he couldn’t recall what he was meant to say in reply. “Yes, well, I do have one unrelated matter to discuss with you before I go. I’m sure I have patients lined up outside the infirmary by now, but I don’t get to speak with you often.” His assessing eyes scanned my face and form. “You’ve lost more weight.”

“I was on the road for over a month, we weren’t exactly banqueting along the way,” I grumbled.

He clucked his tongue and pursed his lips in disapproval. “While I’m sure that didn’t help, none of the others that went on your excursion returned looking any worse for the lack of catering,” he said scornfully. “Whatever you’ve been doing to yourself, I think it’s time to intervene to keep you from deteriorating further.”

I stared down my nose at him with a sneer.

“You don’t scare me, Zelfek,” he drawled. “Save that face for someone that didn’t teach you to piss standing up.”

I rolled my eyes. I didn’t have time for this!

“The rate you’re going, it won’t be long before you’re too weak to resist force feeding,” the old elf shook his finger in my face. “I’ll shove a hose down your throat. Is that what you want? Hm?”

“No,” I growled through gritted teeth. “Fuck it. Fine, I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

Bhekna huffed a heavy sigh and pushed his glasses back up his nose, though his scowl didn’t fade. “You better, or I’ll come find you.” He narrowed his eyes before adding ominously, “With a hose.”

With a final cluck of his tongue, he turned on his heel and left me to face the next consequence of my actions. Or maybe it was all just actions not taken in time. Dulanzo probably went straight from telling me to kill the boys to Ozanna’s prison. Dourlek wouldn’t have had time to set anything up. Lirraco was at the far end of the hall now, but it was probably all said and done before he’d arrived.

I entered the room and noted that Bhekna had left it unlocked—the sly, kind old fellow.

Ozanna lay huddled under her blankets, mattress on the floor, linens in disarray. The bruises at her throat were already fading thanks to Bhekna’s magic. One eye still a little puffy despite the healing. But there was a listless quality to her face that I hadn’t previously seen. She was, as the aging healer had said, fragile. Or fragile as someone like her could be.

I conjured my light and her face shifted in recognition. Some life returning to it. “I want the boy back,” she blurted. “I gave him a name. Oshruli.”

“Of course,” I agreed, quickly, easily. It was a request I wanted to fulfill. She could take the little one with her. “Perhaps in a couple of hours. Let’s give you time to get cleaned up. Dressed,” I offered. “Then Oshruli can rejoin you.”

“I need more clothes,” she explained. “And the water is too cold to bathe.”

I knew the latter. If she was truly feeling fragile, that kind of chill could make her sick. I had witnessed it many times. A wound of the spirit seemed to be the only thing that left our kind vulnerable to illness, and I wasn’t sure if halfies would be more susceptible. “Of course,” I nodded. “I’ll escort you to the washroom you used upon your arrival.”

“I’d rather not be seen,” she said, her face contorting through a handful expressions in a few moments, too quickly to interpret beyond their negative nature.

“You have my word that I will cloak you in shadow the moment we come upon anyone else,” I swore, my throat tight.

Her brows furrowed over her brown eyes. “Very well,” she agreed with a shiver.

I made sure the blanket covered her before escorting her through the corridor, “What did the healer tell you?”

The pile of blanket around her shoulders shifted up a little in a shrug. “Probably the same he told you. Bruises, swelling. Nothing’s broken. The baby is fine.”

There wasn’t anything I could say after that. I could only offer her silent company. A sympathetic silence, though she wouldn’t know it. Perhaps it wasn’t fair that I was taking solace from sharing this walk with someone processing their own misery. But I couldn’t speak of the things weighing on me.

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