Page 27 of Romancing Rem'eb

The next day, when I tell my father that I have been followed by one of the rebels, he is less than helpful.

“But is the female resonating?”

I clench my jaw. “Not yet.”

“Bah.” Bel’eb turns toward his fire. I cannot help but notice that he is seated in the same spot he was when I left him at tide-fall, wrapped in the same blanket. Has he not moved?

“How are we going to get So’ran to stop following me? Without turning this into an incident? I do not want the entire village alerted to the fact that I am sneaking around.”

“This would not be a problem if you had resonated to the female,” my father says peevishly, as if it is my fault my khui is silent. He strokes the fur on his chin with an idle hand, thinking. “If you are being followed, you will have to avoid her.”

“What? No!” This is a terrible idea.

But my father gives me a sharp look. “If you are being followed because they think there is something to see, prove to them that there is not. We will take them off your scent trail. I will tell them you are helping Set’nef with a lizard infestation in one of the distant garden caverns. You can come back in a handful of days, and they will realize nothing is amiss.”

A handful of days? Apart from Tia? It feels like an eternity. It is the last thing I want to do.

And yet…what is my choice? If So’ran finds out that she exists…it could destroy the fragile peace in our village.

Even so, the thought of leaving her behind feels painful. “I am the one that brings her food and water. Who will do that while I am gone?”

“I can. There is no chance that I will resonate to her.”

I do not like that idea, either. Father seems to be sinking into one of his melancholy times, when he forgets to take care of himself. I do not want him simply forgetting to take care of Tia. “They will be suspicious of you,” I suggest. “Perhaps someone else?”

He shoots me an irritated look. “Wa’duk the Blade-maker then. He resonated to a female behind the wall five turns ago. He can bring her food, and I can dangle a visit to his mate as incentive.”

I stare at my father, frustrated and unhappy with his words. Speaking of Wa’duk reminds me that I am having a female dangled in front of my nose and Wa’duk cannot even spend time with his. It also bothers me that Father does not even know her name. We are not so numerous a people. He should know every name. That is his job as chief.

“Perhaps your absence will spur on resonance,” my father says in his sly voice, cutting me with his bitter words. “Give her khui a chance to miss yours. What you are doing now does not seem to be enticing her, after all.”

Does he care about anything other than me breeding children with a stranger? “And if I say no?”

Father straightens, looking like his old self for a change. “I am chief. My word is the law. You had better remember that, or I will stop favoring you and trot your female out in front of a more worthy male.”

I scowl at him, fighting the resentment bubbling inside my chest. I know he is using words to sting me because he is unhappy with me. Because he is unhappy. Cas’zor has said many a time that he lashes out because he wishes to make everyone as miserable as he is.

But it is a hard thing to stomach when the chief is also your father. “I will leave for a hand of days,” I say slowly. “But if I return and Tia is not here, waiting for me, I will tell everyone in the village what you have done.”

We glare at each other until I leave.

Chapter

Thirteen

TIA

Days Later

I’ve been forgotten.

For some reason, Rem’eb hasn’t been coming to visit me. The first time a stranger enters my cell, I panic, wondering what happened to Rem’eb and who this new person is. But the man doesn’t look me in the eye, only drops the tray of food and water off quickly and exits. I’m on pins and needles as the time passes agonizingly slowly until the next meal, wondering if it will be Rem’eb again or the stranger.

When it’s a different guy and not Rem’eb again, my confusion changes to worry.

Rem’eb at least talked to me. This other man ignores my attempts to make conversation. It makes me feel more isolated and alone, and I search vainly for my knife, but it’s gone. Rem’eb must have taken it and I’d been too distracted with the kissing. Ugh. I am my own worst enemy, it seems. But there’s nothing to be done about it now, other than hope for a new knife. I try to make cutting gestures at the man that comes in but he ignores me entirely.

I contemplate rushing the door but I can see there’s another guard outside, the outline of his shoulder visible in the doorway. I’d have to make it past two of the hulking, four-armed strangers…and then what? I don’t know where to go.

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