Page 8 of Fever

Sotay

“At this rate of growth,” Dreikx says, “the gate will reach the building by the cycle’s end, which is in sixteen days.”

“Fucking disaster,” Raven says, glaring at Arkin, who made me tinker with the gate so his Omega can sleep. I understand him now. I’d have done the same for Leah. Though I’m not admitting that.

Arkin glares back at Raven, “If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I accept the blame.”

Face grim, Raven nods. He gets it.

“Pussies,” Seer says and paces back and forth, his metal Hordesman’s armor clinking. “Bunch of Omegas run this world.” He stops, eyes on me. “Please tell me you can fix the gate.”

“I can.”

“How?” Dreikx asks.

“By trying and failing until I succeed.”

“In recent history, when have you even tried?” Raven asks.

I’ve been absent and everyone knows it. “Today,” I say.

“You think this is a joke?” Seer walks toward me, and I stand. Our chests thump. “The King of Earth has declared war for the right to the crown. My Warlords are stuck on Regha, cooling their balls and farming. Meanwhile, Swarm males have been spotted on the beaches of this very city. When a disposable army of many abominations swarms the city from the sea, who will stand in their way?”

“The Horde,” Raven says.

Seer spins around and snarls. “If the Horde could handle this situation, you wouldn’t have sent for me.”

“True.” Raven nods.

Seer grunts.

Raven scrubs his jaw. “Are the Warlords really farming?”

“I almost cried when I heard.”

“In the Sewa region?” I ask.

“Mm-hm. Uncle asked for volunteers to populate and grow that region. I went and took the lords there. It’s nice. Deserted, but pretty. He then ordered them to farm the land. Promptly, I went back to Ohala. Most of the lords stayed out of boredom.”

An image of Seer herding Earth cows while riding a bull through the gate passes through my mind. I laugh.

Raven cuts me a look, then says, “Dreikx, anything smart to impart?”

“A few things. May I have one of the baby hounds?”

Raven blinks. “What?”

“A hound from Loyette’s litter. Through observation and thorough research, I’ve concluded the pedigree of those babies is the finest on Earth and on Regha. May I have one?”

Raven leans his elbows on the desk and cups his face. “Dear Serpent, please save us.” He peeks through the fingers. “You want a fucking hound? We have a crisis here and no solution.”

“Is that a yes?” Dreikx asks.

“But you hate hounds,” I say.

“She likes them.”

Silence.

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