Page 6 of The Emperor's Concubine

“Oh, I understand, all right. I understand that you’re heartless creatures who live off the profits of selling innocent people. I’d appeal to your sense of shame, but I doubt you have any. To separate a mother from her children is probably the most despicable thing in the world.”

“Like I said, human, I do know how you feel,” Rzxie insisted.

“Oh, and how could you possibly know?”

If Callie didn’t know better, she would have thought that the alien was blushing, a secret expression entering her beady eyes. “I recently learned that I’m with child.”

“Congratu-freakin-lations.” Bitterness seeped into Callie’s heart. Fuck this bitch and her unborn child.

“I just wanted you to know that I do understand. I feel this baby growing in my womb, and already I love it more than life itself. I would be devastated to go through what you are, so… I… I’m going to see if your new owners will accept your little one.”

A sarcastic remark rested on Callie’s tongue but she held back. She wasn’t stupid enough to throw an opportunity like this away. “Do you think they would allow me to… take her with me?”

“I can’t make any promises, but I will see.”

“What will happen to her if they don’t want her?”

“We raise the children until they are of an age to be sold. I can’t make you any promises because your little one is another mouth they’d have to feed. I’ll do what I can.”

“Would Theki allow it?”

“Leave Theki to me.”

For the first time since London was ripped from her arms, hope blossomed in her breast. She touched the Adiae lightly on the arm. “Thank you. This would mean a lot to me.”

Rzxie smiled, and the women shared a silent moment of communication, coming to an understanding of sorts.

Just then Theki approached. “What is taking so long? Isn’t the human ready? Her new owners are waiting.”

“Theki, I thought of a brilliant idea. Why not allow her new owners to take the little one as well? After all, they were quite generous.”

Theki frowned. “Have you gone mad, woman? Why would I just give them the child when she will bring us a lot of money inthe future? I placed her genetic information in our system, and twenty years from now, she’ll be even more beautiful than her mother. Do you think I’d easily part with such a nice profit?”

“But that’s twenty years from now, and didn’t you say that it was getting expensive keeping all these children? What’s one small child?”

“She’s one child that will make us a lot of money.”

Callie watched with bated breath as the argument went back and forth. She silently prayed that things would end the way she wanted them.

“Throw in the child for goodwill. The Thibians are our best customers. If word spreads of your generosity, more will come and spend more money.”

Theki gave his mate one long hard look. “Why is this so important to you?”

Rzxie sighed. “I just think it would be a good gesture.”

“And what makes you think they’d even want to take the child? I refuse to reward this human for her defiant behavior.”

“Then don’t do it for her. Do it for me?” Rzxie patted her belly and gave Theki a meaningful look.

“Does this really mean that much to you?”

“Yes.”

“All right. I will talk it over with the Thibians. Now that I think about it, this just might be a good idea. If the child is as headstrong as her mother, then she may be more trouble than she’s worth. And you know what, she may be a tool the Thibians can use to control this defiant human. Yes, you are very wise, Rzxie. I will go talk to them about this.”

When Theki left them alone once more, Rzxie turned to Callie wearing a wide grin. “You see, I knew it would work out.”

A humorless smile touched Callie’s lips. “It would only really be perfect if I had my other baby with me. Not a day has gone bywhen I haven’t thought about her and what she must be feeling. I wonder if she’s safe and if she’s being taken care of.”

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