"Now, Reah, you will sit there while I examine you and the child. Honestly, what kind of stunt was that anyway?" Karzac was muttering his displeasure as he placed his fingers on my hand first, healing up the wound. Kevis found a cloth and wet it in a small sink in the corner of the room to wash off the blood. Looking around me, I decided the room was a doctor's office. Supplies and equipment were stored inside—not that any of it was needed—except for the cloth Kevis used to clean blood from my hand. Karzac placed a hand over my bare chest. "Does anything hurt?" he asked quietly, acting as if he were listening to my heartbeat.
"My feet are freezing," I said. "And I'd really like to make sure my toes won't snap off when I kick Kevis' ass."
"Reah, I get that you're the toughest woman on the block and all that," Kevis said. "Hush now, Dad and I are checking on the baby." I rolled my eyes as two sets of hands went to my belly.
"Must not be anything like the Saa Thalarr. The baby's fine," Karzac sighed, straightening up.
"What does that mean?" I asked. "I changed the whole time I was pregnant before. I had to in order to get the insects out of the groves."
"Reah, you should probably stop talking now before Dad has a stroke." Kevis gave me a level look with the gold-green eyes he'd inherited from his father.
"Karzac, don't have a stroke," I mumbled, ducking my head and suddenly feeling ashamed.
"Little one," Karzac lifted my face, "I will not have a stroke. But it was a very close thing this time," he gave me a small smile. "I know not how you did what you did, but I had visions of a miscarriage. I am most happy to see that will not be the case."
"Where is she?" The door banged open and Dragon, with Norton and Franklin almost hanging off him, strode into the room.
"Don't tell me you're having a stroke, too?"
"I may have worse. Is she all right? Is the child well?" Dragon demanded.
"Everything is fine; it seems she's done this sort of thing throughout all her pregnancies," Karzac released a long-suffering sigh.
"To clear insects out of the groves," Kevis added, almost in an identical tone to his father's.
"It keeps everything organic," I huffed, crossing arms angrily over my chest. What were they so upset about? I shook my head in confusion.
"Reah, you reached your fourth month of pregnancy two days ago. Saa Thalarr women cannot change or use their power after four months or they will miscarry," Karzac said.
"Obviously I'm not one of them," I pointed out while nobody in particular paid any mind at all.
"How is she otherwise?" Dragon asked.
"Fine, except for the," Kevis tapped his head with a finger.
"You know, I think my feet are warmed up enough now," I threatened. "Is this how you handle all your crazy patients?"
"No, just the short ones who can turn to something with scales, wings and stands around fifteen feet tall afterward," Kevis grinned.
"You—I have no words," I said, sliding off the table I'd been dumped on. Tugging my blanket tighter around me, I marched out of the room with as much dignity as I could muster before skipping away.
* * *
"Dad, do you think all that scar tissue on her womb will affect the baby?" Kevis asked after Reah skipped away.
"I hope it won't, but I worry that it may not stretch as normal tissue might," Karzac shook his head. "I don't want to mention it, in case it doesn't turn into a problem—she has enough to worry about as it is and so far the baby is fine. Just keep examining her often, and tell the others not to alarm her over this. It may be nothing, after all."
"All right. I need to go after her, anyway." Kevis sighed and folded to Campiaa.
* * *
"Where have you been?" Teeg was close to shouting when I arrived on Farzi's patio. He and Nenzi were peering around Teeg, worry in their eyes.
"I just went with Joey, Norton and Franklin," I said. "Some Ra'Ak showed up. They're all dead now."
"And you killed them." Teeg tossed up a hand in frustration.
"Most of them," I nodded. "I zapped them. Like a zap oven." I walked behind Teeg and put my arms around Nenzi's neck. "Nenzi, I'm tired. Can I go to bed with you and Farzi?"
Nenzi didn't say anything; he merely hauled me off the ground and walked as fast as he could toward the house.
Chapter 6
Nenzi was snuggled against my back as lion snake when I woke. I was lying with my head on Farzi's shoulder. They'd never been able to have sex in a conventional manner—those who'd manipulated their births neutered them when they were young. If Nefrigar and I had energy sex, they could be included in that backwash of pleasure. Normally, though, Farzi, Nenzi and I settled for snuggling together in bed. The snuggling was nice, actually.
Nenzi poked his head over my shoulder, his tongue tickling my skin. Sleepily I reached up to stroke his triangular head. He blinked at me, telling me he liked it. It's strange—most snakes can't blink. Only lion snakes have eyelids and blink often. If one knew what to look for, one might know they stared at a lion snake—shortly before they died, I'm sure.
"Come here, sweet man." I pulled his head toward me and kissed the top of it. Nenzi snuggled beneath my chin. I stroked his scales.
"We miss this," Farzi nuzzled my ear.
"I missed it too," I sighed.
"Are we getting up?" Kevis walked into the room as if he belonged there.
"I was thinking about it. Nenzi, honey, can I get up? I'm beginning to feel a little queasy."
"Head down," Kevis' hands were on the back of my neck and Farzi and Nenzi, who'd changed back, were helping. I was breathing slow, deep breaths until I thought I could make it out of the bed without heaving.
I got help with my bath from Farzi and Nenzi while Kevis waited (not so patiently) outside. I was dressed, hauled off to the dining room and found Joey, Norton and Franklin eating breakfast as if nothing had happened the day before.
"So," Kevis said later as I swung lazily in the hammock outside, "Tell me about your grandfather."
"Which one?" I asked.
"Either one," Kevis shrugged.
"I think Denevik is still trying to make his wife Breszca pregnant. I have no idea how that's going. She's my grandmother, and we've never spoken."
"You haven't spoken to her? What about him?"
"Her, never. Denevik—not for two years or more."