"We ask your help in bringing down a High Demon," the one without power announced. "And we will see that you are transported anywhere you choose to go afterward."
"High Demon?" Zen displayed mild interest. "I need more information than that. They are very powerful, these High Demons."
"But this is only a female. Weaker than the males, most likely," Naldill smiled.
"The name of this High Demon female?" Zen's eyebrow lifted.
"Reah," Naldill smiled.
"Kill them," Zendeval pointed at the elves and growled.
"As soon as we're finished killing Reah and our brother, we're coming back for that filth," Naldill attempted to wrap the slice on his arm. He wasn't having much luck with it, one-handed. Reldill had escaped with only a few bruises when he'd grabbed his brother and folded away. He'd known how far back to stand from the Greater Demons, in order to retain his power. It had taken everything he had anyway, to escape Nrath with his brother.
"At least that bitch Ceerah distracted our brother for a few days, so we could make preparations. She was going to plead guilty. It wasn't easy, either, placing glamour on that fool she had for legal counsel. Too bad she doesn't know we can't get to Evensun. She'll just have to rot there," Naldill muttered.
"Father should never have treated us this way," Reldill snapped. "You should have been named heir. It was your right. That is how it should have been."
"We'll be stronger after this, brother. These Ra'Ak were just waiting for someone to lead them from the shadows. We'll take over. See how Father likes it when he's facing a hungry Ra'Ak."
"You think they'll get past the barrier surrounding Gaelar N'Seith?"
"What's to keep them out? Father won't bother, and Lendill is a half-blood. He doesn't have the strength," Naldill huffed. "We'll get through and then we'll watch the others flee before us."
"Is that what we want?"
"Reldill, you have strength but you lack vision," Naldill slapped his brother on the back. "Stay with me. We'll get my power back and I'll rule as was intended. Meanwhile, Xordthe waits. We'll begin our reign there."
"Just lie back, Dad's going to check on the baby. This is nearly six months, you know."
"He's fine, stop bothering him. And me." Yes, I was grumpy. The baby was growing, but he wasn't moving around as much as I'd like. I was worried, but too afraid to say anything about it. Kevis had my jeans pulled off my belly, my shirt up to my armpits and Karzac was wiping his hands after washing them in my bathroom sink.
"Reah, it won't take long and we won't hurt either of you," Karzac soothed. My right hand shook as I covered my eyes with it. Teeg walked into the room; I could tell by the footsteps. Karzac put his hands on my belly. They were cool against my skin.
"Not much room to move around," Karzac muttered. What did that mean? Kevis took my hands and held them over my head. What was he doing? "Reah, the baby is growing fast now, and he needs more room to move around. I've called Renegar and Lenigar; they're going to help with this."
"What are they going to do?" Karzac was scaring me. What did he mean; the baby didn't have enough room to move?
"Reah, look at me," Kevis' face hovered over mine. "Your body is small, and Gavril is a big man. The baby is growing really fast now. The Larentii can give him more room to move and grow."
"But I never had trouble with the twins," I said, shivering.
"I know. But that was twenty years ago, and your body didn't react so well when the last ones were born. The infection after the bite here didn't help." He touched my shoulder where Zendeval Rjjn had bitten me. "There is uterine scarring left from your last pregnancy, Reah. We're going to fix this. Just stay calm and trust us, all right?" Ren and another Larentii showed up, as did Nefrigar. I heard Karzac say words like adhesions and infection. I was terrified.
"Reah," Ren's face replaced Kevis'. "Teeki and Neeki did what they could for you when you were bitten, but they only protected the baby inside the sac. Your womb didn't react well to the infection, and it has lost some of its elasticity. We're going to fix that. Keeping you in a healing sleep has been difficult, lately, if you wanted to break out of it. I'm telling you now that we'll make this as painless as possible, and Garwin Wyatt will not be harmed. Now, you said you loved me, remember? You need to trust me, too. We'll try to make this as easy as possible, but there may be some discomfort if you break away from the sleep. Understand? Just lie still if you do wake, all right? Do this for me and for Nefrigar." I nodded as tears threatened.
Nefrigar knelt next to my head and began trilling—the song the Larentii usually sing for the mothers who carry Larentii babies. Usually it puts me right to sleep. I was too terrified this time. Large blue fingers settled against my forehead and Nefrigar placed a healing sleep.
"She's out. Move." Karzac snapped. Lenigar, who had several hundred thousand years of experience with mothers and babies, put two long blue fingers inside Reah's vagina, after removing her clothing with power. Ren, who was perhaps the most talented Larentii healer, placed both hands on Reah's abdomen, placing the child in stasis. It would take both of them working, with Reah lying still and calm, to bring the womb back to normal.
"Don't freak," Kevis said to Gavril as he gripped the edge of Reah's dresser. Nefrigar had both of Reah's hands enclosed in his, in case she moved. The others were waiting outside in the hallway. Kevis had noticed the lack of movement from the baby for the past three weeks. He'd hoped it was a normal cycle. It wasn't, so he'd called his father.
"What's he doing?" Gavril was shaking.
"Regenerating the womb cells. She wasn't treated properly after she was bitten, and the infection, combined with the scar tissue from her last pregnancy caused damage. The womb doesn't have sufficient elasticity, now. Lenigar is taking care of that."
"Are they going to be all right?"
"I think so, but Reah should take it easy for the rest of this pregnancy. We'll see how things turn out with this birth, and we'll know then if more repairs are necessary."
"She's moving," Gavril reached out a hand as Reah moaned.
"Reah, hush, darling. It's all right," Kevis said softly, touching Reah's forehead. "Go back to sleep, love. We'll take care of you." Karzac blinked at his son but never said a word. Nefrigar began to trill again while Kevis placed as much of a healing sleep as he could.
More than a click later, Lenigar removed his hand and cleaned a bit of blood away with power. Renegar took his hands away, removing the stasis he'd placed on the baby. Garwin Wyatt moved immediately—they all saw Reah's belly bulge and then relax before bulging again.
"Look at that," Gavril went to his knees.
"No sex for four weeks," Karzac said. "And no strenuous movement. Exercise in the pool only."
"Is the water warm enough?" I woke to those words. I felt sore. My lower half was aching. I moaned.
"We'll take care of that, just give us a minute," Teeg's chin was the main thing in my line of vision. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, we were in the pool. The water was warmer than usual. "Baby, do you have pain? Do you need Kevis to come? Or one of the others?"
"I ache," I tried to get away from him.
"No, no, baby. Stay with me," he murmured softly. "Kevis is coming. He'll take care of that."
"What's all this about?" I was still trying to get away from Teeg. Mostly I was trying to escape the worsening pain, when Kevis showed up.
"You're just achy because things are stretching that weren't before," Kevis soothed, putting his hands on me. I was naked—didn't anybody ever think to put me in clothes?
"Yeah? Next time you have the baby. We'll talk then," I snapped.
"Reah, just relax, all right? I'm taking it away," Kevis' hands moved carefully over my belly and then slipped between my legs. I jumped. "Reah, stay still," Kevis' voice was calm and even. "Close your eyes. Feel how warm the water is? We did that for you. Let us take care of you. We will. We won't let you go. We're right here." Why had he said that? The minute he said they wouldn't let me go, I was sobbing in Teeg's arms.
"What's wrong? Reah, tell me. You can tell me," Kevis was stroking my hair. I just clung tighter to Teeg.
"Reah? What's the matter with my little sweetheart?" Edward had come. I heard other voices behind him—Lendill, Ry, Farzi, Nenzi, Lok, Aurelius, Astralan, Cory, where had they come from? What were they doing here?
"You're wrong," I struggled to get out of Teeg's grasp, now. "The minute Kifirin crooks his finger, you'll all let me go." I skipped away amid shouting.
"I want to punch you, god or no god," Edward hissed at Kifirin.
"Just hold off on that," Belen appeared beside Kifirin. "Granted he deserves it, but we won't condone violence just yet."
"Where's Reah?" Gavril demanded. "She's terrified that he'll fuck her around again," he jerked his head at Kifirin. "Make all of us forget her again. He could, and we'd be powerless to do anything about it. I warn you," he waved a finger at Kifirin, "you don't get to give this baby away to someone else."
"That will not be possible," Kifirin's parent appeared. Even Belen bowed respectfully.
"Father," he said.
"Kifirin, you will come. We will talk. Now." Kifirin and his parent disappeared.
"Reah is being watched over," Belen informed Gavril. "She will be returned to you in a little while."